Thanks to everyone who sent me cards and well wishes for my birthday! I am 58 years old today. Seems like a long time but I don't feel like I have lived over half a century. Been too busy I guess! Ha!
Last weekend my girls took me out for an old fashioned English Tea. We went to a tea house in Tucson called "Chantilly Tea." The place was very frilly and feminine with pink walls and table cloths, lots of little tables and lacy curtains. They had all kinds of vintage tea cups and pots. We were invited to pick a cup to have our tea in. We each chose according to our own taste. I chose a cup with a gold rim and pretty purple violets all around. Then we got to choose our tea, two different kinds from a menu of about 100! We chose a chocolate mint and a white ambrosia. They were both fabulous. Along with the 2 pots of tea came a plate for each of us filled with all kinds of petite little sandwiches made of different breads and filled with mouthwatering fillings. Oh My! They also provided scones with clotted cream, lemon curd and raspberry jam. Needless to say we were all quite stuffed by the time we left. It was a cool and different gift. We really enjoyed ourselves and agreed to do it again sometime soon.
At the Farmers' Market last weekend I sold one of my llama dolls and someone asked me to make them another special order apron. This time it is for an artist. She wanted me to make one in blue and green,"artsy" fabric. I finished it yesterday. I could not find fabric that I envisioned but I think she will like it anyway. Can't believe another week has gone by and it is time to load up the car again for the market tomorrow.
This weekend, starting today, there is a Quilt Festival in Tucson. I decided, since it is my birthday, to take the time and go. I spent the first 30 minutes in Tucson trying to locate the place. Silly me, I went west when I should've gone east but I did find it. There were lots of gray-hairs there, of course, but what was surprising to me were the number of men. Some of them were vendors but some were not. There were some surprising things, like the new sewing machines and iron-on beads. The lady I bought my angora goats from was there with her fabulous yarns and scarves. She was spinning as usual and we talked for awhile. Seems she is planning on moving out of the Tucson area soon. She said Tucsonians do not appreciate her artistic fiber creations and only like traditional, "in the box" stuff. I can certainly understand that after the 25 cent lady at my table. Ha! The Tucson Wool Festival is on Oct. 22. She said it may be the last one she puts on. That is too bad for all of us fiber lovers in Tucson.
Our weather is changing once again. The wind is picking up big time and the humidity is blowing away. Dust storms are everywhere and the temperatures are dropping into the 50s at night. Soon the mosquitoes will dry up too and it will be pleasant to spend the evenings outside gazing at the stars. The swallows have already left but I still see bats at night. They will leave soon too. October should be heavenly.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
What a week we had! Thunderstorms and rain every day except Friday. Wednesday was the worst. My daughter thought it was the worst storm she has witnessed since living here for over 10 years. It seemed to be very localized too. I had to take someone to town for an appointment in the middle of the storm so I noticed that it was dry and sunny at the next exit, only 5 miles down the road and sunny again in town, only 7 miles down the other way. I drove through the the storm twice! What a mess! The rain was so bad that people were either slowing way down or pulling off the highway altogether. Then there were these loud POP!POP! POPs, almost like gunshots. It was hail! My daughter ran out and saved a few chunks of it. It was the size of quarters. She said it lasted for 20 minutes!
On the way home from town I had to rescue my son-in-law and the grandsons who were on their way home from school when the storm hit. The washes were so flooded that Jeff could not get his little Honda across and up our big hill. The washes ran for hours because the rain was so heavy and lasted so long. They were still flooded when Steve came home at 5pm. We have never had that happen before. The water usually subsides after an hour at the most. Not this time. Needless to say, our dirt road is an absolute mess now. It is full of holes, ruts and gully washes, not to mention rocks and sticks and other debris. I'm wondering when the county will send out the road crew to fix it. Maybe they won't if there is no money left. I bet someone local will do it if that happens.
