Saturna Canada Day
It is a sunny Monday morning, and I weathered the long day yesterday at the Saturna ball park which had been transformed into a perfect little fairground for the Canada Day celebration. Though it had rained the day previous the good weather held and aside from a chilly wind in patches through the morning, sun and heat prevailed into the afternoon.
I neglected to protect my hands though and got a real nice burn on them which still stings today.
There was lots of good local entertainment plus a visit from Elizabeth May and also an indecipherable speech from Pat Carney. But a hat-less piper in a kilt brought them all on, and he stood faithfully to attention until all the officials had their says.
There was also a First Nations elder who sang a most haunting air, and she also welcomed one and all to indigenous land.
There was a woman named Joyce who played keyboards and sang everything from Joni Mitchell, through Ann Murray and segued from Rick Neufeld’s Moody Manitoba Morning into Burton Cummings’ Got My Own Way to Rock with panache and a lot of skill.
There was also a funky lady in striped socks and rolled up jeans who played bass for most everyone and who was a pretty strong and confident player but I didn’t get her name. The vocalists in all the other groups sucked big time.
Aside from a couple of gals [a mom and daughter] who had sailed in from Ucluelet I spent the day alone. The mom and I had a good talk though while waiting for her daughter to return and I learned that the daughter had piloted their own boat in for the day.
She showed me a couple of cell phone photos of the island at sunset, coming in. But at one point I left for the washroom [I steered clear of the stinky port-o-potties and used a gap in the fence to pee in the long grass on the tree line] and when I returned they were gone.
If not for them though, it would have been a lonely day for me.
Chaya had purchased two lime green collapsible chairs for us, but she was gone the whole time selling 50/50 tickets. I saw Bettianne once but only from a distance, and she appeared to be busy with her own crew.
I didn’t eat or drink the whole time…the roast lamb came as we were about to leave and I would have had to wait another 45 minutes until the volunteers ate as theirs was the free food portion. By that time I was beat and just wanted to leave. I got no argument from Rick or Chaya though as they were also exhausted and Chaya told me when we arrived home that Rick had been throwing up and was now upstairs in bed sick.
Chaya had a six pack of Corona beer though and shared a couple with me. What a relief!
And the forecast for today reads cloudy and 12 degrees. No hint of rain for the mainly sunny week to come either except for a slight chance of showers Saturday.
I neglected to protect my hands though and got a real nice burn on them which still stings today.
There was lots of good local entertainment plus a visit from Elizabeth May and also an indecipherable speech from Pat Carney. But a hat-less piper in a kilt brought them all on, and he stood faithfully to attention until all the officials had their says.
There was also a First Nations elder who sang a most haunting air, and she also welcomed one and all to indigenous land.
There was a woman named Joyce who played keyboards and sang everything from Joni Mitchell, through Ann Murray and segued from Rick Neufeld’s Moody Manitoba Morning into Burton Cummings’ Got My Own Way to Rock with panache and a lot of skill.
There was also a funky lady in striped socks and rolled up jeans who played bass for most everyone and who was a pretty strong and confident player but I didn’t get her name. The vocalists in all the other groups sucked big time.
Aside from a couple of gals [a mom and daughter] who had sailed in from Ucluelet I spent the day alone. The mom and I had a good talk though while waiting for her daughter to return and I learned that the daughter had piloted their own boat in for the day.
She showed me a couple of cell phone photos of the island at sunset, coming in. But at one point I left for the washroom [I steered clear of the stinky port-o-potties and used a gap in the fence to pee in the long grass on the tree line] and when I returned they were gone.
If not for them though, it would have been a lonely day for me.
Chaya had purchased two lime green collapsible chairs for us, but she was gone the whole time selling 50/50 tickets. I saw Bettianne once but only from a distance, and she appeared to be busy with her own crew.
I didn’t eat or drink the whole time…the roast lamb came as we were about to leave and I would have had to wait another 45 minutes until the volunteers ate as theirs was the free food portion. By that time I was beat and just wanted to leave. I got no argument from Rick or Chaya though as they were also exhausted and Chaya told me when we arrived home that Rick had been throwing up and was now upstairs in bed sick.
Chaya had a six pack of Corona beer though and shared a couple with me. What a relief!
And the forecast for today reads cloudy and 12 degrees. No hint of rain for the mainly sunny week to come either except for a slight chance of showers Saturday.
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