First of all, Freddy wanted me to tell you that he simply couldn't force himself from under my feet yesterday long enough to even say 'hello'. Of course, today he's bummed that he blew his computer day being my shadow.
The trip down-east (isn't that what Maine-ers call home?)was wonderful, as was the trek across New Hampshire, Vermont, and western New York.
Would you like to go on a virtual vacation?
We started in Boothbay Harbor, ME and this was the view from Topside Inn...
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere...
You know you're in Maine because the pumpkins are displayed with lobster traps!
They were all over the Maine Botanical Gardens.
We stumbled onto a pumpkin fest in Damariscotta...
pumpkins decorated the entire downtown area...some weighing in at well over 1,000 pounds (winner this year was 1117.??). 'It begins serenely on a May morn, when hundreds of giant-pumpkin seedlings are distributed free to volunteer growers. By Columbus Day weekend, the Midcoast Maine town of Damariscotta has succumbed to pumpkinsanity. After a weigh-off with big cash at stake, humongous gourds become artworks, go on parade, and plummet 180 feet onto derelict vehicles. Their smaller kin are hurled, catapulted from cannons, or prepped to race in an unpredictable Pumpkin Derby. The hilarity peaks when costumed racers paddle and motor some of the largest specimens in a madcap Pumpkinboat Regatta.'
damariscottapumpkinfest.com
Sadly, we missed the weigh-in, the regatta, the parade, and the catapulting, but the decorated pumpkins totally entertained us and the old addage...ignorance is bliss...reigned. We didn't know about all the fun we missed until much later.
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere...
We visited the Pemiquid Lighthouse as if we were with Clark Griswold...hop out of the car, 'click-click', back in the car and off to the next place. (We just had to visit this old friend.)
We had lobster rolls at Red's..
and still waited in line at 4:00pm. (we had trouble squeezing in lunch that day.)
Swans Island...(where yarn was purchased!!!) included a behind the scene tour of the weaving rooms.
Covered bridges...
with a view...
Covered bridges...
in the rain...
This was our view one evening at dinner...
The locals admitted this was one of the prettiest falls in many years.
It's time now for some fiber-y love...off to Rhinebeck!
We signed up for classes all day Saturday...leaving Friday to shop (flight home was Sunday). We arrived bright and early Friday....to find no crowds, a great parking space, and.....a festival that didn't start UNTIL THE NEXT DAY!!! (How did two rather intelligent people screw this up??? We're both sort of doubting the 'intelligent' part about now!!)
So...off we went to spend the day at Hyde Park...and stumbled onto a celebration at FDR's home that only happens once every 4 years during election time. This time we made the parade...
toured the home with FDR, himself!
Saw Eleanor's Val-Kill home and had a most delightful, if unexpected and unplanned, day.
FINALLY....Rhinebeck. If anyone has actually read this far, I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed because photos are few and far between. Because of our classes, we had exactly 3 hours between them (luckily one was only an hour class---again, we thought we had two 1/2 day classes. DUH!) which of course, included standing in massive lines for lunch. The crowds were UNBELIEVABLE. We caught a fleeting glimpse of Stephen West in his 'swants', but he had melted into the throngs by the time I got my camera out. I now know how quilters feel when they come to Paducah. YARN...E-V-E-R-Y-W-H-E-R-E!!!!
Every booth was jammed, lines for the most popular ones wound around buildings...sometimes just to get in, and sometimes to pay for purchases. We grabbed some business cards (for future online ordering) and concentrated on things that were in the 'unusual' category. I bought a lovely winter felted purse with leather handles and a fabulous woven scarf...my friend bought two rug hooking kits and some felted booties...we each bought a cheeseburger---and it was time to go to class.
Indigo dyeing was much fun....and the best part was we got to leave the mess behind.
On our way out of the fairgrounds, sad that I didn't get to see some blog friends (hi, Carol! I tried, really I did!!!)we passed Jennie the Potters booth....with no line. (That one earlier was wound around the building!!!). YaY! I'm happy dancing....
I bought a stitch marker. The only ceramic thing left in the booth!
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Sweater is Daelyn pullover by Isabell Kraemer. A big, oversized wear-every-day-in-the-winter-if-winter-ever-comes kind of sweater that I'm loving. It has a classic look, with a little umph--the contrasting garter stitch back.
Reading? I've been trying to get through Frankenstein (Mary Shelley version) for book club next week. My friend and I downloaded it and tried to listen (it put us both to sleep), I got the annotated version from the library---returned that one and got the regular edition. In spite of the fact that Halloween is looming on the horizon, I'm just not in the mood for this.
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