Weathervanes and more

Several weekends ago, my mother-in-law invited us to the annual community fair in her Lund neighborhood. The big draw for us was that there would be pony rides offered! Ruby is right smack in her horsemania phase.

So despite the cold and drizzle, which doesn't stop the Swedes from getting out and enjoying a spring day, we headed out and had a great time. It was part garage sale, part small-town talent show, and part community outreach all rolled into one. We especially enjoyed the Cirkusvagn - a gypsy-like trailer that appears at local events and provides free art activities! It's run by two fellows from Uruguay and volunteers. The project was weathervanes made from wood stakes, recycled plastic and paint. Ruby and Roger teamed up and with some thought and great concentration painted a cheerful vane that now proudly spins and rotates in my father-in-law's garden.

I was really enthused by the ingenious idea to use liter soda bottles (just the bottom) to create the weathervane's propellor. Jen Ewing, I was thinking of you and all those plastic bottles - maybe vehicles of flight will be next?  My friend, Jen, creates beautiful and whimsical boats out of plastic bottles, and other fun materials. You can check out her work here.

Other things that were fun - the local police and fire departments had vehicles and staff out to mingle with the neighbors. Lund's public servants were super nice; and the burly firefighter in the photo below that looks like he just rolled out of bed, was so genial despite the language barrier. For some reason, it just tickled me that the police officers and firefighters were having a good time passing out take-aways and letting kids crawl all over their vehicles. I guess it seems so long since I've seen the San Francisco police or fire departments represented at any community events. I'm sure lack of funds and overworked staff move community events down on the priority list, but a little goes a long way in developing good relations I think.

Local artists, crafters, musicians were in attendance as well. I was particulary intrigued by a display of frivoliteter, "tatting" in English, which I'd never heard of before. It's an European craft of knotting and looping thread into intricate, lacy designs. Seems so detailed and miniature - what I imagine blind, Belgian nuns laboring at in their convents hundreds of years ago. As if knitting isn't frustrating enough to me.

All in all it was a good day. Despite the fact that the pony cancelled its appearance because of the rain.