I was never so glad to see the arrival of April. A new month, trees blossoming, daffodils emerging, the promise of warm weather. The old adage, March winds doth blow, was never truer.
It was also a month of loss for us. My faithful companion, “the guardian”, has left the building. After almost 14 years of taking his job very seriously, instilling fear in the very hearts of every FedEx or UPS person who dared enter the property, and loving and defending his family to the very end, we had to say goodbye to Capone. He was the last surviving member of a group of rescued pitbulls, all brought home to us by my daughter. To his family, Capone was playful and loving, he was the best ratter, determined and very successful. He paid no mind to the chickens or horses, but groundhogs and skunks- beware!
For the first time in 40 or more years, we are dogless. The silence is deafening. After ten years of being on a friend’s wait list for a puppy, I could finally tell her we were ready. After the loss of his pack, as old age took them, one by one, the mighty Capone was never one to welcome another dog in. I would look longingly at puppies, but it was never meant to be!
As fate would have it, my wonderful farrier, Brent Arbogast, came by to trim the horses, and said, oh, by the way, Margaret has a new litter of puppies! Well, one look, and my daughter and I were done for! Soooo, later this month we will be welcoming an Arbogast pup into our midst, plus a second puppy in early May, from the friend’s wait list I’ve been on for 10 years! Both these dogs will have BIG shoes to fill, but I am sure they will, each in their own way. In addition, they will fill our hearts and, I’m sure, leave us exhausted! Stay tuned!
Switching gears, I am so excited about the changes coming to J&B Country Store in Broadway. Having had a vendor booth there for many years, and teaching needle felting workshops there also, I’ve been watching Brenda Whitmore and her staff working hard at reorganization, and welcoming new vendors and a coffee shop to the building. Saturday, April 18 is another Open House with a plant swap, and the grand opening of the newly built coffee shop, Java and Jam. A new, cozy tearoom is also in the works on the first floor, near the café.
That same Saturday, I will be teaching a workshop on creating a little wooly cactus (there is still time to sign up!). If that is not enough excitement, Brenda has organized an antiques and craft show outside. The brainstorm of antiques dealer Jay Fulk, Antique Train Wreck will be outside, with the old Broadway train tracks as a backdrop. A food truck, more antiques, and craft vendors will be in the parking lot adjacent to the library. The Country Café will be serving food inside, there will be music playing, and if all that is not enough- it is Grand Opening of the newly renovated upstairs inside J&B. My classroom has been moved upstairs, and you will find as many as 45 new vendors up there. The soft opening is already in progress, with new vendors setting up daily.
Make sure you mark your calendars, and drop by for all the excitement, celebration, and sales. Welcome the owners of the new coffee shop, Tammy May and Karen Michael. Browse the vendor booths – both new and old. Stay a while! Be sure to say hi to Brenda and congratulate her on keeping her sanity through all these changes. She is like the energizer bunny, working nonstop, keeping things flowing smoothly, always with a smile on her face!
All is well at Mountain Meadows this month, with all the coming excitement April promises to bring!
