Adel Sweet Corn Festival '16: What a Great Afternoon

We went to the Iowa State Fair on opening day, and we plan on going next Tuesday and maybe next Sunday, too. That doesn't mean we were sitting at home twiddling our fingers waiting for the calendar to flip its pages to enjoy great food, entertainment, and Iowa hospitality.

We visited the Adel Sweet Corn Festival on Saturday.

Adel's festival is held near and around its town square. Neither Inwood or Rock Valley had a town square, and I'm jealous of Adel's small town majesty.

We arrived at the festival a bit after noon, and it was about 70 degrees in the shade according to a local tree meteorologist.

Our first stop was to check out the food trucks. We shared a pulled pork sandwich that was great, but I was too hungry to pull out our camera. Daphne had a Jamaican jerk chicken sandwich that did make a photo shoot appearance. Sorry if partially eaten food grosses you out.

Nice job, Curbin Cuisine!

I checked out the car show.

After that we grabbed some free sweet corn. You just need to snag a paper plate and get in line. Once you get to the sweet corn stand you simply tell them how many ears of corn you want.

Then grab some milk crates and dig in.

Up next was the promised bag of cotton candy. Char gets this about once a year, and we always pay for it later. The sugar rush makes her whole body shake.

She gets a little out of control...

Luckily, she could burn off some energy on the inflatables.

We also caught a free performance from 80's metal cover band Abby Normal.

"Sweet Child O' Mine," indeed.

That's totally cheesy, I know, but parenting has made me such a sap.

On the way home we stopped by Petsmart to get some dog food, and I spotted these three kittens sleeping in an adoption cage. This post has already become sappy, so why not show you sleeping kittens?

Then, for a change of tone, I'm going to switch from cute cats to dirty dogs.

We also stopped by HyVee to get some grilling supplies, and I spotted the worst looking hot dog I have ever seen for sale:

HyVee, have a little more pride in what you sell. Even gas stations would throw a burnt brick like this away.

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Iowa State Fair '16: Still Sticking Our Heads in Stuff Edition

Char won't ever ride the bus to school because she is open enrolled. So, any bus ride gets her pretty excited. It starts our day at the fair on a high note.

The Thursday morning sky was gray, and you can see the puddles lurking  behind my first corn dog of the year.

We hung out in the Varied Industries Building to keep dry. We went upstairs to see the quilt that Daphne's sister created. This year Phaedra is keeping the quilting family tradition alive.

The quilting room was fine, but our hunger took us to the Turkey Federation's stand. Daphne wanted to try their "Not Your Mama's Taco." Surprisingly good, if I was blindfolded I would have had no idea I was eating turkey.

Not surprising, Char wanted nothing to do with the taco, but she was all over a Fair Square.

The clouds were making an exit at this point, so we headed over to "Little Hands on the Farm" before it got too hot and the lines got too long. 

To quote the Iowa State Fair website, "Little Hands on the Farm teaches children the importance of agriculture and how it affects their daily lives in a fun and interactive way... Children obtain a gathering basket and proceed along a path that includes a garden, grain bin, apple orchard, chicken coop, tractor shed, sheep barn and dairy barn...  they get the chance to sell these items at the Little Hands on the Farm Farmers’ Market for a Little Hands dollar to spend at the Grocery Store for such items as a piece of fruit, a granola bar or an ice cream sandwich."

Char bought a drink with her Little Hands dollar.

Obligatory pork chop on a stick picture:

Char enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a stick while we were waiting for a the free Vocal Trash show to start. 

The cold, rainy morning had twisted into a sweltering afternoon. The heat index was 106, and the ice sculpture giraffe was melting as fast as the artist could carve it.

The highlight of the day was back in the Varied Industries Building. That's where Char got to meet the hosts of IPTV Clubhouse, Dan Wardell and Abby Brown. Charlotte really likes their new tv show, and she could answer every question Abby asked her. Both Dan and Abby were very personable, and the typically shy Charlotte wants to go back to meet them again.

The heat had zapped my appetite, but we grabbed an egg on a stick on our way home.

Oops, I almost forgot those things we stick our heads into.

RAGBRAI '16: One Morning, 35 Miles, and some Steep Hills

Thursday's route for the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa traveled through Moravia (my grandma lives there) and ended in Ottumwa (where Daphne's grandpa lives.) 

Since the weather forecast looked good, we called our grandparents to see if we could leave cars in both towns and spend the night at my grandma's place. They were more than happy to help us.

I loaded up the RAV.

