When you think about a fair, is it the midway and the carnival games that come to mind? Do you go for the fried food and the evening entertainment? Fairs have all of those things, but underneath they retain their original purpose, as educational meeting grounds for rural, agricultural communities. Nowhere is that more evident than in New England’s remaining county fairs. Last weekend, I spent the day at the Fryeburg Fair, which is in the lakes region of Maine.

The day began with the Grand Parade. In the 1800s, yoked oxen powered small farms. Amazingly, there are still families that raise up these animals from birth and dedicate hours to their care and training. Young and old. Boys and girls.

The goal is a matched team. Look at how this one is so perfectly in tune that they are walking in unison.

Horses are still used for logging and other tasks in the Maine woods. Some also go to fairs and compete in pulling contests. Here is the grand champion team from this year’s fair.

It is expensive, in both time and money, to keep horses that pull carts. Most people are unaware that there are horses (other than the Budweiser Clydesdales) that do this. The fair is the place to see these animals, and for their owners to socialize with each other. There was much showing off. Driving a team of six Haflingers takes tremendous skill!

There are rows of wooden barns at the  Fryeburg Fair. Inside, there were sheep being readied to be judged. This young woman is cleaning her ewe’s ears with a Q-tip.

In the barns are hardworking girls in pigtails and jeans. Breaks from showing and grooming are taken with the animals.

The pig showmanship class is always a draw.

I’ve a feeling that this old sow has taught many 4-H children.

I love the faces of the fair, like this duck in the poultry barn,

and these Nubians in the goat barn.

On the wall in the goat barn was this sign. How true.

The petting barn was filled with goats and kids (both human and caprine.) Everyone was smiling.

In the afternoon, there was harness racing, which has a long history in Maine.

It was a full day. Good thing that there was plenty of food to sustain us. I gravitate to the booths run by the church ladies. I had some excellent corn chowder, and having come to this fair before, I knew exactly which fried food to get – these French fries. Made from fresh Maine potatoes, of course.

Is it fair season in your neck of the woods? What specialities do you have?

This week I received a packet in the mail from a classroom in Florida. Enclosed were delightful drawings and letters from the students.

There was also a letter from Mrs. Sibilia, their teacher. We’ve corresponded before. She is a teacher of a self-contained class of students from second to fifth grade with learning disabilities. Some are highly functional with Down’s syndrome, some are autistic, some are language impaired. HenCam is part of their daily curriculum. From my website and Tillie Lays an Egg, they’ve learned many things about animals, such as the differences between roosters and hens, and how chickens sleep on roosts. They’ve even taken note of the temperature. These children, despite their academic struggles, now know about thermometers and even understand what the the “F” stands for! They live in Florida, but are thinking about cold weather as they watch the goats grow their thick winter coats, and they’re looking forward to seeing snow here.

Mrs. Sibilia wrote to say, watching a live cam of a little farm in the country is not only educational, but is calming and serene. All of the therapists who come into the room are impressed with my kids’ behavior and knowledge of the farm and its workings. It has produced an atmosphere of tranquility and joy.

I emailed her to ask if I could share the drawings and her letter on my blog. She said yes, and also had this to say: They may be in Special Education, but I’m the one who feels special — I get to teach them… and you: you and the flock are my partners in development. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Sibilia.

Look for a package in the mail, Mrs. Sibilia! I have beautiful feathers from my molting hens to share with your students.

As far as the animals are concerned, there’s more to autumn than simply pretty colors.

Tonka says that at his new home, candy falls from the trees.

He snuffles along, hunting for acorns with as much enthusiasm as a pig searching for truffles.

The goats do not eat acorns. Not yet. The goaties have a sweet tooth; they’ll wait until springtime when the nuts have sprouted and so are less bitter. However, they’re not wanting for delicacies this season. There’s a reason that this tree is dubbed a sugar maple.

Pip and Caper have been spending their days watching the leaves fluttering down and snarfing up the tastiest ones.

However, being lazy boys, given their druthers, they’d prefer to be hand fed.

Not all candy comes in a bag.

The hens that began molting a few weeks ago are now showing off their lustrous new plumage. Remember what Pearl looked like at the beginning of September?

Here she is a month later. Chickens lose their feathers in patches. The back is the first to go bare, and the first to grow back in. But, Pearl is not done yet. Her sides have yet to lose all of the old feathers. The molt takes a couple of months from start to finish.

Pearl is a cochin, which means that she has many more soft feathers than other birds. She was bare around her vent for awhile, but is now looking as fluffy as a well-dressed Victorian lady.

Alas, the same cannot be said of Jasper.

To learn more about feathers, take a look at the CornellLab website. I especially like this graphic (click on the yellow question mark on page 4) of a feather pushing through the skin and unfurling. Amazing!

Horses are not like chickens. You can’t fit them onto a small piece of land. On the other hand, they are like chickens in that they need to live with at least one other of their kind. Because of this and a multitude of other reasons, I can’t keep a horse in my backyard, which is why ever since bringing Tonka into my life last December, he has lived at a boarding stable. I was lucky to find a tidy and well-run place for my horse just two miles up the road from home. Tonka lived out full-time in a large dirt paddock, with a shed for shelter. For the first few months his pasture buddy was a gelding named Merlin. Then Bianca came and they shared the space. Recently, he’s had three companions during the day, and one at night. Unfortunately, as nice as the people and the farm are, it wasn’t right for Tonka. Horses need to eat all day. Other horses did fine on the two hay feedings a day, but Tonka hurried through his ration, and then had nothing left to nibble on until dinner. Instead of making friends with the other horses, he saw them as competitors for resources. There were scuffles. Last week someone bit him hard on his back. It was time to go.

I began my search for a new stable. There are a few large, professional boarding barns near me, but at each the monthly fee is more than our mortgage. I looked at smaller, less expensive places, but the riding rings were rocky and the fencing rickety. Further north and west were options that suited both of us. I found one a thirty-five minute drive from my house.

The first thing that you see is a chicken coop. I felt right at home. There was one stall available, and after discussion with the barn owners, it was agreed that Tonka would fit in nicely.

Tonka will sleep indoors in a spacious stall.

During the day he has a paddock all to himself.

In the next enclosure over is a lovely grey mare, who has taken quite a shine to Tonka. If Tonka feels likewise, they’ll be put into the same paddock. Horse friendships are wonderful things, filled with play and back scratches. Time will tell if Tonka is interested. For now, though, Tonka doesn’t have to share his hay (fed four times daily) and he is more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. Right off of the property are miles of trails to explore. On the farm are an indoor and an outdoor ring, both with good footing, which means that I’ll be able to ride all winter, and Tonka will get much-needed exercise, and physical and mental challenges.

After years of not having to commute to work, a daily twenty-two mile drive seems very, very long. To make the drive feel shorter (and maybe even educational!) I’ve been downloading podcasts onto my iPhone to listen to as I cruise up route 3. Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me shortens the drive immeasurably. Perhaps I should download TED talks, too. Do you listen to a podcast? Suggestions? It doesn’t have to be about chickens, in fact, I’d prefer to listen to something else. Expand my horizons!