Deerfield Fair

 The Deerfield Fair, Deerfield, NH

Have you ever seen a pumpkin that weighed more than a thousand pounds? Here are three of them from the Deerfield Fair in New Hampshire. The winning entry, which is in the middle, weighed 1900 pounds plus. The owner, who happened to be nearby, told me that in the last week or so before harvesting, it was gaining something like 45 pounds per day. Can that be true? I suppose it can. I guess if you are serious about raising the biggest pumpkin in New Hampshire, you would weigh it every day. My question, which never had the opportunity to be asked, was "How do people get these pumpkins out of the garden and into the fairgrounds." A mystery for the moment, but I imagine a forklift would be involved somehow.

The fair today was especially attractive, amply decorated with pumpkins and autumn flowers. Jeff and I love fairs. We were talking about it on the way to the fair today. Why do we like them so much? I think it is partly the rural connection, which resonates with us both and the appreciation for the hard work of community members as they prepare--I don't know all the factors. But if there's a fair in the area, we have to visit it!

This is a sheep beauty parlor, sort of. The sheep stand on the platform, rest their heads in a little holder, and their caregivers shear away the soiled wool and make them ready to show.

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As anyone in our quilting group at church could tell you, I'm no quilter. But I love them. I thought this was really a beauty. Fairs are so much fun!

Maine's Acadia National Park

Yesterday, Jeff and I got to visit Maine's Acadia National Park--the only such park in Maine. If you are only going to have one park, it should be a good one, and Acadia was terrific.

The ocean crashes on the seashore and the rocks guard the coastline. It was an overcast day but very warm and pleasant. 

Here you can see a bridge in the distance where Otter Creek meets the ocean. There's still a bit of private land within the park, with some farmers and fishermen making their homes among the tourists. The bridge allows them to get from their homes out into the world.

One of the things we really liked in the park turned out to be a wild plant garden they've developed.The latitude here is about the same as at our cabin in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, so it seemed very relevant to us to see the plants with which we're familiar bearing labels that  allowed us to learn their names.

Our experience of oceans has been almost exclusively tropical in the past. We were fascinated by the ocean brushing up against the Northwoods, as it does in Maine. Although I have tried to keep the photos free of people, we were surprised by how many people were visiting the park. I can't imagine what it is like in summer. Still, it's a good sign that people want to be out in the natural world. The quotation below is from John Muir and it is one I like.

We hope you are enjoying these early days of autumn. Jeff and I are enjoying the balance between sightseeing each day and the peace and routine of our camper in the mornings and evenings. So far, the only thing we haven't enjoyed too much has been going to different churches each week. Each one we have attended has been a good experience, but we miss worshipping with friends around us. None the less, no complaints--or at least not many. This life is extremely good and we're grateful!

A Little Change....

How are you at technology? I'm not exactly a whiz, which is why it has taken me so long to get this blog up and running. I struggled for a while with a more sophisticated hosting platform and finally, today, decided to go basic. Hope it works! Fortunately, the trip has been going much better than the blog. Here are a few of our favorite photos so far.

Old Quebec City

A little street art in Quebec City

Moxie Falls in Maine

Maine Farmer's Market

Several folks have asked us if we are still speaking after living in such a small space together. We are! In fact, we love what we're doing, which doesn't invalidate the fact that we also miss everyone so, so much. Jeff's brother Craig and sister-in-law Debbie have a teardrop camper and are going to be staying in it for the time between closing on their house and moving into a new home. Craig joked that a friend of his called it "divorce in a can!"