Just give me a minute…Ok, we’re good. Whew.

Honestly, it’s taken me four days now to really come down from the amazing event that Bear Mountain Boats held this past Saturday in Westport. Spending thirteen-and-a-half hours with fellow artisans, creative thinkers and tinkerers just took everything out of me (in a good way of course).

So bear with me as I work through my thoughts and of course images (which there are A LOT of).

First off: the weather. What threatened to be a bit of a hinderance turned out to be a glorious day to be outside. It was cool enough in the morning to need a jacket but as the day went on, the sun and the breeze were just right. A perfect Saturday in September.

Secondly: With over 60 vendors all speaking the same creative and artistic language, it was really difficult to not get into a heartfelt conversation with someone about what they were passionate about and what they were doing to make those passions a reality. It was truly inspiring and I am forever grateful.

There was seriously something at this event for everyone. You could sit and listen to one of the many speakers talk about their techniques, experiences and goals for the future. Jimmy Diresta & Kevin AKA The Happy Camper were two stand-outs in my mind. Those guys are just living life right. You could also get your hands dirty by helping build a canoe, or sharpen a knife, or even use some sort of crazy lathe that was run by a foot petal and a bunch of ropes and pulleys (nice one Lee Valley). You could help the kids and their families build a cardboard boat which would then be raced in Westport Harbour (man that was fun). Or you could just have a tasty bowl of chilli with a sweet hand-pie chaser. And don’t even get me started on how crazy awesome the dinner and campfire at Scheuermann’s was after the event. You guys definitely know how to throw an afterparty!

So if you’ve read this far (thank you), I hope that you’ll take a few extra minutes and explore the photos below.

A big heartfelt thanks to Joan, Ted, Ann, Matt and the rest of the team that helped plan, organize and execute the event. I hope you’ll join me in congratulating them in a job well done and maybe, just maybe if we ask nicely enough, Joan will consider making this an annual event. (Too early Joan?)

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