Kalamazoo Highland Games-August 2009

Well, it's been more than a week since I last wrote, and so much has happened! I don't know where to begin!

Well, I suppose I could begin with the Kalamazoo Highland Games. They were fun, as usual, albeit Rainy (off and on). I was continually hiding underneath a tent trying to keep my new wheel dry.

First, Ray and I stopped at the Highland Cattle Pen.

This is a genuine Highland Steer. They have longer hair than the American Bovines--and are quite relaxed--even with all these strangers milling about them!

After this, Ray and I sought out the Grand Rapids and District Pipe Band to say hello and catch up with their doings. It was a pleasant visit with old friends, yet there is an elephant in the room whenever I show up, and I've always wondered about it. It seems that they will all talk with Ray about what happened two years ago, but they will not discuss it with me--even though I have emailed their new pipe major, there has been no discussion. I am considering the matter closed.

From there, we wound back around to the vendor tents, and I found this sweater,

that I loved, and someday hope to make it. The cost was $150 clams...no way I'm going to afford that for a sweater. (Nevermind that the Civil War Shawl cost me about $100 in yarn alone!)

From there, and because my soap maker, Pat Merritt hadn't yet arrived, we strolled around to the Sheep Herding. Now, I love sheep herding--I love everything about it. And since I love my dog, Mandy, who is also a border collie, I do love to watch these dogs move ducks and sheep

around in a pen. It's really a sight to behold..so I snapped a couple of pics...

Then there was this little girl, and she got to pet one of the puppies...so cute!!

Finally, I set up my wheel, and started to spin, but wouldn't you know it? Just as Opening Ceremonies started, it began to sprinkle, so I had to put her away, while we watched the Massed Bands.

Look at the SKY. It's threatening to rain hard! What to do?

And the Kalamazoo Weaver's Guild came to the rescue! They had a nice tent, and offered me a spot toward the back, so that my brand new wheel and I didn't get drenched in the rain that came and came for most of the day thereafter!

Here was one of the prettier wheels

Lots of good conversation from that point on--fantastic jokes (not one can I repeat), some Meat Pies (standard Scottish Games fare) and music from the field--not just bagpiping, which is always quite fine, but also harps and hammer dulcimers and fiddles, singers and the like--all for our listening pleasure, and believe me, it was.

Then came kitchen piping. I was well into my bobbin of yarn, and decided to stop a while and knit some more on the Path of Flowers Stole, which is also coming along nicely--more in another post later, because at this very moment, Ray is sitting beside me waiting to go. I won't show you the picture of his scowling, having to wait!! LOL!

I didn't get pics of the kitchen piping because I was knitting, but I did get pics of the lineup for the Closing Ceremonies, which came at 5pm (funny how the day goes so quick when you're having a wonderful time -- despite the rain..). Here's closing ceremonies.

Pipers line up...

Drummers line up...

Pipers GO!




Drummers GO!



And then, we said our goodbyes to new friends and old, and began the trek back home...The sky was still threatening to break forth with new showers, but it didn't rain all the way home.



And...



You see that little tail there in the center of that big black cloud? Well, it gave me pause to worry, but it was nothing. We arrived at McDonald's in Galesburg about 5:15, and had a quick supper, then we headed home.

Boy were we tired!

The Weekend Passes much too Quickly!

I have pictures of all my exploits on my camera phone, but I haven't had the chance to download them. Hopefully, I'll get to them tonight before Spin Night happens--but that's pretty debatable, since I have to get some groceries and something quick for hubby to eat this evening, otherwise, he will be ornery when I get home.

I also have to check out my friend's computer, to see if I can determine why it died on him quite suddenly while he was creating an email. That one I might save for Tuesday night.

So much work. So little time.

There's not a lot of time to even do my blog, but I felt that I must send in something!

My ex husband was happily NOT at the Kalamazoo Festival. Instead, there was a snake and reptile show.

My goodness, he would have fit right in!

Anyway, I took my wheel with me, and set up down by the heavy athletics before it started to rain, and I had to put my gear in the car. That's when I found out that there were several other spinners and weavers under a tent about halfway across the field, so I moved my stuff there between sprinkles, and stayed dry the entire rest of the day. There is something, though, about groups of spinners--and being underneath cover--people walking by stop by with interest, but you really don't get to discuss as much because the people who are more to the front of the crowd get asked the myriad questions.

But it was FREEZING at the Highland Festival, and I really did NOT dress for it. I ended up having to buy a zippered sweater--which has "Scotland" in a celtic knot embroidered as an emblem on it in blue velour. Very warm. It better be. It cost me $30 more than I was planning to spend at the festival--and therefore couldn't get my soaps--so Ray bought them for me. I really do like the jacket, however, and since there's a bit of chill in the air this morning, I think I'll wear it to the office, and put on a lighter shirt below--sort of layer my clothing so that if it gets warm, I can peel off a layer.

Stopping now, as it's time to go, but there will be more with pictures, later. Tune in!

