Monday, September 30, 2013

The Life I Want.....


Rising Meadow Farm in Liberty NC held their annual farm fest on Sunday. They must have done some serious praying to the Gods, because the weather could not have been more perfect. Gerry and Wes and I drove down mid morning and got there before the crowds showed up. We got a nice parking spot in the field under a shady tree and walked down the gravel road to the farm.
We got there just before the field dog demos. They had border collies demonstrating their skills at rustling up sheep, and in a flash, our lives were changed! This is how we want to live. We want a farm, some sheep, some smart working dogs and throw in a llama or two for me. Give us a garden and a couple of fruit trees, maybe a fishing pond. That's how I want to live out the rest of my life.... BLISS!
Now if we can just figure out how to make it happen!


There were just enough vendors there to make it fun and interesting. There was a nice mix of pottery, wood, fiber, and baked goods, give me  a show to do like this any day!


The dogs were almost impossible to photograph, they zoomed past my lens faster than I could find them. This is the only shot I got with a dog in it, haha!


This guy was such a pro, been working dogs a long time. He was so much fun to watch. And he raises border collies, and yes I got his name. When we are ready he might just be the one to get our next puppy from.


And can I please have an alpaca for Christmas? There might not be a more adorable creature on this planet!





I packed us a lunch since they were serving grilled lamb, and I don't think any of us were ready to eat a baby lamb after hanging our with their cousins all morning!


My only purchases for myself this weekend, a crock from the antique festival, I now have four of these and will continue to buy them when I find a bargain like this one, I think they are so useful and I like to buy useful things. I also bought two skeins of brown llama fiber, sooooo soft and so beautiful although you can't tell it from my pitiful photograph that I shot this morning, sorry. There will be more photos of this fiber when I get my loom set up, don't worry.




What a great weekend and so different from my first fall weekends for the past few years. Those weekends have been spent stressing over getting ready for fall shows, and busting my ass to get enough work made. I like this pace much better. TIme to enjoy the fruits of other's labor. It's much more fun being a spectator instead of being the spectacle! It gives you time to think about what you love and how you want your life to be. In a perfect world, I would be waking up on my fiber farm this morning, grabbing some canned preserves from the shelf, making some biscuits and heading out to the porch to great the day with a cup of fresh ground coffee and a home made biscuit with strawberry preserves. Then I would grab my staff, head out to the field to watch Gerry work the dogs, gather in the llamas, go pick some veggies in the garden, while Wesley and the grandkids sat in the swing reading a good book.
How is that for a nice dreamy morning...........

17 comments:

Shannon said...

hey Tracey, long time no check-in from me. I've actually just read this one post. :) heh. I am in the hyper loop of fall business, show planning, inventory managing. I am glad one of us is dreaming of sheep farms instead. Glad you're well.

Shannon said...

hey Tracey, long time no check-in from me. I've actually just read this one post. :) heh. I am in the hyper loop of fall business, show planning, inventory managing. I am glad one of us is dreaming of sheep farms instead. Glad you're well.

Michèle Hastings said...

Farming does appear idyllic but long before you settle in with coffee and biscuits all those animals need to be fed and watered. After breakfast the stalls need to be cleaned, along with all the other things required of farm animals. Then in the evening the same routine... my shoulder is aching just thinking about it!
I enjoy watching the goings on at my neighbors small farm. He is elderly now and has some younger guys help him twice a day... but they are out there working 365 days a year.
I guess it has to be your passion to make it your life. I think I will stick to clay, at least it is easier to leave behind and get away from for a few days.
I would have eaten the grilled lamb, yum!... after raising meat hens & turkeys for a few seasons I quickly got over seeing them in the backyard and on the table :-)

Sandy Miller said...

Can I come? Gotta say it makes me laugh to think I chose pottery to make my living and then jumped into gardening. These two professions just kick butt....... on a good note.... you will never need a gym!

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Shannon, tis the season, seems the first day of fall just kicked things into overdrive,
Michele, I am already up and feeding pets and people anyway wouldn't mind a few more, the rewards are great! I used to clean horse stalls in exchange for riding lessons, I loved that work! But yeah, the shoulder, ugh!
Sandy, yep, bring on the manual labor, I hate gyms, much rather have a shovel in my hand!

Dennis Allen said...

The dream of a farm is often better than the reality of it. You could capitalize on that by fulfilling other peoples dreams with an agri-tourism B&B on the farm. Give them a shovel and ring the bell when the biscuits are ready.

Tracey Broome said...

I was thinking about that Dennis! I also love the idea of craft vendors on my property! and musicians! and good food! and, and, and...... I should have started years ago!

Lori Buff said...

You tend to start dreaming about a pottery studio and then build one, dream about weaving and buy a loom. If you really, really want one a farm is in your future.

Susan Wells said...

Lordy! I cant wait to see what you do with the alpaca!! Yum! Next time you go to Maine I'm sure you can find crocks there! Did you antique while you were there? The prices are generally wayyyy cheaper than NC. I'm sure too you will create the life you want . Yeah.

Tracey Broome said...

Lori, I know what you mean, I was feeling that same buzz I felt when I wanted to learn to throw pots. Where there's a will there's a way, as the saying goes. We shall see.....
Hey Susan, no antique stores for me when we were in Maine,nobody else in the car wanted to stop, boo! Maybe you and me need to make a run up there one of these days!

cookingwithgas said...

So glad that you made the farm and that you brought the family along.
It is a sweet space. We might be there next year. This year it was just not going to happen.

Dennis Allen said...

Sign me up for booth#1 on a corner.

Anonymous said...

a lovely dream.

Tracey Broome said...

Hey Meredith, so glad you introduced me to Rising Meadow!
Dennis, maybe Meredith could coordinate another blogger show out there, heehee, hear her yelling at me?!
Cindy, yep, a dream I would like to make a reality one of these days.....

Vicki said...

I know exactly what you mean Tracey, I yearn for a return to the country.
That alpaca fibre looks lovely, and it is so snuggly soft. Enjoy weaving with it :)

Anna M. Branner said...

I'm glad you found a festival closer to home this weekend! You DO know that if you want an alpaca you have to buy two right? ;)

Tracey Broome said...

Hi vicki, we have the fever bad! The hard part is finding a place around here, we have been looking for over a year.
Anna, yes two please, or a whole flock!