Minced Meat?

“It really is an honor,’ Leonard thought,’ to be named a Judge at this year’s Cochise County Fair!”

Granted, he was the Mayor of Willoughby, but Willoughby’s population had dwindled to 460 hearty souls, so he was surprised to receive the letter from the Cochise County Fair committee in the county seat asking him to judge the pie eating contest at this years Cochise County Fair.

Leonard guessed that someone on the committee remembered that Leonard himself had won the contest 12 years ago, downing 10 pies. The trophy stood on the book shelf in his Mayor’s office, one of the highlights of an otherwise lackluster existence.

The day of the Cochise County Fair arrived with glorious sunshine and a light wind. Leonard was excited, at least as excited as someone whose normal day in Willoughby was watching reruns of the Lawrence Welk show on one of the 3 channels that TV’s in Willoughby received. Pies would fly soon!

There were 7 contestants, 5 men and 2 women. The contest rules were: NO HANDS! The pies would be blueberry, cherry, rhubarb and minced meat. 

Leonard rang the bell to start the contest and pie chaos began! Pie flew everywhere and the crowd loved it!

By the end of the 7th pie, 1 woman and 4 men had quit, covered with pie, inside and out. Two contestants remained, Doris “the Machine” and Ed “Gross Man” still dove into pies with enthusiasm.

Ed ran out of steam and looked a little green halfway through the 10th pie, but Doris finished the 10th and dove into #11. Ed conceded as Doris finished her pie. A new champ was crowned for this years Cochise County Fair Pie Eating Contest.

As he was driving home, Leonard smiled to himself as he thought of the contest and the excitement of the day.

His thoughts drifted to the lemon meringue pie in his refrigerator and the DVR waiting for him with the latest rerun of the Lawrence Welk show.