A Simpler Life at a Country Fair

Photo by the author.

It was a country fair for real. No politicians sliced through the crowds shaking hands and nibbling the local fried delicacy. The Number One attraction was the animal sheds.

My neighbors, farmers and their families, came to Maine’s Union Fair and Wild Blueberry Festival to show their finest heifers, poulets, and sheep. This was a competition and a chance for farmers to present their plumpest beasts, each one lovingly named and fed for at least a half dozen seasons.

The Belted Galloway cows are a signature breed in Maine. Photo by the author

Young farmers in training groomed the animals, brushing knots of hair from their massive legs and backs. The adult farmers watched, sitting on camp chairs near their animals, an occasional floor fan moving the rich-smelling air.

Getting the sheep ready to show. Photo by the author.

The poultry aisle was the liveliest, the roosters reminding folks of their existence with a sharp cry. Close-up, chicken feathers are as beautiful as the finest knit shawl.