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Monday, May 20, 2019

Something Special At The End

We...well 20, Pip, Auntie Reg, Miss B and I...had a great weekend at the Kentucky Sheep and Fiber Festival.  Tavia, Tabitha and Kaala...won't be going out in public ever again.  They hated it.  A lot.  And Tabitha made sure everyone heard about how much they hated it.  A lot.  


(After you start the video you can click the [ ] at the bottom right to make it bigger.)

This was the 10th year for the fiber festival. Seems kind of crazy when I think about it.  That just flew by!  Here is a quick tour of the booth for anyone who wasn't able to go and would like to take a peek.  You can even hear Tabitha...because I know everyone would like to hear what she had to say...all weekend long :-o.

We were stopped by a road block on our way out of the park last night.  As the person walked up to my truck to explain why the road was going to be closed for a few minutes, she laughed and said "Oh, I don't need to tell you what's going on."  The Bluegrass Classic Stockdog Trial was over and they were moving 500 sheep into a secure field for the night.  I got out of the truck and walked up to watch.  

Before there was a fiber festival I used to set up my Punkin's Patch booth down at the stockdog trial.  It was my favorite weekend of the year.  I'd be set up close enough to the trial field that I could watch the sheep and dogs all day long.  I'd bring my spinning wheel and my dear old collie Sam.  I made some really good friends down there over the years and it was like the best vacation ever.

I'd stay until the very end of each day because once the last handler finished they'd run all the sheep out into the open field to graze for the night.  That was my favorite.  I love big flocks of sheep and I wonder now if my love of big flocks came from watching all those sheep filter out across that big field each night.  

I didn't have a good camera back then.  Heck, I didn't even know I liked taking pictures in those days.  Maybe that was a good thing.  I might be able to still see things in my mind and heart that I probably couldn't have really captured on film back then.  Now, 16 years later, I pulled out my iPhone and recorded some video as they trotted up the road.

I included a bit of that footage at the end of this compilation.  I did that mostly because it is a treasured memory from my weekend.  A little gift from the universe to a crazy sheep lady who, while she enjoys being a part of the fiber festival, sure wishes there was a way to be two places at once.  

I also included it because there's something of Punkin's Patch significance at the very end.  The man walking past in the red and white striped shirt is Paul Tucker, now one of those good dog trial friends.  But I met Paul long before I knew anything about border collies or sheep or that I even liked sheep.  27 years ago he gave me a little bottle lamb...that I named Punkin.



23 comments:

Michelle said...

Good grief; that last sentence choked me up!

Gloria said...

Thanks for sharing. Second best thing to being there.

MarmePurl said...

LOVE.THIS.STORY.

Linda said...

I love watching the Border Collies too. Too smart a breed for me, LOL!

Jean said...

Aww - sweet memories!

Cheryl West said...

Just beautiful! Every bit of it.

Anchor Cottage said...

Awesome.

tamara said...

Best story yet! Thanks for brightening up my day! :-)

Benita said...

That made me smile so much! And 20 was nekid! Well, at least he managed to stay cool on Saturday. I love, love, LOVE watching the dogs working the sheep.

KP said...

What a wonderful full-circle connection!

I need orange said...

Awww. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Thanks for taking us along to the festival, and for taunting us with goodies we can't touch ;-), and for introducing us to your old friends. Love watching good dogs work sheep.........

Far Side of Fifty said...

Oh I loved watching the Border Collies...thanks for the video and how awesome to see a very special man in the video...we are still missing a special Border Collie....not sure we will ever be over him:(

Terry and Linda said...

That was fun, Sara. Thank you.

Goatldi said...

Sweet ! Very nicely done. A wonderful booth and product. The best of the best was the end. I never fail to be thrilled by a drive and the sound of all those hooves was the perfect ending.

Karen at longwell said...

Your words always paint such a wonderful picture! Had to reach for the kleenex at the end......sigh...

katherine littrell said...

Great! Beautiful booth! Love the sheep and border collie. Those dogs are just amazing!

Laura L. said...

That was just great! All of it-loved the sweater and hearing the comments from Tabitha. Your comment about Paul Tucker and Punkin made me all teary. Thank you because I have never been there.

Grey Horse Matters said...

A really nice booth and looks like lots of activity and fun. Loved watching the dogs and sheep, and hearing about your friend and how you got Punkin. Very sweet.

Judy said...

What a great post! I wish I could have been there, thanks so much for sharing the video with us. I probably won't ever be able to have sheep, so I'm so thankful that there are people out there who do, and who share the lovely wool :-)

Green Haven Life said...

Oh my goodness. Your last sentence. I'm squalling.

quantumtea said...

It was great to meet you! I am spinning up Count Chocula today and he is lovely to spin. Thank you for many years of sheep stories and photos.

The Odyssey Farm said...

Oh, the memories of Sam and Punkin... I hope the circle will come full round and put you back at the trials field next year. They need a vendor to show the spectators what goodies await down the road...

Unknown said...

Wow, 27 years ago, you have been raising sheep almost as long as I have ( 34 years) You should write a book, I know I would buy it.

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