15 May 2016

Last Saturday's Adventure

Last Saturday, bright and early (well, overcast and early), I got on the bus rented by Loop to go to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  I had spent all week hoping it wouldn't be a rainy day, since it was a really rainy week, and it poured rain here on Friday.  Saturday it was overcast and misty, but as we got closer and closer, the sun actually showed up.

So, no it wasn't rainy.  But wow was it muddy!  It made me glad that - after much indecision and angst about what to wear - I wore my hiking boots.  The mud was the kind you sink into, and there were still some major puddles around.  But it was not too cool, and not too hot, and didn't rain the whole day, so that all worked out.

I didn't buy any yarn.  I decided beforehand that unless I saw something that I could only get there, and that amazed me, I wasn't going to spend the money.  I saw lots of really lovely yarn, but none that fell into that category.  I did buy some buttons, and a teensy felted gnome, as well as a couple of antique prints I want to frame.  Never fear though - everyone else on the bus seemed to have bought enough yarn to make up for what I didn't get!

It was a fun day, mostly because I love seeing all of the animals.  I'm sure you have seen variations of this on other blogs, so I decided to put my animal pictures together into one big one.


I always find the guy who makes brooms fascinating to watch.


And these needle felted items were amazing - look at the R2D2!


And then the booth where the artist makes whimsical pictures involving animals.  This was my favorite one for this year, called "Kilts on Stilts."


It's always a treat as well to see what everyone is wearing - both handknits and otherwise.  I have to say, I didn't see nearly as many "interesting" outfits this year as I have in other years, but I did see some really beautiful things that people were obviously wearing to show off.

My very favorite though was this sheep, who reminded me of Dug.  Not only did he come to the fence to see everyone, but if you petted him at all, he leaned into you.  My friend Andrea took this picture of the two of us, and it's one of my favorite pictures ever.


When I posted this picture on Facebook, one of my sisters commented that it looked like we were soul mates. :-)

It had been a couple of years since I'd been able to go to Maryland Sheep and Wool, and I think I enjoyed it even more as a result.

Who cares about mud and puddles when you are having such a good time?

12 comments:

Bonny said...

Yours is one of the nicest MDSW recaps that I've read! I love that you set your buying guidelines beforehand and followed through. Many of us probably do have enough yarn (and some of us might even have too much). Most of all, I'm glad you met your sheep soulmate!

Anonymous said...

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.......a felted GROOT!

I think next year you must buy a sheep with DREADS! Dug would LOVE having a new buddy!

Glad you had so many happy buddy goats!

Araignee said...

The sheep were unusually friendly this year. I wonder if it was because it was cooler than normal. Some of them scared the wits out of me when they only wanted a nuzzle. Some were so sweet that I started to wonder how many I could get in the back seat of my car.

Anna of Mutton Style and Years said...

It's intriguing to see how these country shows vary across the world. I posted on my Anna blog our trip to Ardingly show in England. We didnt see broom making but watched sheep shearing instead.

Vera said...

So glad you enjoyed your time there Bridget. It was a fun day...but I wish I had worn my hiking boots instead of sneakers. And my yoga pants? Muddy almost up to my knees!! I thought the sheep looked much more comfortable this year. Last year was pretty warm and all of the animals were panting heavily. My husband did tell me that he had an ok time, but will never go there again - lol.

Lorraine said...

Bridget- If you were a spinner, I think the spending outcome would probably be different.

I think taking the bus is the way to go, because parking can be a nightmare at these events.

Marie said...

That sounds like such a great day! And you were prepared for the mud. Good thinking! Love the photo of you and the sheep. Animals just know, you know? They just know.

sprite said...

Sounds like you had a great time! I went on Sunday, but the tales of the Saturday mud were epic.

I always enjoy the sheep dog demonstrations at Sheep & Wool. My goal for the next year or two is to get back to the fall festival where they do the actual trials out in a big meadow. I caught the final dog a few years ago and wished I'd been able to see more.

The Well Fed Wheel said...

I wish I could have taken a bus! Had to drive and it took 9 hours because of a traffic backup from a bad accident. Then there was the whole parking thing but your right about cooler weather being better than hot. I also had a wonderful time even though it was a bit muddy and I wasn't as disciplined with my spending as you were. LOL

kathy b said...

not me! I love to see the animals whether puddling or not! I love Dr. Pol too

Mary said...

I'm super impressed you didn't buy yarn - I'd like to think I'd have that kind of willpower...but.... All the animal photos are wonderful! I didn't realize there were that many, and all the different breeds (right, because most of the posts I read about MDSW are about YARN!).

Mereknits said...

Good for you not buying any yarn. looks like you tw really are soul mates, how cute is that little one!
Hugs,
Meredith