Colorfest Weekend...Thurmont, Maryland

Two weeks ago we were in Thurmont for Meagan and Erik's Wedding. This weekend, Hubbie and I were there to set up for Colorfest. We've been doing this show for years in the front yard of friends who have a building on Main St.

Lou made the personalize garage sign for the couple
who let us use their property to pop up our tents and peddle our wares.

Although it rained while setting up on Friday evening
the rest of the weekend was shower free.

We used to participate in shows almost every other weekend...and this is the first show we've actually set up for all year. Obviously we have gotten old...we were exhausted.

The Catoctin Furnace

Many times Lou and I have passed the sign on Rt. 15 for the Catoctin Furnace while on our way to set up for Colorfest in Thurmont. Meagan has been looking for a unique place for to have some photos taken the day of the wedding and discovered a bridge at the Catoctin Furnace, which is located in Cunningham Falls State Park while searching online. For information on the Iron Furnace you may want to check out this link.
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/cunninghamhistory.html

We found the remains of the furnace and the owners home with no problem...but where was the bridge? Zoeanne, Meg's soon to be Mother-in-law, decided to stay in the car while Meagan and I searched for the bridge. After following a path, probably a 1/2 of a mile into the woods, we came to the Bowstring Arch Bridge. It was a wonderful walk through the woods, with ferns and wildflowers, and the bridge would have been a beautiful place for pictures...but I don't think a wedding gown is exactly the perfect choice for hiking clothes. I think maybe we could have group photographs taken at the furnace itself...or maybe the Bride will find some other special spot. Maybe the President will let us use Camp David...

Not enough hours...in the year

Is it just me or does everyone feel like there aren't enough hours in the year? This is such a big year for hubbie and me. Our eldest daughter and her husband are expecting our first grandchild in July and the wedding of our baby and her intended is in September. With those two wonderful events come so many other things to do. Our house will be the location for two separate showers, each daughter giving the other a shower for her upcoming special occasion. Getting the house ready for the showers is more work than I thought it would be. Besides just the basic "spring cleaning" I am noticing more and more that needs to be done. The weather here hasn't been co-operating either. Four weeks ago we shoveled 2 yards of top soil onto bare spots in the yard and planted grass seed. We had three weeks of rain and the straw spread on top to keep the moisture in became mashed into the soil by the downpours. The seed either rotted or sprouts couldn't poke through the straw which was like a layer of concrete. We picked all the straw off the areas and replanted. Needless to say, we still have no grass and with 3 inches of rain overnight, it looks like the seed we planted last week may fair no better.

On Saturday, I accompanied the Bride to be and her future Mother in law to Thurmont, MD
( just a stones throw to camp David) to measure areas of the "Party Barn" to determine how much of what we need to decorate for the wedding. We were pleasantly surprised to find most of the white lights we had put up at the barn for Holly's wedding 3 years ago still worked. There was a graduation party being held there in the afternoon so we arrived around 10 in the morning. We also needed to find "THE" place on the property where the actual ceremony will be held. Meagan and Erik decided to be married at the barn rather than in a church. Hoping for good weather, I think the Bride has decided on a spot under a tree just outside the barn for the ceremony, to make it easier on the older guests. The other option was in a field with Catoctin Mountains as a backdrop. Which do you think...tree or field? We also went in search of a florist. After calls last week to several local floral shops in town, we were told they weren't open on weekends or were just too tired and decided to take a few days off. Small town living I guess. We ended up in Frederick and found a wonderful flower shop on Market Street, to create the bouquets.





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