Food

What's a trip without the obligatory food pictures? No trip at all.. So here goes...

 Lump crab cake...

Warm chocolate croissant...

Almond cake...

 Assorted truffles...

 

California Chicken Flatbread Pizza with Arugula...

 

Louisiana Shrimp and spicy sauce...

I should feel guilty, but I don't...

SAFF 2013

I never remember to take pictures during my classes any more, but trust me, we had a blast. SAFF, as always, was amazing and exhausting fun. I got a few pics of the general melee.

Here's where I stood for a half day on Friday. My other classes had lots of students, but the steeking class had no takers, so I volunteered as a greeter. It was great fun- and I learned very quickly the most important answer: The bathrooms are that way! Next most: where the workshops were (I knew that without looking it up), and third: What to do with the ticket given at the gate (Answer: nothing, keep it to get back in if you leave the Ag Center Campus). I really enjoyed greeting everyone- maybe there's a career in it for me.

This was the souvenir/real information table. My job was to run interference by handling the easiest questions. Mostly I took this pic because I loved those shawls. SAFF is Shawl Heaven.

Sensory overload. Pure sensory overload. I gasp every year. Not only are there vendors on the floor of the arena, but an equal number around the upper level, and maybe 35 more in a different building.

Want.

Want.

Want. Are you sensing a trend?

My friend Pat, who was on the first cruise, makes and sells these tutus. She's every bit as amazing as this picture.

In the afternoon on Friday, I volunteered to sit the front table at the Fleece Show and Sale.

Man, I wanted to buy this Lincoln/Tunis/Romney fleece- it called my name so very clearly. Only the look my husband would have given me at the baggage carousel kept me from doing it. A very lucky and smart spinner snatched it up almost immediately. It went to a good home. Not mine, but good nonetheless.

Oh, lookie who's on the back of the 2013 Program Book!

More sensory overload.

Sunset, even from the parking lot, is beautiful.

Baby Alpaca!

Oh yeah- I did buy something... a teeny little tahkli spindle for cotton. There is a learning curve involved... (no kidding). I have about 30 homegrown cotton bolls to spin at home, which is not enough to get out the wheel and change all of the adjustments. I thought a little tahkli would do the job- and it will, though there is a definite trick to spindling cotton.

In general, I think SAFF attendance was up, and I didn't see a cranky face all weekend! Volunteering gave me a peek at the organizational side of a huge festival like this- the amount of work it takes to put it together is staggering. I bow to each and every one of the Board members and all of the bazillion volunteers (who did a whole lot more than a single day of work). Brava!

Biltmore

SAFF has been and gone, and it was amazing as usual. Most years, one (or more) of my sisters, or good friends meets me here and we play for a couple of days after SAFF wraps up, but this year no one could come. I had already made my plane reservation, and since it's pheasant hunting season, there is no way I can move my flight up (well, actually, I could do it, but it would cost me $688... I think I'll stay put- there are many worse places to be *stuck* for two days).

At any rate, now I have time to do a little blogging. On Thursday, I went to Biltmore, and it was amazing as always. This time, I took the Legacy of the Land Tour, which meant riding on a bus for 90 minutes while our most adorable guide pointed out the back roads and told stories about the estate. It was well worth the time and money.

I tend to take the same pictures every year, but that's because the same views are equally beautiful every year. So here goes again (with a few more beautiful views from the Legacy Tour):