INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 17)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Off Again!

After attending the inaugural Queen’s Cup at Spruce Meadows and being that close to the Queen, the next week/days seemed anti-climatic! However, we still had work to do and Red Deer and Edmonton were calling. Red Deer is approximately halfway between Calgary and Edmonton. From Red Deer we traveled to Jasper National Park. As I have mentioned previously, part of the reason for our trip was to promote Michael Dumas and Buckhorn Publishing, but the other part was to visit Canada’s National Parks and to talk to their volunteers. It is always interested us to see these people in action and to see the different ways they raised money for their organizations. In Jasper we visited the Kerry Wood Nature Centre and talked to the volunteers there. As we drove to the Town of Jasper we saw a number of wonderful sights. Of course, there were the mountains, but there was also “Blue Ice” glaciers to gaze at and animals to “watch” out for. A Big Horned sheep ran right in front of our van, while a Moose in a field looked lazily up at us while we passed it by! Jasper is a mountain park town, but its streets tend to be more open and the downtown less commercial then Banff. When we parked our van, Elk wondering all over the streets and in people yards! Jasper was fun to explore and we reluctantly left it to journey to Edmonton. We had a lot more people to see!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 16)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … The Queen

Once again, we were back in Calgary. It was now time for work! Before leaving on our western trip, we had arranged to have a booth at the inaugural "Queen's Cup" being held at the world class equestrian centre, Spruce Meadows. We were excited to be there because Ian Miller and his fabulous horse, Big Ben were competing! We had also been told that Queen Elizabeth II would be in attendance! We had shipped a number of framed limited edition prints to Spruce Meadows in advance of our arriving. Judi and I went to the Centre to check on the condition of the shipped prints. After we open up the boxes, we discovered that two of the prints had been damaged in transit. We loaded the two into our van and went off to find a framing gallery to have them repaired. Fortunately, a great gallery, Avenida, was nearby and they agreed to repair the frames quickly and at a reasonable price! That accomplished, we headed out for a great meal and then back to Dick and Melody for a good night’s rest. We were about to face a very exciting day! We arrived early at Spruce Meadows and opened our booth. Part way through the each of us was able to sneak away for a short time to watch some of the jumping. I even got to see Ian Miller and Big Ben perform! Amazing! The highlight of the day, however, was when Queen Elizabeth, in her landau, stopped within a few feet of our booth! Everyone from all of the neighboring booths crowded forward to get a closer look! The whole scene was very surreal! I can't remember how well we did in sales. I think we broke even.  But it didn't really matter, we had been part of history!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 15)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Vancouver

In Vancouver we had a full schedule of meetings arranged. Our first was with the Vancouver Aquarium. The Vancouver Aquarium is spectacular above ground, but underneath it is something very special! After completing our meeting, we were treated to tour the Aquarium “below”! This area is the “heart” of the Aquarium and what allows it to be the fabulous facility it is! It is hard to imagine how the staff manages to keep everything working so well! To Judi and me it seemed to be a labyrinth of pipes and corridors, of dials and wheels; to the workers, it was “home”. That night we camped at Fort Langley and then returned to Vancouver. This time to visit the Stanley Park Zoo and then the Vancouver Museum. Both facilities were wonderful to visit and the staff at each made sure that we had a complete tour. It was now time to leave Vancouver and head back to Calgary. The “Queen” was waiting for us! We traveled back through the Rockies at the southern end of the province, passing through Kelowna on the way. This is a wonderful part of British Columbia and one that Judi and I would like to explore more thoroughly in the future. Traveling along the Rocky Mountain highways is always an adventure! The beautiful scenic mountains, the magnificent valleys and, the wildlife are all spectacular! You never know what you are going to see! This trip there were mule deers, pronghorns, birds of all types and mountain goats. We stopped at Revelstoke to talk to a store buyer and then stayed in Field to camp for the night. Eventually we reached Calgary and back to our friends Dick and Melody. As before, we were greeted with much enthusiasm! It was now time to enjoy Calgary and to earn our keep!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 14)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … The Pacific Rim

Once we had thoroughly explored Chemainus, we continued up island to Namino where we took the highway that would take us across the island to the Pacific Ocean. The trip across the island is very interesting. The only main town you pass is Port Alberni. It seems to appear all of a sudden, in the middle of nowhere! Along the way we passed through old growth forests with their famous giant trees. The road actually passes through one of these mammoth trees in Cathedral Grove! The middle of the island is lush and green. As we neared the western side of the island, the terrain became more mountainous. When we passed through many of the hills were barren of trees. A forest fire had ravaged the forest. Someone told me that although it looked awful, it would fairly quickly reforest itself. Nature is a wonderful thing, birth and re-birth! Coming down from the hills and overlooking the Pacific Ocean is awe inspiring! Judi and I marveled at the sight. The west side of Vancouver Island is very isolated and has only two major towns, Torfino and Ucluelet. In the middle of both towns is Long Beach, part of the Pacific Rim National Park. This is a wonderful natural park with white sandy beaches reaching into the sea. Off the shore are a group of small islands that are the home of many sea animals! Sea Lions were clearly visible from the shore! I must tell you, it was very hard to leave this magnificent place! But leave it we reluctantly did, and followed the same route we had come in. Back in Namino, we boarded the ferry, ready for our trip to Horseshoe Bay and then Vancouver.

