I think was where I was at last weekend.

As I transition from my work in the north a little fatiguedand sleep deprived, to city life again with it's pace and responsibilities, my plan was to just sit in the sun, enjoy some good music, dance abit and maybe the odd beer or two. I bought tickets for this plan in June and by August everything was totally sold out....you got it ....the Edmonton Folkfest with about 20,000 others from Thursday 6 PM to Sunday 11 PM on Connors Hill with downtown Edmonton as a backdrop and in 30oC heat! ( sunburnt shoulders testify to this ) Packed up a tarp, folding chair, backpack with snacks on the bike and headed down. Mainstage included such as Hawksley Workman, Amadou and Miriam ( from Mali ), Buckwheat Zydeco, Micheal  Franti and Spearhead, Broken Social Scene, Chris Isaac, but my preference was the smaller side stages and workshops.

Anonymity in the crowd...well the straw hat and sunglasses worked well, but encounters included friends from the old neighbourhood, a girlfriend and her toddler who stood over me and startled me while sleeping, a nursing classmate from 30 years ago sitting on the next blanket and a friend's son in the same crowd dancing to the Peatbog Faeries.

For those of you who know me from facebook, I posted some photos and comments http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=51550&1=e7bd7&id=631178932.

Another blog I like is Tale Spin http://timchesterton.blogspot.com Tim has some some indepth accounts of the music on the weekend.

CBC Radio-1 program Q by Jian Ghomeshi  also had some good behind the scenes interviews of artists.

Dogs....so how have they survived the trip home? Yellowknife airport produced some confusion as noticed the kennels being unloaded from the cargo and had a panicky feeling of them being left in the wrong place. In that 30 minute stop, I ended up going through security 3 times as it turned out the kennels needed to be swabbed and checked. All I can say is dogs do not go pee on command when let out for 3 minutes to sniff!

The  new chain link fence in my yard is now up and hopefully escape proof. First evening I went out was uncertain of this so tied up Dysis as she is my escape artist. Coming home discovered she had torn up all the NEW wooden lattice mesh under the back porch to find a cool spot! Since I have let them roam the yard which is quite secure; we all adjust to new spaces; they dig their favorite spots behind trees; I do daily poop pickup and am content with patchy lawn.

The yard is a jungle as there was much rain, heat and hail in Alberta while I was away. Everyday I am getting out in the yard for a few hours and I understand my house sitter's comment on confusion on what is weed and what flowers..so much green....I knew where everything was but with all the rain everything grew madly. Timing of my return this year is good to still have some berries not done and overripe...my usual return is often late August and feel that putting yard to bed and not enjoyed, after all my effort in May.

Here are a few of the bits of color in the green...