the week that was

I was a bit under the weather last week.
Nothing terrible, just a sore throat, thick head, and general malaise.

Ironic!

I managed to put one foot in front of the other Every Single Day through the most miserable, overheated deluge of a summer I've ever known. When the weather at last turned lovely, I spent several days doing a lot of this:

Fortunately, I had the very best of care.

By Friday, I was feeling much more myself, and trying to get caught up on everything that had slipped. Maybe I could have succeeded (hahaha - that was a joke) if I hadn't taken Saturday "off" and gone up to Vermont for the fiber fair in Tunbridge. It's the only annual fair that I try very hard to attend, because it includes the Cashmere Goat Association annual show. I want to support the CGA, and it's always helpful to see what goats from other herds look like, and learn a thing or two.

And, well...fiber. Right?

This year I had the rare opportunity to handle dozens of wool samples in John Crane's exhibit: Sheep Breeds: A World of Difference.

Here are two I've been very curious about:

The driving and the standing and walking and the 10-hour daytrip was a lot.

I'm still feeling it, but I'm glad I went.

And now I'm glad I'm home.

Even if it is raining again.

~~~~~

monopod goes for a ride

Monopod on a bus.

This Spring I began using trekking poles on my walks with Piper. I tried them at my Physical Therapist's suggestion (and with the loan of her own extra poles) during a period when a spike of pain in my knees was making it no fun at all to walk...

...even with Piper!

...even in the woods!

At the same time, a retired fellow in England who blogs about his walking adventures in entertaining detail, kindly answered my email enquiry about types and features of poles. Mike's descriptions of personal experiences - and fatigue delayed and serious injuries avoided - confirmed that trekking poles were well worth a try.

The first time I heading into the woods with the poles, I admit I felt a little...silly. I mean, this was a walk. On an old cart road. Not exactly snowshoeing crosscountry through trackless forest, and come to think if it, I never used poles to do that, and I was also carrying a pack full of equipment at the time. Blah blah blah. I've gotten a lot better at not berating myself with these pointless comparisons, but sometimes that inner voice still pipes up for a minute or two.

BUT. It was a relief to soon discover: even on a very difficult day, I could still force myself to get out there with two poles and take Piper for at least a short wander. And on a gentler day, even using a single pole could make a big difference in how far I wanted to go before heading back. I saw sections of trail and forest I hadn't visited in several years.

I usually used only one pole, as I've nearly always got a camera in one hand. So I recently decided to invest in a "monopod" - the same sort of collapsible walking stick but with a threaded bolt on top to mount a camera. The idea being that I will still have the camera Right There at all times, but will also have two hands free to use two poles in the woods when I want to.

Shortly after making that decision and budgeting $25-40 for a simple adjustable model, I found one, used, at a tag sale!

For two dollars!

I started using it right away.

The hyssop is still blooming and the bees are still visiting.
Both bloom and bees have slowed down considerably, but still...
blooming and visiting!

In the past few weeks, I've put that monopod through it's paces; not just in the woods and at home, but with more "travelling" than I've done in a very long time. First, the monopod went on a chartered bus trip to the Big E where I saw the quilts and the Clydesdales, and then it accompanied me on Saturday's trip to the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival. In both cases, it was great to have my camera Right There for the sudden photo-opps, but the bigger benefit was being able to walk and stand for more than ten minutes - not always comfortably, but only a couple of times having to say, "I'm sorry, but I must either walk or sit down right now," in the middle of a conversation. And that is a big deal.

Don't worry: I'm not going to turn this blog into a record of all my physical ups and downs; it would bore you all to bits. Heck, it bores me and I'm living it. But I'm trying to get a little more comfortable about not editing out any mention of pain when it's actually an aspect of what I am writing about. Like my joy in discovering that a trekking pole is a tool that can sometimes make a little walk in the woods (and the resulting revitalizing thoughts and hundreds of photographs and one very happy dog) possible.

And who knows? Maybe a person reading this will think, "Hmmm, I wonder if a trekking pole might be a handy thing for me to use from time to time?" and then one day find themselves leaning on a trekking pole by a stone wall they haven't visited in ages, listening to the wind in the trees and thinking how incredibly lucky they are to be right there in that exquisite moment. So my suggestion would be: if you think some simple thing might be handy...give it a try. And then tell the rest of us about it in case we might find it handy too :)

~~~~~

sunshine on a cloudy day

 I've been having a lazy day.

Once the chores were done and everyone fed, I pretty much stepped out of the traces and suspended any expectation of productivity.

In other words: slacking.

It's been gloomy and off-and-on rainy all weekend.

(The sunflower images were taken one afternoon two weeks ago.

Saved for a rainy day!)

Yesterday it looked like this in Tunbridge, Vermont:

I rented a car for the weekend - one of those Enterprise weekend deals - because it was important to me that I try to get to the Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival and Cashmere Goat Association show. I didn't want to try to travel with anyone else because it's never a sure thing that I'll be up to the trip on the given day. With a rental, even if I ended up unable to go to Vermont, I could do local errands and test the notion that, instead of continuing to search for an affordable small (and elusive) pickup truck, I could make do with a small car.

