Galax 2013

I love going to Galax every June for the Leaf & String Festival. I've attended in 2010, 2011, and 2012. This year, I wasn't up to doing two days, so I only went on Friday.  Chapters Bookshop sponsors the Authors on Grayson tent, and they really know how to make authors welcome. Here's how I looked after I sat up my display.

I was next to Karen J. Hall on one side . . . 

. . . and Betsy Ashton on the other.

One of the visitors to the tent was a charming and well-behaved labradoodle named Skittles. Unfortunately, the dog didn't read.

From time to time, I wandered to a few nearby shops. In the antique store (I think it's A Place in Time) on the corner, I found this little coin purse that looks like a Laurel Burch design.

I bought my lunch (chef salad with pork) at the Galax Smokehouse. They always give a discount to authors.

Among some of the arts along Main Street were these hand-woven and hand-dyed baskets.

This big chair was a hit with the kids. I asked the maker how it got it to the festival. He said he just slid it onto the back of his pickup truck.

Here's a detail of the back.

The craftsman also made other furniture to sit on. I love the tractor seat stools.

I saw this giraffe in front of a gallery. The critter was made of a gazillion bits of beer cans.

Actually, there were two of them. I should have gone in the shop, but I didn't have time.

This was the first time I've been to Galax where it didn't rain, so the drive home Friday evening was pleasant. However, it's taking me a couple of days to recover from the trip. I'm not as young as I used to be, and the aches and pains of old age are more evident.

But I'm still looking forward to Galax in 2014.

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