Dress your family in tutus and face paint. (Fair part 2.)

So here I am, among the golden leaves and old stone buildings of Helsinki. In some ways it feels as though I never left, and in others, that a long time and many lives have passed since I was last here. It seems odder still when I think that mere ten days ago, I was still frolicking in Tonasket with all the talented, amazing face painters and fairy wing makers. So without further ado: another edition of Barter Fair shenanigans.

Another fair maiden without name.

The garlic witches and wizards.

This might be my favorite image of all the Fair.

There were many a plaid merchant, there and no shortage of customers.

Our gang on the Big Island bus.

C. making his descent.

My tipi. It was meant to be.

Like I said, Cristina's got some mad skills.

So do our jugglers.

Horse patrol.

Cozy storage dome.

Comfort in style.

Our camp's fire is always amazing, and this time Saturday night brought some awesome dancers, performing what seemed almost archaic dances, representing different things. Entirely unplanned, different folks stepped into the ring of light and played their part as though in and ancient, meticulously orchestrated play.

my hunny makes magic happen. As do these mysterious dancers.

That's fair for this year. Next up, Finland.

Love, peace and rye bread.

Farter Bear (Part 1: A rhapsody in blue and other colors)

First a little whining from our sponsors:

Bleuurgh. I hate flying. Not only does it make you feel like you're pushing barrel after barrel of toxic waste down to a river (a metafore apt not just the undeniable environmental consequences, but the annoying ardor of lugging shit around the endless, pointless checkpoints), but there's always the inevitable bad food, jet lag and awful dehydration.

Free airport wireless on the other hand, gets my blessing, as obnoxious the volume of communication is here in the real world (Do people really have talk to someone on the phone ALL the time? What do they have to say?). Needless to say this post would not have been posted had this miracle not existed. Thank you Seattle-Tacoma black hole.

But enough about that. This post is, by necessity, brief on words, but big on pictures. Now let me take you to the magical land of Washington, and a certain crazy hippie fair.

We went camping for two days before the fair in the magical North Cascades.

Mushrooms, Kowitchan sweaters, rock fields and brand new sneaks, customized in the back of the car with a sharpie. It takes an artiste.

What am I doing? Good question.

Cristina fits right in this beautiful landscape.

An alpine lake we went swimming in.

Lars found the van of his dreams...

...only to discover it was traveling to Alaska the very next day with this Dharma Bum Rick (I think...)

We look like mock-indian-squaw-extras from a bad 1920s Hollywood movie.

Cristina relives her childhood with a magical bus showing of Yellow Submarine.

Sunrise peace.

There were a few wild fires and controlled burns in Eastern Washington and that made the air hazy and rather beautiful.

I forget this lovely lady's name, but she is ever so stylin. Her man concurs.

Oh the fair fair.

Okay, I'm up in the air now, switch off them devices. See you in Finland!