Roadside Relic: Pole Barn

A derelict pole barn testifies to the decline of acres under cultivation in the Mississippi delta.  Their owners cannot make a living farming anymore, so the rich land lies fallow.  What a waste!

Roadside Relic: Country Topiary

Invasive Virginia creeper forms an informal topiary on a t-post along a country road.  Mother Nature's accidents are usually more beautiful than the most artful human arrangements.

Mighty Tiny

While a female feeds at the front,
another buzzes around the rear feeder

They're back!  The tiny, combative pigs with wings have returned.  The hummingbirds are here!

Nesting on a ceiling fan

Barn Swallow

Barn swallows are more persistent than I am--and, apparently, smarter.  Since I don't have a barn, they have decided to nest on my porch on top of my ceiling fans.

Finish Line

Our shop on the road

Whew!  Two art fairs in two weeks!  It's been tiring.  One more to go before it's time to pack it in for the summer.

It's also been kind of fun.  We've chosen to do fairs that are fairly close to home--three hours or less--so we can make it home on Saturday night.  While that limits some of our choices, it allows us to limit our overhead and honor our church commitments.

We're beginning to work out our routine.  When we were doing craft fairs, the Resident Dragon (RD) would basically help me set up and pack up, but would go elsewhere during the show.  For the art shows, which are exclusively his jewelry, he mostly stays in the tent and works on new pieces.  Every couple of hours, he'll go on walkabout, talking to other vendors.

The fruits of the creative process

I'm "inside sales."  Yes, those of you who know me can snort very loudly (I'm a notorious introvert) but it's working for us.  We had our highest sales day ever on Saturday!

He takes his worktable with him and either works on new pieces, or modifies existing pieces.  He will lengthen or shorten designs and even custom-made a matching pair of earrings for a customer right before her eyes!  A piece he finished at the show sold within the hour.  His favorite piece, a dragon's blood jasper, sold before the show even opened (to another vendor--quite a coup)!

So, it's been a good two weeks.  This next show is a two-day, and close to home.  It will be a good way to finish off the spring show season.

My knitting machine is lonely

As for me, I'm enjoying writing again, and preparing my office for a good summer's work.  My seedlings will be ready to plant in a week or two, and I need to make one more pass through the garden with the tiller before I create rows and hills.  My list of craft projects grows daily.  I feel better already.  It will be a great summer.  Finally.

What are you planning for the summer?