An Ode to The Giant Lemon Lemonade Stand at Cheyenne Frontier Days

You know, there are a few things you can always count on in this world. The sun will rise, fans will complain about Star Wars movies, and you will always see that giant lemon-shaped lemonade stand at events.

I've seen it at county fairs in three states. At state fairs all around the Great Plains. At community celebrations in big and small towns. If there is a Ferris wheel, this Pac-Man looking citrus dispensary will be nearby. You can almost set your watch by it. Well, not really. It's been a while since I've had to set a watch, or even worn one. But, I don't think that's how time works.

Anyways, clunky metaphors aside, the point is that I can always count on running into this old friend. And I did, at Cheyenne Frontier Days.

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I don't understand the magic of this thing. Outside of a carnival, I don't drink lemonade. I don't ever really see it, or even think about it. Maybe my family doesn't live a 'lemonade lifestyle.' That's probably why I miss it during my convenient-store constitutionals. I'm more of a coffee and water fella. But when I see this oversized hollow fruit, all I want in the world is a gallon of tart and sugary delight.

Is there just one? Or an entire army of yellow behemoths spread out across the land, ready to quench the thirst of people once they escape the grip of the Gravatron? I don't claim to know the secrets of the great oblong kiosk. Perhaps it simply appears when the folks start up the generators. Then disappears when the last rider steps off that spinning thing. Some mysteries are best left unsolved.

Plus, I was raised by parents who were raised by children of the Great Depression. You know, butter dishes used for everything type of people. Their motto was "I bet we can use it for something." So, the excitement at getting a giant plastic cup (with a lid!) is ingrained in my DNA.

So, giant plastic lemon, and the people that live inside you, I want to say thank you for being a familiar face wherever I go. In fact, Thank you for being a friend. We have truly traveled down a road and back again. Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant...Wait, no. Those are the lyrics to the Golden Girls theme song.

What I mean is, I sleep well at night knowing that where there are deep-fried Oreos, there is always a bucket of lemonade nearby.

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