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Lord Dudley Mountcatten likes to nap in the sun.
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He’ll happily follow the beams of light around the house and looks oh so cute doing it.
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As I was reading in the living room the other day, he snoozed in front of the television cabinet.
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So quiet. So innocent.
Until I heard a scraping sound…
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Cats.
They’re always up to something.
😉
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Ox.
These big guys can be prickly,
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Like this one who head butted my husband right after I snapped a picture.
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When they’ve had enough, they let you know it in no uncertain terms.
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And standing behind them?
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Not always a good idea. Let’s just say this one had to do his business and leave it at that.
By 5:00pm, we’d been walking around the fair for 7 hours, it was raining and we decided to call it quits.
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Leaving the gate, we took a right instead of a left and opted for the long way home.
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Maine, by way of New Hampshire….
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Up and over Evan’s Notch.
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A pass cut through the White Mountains.
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Again, there was mostly muted foliage …
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And not the vivid bright colors we usually enjoy.
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But even muted, it’s lovely.
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As I mentioned earlier… the day we chose to go to the fair was overcast and gloomy, though you wouldn’t know it by the crowds.
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But as the day progressed it got darker and we were dodging raindrops by running in and out of livestock buildings.
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During a particular steady shower?
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Sheep.
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Some dressed in coats.
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The variety of wool was impressive and it was nice to find someone with curlier hair than mine for a change.
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But my favorites?
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The Jacobs with their ridiculously weird horns.
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They love a good scratch…
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But don’t tug on the headgear or you’ll get bitten.
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The little guys are so sweet.
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And while it may have been awful outside the building …
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It was dry and comfy under the big roof.
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I’m pleased to report the giant lemon lemonade stand was operational at the Fryeburg Fair …
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And though it cost a ridiculous $8 per ice laden glass, I purchased one…
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To accompany the husband’s three $10 chicken fingers and $5 bottle of water. $23 for what amounted to a nibble. Welcome to the price gouging, we know you have no alternative, fair food concession stands.
Trying to make up for it, I made a beeline for my favorite fair treat…
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Which sadly was an undercooked, under spiced disappointing piece of fried dough. Boo to that.
I ate said disappointing dough in the grandstand of the pulling ring where the husband likes to watch the draft horses. I don’t enjoy this spectacle as I always feel sorry for the animals. The teams of three are expected to pull double their weight which can end up being 10,000 lbs, and while I know they’re bred and trained for this exact purpose… it still makes me cringe on their behalf.
I did however smile at this happy fellow who started the show in true Fenway Park 7th inning stretch fashion.
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If you’re not a Red Sox fan?
Never mind.
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This team was amazing. Perfectly matched and working completely in unison.
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I may not like it…
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But it’s hard not to be impressed with the strength of these magnificent creatures.
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It’s fall… and in New England that means cooler temperatures, turning leaves and pumpkins.
And no town takes pumpkins more seriously than Damariscotta, a coastal village that devotes an entire week of events to the glorious orange gourd. There are parades, size contests, art contests, races, recipe challenges and even a regatta of giant floaters.
They like their pumpkins.
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Every year we say we’re going to visit, and every year we don’t for some reason or another.
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Which is a shame because this year my favorite bar in town has the best decorated pumpkin I’ve seen in a long time.
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Imagine having a few too many and stumbling outside to come face to face with this guy.
😊
And speaking of bars…
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A seasonal margarita that sounds damn near perfect for this time of year.
Moving on, I have a bone to pick with a few of my readers. You were joking about emotional support pickles for cats on my post the other day and while I tried to discourage the topic in fear of pickle retribution from my squirrelly algorithms… the concept has become reality.
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Damn you.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten has his mice.
No kitty support pickles will ever be entering this house.
🥴
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Every agricultural fair in Maine has a few cows, but the Fryeburg Fair has multiple barns devoted to multiple breeds, varieties, colors and sizes.
For a cow lover like me, it’s blissful bovine heaven.
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Look at that beauty!
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Beef cows, dairy cows…
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Large cows that pull things…
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Gentle cows who enjoy a scratch.
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Seriously big ass impressive cows…
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Sweet baby cows.
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There’s even a barn filled with Oreo cookie cows.
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Cows!
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I not so subtly pointed out there were even cows for sale to my husband….
But the man kept right on walking.
😉
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I know it’s a little soon after my last series of fair posts, but we hadn’t been to the biggest and best fair in Maine in six years and last week the husband said let’s go.
So we headed west to Fryeburg.
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This was a weird year weather wise, with way too much rain late in the summer so I despaired of finding vibrant fall color.
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Leaves were turning but in muted hues.
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Of course it didn’t help the day we picked to go was gloomy, damp and overcast.
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Still pretty, but not jaw dropping for autumn in Maine.
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Pulling in to the fair grounds parking lot you pass rows and rows ( and rows and rows and rows) of travel trailers occupying every spare inch of ground.
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It’s a virtual RV city and my idea of hell on earth, but to each their own.
Maine doesn’t have an official state fair but Fryeburg is the last of the season, as well as the biggest and the best. Paying our $15 per admission price, we entered the gate by the horses and just missed some live music.
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The band wasn’t there, but the draft horses were and that’s even better.
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Some of these fellas are unbelievably large. I tried taking a selfie behind this guy but he started to back up as I was focusing so I backed up as well. And quite quickly.
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Magic Mike was beautiful…
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As was this dappled grey I would have to name Snowflake.
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For the most part they’re gentle giants but a weeks worth of people gawking and petting would make me want to kick something too.
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The definition of chill?
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Mr. Chunk.
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You might just think it’s weird, but I am totally on board with a neon blue arachnid.
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I’d like to meet him.
Personally and up close.
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How fabulous is that!
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Poor Wally.
And while he may not be the most cuddly support animal, he can sit with me and watch my beloved Red Sox lose anytime he wants.
❤️
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We had a really warm week in Maine with temps hitting the lower 80’s. Not my idea of fall, but lots of people were thrilled summer is still hanging on.
With cool nights and warm days comes fog.
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So much fog the deer who usually only show up at dusk are here at dawn.
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This next picture is of a poor starling who smashed into our living room picture window.
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He was okay and eventually flew away after recovering from the shock. But he sure drove our cat crazy.
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Yes, people here still believe caterpillars can predict the weather.
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Looks like a mild winter to me.
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On a walk with Lord Dudley Mountcatten the other day I noticed he found something in front of the garage.
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Batting it this way and that, I stepped in to rescue the poor praying mantis he was harassing and carried it to my flower garden.
Our yard used to be full of these delightful insects (Females bite the males heads off after mating. What’s not to love?) but in the past few years we’ve seen their number drastically decline.
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And while I’m used to the green version, this mantis was completely brown.
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So I’m not sure if it was a different species…
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Or just going through some sort of molt.
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Either way, I was pleased with the rescue.
His Lordship on the other hand, was not.
P.S…. did a little research on the mating ritual of the mantis and have to share.
Males of some mantid species mate more effectively when decapitated. Why? A nerve center in the male’s head inhibits mating until a female is clasped. If this nerve is removed, such as when the female bites off the male’s head, all control is lost and the result is repeated copulation.
So there is a reason….
🤣
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River's world..... 