Monday, September 16, 2013

Harvest Festival

My friend Ellen and I went to the Harvest Festival at the Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown this weekend. This is one of our yearly rituals and thankfully the weather was pretty nice, although cold. If you've never heard of it, The Farmer's Museum is a great place (I first went there on a field trip as a kid, believe it or not). It is basically a late 18th/early 19th century village--most of it actual buildings preserved from the era, including a church, a pharmacy, a general store, a blacksmith and more. During the harvest festival, they also have vendors and demonstrations, and it is generally just a blast. Here is some of what we saw:
 A blacksmith's shop
 A cooper making barrels
 The alpaca sisters
 Lots of cool buildings
 Slow-roasting of a large beef roast
Wagon rides (yes, we took one).

All in all, it was a great day, and a lovely "last hurrah" for summer.

Now, I get back to work on revisions...
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9 comments:

  1. Lisa DiDioSeptember 16, 2013 at 12:29 PM

    Alpacas? CUTE OVERLOAD!!! Want one...

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    1. Deborah BlakeSeptember 16, 2013 at 2:51 PM

      I know! I came back home and starting looking at the yard...

      Delete
  2. SkyeSeptember 16, 2013 at 1:05 PM

    Alpacas are so much cuter than llamas and apparently don't have the attitude of the larger cousins. Plus, they are so FLUFFY!

    Glad you had fun. Fall fell on us this weekend. Torrents of rain. Thunder and lightning (must be climate change, because the 22 years I previously lived here we had it rarely). Miles of gray clouds. Much cooler temps. Whimper. Thank the gods for my light box!

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    1. Deborah BlakeSeptember 16, 2013 at 2:52 PM

      Yeah, we went from summer to fall overnight here too. We are supposed to get a frost tonight, so I had to run out and cover all the basil plants...

      And the alpacas were so SOFT!

      Delete
  3. inkgrrlSeptember 16, 2013 at 1:47 PM

    Oh that's wonderful! This is why I'd love to live back East for a while - LA is full of compulsive reinvention, constant churning. The East Coast is much more amenable to showing off its history.

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    1. Deborah BlakeSeptember 16, 2013 at 2:53 PM

      I'm not a history buff, but I do love seeing that kind of thing.

      Delete
  4. Cathy MSeptember 16, 2013 at 3:05 PM

    It sounds like a marvelous time was had by all.

    I noticed the tires on the wagon. I'm sure they made for a much more comfortable ride than the old wooden/metal rimmed wheels provided. And I loved the stonework on the building in the fourth picture. The masons in that time surely took a great deal of pride in building a beautiful, enduring structure.

    Those fluffy alpaca sisters look like they're growing out their warm coats for winter. They really are adorable.

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  5. AnonymousSeptember 16, 2013 at 10:03 PM

    If you're ever in the Toronto, Ontario area, drop by the Black Creek Pioneer Village. http://www.blackcreek.ca

    There's something so magical and relaxing in the historical villages. I've bookmarked Farmer's Museum.

    I was on an alpaca farm a while back, and the owner said she has people who are cancer survivors drop by and spend time with the alpacas. There's quite a soothing vibe from them.

    Susanne

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  6. AnonymousSeptember 17, 2013 at 10:20 AM

    *finally manages to comment again* I read all your posts, even if I don't always have time to reply!

    How fun! If I ever make it out to New York, I'll have to check that out. Sounds like you guys had a good time. And yeah, wow . . . HELLO FALL. I'm glad, don't get me wrong, I love fall . . . but it /does/ seem to have hit rather suddenly. Especially since not, what, two weeks ago?...SoCal was MELTING under Florida-summer-like conditions - degrees in the 90's with 60+% humidity. I moved back here from Georgia to get /away/ from that! @,@

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