Happy New Year 2011...

Past Memory, Still Hard to Believe!

 It's hard to believe that 2011 was here! I was waiting for a call from Kingston Hospital telling me that I was scheduled for heart surgery! During the week right after New Year's 2010, I received a call saying that my surgery would be on the following week. On Sunday, the hospital called to say that my surgery was being postponed. Even though I had been warned that this might happen, it was still unnerving. In the week that followed, the hospital called again, telling me that the operation was going to take place on January 18th. The date remained set and I had triple by-pass surgery on that date. Four days later, I was released from the hospital and sent home to recover! Amazing! And, that's how I feel today! The first few months were tough, but with the love and help from Judi, I was able to slowly recover. Today, one year later, I feel great, better than I have felt in years! The journey has been one of reflection and self discovery. As some "philosopher" said, "if had known I was going to live so long, I would have taken better care of myself", or words to the effect. I now realize that my past lifestyle contributed to my illness. As I result, I have tried to change my habits, eating and exercise, completely. It hasn't been easy. Change, even at the best of times, is a challenge. With the help of Judi, I have changed by eating habits. The holidays have been stressful, but the New Year will bring new resolve! Exercise, however, has been on going. I try to workout at our local "Y" at least 5 days a week and usually 6 days. This has at least kept my weight constant during the holidays! I find the exercise therapeutic. It will be something that I will certainly continue and expand during 2011 and beyond. With this new lease on life, I find that I am looking forward to see what each day brings

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 13)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Up Island

I think Victoria is one of the most beautiful cities in North America. It still retains its “Old British” charm! Tea at the Empress Hotel is a must, especially if you have any “British blood”! When we arrived on Vancouver Island we drove straight to Victoria. We were early enough to spend an hour or so sight-seeing. Victoria is a very expensive place to stay! So we decided to drive a short distance out of town to the Village of Sooke. There was a camp ground in Sooke that suited us and our needs. That night we had a fabulous meal at a Chinese Canadian restaurant. I don’t think that I have had a better meal! The next day we spent exploring Victoria and the Foot Rodd Hill Historic Park. Refreshed after a relaxing day, we packed up the van and started off towards “Up Island”. The trip takes you along the Malahat Highway. It is a spectacular trip and one well worth taking. There are several interesting towns along the way, but the one I was looking forward to was Chemainus. I had first visited this interesting town twenty years before and was anxious to see how it had changed. It has an interesting history. A few years before my first visit it had been a lumbering town with one main employer. The employer decided to shut the mill down and let all its employees go. Most towns facing this type of challenge would “fold up” and fade away. Not Chemainus! Some enterprising residents suggested that they hire several artists to paint murals on the sides of many of the buildings throughout the town. Each artist was instructed to paint an accurate painting of historical life in the area, but were to include one small inaccuracy in the scene. Once the murals were completed (with inaccuracies) the town offered a reward to visitors if they could identify all the inaccuracies. They offered a sizeable reward to the first person who could identify them all. Word spread about this unique contest and people “flocked” to the town. It has now become one of the most successful communities on the island. Artists, seniors and business people have chosen it as a great place to live! It's known as "The Little Town That Did"!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 12)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Crossing the Rockies

As I said, I had had a number of people tell me how monotonous crossing the Prairies were. I didn’t find it that way at all, and I don’t think Judi did either. I found beauty all around us,; the interesting little Prairie Towns, the fields of waving wheat and the long straight roads. The sun, especially at dust, was spectacular! However, after traveling so far on flat ground, reaching the foothills of the Rocky Mountains was a pleasant relief. I had traveled to Calgary many times by air, so coming into the area by automobile was a new experience. Calgary, itself, is an interesting city, full of life and excitement. Fortunately, we had two good friends who lived in Calgary and they had offered to let us stay with them while we were in the city. Our friends, Melody and Dick Farmer, are wonderful people and we always have a great time when we visit them. At this point in our trip, our stay in Calgary was going to be very short, one night! Our plan was to drive straight through to British Columbia. We had arranged several appointments so we were on a tight schedule, plus, we had to get back to greet the “Queen”! For anyone who has taken the time to “Cross the Rockies”, I am sure that you will agree with me that it is an amazing trip! Along the way we stopped at Yoho National Park. As Judi’s notes in her trip diary, “ground squirrels, mule deers, very spectacular mountains, green, clear rivers, and lush forests!” I think that sums up our Rockies experience! We arrived in Langley, B.C. in time for a meeting with the British Columbia Wildlife Federation (BCWF). From that meeting we went directly to the ferry that would take us to Vancouver Island!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 11 - Continued)

Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Winnipeg and the Prairies (Part Two)

After a successful visit to the Assiniboine Zoo, we climbed back into our van for the long trek across the Prairies. Someone once told me that it was the most boring time that they had ever taken. To me, a city boy, it was one of the most exciting! The fact that you could see for miles ahead was awesome. Passing through the small prairie towns with their tall granaries towering in the distance were a sight to see. Judi and I took numerous photographs! Many have become inspirations for some of Judi’s paintings. Along the way we stopped in search of towns such as Swift Current to visit the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation, Regina to visit the Plains Museum. Our over night stop over was at Riding Mountain National Park. Here we found peace and solitude! The remainder of the trip was uneventful and we entered Alberta with great expectations. We were about to stand a few yards from the QUEEN! 

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 11)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Winnipeg and the Prairies (Part One)

After our “Interesting” experience the night before, the next day had to be anticlimactic. To some it might seem like that, but to Judi and me, it was the start of our great adventure! As I mentioned in a previous article, one of the purposes of our cross Canada trip was to promote Canadian Wildlife artist, Michael Dumas. Michael, an internationally collected artist, in conjunction with Buckhorn Publishing, together, offered to create original paintings that could be made into fund-raising limited-edition prints. Our first stop in this regard was Winnipeg’s Assiniboine Zoo. This is a world class zoo with a fantastic reputation. And, like all facilities of its type, it’s always looking for unique ways to raise additional funds. After we had made our “Michael Dumas” presentation to the zoo’s management, we were invited to a private tour of the zoo! It was an amazing experience and certainly gave us a different perspective of zoos and zoo keepers! Over the years we have been invited to visit other similar facilities, but this first experience was certainly our most memorable.

(To be continued)

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 10 - Continued)

Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Where to Sleep? (Part Two)

We had just gotten to sleep when I was awakened with a flashing light! It was the police! The police car came to a stop behind our vehicle and an officer got out of his car and approached ours. He taped on our window and I rolled it down a crack (you can’t be too careful!). The officer bent down and said “I don’t want to alarm you (he did!) But right across the river is a penitentiary and two convicts have just escaped! We would suggest you not open your door or window to anyone!” I thanked the officer and he walked back to his car and drove away. What took place after that could have come straight from the Peter Seller’s movie, “The Pink Panther”. Police cars came passed us, to and fro, over the bridge and then back! I was looking for men in "Gorillas Suits"! Lights were flashing! Everything was a whirl! Finally the action stopped and all was quite again (so much for the romanced!) Judi and I had just gotten to sleep again when another police car, lights flashing, pulled up behind us! The office got out of his car and then tapped on our window. Once again I rolled the window a crack (still careful!) The officer said “I don’t want to alarm you, but there’s a penitentiary across the river and two convicts have escaped! I would suggest you leave this area immediately!” Talk about being alarmed! We told him that we didn’t know the area (we thought that we were in the middle of no where!) The officer said “Just go two blocks across the bridge and you’ll come to a main highway. There’s a truck stop right there! You’ll be safe at the stop!" We of course, thanked the officers and moved quickly down the road. Another night of adventure and lack of sleep! By the way, we never did find out if they captured the convicts! 

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 10)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … Where to Sleep? (Part One)

We eventually had a great meeting in Minneapolis. The Hadley House people couldn’t have treated us better. After a breakfast meeting brunch and a tour of their facility, we were back on the road. The good night's sleep had done wonders for us. Now we were off, back to Canada and the City of Winnipeg. Winnipeg is almost directly north of Minneapolis and the trip can be a fairly tedious long drive! We played "travel games" to pass the time. We traveled the route without incidence and even crossed the border smoothly. The Canadian Boarder guards seemed to be less bored then their American counterparts. Of course, when we crossed the border this time, it was late afternoon. When we finally reached Winnipeg, it was early evening. we decided to drive around the city to get our bearings. We had an appointment to visit the Assiniboine Zoo the next day. Because of costs, we decided to find a safe place to park and then to sleep in the van. By the time we started to look seriously for a place to park, it was becoming quite dark. After much “driving around”, we found what appeared to be the perfect spot! It was a parking lot located right on the edge of a river. It was a clear night, and the moon reflected in the ripples of the water. Very romantic! After we parked, we settled down for a good night’s sleep! Judi was in the back of the van and I was lying back in the driver’s seat. What happened next was hard to imagine!

(To be continued)

When in doubt…turn right…again!

