This was my third and final Gourd Festival and with each experience I've met different people and learned little interesting tidbits of information just from short exchanges of dialogue. One thing that has been a constant is the incredibly supportive crowd that always leaves me with something, even if it's just a smile or a thumbs up.
This was not only a gourd show but a camping weekend for my family. We loaded up "Melvin" (our pop-up trailer) and despite having a list if things to bring, we failed to look at the list and forgot towels and my sleeping bag. Forgetting things always seems to happen, but the nice thing about camping was spending time with my family. I don't know if it was the change in scenery or the lack of electronic media, but we had a nice time reconnecting. I couldn't do this without the hard work of my "crew"; don't worry, they were compensated with food after the festival at a great pizza place called New York Pizza and Bagel in Corona.
Saturday morning people came in waves--lots of pictures--lots of questions and I sold the most pieces during this time frame including my Frida Mosaic. I was pretty surprised she went so quickly. I did feel a slight pang of sadness as I was wrapping her up, but I'm glad she will go to an admiring Frida fan like myself.
Former customers came by to say Hi and some bought a new piece. I spoke to familiar gourd faces I see from time to time at these events; Dean was walking around with a beautiful yucca didgeridoo--still can't believe how long of a breath he can take! I also had a special visit from my brother and sister-in-law and our friends who made the long and winding drive to say Hello.
Despite all of the packing and unpacking, forgetting things, constant smooth jazz on a loop, a zillion trips to the port-o-potties (#6 was my favorite!), and needing a good nap, it was ALL GOOD! The Welburn Gourd Festival has been kind to me and I will miss such a pleasant venue.
