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Workshops, workshops and more workshops – so many to choose from at Gourd Fest – July 23 & 24^th, 2005

At this years Gourd Festival, the Canadian Gourd Society (CGS) is offering 10 workshops and there is certain to be one or two that may interest you.

Participate in a drum making session and take home a completed playable drum. Pyrography on Gourds or an intriguing little workshop called Gourd “N” Crazy may be for you! Darienne McAuley, known for her exquisite coiled rims, will be teaching classes while Ed McAuley - his popular Lace Rimmed gourds as picture above. This is only a sampling of what is offered, the costs are very reasonable & the instructors are the best. For details click here.

Northern Dipper is accepting entries for the CGS Design Competition. For details on the competition click here. To make it easy to enter we will:

- Accept your shipments, unpack them and give your registration entry form to the set up people.

- We will pack up your entries in the same box it was sent in and send it back to you by Canada Post. Make certain you include:

1.) Filled out entry form filled out with categories from the CGS website listed above.

2.) A return address label with a phone number as well as a Visa, Mastercard or American Express number on which return shipping will be charged There will be no charge for this service other than the postage.

3.) If you want to insure your pieces we need a value for insurance. We will purchase the insurance through Canada Post & charge it to your card.

Northern Dipper & the Canadian Gourd Society will not be held responsible for any losses or damage.

For 19 years the Spirit of Aloha ‘Ohana Hula School has been sharing the Hawaiian culture through its major art form - the Hula. The school exists to spread aloha, and share the love and respect its teachers and students hold for this wonderfully expressive culture.

The school has competed over the years in many local competitions, taking first and second place in the Dancers in Motion competition in Windsor, Ontario; and two first place awards, senior and junior divisions, in the Kiwanis Music Festival-folkloric competition. The students also join in the Oe E Ka La Hula Festival and Competition in Pleasanton, California.

The Spirit of Aloha ‘Ohana Hula travels around the province performing for many community functions, seniors homes and hospitals, as well as political rallies, charitable organizations, fundraising events, company banquets and social dinners. For over fifteen years, the troupe performed annually at the

of the drum to energize, empower, connect, heal, unite and transform people."

At Gourd Fest "Rhythmic Jam" might best describe what will happen. Experience a trip around the globe and an exploration of everyone's individual sense of rhythm. Stops along the way will include African, Latin America, Middle East and our own rich Native Culture. Whether you know how to play or not doesn’t matter. Jack will be bringing a large variety of shakers, cowbells, and other handheld percussion instruments. We anticipate drum enthusiasts will bring their own. Jack Barnes is well known to many London residents for his innovative percussion work & Boombah Tunedays. For details on Boombah Tuneday click here.

Vendors

This year there will be 10 very unique Vendors represented at Gourd Fest. We have banjo makers, seagrass baskets, rubber stamps & cards, an "unconventional" artist from Brantford & more. .Featured here are -

Jeff Menzies – banjo maker

Jeffrey Menzies is a young and prolific gourd banjo maker in Toronto. Jeff is also a sculptor, working in the mediums of welded and stainless steel, cast bronze, iron, aluminum, concrete, and wood.

"Each individual banjo is unique. The banjos are constantly evolving. I view the banjos I make as functional art objects.”

Jeff is quick to note that playability is a major design element and that his banjos are made to be played. Jeff looks forward to a lifetime of musical exploration and a constantly evolving work in making and playing the gourd banjo. For more information about Jeff Menzies and his banjos click here.

Gourd growing - the vines are taking off!

Tonight I pollinated the first female flower of the season. Male to female, male to female… Underneath the female flower there is a small pepo (gourd) & if it is not pollinated that tiny gourd will just turn brown and fall off.

For those growing on trellissing go out and start tying them up. Twist ties work well. Tie them loose-you do not want to damage the vines. Don't stretch the vine too much as you don’t want to damage that growing tip.

Pests - Squash bugs, also known as Stink bugs, are gray/brown, flattish & sort of almond shaped.

They are about 1/2" long and can blend in under the leaves and on the earth. They mate and lay their eggs on the underside of leaves or on the stems of the gourd plant. The eggs are small, round & bronze in color and are always laid in clusters. Check your leaves and if you do find these eggs destroy them. The eggs detach quite easily so just scoop them onto the tip of a utility knife and squash! Once these eggs hatch the nymphs will suck the juice from the leaves and then move to take over the entire plant. For more info on cucumber beetles click here. For squash bugs click here.

At Northern Dipper…

This year has been ideal gourd weather with lots of heat, a bit of rain, not too many cucumber beetles and vines that are healthy and growing. We are also busy planning the Gourd Festival July 23 & 24. Lots of details to attend to!

I have been working with various crafting materials for over twenty years. When I was younger, I paid little or no attention to safety information. The individual crafter often pays little attention to safety equipment. If gourds were crafted in factories adequate respirators would be mandatory.

Gourds, during their drying period, often lose more than 90% of their weight. They turn black and moldy as the moisture leaves the gourd. I was warned that this mould could represent a health risk. As usual I ignored it until the day that I opened the gourd from hell. It was a six-inch cannonball. Once opened, I began to cough, wheeze and experience dizziness and shortness of breath. Fortunately there was a chair nearby or I may have passed out. I coughed for two days. After closer inspection it was obvious that the gourd itself was full of mould.

Since that day every time I am opening a gourd I wear a well fitting mask. Nowadays I leave that mask on during the internal cleaning process as well as any application where dust is created. Recently I have added well fitting eye goggles as I noticed that in the evenings I was rubbing my eyes.

Further research into my experience with the toxic gourd from hell has led me to believe

my experience was a condition known as intrinsic allergic aveolitis more commonly known as farmer’s lung. For a complete description of this condition and it’s symptoms click here.

As we sell gourds we felt we had a responsibility to provide safety information and solutions. For more information on Reusable Particulate Respirators click here.

Jeff Menzies – banjo maker

Paul Ross – wood turner

Melanie Daniel's Pup