There's no challenge in thunderstorms, slippery mud, and swollen rivers to the undaunted knitter as I cautiously drove up Big Thompson Canyon with my arm waving out the window to snap pictures.
Though I've been through this canyon hundreds of times, I am always moved by the beauty of God's hand in creating our glorious natural world to touch us with us love and lift our spirits.
Driving to Estes the day before the Wool Market opened gave me time to drink in Nature...and lots of rain! It was a downpour during the entire two days of my stay.
Flash flood warnings had been issued for several days because of the rain and the run-off of the melting snow. Pulling into the parking lot for breakfast, I heard the roaring of the river that runs through Estes Park.
Though the rain isn't apparent in these pix, it was coming down in buckets, like cats and dogs, like cats and dogs in buckets!
Of course, a welcoming committee greeted attendees as we turned onto Mall Road to drive to the fair grounds for the wool market. These elk appear disinterested, but I just know they were thrilled to see the yarnies arrive in their paradise.
I don't know the numbers for the wool market attendance, but may I repeat...intrepid and undaunted. The Boy Scouts were busy directing vehicles from motor homes to Smart cars to the nearest, that is too say at the other end of the muddy facility, parking spaces. Then I,who tend toward dizziness thanks to meds, grabbed my umbrella, tote bag, and camera to open the car door, stand on the car floor, bravely raise my arm above my head, and snap a few pix of the place. From the puddles in the mud---Have I mentioned the mud?---to the clouds at the mountain peaks, this is the Estes Park Wool Market. You see the tent peaks. The smaller canopies to the right are the food stands. I didn't even bother to stop for food there since I just wanted to get inside the vendors' building and out of the rain.
May I just say that this is a paradise of a different order? After a couple hours of looking-looking-looking, touching-touching-touching, I came away with these lovelies. The first pile-o-yarn here is actually for a designated project. Yesss! I know! Well, I started a side-to-side jacket about six years ago using assorted yarn combos. Yet again, I think I have found the perfect yarn in this 100% wool yarn from Plain & Fancy Sheep & Wool Company from Henderson, Texas. Love the tag: "Made in Texas, USA". Gotta love them Texans! In the news you can't use dept., our two youngest grands are "little Texans" as my son calls his kids. Cute. But I digress, don't I ever?! So the names of these colors are variegated (love it!), grape, and dark moss green. They're so beautiful together! I am anxious to start this jacket yet again and am doing the self talk about finishing the prayer shawl for my daughter, the modular ghan for a DGS, and the wedding ghan for oldest DGS. Do you get my drift here?
Lastly, is my undesignated purchase made for the love of the colors, and...well, the name is Four Play. But, I digress. This yarn has the softest hand of 50/50 fine wool silk. Some of it may become a shawl for MIL's Christmas gift. The colors are icy and pale. Everything about it is soft, soft, soft. This is Brooks Farm Yarn from Lancaster, Texas. What is it about Texas, anyway? You can visit them at
http://brooksfarmyarn.com/::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ~ Philippians 4:6
Here's another toy for The Toy Society that I will drop somewhere along our route as we travel in our motor home. We will leave tomorrow morning and be staying at some state parks, so I know I will find the perfect location for Mr. Bubble Legs. He is crocheted with a size G hook and WW yarn, a quick and easy project. The free pattern download is available at http://www.craftbits.com/viewProject.do?projectID=2456 and is named "Amigurumi - Bubble Leg Monster".
Along the side of the deck, next to the stairs are these refreshing variegated plants whose name I always forget! Right now they have tall, slender stalks with white flowers.
