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| Deb Strong & I at my booth |
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| Yummy apples |
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| Someone being introduced to their 1st horse |
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| Onno, Barb's husband & major behind-the-scenes organizer [ with a very dry wit!] |
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| Lovely scene at the farm |
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| One of the outdoor booths |
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| Lots of fresh, yummy fruit and vegetables |
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| More yummies |
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| Crystal[l] and Deborah[r] setting up on Saturday |
The weather obliged, the vendors were great, and the crowds came. It was warm and sunny this last weekend, which I'm sure made all the difference to the event's attendance. And the cause was a good one for all us horse-lovers. These beautiful animals had, for years, raced their hearts out for their owners, and were now pretty much being discarded - too old, too broken down ... They deserve a good retirement after their hard life! I myself have a retired standardbred pacer, who is so sweet, willing to please, and full of character, I feel extremely fortunate to have him in my life.
Back to the event. Initially, I found it difficult to sit around for hours, but then the nearby vendors started getting to know each other. Deborah Strong, who creates animal and nature art, is a fount of information and inspiration, with a truly wicked wit. Crytsal paints large, bright and beautiful scenes of people's homes. Her creative process is amazingly detailed, and I learned a fair bit talking with her, and Deborah as well.
There were food vendors, leather-goods makers, jewellers ... it was a great mix of products and people.
With all of us, there were also some of Barb's [the owner] family. Her husband, Onno, was doing a lot of everything, carrying, setting up, organizing parking, towing cars that managed to get stuck in soft ground when parking ... Barb's mom was manning the gourmet foods handled by "Fields and Flowers". I managed to have a few brief conversations with her dad, who is a fascinating man, and was also helping with a bit of everything.
I met a very interesting woman, Maureen, who had her degree in pharmacology, but had chosen to remain in her career as race-horse trainer. It was in her blood; her mother had been the first woman trainer at Hastings Park.
All in all, the weekend was fabulous. And I even managed to sell a few paintings ... just enough to keep me coming back for more!
