Last year we received a letter from a Kansas City artist Tracie Lyn Huskamp who wanted to meet Pino and me. She was teaching in the Portland Art and Soul retreat, and could she and her artist mother-in-law and another artist friend drive out to Apifera. It was so fun that they asked to come out again this year when they were once again in town for Art and Soul.
Tracie just came out with her first book, "Nature Inspired"[published by Quarry Books who are publishing my first book in 2010] which you can order now on her blog. She is just the most open hearted woman, as is her mother-in-law Mary Lin Huskamp who travels around with her and also teaches craft classes. Last year and this year, they came with Jan Harris, a Portland artist who took many pictures and promises to send me disk later on.
Anyway, they brought animal crackers, of course! And we spent a lot of time mingling with donkeys, greeting the old goat - who wasn't with us this time last year. Even Boone partook.
I like people that make me laugh, and laugh with me. I like people that are down to earth and not full of themselves. These three women are all those things. I find that the energy of this farm, Pino, and my art attracts real people, and sorts out the phonies. 
While I didn't make them pie, I made them lavender shortbread's shaped like donkeys. But of course! They in turn brought me wonderful goodies, like a ceramic bunny that was a rattle [made by Jan Harris] which I'll put in the Small Rodent and Bird Cemetery. And lovely prints of Tracie's, and Mary Lin made a beautiful wool bag that is perfect for egg collecting. I seem to getting a good collection of egg collectors!
The donkeys made our day, as usual. Even though Paco was quite grumpy due to his worry and stress over the hunting opener.
