Weekend Wrap

You know, I thought about doing Blogtoberfest, where one blogs every day for the month of October, but I just can't commit.  I am way behind in my current commitments already, and my to-do list grows ever longer.  Still, I think I may try to post a bit more often this month.

It was a very nice weekend here, beautiful fall weather.  Look at the wonderful colors!

These were taken yesterday on a walk with my sister near the marsh.  You can't see the marsh here, but trust me, it is just beyond the trees, the southern portion of some 32,000 total acres in size.

Saturday was a big day for Dad.  He had his book signing.

Sales of the book upstairs in the gift shop were brisk.  Dad was busy with pen in hand, signing nonstop from 8:45 until about 12:15.

Folks were lined up down the hall, waiting patiently.

He had asked some of the people he had interviewed over the years to come set up some marsh-related displays.  It was very interesting, and I had fun talking to fellow collectors, craftsmen, and hobbyists.

Check these out...they are handmade, SEWN decoys!  (The two geese and the two ducks in front of them.) They date to probably the Depression era, made by a relative back in the days when money was scarce but ingenuity abounded. 

They are stuffed very tightly with something—no one really knew exactly what.  One of the decoys had a tiny hole in it due to wear and age, and what was coming out seemed to be some kind of brown, crumbly, natural material, like perhaps marsh grass or straw.  

After stuffing, a needle and sturdy thread were passed through a couple of times to shape and hold the decoy together (see the long stitches on along the backs). The canvas-type material was then painted and shellacked to make it waterproof.  And apparently, they floated just fine!

This scene was painted by my next-door neighbor when I was growing up.  I loved going to the neighbor's house to visit, for all sorts of reasons, as they were a fun family to hang out with.  Watching him work on his art was always a special treat.  If he didn't like pesky kids standing at his elbow when he was working, he never let on.  He had a studio just off the kitchen with knotty pine walls on which much of his artwork hung.

And here is a group shot at the end of the morning with some of the folks that were left.  Many of these people had brought displays, and the rest are relatives.  I am on the left, standing behind Dad and one of my uncles.  Co-editor Bob is the young man standing in the center behind the table, and to the right of him are two more uncles and then my two brothers standing at far right.  

It was opening day of duck season, hence a proliferation of camouflage and flannel at the event, although you can get away with that at least half the year here, if you're a guy. 

I did do some sewing this weekend, but I'm running out of steam this evening so will have to share that another time.  Hope your week is off to a good start!