A Fair Day.

8-1-21 VERMONT: Weekend guests Bob and Christine left this morning, they had arrived last Thursday. That night Judy threw a dinner party for B and C and Andy and Cory and Lucy. I grilled the salmon in the afternoon and had made gazpacho the day before. Judy made strawberry shortcake for dessert. Lucy joined Bob after dinner one of his cigars. Friday and Saturday nights we ate at Stone Soup and Candela.

Saturday we went to the North Haverhill Fair for fair food and some events—Powder Puff horse pull, oxen training competition, 4H cows and more. Judy loves the animals, but for me, it’s the food. I had a Bloomin’ Onion, that everybody shared, a sausage with peppers and onions on a roll, and funnel cake. 

Walking with the dogs in the pasture a few days ago, I saw a Monarch caterpillar, first one of the season. It was small, maybe a half inch long and pencil lead thick. I went to look for it again with the camera, but couldn’t find it. For the most part the milkweed has been uneaten, but today I saw some that were significantly chewed up, but couldn’t find any caterpillars. There are monarchs here, but many more fritillaries, who do not use milkweed, but violets, not in the summer, but in the early spring. The caterpillars over-winter on site.

We continue to get lots of rain, 0.9 inches in the last five days. Both ponds are full and draining. 

New blooms: echinacea, white turtlehead, more phlox.  

Echinacea open up just as the native daylilies are finishing.

Teens and young oxen showing how well trained, or not, they are.

The PowderPuff Horse Pull is for women trainers and drivers. Could those short onlookers be related to the driver?

Little trainer, big horse.

Some people can fall asleep anywhere.

Handsome in black and white.

Headed home.