Bisbee and the class were amazing. Once again, a room full of people as passionate about string as I am. Awesome, smart, funny, talented people at that. Simply amazing. And waaaay too much fun!
So, on to the snapshots...
With my usual convoluted travel arrangements firmly in place, I drove to Edmonton, then flew to Las Vegas. I booked a hotel room through Hotwire.com, which is a trippy experience to begin with, but it turned out to be in the Planet Hollywood Resort. Which was fabulous in so many ways, including the view from my window...
...and the bathtub! I very nearly never made it to Bisbee. I could have happily lived the rest of my life in that tub!
But I did make it to Bisbee. Or rather, to Tucson, where I picked up by Joan Ruane, who was my hostess for the weekend. Joan is a fantastic spinner, and a warm and generous hostess, who even humored my request to stop at Tombstone to get my picture taken at the OK Corral.
That shadow is Joan!
Then we detoured to the wetlands just near Joan's home to see the sandhill cranes who were passing through as they began their migration north. To Wood Buffalo National Park, just north of us here in McMurray. (I hope they plan their travel routes more efficiently than I tend to!)
A good night's sleep, and off to the workshop...
...which would not be complete without a class dog!
Meet Ladybug, the constant companion of one of the participants. Ladybug sat quietly and patiently while I gabbled on about the intricacies of twist, and was always waiting with a cheerful wag and a lick when it was time for a break.
Bisbee itself is a charming little community perched on hilltops and steep slopes, all surrounding a now-defunct copper pit mine. The mine is alarmingly beautiful, since, as one of my students said, it's developed a patina. We passed it each morning on our way into the studio and every morning, I caught my breath at the colors and light. Stunning.
There are many wonderful stories about Bisbee, the class, the students, and the Art Auction (from which I came away the proud owner of a shawl woven by Joan!). There was gourmet chocolate and Bisbee blue turquoise and fabulous food and lots of laughs. Hopefully someone learned something useful, too...
Then back up to Tucson with Elaine, who turned out to be another generous and gracious hostess. I was subjected to this view over breakfast...
...but I think I coped very well. Just breathtaking--I can't even imagine waking up to that kind of beauty every morning. Elaine is an amazing weaver and has a studio away from this window, which I think is why she can be so productive. If I had this to stare at, I would never get anything done!
Once again, many stories came home with me from Tucson. I met with a group of knitters who knocked my socks off. Fortunately, they were knitting more! I got a tour of Tucson, and stopped in at Grandma's Spinning Wheel, where I got to try a Spinolution Mach II. I also got to go to Tucson Yarn and found some yummy sock indie yarn that is now on the needles. I visited the Tucson Fiber Arts Guild's rug study group, which was fascinating--especially show and tell. Then there was the mad dash to the airport, which is a long story all on its own! All in all a wonderful visit. And back to Vegas...
...where I had managed to Hotwire myself into Caesar's Palace, where I was upgraded to a honeymoon suite. With so much to do in Vegas, I mostly just wanted to crawl into this gigantic bed and sleep. But I didn't. Most of the shows were dark because it was mid-week, but there was plenty of shopping and fine dining. And a Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom.
I got back to Edmonton, then back home. And I have been on the run since I got off the plane. The next two weeks will be a blur, then I'm off to Fort St. John to give my Spinning Super Socks workshop and a Don't Throw That Away seminar. Looking forward to more adventures. And more snapshots!
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