NH Sheep & Wool Festival...

How different was my experience of attending the S&W in NH vs. NY? Let me count the ways...

For starters, I didn't have to get up nearly as early. And that's a big deal! I drove to the festival which is held in Deerfield, NH--a beautifully picturesque area. Classic New England. The driving aspect of the trip is a mixed bag. It is luxurious to sit back on a bus or train and read or knit or crochet, whatever. On the other hand, on public transportation one never knows who is going to end up sitting in the next seat. In that regard it's a toss-up. I've had great travelling companions, and some less comfortable. And still, driving affords complete freedom of schedule.

I enjoyed the drive very much. I-93 between Plymouth and Concord is quite beautiful, something many interstates struggle with. Very picturesque. One way took about hour and half. I missed my exit due to construction and a confusing sign so I went on to the next exit ramp and back tracked.

My friend from MA met me at the fairgrounds and we spent a lovely afternoon perusing the vendor's goods, checking in on the sheep, and ended our stay with a 45 minute viewing by the sheep dog trials. It was most enjoyable to watch. Very very exciting and fun. Lovely dogs they be and they love their work. They're so fast!

It was far less crowded than the NY festival and that made for relaxation. Not as big as Rhinebeck, but it had everything I needed, and more!--the wallet is under strick observation until finances settle down a bit around here. Still, I managed to come home with about 2 pounds of fiber and a beautiful woven basket which is perfect for the afghan project, as you will see.

There is something deeply satisfying in attending these shows. Being around the sheep and the dogs. Getting to see the younger ones showing their sheep. The commonality and shared love of sheep and all things wool. The craft, husbandry, utility. I love it, love it, love it!

Very glad I went and plan to visit again next year... (as usual, click to enlarge the pics)

Hm. Dump your manure somewhere else!

Just beautiful!

Sweet!!

Docile.

Gorgeous.

Oh so sweet!

A bit of attitude!

Showing their work.

"A kiss is still a kiss..."

My new shaggy.

"And who does your hair?"

An alpaca.

Sheep dog trials.

My afghan project before my purchase.

My afghan project after I got home with my new basket, handmade in Vietnam.

A pound of gorgeously colored fiber (56% wool, 44% mohair) from Gurdy Run Woolen Mill in PA. The color is named "Into The Woods". The owner told me the wool came from a sheep named Molly. I'm glad to know that.

About a pound of what I'm calling mongrel! It's a blend. Very bargain basement price and I love it. It's going to make something nice.

Sinking in...

We had a bit of rain yesterday and I stood by the open front door looking out the summer screen. The sound of each drop had a lightening effect on my being, and the smell of the earth and grass and trees was prominent as they soaked up the water. The sound and scent of the woods was very calming and I was soothed by the hypnotic rhythm of nature's shower. Soul refreshment.

Because I lived across the street from a park in NYC I would get a hint (just a hint) of this heady organic smell when it rained there, but it doesn't compare with the undiluted experience up in here in the country.

And the stars at night! Praise be, what a wondrous spectacle. The awesome beauty of the Milky Way is so utterly enchanting and trance inducing it makes me want to stay up all night just to stare. In the very darkness of these country nights our galaxy is luminescent beyond imagination. This is one of the things I missed most while living in the city. The stars at night. All that beautiful star dust.

Daylight these past few days has illuminated this glory out in the front yard:


And this sighting:

Isn't s/he just gorgeous in his/her red coat!

On the fiber front I'm crocheting a square every morning while I have my coffee on the front "porch" and will have another row to add to the afghan this weekend. After that it will be down to 2 rows to completion. Golly! That's exciting.

I'm back at the loom on a regular basis now and it feels so good. I'm undecided whether I should share the project as I proceed or wait until it's all finished? Hm...

I was excited to spy this out front (and there's more of it on the other side of the stump):


I will try to identify it on the web and see what color it may produce. There's a range of color to be got from mushrooms and fungi. This could get very exciting! The NH Sheep & Wool Festival is this weekend and I'm driving down tomorrow. I may come back with some fleece in need of coloring! :happyhappy:

Landing...

Yesterday was a day of adjustment and not so easy. Probably the most difficult day of the whole move. Not entirely a surprise, I had been expecting it: a necessary sorting out of dreams, expectations, realities, highs, and lows. The pros and cons of a new and very different location and logistics. The pros win, in a big way. At the end of the day--or more accurately: From the start of today I feel like I am coming back down to earth, I have arrived and feel like I'm here. The questions and doubts (not strong to begin with) have been answered.

The whole upheaval from last October to now seemed, in some ways, like a dream (come true!). There's been a misty haze of questions about whether the transition would be successful. Today the fog is lifted and I'm starting to feel my old self again, free from the whirlwinds, eddies, and unknowns of the journey.