Speaking of local, I was once again reminded that going local is a good thing on Friday. We had a beautiful chestnut horse running loose. He got into the property next to Shawna's house that has been deserted for some years now. He was trying to get to the neighbor's horses behind us but was stopped by various fences. He was magnificent to watch as he paced or raced with head and tail high back and forth along the fence line. We called the neighbor to see if one of her horses had gotten out. She went out and bridled the horse but he was not hers and he would not let her lead him any where. He would just drag her in circles back to the fence line near her horses. She finally gave up and let him go. She would not call anyone though and kept giving me excuses of all the reasons why she couldn't do anything. But, she was concerned that the chestnut would eventually hurt himself by trying to jump the fence to get to her horses. There was also a lot of barbed wire fencing laying on the ground where he was pacing. So I got on the phone. Keep in mind, this is late on a Friday afternoon, about 3:30. I called everyone I could think of who might be able to catch a horse and put him in a safe place. I started with a number I have for wild animals in trouble. She gave me a number for the Arizona Livestock Department. They gave me a number to call for the person in charge of collecting livestock. That gave me a recording saying to leave a message cuz that person did not work on, get this, Friday, Saturday or Sunday! Don't they know that all animal emergencies happen on the weekends? OMG! I then called Benson animal Shelter, a horse rescue organization, who gave me a number for another horse rescue organization, supposedly "closer" to us. The one I called was only 20 minutes away but she wanted me to call one that was in Sierra Vista which is 35 minutes away! I was going crazy! And it was getting later and later. Finally, I thought it made no sense to get someone so far away to get this horse when he probably belonged to someone right here in our neighborhood. So I called our local feed store! Ha! She was amazing! She had heard of someone who had lost their horse just near us and gave them a call. Not 10 minutes later, one of the neighbors called and asked where we were so they could come get their horse. Wasn't I amazed when my alpaca neighbor pulled up in her pick up truck! What a relief! I told her I should've known to call her first. She knows everything and everyone in this neighborhood. She walked right up to that gorgeous high spirited horse, put the bridle on him and walked him right home! I did notice that he tried to walk her a different way a few times but she just kept talking to him and walking him back home! I loved watching that beautiful animal go back where he belonged. I also learned, once again, it is best to go local!
I managed to get some more aprons made for the Farmers' Market but I didn't sell any this time. I did sell a pair of alpaca gloves. Maybe some of the lookie-luus will buy more next week.
S
On the way home from town I had to rescue my son-in-law and the grandsons who were on their way home from school when the storm hit. The washes were so flooded that Jeff could not get his little Honda across and up our big hill. The washes ran for hours because the rain was so heavy and lasted so long. They were still flooded when Steve came home at 5pm. We have never had that happen before. The water usually subsides after an hour at the most. Not this time. Needless to say, our dirt road is an absolute mess now. It is full of holes, ruts and gully washes, not to mention rocks and sticks and other debris. I'm wondering when the county will send out the road crew to fix it. Maybe they won't if there is no money left. I bet someone local will do it if that happens.
Speaking of local, I was once again reminded that going local is a good thing on Friday. We had a beautiful chestnut horse running loose. He got into the property next to Shawna's house that has been deserted for some years now. He was trying to get to the neighbor's horses behind us but was stopped by various fences. He was magnificent to watch as he paced or raced with head and tail high back and forth along the fence line. We called the neighbor to see if one of her horses had gotten out. She went out and bridled the horse but he was not hers and he would not let her lead him any where. He would just drag her in circles back to the fence line near her horses. She finally gave up and let him go. She would not call anyone though and kept giving me excuses of all the reasons why she couldn't do anything. But, she was concerned that the chestnut would eventually hurt himself by trying to jump the fence to get to her horses. There was also a lot of barbed wire fencing laying on the ground where he was pacing. So I got on the phone. Keep in mind, this is late on a Friday afternoon, about 3:30. I called everyone I could think of who might be able to catch a horse and put him in a safe place. I started with a number I have for wild animals in trouble. She gave me a number for the Arizona Livestock Department. They gave me a number to call for the person in charge of collecting livestock. That gave me a recording saying to leave a message cuz that person did not work on, get this, Friday, Saturday or Sunday! Don't they know that all animal emergencies happen on the weekends? OMG! I then called Benson animal Shelter, a horse rescue organization, who gave me a number for another horse rescue organization, supposedly "closer" to us. The one I called was only 20 minutes away but she wanted me to call one that was in Sierra Vista which is 35 minutes away! I was going crazy! And it was getting later and later. Finally, I thought it made no sense to get someone so far away to get this horse when he probably belonged to someone right here in our neighborhood. So I called our local feed store! Ha! She was amazing! She had heard of someone who had lost their horse just near us and gave them a call. Not 10 minutes later, one of the neighbors called and asked where we were so they could come get their horse. Wasn't I amazed when my alpaca neighbor pulled up in her pick up truck! What a relief! I told her I should've known to call her first. She knows everything and everyone in this neighborhood. She walked right up to that gorgeous high spirited horse, put the bridle on him and walked him right home! I did notice that he tried to walk her a different way a few times but she just kept talking to him and walking him back home! I loved watching that beautiful animal go back where he belonged. I also learned, once again, it is best to go local!