Modernistic! Simple and Quick!

Well, ya'll read about my dog getting sick all over the carpet when I got home, and what a mess!

So, I called up Modernistic Carpet Cleaners. They wanted to set me up for a cleaning on Saturday, but you know, I don't think I could have dealt with the smell in the heat for another minute! So I asked if there were ANY CHANCE that they could come RIGHT NOW, because

DOG POOP SMELLS TO HIGH HEAVEN IN A HOUSE THAT HAS NO AIR CONDITIONING!

To which she asked if it was okay if they came between 5 and 8pm, and I answered with a resounding "YES!" and a "SEND THEM OVER RIGHT AWAY!"

And so they came, and it turned out to be a single fellow named Jeremy, rather than two of them, and so I helped move things, which sort of helped with the cost, I think--because I was expecting the bill at the end to be quite high, but it was completely reasonable.

Now, my house smells like Orange Go Jo hand cleaner, very citrus-y. Not a dog poop smell anyplace, and I am VERY HAPPY AND SATISFIED. And, should I ever need them again, they are the folks I'll call.

I even had Jeremy do my husband's chair, which was in pretty sad shape, and needed a good going over.

Of course, you know, that when my husband got home (yes, he knew about the dog poop), he was a tech miffed about not being able to sit in his easy chair...so we are in the bedroom with the air conditioning, knitting and reading, until it's bedtime.

And the doggie?????? She's been relegated to outside for a while...though she just barked to be let in--she hasn't gone poo yet, and I'm a bit miffed with her over that. She needs to stop pooping in my house, or she's going to find herself at the pound!!!

That's sort of a threat, with nothing to back it up with--I do love my dog. I don't know why she sometimes gets the scoots. She doesn't eat table food, she eats regularly and normally has nice firm bowels, and is able to maintain for hours. I am not sure WHY she gets so sick suddenly and without warning, and then it's loose stool and ALL OVER THE PLACE IN LIKE, 41 DIFFERENT SPOTS THAT ARE TOO FAR APART TO USE THE SPOT BOT!!!

As you can see, it really ticks me off, bad!

I could have taken a before and after, but didn't think you'd appreciate it. Just know that it was like looking at piles of dark, wet algae--all over my living room rug...my brand new, oak leaf berber carpeting. Hubby has been furious when she's gone on the rug in the past, and I knew that this time, would be a real barn burner--because it was just too much for me to handle!

And so, the call to the carpet cleaner, which was really long overdue.

And now, the carpet is quietly drying in the night, while we sleep. And the doggie will spend the night in the bathroom, where there is no carpet to clean.

But Jeremy rescued me. He did a great job. I can see the pattern in the carpet again, and the cat hair will vacuum back up in no time. I'm very happy...so I wrote about it here.

Oh, and Jeremy told me that he's a minister at a small church right there in town where I live--fancy that?

Finally Friday!

And it's a good thing too!
Wait, it's only Thursday?
Well, it's Friday for me, people, because I have a furlow day tomorrow, and I get to stay home!

Can you hear the party from here?
I knew you could!

Anyway, I get home early due to a doctor appointment, and find that my dog has been sick all over the floor again.

This is not fun.
Nor is it funny.

I'm going to start feeding the dog cheese curds. This is getting pretty nasty.

But this time, instead of using the spot bot, I opted to get the rug professionally cleaned. It's more expensive, but it's a better cleaning, and I'm thinking that this time, the floor just plain old needs it.

So I asked if they can come tonight, and sure enough, they can. I hope they get here soon, I can't stand the smell!

And my dog? She's hiding in the doghouse. Literally.

Wednesday Morning Sunrise

To greet you today!

Path of Flowers Stole Progress

Of course, unblocked, but it's beautiful...



I simply don't know what more I could say about it.

Systems are down at the office, so I'm pretty much without anything to do. I'm thinking about going home, where I can knit and not feel badly about it.

:)

Monday?? Already??

Yes, friends, it's Monday again, and I have to go to work. It's a short week though, with a furlow day at the end of it, and while I really miss the $125 that Jennie takes away from me every week, I do like the day off. It makes for a restful weekend, because the two day weekends just aren't long enough.

My husband finally decided on a new car. He's getting a Chevrolet Impala. Nice car. We may bring it home as early as mid-week, depending on how much he can get done in the next couple days.

Path of Flowers stole is coming along nicely. I'm a little more used to the pattern now, and I can whip it out a little faster than when I started. I'm also coming along on the KAL with my friend in California. We're on row 74. It's been so miserable hot that not a lot of knitting is getting done. I did, however, get quite a lot of spinning done on my new wheel.

This weekend is the Kalamazoo Highland Festival. I'll be there with my wheel, and I'll ply my purple wool--then I'll work some more on the bright neon green I got at Fiber Festival.

I hope that my Drum Carder sold, but if not, I hope it sells soon.

In the meanwhile. I'm off like a prom dress--going to the office. Bye!