This year several sales outlets dried up for Yellow Dot Shop. Most notably the King Street Makers Pop-Up. In addition, during a trip to Williamsburg in May, I missed signing up for a Del Ray market. Along with the van-buying project which brought new costs, I realized I needed to find new markets. Some research found that I could set up in Simpson Park in a space the City of Alexandria has designated for vendor trucks. So, on a Thursday in June, I joined Flavors of Mexico Taco Truck in the parking lot across from Aldi on East Monroe Avenue. It has been interesting to meet David from Flavors of Mexico and try out a street-facing vendor location which is not a market. I made a few sales my first two times out. One woman saw me, pulled over, parked, and ran up to try on hats. Love it! On my third day out, the heat was oppressive in the nineties. David has occupied that spot for three years, and has a steady stream of loyal customers. I tried his tacos, and they are very good.

I have heard about markets further out in Northern Virginia, but with my Alexandria-branded products and my weighed-down compact hatchback, I never considered leaving Alexandria. Recently I heard about a market in the historic section of Fairfax City, so I decided to give it a try. (It happens that in 1749 it was the government in Fairfax which gave permission to Alexandria to establish itself as a town along the Potomac River.) So I joined the Fairfax Saturday Farmer's Market, and set up in a tidy lot with a good number of vendors. I have been meeting some great people out in Fairfax.

The hat I'm wearing above by the Taco Truck is one that I made - one of my first hats. With its funny shape it never sold, so it became mine. With our aggressive Summer sunshine it has been great.

Ellen Hamilton,

Yellow Dot Shop

I am working on the last edits of my documentary film, A Scottish Migration. It tells the first half of my story of the largest and earliest migration, settling in all colonies, not just Virginia. Scots flooded this country early on, which has largely been forgotten. Many of us are descendants of those settlers.

For the ending credits, I use B-roll footage. I have a lot of video that is interesting and good, but which is not needed in the film. So a short clip of my interview with Scottish Archaeologist Derek Alexander by the Clyde River, and other video will be seen in the ending credits.

I am working on my own computer, using pretty sophisticated video software, and doing my own animation and graphics. I started this project almost ten years ago. I put it down for a number of years, publishing the book instead. Now I am back to the project I spent so many hours on, hoping to have the first half of the story done this Summer.

I will be posting the film for viewing on the website, Patreon. There you can sign up for free to get my email alert when I post the film, or you can just visit the Patreon website once I post it and watch online.