Or being a dumbass. Maybe both...
I took a camera to NH S&W. I even took a couple of sets of extra batteries.
The only thing I didn't take was pictures.
*sigh*
Luckily I had a fabulous time, so memories will have to serve in lieu of pictures... I grabbed my fabulous MIL bright and early this morning, and we did the festival up right. I swear we looked at everything, fondled the fiber, patted the lambs, snogged the alpacas (just for you, AnnaMarie!), watched the sheepdogs, and enjoyed the hell out of all that was offered.
I met Gale (one of us spells her name wrong - guess which one?), and Judy (who is practically my neighbor when you consider the size of the planet.) I somehow managed to miss Norma, though. Rumor had it she was around somewhere, but apparently not wherever I was at any given moment. And I met Manise, though she pointed out that we had actually met at VT S&W last fall, but I was so excited that day that my brains fell out of my head and, what with the general dizziness and drooling, I didn't remember at all...
And Laurie and I finally caught up with each other, with Judy's help. (Thanks, Judy!) We got to have a nice visit, chatting about knitting and spinning, showing off our newly acquired treasures, and she had lots of good advice for me in my continuing struggle to quit smoking. (She's a wise one, my Laurie!)
Every festival, it seems, is the best one ever - and I think this one left all previous ones in the dust. My brain is brimming over with new ideas sparked by all the wonders I saw today, I've got a new sock book (my dad is so getting the piggie socks for Christmas this year...), and my spirit is refreshed by talking to friends old and new.
Best. Festival. Ever.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
Headed to NH S+W tomorrow!!
I will be carrying this bag:
And probably the little purple/gold one as well. (That's my small project bag. I'll be toting around my slipper...)
If you see me before I see you, feel free to give me a nudge!
And probably the little purple/gold one as well. (That's my small project bag. I'll be toting around my slipper...)
If you see me before I see you, feel free to give me a nudge!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Last Jury Draw
There! At least that's over with. I was selected for a jury that will sit on the 22nd, and then they can't bother me for 2 more years.
Wanna know how laid back we are in Vermont? I was allowed into the courtroom with this:
Why, yes, those are very sharp pointy metal sticks... (Size 1's, in fact!) They ran my little knitting bag through their big x-ray machine, and handed it right back to me.
I seriously thought they would draw the line on that bit of knitting!
So, while waiting to be called up for voir dire, I managed to get this much done on this slipper project:
though I think the upper right square may be pointing the wrong way. And since it's the second square, that involves ripping out two whole squares to fix it. I might decide I can live with it...
Odetta is definitely the Head Sheep around here. It might be because she has a badge:
and Goldie doesn't...
Wanna know how laid back we are in Vermont? I was allowed into the courtroom with this:
Why, yes, those are very sharp pointy metal sticks... (Size 1's, in fact!) They ran my little knitting bag through their big x-ray machine, and handed it right back to me.I seriously thought they would draw the line on that bit of knitting!
So, while waiting to be called up for voir dire, I managed to get this much done on this slipper project:
though I think the upper right square may be pointing the wrong way. And since it's the second square, that involves ripping out two whole squares to fix it. I might decide I can live with it...Odetta is definitely the Head Sheep around here. It might be because she has a badge:
and Goldie doesn't...
Monday, May 4, 2009
The Sheep Saga
I may or may not have calmed down a little. Maybe a little. Though I tend to show pictures of my sheep to everyone I encounter. "Wanna see my sheep pictures again?"
We had talked for years about getting Shetlands, always with that "someday" stuck in the sentence. Madman and I fell in love when we saw our first Shetlands at Vermont Sheep and Wool years ago, and have drooled over them at festivals ever since.
Then a couple of weeks ago there was an ad in the local Trading Post for a black Shetland ewe lamb for sale. Madman saw it, brought it to my attention, and we dithered together for a bit. Should we? Can we? Shall we?
We shall.
But when he called, the lady said she'd gotten attached to the lamb and decided not to sell her. (Tragedy! Disappointment! Devastation!) But maybe we'd be interested in a 4-yr-old black Shetland ewe? (Joy! Dancing! Ewephoria!)
Her name was Odetta.
The only problem was, we needed another sheep to keep Odetta company. Sheep are social creatures and don't thrive without companionship. They need to be part of a flock - even if the flock is small. Two is just a very small flock.
The nice lady gave us a few names and numbers for other Shetland breeders, Madman made some calls, and we found Goldie.
A few more phone calls, and we were all set up to pick up both sheep (at two different farms, luckily within miles of each other) on Sunday morning.
We had just bought two sheep over the phone. Forget all the advice about conformation, checking teeth - all that scientific stuff. We bought two sheep over the phone...
Sunday morning, bright and early, we spread a tarp in the back of the car (and we all saw how well that worked...), packed up ourselves and our friend M who was visiting for the weekend, and headed off to become shepherds.
Odetta joined us first. Madman and M rode in the front, and I was in the back seat, calming Odetta and making sure she didn't try to join the guys in the front seat. It wasn't her first time riding in a car, so she took it pretty calmly, especially considering the bumpy curvy roads we were driving on. (Rural Vermont in springtime. Bumpy curvy roads are a given any time of year, but springtime also gives us potholes and mudpits. Driver beware.)