 Okay, so I’ll admit it! I got us lost! We left the Rockton World’s Fair on our way to the Norfolk County Fair and Horse Show and I got us lost! I turned right (at the advice of Judi’s festival tips – “When in doubt Turn Right) when I should have turned left! However, when you really think of it, her festival tip actually was correct, because every time we came to a dead end, I turned “Right” and finally, after a lot of "Rights", we were on the “Right” road to Simcoe and the Norfolk County Fair. All through the trip we used all manner of “help”! First we turned to the “Google Map” directions that I had printed off before our trip began. I must admit that I was quite tired when I brought the directions up on the Google Map. I had reversed the directions and had us traveling from Simcoe (Norfolk Fair) to Rockton! Bad move, this really messed up my sense of direction! Everything was reversed. To make matters worse, my natural “internal” compass, seemed to be broken that day! That’s when we started to use Judi’s “Festival Tips”! We turned “Right”! The “turn” after traveling a few miles, didn’t seem “Right”! Confused yet? That’s when we brought out the “BIG” North American Road Map! The roads shown on the map didn’t look anything like what we were experiencing. All too quickly we came to a “dead-end”. We turned “Right”! After determining that the “BIG” map wasn’t going to help, Judi rummaged in a bag she had been given at the Rockton Fair. It contained an area map! We were saved! Or at least, so I thought. The roads on this map showed a little better! I were cautiously optimistic! Before we could really get our bearings, we came to another “dead-end”. Oh no! We turned “Right”! As we travelled in our new direction, we started to see some familiar landmarks. There was the church, the farm, the service centre, all familiar! We had just travelled in a complete circle! That’s when we started seeing signs saying “Simcoe this way”! I looked over at Judi; there was a very satisfied "smug" look on her face! The words “When in doubt, turn right” hung in the air!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 9 - Continued)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … the First 26 Hours (Part Two)

 Back on the road we traveled into the night (morning by this time). I was getting quite tired, so Judi offered to drive. We had traveled quite far and were now “in the middle of nowhere”. I think Wisconsin, but I’m not sure. I had just settled down to sleep when I heard an “Oh @#@!@” from the front! I quickly woke up, to find us slowing down! We had run out of gas! We had no idea where the nearest town was! I got out of the car and started to walk. I had no idea which direction to go, so I just took one and walked. It was around 5:30 in the morning! It was very quite dark and very still! We were in a rural residential area. As I walked, I heard a faint banging from one of the houses. I walked towards the noise and saw a gentleman at the side of his house. I approached him and explained our problem. He said that he could easily help us. Apparently, he used to run a service station and he had some spare gas. He drove me back to our car and emptied the gas can into our van. We were all set to continue. When he saw our Ontario license plate, he brightened up. He told us that he was originally from Quebec and a fellow Canadian! It was hard to believe our good fortune! The nearest town and service station was over 10 miles away! Delayed for an hour or two, we continued on our journey. We arrived in Minneapolis four or five hours late. The Hadley House offices were about to close, but one of the managers had been waiting for us. We explained our hold-ups and he kindly suggested that we should meet in the morning. We had been on the road for 26 hours straight! It was time to get some sleep!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 9)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA … the First 26 Hours (Part One)

We left Toronto in our Dodge Caravan. We were all set for our trek across Canada! Our idea was to keep the trip as inexpensive as possible, so we planned on sleeping in the van as often as possible or stay at truck stops and campgrounds along the way. The first part of the trip, however, was to drive to Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit the publishing company, Hadley House. We had pre-arranged an appointment to meet the management of the company, so we had a fairly tight time table. Before we left we had calculated the time it would take to get there plus some time to spare. However, we didn’t count on several “unexpected” delays! Everything went well until we reached the border at Sault Ste. Marie. It was about 2:00 a.m. in the morning. We were the only vehicle at the crossing. The border guard started to ask us the normal questions and when I told him that we were traveling to the U.S.A. for business, he became more aggressive in his questioning. Finally he asked us to pull over for an inspection. In the back of the van we had brought with us a number of “sample” prints to show the people at Hadley House. Each print had the word “sample” stamped directly across the front. All of the prints were “samples” and had no sales value. The guard, however, had other thoughts. We discussed the prints for quite some time, with Judi and I finally saying “keep the prints if you want, they have no monitory value to us”! The border guard finally relented and let us go on our way. However, not without taking up an hour or two of our travel time!

(To be continued)

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 8)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

ACROSS CANADA …

Just before we moved to Cobourg, we traveled across Canada for almost two months. This was a trip designed to promote Buckhorn Publishing products and the wildlife artist, Michael Dumas. Buckhorn Publishing had been working with the Federal Government and its national parks volunteers, the Canadian Parks Partnership. Edwin Matthews, owner of Buckhorn Publishing had developed a number of Michael Dumas fine art products for the “Partnership” to sell at their stores in each of the National Parks. It was Judi’s and my job to travel across Canada and visit as many National Parks as possible. Along the way we were to try to find other sales and marketing opportunities. This took us to all sorts of fascinating attractions and events. In the course of our travels, we met all kinds of interesting people! Our journey included visiting National Parks such as Riding Mountain in Manitoba, Waterton-Lakes in Alberta and Pacific Rim in British Columbia. Along the way we also visited zoos, museums and wildlife societies. It was an eye-opening trip, full of adventure, fun and some danger. Over the next few articles, I hope to give you a sense of the things we saw and experienced, including being stopped at the USA/Canadian border, running out of gas in the middle of nowhere, being chased by a buffalo, standing 10 feet from Queen Elizabeth II, being pulled over by the RCMP and watching sea otters play in the setting sun!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 7)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Our Destiny Show

