Canby Oregon - Day 1

Ok, so I am a week behind on my blog. So, lets pretend it is Thursday, Sept 23. Here goes:

2008- calling the tow truck north of Redding, CA

I am here, in Canby Oregon for the Flock and Fiber Festival. Exciting! I have shown at this event for many years and I love coming back each time. Two years have past since I was here last, yet I still remember a few things I said the last time I was here . These things I said were to myself and they were in the form of wishes. First I remember I wished to someday get to this show without my truck breaking down either coming or going. My truck seems to like to take a "tow truck" ride part of the way to or from Oregon - I will leave those adventures for another time.   But, this year I as ask to  judge the Pygora fleece show and Pygora goat show and so money was donated (thank you ALL!) and I was flown up. My first wish was granted. Pretty cool! And the second thing I wished is that sometime, I would get to sit in the spinning circle and spin with the other spinners at this event. And I will get to do that since I have a free day at the festival on Saturday - exciting! And that was wish two. 

2005 Shasta KOA, Beth and I traveling with Pygoras

Flying on Alaska Air was pretty smooth getting here and I was totally enjoying the flight until I started thinking about all the wonderful things I have seen and smelled and tasted on the way up and back, and now I was missing them.  One of the things I always look forward to was getting north of Sacramento. California is really different once one is above Sacramento. It is greener, there is river and waterways, and the mountains start getting closer to the highway. And the people just seem nicer and less in a hurry.  The town of Shasta and our first night stop at Mount Shasta's KOA. They have always been goat freindly. I remember the first time I stayed there I was with Beth Tompkins and we had about 8 goats with us. We took the goats out for a little walk and the owner of the KOA came out and took pictures of us walking the goats. The goats loved it.  The air was cool, almost cold, and the leaves were starting to change to fall colors. Driving into the park there was ripe black berries on the vines. I always felt our trip was finally happening when I get there.

2008 lunch time stop, with Beth and Alicia and Goats

The next day, we would see wonderful views of Mount Shasta as we drove. The town of Weed would be next and the high mountains and cattle in tall grasses were all part of the scenery. Then we would come into Oregon and start the big up and down passes. Driving up a grade then down a steep mountain and the trees of madrones, big leaf maples, and oak would change to green pines. My next stop I look forward to is Sunny Valley, and the Graves Creek covered bridge for our lunch stop. Not far off the hwy is this covered bridge that is a perfect place to stop for eating lunch  out of the camper. I usually sit behind the stock trailer and leave the back door open and the goats get air with out the trailer moving and bumping from the highway. Then it is time to walk over to the bridge, cross it and the see if there is any black berries still ready to eat on the otherside. I always forget to bring a bowl - one time I will have to remember to do that. There is a grave marker were a little girl is burried. She died durring the time of a wagon train coming to this area durring the great westward Oregon trail journey.

Graves Creek bridge, would love this crossing my river!

 This area of Sunny Valley is quite the historical place. There is even a musum here which has wonderful information about the Applegate trail. I always take whoever is trailing with me to see this musum. Then onward we go - heading to Albany Oregon and our next night. The Albany camp ground was a sheep field at one time. The owner said his dad tryed to get his sheep and goats to eat all the berry bushes up and never was able to do it. So he said to let my goats out for a walk, and don't worry if they want to eat anything, have at it. Nice guy. He also would tell us that this was the time that the vultures would start migrating. Migrating - I didn't know they did that! I have a pine tree of them year round, I have never see them leave. Yet Albany has vultures flying though and this means it is fall to those that live here. The next morning we finish our  last hour of the drive to Canby. These are just some of the things I missed by flying.

I will continue with my Canby story in the next blog.

Alicia found me in the berries - yum!

I finshed the logo job before I left, yea! I and the client are happy - which is very good. So now on to getting that website for a local yarn shop further along, and I have a wine label to work on as well. I did get two of the 6 bucks sheared with the angora buck being one of them. He is the hardest one, because of all the fleece he has,  and he is done. 38 more to shear.

until next time - enjoy - Fall is here...