Sunday, Septmeber 10, 2006, 11:28 GHF
Well, here I am at Golden Harvest Festival. I was going to walk first, but it's 11:30 and John Rossbach's bluegrass band is supposed to play at 11:30. They are up there tunning up and doing a monitor check and I have a seat front row center. I do need to walk. But I can walk at homeif I have to. I can't hear live John Rossbach at home or in Detroit, probably.
I couldn't have gotten a much better parking place, row A here at Beaver lake. Someone left and I had the good fortune of being directed to fill the open place. I was hoping for acess to my car in case I get too hot and need to stash clothes. I charged Thyria's battery but forgot to bring film for the film camera, darn. So I left that in the trunk.
They are taking a too long time to tune up and check the monitor. John Rossbach has gotten grey and "older."I look the sameas I did when Iwas 16,of course. Oh,here they go, Shady Grove. I'd love to hop up and dance but I'mshy about being so fat.
I haven't seen Erin. Or anyone else. Except tourists, etc.
I think I have to change the lens onmy camera. I have the 100 macro on.
12:34 PM John Rossbach is overand they are setting up for the wildlife show. I'm trying to decide whther to stay for it or go walk or takepictures of scarecrows. Or what.
I thought the wildlife show might possibly give a photo op, but then again, it might not. I never did change lenses. I did take a few pix of John Rossbach and Perry Cleaveland.
I haven't seen anyoneI know yet other than John Rossbach.
The wildlife guy is named Brian. His first bird is a hawk from Texas, a Harris Hawk. MaybeI should change my lens.
Now he has an eagleowl out, and I got pix of both. The Harris Hawk flewaway into the trees!
Next, a peregrine Falcon. Alligator, legless lizards, king snakes and darn I forgotthetoher,the coral snakelook alike.
1:14 PM I did take somepictures,but they werepictures of animals being held (andthe escaping Harris Hawk). The best ones,ifthey comeout, might be the eagle owl.
Now I am sitting at the gazebo to listen to JohnRossbach again. If I don't get to walk I can always walk at 5:00 when the festival closes. I wantto pull up my haybale a little even though I'm front center. But on theotherhand, I'm not going to stay for it all, I don't want to hear the whole rhyming blues thing again,it drags out after a while.Fun,but should be keptshorter.
I do wish the events would start ontime. I could be walkinga round, but don't wanttolosemy front row cneter seat. Although there are otherempty haybales nearby.
I haven't lookedmuch in the booths but I did walk by a number of themand didn't seemuch that interested meexcept Dan Duggin playing and some watercolors. The rest of thestuff is just junk to spendmoney on. I'm sitting in the sun wiating for themtobegin and it's getting pretty hot in the sun. Facing into the sunandfacing uphill so I have to look up intothe bright sun.
1:47 Waltz across Texas with you. I have my shirt andvest tied aroundmy waist and amstill hot. Everything is getting covered with hay.
Terry Miller just said hi tome. He's sitting behindme with a woman.
Blue Moon of Kentucky (a BillMonoe tune). Icould get 3 John Rossbach CDs for $30 or 2 for £25 (they're usually $17 each),butialready have at least one of them,maybe 2. I'd like to get thenew one,it's $15 if I just get one but then I'd have to carry it.
I wish Keith would be in charge of music like I asked him and alternate between my stuff and his. The radio is a lazy default, though you do get to hear things you might not otherwise hear.
He's playing "the Coal tattoo" which I LOVE, great song. Good music and lyrics. I don't knowhat it is about livemusic I love so much, it seems so much more alive and vibrant, so real and present in a way recorded music never does. Maybe Keith would like this song; it's a union song of sorts.
2:11 PM Every other person here has an icecream cone. I haven't hadlunch
I had a story idea, call it Golden Harvest Festival or soemthing similar and look into the very differentlives of people intersecting at the festival. Handicap people,happy families,angrypeople,muscians,people working etc. The whole story,whateveitis takesplaceint he days of thefestival (pr in oneof them)P
I'minlinefor a chicken barbecue,even thoughthere'slots of other stuff. Ithinkthat's fairly safe, $7. Saltpot I haven't seen Erin yet,I don't even know if she's here andif sheis,where. She maybe taking moneyforpeople coming off the bus. But since I'm not sure if she's here, I'm probably not going to go look.
I paid formy chicken dinnerbutit will be 15minutes beforeit's ready. AK! No chairs of hay bales nearby. I'll get tired standing, wahn. Nothing to takepictures of,either,dark in the fod tent.
