Tag Archives: nature

Uncategorized

Fryeburg Fair fall leaves finale… finally.

16 Comments

.

Ox.

These big guys can be prickly,

.

.

Like this one who head butted my husband right after I snapped a picture.

.

.

When they’ve had enough, they let you know it in no uncertain terms.

.

.

And standing behind them?

.

.

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.

.

.

Leaving the gate, we took a right instead of a left and opted for the long way home.

.

.

Maine, by way of New Hampshire….

.

.

Up and over Evan’s Notch.

.

.

A pass cut through the White Mountains.

.

.

Again, there was mostly muted foliage …

.

.

And not the vivid bright colors we usually enjoy.

.

.

But even muted, it’s lovely.

.

Uncategorized

News you can’t use.

14 Comments

.

Someday… someone will be able to use it and I’ll have to stop posting these.

But it won’t be today.

.

.

I don’t pay extra for Apple news so I couldn’t read this article. Which is a shame because it sounds like a grand idea.

Not.

.

.

I do love a bargain.

.

.

$100 to $10 million? That was a good investment…

.

.

I didn’t know this existed, but I also didn’t explore the topic further.

.

.

I haven’t been to a Jack in the Box since I was a child, but I don’t remember their fries being that good.

.

.

My question to this type of thing is always.. why?

Just because they can isn’t a good enough reason .

.

Uncategorized

The biggest and the best.

18 Comments

.

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.

.

.

This was a weird year weather wise, with way too much rain late in the summer so I despaired of finding vibrant fall color.

.

.

Leaves were turning but in muted hues.

.

.

Of course it didn’t help the day we picked to go was gloomy, damp and overcast.

.

.

Still pretty, but not jaw dropping for autumn in Maine.

.

.

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.

.

.

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.

.

.

The band wasn’t there, but the draft horses were and that’s even better.

.

.

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.

.

.

Magic Mike was beautiful…

.

.

As was this dappled grey I would have to name Snowflake.

.

.

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.

.

.

The definition of chill?

.

.

Mr. Chunk.

.

Uncategorized

Of fog and wooly bears.

12 Comments

.

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.

.

.

So much fog the deer who usually only show up at dusk are here at dawn.

.

.

This next picture is of a poor starling who smashed into our living room picture window.

.

.

He was okay and eventually flew away after recovering from the shock. But he sure drove our cat crazy.

.

.

Yes, people here still believe caterpillars can predict the weather.

.

.

Looks like a mild winter to me.

.

Uncategorized

A mantis mystery.

18 Comments

.

On a walk with Lord Dudley Mountcatten the other day I noticed he found something in front of the garage.

.

.

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.

.

.

And while I’m used to the green version, this mantis was completely brown.

.

.

So I’m not sure if it was a different species…

.

.

Or just going through some sort of molt.

.

.

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….

🤣

.

Uncategorized

Let’s go the fair… a fowl finale.

17 Comments

.

Because it wouldn’t be a fair without some chickens.

.

.

There were quite a few prize winning divas strutting their stuff.

.

.

But this all black rooster took the prize for bizarre.

.

.

The next blue ribbon winner?

.

.

Must have won for bad hair day.

.

.

How do these Polish even see?

.

.

There were fancy pigeons, but to be honest these made me sad.

.

.

They’ve clearly been bred for over exaggerated foot feathers and the poor things could hardly walk.

.

.

But the peacocks were lovely.

.

.

And this duck who decided no one could drink because he wanted a bath was funny.

.

.

We ended with a very curious goose who followed me all around the enclosure. I believe he was for sale and wanted to come home with us… but alas, my husband refused.

.