Reports from Thomas are all good...despite the torrential rain and then the heat. What a fabulous experience for our dear boy...Quite as rite of passage...he will come back a young man..
The festival fever cranked up during the week with more visitors in town...and more preparation activity by the Festival volunteers.
John did his usual 4pm -Midnight stint at the Burton's reserve Scout managed camping ground..a long night for him.
I kept the shop open until about 5 then packed up and slowly made my way up to Loongana Park for the Opening Ceremony..
Bruce Watson and Ronnie Summers performed the very moving..
' The Man and the Woman and the Edison Phonograph'
Here is an excerpt beginning with Fanny Cochrane Smith singing
http://www.brucewatsonmusic.com/music/01-balance/07_edison_sample.mp3
The final lines of the song explain the significance
(Bruce)
There’s a photo on a wall in a museum in Hobart
It was taken in October of 1903
Of a man and a woman and an Edison phonograph
Recording her songs of the land and the sea
And the man had a son, who in turn had a son
Who in turn had a son, who was me
(Ronnie)
And the woman had a son, who in turn had a daughter
Who in turn had a son, who in turn had a son
And the next one was me
Christina Mimmocchi performed one of Fanny's songs in language...remarkable
A brilliant start to the Festival
Nice to see our Yarn Bombed bench being used..
Summerhouse - a capella from WA
We stay in town for the night and are up early to take a walk to see what is happening...then set up for the busy day ahead.
I go up to volunteer at the workshops 10-12...just have to direct people to the appropriate rooms/set up for performer running the workshop and bar the doors when workshops are full!!
The Principal and teachers of St James are the coordinating volunteers and the Board members are always asked to help ...I love doing it.
Tom's teacher Jacqui Lawless and I have great fun...and lots of laughs
We are in a better position this year and can see what is going on outside.
Today is Visitors day at Jamboree..and I am very excited to get this photo from Lucy and Paul
I also get one from Tom's Sydney friends. His mate from Penno, Jahan is also at the Jamboree
On my walk back to the shop I notice that Pope Francis has joined the Festivities..on the presbytery verandah.
That bench gets good use..
The new Cygnet PP Fr Michael Tate instigated the inaugural 'The Way Cygnet'. A 32 km pilgrimage from Mountain River with overnight stop over at Ranalagh ending at St James on Saturday
www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-08/new-christian-pilgrimage-draws-hundreds-to-tasmanias-south/7076892
It is delightful to watch them arrive accompanied by a Spanish band and the Festival choir singing in Spanish.
When I returned to the shop it was lovely to see this elderly couple resting on our bench at one end of the shop front and these young children busking at the other end.
After work John and I have a quick snooze then wander up to Loongana Park for dinner.
Buskers at RVL
Oh well...
Sunday is a warm day...and we have much the routine as Saturday.
I do two hours at workshop volunteering again.
When I get back to the shop Narns and Jark arrive for a look around. Jark has not been to a Folk Festival before.. They enjoy having a wander.
After work, John sleeps while I do a walk with Narns and Jark..it has chilled off quite a bit so we don't sit in the park as intended. Thy head home and I sleep too!!
We bail out at about 9pm..too exhausted to watch more..
We intend to go up on the hill but my car battery is flat so we collapse into bed at the flat instead.
When we get home on the hill on Monday, the contractors are cutting hay.
I have a lovely walk around the dam and over the walnut paddock to views of the Huon river.
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The next evening they come to bale the hay
Wednesday morning they arrive early to load and take the hay to store in a shed somewhere
By evening the storm clouds are gathering . It has got up to 37 degrees today...extraordinarily hot..Never mind...forecast for Thursday is 17.
Beautiful view as we head off to work.