Judi and I were exhibiting at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show when we were approached by Henry Kole. He asked us if we were familiar with the Buckhorn Wildlife Festival (now the Buckhorn Fine Art Festival). I told him that we were and that, in fact, I worked with the founder of the Festival, Edwin Matthews. With that he proceeded to tell me about an idea he had. He explained it briefly. I was intrigued. I suggested that he and I go and talk about it in greater detail. We walked to one of the coliseum-show arenas and sat down. We must have talked for an hour or more (poor Judi manning the booth alone). At the end of our conversation, Henry said “So, why don’t you move to Cobourg and help me?” It just so happened that Judi and I were thinking about moving and were considering Cobourg as one of the possibilities. I said to Henry “If you can find us a placed to live and perhaps Art Gallery space to rent, we might consider it!” Two days after the show, Henry called me to say that he had a townhouse for us to move to. Judi and I drove to Cobourg to take a look. We loved it! Our destiny was sealed! We rented the townhouse and moved in three months later. Three months you ask! Well, that’s another story!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 6)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored! While, perhaps this one show!

Our Most Boring Show

Most of the shows we participated in were 2 or 3 day shows, a few times 5 days. The Royal Winter Fair, however, back then, was an 11-day show! It ran, each day, from early morning to late at night. This wouldn’t be so bad if we had had a large staff to man the booth. That, unfortunately, was not our reality! Ainsley and Ed (my daughter and son-in-law) agreed to help us out, which was great, but it was still a long and exhausting show! To make matters worse, Judi and I got sick (Judi more than me) (extremely high fevers), and we took turns sleeping. I slept in a chair pretending to watch one of the shows in the show ring. Judi squished herself in a narrow passageway behind our booth lying on top of our winter coats! We were quite the pair! Judi, when i tell the story, adds here, that she was lying with the gigantic “rats” in the horse coliseum! I'm not sure how true this part of the story is! We lived in Cobourg, so going home for a rest, was out of the question! As a kid I had always loved visiting "The Royal”. There was so much to see and do! However, over 11 days, there are only so many pigs, cows, goats, horse, etc., that you can experience before getting bored! Perhaps Judi and I got the best of it because we was too sick too care! But Ainsley and Ed really bore the brunt of this boredom! We persevered but the boredom continued! The only really high point came, I am told, (I was behind the booth sick) came one evening! During the evenings at the Royal they hold the “Equestrian Shows and Competitions”. This is where the world’s top equestrian riders compete. The evening in question was the last Saturday, the BIG EVENT! Everyone attending the event wore "evening gowns and tuxedos". To get to the stadium the attendees had to pass by the booths where we were located. One group that passed by us contained none other than "Princess Fergi, Duchess of York". She stopped at a number of booths and even made a purchase at one (not ours!) It was all very exciting! At least I am sure it would have been for ME, if I had had been awake!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 5)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Our Worst Show

Our Worst Show, by far, was the Metro Home Show held in the Toronto Metro Centre. The show started off like most shows, pack the truck with framed art and our booth, drive to the show site, get in line for set-up, set-up and then participate in the show. All very routine! This was our first time (and last) participating at this show. We didn’t know what to expect in terms of the number of visitors, but we were hopeful. It was Toronto after all, drawing from millions of people. We were so confident that the show would be busy that we asked Judi’s Mom and Dad to help out at the show. The day started began slowly, but we weren’t worried. This was the normal for these types of show. The afternoon wore on and then became early evening, dinner time for most people. Still no worries! Then came 7:00 pm, 7:30 pm and 8:00 pm. There were no people and I mean NO people! I told Judi and her parents that I would go to the other parts of the show to see how they were doing. NOTHING! The halls were empty! I walked to the main lobby. There were people there, but the room was very quiet. It was Thursday, August 2nd, 1990, “Operation Desert Storm” was in full swing! Bombs were dropping on Iraq! All eyes were glued to the lobby’s television sets! I went back to the booth to let the others know what was happening. Judi and her mother decided to take advantage of the quiet time and sat alone in the entertainment area listening to the small orchestra. They were there to entertain show “visitors” (no visitors there at all).  The weekend never recovered. No-one was interested in attending a consumer show! This was, by far, our worst show and, as a result, we and other exhibitors lost a lot of money! This was not a great time in the world. Troubling to say the least!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 4)

 The Ottawa Boat Show and the Hamilton Sportsmen’s Show, plus a couple of other smaller shows, were the prelude to the really “Big” Show! If we thought that these smaller shows were a challenge, they were “nothing” compared to the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show. Back when we first exhibited at the Toronto Sportsmen’s Show, it was being held in the old Coliseum Building at the Exhibition ground in downtown Toronto. The new Direct Energy Centre wasn’t, I don’t think, a gleam in some politician's eye! In order to set up in the Coliseum, you had to be given a time and day. If you wanted anything special (electricity, carpet, lights, etc.), you had to book days in advance. There was a lot more at stake, because all of the costs were a lot higher! 