I managed to get some more aprons made for the Farmers' Market but I didn't sell any this time. I did sell a pair of alpaca gloves. Maybe some of the lookie-luus will buy more next week.
S
Monday, September 12, 2011
"It's a gray, gray gloomy day, a strange and moody-blues day..." That's an old Carole King song if any of you are fans. It seems to fit the atmosphere here today. We have been having severe thunderstorms with lots of lightening and tons of rain over the last few days. Then this morning we woke up to heavy dark clouds and rain. That is unusual to say the least. We usually have beautiful sunny mornings and the clouds build up over the day til the storms break out in the afternoons. It feels unusual to be having this kind of monsoon activity this late in the summer too. It is supposed to be dry and cool now, the start of fall weather but not this year. Nope! This year we are still sweating and melting in mid September!
I attended the St. David Farmer's Market again on Saturday after taking the hot summer off. I was mildly chastised for doing that. The manager of the market reminded me that people come one week and see something they like but may not buy it til the next time they come. He said being here is the way to build up a clientele. I'm sure he is right,but I'm also sure that people are not interested in buying blankets and fuzzy warm things when it is 102 degrees in the shade! I did sell 2 aprons, one with chickens on it and one with dogs. Now I have to make two more this week to take the place of those two. I got some fabric for Halloween and some for Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to figuring out the designs and sewing them. Some people showed interest in my alpaca teddy bears too. One little girl asked if she could buy one for $5. Sadly, I had to tell her "no" as I purchased them for much more than that. I am trying to make a profit after all.
I discovered this time, or should I say once again, why entrepreneurs must develop a thick skin. I had all of the raw blanket fleeces from my alpacas lined up just under the edge of my table so that they were open and on display. A "lady" came by and admired them and asked me if I just sold them as a whole fleece. She then said she would just buy a small amount and grabbed a handful of Prince's beautiful brown fleece. As I put it in a bag for her, she exclaimed, "Oh, you haven't washed it either!" I said, "No, it is RAW fleece." I told her I wanted $5 for the handful she had pulled out. She about freaked! "Oh my gosh! I won't pay that much!" When I asked her how much she would pay she said, "Twenty five cents!" Then she told me all about some store she went to that sold all their fleeces for that much all the time and how they had ALL the colors etc. Needless to say, she did not buy anything and I was not sorry to see her go. I know we all want a bargain and I have been known to barter myself, but sometimes it is unreasonable. People often work hard to bring their products to market and it just doesn't seem fair to cheapen that labor by offering next to nothing for a product. I will think twice before I bargain with someone next time.
I
I attended the St. David Farmer's Market again on Saturday after taking the hot summer off. I was mildly chastised for doing that. The manager of the market reminded me that people come one week and see something they like but may not buy it til the next time they come. He said being here is the way to build up a clientele. I'm sure he is right,but I'm also sure that people are not interested in buying blankets and fuzzy warm things when it is 102 degrees in the shade! I did sell 2 aprons, one with chickens on it and one with dogs. Now I have to make two more this week to take the place of those two. I got some fabric for Halloween and some for Thanksgiving. I am looking forward to figuring out the designs and sewing them. Some people showed interest in my alpaca teddy bears too. One little girl asked if she could buy one for $5. Sadly, I had to tell her "no" as I purchased them for much more than that. I am trying to make a profit after all.