2:51 I scarfed down my greasy food at a table with unknonpeople includinga nice bus driver about my age (butter on the salt potates, baked beans which may make me sick, butter ladeled on the corn on the cob), tried to clean myself up (hopeless), stopped by the living scarecrow contest and took some pix of the kids (saw Greg Smith) and now I am back at the main stage listeningto Los Blancos (the white boys?). They just played Me-ohMy-oh Byou song andare now playingsomerocking Zydeco. Cool stuff. I like it.
This band goes on and on without a break but now they are stopping and will be back in 45 minutes.
Erin,if she's here,could also be working at the games or sellingdonuts,I suppose. I hear someonesinging, "The riveris wide, I cannotget o'er,neitherhaveIthe wings to fly, andI go insearch ofit,thinkinging itis Dan Duugin,butcan't findit and itends.
I grab someshots of the pie eating contest but I can't get close enough to get a really good shot,huge crowd.
I look in the gamesfor Erin, twice,no sign ofher.
3:29 Iwalkthrough the booths in the upperparkinglot and run into Bob and Pat Geraci. I look at somebeautiful leaf paintings and talk to the artist,he admires my camera
3:46 I'min the cideranddonut line(NOT fordonuts!).I have hadanything at all to drink norhave I used the bathroom all day. But Iamreally thirsty. IammissingDan Duggin up at the gazebo, but I have to have a drink. (Then I'll prolly have to pee).
I ended up back at the wildlife show and tookmorepix of the eagleowl, peregrine and baby alligator being held,but left for cider before he got to the legless lizards again.
I get two ciders and whileI'm attempting to drinkthem, Ann Pia, one of my T'ai Chi students, comes out to talk to me and I congratualte her for passing her teaching certificate for T'ai Chi.
I attempt somepictures of the jugglers but I have entirely the wrong lens for that. Then Imakeittothe gazebo for the last 1 1,2 songs of Dan Duggin and CO.
There is only 45minutes left of the festival--it closes at 5. It is probably unlikely I'll walk before 5.
Now the zydeco group isplaying again at themains tage, I think. I'm still thirsty, 2 glasses of cider wasn't enough.
They are selling kettle corn herelike at the Civil war Muster. The juggling is still going on. I goback and catch them juggling knives.
4:26 PM I stand and stand trying to get somegood shots of the jugglersjuggling kinves, but suddenly,Ican't stand any moreandI try to take one more picture butmy 1 gig card is full, so I walkover and sit down at the zydeco stage. It's loud and not that good for some reason and Ithink I've about had it. I took a lot of pix, but don't know if any of them are any good. The fishing scarecrows were deep in shade and the pond was in sn when Iwent over there. Later a big cloud came and the lighting would have been better, not as contrasty, but I couldn't get back in time. They are doing a riff and I'm getting in the groove, oops,but now they're back to shouting and the speakers are too too loud. Bleah. And I am so SOO THIRSTY.
Now, suddenly, it's cloudy again. Should I make a run for the fishing scarecrows?
I need to sit a little, I stood too long. Then Iam going to walk.
Pat Geraci told me to go in the building and see the line-up of the T-shirts from all the years of Golden harvest, but I never made it in. I considered buying one from this year, but since I didn't work it, it seems wrong to have a shirt. I did look. I haven't bought anything yet, and the time is almost up. It's officially over in 11 minutes (and then I'm going to walk.) I wonder how they did. There are plenty of people here, but not as many as other years. And Sara said it was sort of dead yeaterday. I hope they did OK; they have to pay for all the artists and the shuttle buses etc
Tomorrow is 9/11 and I had been planning on posting my "safe" picture ondomestic abuse and calling it home-grown terrorism, but I have an idea for another picture, more topic specific. I was thinking of taking a woman's shoe from Heidelberg and making it white and treating it with a lead layer for 9/11. But that means I have to do it. The other picture is already done.
It's 5:00 and still pretty crowded.
matt smith mcsmith3.shutterfly.com photos fromBozeman etc check itout
gregsmith@ongov.net
I break down and spend $1 on water and it isicy cold(I hate cold water) but I'mso thirst I suck down the whole bottle. While I'mdrinking it, Greg smith comes by and tells me his sonMatt is outin Bozemn or somewherestudying population of bears and fishers doing hair captures and analzing the DNA down to speciesandindividuals.
