Hen heaven!

I nearly didn't go Th contemporary Craft Festival but then decided I would only waste the day and feel crap because of it, so after chicken opening, breakfast eating and blipping I went! Wonderful drive over the moors, quite atmospheric and still beautiful with a drizzle and low cloud. met the usual herd of black cows and calves wandering up and across the road!
I met up with colorful mai and her partner and his friends down from Birmingham, who i really got on well with later in the day. So we arranged to meet up for coffee and off I went to the main tent. As usual blown away by the inventiveness and beauty of it all. Most taken by the moths and had a great chat with the artist, we'd both read the book The Behaviour Of Moths by Poppy Adams! sadly her moths were way too expensive for me and came as part of a light and the ones on spoons were not the same!  I was also taken by the chickens in boxes, but again too expensive and decided I could make one myself! I was however most taken by the automaton chickens by ianthetoymaker - I had seen the pecking chickens last year and had been so tempted, this year he had made more variations - turns out his chickens had been caught by the badger and this was part of his healing therapy! Everyone who made chicken pieces kept chickens - they are addictive, once a chicken owner and lover always a chicken lover! So I chatted and played with all his chickens and made myself walk away! I found more chicken related things and everything else besides! Went back to the automatons intending to buy but told myself not to be so ridiculous, I had a photo and that was sufficient! 
I met the others for espresso and a crepe which I shared with Colourful Mai on a Zebra seat! Then we were off again! A woman who used to live in the village and gave us Penny and Flora when she left was there exhibiting - so we had a good chat about chickens and Friend whose news she had not heard - she was most shocked, they used to look after each others children when they were much younger and both been left by their husbands. 
I took the others on to the chicken automatons, buying a bracelet and earrings on the way which were photographs on perspex - much nicer than they sound! Once at the stall the smile and sense of happiness returned - the one I loved reminded me of Milly and Tilly when they found their first worm - one found it and ran, the other chased and grabbed it and ran, and so it went on till they both had one end and had a tug of war! I told myself I had resisted last year, I had resisted twice today, third time lucky and I bought it! If it gave me such pleasure I reasoned it was worth every pound!  He even signed it and added "For madchickenwoman!" 
Colourful Mai and partner had to leave, so I wandered around with Rucksack Andy and Button Phobic Kate! Yes discovered she was scared of buttons! I had a chat and a stroke of a two gorgeous dogs, and I'm sure I photographed the older dog as a puppy last year!  There were the most interesting range of vehicles as food stalls - the one we had an ice cream from - salted caramel with loads of caramel bits! - is the last remaining VW factory ordered ice cream van worldwide! She is called Mimi!
So finally the place was closing and it was time to leave - said goodbye to my new friends and set off over the moors singing along to Snowpatrol and meeting I swear the same black cows and calves on a different part of the road! 
I skipped bookclub as too tired, but did a little weeding on the allotment as I waited for the girls to go to bed - what a simply perfectly enjoyable day it had been! Ribbons and vehicles here including a vintage mobile cinema! I didn't take a load of photos as having too much fun looking and chatting!!