reading material

feel free to read my review of ISEND2011,
La Rochelle, France.

just published in the lastest issue of

Turkey Red Journal.

enjoy.

Photo by Nancy Zeller, traveling the train from Paris to Bordeaux Region

the last show of the season

wouldn't you like to come see my shepardess?

we've been growing wool for her for years now

she'll have yarns and roving from us

many naturally dyed

most interesting what she does with our fleeces.
want to try your hand at dyeing?

she sells the dyestuffs too!

she's been cooking up some scarfs and wraps

I think you should come
this weekend November 5th and 6th.

the New England Fiber Festival

all under one roof and warm

just like we are here on the farm

with very good reasons....

time and events have taken me hither and yon of late...
the weeks before Rhinebeck are always a flurry and then
poof! we are there
dear daughter Faith is now a mainstay at the shows with me.
it's such a special treat

as always I plan to take pictures of the show but only briefly

 is there time to capture special moments.

this was one such moment with this most adorable baby and mom who stopped to shop

it was a great show as always and Sunday eve Faith and I made the trek north

arriving home late in the night.

the following day after unpacking from the show

I made my way east a bit to catch a bird in hand

from Australia

the bubbly had survived the trek

and we enjoyed the reunion

the following days were laced together with farm chores

and drives through New Hampshire and Vermont

gathering black walnuts

moments of alone time

clarity of purpose

apppreciation for the simple joys

togetherness for dinner and gathering

 the morning after India's departure
I spied this ephemeral fibre art on our fenceline.

I burst out laughing.

perfect.

a small Sheltie dog, Luna, hung with India all week

and misses her greatly

promises kept for their reunion here again

and now, the snow has arrived too early

more to come tomorrow night.

time to hunker and dream

too much rain, so much gold

thunder and driving rains tonight.
Sheltie dog Kalie paces, hates this.

too much rain, too much water.

yet fall's glory always shines

in hidden places

stitching is done for a dear friend

stitching still to do for
a personal goal

before the rains tonight i gathered marigolds
dry, bright and with purpose
and strung them as the rain
poured on

not new england's finest fall

but oh, so beautiful even so.

a great heart must fly

our dear Katie lived on the farm with us for two and a half years.
she is a beautiful light.

as she worked her way though graduate school we shared an

incredible life here. she taught so much. she gave so much.

and she was just so much fun to be with!

we sheared, we hayed, we detangled skeins, we dyed and we dyed laughing.

and what she gave to our flock was unmeasured.

Katie is in the air tonight somewhere over the Atlantic
on her way to a new adventure in Rwanda, Africa 

where she will give her
knowledge to a noble cause.

i have a huge lump in my throat.

go Katie, our great heart! we miss you.

have dyepots will travel

through Vermont I traveled this morning

on long windy roads

and farmlands

past the ravage of Irene's wrath.

new bridges reuniting towns

so torn apart

to arrive at a fiber oasis

Six Loose Ladies shop

in Proctorsville VT

with a few more than six loose ladies

and a few tricks from my wizard's wand

I helped them conjure some

great naturally dyed colors 

the results were stunning

a bright backdrop to what has been a very

difficult time in their region

it was fun, this is a good place to stop

Six Loose Ladies is open.

Vermont is going to be okay.

come visit.

on my descent into town I stopped to pay a hello to the lovely ladies

in waiting (heifers) at Windyhurst Farm

the farm owners happened to stop by, who I'm pretty darned fond of 

and Roger asked

"haven't you ever seen a cow before?"
with a big smile from him

and I said "yes, but none so pretty as these"

what a fine day for many good ladies

Chill of an early fall

early chill, possible frost.

the days are getting shorter

our friends are in full awareness

grateful for just another pasture rotation

and a few windfall apples

they know to soak up the sun.

a mid-afternoon frolick

pasture still wet from Irene's path

meets the fall sun