The Big Tent Festival

I was really keen to attend this festival again this year, ME notwithstanding, and deliberately laid low for a day or two to try to build up a reserve of stamina for it. We went on the Saturday, Alastair, Susanneke and I and arrived just after 10.30 on a lovely summer's day. The previous day's rain and the presence of some pretty large vehicles and plant on site had made a fair mess of the ground, and wood chippings were being liberally scattered to counter the clarty underfoot conditions. Fortunately, the weather stayed good, and the ground conditions improved as the day wore on.

My plan was to spend 30 minutes or so looking round, followed by 30 minutes rest as device to get through the day, and it worked fairly well. I managed to spend time talking to the people at the Scottish Basket-weaving Circle, the green woodworking display and the Permaculture Association. We attended an hour long Permaculture presentation which was very good, but which I actually found to be the most tiring activity of the day. It was a very participative workshop, and the sustained mental activity was a challenge to my foggy grey cells.

In the passing, I managed to hear some very good music from the stage, ate a buffalo burger, and had a smoothie mixed by a bicycle powered food processor. I collected lots of information, including how to grow edible fungi on brash wood, how to build with straw bales, and a whole load of other post peak oil useful information. I found out about a community owned cider press that is available to local groups. I met a good few friends, including an erstwhile colleague

The sun shone, and the Falkland Estate looked lovely as ever, it was a great day out.

WE came home at about 5.30. I dozed all evening. Sunday came and went - I never really woke up. Monday came - I actually got out of the house with Susannneke long enough to go to Cupar for a hair cut - I felt lousy all day though, and that has carried onto today - I'm still feeling weak and wobbly.

I'd do it again, but it is really a bit of a bugger when spending a peaceful day out locally from 10 am to 6 pm puts you out of action for at least three days afterwards.