A Saturday ride...

It's really here!  Yep, fall that is.  Just look at those trees.  I have mixed emotions about the changing season.  I love the colors and the chill in the air but then again it signals winter is just around the corner.  This also means motorcycle season will be coming to a close soon too.

So Saturday we got out the motorcycle and took off for a ride!  The weather was perfect.  Cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon.  Great riding weather.

The motorcycle came with the husband and I benefit from being the passenger.  I love the feeling of the wind rushing by me.  In the fall I love the smell of woodsmoke and leaves.  You just can't get the same experience riding in a car.

Just look at that beautiful view!  Yep, I was snapping pictures as we rode along.

So where did we end up?

Back at Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill, Kentucky!

Just look at that blue sky!  Not a cloud to be found.

We really didn't get to see as much as we would have liked on our last trip there thanks to the rain.  So we decided we'd give it another go.  Besides it gave us a destination for our ride!

Center Family Dwelling

This time we got to see the short video that told about the Shakers and the village.  We learned that the village was arranged according to function, buildings stood in ranks, with dark colored agricultural buildings in the back line.  Next came shops and wash houses painted in middle tones of yellow and cream.  The dwellings faced the village road.  The pure white meeting house anchored the spiritual center of the Shaker village.  How cool is that?

I was surprised to find a quilt show hanging on the second floor of the above building!  These quilts were made by Armantha Harris Perkins.  If you click the picture below you can read more about her and the quilts.

Next we ventured on to the East Family Dwelling where we saw the video and to see the needlework exhibit.  I swear folks we just happened onto these two exhibits.  Don't you love when that kind of stuff happens?!

East Family Dwelling

You had to go to the back of the building and down in the basement level.  Check out the sign below.

My honey and I are both tall people and we really did have to "mind our heads" when we entered the basement.  Those Shakers must have been short.

Once inside there were plenty of photos and captions to read. There were many things to look at from clothes to household items.

I'd love to have one of these sewing boxes.

Check out this wonderful hooked rug.  I love the spotted horse!

  Look what I found!  A sampler made by Mary C. Payne.

Here's a picture of Mary.

After we checked out the exhibit we ventured on over to the barn.

Can you see the hoof prints in the dirt?

These are what made them.  They are Percheron draft horses, gentle giants.

Outside the barn we saw these characters!  I really wanted to take one of the babies home with me.  They were so soft and just so dang cute.

I was so smitten, my honey made me get up off the ground and quit feeding them dandelion leaves so we could go see more stuff.  Yep, I've got me a soft spot for goats.  Somehow I don't think our neighbors would share the love and it probably would have been an uncomfortable ride home with one on my lap too.

Of course the trip had to include a snoop through the gift shop again.

Tiny box with scissors shown for size

I just had to bring this tiny one home with me.  There was definitely room on the motorcycle for it!  It's the smallest one in my collection now.

I really feel it was meant for us to go back.  We wouldn't have gotten to see the baby goats on the last trip because they were just born on September 11th!  Neither of the textile exhibits were up last month either.  So there you are, it was just meant for us to go back.

It was a great day for a ride too.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  A perfect day spent with my honey checking out cool stuff.  I'm glad it worked out this time around.

Hope the weekend was nice in your neck of the woods.  As always thanks to all who stopped by to visit and thank you for your comments.

The Inspired Stitcher