Escape to Fae Ridge

Last weekend Shane & I got out of town for a much needed escape from Des Moines.  It has been a busy summer for both of us and it was great to just leave it all behind if only for two days.  We met up with our friends Barb & Bob and as the med headed off to Best Buy to buy some electronic gadgets (for me!) Barb & I headed to Fae Ridge Farm (additional notes here).  Barb has been talking about Fae Ridge for a long time - she faithfully makes the 45 minute drive every Saturday to visit the farm and knit with her knitting group.  The day was dreary and rainy but once we got to the farm the outside weather was forgotten!  The shop is small but is very welcoming as were all the "regular" knitters.  Wine, laughter, hilarity, knitting, swearing, and fiber fondling quickly ensued and before I knew it the afternoon was just gone.

Janette, the owner of Fae Ridge, has a little slice of heaven on earth that she opens up to all who care to share it with her.  In her shop you can buy organically grown vegetables, homemade soap and shampoo, painted goose eggs, hand woven items, vine wreathes, baskets, fresh chestnuts, homemade dog treats, great yarn - focusing on socially responsible yarn - and the list just goes on. Janette has her animals sheered and then washes and dyes the fleeces to sell or spin.  She had just had a huge dye fest in her basement and invited us into her house to see the "rainbow that exploded".  It was stunning.

Even the raw, uncleaned fleeces were a thing of beauty and those animals stood just outside.  The spinners in the group were able to make grab bags of fleece to spin even though the fibers were barely dry.  As we looked at the wondrous fiber Janette tossed another fleece into the utility sink and started washing it right then because it was "fun".  I put "fun" in quote because that is what Janette said and she didn't mean it sarcastically, she truly loves the process of cleaning and dying the fleeces and she does it so very well.

That is just the inside of the shop - we must not forget the 14 acre farm the shop sits on.

The rain finally let up for a while and even though the skies were threateningly gray and the ground was soaking wet I grabbed my camera and went exploring.  I grew up in the country on a dead end dirt road and it has been a very long time since I have had the chance to be in a place that feels as peaceful as where I grew up did.  Janette's farm sits on a gravel road - a very quiet gravel road.  There was no noise of traffic that I had to tune out (as I do here in Des Moines) only the honking of her geese, the constant drip of the remnants of the rainy day and the ding of bells tied around the neck of her goats.

As I explored the grounds looking at the gardens and the animals (and not getting too close to the guard llamas so I didn't get spit on) I didn't feel my jeans getting soaked nor feel my shoes squishing because they were soaked.

I saw why Janette loved her farm so much and was struck with the thought of how awesome it is that Janette has made her life doing what she loves to do every single day on HER terms.  I'm not saying that I am going to move off grid but it was a gentle reminder that my life is MINE and I need to remember that I'm not only lucky to be alive but that I need to take the time to slow down, enjoy life as it happens and see the beauty in every day things.

I will go back to Fae Ridge some day - not only to buy more wonderful yarn and to laugh uproariously with the wonderful knitters but to enjoy the peaceful surroundings (and hopefully get some more great pictures!).  Here is a link to the full Flickr set of pictures I took at Fae Ridge.