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The skunks beat the fox.
Now the raccoons are beating the skunks.
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It’s first come first serve at River’s critter buffet.
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Though the deer are lucky… as no one else wants their grain.
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Three deer and three raccoons.
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All are welcome.
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But I really enjoy watching these little devils tussle and push each other out of the way for the best spots.
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❤️
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On our way out to lunch the other day my husband saw a yard sale sign and had to follow it for miles and miles… and honestly? Too many miles out of our way.
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Yes we passed cows, which is always nice. But the sale was a disappointing collection of junk no one would want …
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Except my husband who found a box of old wooden hangers.
Can you see my eyes rolling from there?
Hangers in hand, he turned around and headed back towards the restaurant but found a small flea market on the way and had to stop.
I swear… even though we made a nice amount of money at our yard sale this summer? The success of that weekend has rekindled the bargain shopping flame under my spouse that I spent years putting out.
Damn it!
Thankfully he didn’t buy anything worthless there and we did find a wonderful local woodworker who customized a nice multi grain board we’re going to give to our daughter of the heart’s southern husband for Christmas. He fell in love with Maine on his first visit and we constantly promote the idea of them moving here.
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From left to right the woods are:
Red oak, Purple Heart, Hard Maple, Sapelle (mahogany family) and Black Walnut.
After that it’s more of the same mixed and alternating.
When the husband was finally done shopping?
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I needed an apricot sangria.
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We split a big spinach salad with goat cheese, candied walnuts and a lemon poppyseed dressing..
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As well as a fabulous garlic white sauce mushroom and spinach pizza.
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The crust was amazing, and yes we ate it all.
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Exactly!
🤣
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It only took 23 years…
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But Casa River finally has fiber optic high speed internet.
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When we moved to our house in the country in 2002, the only option was dial up. Anyone out there old enough to remember that screeching nightmare?
The next step came ten years later, but it was only Broadband and if a few of our neighbors were online at the same time? It was buggy and slow as molasses.
When streaming became popular, we were out of luck and I ended up watching shows on my 7 inch cell phone screen. Not great, but better than nothing.
And then Fidium came to town, laying their magical lines and hooking up all us speed deprived residents.
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To be honest, Fidium would not have been my first choice. Their website and apps are shite, full of error messages and links that go nowhere. Their customer service is awful, with wait times of an hour to speak to a human. The installers were supposed to bring a WiFi extender so we could connect the man cave /Barn Mahal tv… but they didn’t.
Is it perfect?
No. But it’s the only game in town ….
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And I can now watch AppleTV on an actual tv!
So it’s progress.
🤣
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We live in Maine, hence our home is part of Red Sox Nation. We’re loyal and devoted fans, though the team breaks our hearts more often than not. And while we tend to think of Lord Dudley Mountcatten as a full fledged member of the family, until recently we were unaware of his affection for David Ortiz.
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Case in point –
The other night my husband was watching an interview with one of the most beloved players in Boston history and as soon as Dudley heard David’s voice?
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The silly cat was mesmerized.
Up on the television stand (where he’s not allowed) for a closer look.
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He even checked around back searching for his (heretofore unknown) favorite player.
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When the show went to commercial and David disappeared?
So did Lord Dudley.
⚾️❤️⚾️
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Last fair post, I promise.
As we were winding down our day in Fryeburg, my husband took a test drive.
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On a potato planter.
He spent a good amount of time in the antique tool shed, and as usual entered into a half hour conversation.
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Topic?
Identification of that weird contraption in the foreground. They could only get as far as a tying machine, for what is still a mystery.
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A 1940’s television? That’s seriously early technology.
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Next stop was the sugar house where they were actively boiling down sap for maple syrup.
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My husband used to do this on the farm where he grew up so naturally that was another half hour conversation with the sugarer.
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Syrup is a lot of work.
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We stopped in the 4 H building and enjoyed the displays by local kids.
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Raising livestock for market is a popular project in country schools and the students get to name their animals.
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I admit I snorted over Magic Mike.
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Our last stop was the swine barn.
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And there were lots of baby piggies.
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They’re so sweet.
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Did you know pigs are very intelligent, loving and make good pets?
