Smoke!

It was 12° when I watered the gardens Saturday morning—twenty degrees lower than the afternoon temperature of the day before! 

I was cool but happy. Watering the gardens is a pleasure againIt’s relaxing and allows me to check out each plant as I do my rounds. It was only onerous whilst I wanted all my time for working on the raffle prizes. 

A ‘sold’ sign went up on the lot next door. Now I wait to see what happens.

Billets Anna and Dan left late in the morning; Crystal slept until noon. I took Sheba for a long walk as the smoke rolled in from the forest fires, blocking the sun and turning the light a deep yellow.

Crystal went into the festival to deliver her afternoon workshop; she came home at six to change for her evening performance and left again at nine-thirty. I napped most of the late afternoon.

The entire week of weather has changed from hot and blazing sunshine to smoke/haze overcast; the change felt stultifying at first. However the community dog walk this morning picked me up. My eyes were opened to the beauty of this season of smoke and ash, all things dry and brown or golden yellow.

I came home and did something I’ve wanted to do all summer, another think like bathing in the sea—another ‘boy’ thing: I barbequed myself a couple of hot dogs. It was fun to do something so summery and as I finished the cooking, there were golden orange shadows due to the smoke but the sun was lovely and warm on my skin.

I felt great eating the crappy child food. I felt my childhood in every one of my cells.

Tonight my fourth billet comes to stay and then the whole festival experience is over. I went by the site today and it looked wonderful—all colourful and well populated.