This year we left the Burley behind and brought Char's tag-a-long instead. I rode my '79 Schwinn Voyageur 11.8. It's a little lighter than the '85 Schwinn Traveler I rode two years ago.

Considering the hills my untrained legs were going to climb, I would need all the help I could get.

I didn't take many pictures during the ride. I was too busy trying to survive the hills and keep the bike under control. Char twists her body when she pedals, and that can make my bike take unexpected changes in direction. You have to be on your game the entire time.

We did stop our bikes to fuel up and cool down. Somewhere after Unionville we yelled, "Bike off!" and Daphne bought us two lemonaide slushies and a Gatoraide.

Later in Blakesburg, Daphne found a stand selling the cantaloupes that Char wanted.

We also shared some church cookies.

A lot of people noticed how young Char is, and the both spectators and passing bicyclists spoke words of encouragement. We heard, "There's the Pink Flash!", "Way to go girl!", and "Keep pedaling! Your Dad's slackin'!"

On one particularly long hill, a woman rider commented, "Oh, that does my heart good. A family that prays together, stays together." I knew she meant "plays" instead of "prays", but as we struggled with the incline I replied to what she said. "Well, that's good, because I'm praying right now." She laughed and said, "I'll keep you in my prayers, too. I've been praying for myself all morning!"

Char is very shy around strangers, and she wouldn't reply to anyone who was giving her words of praise or teasing her because she wasn't pedaling. Daphne or I would often answer for her.

One woman said "Good job, honey!"as she passed us, and I smiled and said "Thanks!" as if she was talking to me. She quickly looked away, but I thought it was funny. I get punchy when I'm tired.

We left Moravia around 7:20, and we arrived in Ottumwa around 11:30. We didn't ride the whole route, but biking 35.7 miles is a pretty good jaunt for a five-year-old. Except for the typical, "Are we there yet?" questions, Char didn't complain once.

She was rewarded with some shaved ice.

And I ate a brisket sandwich.

Then it was time to gather up our bikes, our gear, and our cars. We were exhausted, but happy the day was a success.

At home, as Daphne and I were limping around on stiff legs, Charlotte enthusiastically asked, "What are we doing tomorrow!"

Daphne answered for us both. "I don't know honey... hopefully something quiet."

RAGBRAI '14 link

As Seen On The Interstate

No game is worth dying for.

A Patient Patient

Charlotte is finally old enough to entertain herself for awhile in the morning.

Before we go to bed, Daphne turns the TV to channel 811 (PBS), fills an air tight container with cereal, and she places it on a low shelf in the cupboard.  She also puts a glass of milk on a low shelf in the fridge.  

Char knows where everything is, and how to turn on the TV, so when she wakes up before we do she can be on her own for a while. It's a pretty good deal. Daph and I can now sleep in until 8:00 AM for the first time in almost six years. 

I came downstairs and heard Charlotte talking to someone around 8:15 yesterday. I halted in the hallway before revealing my presence. From around the corner, I could heard Char say, "Earl, you're too hot."

I quietly peaked and spotted Char in full doctor costume taking her cat's "temperature". He wasn't even protesting. 

This is, my friends, my definition of a "good cat".

And a "good kid".

Ferry Excited

So ferry 'cross the Mersey
'cause this land's the place I love
and here I'll stay
- Gerry and the Pacemakers

We just got back from St. Louis. We were visiting Char's grandma and grandpa. While we were there we thought Char might like riding the ferry 'cross the Mississippi.

What do you think of the ferry, Charlotte?

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Unexpected

When I was a kid all the sides in my hometown park were your standard, straight drop slides.

Anytime my family was driving through a different town or city and a "curly slide" was spotted, my sister and I would beg Mom and Dad to stop the car so we could slide on it. Sometimes they did stop the car.

Char's equivalent to the curly slide is the McDonald's Play Place. Char begs us to turn in anytime we drive pass a McDonald's with this feature. Sometimes (if it's raining) we pull in for a few minutes. Daphne buys a coffee, and I buy the newest Happy Meal toy. You can get the toy w/o the meal for under two dollars. 

Char's been eyeing the Play Place near Adventureland for weeks. It was raining last Sunday, so we stopped for a few minutes. I hadn't been in this particular Mickey D's either, and I was surprised to see that it featured a piano bar.

That's one of those things that makes you stop and say, "What? Really?"

Speaking of slides and the unexpected, Char and I just came back from playing in a local elementary school playground. Apparently a summer camp was having a costume day. At least, I hope they were.

This reminds me of a Korn album cover.

"I think mom will be home soon, Char. Let's go  meet her..."