May 09, 2010

A Day in the Country

The Annapolis Valley

First Stop:
Gaspereau Valley Fibres  - yarn shop and sheep farm - for their annual yard sale.


They had a great turnout within half an hour of opening. I exercised remarkable restraint in light of the fact that everything in the main shop was 20% off and the back room of the barn was filled with tables, baskets, and boxes with discounts of 50% and more. While I looked with longing at the dark red Donegal Tweed the lady in front of me heaped on the counter, but I only bought one skein of off-white superwash sport weight wool from Henry's Attic in New York, and one ball of Fortissima sock yarn priced at $5.00!

Outside, I couldn't help thinking of Lucy Darling. This past September, when we visited her in France, we took her almost daily to a nearby park where a pen of sheep and chickens had been set up beside the municipal building. She loved to watch and call out to them and I know she would have enjoyed a visit to this farm.


Besides Cotswold sheep, they have two llamas to protect the flock from predators. I imagine coyotes are the main concern. They've been growing rapidly in numbers in this province and have become even more of a worry to farmers, hikers, and anyone who enjoys the outdoors.

While I have no idea of their actual names, I like to think of the two llamas as Hector Protecter and the Dolly Llama.



Next Stop:
Blomidon Nurseries - where we gathered up a pot of Euphorbia polychroma, a coneflower hybrid called Mac 'N Cheese (coneflowers do so well in our woodland garden), and three small pots of Goldstrum rudbeckia.



Last Stop:
Domaine de Grand Pré - This winery was established ten years ago by a couple from Switzerland. The grounds are beautiful and are frequently the site of summer weddings. We've often admired the property but had never stopped there before. After browsing the wine shop, we had a wonderful lunch in their restaurant.








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