To The Fair!

We drove North for the 2009 Common Ground Country Fair. We parked on fields and walked through the autumn drizzle to the "Rose Gate" and entered 11th century medieval England. At least, that's how it felt to me.

This was America's most hotly anticipated, 100% organic farming event. A three-day festival of all things natural, hand-made, lovingly grown and sold without guilt. Upon entering the hippy domain there was immediately an audible - and delightful - absence of noise. There was simply the sound of feet stepping through mud, shoppers talking at stalls selling soap, shit and socks and the slicing sound of the occasional windmill. 25,000 liberals in a field: This was BIG and remarkably well-behaved.

We immediately began to eat. I had an expensive yet undeniably delectable vegetable stew. Tim chewed on a happy cow burger. We ate under a marquee and listened to a young lady do a sound check with her Ovation guitar and angelic vocal chords.

Then we wandered. And wandered some more. We saw a remarkably large male turkey with all his plumage. We stood in a field and watched sheep dogs round up sheep and geese, and a group of donkeys pull an old dude in a sled. I spotted Worzel Gummidge in the distance making some kind of steel sculpture, and laughed out loud. Then we ate some pie cones - filled with Indian Pudding (a miraculous substance of spices and pumpkin) and blueberries mixed with maple syrup.

The central part of the fair (that covered acres and acres and acres) featured a large sitting out area and a stage where speakers and farmers spoke wisdom, and planting methods. There was the odd shriek of activism, but mostly a sense of peace radiated. This was America at its most innovative and forward-thinking, yet also at its oldest. The pagans of England (and the hippies of Lamma Island) would applaud.