I discovered this time, or should I say once again, why entrepreneurs must develop a thick skin. I had all of the raw blanket fleeces from my alpacas lined up just under the edge of my table so that they were open and on display. A "lady" came by and admired them and asked me if I just sold them as a whole fleece. She then said she would just buy a small amount and grabbed a handful of Prince's beautiful brown fleece. As I put it in a bag for her, she exclaimed, "Oh, you haven't washed it either!" I said, "No, it is RAW fleece." I told her I wanted $5 for the handful she had pulled out. She about freaked! "Oh my gosh! I won't pay that much!" When I asked her how much she would pay she said, "Twenty five cents!" Then she told me all about some store she went to that sold all their fleeces for that much all the time and how they had ALL the colors etc. Needless to say, she did not buy anything and I was not sorry to see her go. I know we all want a bargain and I have been known to barter myself, but sometimes it is unreasonable. People often work hard to bring their products to market and it just doesn't seem fair to cheapen that labor by offering next to nothing for a product. I will think twice before I bargain with someone next time.
I
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
We spent Labor Day weekend visiting friends in Northern Arizona. We drove the I-10 through Tucson and went up state route 77 through Globe and then, in Showlow, turned east on state route 260 to Lakeside-Pinetop. It is beautiful desert country. We had to drive through the Salt River Canyon which is a mini Grand Canyon. I made Steve drive through the canyon because it is winding and steep but I did do some of the driving. It took about 4 hours.
The guys played golf both days we were there, Saturday and Sunday. My friend and I hit the antique shops and other interesting stores. It was cooler up there than down here in Southern Arizona. So we enjoyed the reprieve from the heat. Also, the scenery it quite different in the White Mountains. There are lots of pine trees and lakes. Beautiful! Thanks to Ron and Valli for their friendship and hospitality!
The trip back home went smoothly and without incident. We came back a different way. From Globe we took state route 70 to Safford and then 191 back down to the I-10 which comes out east of Benson. That way we avoided the traffic and the drive through Tucson. Also we got to see different scenery and some big mountains. Mt. Turnbull is over 8000 feet and Mt Graham is over 10,000 feet. The drive home was mostly cloudy and overcast. I was also taking pictures from the moving car. I didn't think they turned out so bad considering those circumstances.
Home again, home again, jigged-y jog! Ha! All is well at home. The turkeys are still gobbling, the chickens still laying eggs. The alpacas are leaving too much hay on the ground so I will let them eat that up before I give them more. Buddy managed to stay away from skunks and the goats are still butting heads and messing up their shelter.
We had another scaly visitor last evening. A small rattlesnake slithered across the sidewalk in the front yard and decided to take a nap there. Not a good choice on his part. Steve nearly walked right on him! When he did see him he yelled for me. Don't ask me why. I went and got the shovel and chopped its head off. Sorry but small young snakes are more dangerous and harder to see than the great big ones. I've been watching where I step ever since!
The guys played golf both days we were there, Saturday and Sunday. My friend and I hit the antique shops and other interesting stores. It was cooler up there than down here in Southern Arizona. So we enjoyed the reprieve from the heat. Also, the scenery it quite different in the White Mountains. There are lots of pine trees and lakes. Beautiful! Thanks to Ron and Valli for their friendship and hospitality!
The trip back home went smoothly and without incident. We came back a different way. From Globe we took state route 70 to Safford and then 191 back down to the I-10 which comes out east of Benson. That way we avoided the traffic and the drive through Tucson. Also we got to see different scenery and some big mountains. Mt. Turnbull is over 8000 feet and Mt Graham is over 10,000 feet. The drive home was mostly cloudy and overcast. I was also taking pictures from the moving car. I didn't think they turned out so bad considering those circumstances.
Home again, home again, jigged-y jog! Ha! All is well at home. The turkeys are still gobbling, the chickens still laying eggs. The alpacas are leaving too much hay on the ground so I will let them eat that up before I give them more. Buddy managed to stay away from skunks and the goats are still butting heads and messing up their shelter.
We had another scaly visitor last evening. A small rattlesnake slithered across the sidewalk in the front yard and decided to take a nap there. Not a good choice on his part. Steve nearly walked right on him! When he did see him he yelled for me. Don't ask me why. I went and got the shovel and chopped its head off. Sorry but small young snakes are more dangerous and harder to see than the great big ones. I've been watching where I step ever since!
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