We knew the weather would be so much more tolerable today so we planned a little outing for after the girls got home from school. We went to Old Town Spring, parked, and ambled around. One of the shops we had been interested in seeing, the Doll Hospital, was closed (at 3:30 – shoot!), but we had fun looking around at the rest.

Papa and the boys went into The Blue Giraffe and got drinks while I walked the girls to the doll hospital and then back down the street.

[Photo taken just for my one Dutch friend, Elizabeth. 😊]

They persuaded me to stop at a little shop that had puppies. I detest those because I always want to rescue the sad or small ones. Naturally, as well as some larger puppies who were mostly in play pens together, there was the tiniest hound puppy I’ve ever seen, crying and whimpering in an enclosure alone. It was all I could do not to scoop it up and walk out. Sigh. (Note: very nice, kind looking people running the shop and it was very homey.)

We walked around a bit and finally found the quilting shop I had been interested in. Such glorious fabric! In the same building is a Bernina sewing machine shop and quilting classrooms. I inquired after a quilting foot for my machine but I have a Singer and the parts are not interchangeable. The woman was kind enough to show me some different feet and what they were for. I got a list of their classes and the schedule. Perhaps someday I can take one.

From there we caught up with the boys who were examining the old Spring bank. The proprietor came outside and showed us where the bullet holes in the brick were. Pickles was much impressed.

Right across the street there was a shop that sold pirate, Victorian, renaissance, and steampunk clothing and other sundries. Papa stayed outside with Miss Moppet and Ginger and I took the rest in. They had a wonderful time looking around.

We walked back to the van, saying hello to a few cats on the way.

On the way home we stopped at a park as a consolation prize for those not as interested in window-shopping. It had a butterfly garden, a playground, and a pond with a fountain and it is connected to a few other parks by trails. I mostly took pictures of flowers and children and sat while they wandered around. Mittens slept.

It wasn’t too warm, but not especially cool either. I look forward to going back when it cools down!