Drippy weather can't keep Harvest Faire down

Reaching its 35-year milestone, the annual Sisters Harvest Faire ignored a few rain showers and drizzle this weekend and presented loyal followers one last chance to sample Western arts and crafts before the snows begin to fall.

A healthy crowd flooded Hood Avenue, shopping for early Christmas gifts, unique bargains and artwork to spruce up homes for the upcoming holidays. Tourists and locals alike mingled among the 200-plus vendor booths, toting cornstalks, bags of kettle corn, glazed pottery and wedges of fresh artisan goat cheese.

Jeri Buckmann, events director for the Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce, relaxed for a moment on a rustic wood bench and surveyed the scene.

"For the weather, the crowds are good. This morning was busy, the vendors are happy, and so am I," she said.

The Redmond Humane Society was on hand with adoptable pooches and a playful batch of kittens. Volunteer Sue Bower said the weekend was going great, as she answered questions and passed out free doggie biscuits.

"We adopted a couple kittens already. They're two for one, and all fixed and microchipped and ready for new homes," she said.

An expanded court of fall food favorites included Salvadorean popusas, Hawaiian rice bowls and Memphis barbecue with the ever-popular funnel cakes and caramel apples.

Outside Sisters Coffee Company, the vivid landscape photography of David Forster enthralled bypassers. Forster traveled from Wenatchee, Washington, with a comprehensive showing of UV-coated photos on canvas capturing the Grand Tetons and Glacier National

Park.

"It's a decent festival this year, about on par with last season's," he said, handing out business cards and greeting guests. "I brought some of my newer works from Oxbow Bend and Glacier, one of my favorite places to shoot. The light and the blue tint of the waters is amazing. It's such a dramatic landscape with the effects of all the glaciers. I've been out there with 65 photographers all shooting the same scene. Crazy. Kinda takes away the uniqueness of it

sometimes."

Curtis Matsko of Portland presented his "Vintage Journals" collection of eclectic writing journals, created from the colorful covers of used antique books. Utilizing old children's classic like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys Mysteries, Matsko brings back to life something that was headed for the dumpster.

"It's a personal item you can walk with, sit by the fire with," said Matsko. "I'm making art useful again in something everyone can afford. The idea came out of boredom and tequila and the necessity of a fundraising idea for the Women's Art Center in Salt Lake City."

Matsko often leaves several pages and entire chapters of the original book between virgin sheets of paper, retaining the essence of the

work.

"We like the Sisters events. People seem to 'get it' here and really appreciate the concept of the writing journals," he said.

Along vendors' alley, Ken Moore and Audrey Strong of Camas, Washington, walked their two dalmatians outside Strong's "Watch Me" wristwatch booth.

"I've been doing this show for six years and it's always been good. It's such a perfect community for an event like this," she said. "And there's always lots of good dogs here, too," Moore added with a wink.