MOUNTAIN PULSE: Dancing free at The Blueberry Festival

August 11, 2013

Dancing free at The Blueberry Festival

High bush blueberries

Yes, another one! This one is more about worshipping those sweet, indigo, power-packing, little buggers that are so fun to harvest than it is about the music. But DeadPhish Orchestra was playing again and Miles had another chance to MC.

We woke up to a heavy downpour and a shitty weather forecast on the NOAA site yesterday, putting a DAMPER on our plans to camp with the Ruizes in Girdwood. But we figured we're Alaskans and can handle a blueberry fest in the rain if we have a warm dry house to come home to.
As is typical in Alaska, the weather turned quite pleasant once we reached Turnagain Arm and pretty much stayed that way. :l

Never a dull moment on Turnagain Arm

The festival is held in the courtyard of Alyeska resort at the base of the ski mountain. We perused the vendor's goods, enjoyed lunch and drinks , hiked a little into the enchanted looking woods to pick some berries for a couple hours before DPO came onstage.

Compared to the Salmonstock crowd, the Blueberry festers where a bit.....deflated? Surprising since Girdwood is an arty, liberal leaning, tree huggin' town nestled in some serious REDness!!! But they LOVES their music happenings. We've been to a few gigs next door at the Sitzmark where the floor is packed with happy dancers...so we were expecting the same for outside DeadPhish Orchestra. Is it because they hit the stage at 5pm instead of 10pm? Do people really need to be SO primed on booze, weed, whatev to feel comfortable letting loose and dancing? SAD. It may not come across on this blog, but I am an inherently very shy person...in my past, painfully self conscious. But fuck if I'm gonna let that get in the way of me letting loose and doing what my soul calls for! The ONLY ones up dancing after the band came on-besides Miles and I- were a group of CHILDREN. Running around with balloons, Willa included, screaming, dancing, huge grins.....As I turned toward the audience behind us, scores of people just standing and watching, some bopping inconspicuously to the music, I wanted to yell out all biblical-like,"Let the little children LEAD!!!! LOOK at these open, free, joyful, UN-ENCUMBERED souls! THIS truly is LIFE! It's what it's about! And ya don't need to be BLOTTO to get there!!!!"

It suddenly dawned on me.....at the age of 43.....I'm able to dance freely, heart singing, in front of a couple hundred people.....and not have a care in the world. I am SO truly grateful that I am finally there!

"If my heart can become pure and simple,
like that of a child, I think there probably
can be no greater happiness than this."

- Kitaro Nishida