This years Port Elliot festival was a wet one, after a few years of glorious weather at the festival it was bound to happen one year. A highlight is to watch folk swimming in the river and getting muddy, but this year it was hard to see the difference between the banks of the river at low tide and the state of the paths and grounds in general.
Unable to see the larger picture because of a mizzly haze made me pay attention to the smaller details and escaping the rain you could be surprised at the impromptu talk you might have happened upon. Marked up timetables went out of the window as performers cancelled or went up late and venues plus times got changed. This sounds far worse than it was in actuality, I felt far more connected to the talks and interviews this year than sometimes in the past when, to catch the sun you would sit somewhat further away lapping up the rays.
A favourite hour was spent listening to half a dozen folk [comprising of a poet, writer, businessman/gardener, actor, & conservationists] discussing the US poet W S Merwin and his garden on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Merwin believes that mans separation from nature is, and will be, disastrous for the world; he made his garden in an old pineapple plantation and in doing so has restored the land to its original rainforest, which has one of the most extensive palm collections known to exist on earth.
It is now on my list of must see places. https://merwinconservancy.org/open-garden-days/
And then on the final day the sun returned reminding us what a special weekend it can be when the weather shines. This is certainly a place where we get a glimpse of nature, here’s hoping the grass will return… as will we.
