down on the farm day 1

we arrived home around 2:00 this morning - flying into tropical storm force winds - only acceptable with a tab of atavin and deep meditative breathing (the slightly drunk man beside me commented that i was smiling during the most tumultuous 20 minute descent.)
aside from that, the trip was absolutley marvelous. on many levels.
brenda and i decided to take the early morning flight on tues. rather than waiting for the afternoon. we were renting a car (isn't she a beauty?)

so this would give us time to see a little of the south shore and fundy shore of nova scotia before heading up to wolfville where we were staying. we had breakfast in lovely chester

with the brightly painted homes and shops glowing throught the warm foggy morning. we had hoped to visit jim smith's ceramics but were there too early. we drove on to mahone bay (doesn't brenda look happy driving that car!)

and visited this rug hooking shop

that offers beautiful designs for mats already drawn out. (seemed to have lost the nane for that shop - does anyone else know it?) and stopped into this grocery to see our first nova scotian produce! (the screen door is weighted down with a bag of carrots...

then on through our first farmland (for anyone not from newfoundland, it's hard for you to imagine what a thrill this is...)

and around 1:00 arrived at annapolis royal to visit deb and ray. they lived in newfoundland for years. but 12 years ago moved to annopolis royal and opened up their shop lucky rabbit pottery. in all those years we've stayed in touch but i had never been to visit them or see their shop. so this was an exciting and heartwarming afternoon.

deb prepared the most beautiful lunch - carrot ginger soup and an enormous fresh salad (deb trades ceramics with a farmer, who provides them with fresh produce and cut flowers from the shop).
after lunch we headed over to see angela

at catfish moon. angela carries my kits in the summer. i mentioned that i was scouting out vintage lace and fabrics for some new work and she hauled out a hatbox of wonderful fabric for me to choose from (in exchange for a couple of kits on next summer's order). love this barter system. she also steered us over to anna's highland lace and textiles where i picked up some more wonderful old textiles

. came home with lots to work on.
in the late afternoon we headed up to wolfville and, having been up since 3:45 that morning, went to bed pretty early...