MDSW 2026 Pt 1: The Event

 

I made it and have lived to tell about it but it wasn't easy. First let me say that we had a very scary moment when we rolled up to the place AND THERE WAS NO TRAFFIC. Did I have the wrong weekend? Every year, for over 30 years, we've sat and sat waiting our turn to get into the parking lot from the main highway. The event website even says to expect an hour wait. Yesterday we didn't see another car on the road but....the lot was full. We got there at about 11 which apparently is the sweet spot for traffic but not for admission. Now that you have to pay ($15 per person!) the line to do so is around the block. We stood there for a good 25-30 minutes slowly inching our way up to the cashier booth. 

If you want to know what the crowd looks like, here it is. Remember that the barns, exhibit halls and tent booths are also filled to the brim as is the corral where they hold the sheep dog show. It's a lot of people in one place. 

After fighting our way through that crowd we always head to the sheep first. This year's featured breed is the Scottish Blackface. This handsome fella was camera shy but...

...the babies weren't. You could have picked up this little one and put him in your pocket. He enjoyed a good rub down from The Mister.  His little baas were adorable. So sweet. 

The fleece sale was uninspiring. I had almost talked myself into buying one but there wasn't anything that tempted me. I'm happy to say at least the prices have gone back to being reasonable. 

The sheep dog show was entertaining. That dog is newly trained and wasn't listening to the shepherds at all. It made for some comical moments for the crowd not so much for the poor sheep. 

It was an unusually cool day which would have been perfect for showing off your fancy knits but there wasn't much to see. I suppose most folks have packed their fancy stuff away for the year anticipating another blistering hot festival. I know I did. I had to go digging to pull out last year's Miss Bab's MDSW colorway socks just so I would be wearing something that was in the spirit of the day. 

We stopped for lunch before I did any serious shopping which I will post about tomorrow. Here's a candid shot of me The Mister took while I'm using my new doohickey. It was a life saver. I was really struggling with all the walking and it was good to have a place to rest for a bit. Yes, I know I look like a homeless person. It's been three weeks of complete misery with my aching back and stiff neck. Bathing, getting dressed, washing my hair...all that takes a great deal of painful effort and I'm worn out before I even get started since I can't even get a good night's sleep. Next year I'll fancy myself up. At least that's what I told myself. This year was all about survival.

Tomorrow: Part 2 The Stuff