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I tried talking my husband into one…
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But he wasn’t the least bit interested.
And because no trip to the fair is complete without prize winning squash…
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Here’s a 1,210 pound pumpkin.
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On our way to the exit gate we ran across a few women walking their calves. Bovine kids get bored and restless just like humans when they’re cooped up all day.
💕
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A few random shots of Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, Maine… because we were driving through there recently and it’s pretty.
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The Bush compound, summer retreat of the President’s family.
Not my photo as the husband drove by too fast for me to snap one this time.
😉
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When I see cows in a field as we’re driving in the country? I’m compelled to announce it.
“Cow!”
But when I’m walking around the Fryeburg fair surrounded by bodacious bovines?
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I just sigh with adoration.
My husband was raised on a dairy farm and the man knows cows. Which is why I think it’s cruel he won’t let me have one.. or ten. Of course I don’t want to muck out stalls or water them when it’s 10 below, which could be a deciding factor in his refusal.
So I get my cow fix when we go to fairs. I love the Belted Galloways which we always call Oreo cows.
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The one in the middle is clearly a double stuff.
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And look, there’s a vanilla cream.
While I was adoring?
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The husband was talking.
And talking.
And talking.
About cows.
And after 20 minutes, about politics. Which is odd because I don’t think cows vote.
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Did you know a cow isn’t technically a cow until she has a calf?
Now you do.
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Can I get an awwww?
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Scottish Highlands are so fuzzy I just want to curl up with a few and stroke them for hours.
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This little beauty was only three days old! Momma delivered at the fair.
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There’s the husband, talking cows again.
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Did you know your veal parmigiana is almost always male?
Now you do.
And because no fair visit is complete without a beauty pageant.
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Cow!
🐄
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It’s no secret my favorite part of a fair is the animals.
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The llama barn only had 3 occupants this year.
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And this one was too cranky to pet.
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But there were lots of chickens.
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And lots of blue ribbons.
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The silkies look like they’re covered in fur not feathers.
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There were some very impressive birds.
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Though this one looked a little pissed at missing first place.
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Next up, the big boys.
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And a very sweet little guy with his mom.
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Look at that face!
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💕
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Heading out to the 175th Fryeburg Fair, a selfie.
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This is the oldest (175 years) and the biggest fair in Maine. How big, you ask?
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This big.
And after a late start due to my husband playing cribbage at breakfast with friends, we arrived two hours later than planned.
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On the way to parking the car? RV heaven.
Or hell as far as I’m concerned. Densely packed on flat dirt as far as the eye can see, I can’t imagine spending a week like that, but people come from all over New England and look forward to it every year.
To each their own.
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Many people go to the fair for the rides and carnival atmosphere … we’re not those people.
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We started with the race horses.
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Beautiful creatures who enjoy an occasional scratch.
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This poor fellow was trying to take a nap.
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While this one looked ready to munch a mum.
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Food trucks and vendors were everywhere but my husband hates eating lunch standing up and ducked into the one little restaurant they have on site instead.
Big mistake.
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It’s a bare bones place with a limited menu. They didn’t even have ice for our drinks. Warm Pepsi anyone?
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Husband had a watery bowl of stew with a biscuit you could use for a boat anchor while I had a dry turkey salad roll the waitress mistakenly charged me $1 for instead of the $11 it cost. A dollar was really all it was worth, but the cashier caught the error and we moved on.
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To the draft horses.
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Who were finishing the pulling show the husband usually likes to watch.
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These horses are gentle giants and I hate to see them straining …
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So I wasn’t disappointed we’d missed most of it.
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This beauty stood almost 19 hands.
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And the husband spent more than 19 minutes talking to this owner while I wandered around.
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Out back, these fellows were getting a bath.
Percherons, Belgians, and Haflingers. They never fail to impress.
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We drove west to Fryeburg the other day for the last fair of the agricultural season.
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It’s always a gorgeous drive this time of year…
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But due to the ongoing lack of rain and drought conditions the leaves weren’t nearly as bright.
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Patches of color, yes.
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But the trees have been stressed this year.
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They started turning early and in much more muted shades.
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Disappointing.
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But still scenic.
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😊
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River's world..... 