Visiting friends and relatives

I'm home from a 9-day vacation. I missed the 112 degree day in Vacaville--spent it in Vermont where it was raining off and on! My husband took care of things here including milking the two goats that are still here. I flew first from Oakland to Grand Rapids, MI (with stops in Salt Lake City & Detroit) where I stayed a night with my friends, also Jacob sheep breeders, who had moved from Davis, CA a few years ago. They have a beautiful home and barn and live in a beautiful part of Michigan--rolling hills and farms with huge red barns everywhere. After a night at their farm I went to Kalamazoo to stay with my sister-in-law and her family for another night. They gave me a ride to the fairgrounds in Mason, site of JSBA's AGM (that's the annual meeting for Jacob Sheep enthusiasts).

It is always interesting to meet people who's names I recognize from preparing registration certificates and it's fun to see those whom I've met at AGM in other places. Too bad I didn't get very good photos. The event that I'd been worrying about was the Fun Sheep Show. They kept emphasizing FUN, but I wasn't thinking it would be so FUN since I was one of the judges. The "old-timer" (in Jacob sheep history), Luke Hardy, was to be  the other judge. It turns out that this old-timer wasn't old and stooped and wearing overalls like I'd imagined. He is about my age and looks younger! Anyway, the show went well. We were to each place the top 4 sheep in each class and he and I were pretty close in all the classes. Sometimes we had the same top placing, sometimes the top 2 were switched, but we chose the same top 4, or at least 3 of the top 4, in almost all the classes. I wish I had a photo of my first (and maybe last) judging event.

After AGM it was on to see my daughter in Vermont. That was a flight from Lansing to Detroit to New York to Burlington.

This is the only photo I have of me on this trip.

Katie had to work while I was in Vermont so I was on my own for 2 days. I visited the Shelburne Museum--what a fantastic place. You need 2 days to see it properly. I was only half way through when I realized that I had only 2 hours left and I hadn't even seen the special textile exhibits that I wanted to see.

This is a Jacquard loom in the Weaving Shed that was built specifically to house it.

One of the special textile exhibits is  hooked rugs by Patty Yoder, a contemporary fiber artist who died not long ago. The rugs are stunning. I took photos of all of them. I think the one below is my favorite. Here is a link that shows more of her work:  http://www.gmrhg.org/site/features/features_2005/yoder/yoder_p.html

Below is a carousel horse from an exhibit of the Circus. I love these horses. If I could get my hands on one I'd keep it in the house!

There is so much to see at this museum. I didn't even try to see many of the buildings. I had 15 minutes left to see the exhibit of Tiffany glass, Nature by Design. That was only time to glance in each room and snap some photos. When Katie is living in VT after she finishes school in TX I'll be sure to go back.

Katie got off work early one day and we took the tour of Ben and Jerry's. It has given me ideas of what to do at my place to make it more interesting for visitors. Paint my Explorer and add horns? Copy Ben and Jerry's idea of the Flavor Graveyard? Hmmm. I don't think anyone would want to see the graveyard at a farm. I'm going to try and get creative--wait and see!

Isn't this a fabulous barn? This is not too far off the Interstate near Burlington.

This is the house where Katie is living this summer. It was built in the 1820's and there are 5 other residents, including the owner who grew up in the house. Here are a few others from the neighborhood.

I flew out of Burlington Thursday morning. This trip took me through Detroit and Phoenix before getting back to Sacramento. It's good to be home although I miss my daughter. My kids are so much fun when they actually seem to like me being around!