Sunday, September 1, 2019

I’ve been going to the Sunshine Music Festival almost every year since we moved to Powell River. I generally go for one day, but I skip it if the weather is bad. Yesterday’s weather was perfect. It was cloudy, but there were only a few sprinkles of rain; it wasn’t too hot and it wasn’t too cool. It was perfect weather.

I enjoyed the music and I enjoyed wandering around the site and visiting a few of the vendor booths. I got a start on some Christmas gifts and visited the Natural Soap Lady for some lotion for myself. There were good food choices as well. Lunch was from the 7-Sprouts Deli, a plant-based deli who, both at the festival and in their shop, are committed to zero-waste. My salad was in a mason jar and although I used a napkin to hold my bagel it was made from recycled paper and was compostable. My mid-afternoon snack was an ice cream from Sassy Mack’s. I got a double scoop – salty chocolate caramel and 32-Lakes (coffee) chocolate chip. Both were excellent.

The entire festival tries to be zero-waste and they do a good job of it. I’m not sure if they choose their vendors for eco-friendliness but it was good to see so many of them using recycled materials in their wares. I saw instruments made from recycled propane tanks, jewellery from beach glass, and lots of items made from “up cycled” clothing.

I took my knitting with me so I had something to do while I sat and people-watched. After so many years of attending you get to “know” a few of the other regulars. The odd man who dances had a girlfriend with him this year; the boy/girl (I’m never sure of the gender) was with a different friend. The large family gathering that often sits near us were all in attendance but the kids have grown. The woman I’ve seen every year at the Texada festival was dancing up a storm. Often I would see a face and then have to try and remember where it was that I knew them from; in one case it bugged me all day until I saw him on the way out of the festival and realized it was the fellow who sold me my cell phone! I missed our previous neighbour; it was always so nice to see her, her Mum and her daughter up dancing together.

Of course there were lots of people I really did know that we were able to chat with.

I’m taking it easy today. I have a card I need to get finished so it can go in the mail on Tuesday. Today will be the first day that I’ve used my sewing machine since I rearranged my sewing room.