are groomed until they glow. Steers are buffed and their tails fluffed. All the animals look so pretty and picture-perfect that even the crankiest mule or most disinterested goat appears charming. When I was in high school, the county fair competition provided a sure test of how true your love was. If your girlfriend spent her Saturday helping you wash down a steer's butt and fluff its tail to cotton-candy perfection for the event, marry that girl. She's a keeper. Of course, the humans put their best foot forward as well. Glad-handing politicians try to look voteworthy. Children try to ride all the rides and eat all the sweets. Vendors try to be irresistible to fair-goers and More July/August 2016 11http://www.givenshighlandfarms.org