Bim's Children's Lit Fest

Congrat's to the organisers of the First Bim's Literary Fest for a well run and interesting event.


I spent an enjoyable day in the children's tent where lots of activities were going on.  Face painting was very popular.  The overall theme of the festival was "Words Need Love".  In their corner, artist were busy illustrating this concept.  A sub-theme in the children's tent was Anansi.  A beautifully turned-out Anansi, accompanied by Nyame, the Sky God, entertained the children.


The National Library Service put on a wonderful puppet show -  The Mouse and the Lion.  


Storytellers:  Greg Fitt, Sarah Veneable, Norma Meek, June Stoute and Deanne Kennedy entertained the audience.  If you miss this year, be sure to put it on your calendar for next year.


For more pictures of this event, please enter via View My Gallery under For Another Peep in the top left corner of this blog.  Enjoy.

Pawsability - Linda Pearson

Many claim that JRs cannot be trained.  However, I decided to try with ours.  I was delighted that the first trainer I called was very positive.  JRs - no problem.  Pups -  that's fine.  I signed the family up with Linda Pearson to train to train dogs.


Aris and Loki were attentive pupils, especially when they discovered that there was some sausage in it for them.  We did the basic obedience training - come, sit, down and place.  Place means going to a specific place and staying there until released, as shown in this picture.  They've also learned to walk nicely on leads and stay in the back seat when driven in the car.


This is the first time I'm raising two pups at the same time and it's quite a challenge was they are so high-spirited.  

Bim LitFest Children’s Fair

I’ve been invited to read at the Bim LitFest Children’s Fair, which will be held in Queen’s Park on Saturday, May 19, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

         I said to Dick, “I may be becoming ‘Auntie June’”. 

Always supportive he responded, “I think you should skip to ‘Gran’ one time.” 

The aim of the Fair is to have as many children as possible in Queen’s Park sharing the fun and joy of reading.  The fair will also feature music, dance, puppetry, junior open-mic, writing and art activities in addition to storytelling.

         Sounds like a fun family event.  Mark the date in your calendar now.

The Children’s Fair is part of the Bim Literary Festival and Book Village, which runs from May 16-20, 2012. 

         The Festival is an opportunity to meet and hear writers from North America, Britain, Barbados and the wider Caribbean.  I heard Earl Lovelace will be there and you will certainly find me at his events.

The Book Village also takes place on May 19 in Queen’s Park and will run concurrently with the Children’s Fair.  For details check:

         http://www.bimlitfest.org/

Bequia Easter Regatta

Dick and I were among the many Bajans who flocked to Bequia for Easter.  Dick went to race on the Bloody Mary and I watched the racing from shore.

Here the work boat class is starting in the surf at Lower Bay.  It would appear that some crew members must remain in the sea until the start signal is given.

This shot is of the race which started in Friendship Bay.  It is shortly after the start and the teams have been able to set their sails and are well underway.

On our way from the airport the Taxi driver stopped and show us this boat, still being built in the boatyard.  It was the newest work boat and creating much excitement in local circles.  Christened Blackberry, its dark hull was sleek and shiny.

The J24 Class and other racing class boats.

Three Generations Art Exhibition

Sunday gone, Dick and I went to the opening of the Three Generation Art Exhibition. I had been looking forward to it ever since the invitation arrived and I was not disappointed.

The works by Jill Walker and her daughter, Sue Trew, and her daughter, Holly Trew were delightful. The art was of high quality and varied as each artist had a different style. Jill's work is well known but it soon became easy to distinguish Sue's from Holly's.

If you've been coveting a Jill Walker original, now is the time to realize that dream. The exhibit is at the Gallery of Caribbean Art, Speightstown and runs until 14th April.

Also on sale was a book on chattel houses authored by Jill and Sue. I purchased a copy as Jill's rendering of scenes of Barbadian life takes me back to my childhood - a time of innocence and wonderment.

Respecting copyright and as a tribute to Jill, I have posted one of my photos taken at an Emancipation Day Parade a few years ago. I have photo-shopped it with an water colour filter.

Morning Barbados

For me writing and formatting books are the easy part of being a self-published author. Self-promotion and publicity seeking don't come easy though. So on my way to be part of the Morning Barbados show last Monday to promote Ping Pong, I wondered what had I been thinking. I had been on the show several times with my other books and learnt that the interviewers ask the darnedest questions.

I arrived on time and the scheduled indicated that I would be on in thirty minutes. I was just settling in to watch the start of the show when I was told I was up - item 1 and not 10. What's a zero anyway. The moderator was the same guy who interview me when I was on promoting Anansi and Herald last year, so no introductions were made and anyway everyone one knows the CBC presenters, except ... So I was thrown off a little by that. He looked like Doug but I didn't want to call the presenter by the wrong name and no one found it necessary to address him!!@%**

I was fairly relaxed but he floored me with, "How is the book doing in schools?" I didn't want to lie and say, 'GREAT' and also did not wish to explain how difficult it is to get books into schools. On the drive back home I was thinking of all the things I should have said to make better use of the opportunity.

Anyway a big thank you to CBC and the Morning Barbados production team.

Animal Flower Cave, Barbados

I often visit the cliffs by the Animal Flower Cave. It's a location I find very relaxing – the strong sea breeze and the surf pounding against the cliffs. I can sit there and watch the wave action for ages.

Last month my photo-club’s excursion was there and I went into the cave for the first time. We entered the cave from cliff top via a stairway carved out of the coral. It is a multi-chambered sea cave with several openings to the sea. These opening are above the high water mark. One chamber has a large pool and the colour of the water there is a beautiful turquoise. I could not get any good shots of that as I had forgotten my tripod.

The floor of the cave is rocky, uneven, slippery and wet. I am not agile enough to move around only on the dry rocks and so resigned myself to wading in the pools – better wet shoes than risk a fall.

I saw only one animal flower (sea anemone) and was disappointed by this. On the other had there were interesting rock formations, a giant hand and the face of a man. My fantasy took flight and I wondered if I could write a story around these features.

Now for some data:

The cave was discovered from the sea in 1780 by English explorers. The coral steps were built in 1912 and the coral floor is estimated to be about four or five hundred thousand years old.

Some years ago, I wrote this poem:

Ashes

from a rocky cliff

to a wave's crescendo

under a martin's wheel

wind rushing westward

or in our own backyard

beneath the swaying trees

where Rex will come

and pee upon me

or as the entertainer plays

to the setting sun

just offshore of Bimshire

scatter me.