I am getting familiar with the placement of my things in the house and they can now start to fade into the background where they belong. Routines are taking shape in pleasing and enjoyable ways. Yesterday's birth pangs are dissolving, and today I'm on with this new wonderful life! It feels like putting on a new pair of gloves, a pair that fits very well I'm discovering.

It was another hot and sunny day today. A short walk this afternoon after crochet and piano took me to some delicate and beautiful wild flowers out back. A few pics:


Being in the foothills of the White Mountains, there are natural geological sites of interest nearby. Monday I stopped by "Sculptured Rocks", a small gorge which is explained in this sign. (Yes, it's not surprising someone would have a bit of fun with the name of the river which flows through town: Cockermouth. It's predictable, and inevitable.)


These rocks are right near the road and are free to view and explore. There's free parking across the road.


Also, just 5 miles away is a destination known as Polar Caves. Sometime this summer I'll have to go exploring!

For dinner this evening I feasted on some beans I baked up this afternoon using maple syrup. How very New England is that!? They were scrumptious and I have a big pot of them!!

A new day... a new routine?...

Don't mind if I do! If today is any indication of what my future weekends may look like, consider me very pleased!

One thing is I'm getting up earlier. My schedule is about 2 hours ahead of what it was in NY. Time will tell if this sticks. I kind of hope so because so far it's quite nice this way.

Made a large cup of French press coffee and breakfasted on an English muffin with apricot jam. Lovely way to start a relaxing Sunday.

For the second time this week, I proceeded to the "porch", a 4x8 foot perch off the front door. It was gloriously sunny and the sun was warm though the air still had a nice coolness about it. The spinning wheel came with me and I sat spinning for an hour basking in the yellow sunshine, peacefulness, and bird song while meditatively treddling and drafting. Oh, it was heaven. No blaring stereos driving me indoors as had been the case in NY these past few summers. It feels good to be back spinning. It's been over a month.


I concluded my front porch time with a bit of reading (Thich Nhat Hanh) and went in to sit with the cello for an hour and a half. I worked hard on Bach's Prelude from the First Cello Suite (or is it more accurate to say that the prelude worked hard on me?). It was shaping up to be a beautiful Bach day. The piano was next and I spent the entire time with Bach's first Partita.

How very satisfying this morning had turned out, and the afternoon unfurled as the perfect follow-up to this blissful a.m.. I drove into Plymouth (8-9 miles) to hear Bach's Mass in B Minor and let me say unequivocally that it was brilliant!! On a par with what I've seen and heard in NYC, and I've seen and heard a lot. How very encouraging. So happy. Man! What a piece of music! The NH Master Chorale put on a top-notch, exemplary performance. I was blown away. It was also nice to see a packed house. Two hours of this sublime music works on me and I had a bit of a release when I got back to the car. Practically bawled my eyes out. Don't listen to anyone who says Bach's music isn't emotional.

If you are not familiar with the Mass in B Minor, here's a clip of the Kyrie. There are several full versions of the Mass on Youtube.


I got home and baked a yummy vegetable pie. It's from a wonderful vegetarian cookbook: Babe's Country Cookbook. Look it up. Wonderful recipes. Tried out a few local micro brews while I was preparing dinner. The Pemi Pale Ale from the Woodstock Inn Brewery is definitely worth making note of. It's on my list.

A perfect day.

Outdoor pictures... flora...

Yesterday I strolled around the yards and snapped these pics. Have made some wonderful discoveries among the flora round about the place. The less wonderful aspect is the amount of cleaning up to be done. Some of the shrubbery is in need of trimming and thinning. All in good time, can't get to it all over night, after all! I discovered the location of the prior owner's garden and have a good mind to start double-digging it and putting a few things in this year, easy veggies. I was going to wait on that, but why not plow(!) ahead?

Blackberries! Very excited about this. The patch needs clearing out of old canes but hoping to get a goodly amount of berries out of this:


Some smaller structures are strewn about. Here is a cold frame in pretty good condition. Definitely salvageable. There is also a chicken coop and another structure for housing small animals.



I was told by a friend that this is some sort of 'burning bush' and should be quite a spectacle in the fall. Looking forward to it:


A patch of chives around the corner of the house. I'd like to relocate these if possible:


Very overgrown forsythia. A bit of work required here. The forsythia in lower elevations are already in full bloom. At 1200 feet I guess it will take another week or so for these to be abloom:


A holly. I hope it's female and getting cross-pollinated with a male from somewhere:


Some irises. I love irises. Some cleanup needed here as well:


This has me ecstatic! A lilac, yes! I hope it's purple, but as long as it is scented I don't really care what color it is. There are a few lilacs on the property:


Another favorite: Lupines. They're popping up in various locations:


I can't keep saying 'this one is my favorite' but I will! :) Perhaps I'll simply state that all flowers are my favorite? Scented flowers are at the top of the list though. This one won't be scented but it will be a show:


A wonderful discovery this is! Rhubarb!! Thinking of the possibilities: pie, jams, ... Yum, yum, yum!


