Disappointed

I was getting pretty excited about selling my baskets at Mountain Magic in Fall, a local festival here in Buchanan, VA.

Then the rain began  It rained off and on for about 5 days.  The last 24 hours or so dropped over 5 inches.  Many inches came poring out of the sky in just a few hours. 

 

The James River is up and the carnival grounds in Buchanan, where they hold the festival, are soaked.  So the Town Of Buchanan decided to push the festival back to next Saturday.  The Saturday when I will be in Texas.  That Saturday.

So now I have bins of baskets. Bunches of bins of baskets.  Scads of baskets.  Sixty-six baskets.

I will put them away and wait for the next Buchanan festival.  Or maybe I will start an Etsy site.

 

Either way, I will sell them somewhere.

But in the meantime, there are some other shapes and things I want to try with the baskets that I put off learning.  I wanted to make as many baskets as possible in as many styles as I was comfortable making, so I put off my experimentation.

So now I get to go play around and I don't have to worry about producing.  So, that will be fun.

But I REALLY wanted to try selling them and see if other people like my baskets as much as I do.

Baskets on Display

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If you follow my blog, you will know that I have been making baskets to sell at Mountain Magic in Fall in the Town of Buchanan.  I got the first book of instructions on making coiled fabric baskets from the library.  I wanted to keep it, but libraries frown on that, so I found one on Amazon and bought it.  There are a few more books on making my new favorite type of baskets on Amazon, so I recently bought them as well.  Once I finish making baskets to sell I will try some of the different techniques in the new books.  I can't sell baskets I am learning on.  No one wants those. 

 

The library in Fincastle has a display case and various people or organizations show what they are working on for a month at a time.  I have the month of September.

 

I placed the book that I am using there, too.  It is my copy of the one the library consortium owns.  I also placed the books I will use next, in case people want to encourage the library to get those, too.  Libraries are good about that.  Tell them what you want and you have a good chance that they will get it for you.

 

This year Mountain Magic will be held October 1st.  I have reserved a space and am excited about it.  If I don't sell any baskets, I will be less excited.  I'm hoping my friends will at least stop by and visit me.

 

Naturally, I forgot to take pictures when I finished setting up the display.  The children's librarian sent me these, so I didn't have to make another trip.  It helps to have friends in high places. 

I hope to have about 50 baskets by the time Mountain Magic in Fall rolls around.  I am also hoping I don't have 50 baskets to take home at the end of the day.  My friends and family share this hope.  If I don't sell any, they have a pretty good idea what gifts they will be getting for every birthday and Christmas for a very long time....

Mountain Magic 2014

 

This past weekend was the 20th annual Mountain Magic in Fall Festival in Buchanan.  This is a Bluegrass, Antiques and Craft show and this year seemed like the biggest one yet.

 

It has been voted the Top Community Event in the Roanoke Times many times and is really fun.

 

Up until now,  Main Street through Buchanan was closed for the festival.  This year they closed parts of  Lowe Street and used the carnival grounds.  Main Street in Buchanan is a continuation of highway 11 and it is the alternate route for I-81.  When there is an accident on 81, they route everybody, big rig trucks and all, through the tiny town of Buchanan. This is not a good mix with closed streets and festival attendees.

 

In my opinion, the park is the perfect place for the festival. 

 

There was ample, close parking, the vendors were all in one location without having a long line of them, and they were able to open the buildings for the local organizations to sell or make food for their favorite charities.

 

This was also a better venue for the various musical groups.  Young and old, everyone loves the music!

 

The bandstand was perfect and there was a lot more room in front for the music lovers to set up their chairs,

 

grab some fair food and kick back.

 

There are even covered places to sit and eat.

 

It seemed to me that there were more people, but not as many antique cars as I had seen, or maybe noticed, previously.  I used to have to hike out to the end of the town for the line of antique cars and then back to get some great fair food.  That is usually my favorite part of any festival.  This time it was a short walk to al the rows of vendors.  I would anticipate even more people enjoying this new location.

 

Did you get your Buchanan Fries?  No?  Well, there's always next year

Mountain Magic in Fall

Lee entered the truck he is almost finished rebuilding in the Mountain Magic In Fall festival.  They close off the main street in Buchanan and have Bluegrass music, vendors and a car show.  Each year the festival gets bigger.  I parked in town and had quite a hike to get to the end of the vendors.  That is where the car show starts.  I heard that this year they had more than 100 vendors.

 

 

Not all the vendor spaces are selling things.  There are also politicians ready to convince you to vote for them.  There are various church groups, businesses, raffles or charities hoping to get your attention or dollars.  All the local antique shops are open and doing big business.  It is fun!

And I won't even go into the food you should never eat, but is ubiquitous at these kinds of events.  This is the first year that I was able to avoid a funnel cake.  Yay, me!  I was unable to avoid a pulled pork BBQ sandwich and most of a cotton candy on a paper cone.  Bad me.  But you must help support the local charities.  It is the thing to do.  All for them and not for me.

 

The day started out cool and overcast.  We got there early, about 8, so that we could get a close spot to all the action.  It was pretty close, but it was still a long walk to the center of town with the music.  As the day went along it became quite hot, in the high 80's.  So much so that I moved the chairs we brought into the shade the truck made. After all, it took me three years of working in the library to get rid of the farmer's tan I got from one year of working on clearing the property when we first moved here. 

I was hunched over by the front wheel and almost invisible to the passing crowds on the other side of the truck.  This afforded me the opportunity to hear a lot of the comments.  We noticed our biggest fans were old men in John Deere ball caps and young boys in John Deere T-shirts.

