Gatherings and Music

It has been a while since I have posted anything on the blog. It is not because I have been feeling lazy or because there is nothing to say but rather because I have been busier than usual.

I spent nine or so days camping with the Rainbow Family - 30 or so kilometres north of Gold River. It was a marvellous Gathering with numerous Quebecois, a handful of world travellers, some very good cooks, lots of fresh water, a beautiful setting and generally the nicest harmonious collection of young people (with a few aging hippies to add flavour) one could ever imagine. While my body was getting a bit weary after sleeping on the ground for just over a week - I didn't want to leave. It felt good to be there with my chosen family, who in spite of the difference in ages and cultural background - still provide a home for me.

One of the reasons why I left the Gathering when I did was because I had purchased a weekend pass the Island's Folk Festival at Providence Farm just outside of Duncan. Folk festivals, especially the smaller ones are always a bit of a crap shoot. While one does know who the performers are before buying the tickets, there is always the risk of cancellations or only part of a specific group arriving. There is even the greater risk of two separate performers, both of which you want to see, performing at the same time on stages far apart. As well it can, of course, rain. Fortunately this year - all of the people that I was interested in seeing arrived, I saw most of the people that I wanted to listen to and it did not rain.

It must be incredibly hard to line up thirty or more acts, schedule them, find them places to live, feed them, make them feel comfortable and important and keep all of the attendees satisfied. This year there were a handful of people that I was looking forward to seeing - I did see them and they were good. I attended a couple of workshops that were interesting (although the one of finger picking was generally so far above my "wow"  factor that it was almost unappreciable), the weather was perfect and food from the various food trucks was great. It was not the best line-up ever - perhaps I missed some of the best performers - but it was highly enjoyable.

On Monday night as a fund raiser for Providence Farm and the folk guild - Si Kahn, a somewhat legendary union organizer, social activist, song writer and environmentalist gave a special performance. I went to that too. It may have been the best $25.00 I have ever spent. He is, while perhaps not the world's greatest singer or guitar player, a truly inspiring man who sings and tells stories with such passion that it is impossible not to feel energized and recommitted to changing the world.

It has been a great two weeks.

There is so much to write about...the temptation to look at the U.S. elections is almost overwhelming - there is so much to say; the number of people in the western world who are apparently committing suicide by committing mass murders is an almost bottomless topic, the weather, the cost of food and the influence of Wal-Mart on food prices, the difficulties of living alone..... the list is endless. I guess I need to get started.