He gives me.his shutterfly adress.
I promise to give hima disc of pictures but I really out to givehim a DVD instead,since there are so many. I start out on the deep woods trail formy walk andsomeone roars by in a golfcart spewing dust all over me. It's cold int he woods. Theymust havedivided up tasks ahead in theplanningbecause the tentsarecomingdown andthe scarecrows are coming down, atleast someofthem, andI may notget morepictures on the way back--did Imentionit's cold inthewoods andmaybe I will have to stop and putmy shirtback on.
I never had a horse ride ($3) or a hayride--the last hayride is going by on thenext trail over onit's wayback.
I had been thinking Imight have somefeestival food for dinner,but I'mnot hungry at all.
I drankthat whole bottle of water and Iam still thirsty.
I was just going to comment about how as I get deeper into the woods itis getting quieter and quieter asthe sounds of the festival fade behindme, ut the guy inthegolf carts comes zooming up with somebuddies makinga racket.
Now it's getting quiet again.
I never did see Erin (I don't even know ifshe was here,butIsuspect shewas.) I also bever saw Bruce or Debbie or verymany otherpeople I know.
It's very still in the woods. What adelightfulcontrast to theloudness of the Zydeco bad (which was beginningto wearonmeeven though Iliked it) and the bustle of the festival.
Oh-h,Ijust discoveredmyISO is setat 800--Ithought it was at 400,and Imust have takenallmyfestival pictures atISO 800.AK! WAHN. I hateitwhen I'm stupid. Imeantto shoot them at 400.
I likeBeaver lake. I ought to come here and walk more often.
It's gorgeous inher, gorgeous to the eye, anyway. But the lightis very contrasty. I've tried making a few pix and they aren't coming out.
A walk past a tiny stream with a little miniature water fall and the trickling sound reminds me how thirsty I am. 2glasses ofciderandabottle of waterbarelymade adent in my thirst. I'm not hungry but I'm desperately thirsty!
I hear woodpeckers, serveral of them,and crickets. Earlier, I heard the shuttle bus go by a couple times.
I think for a moment, thinking about Greg and matt, that I married the wrong man, that I should have married soemone like Heidi's Ken or Greg who live in the country and are unterested in nature and science. But not only are Ken and Greg already take, but I don't like them that way, I don't love them that way, and I do love Keith. And he likes nature and science. Too bad he lives in Detroit though.
The water at the inlet is very high.
6 PM I am down at the duck blind. The man that sold me water was embarassed to be selling water. Someone could set up huge water jugs and charge 2 center a cup or ten cents a cup for tap water. I told him I'd heard an expose on NPR about the germiness of drinking fountains. I never did make it into the building.
I've had this heavy camera hung around my neck all day. I did take alot of pictures. Hope someof them are good. In spite of the 800 ISO.
A very close, very loud crow. People walking and tallking in the woods. I liked it better when I was alone. THAT is one of the reasons I rarely come here. I like being alone in nature. I hate that the space bar doesn't work well or at all one this Psion.
There is something very soothing and comforting aboutbeingout innature on aperfect "fall" day (very fewannoingbugs!). Itis almost as soothing and coforting as agood hug,butnot quite.
I was just thinking about how my pix got tuened downa t the State fair and I heard some people saying how therewas some real crap there who didn't even know I'd been turned down. And how at BP sometimes somepicture wins a prize and I think I submittedonelike it, only better. Dunno why they won,ineither instance. But there are somepictures that win that really deserve it, that are spectacular. The ones Imean are the scenics that areso totallycrisp and clear and incredibly lovely. To me, they are a represntation of a perfectworld and of a perfect awakeness and awareness.
I look around at this less than perfect world with it's harsh contrasty light and I think, I cna't take those pictures unless I arrive in the right place at the right time. I can't take them here, now. I'm here, the lake is here, nature is here, but although it's beautiful, it's not photogenic. I cannottakethosepictures, but itis still lovely. I can ENJOY it, enjoy the birdsong and cricket song and the still lake and the woodsy smell. And I am.
and I am missing keith.
I'llhave to tell keith about spending the cash he gave me. I spent $5 to get in, $7 forlunch, $1 for twoglasses of cider and $1 for 1 bottle of water.
I bought nothingin the way ofT-shirts, CDs, art,photography, cars (Isaw somenice leafones for Gail), etc. Nothing.
6:30 Iam at the bench at the council ring. The sun has moved down into some hazy cloud on the horizon. A couple walks by, gossiping loudly and somewhat breathlessly about other workers at GHF.
