Sunday, December 5, 2010

suddenly sunday...



"There aren't enough days in the weekend."  
~Rod Schmidt

finally.
it's sunday.
4:30 AM.
this past week...crawling along...hectic...
i need a day like today.
a day with NO commitments. NO work. 
NO plans. 
(well, other than laundry, food shopping...and catching up on all the usual stuff 
there's no time to get to during the week! aaaaargh!!!)

and to make things even better...it's raining!!  yay!
we really need that wet stuff!
over the past few weeks...we've had the coldest day ever...on record...
AND the hottest day ever!!  now...it's cold again. 
as the week goes on it's supposed to get a little colder each day. 
50's during the day and mid 20's at night!
nice!
o~o~o~o~o~o
up the road from one of my appointments the other day...
i passed these horses. 
i think they're  'paint horses'...with the big splotches of brown or black.
horses sure are beautiful looking creatures!!
BUT they scare me.
i have ridden a horse before...oh, maybe once or twice in my life.
they have such BIG heads...BIG mouths!  BIG teeth!
they intimidate...me.
i like to appreciate them at a distance...
can you make out the braids in this one's mane??
cool, eh?
o~o~o~o~o~o
yesterday i went to the yearly 'Cane Day' Festival with a friend of mine...
to set up a booth to sell our art. 
no, i couldn't bring any of my BoNE or BoTTLE art...it had to just be
nature photographs...paintings...or pressed flowers from the park...Dudley Farm.
here's our set-up...
 
it was a gorgeous day! sunny! high 60's.
lots of people came to "Cane Day"...and we did so-so. 
BUT we got alot of compliments on our art...and that made me feel good...so,
i'll probably try another local art fair some time in the future.
so, you're asking...what the heck is Cane Day anyway? 
well, Dudley Farm is a historic working farm...
with animals...fields...gardens...and a functional cane syrup complex.

a few times during the year they do sugar cane grinding...boiling...
and bottling the end result...sugar cane syrup.

of course they do the cane processing the old fashioned way...
a mule driven cane mill.
aaahhhhhhhhhh!! the smell of the cane juice boiling.
such a heavy...sweet...thick aroma.

at Cane Day, park staff & volunteers offer activities and demonstrations in
 blacksmithing...woodworking...cross-cut sawing. crafts.
quilting...doll making...weaving...corn shucking...music.

and of course making cane syrup the old fashioned way!
a FREE SAMPLING of the warm cane juice...tastes like woody flavored sugar water.

anyway, i've got to admit...my favorite thing in this park...
are the cracker cows!!
 
yeah...the park history is cool...the demonstrations are neat...
the cane grinding & cooking awesome...
BUT THE COWS!! OOoooooooh!!!!

so...all things considered...
we may not have done as well as we would've liked...with our art stuff.
it took alot of preparation...
building a 'mesh wall' to hang all the framed art (thanks sam!!)
and constructing the wood displays (thanks again sam!!)
BUT it was a great day anyway!

i got to see Dudley Farm for the first time!

one of my clients lives only a couple of miles from here...
so i'll definitely be back to check up on those cracker cows! yeah!!
o~o~o~o~o~o

happy autumn!

"Use what talents you possess; 
the woods would be very silent if no birds sang 
except those that sang best."   
~Henry Van Dyke 

'til next time. stay cool & be safe...
laura  :]

"Laws change; people die; the land remains." 
~Abraham Lincoln



15 comments:

  1. Looks like a great day out. And at least you've got the wood display stands and the mesh wall for next time.

    It's cool to see the way they used to process sugar cane --- well, probably not all that long ago, now I think about it!

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  2. Great post! I have just about decided that if houses ever begin to sell again, that when I break camp to head for my last homestead, I am coming your way.

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  3. I ♥ your pictures, all of them, even the ones not on this post. Very pretty horses, and that cow was enjoying the sun for sure!

    Thank you for sharing.

