A lack of forward planning on our part means that we are at the Missouri State Fairgrounds for Labor Day Weekend. All the state parks & city campgrounds are booked over the holiday as everyone wants to bid farewell to summer with a camping trip and a last campfire. But I figured the State Fair couldn't possibly fill up 1200 spots, even over a holiday weekend...
We arrived on Wednesday, just in case.

We are here just after their Annual State Fair, so again with the over abundance of flies and perpetual backhand practice. I have to say that Missouri flies are a lot cheekier than those in Wyoming. These ones land on your nose or the flyswatter preventing a good swish, unless you're up for a slapstick Benny Hill moment.

We were stuck in our Airstream tin-can for 2 days of thunder & rain, but a break in the weather allowed us to go explore and it was kinda cool to wander around, exploring a mostly deserted showground.

And then at the weekend, the animals arrived.
There was a horsemanship competition to watch in the Coliseum, where we judged trotting, turning the horse 360 and reversing (better than me in the truck was the verdict).

And a goat show, where goats are paraded and judged like a dog show - I know! Who knew that was a thing? Although obviously obedience was not one of the categories being judged - these bad boys were all pure muscle and testosterone.

As we are not goat experts we made our own competition, judging on more superficial criteria - Best Hairdo.

It was fun wandering around, seeing all the different breeds and talking to the owners, and good to get a little taste of what the fair might be like...if you multiply the smell, the noise and the people by 10,000 it might just come close!