Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival

I made a beeline for the basket sellers booth.. all the way Dayle is saying.. "You don't NEED another basket!".. but Gracie has a little round one that I had admired and I don't have a little one..  so I want one.. :-)  He even helped me pick out the prettiest one.  What a nice husband.  

Oh how I love these baskets.  These baskets are woven in Ghana, West Africa.  Called "Bolga Baskets" are made from elephant grass.  The women in the village weave the baskets and the men tan the goat hide used on the handles.  The purchase of these baskets is helping a farmer in Africa.  Who am I not to help out, I ask you?  

My little basket was only $10 - I just noticed on the tag that I could have gotten 2 for $15!  Dang!  

Backing up the truck a bit.. :-)  Dayle and I drove to Canby and went to the place where he and his railroad co-workers used to go to have breakfast.  We've been going there each year for lunch before we hit the OFFF.  It's changed hands many times but each time the food is good.. I wonder if they kept the cook each time a new buyer came on?  :-)  The newest name is "Sugar Plum's Cafe and Bakery".  When we walked in we did a double-take on a man in a booth, it was Dayle's best buddy from his railroad days!  Mike!  And his wife was there too.  We had a nice chat before we got our own booth and ordered lunch.  After lunch we drove on to the festival and passed this neat old truck.

OFFF is held on the Clackamas Country Fairgrounds.. the gardens were gorgeous this year.  

There was carded and dyed wool aplenty.  I refrained from buying any as I still have some from the last visit that I need to spin up on my spinning wheel.  But it was still fun to fondle and look at.  

A new booth was a broom maker, I was drawn to the colorful straw brooms.

I asked the broom maker if I could take a photo.. sure he said.. could I have a smile?  Sure, he said.. lol!  

A stroll through the barns to see the Angora goats.. the different breeds of sheep.. the alpacas.  Love.

Some Cashmere babies.. sweetness.

OH BOY!  The little cute sheep lady was there!  Ohh.. look at that one!  And that one!

And this sculpture.. I swooned over.. it's a goat pulling a cart with a cow, pig, sheep and rooster on top!

A really BIG sheep with cute blanket.. and a neat little sheep replica.

Of course I had to visit the alpacas.. funny little darlings.

The swath of begonias charmed me.  And so we headed out from a fun time at the festival.

And then not far away is the Swan Island Dahlia Farm.. we love to go see the flowers in the field and they have a little red shed with bouquets for sale.  Dayle and I picked out 3 bunches to bring home.  I filled the bag with some water from the hose and Dayle stuck the flowers in and we stowed them in the car.

We walked around the rows of flowers and got some photos.. I especially love the speckled colors in this one.

This one is especially cute.

Dayle's favorites are the BIG ones!

A shot over the fields as we drove out of the gardens.

A new broom came home with us.. the broom makers wife gave us a hand made iron nail to hang it with, which I pounded into the wall and hung it just so next to the back door.  

Do you love all the colors of straw in the broom?  

Attached to the broom is a cute wooden nickel with the makers website on it.. how clever is that?  Squire Brooms website.

And look who else followed me home?  *LOVE*

My new purchases look very autumnal, don't you think?  I told my husband that this is called "retail therapy" and it worked.  

Our Dahlia bouquet on the table.. the flowers bring me much happiness.

We're having some wonderful sunny and warm weather over the last few days, so I'm going to enjoy my trip to town to swim this afternoon.  I hope you're having sunshine and warmth where you are.  ((hugs)), Teresa :-)