Pumpkin Pots and Magnificent Mums!

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t like the cold.

But since that’s the only downside of enjoying an otherwise beautiful autumn Saturday, I zipped up my long coat and made a trip to Shipshewana.

I had a very pleasant drive catching glimpses of bright orange and yellow leaves that seemed to be screaming for my attention.

But when I turned on State Road 5, I was reminded by the bumper-to-bumper traffic going into Shipshewana why I had come in the first place:

Shipshewana Fall Crafter’s Fair!

I headed to our Trading Place Pavilion to see a sampling of the Crafter’s Fair, happy to see that a lot of brave souls had left their cozy homes in 46-degree weather in search of great deals and interesting finds.

As I strolled through the pavilion, I couldn’t help but notice the last chance offerings of the Farmer’s Market vendors on their final day of the season — lots of plump pumpkins and magnificent mums, and even a few pumpkins serving as pots for the mums. Nice!

A Dulcimer group played in the background as I chatted briefly with a vendor selling some pretty amazing paintings and prints. I chuckled when I passed a booth with colorful dog carriers fashioned into cute outfits — just one of those unique items you would be hard-pressed to find in a store!

I stopped to compliment a lady selling the beautifully artistic stepping-stones while she tried to stay warm in her winter garb. She shared her inspiration and ideas for creating her stepping-stones, and as we talked I learned that she and I have a lot in common … though my artistic bent doesn’t include carefully embellished concrete benches! And who knew you could make a bird feeder out of an old car tire?

Just talking with her made my entire trip even more worthwhile. I had planned to travel further to downtown to experience the sights, smells and sounds of Fall Crafter’s fair there but couldn’t get past this 30-minute conversation that once again reminded me why Shipshewana is a great place to visit and shop:

Friendly strangers somehow don’t seem like strangers anymore.