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  4. Hi Laura, i am back for a few minutes and look always into your blog.
    I like your pictures, your wonderfull lyrics and words. So even i am afraid about horses, since one pushed me back to earth....lol
    About all bigger animals i have much respect.
    I am already working by bookkeeping (an american concern-named barracuda), so i don't have time to post something, but i will do my best.
    Don't be said, that you have sold things, next time it will work.
    Wish you a very nice time before christmas and take care about you.....

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  5. Cane day looks like a pretty good time. And the horses are beautiful. Like the braided mane. I've ridden only a few times myself-they know I'm afraid and so they take me where they shouldn't and get me hung up in briars. So I enjoy horses from afar. Yes, Suddenly Sunday-not enough time in a weekend. And a true quote "use what talents you possess". You are multi-talented Laura, so you picked it right!

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  6. Just loved this post as usual - so many interesting things to read about....
    I love horses; to me they are the most beautiful and magnificent creatures that man is privileged to work with. I spent some of my childhood on a farm and rode then. We had horses all of my daughter's growing-up years, and went through the competing at dressage, show-jumping, cross-country stuff. I miss horses now!

    Cane Day looks fun - and what an inviting-looking stall of art you had. Wish I'd been there to buy something beautiful that you'd made :)

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  7. Well, I'll tell you what. I'll protect you from the horses if you protect me from the spiders and snakes. Deal? Now that you've got all the set up materials, you're "in business", girl!!...:)JP

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  8. I'm totally agreeing with the opening quote. And honestly, I think those cows look way scarier than horses!

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  9. I have to agree with the poster above who said the cows looked scarier than the horses. Nice pictures, love the horses.

    You have a nice little set up for craft shows, now you just have to find the shows whose 'audience' wants what you have. Trial and error, but you'll work it out.

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  10. thanks everyone who took the time to leave a note!
    yeah, horses ARE beautiful...and even though a few of you think the cows look scarier than the horses...hmmmm...i guess...maybe...kinda...but i've been around alot more cows than horses...and i suppose unless one started to chase me through the field...esp with those horns.....yikes! i'll just keep admiring ALL of them from afar! :)

    and, yeah...now i have the whole 'set-up' and one of these days i'll look into other craft/art fairs and try again!

    thanks for all your support!!
    now...it's...off to work...i go...

    seeya! laura :]

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  11. For what it's worth, your set-up at the festival looked very inviting. As other bloggers have commented, now you're all set to go for the next time. A combo of your arts would be impressive.
    (rant alert: One of our local monthly markets have restrictions of several kinds ... it's not as popular as other markets because of it. People love a good mix of offerings to hunt and find at such gatherings rant over :)

    Love the cows too. Have a soft spot for them. Many moons ago ... I had my own milking cow. Can still smell her earthiness and how warm her thick furry skin felt. Her big long eyelashed eyes just sucked me in ;-)

    Ahhh, can smell the coffee being brewed in the kitchen, yum ... gotta go, cheers :D

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  12. You have the coolest adventures! The best I can get in my neck of the woods is a faux-historic interpretation of a settler's village. This place looks way more fun!

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  13. what a sunday experience., from a very hectic schedule.., you manage yourself to gather a beautiful items.

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  14. look like you had a grate day ..and nice pics good photography...

    pet memorials

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  15. susan, yes, the cows!! i love 'em too...funny how people see things differently...through their own eyes...i'm more leery of horses than cows...i've never had my own though (not horse OR cow), but have been around many as i lived in the 'country' for years! >>off to get my morning coffee fix now too! :]

    Carmi, hey! thanks for dropping by! you would never know that there are no COOL adventures near you...your photos tell amazing stories!! :]

    positive affirmations and smith!! thanks for stopping by and taking the time to 'comment'! YES!! it was a great day and glad you enjoyed it too!! :]

    take care all...have a good one...laura :]

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thanks for stopping by! it's always nice to hear from fellow wanderers!