(It was a good experiment.

The answer is: no.

Let the pickup search continue.)

It was a good trip, because I got to say hello to a few cashmere people and see quite a few cashmere goats in the barn. They had an entry of about 50 goats; not bad! There were also a good many vendors of fibery goodness at the festival, which meant pleasant chats with the owner of a specialty spinning mill and a breeder of Gotland sheep (very interesting!) and a dyer and a felt artist and a woodworker and some knitters. And I bought two sets of sock needles and a packet of felting needles. And lunch!

Just noticed my rubber barn boots: glad it was cool and damp enough to wear them.
Disinfecting back at home is easy when I can just step into a basin of antiseptic.

I enjoyed a hot pork barbecue sandwich and homemade coleslaw on a bench across from a sheepdog demonstration, while another cashmere breeder told me about a recent conversation with her vet, who had asked about me by name. Kind of surprising since I haven't seen that vet in about 4 years. Possibly one of my naughty goats left a lasting impression?!

The rain held off until I was driving back home, which was perfect. And although the day was a marathon for me - over 5 hours of driving and 3 on my feet - evening chores were finished by dark. And after feeding Piper and Della and Moxie, I must have gotten right into bed and fallen asleep, because I don't remember anything after Piper's last treat. She will stand next to my bed and stare at me until that treat appears, and it seems unlikely she would ever allow me to fall asleep without producing it. Piper learned a long time ago that thumping the bed with her chin - repeatedly - is guaranteed to get a response.

So, that's my weekend! I hope yours has been good :)

I also hope you won't be too disappointed when you hear that Tsuga and Lily did not win the third level of the Chaffhaye competition. I was already in Vermont and not even aware of the voting until lovely Tanya of Bead and Needle sounded the alarm (thanks again, Tanya!). Then, since I couldn't access FB from my phone, I was unable to even vote for my own goats! But it wouldn't have mattered; there was a landslide victory for the picture of a cute goat wearing a Chaffhaye bag. So a sincere "thank you again" to everyone who supported Tsuga and Lily - very much appreciated. And don't worry; they don't seem at all concerned about maintaining their Amateur status in the Cute Department ;)

~~~~~

road trip!

This past weekend was the 27th annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge, Vermont. Friends were competing, and I was invited to ride along for the 2.5-hour trip up and back on Sunday. Being a passenger has always been a treat for me; a driving commuter for decades. And although rain had been predicted for the weekend, it was blue skies and sunshine all the way. Lovely! Sitting back, watching the scenery, and nattering away to the driver who, like me, doesn't ordinarily spend a lot of time socializing because there is always some task or chore that needs doing. Chatting for hours without the nagging feeling that something else should be happening instead is quite a luxury.

I even added a few rows to my latest KAL sock:

As unbelievable as it may sound, this journey was my biggest trip to date of 2015: five hours in a vehicle and 4.5 hours at an event. I won't describe the collection of cushions and props I brought along, but it's a fact that I've spent weeks traveling in other countries with a single backpack containing less than I now apparently need to cross the road.

Oh well. At least I do occasionally cross the road! :)

New England Asters in Vermont!
Much more exotic than in Massachusetts!
Okay, not really. But always a favorite :)

Remember last year, when I went to the same fair - it's also the Cashmere Goat Association show - and brought my camera but no memory chip? And I apologized because I could post no pictures from the fair?

Well, that was not about to happen THIS year! No no no!

This year, I brought the new camera (for it's final Field Test), two fully-charged batteries, and two chips. HA!

We arrived at the fair at noon, and I headed straight for the Integrated Parasite Control & FAMACHA© Training Workshop, which began only moments later. For four years I've been looking for a FAMACHA training class close to home; this was like a gift landing at my feet. The class was taught by Dr Katherine Petersson from the University of Rhode Island and lasted for four hours. Yes, that's right. Four hours of thinking hard about gastrointestinal worms. It was excellent.

The organizers provided snacks on a table at the back of the classroom, and invited participants to help themselves at any time during the presentation. I was grateful for a "polite" excuse to stand up and move around at frequent intervals. I hope the other participants didn't think I was snarfing up snacks every time I got to my feet, but it was a chance I was willing to take.  ;)

Now, if you noticed the timeframe, you will not be surprised to hear that when the workshop ended and I headed out of the cold classroom and into the gorgeous Autumn sunshine, all the fair vendors were packing up their tents.

Yes, I went to a fiber fair and a cashmere goat show, and spent the entire time in a cold, dark classroom. When I headed for the cashmere goat area, exhibitors were sweeping out the now-empty rented stalls. Most goats were already loaded to leave.

So I hastily took the first - and last - goat picture of the day: 

One of my friends' bucks, looking out the truck window. Photographed through the reflection of trees and blue sky.

You can't say I never take you anywhere on this blog.

Can you?

HA.

Shall we try again next year?

:)

~~~~~

festival, fiber, and goats

Thanks for all your good wishes for Sunday - the weather was perfect! The Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival was worth the long/short trip: lots of cashmere goats, lots of friendly folk, lots of yarn and clever fiber-y creations. A perfect opportunity to prepare an entire portfolio of images for you, my readers, right?

