From the Common Ground Fair this past weekend

[reinbeau]

We go to the Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine every third weekend in September.  It's a wonderful fair full of organic farming, good food, animals (there's a huge spinning/weaving contingent demonstrating all the time, along with the alpacas and llamas that are raised for their fleece), alternative energy, environmental issues and some politics I close my eyes to  (Hey, I don't agree with everything up there, that's all!)

You can take a train from Unity center to avoid the traffic (which can be horrendous!)



In the agriculture building they have the usual competition



There were so many different kinds of squash - they were gorgeous!  Some of the pumpkins were so unusual



The bouquets were beautiful

[reinbeau]

They have gardens up there where they grow just about anything.  I didn't take many of them this year, but I couldn't believe they grow artichokes up there!



They give various hayrides pulled by whatever draft animals they have out at the moment



There's music, these four set up right in front of us in the shade and played wonderful bluegrass

[reinbeau]

The alpacas are so cute, and they grow them for the color of their coat - you don't need to dye the yarn if you don't want to.  This little brown guy was so gorgeous, his coat was like a rug!



And this one is a berber carpet 



Last but not least was the wonderful sunset and moonrise  on Friday night, somewhere around Newport, Maine, where we stayed (edited to delete motel name, we don't want any competition next year!)

[abejaruco]

Magnific walk along the fair. I would need to visit a pair of fairs like that every month to be totally happy.

[buzzbee]

Reinbeau,
Thanks for taking us along to the fair!

[Kirk-o]

I would love to of been there with you guys
kirk0

[Cindi]

Ann, what a wonderful jaunt into your part of the world.  Those pictures were amazing, I liked the alpacas.  Are they like llammas?  So many pretty things our world has to offer.  Have a wonderful day, beautiful life we all live.  Cindi

[reinbeau]

Yes, alpacas are like llamas, but smaller, and their coat is much denser yet the yarn is finer.  They have lovely eyes, with huge eyelashes (these two didn't show off their eyelashes as much as other do!).  They're pricey little buggers, though, a bred female can cost $20,000, some even more    Llamas are relatively inexpensive now because of alpacas becoming so popular.