The first year we started off with a small booth 10" X 10'. We had jammed the booth so full of framed art, that we could hardly move. This was a good thing, because people who visited the show, were really interested in our products. We were specializing in wildlife art by some of the best known Canadian Wildlife Artists. Because of the type of show, our booth was quite popular, especially with other exhibitors. This was our first really financially successful show and it “sucked” us in to doing more. In all, we participated in about four Toronto Sportsmen’s Shows. Each time we expanded a little until the final year we took four 10’ x 10’ booths. This turned out to be a mistake because interest in wildlife art had slowed down. Surprisingly, in all the Consumer Shows we did over the years, we never had any products stolen! 

Unfortunately, this record was broken in our last Sportsmen’s Show, when one of Michael Dumas’ originals was stolen. Although we had tried to take every precaution to protect the paintings, someone snipped the wire that attached the painting to the booth wall. The painting was never recovered. Once we started doing the bigger shows, our set-up and take down techniques seemed to improve. Each time seemed to become easier. There were still challenges, but all were small in comparison to our first shows. These shows were a wonderful experience. However, time eventually began to wear us out and it was time to find a permanent location. That’s when we discovered Cobourg!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 3)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Our Second Show

After surviving our first consumer show, Judi and I felt (well at least I did) that we were seasoned professionals! The second show was in Hamilton at their Sportsmen’s Show. Set-up was easy, because we were able to bring our vehicle right into the building, the Copps Coliseum. Set-up had the normal trials and tribulations, but we were able to work through them with few problems. Even the show, itself, went off without a hitch. By the end of the show we (me) were feeling pretty confident and perhaps a little cocky (me)! Like with the set up, we were allowed to bring our truck into the building for the take down! Even the take down went fairly well. Judi and I loaded up the truck and closed the rear doors. We were all ready to drive home! I climbed into the driver’s seat, turn the ignition key and "nothing happened"! NO sign of life in the engine, none what so ever! By this time other trucks were ready to leave! The only problem was, we were blocking the passage way! We tried everything to get the vehicle started, but nothing worked! By this time our fellow exhibitors were losing their patience! Horns started to blare and voices rose. Finally with the help of a few “angry” men, we were able to push the vehicle out the way. With a riot averted, we were able to calmly contact CAA and get the vehicle started. Sheepishly, we drove home, ready for our (gulp!) next adventure!

(To be continues in Part 4)

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (No. 2)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Our First Show

Edwin Matthews had made us an offer we couldn’t refuse! He would supply us with framed art and Judi and I would sell it. Simple, right? The problem was, we didn’t have a physical premise to house and show the art. The solution was to show and sell the art at consumer shows. Our first consumer show was in Ottawa at the Ottawa Boat and Sportsmen’s Show. We didn’t have a clue what we were doing! Fortunately, Edwin had a lot of experience and provided us with the “tools” (booth, screws, signs, etc.) necessary to set up and display. All we had to do was provide the manpower and the seed money! Everything went fairly smoothly during the set-up and the show. We sold enough to cover our costs and to make a small profit. The real “fun” came during “take down”! “Takedown” is actually a very appropriate name for the process! As the show ended, there was a mad scramble to secure “moving dollies”, “loading docks” and the "physical corridors" of the show! Since this was our first time, we didn’t realize that we needed to “scramble to survive"! We did survive, but just barely! I think the scariest moment came when one of the boat exhibitors decided to try to “squeeze” a large boat through a smaller space! They were knocking over everything in sight! We saw them coming towards our area in horror! The pictures, on loan to us, were in their pathway! We moved quickly to get everything out of the way! We did just in time! We thought we were home free! We had moved everything but the booth! You guessed it! Just as the boat reached our area, it started to tip! It rocked back and forth with “all” the boat movers trying to “save” it! They were certainly more worried about their boat then they were about our booth! Unfortunately, disaster was not averted and the large boat actually fell off its trailer and smashed onto the cement ground! It missed our booth, but it blocked the entire passageway and ramp exit! So much for hurrying! It was clear that it would take time to “fix” this problem. We and the other exhibitors in our area had to make long diversions to the other exits in order to "get out"!. This was our first, and certainly not our last experience with “take downs”. It did, however, teach us a valuable lesson, “Protect the prints at all costs”! A lesson that became invaluable on numerous occasions!

INSIDE with the Festival Nomad (#1)

 Over the years I have attended, worked with and organized hundreds of festivals and events. With this new series, "INSIDE with the Festival Nomad", I want to give you an "inside" look at some of the festivals and events that I have been involved with or that I have visited. Along the way, I have had a lot of fun and sometimes frustration, but I have never been bored!

