Word and Image



For some reason there were more people with odd costumes or hair at the sheep festival. Party! Party color! When did I become conservative? But, you dress like this and you beg me to look and notice you. Maybe I don’t get out enough these days.





…as in “complaint.” I have nothing but sympathy for Colleen. There’s no wait in the men’s side of the restrooms. And the women’s line is out the door and up the block… Evidently someone thought of this. There was a bank of portapotties about 100 or so, down the road and out of sight of this place. Nice of you folks to inform people. Meanwhile, you would think the planners would have known to make the women’s side more capacious. But then again, the architect was a man?

Don’t go there

Sheep and wool fairs always have a place where they sell fleece. It would be fleece that is sheared from the sheep and sold in large plastic bags at $/pound. It’s less expensive than yarn ready to weave. But there is a lot of processing. Are all fleeces equal. Hardly. Picking fleece is an art. I’m learning. I used to go by feel. That would be too simple. As we picked and chose, a volunteer came up and “squoze” my bag. Huh? She recognized her fleece and was checking. Yup, it was from her sheep. A mother always knows. Neat! If you wander into the fleece barn… you get fleece. I/we must be good pickers. A couple people admired our choices and told us they’d take the bag if we changed our mind.

What’s a Madder


There is no picture of the madder. You would probably not recognize it. We bought two. It is for dying. That is, you use the root to make a dye for yarn – red. The pedigree is that this particular plant came from the queen’s garden in Kensington. How about that? I have no way to confirm. We have wintered it and it thrived. Then I set It out on the deck when we went on an extended road trip. The only thing that survived was a few very tiny (near microscopic) leaves. I threw the plant out twice because I thought it was dead. It got replanted again and again. My hope? I will revive it and be able to be “back” in the family. Our quest to obtain one met with a lot of poor puns. “Whatsa madder with you?” Geez, could you guys get a better line?



We reserved a dinner table overlooking the greenery and garden. It was touristy. We snagged a table about an hour before the restaurant opened. Yup, they let us reserve that late in the afternoon. By the time we showed for dinner there was a line waiting out the door and around… we waltzed in. Great! And there in the garden they were set for a wedding. Oh boy! A floor show! Colleen watched the latest styles. I watched guys show up in blue suits and brown shoes… and the kiss!! We got ringside seats to the kiss!! Dinner was superb. We lingered for dessert. By the time we were gone, so was the bridal party and so were the flowers. All in all it was an unexpected dinner and a show.

Here’s a technical concern. The wedding photographer had evening blue light. She shot digital and video. It does not appear she color corrected as she went. So, there would be a lot of post processing? The light’s not bad. But, it is blue. You may not have noticed. It’s why you pay big bucks to an expert.








Maasi warrior


Culturally, red is said to scare lions. So, red is common to most garments of a Maasai warrior. But I detect a tartan influence. Scottish? This photo was snapped in Delaware. It was chilly. Beneath the cloak was a warm set of western style clothing. How does a well dressed Maasai warrior dress? I don’t know. I was too shy to ask.



We went to the exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery on the women’s movement. I was vaguely aware. Now I am a bit more informed. A little bit of knowledge…? It started after the civil war and did not get women the vote until after WW I. Men stopped it, prevented it, did not see the need for it. Whatever! We still do not have an ERA – equal rights amendment. Who’s still out of it? How about Saudi Arabia? Things don’t change as much as they remain the same. Sad.

You can’t go back? Think. The women of Saudi have never had the right to drive. Oh! Yes! That has all changed? It was a show vote. There are no women driving around. Yes, and the women of Saudi vote too. Are things changed? Are they even less worse?

