Christkindlmart

The fog has lifted.  The rain has stopped.  And once again the sun made an appearance...

at least at sunrise (followed by a grey, cloudy day.)   The good thing is...

the herd is no longer muddy.

And, they were quite happy for a few hours out in the pasture, again.

Yesterday took us on an adventure off of the farm.  In the morning we headed an hour north to Danville where our favorite wild-caught salmon and seafood store is.  We needed some fish for our freezer and some seafood for our family Christmas party.  While in the area, I stopped in my favorite boutique/antique store, Timeworn Treasures.

This is one local shop that I try to visit with each changing season.

Their displays are always inspiring.

And the women who own the shop are delightful.  We always have the best chats when I visit!

After running a few Christmas errands, we returned to the farm for afternoon chores.  Then, we headed back out to another small town for their annual Christkindlmart.  We made a quick stop along the way at our favorite potter.  He's located in a wonderful old mill along Penn's Creek.  All of our tea and coffee mugs have come from this potter.

Next stop: the quaint, historic town of Mifflinburg for their annual German Christmas Market.  Pennsylvania has a very strong German influence, ie:  Pennsylvania Dutch.

We arrived just in time for a small parade...

featuring Father Christmas.

A few of his reindeer were available for photos.

There were so many food stands serving all sorts of German faire, Strudel stands, German beers and Gluwhein (hot, spiced wine), and hot ciders.  Tiny wooden shops filled with German imports and handcrafts lined both sides of the street.

We saw lots of historic buildings built in the very early 1800's,

including this old church, thought to be the oldest wood-frame church in Pennsylvania.

Homes were decorated beautifully.  I love small towns with a strong sense of community.  This was truly a festive night that would put anyone in a holiday spirit!

We returned home just in time to tuck everyone in for the night.  I got such a kick out of this line up of guineas on a branch of the maple tree behind the barn.  

This branch was so weighted down by these whacky birds.

We are now at the one week countdown to our family Christmas party (the week before Christmas) - so the next week will be filled with all sorts of party preparation.  I may be absent a day or two if I get overwhelmed with tasks.  But, as always... I'll return when the smoke clears!

Have a lovely weekend... who knows what adventures we will have in the next two days.

We'll check in with you on Monday to catch up.