Babies

And my babies (well, not so much anymore, but you know how it is with moms) holding the babies:







They all seem to be enjoying themselves.

We're worried about the one that Isabel is holding.  She is noticeably smaller than the rest and we can't tell if she is growing. Isabel has claimed her and promises that the chick will be just fine now that she has attained the status of "chosen one."  There may be something in this.  The bird claimed by Isabel the last time, Gertie, is the same bird that got separated from the flock a few years ago, escaped whatever animal it was that tore a bunch of her feathers out and scratched up her neck, and  managed to find her way back to us after spending the night out in the wild.

New birds are not the only excitement around here.  Tomorrow is my annual pilgrimage to the Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck.

I always think I'm going to spend the day there and not spend a lot of money.  This is a laughable idea. You don't go to Rhinebeck for the purpose of not spending money in the same way that you don't go to a restaurant in order to not eat or a bar in order to not drink.  It's just that pointless.

Here's proof:



This is my loot from Hemlock.  Since I really have more fiber than I can reasonably spin in a year and more than I am comfortable living with, I was sure that I could go to the local fiber festival just for the fun of being there, especially with Rhinebeck on the horizon.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I can hear you chuckling over my deluded state.  Will I never learn?

So what happened to make me toss aside my plans with such spectacular results?  Nothing but a lot of rain and a little bit of grumpiness.  You are looking at one hour's worth of retail therapy, the direct result of spending the first part of the day standing in the pouring rain while the homecoming parade drove by us in buses to protect the band from the damp. The fact that I was so late getting to the festival that most of my friends were on their way home by the time I got there only fueled my funk and I am forced to admit that I succumbed to the impulse to purchase at the very first booth I went to and at surprisingly regular intervals thereafter.  Shameless.  Excessive.  Entirely Lacking in Discipline.  I am properly embarrassed by my fiber lapse. I do not, however, regret the buttons.

Anyway, must run.  I was supposed to work today (I'll save you the trouble:  HAHAHAHAHA!  Will she never learn?), but instead I ended up doing a great many things to prepare for the journey: car wash, road trip snacks, early dinner prep so I can get to sleep early in preparation for the 4:40 a.m. departure, etc.  Now we're headed off to riding lessons or--in my world--guaranteed knitting time. Any wagers on how much stuff I'll bring back from Rhinebeck?