A very young girl with a high pitched voice said, "Green...and yellow!  Shiny!"

An older gentleman to his grandson, " My daddy had one of these.  We have a picture of him with it in the field."

A teenaged girl, "This is awesome!"  And a teenaged boy, "Nice looking truck.  If I had $15,00, I'd buy it."  He didn't and he won't, but it was nice to hear.

And another favorite, "15,000.  Is that all?"

Lots of people took pictures.  One couple seemed very enthusiastic.  I asked if either of them would like their picture taken to be put on my blog.  I warned them that if they were in the Witness Protection Program, that they should decline.  He did.  She didn't.

 


Does this mean he is in the WPP?

Truck Mirrors

 
Lee is almost finished with the GMC truck he has been rebuilding.  The goal is to finish it in time for the Mountain Magic In Fall celebration in Buchanan, VA.  Every year the town blocks off the road and has music, vendors and a car show.  My favorite part is the food, of course!

 

Lee likes the cars and we walk down and look at them all...while I graze on cotton candy and then healthy food like funnel cakes or a pulled pork sandwich!

If you don't go you are missing out on a fun, small town festival.  And you will miss seeing us with our "John Deere" truck.

 

One of the last things to do was put on the mirrors. I sat inside and Lee moved it around until I could see the side of the truck. 

 

Then he marked and drilled the holes. 

 

So, when you see the truck in Buchanan, remember.  Lee did not build this all by himself.  I helped.

 

No Rush

Here is my advice.  It's free  Take it or leave it. 

NEVER tell someone that there is no rush for their services. 

Our architect, whom we do not recommend for many reasons, took SIX MONTHS to give us the finished drawings.  After two months we started gently pushing.  After four months I was mad.  After six months we took the drawings and ran to the county and THEN found out they had made multiple mistakes we thought they had corrected months ago.

 

Not so recently Lee took the truck he had just finished restoring to get paint.  "No rush, " he says.  We just got it back today.  It took them over three months.

 

There were many excuses.  They had to re-spray.  They couldn't re-spray because it was raining.  It has been raining for months, I agree.  But surely there are businesses where it rains a lot that can still get the job done.

No matter.  Here it is.

 

Now Lee can put the flat bed back on it and free up the lift for other work he has been putting off.

But what do you think?  Do you like the John Deere colors? Lee figured a flat bed truck would most likely go to a farmer and they just love that green paint!  It will match their tractors.  Once he finishes with it, we will drive it to a few cruise-ins.  Maybe display it for Mountain Magic In Fall in Buchanan.

Then sell it. 

But there is no rush.

Mountain Magic in Fall 2012

   

 

    

Well, it's that time again.  Once again, Buchanan is hosting a Fall celebration right through the center of downtown.  Granted there is not much more to the town than right through the center, but they do a pretty good job for a small town. 

   

The main street is blocked off and all the merchants have something going. 

   

Each year we have more and more vendors and more visitors, based on my perusal of the parking situation.

   

There is a car show for a couple of blocks.  From classic cars to muscle cars to hot rods.  Oh, and an old fire truck.

   

There is a lot of jewelry and wooden crafts.  The antique stores put out a few things, but you really need to go inside to see all that is for sale.

   

They have Bluegrass music with different bands throughout the day.  And these aren't garage bands, but real bands with good music.

   

But, if you are like me, then it is the totally forbidden junk food that is the biggest attraction.  You guessed it FUNNEL CAKES.  These were the best I've had.  I am a purist.  Gotta be just out of the fryer.  They have to have a light dusting of powdered sugar so they are crispy, not smothered and soggy.  Yum.

   

Of course we had some lemonade for our fruit....and kettle corn for our vegetable.

We both had a hot dog, but didn't slow down long enough for a picture. That was the healthy entree.  Hey!  Mine had pickle relish (veg) and coleslaw (more veg).  I would have had onions (veg) but they were out.  Thereby making a hot dog merely a vessel for lots of delicious veggies.

Then we walked up and down the WHOLE street.  That was at least 3 or 4 blocks.  Up and back.  So that was our exercise.  All in all, a great day.

   

 

As long as you don't count the fact that I am feeling a little queasy.  Can't even finish my half of the funnel cake...Better go lie down...the other part of our healthy day...plenty of rest.

   

 

And we left our vicious attack cat to watch over our kitchen while we were gone.  How he got his fat self up there is anyone's guess.

     

Buchanan Gazebo

   

My girls used to love the Gilmore Girls.  In fact I think they still watch it in re-runs.  The show took place in the fictional town of Stars Hollow.  It painted a really nice view of small town life.

Buchanan is also a small town.  Though I think it is way smaller than Stars Hollow.  We have quite a few events that are fun.  There is the Civil War weekend where they camp in the park and fight right down the main street.  Mountain Magic in Fall is this weekend and there will be vendors, live music and a car show.  I admit to liking the junk food best.  Funnel Cakes, anyone?

Recently the Town Of Buchanan built a very cute Gazebo in the Park.  I believe the intention is to have music and celebrations there.  If you donated to the building fund, you could get your name on a plaque for all time.  Or until it fades away or something.  We liked the idea of giving to the community and also that some future descendants will find our names and be amused.  So there we are.



 I mean THERE we are!

   

 

There was a very nice ribbon cutting and Harry Gleason, the Downtown Revitalization Manager gave a nice speech about the town's beginnings.  Harry is in charge of all of the festivals and events we have and everyone knows him.  Lots of individuals and businesses donated to get this new addition to Buchanan built and I can't wait to go to the first concert.