update

The house emptied around 10am Friday morning.  At 11:30 I headed to the fairgrounds for day #1.   It was a fun sort of day.  There were enough of us spinning to make for an interesting time.   I managed to spin another few bobbins of that oatmeal grey shetland
I’ve been working on.  That makes it sound like an absolutely awful
color.  It’s not.  It’s sort of a non color. I like it enough that I
could make a sweater for myself from it.

It was all us, only us, as very few people came by.   Attendance was really down.  Entrance fees were up.  I’m pretty sure the sign said $12.00 for an adult.  Around here, families can be large.  Add a bunch of $4.00 tickets for the kids, fair food, a couple rides on the Ferris wheel or whatever, gas to get there and you’ve got an expensive day.  People are already strapped.  Everywhere, I heard conversations like… I’m so glad we burn wood… what are people going to do come winter..?  You get my drift.   By 3pm Sunday, the only crowds were at the Demolition Derby and we were anxious to pack up the tent and go home.  The animal trailers had been loading up off and on all afternoon.  Next week is the start of the Big Fair, the Essex County Fair.  I’ll be curious to see how the attendance is there.  It’s funny how almost anything, even a country fair, can become an economic indicator.  So, if we can see it, what’s wrong with our gov?  Last I heard they were still saying that there wasn’t any inflation.  Of course, they did say that they had not included gas or food in their figures… go figure.

I had a few minutes to sit and type this post as it has started to pour, sun coming out, rainbow ready and me sitting here waiting to run down to the freezers in the barn with a load of packaged corn, freshly scored form the cob.  Waiting in the barn is a dye pot, hopefully cooled and exhausted with its batch of red wool silk.  That must come back up to the house to be washed out and hung to dry.  It’ll stop raining in a minute; it has been doing this all afternoon.  Poor C has been radioing me from the field where he alternately digs in the mud (it is hosta splitting time) and waits in the van. 

I’m pretty sure I mentioned that Tivoli is finished.  I’m pleased with her and will begin another in black Calmer.  She could use a blocking when the weather dries out.  After which, there will be pics.

Spiderboy Sam continues to be trained, without the crew of cat wranglers.  We’re all exhausted with our efforts.  He’s loads of cute fun.  Ooops! Sun’s out, got to fly!