As Phoebe has noted, we took in the Great State Fair of Oklahoma yesterday. We went at 6:00 in the evening, so as to avoid the worst of the 95-degree heat.

The monorail, which for 40 years used to lumber around the fairgrounds futuristically, has been decommissioned. The tracks are dismantled, except for this one segment, left as a permanent memorial. The Space Tower, seen in the background, has been rechristened the “OG+E Wind Power Tower.”

During their tour of the sky, riders of the OG+E Wind Power Tower are treated to a recorded speech, extolling the benefits of windmills, and dispensing handy facts. Did you know that Oklahoma is one of the windiest states? Did you know that one windmill the size of this Space Tower could generate enough energy to power something or other? Well, if you had ridden the OG+E Wind Power Tower, you would know that.

Faith and Abby rode many great fiberglass beasts going around in circles. Horses, whales, bees…

But their favorite ride of all time is the Frog Hopper, which goes straight up and down instead of in a circle.

And we saw livestock: cows, sheep, ducks, pigs, and even baby chicks just emerging from their eggs.

We stayed until 8:30 or so, by which time Phoebe pleaded exhaustion, just because we had walked a dozen miles, and she’s four months pregnant and was carrying Gilbert the whole time.

So long, Great State Fair of Oklahoma. See you next year.