Sometimes you just need a day off, a chance to get away from the grind...the appointments...and let your mind relax in a different space. This is especially important for an artist. Those outdoor excursions are often just what is needed for a breath of fresh air and inspiration.
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| A trip to Ghost Creek Gourd Farm |
This morning as the coffee was brewing and the dog was impatiently pacing, waiting for a bit of something different, we decided to take a trip to the gourd farm. We were already in need of some new gourd stock for our art. We always prefer picking our own gourds at the farm rather than ordering them. This gives us a chance to envision a piece of art in its raw state before we even get it home.
Packing our coffee and tea cups, the dog, dog treats, bottles of water, bins for the gourds, and don't forget the boots since it's been raining at the farm...we started out.
Halfway there we needed to stop at a little farm along the way to say good morning to the horses, who quickly come running to see you when they recognize an animal lovers heart. After a quick conversation with them and a few dog kisses, we were back on the road to the multitude of gourds waiting for us.
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| Stopping to say hello to the horses |
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| Horse Totem Reminder |
The visit with the horses was timely Horse Totem wisdom for us, reminding us to explore our freedoms and expand our horizons while traveling on our journey.
I spent the rest of the drive sipping my tea and watching the tree silhouettes zipping by, thinking about....well, thinking about everything. Art, Life, Pain, Healing, Joy, and Directions. All these things filled my mind until after awhile, finally, all I thought of was "right now". Quietly my mind became passive and open, like a big huge field lying in front of the horse who is waiting for the signal to
"Be Free".
Soon I heard the gravel crunching under the tires as we slowly turned down the road to the farm. Off to the side you could see the fields filled with the year's promise of gourds that are just waiting to be transformed by loving hands.
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| Gourd Drying in the Field |
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| Gourds waiting to be brought into the Pole Barns |
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| Ghost Creek Gourd Farm |
We made our way into the pole barns where Dickie and Linda have bins upon bins lined up and full of cleaned and dried gourds of every imaginable type. With our big reusable bags and empty bins we began choosing gourds for our art...precious supplies for making our frame drums, gourd rattles, bowls, vessels, jewelry, and figurative sculptures. We were assisted greatly by their dogs especially their beautiful male weimaraner who kisses and plays with you with each step you take.
With bags and bins full, and inspirations brimming to a new level, we loaded back into the car for the trip home.
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| Gourd Shopping Done |
What was my greatest gift of all from the trip?
"Optimism"
Have a gorgeous day everyone ! And remember, sometimes you just need to take a day off to recharge your batteries :)
(If you are wanting to visit a Gourd Farm in the Southeast, our recommendation is Ghost Creek Gourd Farm.) You can visit their website here
They also sell their gourds from their website.
And to see some of our own creations from Gourds you can visit our website at
