It’s almost Mower County Fair time.

In today’s Neighbors section, Herald reporter Mike Rose did a nice job with his story on Kenny Morris and Christine Seppanen, two local residents who are fair fanatics.

Morris has been entering pigs in the Minnesota State Fair for 63 years, while Seppanen enjoys entering treats and knitted goods in the Mower County Fair.

Entering anything in the fair takes time, hard work and dedication, and winning at any fair, either at the county or state level, is difficult.

While I don’t raise pigs, and don’t knit, I have entered something at a fair a time or two.

When I was the managing editor of a small weekly in Mariposa, Calif., I met two people who, like Morris and Seppanen, were fair fanatics.

Joan was employed with the paper and was a longtime resident of the town, while Diane worked at Yosemite National Park, was a frequent visitor to the paper and went back to school to become a lawyer.

She now has her own practice in Washington State.

I was working late one evening, and Joan and Diane were both in the office, talking about the upcoming county fair with enthusiasm.

I asked them to tell me more about it and said I’d be interested in entering.

I shouldn’t have gone there.

These two were pros and going up against them was sealing my fate before I filled out the paper work.

But we all agreed; we would each enter the chocolate-chip cookie and pie categories.

Joan and Diane were previous blue-ribbon winners. I had set off a couple of smoke alarms for my baking.

I agreed to participate, though, and the challenge was on.

Joan backed out because of a conflicting commitment, but Diane stuck with it.

When it came time to take our entries to the fair, we showed each other the results.

Diane created a restaurant-quality key lime pie and an almost picture-perfect batch of chocolate- chip cookies.

I made a pecan pie with a charred crust and cookies that most kids probably wouldn’t touch.

Even though I was pretty sure of the outcome already, I was still excited when the fair opened. Sitting in one room were all of the baked goods, many of them dressed in colorful ribbons.

Both my entries simply had the entry label on it.

Diane won a blue-ribbon each for her pie and cookies, which she deserved.

The next year I moved to a different paper in another county and decided to enter a fair one more time. This time I stuck with a genre I had more experience in, photography. I had taken a fireworks shot the previous Fourth of July and entered it into the night photography category.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the photo, but since I didn’t burn this entry, I figured I had a better chance of at least winning an honorable mention.

I went to the fair a little bit anxious and excited all at the same time.

I walked into a similar room as I did the previous fair, and just like at that one, the room was filled with entries, many with colorful ribbons.

I found the night photography and searched for my entry.

There it was, with my entry label on it.

And a blue ribbon.

Diane was the first person I told, and she congratulated me.

The day after, I retired from entering fairs simply because I figured I should quit while I’m ahead.

Maybe one day I’ll reconsider, perhaps if the Mower County Fair creates a charred baked goods category.