Common Ground

 We strained our first batch of blueberry E.M. into this bottle... it's delicious!  We added a little more sugar on top of the berry mash, and put the cloth back over the top to let it continue making its wonderful healthy microorganisms!  We'll pour off the new batch again in a month or more.

I also strained the blueberry wine mash that I started with Kathy last week.  We each are making our own 3-gallon carboy full of blueberry wine, using two different recipes.  Mine is inspired by Sandor Katz, and has a few apples and some honey thrown into the mix as well as blueberries from Mom and John's farm.

 Here it is, nearly ready for its cork and airlock.  Isn't it beautiful?

 And some food for thought from Michael White, the cat god:

 We just got back last night from two glorious days at the Commonground Fair.  It's the very best fair I have ever been to, full of sympatico people, creativity, home-grown fun, music, dancing, art, and delicious food (local, organic, and not your stereotypical fair fare)!

Unfortunately I didn't think to get out my camera very often, but here are a few snapshots from our time there... This llama (or is in an alpaca?) was humming at us as we raided the fleece tent for roving.

 These turkeys couldn't agree on which one of them was more impressive.  Perhaps the won't leave the fair being the best of friends, but they had some good displays for the onlookers amidst their territorial gobbles.

 $5 roosters:

 the biggest pickles on the planet... for Jon: garlic (of course!), and for me: horseradish!

 We were lucky to find DJ and Kathy before nightfall on Friday!  We got to camp together in a sea of tents and music makers on the far side of one of the parking lots.

 I think this sums up the feeling of the fair for me.  So very cool!  So positive!  So alternative, and full of new and interesting ideas and things to stimulate thinking, learning, and personal growth!  Isn't this a nice way to think about other peoples' poop, for example?

 Oh, inspired art... you will be mine someday!

 A band of roving accordion players singing old-time tunes!

 And miracle of miracles, Sarah found me!  We had a lovely time walking together and checking out the splendor for a bit of time on Saturday (it's never long enough!)

 And Jon and I started making fire with a bow drill and what smelled like cedar to me.  We got lots of smoke, and Jon even got some good coals going!  We'll have to perfect this art at home...  But we did learn more about the Primitive Skills School here in Maine where we'd like to study.  We want to make moccasins!  And bows and arrows!  ...And everything else too!

 This morning on our walk back to the house from the yurt, we spied these amidst the apple trees...

Funky, huh?  These last ones are stinkhorns, and they definitely have a distinct odor as you walk past.  We will NOT be eating any of these, but they sure are interesting to look at!