Well it's here, Midcoasters. The first day of fall... the autumnal equinox... autumn... harvest-time. According to the weather heads, unless there is a major, wayward tropical depression that slides up the East Coast, the days of heat and humidity are behind us until they return in the new year.

But all is not lost! There are apples and pears yet to pick, pots of mums, gourds and pumpkins to purchase and one great annual fair yet to enjoy.

It's time to break out the sweaters and woolies, maybe even try a pair of alpaca socks this year. This is a great time to drag out the winter coats and run the mittens and hats through the wash. The crisp air and coastal breezes right now will quickly dry anything hung outside on a simple line tied between two trees.

This week, the folks that put on the Common Ground Country Fair, Sept. 25-27, are busy setting up tents and temporary stalls in Unity. Oxen and draft horses are being groomed in preparation for their chance to show how real farming operations are done with animals. The demonstrations include plowing, harrowing, planting and farming done by horse and mule teamsters and by oxen drovers.

In the poultry barn, learn what a pullet is and get your questions answered from experienced poultry keepers on the ups and downs of raising poultry for food. There are also rabbits and cavies, or guinea pigs, at the fair, as well as sheep, goats, lamas, alpacas and more. Sheepdogs will also be part of the fair, as always, demonstrating their abilities to move sheep with precision via the calls and whistles of their human handlers.

Those competing in the Exhibition Hall are watching for the exact right moment to pick their best squash and unearth their best bunch of carrots. There are pies to bake, relishes to can, honey to harvest, and even flowers to arrange just so. The Exhibition Hall also includes displays of arts and crafts.

For the full fair schedule, including a fairgrounds map and answers to all possible questions, visit mofga.org.

As the Common Ground Country Fair comes to a close Sunday, Sept. 27, eyes will look to the sky as a rare "harvest supermoon" is set to slide in the earth's shadow in total eclipse that night. No ordinary full moon, it is the harvest moon, the full moon that occurs closest to the autumnal equinox. It is called a "supermoon" because it happens to reach its closest point to earth on that same night.

According to EarthSky.org, supermoon eclipses are rare. The last one occurred in 1982 and the next one won't happen for 18 years, in 2033. For more information about the upcoming planetary event, including a .gif of what you can expect to see as the moon passes into the earth's shadow, visit astrobob.areavoices.com.

NASA TV will provide a live feed of Sunday’s supermoon eclipse beginning at from 8 p.m. until at least 11:30 p.m. EDT, broadcast from Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., with a live feed from the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, Calif.

The weather forecast for the upcoming week is seasonable, with mostly clear skies at night through Saturday, plenty of sun Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and partly sunny skies Friday. Sunday will also be sunny, and partly cloudy Sunday night.

The forecast through the weekend follows:

Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 72 F. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the morning.
Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 50 F. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.
Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 67 F. East wind 5 to 10 mph.
Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 47 F. Calm wind becoming northeast around 5 mph after midnight.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 62 F.
Friday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48 F.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 63 F.
Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48 F.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 65 F.
Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52 F.

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.