April 5, 2025: The Protruding Bone

Every time I see one, my stomach turns.

Growing up, we’d make the drive to Raleigh for the NC State Fair. A classic experience filled with spinning rides and carnival games. Also prize pigs and vendors selling steak knives.

But oh, the food. Southern everything: hush puppies, smoky BBQ, and sugary treats that defied logic. Fried Oreos, anyone?

However, one menu item always made me cringe. The infamous... turkey leg.

It seemed everyone wandered the fairgrounds, gnawing on these massive drumsticks, juice running down their chins like some medieval picnic. All I could think: do you realize you’re ripping and chewing meat off a nasty bone? Gross!

I know, I’m the oddball.

Fast forward to today. We took a 45-minute trip to the Gloucester Daffodil Festival. The 39th annual celebration, held on Main Street, is a throwback to those old fair days. Live music, hundreds of merchants, and we even saw the new Daffodil Queen wearing her satin sash.

Then we hit the food section. Country guitars twanged from the stage and fried batter wafted in the air. Booths served up everything from funnel cakes to corn dogs to shrimp.

And there it was. A ghost from my past, a nightmare. The turkey leg.

What could I do but shake my head and laugh?

I came for the daffodils, but I left haunted by the bones.