Coming Down from the Mountain

We artists completed the second half of the 2007 Banner Elk (North Carolina) Mastercrafts Festival in a disappointing fashion. Although the temperatures were about ten degrees cooler than most of our hometowns, the locals and folks escaping typical summer heat just weren't acclimated to this summer's heatwave.

Sales were brisk from 10 in the morning until lunchtime. By 1:00 both afternoons the shoppers had retreated into places that featured air-conditioning. What few that braved the humidity scattered Saturday afternoon once the clap of thunder was heard toward Boone and Blowing Rock.

As for myself I cannot complain very much. I had one of the better weekends in regards to income. I also got to hang out with some of the best artists and crafters from the Southeast. In fact two groups consisting of twelve artists each taxed the Banner Elk Cafe to its limits Saturday night. That was definitely the highlight of the weekend!

As always the family was deeply missed particularly since they were with me last month for the first show. I am very pleased that they will accompany me on my final trip to the area this year for the Wooly Worm Festival. There are about a dozen of us vendors who'd do the show just for the spectacle of it. I'll have more fun details about that closer to the date (October 20 & 21).

I can't thank Sue Zalewski and the folks at The Avery County Chamber of Commerce for hosting such a wonderful event. They are some of the kindest people you'd ever want to meet and they do all they can to make us vendors comfortable. Over the past two years Sue has become a good friend who truly respects our crafts and the amount of work we put into it.

I have another interesting story that is "developing" due to our posts from late last week and Nurse Lisa's participation at a family website. I'll save that tidbit for later in the week. Instead I'll reveal that yours truly heads to Columbia, SC tomorrow morning for a meeting with folks representing The South Carolina Arts Commission and LINC communities. I don't know where this will take us but my gut tells me it can only be good!

Question: Anyone else see the "nude woman" in the cloud photo above? That was a picture I captured last month near Banner Elk, NC.

Interesting music I heard over the weekend!
New music from The Eagles...