When we got to the second farm, we not only got Goldie, but that nice lady gave us a bale of hay, too. Since we had decided that M would ride in the back with me, to help keep sheep in the sheep area, the bale of hay ended up in the front passenger seat. I kept a tight hold on Odetta while everyone else quickly stuffed Goldie in the back and closed the rear hatch.
Goldie, however, had never been in a vehicle before. She didn't know why she was in that weird pen, but she didn't like it much. She kept trying to turn around and face the other way. (Note to Subaru owners: The back of a Forrester is big enough for two Shetland sheep to turn around in, if both sheep agree that they want to turn around. If only one wants to turn around, it can be a tight squeeze, especially if some poor hapless human has her arm stuck back there because she was patting a sheep trying to keep it calm.)
Luckily, by the time we got to the interstate, both sheep had calmed down. They were looking out the windows with great interest as we headed for home.
Picture it: 3 humans, 2 sheep, and a bale of hay, packed into a Subaru.
We got some interesting reactions from folks passing us on the highway...
Odetta just mooned them.
Goldie's owner suggested we might want to change her name, since she doesn't respond to it anyway. But when we got her home, we discovered she has golden knees - (they're much brighter in person than in the picture) -
so we decided Goldie was just short for Gold-knee. And since she doesn't come when we call her anyway, it doesn't really matter what her name is...
We spent most of the afternoon just sitting and watching them. "Oh look! Odetta's eating grass!" "Oh, oh, oh, Goldie's drinking water!"
Good times.
Check out the fancy sun-shade we built:
Tarp with bungee cords. Nothing but the best...
We had talked for years about getting Shetlands, always with that "someday" stuck in the sentence. Madman and I fell in love when we saw our first Shetlands at Vermont Sheep and Wool years ago, and have drooled over them at festivals ever since.
Then a couple of weeks ago there was an ad in the local Trading Post for a black Shetland ewe lamb for sale. Madman saw it, brought it to my attention, and we dithered together for a bit. Should we? Can we? Shall we?
We shall.
But when he called, the lady said she'd gotten attached to the lamb and decided not to sell her. (Tragedy! Disappointment! Devastation!) But maybe we'd be interested in a 4-yr-old black Shetland ewe? (Joy! Dancing! Ewephoria!)
Her name was Odetta.
The only problem was, we needed another sheep to keep Odetta company. Sheep are social creatures and don't thrive without companionship. They need to be part of a flock - even if the flock is small. Two is just a very small flock.
The nice lady gave us a few names and numbers for other Shetland breeders, Madman made some calls, and we found Goldie.
A few more phone calls, and we were all set up to pick up both sheep (at two different farms, luckily within miles of each other) on Sunday morning.
We had just bought two sheep over the phone. Forget all the advice about conformation, checking teeth - all that scientific stuff. We bought two sheep over the phone...
Sunday morning, bright and early, we spread a tarp in the back of the car (and we all saw how well that worked...), packed up ourselves and our friend M who was visiting for the weekend, and headed off to become shepherds.
Odetta joined us first. Madman and M rode in the front, and I was in the back seat, calming Odetta and making sure she didn't try to join the guys in the front seat. It wasn't her first time riding in a car, so she took it pretty calmly, especially considering the bumpy curvy roads we were driving on. (Rural Vermont in springtime. Bumpy curvy roads are a given any time of year, but springtime also gives us potholes and mudpits. Driver beware.)
When we got to the second farm, we not only got Goldie, but that nice lady gave us a bale of hay, too. Since we had decided that M would ride in the back with me, to help keep sheep in the sheep area, the bale of hay ended up in the front passenger seat. I kept a tight hold on Odetta while everyone else quickly stuffed Goldie in the back and closed the rear hatch.
Goldie, however, had never been in a vehicle before. She didn't know why she was in that weird pen, but she didn't like it much. She kept trying to turn around and face the other way. (Note to Subaru owners: The back of a Forrester is big enough for two Shetland sheep to turn around in, if both sheep agree that they want to turn around. If only one wants to turn around, it can be a tight squeeze, especially if some poor hapless human has her arm stuck back there because she was patting a sheep trying to keep it calm.)
Luckily, by the time we got to the interstate, both sheep had calmed down. They were looking out the windows with great interest as we headed for home.
Picture it: 3 humans, 2 sheep, and a bale of hay, packed into a Subaru.
We got some interesting reactions from folks passing us on the highway...
Odetta just mooned them.
Goldie's owner suggested we might want to change her name, since she doesn't respond to it anyway. But when we got her home, we discovered she has golden knees - (they're much brighter in person than in the picture) -
so we decided Goldie was just short for Gold-knee. And since she doesn't come when we call her anyway, it doesn't really matter what her name is...We spent most of the afternoon just sitting and watching them. "Oh look! Odetta's eating grass!" "Oh, oh, oh, Goldie's drinking water!"
Good times.
Check out the fancy sun-shade we built:
Tarp with bungee cords. Nothing but the best...
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Meet my new BFFs!
The black one is Odetta, the light one is Goldy.
*insert the biggest happy sigh you ever heard*
I'm going out to take more pictures.
But here's one more - this is what happens when you haul two sheep in the back of a Forrester, even if you put a tarp down...
Friday, May 1, 2009
Two more sleeps to sheep
.
Counting sheep doesn't work anymore... I just start jumping up and down and chanting "sheepsheepsheepsheepsheepsheep!!"
Counting sheep doesn't work anymore... I just start jumping up and down and chanting "sheepsheepsheepsheepsheepsheep!!"
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