Remember When: English Angora on AA Cover in 1984

This is an inflight magazine published by American Airlines in 1984.  An English Angora is on the cover.   The rabbit is nothing like today's English Angora but it's considered as pretty good 29 years ago. 

 

Starting on page 98, there is a report of "bunny business" in WA state.  This unnamed young man would be in his 40s now. 

The barn setting and wooden coops were quite standard in the 80s; such wooden coops are still used in the midwest and east today but no longer popular in CA.

At the left corner the caption says, "Jeff Jewett examines a Silver Marten rabbit".

Jeff Jewett is still an active judge based in WA. Here is a photo of him judging in CA in 2009; where is the bushy beard?



Jessica's Fiber Viewing Trip

Jessica is a spinner and weaver; she has had a few of Betty's English Angora pets for many years but they had passed from old age.  Recently Jessica adopted the two French Angora boys offered by Betty; the broken black is named Cassidy and the broken tort Sundance. 

Jessica spends her yearly vacation on touring areas with fiber artists.  In 2012 just prior to picking up Cassidy and Sundance, she spent two weeks in Mexico visiting local fiber artists.



I spent Christmas holidays in Oaxaca, Mexico this year. A couple days after New Year's, I went to a village located about six hours from Oaxaca city, called San Bartolo Yautepec (SBY). I'd visited the textile museum in the city of Oaxaca the year before, and heard a tour guide talk about an antique piece of weaving on display from this village. He told us they did the finest weaving in Oaxaca. When I heard this, I wanted to know more. I went to several stores in the city of Oaxaca that sold weavings. I spoke with the owners, asking if they had pieces from SBY. It took me awhile, but finally I found one. I talked to the young woman who worked there about the current weavings done in SBY. She showed me a blouse and a dress from there. I made a mental note of the store, and returned there this year. It was right before Christmas, and a man from San Bartolo Yautepec had arrived a few minutes before me. He was selling a piece his wife had finished. I talked to the man, got his name, the name of his wife, and directions to his village.

I ended up going with a private driver and a group of people (I usually take public transportation). The village is about 30-45 minutes from the main road. They have a swimming hole where they swim all year long! We saw some weaving (done on a backstrap loom), met the woman who made the weaving (Matilde Dominguez) and her daughter, and talked with a man who made baskets, and brooms, and cut hair for a living. He'd never seen a white person other than on TV before!

 The picture is of Matilde's house, made out of adobe. This is unusual as most houses are made with cinder blocks.

 

The picture is the basket maker and me.

Happy Valentine 2013

 

 

 

 

Northern California Angora Guild wishes everyone

A Happy Valentine's Day.

 

Candy's Trip: Hawk Encounter, Part 7 Final Installment

 

 

 

 

Judy was a wonderful host and kept
Candy's itinerary full for almost 3
weeks. Just one of the amazing
activities was visiting an owl and hawk
farm.

Here, the owner had me put on a
big heavy glove, hold my arm out, and a
hawk flew to my arm. Quite a thrill.
This is a red-tail hawk, native to the
U.S., and one I see at home often.  The
owner has both native and imported
species of owls, hawks, and other
raptors from many countries.

 I'm SO
glad I took my warmest Angora hat and
scarf and Angora gloves. As you can
see, I'm all bundled up, layers of
clothing, and still probably cold.




 

Candy's Trip: Judy Buying Rabbits, Part 6

Judy was lucky to be able to purchase
five very beautiful Dwarf Papillons.
She raises Giant Papillons at home, so
this breed will be her "old age" breed
when she can't lift the Giants anymore.
:) The Giant breed is similar to the
U.S. Checkered Giant. The Dwarf breed
has the same markings, is small, but not
as small as a Netherland Dwarf.
Probably a little smaller than a Dutch.

Waiting to leave the show, her 5 are in
two wire carriers that she purchased at
an ARBA Convention.

  Judy,
Karen, and husband Roy, ready to carry
their new rabbits out to the car,
seemingly miles away, in a snow
blizzard. (Candy carried a wire carrier
- none of those heavy wooden ones for
me.)
 

  Several people
asked Judy if she got the wire carriers in America,
because you can't get anything like this
in England or Europe. Everyone uses
wooden carriers. 
 

Two of Judy's new
Dwarf Papillons, safe at home, and ready
to breed.
 

Notice one buck has a stud in
his ear with numbers for identification
instead of a tattoo or leg band.



 

 

HGF Tiara and HGF Dreamsicle Are Specialty Best In Show Winners

 

 

Eric does not get many chances to show his rabbits, he judges and travels in addition to his duty as the ED of ARBA.   At the PA State Convention, he was able to show four of his French Angora.   PA is the "epic center" of French Angora, there were more French Angora than any other Angora breeds.  There were 28 in the colored senior does in the class, more than the number at the ARBA national convention.  

 

 

HGF Tiara is a 9 month-old chestnut doe.  She wins the specialty Best In Show at the United Angora RC show.     Many may know her sister that looks almost like identical twin to her: HGF Meara in CA.  

Eric is happy posting a photo after Tiara's win. 

HGF Dreamsicle is less than 6 months old but competes in the colored senior doe class.    She wins the BOB in the all breed show on Sunday and specialty Best In Show at the Appalachian Angora RC show. 
Dreamsicle's littermate brother HGF Dagwood is not too shabby, he wins 2 BOSB plus another BOSV out of four shows. 





 

Happy Lunar New Year



Northern California Angora Guild wishes everyone a happy and prosperous

Year of the Snake.