Organizing My First Event

I was in my early 20’s and I had never been involved in any kind of an event, let alone organized one! But that is what I was asked to do. I was a fairly new member of the Young Men’s Advertising Club of Toronto, when the President called me and asked ME to do him a favour! How could I refuse! He was OUR President, after all! So here I was, the new chairman of the YMASC Car Rally and I was “panicking”! Fortunately, I was able to “recruit” a couple of “green” (that’s inexperienced, not earth conscious!) to join my committee. Together we worked with the previous committee’s notes (very complete), and started planning our event. I think the most fun was choosing the “rally” route! The three of us climbed into my car and we started off. Never having planned a route before, we didn’t have any pre-conceived restrictions. We knew our start and our destination, so we just drove! As we twisted and turned my fellow “newbie's”, wrote down directions, turns and landmarks! We also searched for items (unusual trees, interesting buildings and funny signs) for rally participants to identify along the way. The idea was for them to "find" these items to earn additional points. Back then, being ambitious young men, we were able to obtain some really great prizes. So, doing well in the Car, Rally was a priority amongst rally participants!

Those were great days! I can’t tell you how much fun we had in the planning and then the execution of the event, but it was a lot! The dinner parties, the laughter and the “secrecy” all added to our excitement. Even though we were very inexperienced, everyone at the rally enjoyed themselves and, we, the organizers, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We were the hit of the club, at least for the moment. This event, more than any other, sent me on the road for a life-long fascinate with festivals and events!

Without Equal” … featuring Randy Potts … “The River Rat” (Part Five)

 A little more about the Peerless II history you might be interested in. The Peerless II spent approximately 49 years delivering gas and fuel to people's docks and out of the way marinas. These deliveries lasted until the 1960’s. Randy told us a story about the owner of the local BA station who was forced to purchase gas from another company when the BA Oil Company decided to sell the Peerless II. According to Randy, “it frosted him something fierce to have to buy gas from Imperial, the only source at that time!” Over the years BA's Peerless II became a real workboat and serviced thousands of cottagers, businesses and residents.

More about the Peerless II and its new voyages … It will hold up to 55 guests. Don’t worry … the life raft holds 75 people. The raft is compressed and if it even went 35 feet underwater it has a “self-release” mechanism and will pop right back up! There are lifejackets for everyone too. Randy will even have Radar (although it is not required by law). A snack bar upstairs will offer beverages such as wine, beer, water and BA Oil souvenirs, such as hats, t-shirts, mugs and glasses. There will be an awning covering part of the top deck with chairs and tables for those who like shade or there will be lots of places to sun yourself, along the way. Peerless II has a liquor license and will offer beverages to passenger. There's a full lunch and dinner menu in the cabin below. Passengers will be able to enjoy their meal while overlooking the Muskoka waters through the cabin’s panoramic windows. The dinning area seats 24 people. Randy says it is wise for sightseers to book in advance to ensure availability. Peerless II will offer cruises for special occasions, such as weddings, birthday parties, final requests, reunions (*especially for generations of Muskoka families), anniversaries, school bookings and more. Captain Potts is hoping to offer “Stargazing Tours” as well. They will book the Peerless II out of Lake Roseau for 1 hour to 4 hours cruises, Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. They will also operate from the Port Carling locks on the downstream side at the Delta Sherwood Inn (The Peerless II will be located on the least used side of the dock, leaving them with plenty of room to maneuver). Finally, they will operate from Lake Joseph on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. It is best to check out their web site for current and accurate information.

Regardless of the time you decide to spend with the Captain, his crew and the Peerless II, Randy assures us that you will be pleased by the “good value and great experience!” Randy is an extremely experienced and capable Captain with fantastic knowledge of Muskoka and the Muskoka Lakes' history. He always provides unique and interesting commentary on each and every voyage. As a result of our experience on the M.V. Idyllwood with Randy’s commentary, we are very excited and anticipating the imminent “launch” of the Peerless II. Congratulation Randy for your extreme dedication and hard work! See you on the water!

Without Equal” … featuring Randy Potts … “The River Rat” (Part Four)

 The windows are being restored from photos from the past. There will be 4 windows per side. When talking about BA and their boats, Randy can actually tell the BA boat's history from the logos on the boat. Speaking of photos, Randy would be very excited to get his hands on any old photos or stories of the Peerless II, especially from 1946 era. If you have or know of any, please let me or Randy know. These photos and history help Randy stay true to the Peerless II reproduction. Randy is also keeping true to the boat's original colours and nature, with plain white paint and some red and green trim. Randy will Captain the boat with an authentic Peerless II captains hat and jacket, complete with company logo! All this obtained at a recent auction. Talk about perfection! Again, if you have any photos, or could provide any history to Randy please let me know.