As I am leaving the council ring, I suddenly seeitpeopled with friends and relatives, and I remember how happy andhopeful we were. I got married here, andnow Iam divorced. Iwas a naturalist here, and now I amnothing. I am Keith's wife, a writer, a poet,and a photogrpahe But I have disappeared from hereandnotreappeared there. I am inlimbo. I feel sad suddenly for me and Bruceand the love we onceshared.
A flock of honking geese fly over and I wonder whythey call it honking and not squawling. I hear the honk sound,but they also sound like they are squawking.
The light filling the forest off the lake is tanged with honey ornagefromlow sun and the whole forest is alight with gold. I attemp a few photos of it but they don'tdo it justice. The autowhite balance removed the honey color,Ithink. I suppose I couldturnitoff.
But I lefthomebefore 11AM and haven't peed allday and it's almost 7 PM (well,it's 6:42) and Iamthinking I need to go home so I can pee.
Walking after the festival had onehopefuladvantage, Iprobablyavoided the great exodus. There were still alot ofpeople here when I left tow alk. Now itis only volunteers, artistsand craftspeopel cleaning up,and employees.
I run into Dave Schubert and talk to him,but Brucecalls onthe 2-way and wants him to do something. I see Richie in a big landmover and wave. I walk past the blooming onion stand (those are good,butonly if you have 6 other people to help you eat them. Most of tge tents are gone,most of the garbage is gone. golf carts and those gold-cart likemultiwheeled vehicles are buzzingaroun. I walk past the horses and goat pens, all that is left is the barnyrad smell. A haze of dust lies over the parkinga reas from the hugeexodus of cars.
There are still some cars and trailers in thelot.
Dave was upset becausesomebody released the huge wad of baloons from the entrance and theywere flying way to, as he put it, "kill sea turltes."
There'smy car. I forgot to turnmy watchback on after I stopped talkingto Dave and probablywalked another 5minutes tomycar but it doesn'tmatter because I'd already walked more than 54 minutes. My watch says 54.
A heron flies by and I try to get it'spicture with the 300 and a woman in atruck askswhatI'm doing. Shelooks forthe heron,but it's gone. I got it, but I don't know how good.
7:27 PM I'm in my driveway. When I droveintothe street,everything seemed strange, as if I'd been awayalong time. Isawmy houseandfeltsad. Will Iever getmoved? Will I ever get out? IfI ever get outand Erin gets in, will I ever be in the house again?
Idrankanother bottle of water in the ar on the way home. It's beenover 8 and a hlaf hours since I peed.
I've had no dinner, but I'm not really hungry yet, either.
I enjoyed the music, I enjoyed the nature, I enjoyed seeing a few people I knew, some more than others. I think it would have been more fun with Keith or with the girls, or with a friend. It's been a long dayand I am tired.
I bought a couple organic delicata squashes, and Iwas thinking of throwing them in the oven. How do you eat them if you can't havebutter or margarine?
I'm not hungry yet, but by the time they're done, I probably will be.
I not only didn't pee all day but didn't wash allday including before of after that messy chicken.
Wait wait don'ttell me is on again,Imissed ityesterday.
Someoneon Waitwaitdon'ttellme is talkinga bout how hismice lick the peanut butter off his traps without springing them. I wish I had some frozen corn to stuff the suash with. Maybemushrooms?
Ground beef?
Roy BluntJunioris the one with themice.
Sausage andmushroomsstuffed suash?
Monday Septmeber 13,2006, 8:03 PM I am finally out on constitutuional. It's dark. It was a beautiful sunny day,butInever stepped a single step putside the door. I did several loads of laundry, washed dishes that were piling up threw things away,listened to the 9/11 coverage. I also sleptlate again, because I'd had a bad night the night before last. So I had a shorter day than usual.
One of the thinsg I threw away was the caopenerthat Aunty Ann gaveme (an electric canopener. Onthe onehand,Ineverwnated anelectric canoepner,but on theother hand,the hand crankone I have is a piece of garbage. However, I tossed out the elctric one and a bunch of other less notable things includinga bottle or Pert shampoo that was labelled Sara from God knows when.
I spent a lot of timecrying listening to 9?11 survors and family talkabout their loved ones whodied. But I don't think that was any reason to kill other innocent people.
--
I am certain of nothing but the Heart's affections and the truth of the Imagination- John Keats
Mary
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