They're on their way

As we speak, hordes of fiber enthusiasts from around the northeast and beyond are preparing to converge on Rhinebeck. I am lucky enough to live not too far from the path of one of these pilgrims and her traveling companion, and although I will not be joining them on their journey, at least I will get to soak up some of their anticipation and have lunch and stuff. In honor of their visit, I did not mop the floor or do the laundry or clean the little strainer thingy in the sink. This is a gesture on my part to show that I consider them practically part of the family. (If they would like to share in the feeling, they will leave their shoes in the middle of the floor and leave Cap'n Crunch morsels around the living room.)

There has been no spinning or knitting to speak of here, since I had some actual WORK to do (column writing and copyediting) as well as some yarn dyeing and selling to take care of. The first four skeins of Real Vermonter yarns flew off the shelf (thank you!), but I have five more dyed and waiting for some attention. Monday?

I did do some other dyeing though. A certain blogger, who I will keep nameless in case I am spoiling a surprise, asked me to dye some silk-merino for her. I believe she has plans for a Clapotis Christmas gift. (I love the Clapotis; too bad I lost mine.) Anyway, there was an extra skein for me, so I thought I better practice on it:

Never mind that this blogger is interested in autumnal tones; I just wanted to see how the silk took the dye:

I don't know why I choose this aqua green theme, since I'm all about red these days. The green is just not doing it for me lately. However, the yarn is beautiful and shiny. But STINK! Hoo, I guess it's the silk. Is that normal?

And, since you were wondering, let's talk turkey. And peacock. And chicken.

The turkeys are doing fine. We have names: The blue slates are Roy and Rose and the bourbon reds are Phyllis and Lars. The toms were too big to get down from the high roosts and since it looked like they might starve if we didn't throw them off every morning, the husband came up with a solution. A better exit:

Now they can jump off from roost height right into the yard with plenty of landing strip.

The peacocks are fine. Now. The male took off across the road for a night and we thought he had gone the way of Buster and Ginnie. But he came back yesterday and roosted in one of our barns. He finally came back to find his female but he couldn't seem to figure out how to fly back into the pen. Here he is off in the distance wandering about aimlessly:

  v

His girlfriend spent the day at the fence line, frantically pacing:

This morning he found his way back into the pen, and now he and she and the turkeys are all inside, trying to escape the drizzle.

As for chickens, I wanted to get some photos of our rooster* crowing. He seems so pleased with himself even though he hasn't quite mastered the cockadoodledoo. Not easy to catch him in the act, but I did eventually. I also got him stretching and preening and all that stuff. Poultry in motion, don't you know.

The crowing:

 

Lindy, Daisy, and Xena and her big baby:

I'll be thinking of those who are on their way to Rhinebeck this weekend. And I hope you'll think of me. "Nobody here but us chickens," indeed.

Now Norma and Margene should be pulling in any minute. Gotta go!

*This was "Elsie," when we thought he was a she. Now it's the homonymic L.C., which was at first an abbreviation for a rather crude roosterish name starting with "Large," but which more delicate readers can think of as Le Coq.)

Comments

[Carol]

Thanks for the eye candy! What yarn! What magnificent "birdies". Clever trick for the turkey house!
Poultry in motion ~snort~

[Jenn]

Somehow, I missed the fact that you got peacocks! You have quite a poultry collection. Are peacocks considered poultry?

Last year, we were at the zoo, eating lunch and a peacock kept coming up to us and begging for french fries. It was literally a foot away from me. Maybe it was just mad that I was eating chicken.

[christine]

Sounds like a fun lunch you have planned! Have a great time!

I love the blue/green yarn.....

[CindyCindy]

Have a wonderful visit. Thanks for the pics and the horrible puns.

[Carrie]

Ooooh, I like the green silk! So shiny! I can't wait to see the other. Feel free to out me, as the gift is for my aunt. I'm pretty sure she has never willingly turned on a computer in her life, and probably thinks a blog is what you pull out of the pipe when the sink won't drain properly. :-D
Those peacocks are funny - even in the animal world, the men won't ask for directions.
LC indeed. Heh.
Have fun with Norma and Margene!

[Maia]

I love the poultry pics so much. It must be the yearning for a country life coming out. Maybe I need to move to a farm in Vermont. It seems that all the cool kids hang in Vermont. If only I could find a farmhouse . . .

I am anxiously awaiting the next batch of Real Vermonter yarn. And, have fun almost Rhinbecking.

[PippiPeaSeed]

yea, silk can be really really stinky. if you want a really gross silk smell, try recycled silk sari.
:0
give it a bath in vinegar, it should help.

have a great lunch!!!
so sad that you aren't going this weekend! :(

love,
pippipeaseed.
;)

[Jane]

Oh, you are so lucky to have a visit from the Travelers! They won't be looking in your sink, will they?

Thank you for the poultry pics. They always make my day.

I'm off to cram the last of the stuff into the suitcase, because my own traveling companions will be here soon. Wish you were coming to the big R!

[beth]

I really wish you were coming. I'll think of you and buy too much stuff in your honor.

[sahara]

Thanks for the fowl pics. You mean rooster crowing doesn't come naturally? They have to practice? I'm gonna tell my little cousin that when she has to practice her piano. ;)

I'm happy for your turkeys. I dislike Thanksgiving and hunting season, because I like fowl.

[Dave]

Poultry in Motion indeed!! LOL. And a turkey balcony? I await the sauna and hot tub.

Will you be making another Hobbit eventually? Someone beat me to it ... grrrrr.

[Tina]

Apparently the silk took the dye very well, it's so beautiful! What a sheen!

[lynne s of oz]

You and me can have a pity party cos we aren't going to Rhinebeck! It's a bit late to say say hi to your visitors for me... I have to say a young rooster crowing looks rather bizarre - teensy little head on this big lot of feathers.

[lindy]

My chicken namesake is looking gorgeous.
Does hubby find time for paying building jobs
or
is he spending all his time with the turkey's and peacocks in the Turkey Palace?

[JessaLu]

Hello - saw both Norma and Margene today and they said you were 'wonderful'. Good job! ;o)

[mia]

Love the pics.. especially the last one with the chicken walking thru the fall leaves :-)

[Sherri]

Poultry in motion...really...the best thing I've heard in weeks! ROFLPIMP!