This somewhat non-descript, not-especially-attractive rotunda is a mighty clump of wild roses! (I can't help but exclaim at all these discoveries.) Heady it will be come June. Absolutely divine:


Discovered this little patch of thyme not far from the chives. Area must have been part of an herb garden:


For good measure, a partial view of the front yard:


I went down to the town clerk's office yesterday and since "Sculptured Rocks" natural formations is only half a mile from the center of town I decided to pop on over and have a look-see. Fascinating and exciting. Next post, with pics.

A few pics of work-in-progress...

Here are a handful of pictures showing how the place is shaping up with my things in it... (click picture to enlarge)

One corner of the kitchen with my new--perfectly sized!--table and chairs which I picked up at a thrift store for pennies. There are several thrift shops around here:


Here is what the kitchen looked like. I did not care for the raspberry and yellow and greyish tan scheme.


But with a minimum of painting I got something that suits me. Unfortunately, I splashed my sample swatch right on one of the doors--before deciding I would keep them in the raspberry color. Should be able to match the color and fix that up in a jiffy.


The previous owner's bedroom:


Which I turned into my music room:


This is the southeast corner of the living room:


And the other side of the room:


Still to come are pics of the dining area and loom area, upstairs bedrooms which won't be painted for a few more weeks at least, and some pics of the grounds.

I was very happy and excited to see a Cardinal at the birdfeeder this afternoon. He's the first I've yet seen here. Have had visits from Titmouse, Mourning Doves, Blue Jay, and Finches so far.

The "carport" structure, it has been decided, will be torn down and the wood repurposed to build a house for my birds. It's a bit of an eyesore at the moment IMO, and I'd rather have lawn in the space it is taking. So that is a large-ish project for this summer.

Off to the town clerks office tomorrow to inquire about garbage disposal and recycling(?), transfering my vehicle registration and license, and other mundane matters!

Moving in ...

As mentioned, there was magic in the trip back to NY after dropping the birds off in NH. About half way down the journey I saw a big, bright, and beautiful shooting star. It was the second biggest and brightest I have ever seen. The biggest being the year before last as I stood standing at 7th & Bedford waiting for the bus to come along. That was during one of the annual meteor showers--I forget which one. Huge and bright it was, speeding across half the hemisphere before burning out. But the one on my return trip last week was simply beautiful and the final magic touch on those exhausting few days.

It's been a whirlwind! Oh dear! I am, just now, starting to catch up to myself. With most boxes unpacked and the downstairs areas painted I am moving out of limbo and into home. And it feels good! How can I describe the peacefulness here? The silence at night? The serenity of bird song during the day? Bliss? That's a pretty good word for it. No stomping feet upstairs, no rumbling from out the window, no groaning from the oil furnace in the cellar directly under my bedroom. No, no, no. Beautiful peace.

There have been a few adventures since arriving. I locked myself out of the house last Sunday morning! [chuckle, chuckle]! There were several boxes in the entry room next to the kitchen and I was desperately looking for my coffee maker. I unlatched the chain lock, and with a twist of the door handle went out to the entryway on my mission. The door handle I had also locked, the night before. You know the kind, they're often found on bathroom doors: Twist the little knob in the center of the handle and the door cannot be opened from the outside. Well this door is like that and I had secured it about 12 hours earlier.

Since it was a bit cool--the mornings here take longer to warm up--I closed the door behind me and continued my search. Alas, I couldn't find the coffee pot. Oh I do need my morning coffee! Had to give up, so turned around to open the door. It was locked. I'm used to these doors unlocking themselves when the handle is turned from the inside--which is what I did to get outside. It should have been unlocked. But it wasn't. What to do? My brother-in-law had the spare key because he'd been taking care of my birds while I tripped back to NY. But the car keys were in the house. I might have called him but the cell phone was in the house. Everything, except me, was in the house! And I had such good plans for the morning.

There seemed little else but to walk down to my neighbor who happens to be the woman I bought the house from. She's built a new house next door. Her son said he could probably climb in through one of the windows. It seemed like a really good idea the night before to go room-to-room to make sure the windows were all locked. Not so much now. He said the bathroom window was usually unlocked, and come to think of it I couldn't remember if I'd actually locked it seeing how it's on the other side of the tub. So he came up, placed the step ladder under the bathroom window, climbed on up and found it was locked. Of course. I'm usually pretty thorough.

My other neighbors by this time had come over to say hello. Where did they acquire their perfect timing? Lovely people they are though. One of the young ladies stepped up to the entry way and thought she could see that the music room window was not locked. I doubted it, but the ladder was relocated, scaled and ... the window was found to be unlocked! Yes! The morning was saved.

The good news is I found my French press shortly thereafter. Also, I finally did locate the coffee maker, but by then I'd become hooked on the French press so it was a mute discovery!

Pics to come.