Beneath the Oaks & Beside the River

Saturday was a fantastically fun day and a very, very tiring day.

I led a workshop on behalf of the Arts Alliance to demo making living wreaths. We were fortunate enough to get permission from the local coffee shop, The Buckeroo, to hold it in the outdoor area next to the river, and Nature cooperated by giving us a sunny and unseasonably warm day with temps rising into the 70's by mid-afternoon.
One major glitch - with an entire pickup truck load of materials the wreath forms were missing. Did I forget to pick them up? Did I lose them while cleaning out the storage shed? Don't know. But at the last minute, I had to make a run to the hardware store for wire cutters and chicken wire and workshop participants also learned how to make their own form. Surprisingly, no one complained and all had fun.

This group lives down in the valley and drove up to the foothills for the workshop. All are either related or work together. The little girls on Mom's lap, McKenna, is only 4 and became my "helper" for the day earning a whole $2 at the end of her efforts. You can get an idea of the wonderful setting beneath big oaks and right at the river's edge.


These two, who decided to make things other than wreaths including little pots of plants and mud balls of plants. I'm asked to bring the workshop to the February birthday party of one of them. She and her mother have asked for a "green" theme and decided on the spot that this would be a fun thing to do. Cool.


At one point, wrapping fishing line to secure the wreath, four hands are better than two. I loved how all the adults, even those with manicures, dug in and had fun playing in the dirt!


And, I wasn't going to include this picture 'cuz I hate the expression on my face - somewhere between words and giggle - but since I rarely have photos of myself on here, I decided to include it. The Buckeroo has a little stage where they occasionally have outdoor music. It made the perfect spot for demo with everyone able to see and hear.


All the photos are from the morning session. By the time the afternoon session was over yours truly was completely exhausted. I still had to clean up and load everything back into the truck. But, the truck DID NOT get unloaded until the next morning.

Newly added to my wish list: A small barn on our lot where I can do this once a month as a business - called Second Saturdays - and also work on making garden stuff, recycled art, whatever. If you know anyone giving away barns, let me know.