Oh, the days dwindle down to a precious few

September began quite socially when the Farmers joined 245,243 of their closest friends and neighbors at the Minnesota State Fair.

Despite periodic downpours, that attendance was a record for the second Sunday of the Fair.  New records were set on 6 of the 12 days this year and for the final attendance tally (2,126,551).

Barb avoided most of the crowds by hanging out at the goat show all day

(although even the goat building got crowded during the rainier spells)

cheering on McCann Farm's Planet Nine (a MeadowWild alumna)

who came in a respectable second in her class, behind McCann Farm's Lily

and Hunt Farm's Tzilla (another MeadowWild alumna) and her goat-mom Tracy.

There was plenty of opportunity to visit with both girls.

Meanwhile, Steve dodged the rain at the Eco Experience Progress building

and the Fine Arts Center, which featured a portrait of Duluth's Charlie Parr

and a painting by Chris Monroe.

After considerable research, he had developed an ambitious list of food items to be consumed

and was prepared to log well over 4000 calories

outdoing his role model, Mr. Creosote

but the lines for most venues were just too damned long.

Forced to triage, he made certain to visit The Land of 10,000 Beers exhibit

which offered various flights of Minnesota craft brews.

The bartender identified him, accurately, as a “hoppy and bitter” kind of guy.

It’s become a tradition on the way out of the fair to defy death with a ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel

which affords spectacular views not only of the fairgrounds but also of Mpls and St. Paul.

Back on the Farm, autumn arrived early with a stretch of days in the 50s

followed by a gorgeous Indian summer toward the end of the month, with highs in the 80s again for a week.

Colors this month are muted but gorgeous

not as spectacular as some years

but with a subtler attraction of their own.

On many mornings the pond is a cauldron of mist.

Apple harvest will be abundant again this year

to the delight of the birds and deer, who are already hanging out near the trees.

Bike rides on the Munger Trail now offer

besides the usual pastoral scenes

access to Mike Good's outdoor gallery in Mahtowa.

On Sept 13 the entire herd boarded the Goatmobile for a long journey to

the Bluff Country Classic Dairy Goat Show in Caledonia, MN

where MeadowWild Mojo's Planet Nine was grand champion in one ring and earned her "dry leg" (first step toward a permanent championship)

and Cheeky was first in her "Aged Doe" class  (out of two!).

Cheeky came home with a torn udder

Kuiper suffered a lame right front leg, and Barb was limping from a sore toe.  All the girls have recovered now, but they 

join Samuel L. Jackson in saying, "Never again!"

We continue to enjoy reports on MeadowWild alumni in McKinsey's herd.

From L to R: Eris, Tzimmes, Tzarina, Tzini, Tzippa.

Here Blintz, Eris and Tzippa pile together for a cuddle.

With continued predictions of boreal weather that will arrive sooner rather than later

winter preparations continue apace

with the hay shed stocked through next spring

the furnace inspected and cleaned

and a heating season's worth of propane pre-purchased

although Barb still has to decorate our tank.

Momma Kitty hangs out underneath the vehicles.

She will now approach us within inches, but still won't let us touch her.

Barb treated Dustin to a fluffy cozy new bed -- which of course he ignores.  That should change once the furnace kicks in.

Dustin is mildly amused by the continuing spate of articles insisting

that, despite their reputation for aloofness, cats can love humans.

 

According to The Guardian:

For one Twitter user, Fletch Williams, it was when her cat “brought me a tissue when I was sick in bed. Something he did only a few times, and never when I was well.”

Some people, however, aren’t quite as convinced that their cats could ever truly love them. Among them is a Twitter user, Trudy Saunders, whose pet “just sits in perpetual judgment of me. Paws crossed over each other and head upright like a disapproving Victorian aunt”.

Dustin remains closer to the disapproving aunt rather than the tissue-providing end of the feline spectrum.  He’s always looking for a lap to snuggle into, but that’s not so much from affection as from a compulsion to stay cozy.

Dustin’s final comment on the “cats love us vs they only want food” debate:

“Fetch me one of them new fried chicken/glazed doughnut sammitchs!”