Barely 10 minutes from the house -- dangerously convenient! -- and we wove up the driveway at Tryphon Farm, near Waynesville. Owner Marian Davis introduced us to her herd, who were quite curious. Perhaps they'd never seen anyone from Minnesota before. Funny how courage grew in direct proportion to the quantity of snacks being offered, including by this guy with the blue eyes. Quite striking!
Marian had a few sweaters as well as some roving -- "It's like a cloud!" Donna said, with her arm buried up to her elbow -- as well as some aran or maybe even light-bulky yarns. She also had a sturdy dark grey worsted weight that would be perfect for a man's sweater. Inquiring minds might like to know that her property is for sale, so this could be the perfect opportunity for a lovely little farm and a fabulous way of life. You're welcome.
After a quick trip home to check on the dogs, it was off to Stewart Heritage Farm. We spent at least an hour with owner Brenda Hanes, chatting in the barn and feeding more snack-happy alpacas, and then dodging some curious chickens as we visited the boy-flavored alpacas in a nearby paddock. The fleece on the animals, including Mr. Pushy Boy, was very lovely and the colors were so rich! All that brown and grey! Kinda made the knees go weak, says the queen of ... brown and grey.
Brenda took these pictures in the third paddock, which was all girls, except for one little boy who probably will be moving to the other dorm soon. Some of them were a little stand-offish but most were very friendly, especially after they realized we had some feed in our hands. And, we found out quickly who was the mom of Mr. Pushy Boy. He comes by it naturally. By the way, want to start a small alpaca riot? Bring out some sliced carrots.
There were some beautiful animals in this group, too, and it was fun to hear them hum and click at each other. One of my favorites was the one with the speckled neck -- Brenda said that she has friendly days and not-so-friendly days and Saturday was definitely a friendly day. She. Liked. Me. And I liked her, too. Check out the little black one with the white brow. How cute is that!
Brenda had been to a farmers market over in Yellow Spring in the morning and it sounded like she'd gotten a fair lot of business. She carries yarn and mentioned some rugs that I would like to have had a look at, but it was getting late and we didn't want to wear out our welcome. And, my favorite college sophomore was waiting for us so we could go to dinner.
By the way, if you're looking for some brain candy, have a go at some books by Sally Goldenbaum. "Death by Cashmere" and "Patterns in the Sand" won't change your life, but they're a fun read. If you like them, they are part of a series.
No comments:
Post a Comment