Ah. Vermont!

Where do I start??

I haven't been on a solo trip for YEARS.  Like maybe 20 years.  Greg and I enjoy visiting new places together, and except for easy local visits to family I just haven't done much on my own.  For a long time.  Now with an aging dog with horrible anxiety issues I just never felt ready to tackle it.  But this year I turned 50 and my brothers decided it was time that I did something just for me and they sent me the cash meant ONLY for a train ticket to Vermont. 

"...adventure funds; not clay funds, artist space funds, paint the doghouse funds or Greg's Beer Supply funds!  These are Adventure Funds."

My family knows me well enough that once given the funds earmarked for a trip I would finally make the move and DO IT.  And I had been talking all year about the possiblity of going to Vermont on my own, on the train, to attend the super secret 50th birthday party of my good friend Kristen of Gilead Fiber Farm.  And I would get to see the farm!

And.  I mean.  VERMONT.  IN THE FALL.

So as the birthday plan would go, Kristen would know I was coming.  By staying with her we avoided her making big farm plans that would keep her in her neighborhood while the super secret arrangements were being made.

TWELVE hours on the train.

(I won't whine becuase the idea of driving north on I95 is oh SO MUCH worse.)

But 12 hours is a long time.  The last 2 were killer.

It was rainy when I left DC (there were flash flood warnings the entire time I was gone.)  And still wet and dreary when we went around NY. 

I tried to get some knitting done....

But once we hit Massachusetts the rain had lifted and the colors were just too fantastic.

I arrived in Randolph VT after dark with Kristen (and her loyal dog Max) to meet me and whisk me away to dinner.  (On my brothers.)

I just had so.much.fun.  It was glorious.

Here are pictures. :)

We spent the day out and about (avoiding the neighbor hood to keep the big secret...)

I got alpaca kisses. :)

The party was a total success!  Secrets kept!

Morning chores.  (Actually a mix of days...)

I milked a cow!!  (But not very well!)

Kristen was surprised that the usually reserved llamas came so close.  I think the hay was calling!

Iris the (very vocal!) cashmere goat.

Atlas (on the right) and his mom.

Knitting break!

Ginger

Lotus and Leah, guardian llamas.  This is coyote country....

Yea, that's the spot!  Ecstasy!

Moving huts to the new pasture.  And I didn't just watch and take pictures...I moved one too.

Good Morning All!

Boo

My buddy Fred.

And next post....POTTERY!

Done and DONE. Next? Vermont!

What a hot weekend we had!  You would not have known it was October.  90's and sweaty.  Wool sales were down a bit I think...no fun fondling that fibery goodness when you have sweat dripping down your face and sticky sweaty fingers....(and I think the government shut down may have been in the backs of some of the shoppers minds..)

I am happy to say pottery feels good in any weather so I am completely satisfied by my sales.  I have loyal customers and meet more awesome and interesting new people every year. A big thank you to all of you!

The light in the tents is never good.  So I took no pictures of my booth this time around.

So look at these instead.

I LOVE this sign.

I did well stocking my inventory with Alpaca pots this year.  As we were setting up I told my good friend April (who drives up from Western North Carolina to help me every year!!  She is such a good friend.) that I really need to add bunnies to my repetoire.  Not  an hour later I had some disappointed bunny lovers make that exact request.  So I was on a mission this weekend looking for models....

Cashmere!

Scottish Blackface.  Isn't nature amazing?

A festival does not feel like a festival without some Scottish pipes.  

And handsome ones at that!

This week I am working to wrap up all the post show book keeping (I try not to complain, the more receipts to work through the better the show!) clean off my desk and generally get the house back into shape.  All the prep work for two shows in a row definitely puts housework on the back burner.  So I am working to get everything sorted out, maybe relax with a good book here and there.

Then on Friday its off to Vermont to visit my favorite shepherd at Gilead Fiber Farm!