All in a Garden Green

The Birds and the Beasts were there!

10-02 Fryeburg Fair

But that was about all... Quiet opening day for the Fryeburg Fair, thanks to a chilly, gray, drizzly and rainy day. It was a different experience, that's for sure, but not bad for us. The vendors and game folks were certainly having a poor time of it, but the thin crowd meant getting close to the exhibits and in the barns without being stepped on and jostled out of the way. I took what photos I could... managed to squeeze just over 50 shots (most of them good) out of a pretty much dead battery. Stupid me, not checking to see if the spare was actually charged before swapping it out for the one that was in the camera, going dead.

It was a Food Fair, really. Josh and Dennis and Sydney and Max and Mickel and I got there around 3, later than usual, got nearly rockstar parking, and beelined it for the steak tips vendor. Delicious, delicious beef. Breakfast and lunch, for me. Then fried dough nuggets. Mmm... Then some poking around in the expo buildings and the ag center, then over to the blacksmith area to see if Tim, one of our veggie growers at work, was there (he wasn't). Smelled fresh apple crisp, and ate same, free samples! Delicious... More poking around in the craft barns, then over to the animal stalls. I wanted to see the goats and horses, at least. No Ben, at least, not my Ben, that I could see. Maybe he doesn't get to come anymore... Beautiful, huge horses, though. The pulling competition was starting shortly after we got to the barns, so we got to see the teams dressed and head out to the arena. Very cool. Stopped by the fiber center and the bunny barn, clucked at the chickens, and then decided we were pretty much Done. It was dark, starting to rain again... got some delicious Poutine, and my caramel apple (at home, still. Dessert tonight!), and away we went... everybody closed early, it seemed... not really worth staying open for a few hundred people, if that, at 8:00 at night.

A good day, though I need better insoles for my spare boots, or should get a second pair of workboots for home. Kept my feet dry, but oh boy, am I sore today in the back and neck... walking around all day in heavy footwear (that doesn't fit all that well, I now realize) did a number on me...

Am soon to be zooming off to the Endewearde Hunt with Mickel for a lovely (if a bit cold...) weekend of relaxation...

Photos, though, from Sunday's visit to the Fryeburg Fair, are up here! Lots of cute cows, chickens, tons of bunnies, and horsies! I thought I'd found Ben, the lovely Belgian from a few years running back, but it was the wrong horse... :( Perhaps next year. I'll make sure to really study the past photos to make sure I've got the right guy!

Good weekend. Relaxing.

Max, anna_mickel, ninian_vesalius, and I went to Capitol Park yesterday afternoon, to meet some folks for a Steampunk Picnic. Truly delightful. A perfect afternoon, the remnants of hurricane Earl having passed through the previous night, sunny and just a bit breezy. My skirt, which had the previous night been 4 yards of fabric, complete, and matching spiffy tophat (complete with peacock) worked. (The skirt truly is fabulous, and Mickel and I are contemplating making a few street-length out of linen, or something similarly flowy.) I'm not sure about the whole Steampunk thing, but it's allowing me some more costuming options, and I can't apparently go wrong with a tophat. :)

Met the people Max had been talking with on Steampunk Empire, laid out the picnic things, and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy ourselves for several hours. Cucumber sandwiches and peaches were et, bocce was played (all over the place), and friends were made. Photos soon, once I get them all organized.

The four of us continued on to the Windsor Fair, first stop this year in my continuing series of Photos of Cow Butts. Soon to be posted here.

Caramel apple count 2010: 1. Om nom nom.

Today mom and dad came up, we went to the Sea Dogs game, which was excellent. We won, we won! Photos soon to be posted here... Perfect weather for baseball. I will never tire of the sight of a green diamond appearing over rows of seats as I come up the stairs of a stadium...

Don't much want to go to work tomorrow. Bah.

Food: Bread Experiment #2 was a success. Garlic bread very yummy... It's time to get new yeast, though, as the second batch baked in a schlump rather than a nice round loaf (and, I'm out...)

Fair: Most of Haus Wanderstamm (and friends) went to the final day of the Fryeburg Fair yesterday. Started out kinda cool, but the sun came out and it was quite a nice day. Saw cows. and chickens. and bunnies. and goats. More Chianina oxen pairs, some of whom were probably in Cumberland, but it's really hard to tell them apart. I do like the look of the breed, though. Just beautiful. Had fried dough for breakfast, a lovely turkey sandwich for lunch, and a caramel-chocolate apple with sprinkles for late dessert. How wonderful it is that we can eat junk, and justify it by walking around the fair for the rest of the day and working off all the bad-for-you-ness! There are 2 bags of maple cotton candy on my kitchen table that will have to last me till next year........... I don't think they will, though (and I don't think I'd enjoy them if they did. ug). A selection of photos are here: Fryeburg Fair 2007 This week, I will have to get out and take some foliage photos... the trees are beautiful; hopefully it won't rain all week like the forecast says...

Fabric: YAAAAY!! 5 yards of beautiful royal purple linen are MINE. Not like I need another gown, but for as much as I love purple, I don't honestly have many purple clothes, and no garb. Now to wash it, iron it, and unearth the sewing machine sometime in the nearish future. I haven't barely looked at it since the Insane Marathon of Sewing before GNEW... is absolutely beautiful fabric. :)