Day: October 6, 2016

Maria and I are excited and a little bit stunned by the success of our young (three days) You Tube experiment to sell her art, the work of Open House artists, and her wool. We are opening up a You Tube Sales Channel. The few videos we have posted have drawn more than a thousand views and sold more than $1000 worth of art.

Maria has had to set aside much of the art so people coming to the Open House will have plenty of things to see and/or buy.

Our idea is to open up the art to people who can’t make it to the Open House as well as people who can (Maria’s studio is stuffed with affordable art and possible Christmas gifts, it isn’t  that far off.) In a sense, we are re-thinking the Open House. Thanks to new technology, we can invite the world and many can accept our invitation.

Speaking of classy affordable art, we did this video this morning to show our sheep and the yarn Maria is selling for $25 a skein (plus shipping.) Normally, the yard is all sold before we even get it from the wool, this year she has some left for the first time and she wants give everyone a chance to see it and buy some if they wish.

Lots of faraway  people requested that we show them the art and give them an opportunity to buy it, and this year, some of the sales will go towards Maria’s trip to India in February to help the victims of sex trafficking in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta.) learn how to make potholders and other forms of fiber art.

The Romneys – our Gang Of Four – has  re-focused us on Maria’s wool operation, we love it more and more each year and are learning more about it each year.  At first, we knew nothing about wool or yarn, we know a lot now.

People love Maria’s wool but better she tell you about that herself, she does in the video. People who want to buy it can contact her via e-mail: [email protected].

And thanks for joining in this experiment, it looks to be a permanent element in search for different ways to support our creativity and our lives. We are excited about it and grateful for its success so far.  New technology has made it possible for us to be here, practice our own ideas about creativity and pay our bills.

I hope we are helping to define the new future for creative people, it is possible and exciting to follow your bliss. There are new tools to help.

Come and meet our sheep and see the yarn Maria is selling.

Yesterday, Fate underwent surgery at the Cambridge Valley Veterinary Service – they are almost too nice to believe there, they are like family to me (only nicer). She could barely walk, and she was sedated while Dr. Blanchette and Cassandra and Nicole explored her right paw.

She came home with a heavy tightly wrapped bandage, three kinds of pills, and a plastic cone (I hate the plastic cones, especially on working dogs). We followed all of our instructions, Fate was dopey after sedation and quiet for her, she seemed disoriented and was still limping badly.

We put her in the crate downstairs, she was barely conscious and put the hood on. This morning, we got up early and when Maria opened the crate, Fate exploded right out of it like a bullet from a gun. The hood, was, of course, off and so were half of the bandages.

Fate rocketed out of the crate and ran to the door. She was wild-eyed with energy and expectations, we had to force the pills down her throat, she was too eager to work to eat. For years, I’ve had these hilarious battles with vets and vet techs about cones. I’ve never had a border collie that would tolerate a cone, keep it on, or not figure out how to remove it in seconds.

They always insist on the cones, but I think deep down they know they won’t last on border collies. It’s a game for them. I think the vets are just buying time.

Same with bandages. This morning, Fate’s limp was completely gone, she was 100 per cent.

I let her come out to the pasture with us but wouldn’t let her run (see the video). I thought I could fool her into thinking she was working. We  had to put a plastic cover over the bandages to keep them dry, there was some potion in there to suck out whatever might be  buried in the wound. She’s on antibiotics and pain-killers.

The vets says she can work a bit at the Open House if she still isn’t limping, so that is neat also. You can tell when a dog is fine, there is a gleam in their eyes, even for stoic border collies.

I liked the approach the took with Fate, checking on several possibilities, trying a few things, not overdoing it. It did cost about $400 for the procedure, exam,  X-rays, pills, etc. That is a part of life with dogs. She’s worth it, and so are they.

You have to know when to go to the vet, and when not to go. When a dog is in that much pain, I go.

We were concerned about her, she could hardly stand up, but she’s fine now, we’re grateful to the crew at the Cambridge Valley vets, they are quite special and are lucky to have them. Today, the challenge is to keep Fate from exploding, she is ready to run and sitting by the door. Not yet, girl, for once I am trying to be restrained.