A hank of handspun in apricot and muted greens caught my eye right away, and I asked the vendor if she minded photographs. Not at all! she said. I turned on my camera, focused, pressed the shutter release, and nothing happened.

Because the memory chip was still in my laptop. At home.

So, I'm very sorry I can't do a fiber fair picture post. I feel like such a dunce...I finally went somewhere interesting, and I can't bring you along!

Tell me about it! Not only did I miss a fair
where I could have shown those crazy Border Collies
a thing or two...but today I had a BATH!

Since I couldn't take any pictures at the fair, I decided I'd better bring that hank of handspun home, and photograph it here:

It's cormo/merino and only 49 yards, so it may become an element of a larger piece of knitting: a brim on a plain hat, or cuffs on solid mittens, or an accent of some kind.

Or it may continue to function beautifully as a display:

Purty, no?

And just like that, as smoothly as

a pebble falling into water,

my Yarn Buying Moratorium has ended.

And I'm okay with that, because the knitting? It's back.

Remember the orange half-a-sock?

The first long-neglected project reactivated for the WIPCrackAway KAL?

Tada!

I'm already on to the next WIP.

~~~

And now, instead of pictures of the goats at the show,

how about a couple of familiar goat faces?

Yesterday afternoon, I dragged my chaise to a sunny spot on the Upper West Side, to spend a little time snapping pictures of my gang browsing on a newly-fallen leaves.

An odd thump on the back of the chaise told me Campion was up to something, so I just leaned forward, held the camera over my head, pointed it backward, and clicked:

Don't mind me!

Campion is standing on his hind legs, front feet on the back of the chaise, mouthing the top.

Maybe this is why people think "goats can eat anything" and "goats eat tin cans." They don't. In fact, goats have specific dietary needs and can be extremely picky about their food. But they will explore just about everything with their mouths. And I do keep things out of reach that could be dangerous to ingest, like scraps of paper or plastic feed sacks, or bits of wire, just as you would for any animal.

In fact, despite considerable caution on my part,

Piper has found and ingested more noxious items

than all of my goats put together.

That's still no reason for a BATH. You overreacted!
And besides, I didn't "ingest" anything this time,
I just rolled in it!

~~~

Remember Dara?

When he saw me sitting in the chaise, he trotted right over.

So did the other three kids.

I told the kids that they must not jump up on the chair.

Three quickly returned to browsing, but Dara waited.

He was very quietly disappointed.

He didn't jump, but he waited, politely.

I relented, and said, "Okay, Dara, you can't jump up here, but I'll try to lift you. I don't know if I can, and I don't know if you'll fit on the chair. And if you do, you'll have to be perfectly still or get right down."

I don't know what I was thinking.

Dara is a big boy now.

And even though he was a very unusual baby,

it's been a long time since he could climb into my arms

and completely relax, chewing his cud and dozing.

Like this:

Dara, 6 July 2014

Well.

Dara, 6 October 2014

He sat perfectly still.

(Believe me: this is not something you'd have seen at the fair, even if I'd been able to take pictures of every goat there.)

Time passed, leaves fell. The sun went down. I don't know how long we would have been there if I hadn't eventually had to get up and start evening chores.

All my goats are individual characters, some easier than others to get along with. And at this point, I think all four of the 2014 babies are developing what I hope will be pleasant, sensible temperaments.

But Dara is...unique.

~~~~~

rain today, sun tomorrow

That was the weekend weather prediction, and it's been raining non-stop since last night, so the forecasters certainly got that part right. Chores were a muddy mess this morning, and I am having a very hard time getting motivated to do anything. At all.

But I hope tomorrow's weather prediction is also true, because I've planned an exciting daytrip to the 26th Annual Vermont Sheep and Wool Festival in Tunbridge. Two shepherds on ravelry described this as a lovely fair, with a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. I've never been, but this year I decided to try because it's also the Cashmere Goat Association show.

It's a long drive for me these days - about 2.5 hours north of home. And since I'll be trying to get home before dark for chores, I may be spending nearly as much time on the road as at the fair. Couldn't be helped; a weekend holiday was not an option, as my wonderful critter caretaker is away.

I'm really looking forward to perusing a variety of cashmere goats from herds I've never seen. And just wandering around in the livestock barn and seeking treasures to bring home from the vendors booths.

Dear readers: have you ever been to this fair? Do you have any suggestions for "can't miss" vendors or "must see" exhibitors or "must eat" festival snacks?

~~~

Meanwhile, the rain is pouring down, and it's nearly dark at 4 in the afternoon. I'm going to start chores early, and do a few extra things tonight so the morning chores will be a bit quicker. I must be on the road just as the sun is peeping through the woods behind the paddock.

~~~~~