Salisbury International Arts Festival

Sunday, May 26, 2013

11:46 AM Arizona, 7:48 PM England

Back to the theme thing I was taking about in an earlier post.  The theme is still evolving and I think it will be multilevel.   Things change on a daily basis as to what I’m going to be doing the rest of the trip.  Arrangements have been made which does not allow for a joint trip to Canterbury.  So I can do the ride alone or go via train thus arriving in Spain earlier than I expected to.  Then my daughter may want to join me in Spain which again changes the time table.  This may have something to do with discerning the difference between doing things to my time table or adjusting to others.  When and how often do you make allowances for others?   I met a couple at the Salisbury Museum this morning who invited me to coffee.  Virginia said “Always like talking to people from other countries.”   So I sat down with Harold and Virginia to chat about our travels.  We spent about half hour talking and Harold said “It’s important to travel with someone who is compatible, makes everything nicer.”  Well it certainly does!

 

Today is my second day of Stewarding at the Festival.  Yesterday prior to starting my shift Mark and I wandered through the different free events.  We watched a show that had performers swinging and dancing in a cage, than another where performers bounced on a trampoline and wrestled with a carpet we could not figure out was that was about.  Than it was time to “go to work” and I was assigned to the Rag and Bone Yard where the performers rode on contraptions covered with junk.  I ended with them fighting a junk dragon all very symbolic.  The Cathedral Close was the area this opening was staged in.  The majority of the acts presented were free.  I was then assigned to wander around and “be a presents” for the crowd.  Prior to my wandering I was reunited with Anne, a member of the Festival team, with a big hug.  I met Anne when I first started coming to England eight years ago.  She is a charming young lady who has always welcomed me with her beautiful smile.

Later in the evening Liz, who use to work for the YHA, came up and I received yet another wonderful hug and greeting.  We have known each other for about five years now and meet annually at the Festival.  She left the YHA a few years ago to teach and get married.  I thought I would never see her again but, here we are.  She married a very nice chap named Greg and she is now pregnant.  After Liz and I chatted for a bit she left we to wandered some more.  I was a very happy camper having been greeted by two longtime friends, then Greg came up and greeted to me.  It was a pleasuer to see him again after meeting him for the first time last year.  He was gracious and invited me to call when I returned to Salisbury so we could have dinner, than offered me their spare room to sleep in when I return from Spain.   I am very grateful for all the friends I've

made here in Salisbury over the years.  Every year new ones are added which makes me feel very blessed.

As the sun slowly set the tempter began to cool and I, already dealing with a bit of a head cold, thought it prudent to head back to my tent just as the fireworks started.  I was able to watch them in my rear-view mirrors as I rode away.  As I came closer to the campground I heard quite loud music from somewhere ahead of me.  It seems there was quite a party going on somewhere passed the campground and the acoustics made it sound as if it were right next to us.

Today my shift was from 2 pm to 4 pm so I spent most of the morning, which was cool and cloudy, in Starbucks.  By the time I went to “work” the sun was out and it had become quite a nice day.  I was assigned to guard a musical sculpture in the Close.  There were about 10 of these spread over the Close grounds humming, drumming, clanging, and whistling.   I could see the piece of art I was guarding in my friend Jill’s Art store.  It was really a very soothing piece that was made to sound like river rushes in the wind.  I could see it in my garden if I had one.  After my shift we when to dinner and I was able to speak to my daughter, son and some of the grand-kids.  It was Rebecca’s, my youngest granddaughter, birthday.  Happy Birthday Rebecca!