Greetings Creekers!
I missed the last couple of weeks and have decided to write this early so I don’t miss next week too. I seem to keep ending up in locations without data or wifi to submit a column.
I am writing this the evening before, but by the time you read this Creek Daze 2024 will be in the past. I hope most of you made it down there and had a wander around checking things out, had some good conversations, something tasty to eat, listened to great local music and maybe even had a shuffle on the mandala. I have spoken with people who miss the Creek Daze of the past and there was a time when I joined them. Those Daze when John John had his tequila booth, Marty won the cake baking contest with a mix, Diana beat all the guys at the firewood splitting contest and Peter offered knife sharpening and parenting advice. There was the infamous Mr. Roberts Creek contest, the baseball game, the kids boat building, the dunk tank, greased pole climbing and a lot of other fun and silliness. But those were different times, the world was a different place and Creek life moved at a much more relaxed pace. There was time and volunteers for all those things to happen. Life is much busier now in a whole bunch of ways. The world is much more stressful and we are all feeling it.
So now I celebrate Creek Daze as it is and appreciate those who have taken up the spirit to keep making it happen. Community gathering is so important, we need it. So I would like to give a huge shout out to all those people like Diana Lux and her assistant Hayley for their hard work organizing, all the volunteers who step forward, the vendors with their colourful booths, the musicians who entertain us and Rob Marion and his crew who give us the mandala. Also, a big shout out to all of us who continue to show up and celebrate The Creek!
Erika Snowlake is an artist, a free spirit and honorary Creeker who moved south a number of years ago. She was involved with the mandala in its early days and until the last few years she returned here every summer. This year she is back and is spearheading a project that has been on her mind since 2017 when she was approached to co-ordinate a community mural painting for the outside of the library. Erika and six other local artists have been working on four panels measuring a total of 18 by four feet. The theme is the Beauty of Nature in our midst and the urgency to respect and protect it. It’s called: xwesam / stelkaya / Roberts Creek Land of Abundance “Where the Water Bubbles.”
In recognition of shíshálh and skwxwu7mesh lands, two artists with First Nations heritage are taking part.
You are all invited to the opening ceremony for the new mural on Aug. 25 at 3:30 p.m., after Slow Sunday. Hollyann Higgins will drum and sing the artists in and a potluck is planned at the gazebo after.
Donations are encouraged to help support the artists and pay for the materials for the project and may be given to Graham Walker at Slow Sunday.
I am thinking about an idea for next week’s column but I hope to also include some local events, so please tell me about them.
