37 Black Swans: Folk Festival Week....

We fly into Hobart about 7pm on Sunday...and it is so smokey we can barely see the airport before landing.. The smoke is thick and heavy in the air as we drive home.
It is no better in the Huon Valley...and we are glad to get indoors...

Monday and the smoke has cleared a bit..thankfully. We are counting our blessings that we are not in the fire threatened areas....but it does prompt us to have a bit of a re-think of our proposed house location...

We have a very busy day..dismantling and packing away the Advent/Christmas displays, setting up the windows with Folk appropriate books...preparing some big orders for post etc.
By the afternoon ,I have to take a 30 min snooze break...then its back into it as we have lots of customers through in the late afternoon..
I have a visit from Elke and daughter Rose..they bring us some Epiphany cake from their celebrations last night. Rose opened my Christmas gift yesterday and they were both delighted with the embroidered bag I made..

We enjoy a salad dinner and are glad to get to our beds....

Tuesday is still quite warm in the morning...but a change comes through midway through the day ...cooling things off and clearing the air. The wind and showers bring the temperature down quite alot. We have another busy day. the boys make a Hypericum /Calendula Cream while I do orders and handle customers... Again we sell alot of books today...always people in the shop.
The bunting goes up in the main street ...so the Festival atmosphere mounts!!

We finish the day's work, have an early dinner, then treat ourselves to a viewing of "The Castle"...John's favourite movie.. (Hannah bought us a copy while in Sydney).. I don't think Tom was quite as amused as John...but it was nice to sit together...
I do a bit more washing etc to prepare for packing for next week in Sydney for the wedding...then its a read and to bed.

Wednesday is very cool... The tide is up quite high this morning.

Back at home the boys do their early morning read while I get on with chores..(John has already done an hour's work of potentising before I get up!!)
There are orders to do and John fills and boxes the Hypericum/Calendula Cream.
Tom does a few flits around town to see what is happening..then its lego time.
The wall of Huon Community Church has been quickly painted to cover the graffiti...not brilliant but I guess better than the alternative..

The boys head into town in the afternoon to sort through more second hand books. They will stay in town for dinner..
More festival folk arrive in town as the day progresses...and there is plenty of action in the Town Hall next door as they set up sound equipment.
After work I have a walk up on the hill at Wattle Grove.. up top on our proposed house site the ground is dry and crisp...as I walk down to the old homestead site I note the ground is still green..food for thought.

The boys arrive in about 8pm with their booty...some lovely books amongst them..
We have a peaceful evening.

Thursday and there are already campers set up at Burton's..

There are more people around town...
I go over in the morning to the Festival Office(in Tom's classroom) and pick up our wristbands and a volunteer wristband too. (I'm selling CD's in the Supper Room venue Friday Night.)

Tom has a ball roaming around town and bringing back news..
We are very busy with customers and sell alot of books...nice atmosphere..
We also have a number of orders to get done.
The day passes very happily...
After work we go for a walk around town to see what is happening at Loongana Park, St James and Burton's reserve...Stunning fruit at the Community Garden

Then its home for dinner and a quiet evening at home (Once they finish sound checks in the Town hall next door!!)

Friday and it gets busier and busier as the day progresses..
Lots of people arriving in town...lots of customers looking at the books..
We have orders to do and John makes an Urtica gel..
Taking post up the street is a challenge today as there are so many people about...Its great.
The boys head down to Burton's reserve a bout 4pm for their 8 hour shift doing security on the camping area..
I am busy at the shop with customers until 6pm.
Sadie, Matthew and Hedley drop in for a chat . We have a delightful time on the floor while Hedley plays with the toys... Some tourists are in at the same time and decide to buy one of Matthew's books...so I get him to touch it for them (they are already signed!!)/ They are so pleased...and Matthew gives them a big grin...nice.
I close up , race down to see how John is getting on then grab some dinner before collecting CD's from the Festival to sell in the Supper Room... my shift is 7-12.

As I head back across to the Supper Room, I see the choir "Shaking the Tree" doing an impromptu performance in front of the shop..terrific..

It's a varied line-up..Lindsay Pollak, Jo Quail, Maria Forde, Richard Gilewitz and Arwan.. (Anne the school principle comes to give me a break at about 8pm and go home and make a cuppa then have a quick look in at Carmel Hall and St James)... Anne comes back about 10.45 and offers to take over for me...a very kind offer as I am soooo tired.
I go down to try and get Tom to come home to bed...but of course he is having too much fun roaming about in the dark with friends...John and I can't even find him!!
I leave them to it and stop in at St James to hear Rory McLeod...just brilliant!!..
I go home and get to bed a bit after 12...not sure when the boys get in...

The weekend is full-on...we take turns minding the shop and going out to look at concerts and just soak up the atmosphere...fabulous...
We sell stacks of books and enjoy having so many people sharing the space with us
I do Contra Dance workshop and Dance...just thrilling to dance again...I do so love it..
The pictures will tell the story...