As you can see, Stash Building was our Order of the Day! But, this was teensy compared to Skein-Squeezer Sue's New Stash!

Road Trip for Knitters!

Today was Baby's Day Out, for myself and a pair of knitter-friends! We covered 343.7kms in search of bargains, on crafting supplies, gaining inspiration with each stop.
At Mary Maxim in Paris Ontario, we enjoyed a huge tent sale event, gathering up Christmas gifts and getting some awesome deals, making the long trek worth our while. At Cambridge Ontario, we enjoyed thick burgers at a local 50's Diner, then on to Len's Mills, to scope out bargains and enjoy clearance sales there too!
A leisurely trip thru Ontario's Breadbasket, rolling land and sprawling farms led us to Listowel, to a factory outlet not to be missed by any serious fibre artiste. Stocking huge amounts and varieties of Bernat yarns, of all textures and colors, throngs of crafters left the tents beaming, and hauling away huge garbage bags full of deals which left them panting with exertion. The fellowship, visiting, awesome lunch, and satisfaction of the hunt well rewarded, left us all tired, happy, and bursting with craft ideas for gifts, charities, and children. Scenic farmscapes, Mennonite buggies, a pair of Amish visitors in bright mauve bonnets, and the freedom of being chore-less for even 1 day, was well worth the time and effort spent in the my little car.
Now, all we have to do, is create!

Summer's End in Sight

The air has changed. Harvest is in full swing as all of my neibours gather in the crops. My husband has been going night and day, working at his full time job, and then jumping in the big rig transporting wheat to the various loading dock facilities. Pretty soon all the fields will be bare awaiting winter's snowy blankets. Apple trees around the roadsides are laden, our own ash trees are covered in berry clusters drawing flocks of noisy starlings.
My friends in the knitting circles are busily planning and designing Christmas gifts and menus. I have been working a lot, covering for vacationing staff, and providing respite care for tired family members who need a recharge now and then. I take my knitting along for quiet times and my own breaks, and my patients enjoy the quiet, watching my projects grow larger, as it brings back memories of past knitters to discuss and share.
The chickadees are constant visitors now, as some of the larger birds are slowly moving southwards, following the changes in the landscape as food sources change as fall and winter approach. The hummingbird still visits the feeder, but will be leaving soon for warmer climates, til next spring when they again buzz past my windows.
And everywhere, gardens are in full glory, as we enjoy the new potato crop and crisp beans, an everyday table addition of late summer.
So we all better get out and savor late summer as it wanes, as soon enough the weather will be cool, then cold and blustery in the grip of Old Man Winter!