(To be continued in Part 5)

Without Equal” … featuring Randy Potts … “The River Rat” (Part Three)

 Randy is particularly proud of the outer set of curved stairs leading up to the top deck. He built these stairs by hand (which is the first set of metal “curved” stairs he has created). Without the handrail installed at the time, Judi was apprehensive and wobbly ascended the stairs. She was very glad to reach the top and even happier descending the interior stairs which had walls on either side! Apparently the inspector stops by frequently, as there are strict regulations for the heights, widths, curves, etc. that Randy must be adhered to. For example, the handrails are 42” tall, although, as a partial deck they only need to be 36”, this being what the regulations require, according to the Ministry of Transportation. There are other regulations, such as 2000 degree fire insulation. Randy has made sure that everything meets or exceeds what is required. He is a perfectionist this way! He is a perfectionist in other ways. The original wheel is being refinished and repaired. This makes for authentic travels while Randy captains. Randy created a shear, long sweeping curved handrail that tappers along the way. The wheelhouse, when I first saw it last year, was on Randy’s dock. He fabricated it all himself. It is now has installed on the top deck! He has only had to use a crane once for the entire project. This was to put the heavy tanks below decks. Again, Randy is quite proud by the “manpower” or "lack of manpower" that the project has taken. He had all the steel for the boat brought in to his property. This was a mammoth undertaking! The initial load was 12 tons of steel at $1,000 per ton. There have been 5 to 6 more tons brought in since! Floating docks were maneuvered in the water, around the sides of the boat, to do much of the work and welding. Randy referred to these projects as “old school in a modern way”.

(To be continued in Part Four)

Without Equal” … featuring Randy Potts … “The River Rat” (Part Two)

Some interesting facts about the restoration of the Peerless II.
• Randy has made alterations to the width of the boat, from its original 12 ½ foot width to its, now,16 foot width!
• The boat has a 5 foot draft on the bottom at the rear and 4 foot draft at the front.
• There were height restrictions while Randy built the upper deck.
• The Peerless II has an original MACK diesel 1945 engine. Peerless II has a single engine, single screw. (At one point in time I had my own 30 foot vessel with a high fly bridge. It a single inboard engine and screw. Needless to say it was a challenge, in the strong winds, to maneuver! The boat sometime had a mind of its own, especially in the wind! (even though in calmer weather I could park it in reverse on a dime!)

Being a very heavy boat, Randy's comment about the maneuverability of the Peerless II was understated! “It’s a bit of a challenge … but I like a challenge!” The restoration of both the Idyllwood and the Peerless II attests to that. Randy was Captain of the famous “Segwun” that also cruises the Muskoka Lakes. He said “the Segwun is like a sailboat with a mind of its own”. We asked Randy if he will be allowing anyone else to Captain his vessel and he said, “it takes a certain amount of finesse to drive it, so maybe just himself and perhaps a specific 'co-captain'”. (In other words, "no, Festival Nomad…you can not drive it! Oh well, it was just a thought!")

(To be continued in Part Three) 

Without Equal” … featuring Randy Potts … “The River Rat” (Part 1)

 “When I say mammoth undertaking, I mean MAMMOTH undertaking! Last year I wrote about the restoration and captain of the M.V. Idyllwood, Randy Potts. He had faithfully restored a 1920's era private yacht that is now offering cruises on the Muskoka Lakes. Well, he’s at it again! This time it’s a converted oil and gas tanker that was formerly owned by the BA company.”

Recently Judi and I had the honour and privilege of meeting with Randy Potts (aka “The River Rat”) at his home along the banks of the Muskoka River. We were there to see the progression of Randy’s handiwork on the historical vessel “Peerless II”. It is difficult to tell you all the interesting and exciting information Randy shared with us, but the following are a few facts and interesting stories from Randy himself.

The Peerless II is a 60 foot long ship that was built in 1946 at the Northern Shipbuilding yard in Bronte, Ontario for the BA Oil Company. This is the only “Tanker” they built. Randy is restoring the Peerless II “not in essence of true exact restoration, but to help people remember the past.” Randy is 100% custom building the Peerless II, mostly by his own hand. However, he is proud that he has been able to employee some others, such as professional welders, who seem to have the “young eyes” required for the finer details.

To Be Continued in Part 2)

Looks Can Be Deceiving...

 Did you ever go somewhere or plan to do something and have a pre-conceived notion of how it was going to look or what was going to happen?  I’m sure that this happens to us all at some time or other.  Visiting as many festivals and events as we do, Judi and I are quite often surprised.  Sometimes negatively, but most often in a positive manner!  Some of our “discoveries” are greater than others.  Take the Norwood Fall Fair as an example.  If you have ever been to Norwood, you would know that it is a very small rural community.  I don’t know the exact population, but it's not large.  So, when Judi and I decided to visit the Norwood Fall Fair, my expectations were not that high.  Boy, was I wrong!  This was a fantastic event, large, well organized and definitely worth visiting!  I really should have guessed that it would be a great event, because their website was one of the best I’d seen.  Like the fair itself, it was clean, well organized and informative.  Others events through the years have also impressed and surprised us, but I think the Norwood Fall Fair surprised us the most!  I guess the moral is, don’t pre-judge an event, you may miss something really special!