Last weekend, the four Poiema Gals and one Poiema Gal Sister took a road trip to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Melissa Heagy and Mark Blackwood.  Poiema Gals have been known to love a good surprise, and the stagette weekend was no different.  We had the entire weekend away planned and Mel had no idea where we were taking her or what we would be doing.  Our trip took us to Fernie, Lake Kookanusa, and Cranbrook.  Each day we gave Melissa clues in a vintage photo album about what was to come.  A fujifilm instant camera was the perfect accompaniment, allowing her to document the trip and fill the album as we went.  What I loved most about the weekend, was the spontaneous, unplanned fun we had.  Yes, our plans were brilliant (Japanese dinner, dancing all night, lounging by a lake) but it was the random games of grounders, the abrupt stops to go jump in a new lake, the fully-committed improvisation of songs, the impromptu heart to hearts detailing what each of us love most about the rest- these are the things I will remember.  For Monday, we had planned a 2 hour bike ride from Cranbrook to Kimberley on a beautiful trail, but awoke to thunderstorms.  No problem.  We played cards, swam in the pool playing Marco Polo and having jumping competitions, watched a movie, went to a café, and finally played the scariest game of Sardines I've ever experienced.  (Candice, your parents have a terrifyingly dark and eerie yard when the sun goes down.)  The rain didn't make us skip a beat.  "Ah well," we thought, "just an opportunity to do something else exciting."  These trips remind me how lucky I am to have the friends I do.  It makes me pause to appreciate the moments I share with them, and how important these relationships are in my life.  It was brought up on the trip how people, girls included, view women as dramatic, catty, or selfish, and how saddening this is.  Girls are great.  I hope that everyone can be surrounded by women just like the ones I have who they can laugh with, share with, and lean on.  Congratulations, Melissa!  Thank you for letting us be a part of your day!

-B

Two Thursdays ago, I started my long 1206 km journey to the Sasquatch Music Festival in the Gorge Amphitheatre, Washington.  Packed into the Toyota Matrix along side me was my wonderful boyfriend, a tent, some clothes, and a bunch of disposable cameras, ready for a weekend celebrating music with other like-minded people.  This was my first camping festival I had ever been to and I wasn't sure what to expect.  I pictured lying on the grass on a blanket in the warm sun in front of a gigantic stage soaking in all my favorite songs.  I wasn't too far off.  Other than being relatively unprepared for the camping portion- forgetting rain gear, cooking tools, warm clothing, and games/books to keep me occupied during the day- it was a magical weekend.  

The campsite is a short trek away from the festival grounds and so when Friday arrived, we joined the herd of people excitedly walking the marked trail.  As we entered the gates, I could see we had arrived; we had made it to Sasquatch!  But it wasn't until we stood at the top of the hill that it really hit me, looking down on the lawn, the stage, and behind it- the Gorge.  Tears came to my eyes at the beauty of it all.  The grass plunged down the hill to the huge stage and the view was breathtaking.  The Gorge had beautiful walls of rock surrounding waters that were calm and still except for the occasional boat or sea-doo carving the glass.  

Music.  Here are some of the bands I got to see:  Vampire Weekend, Bloc Party, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Dropkick Murphys, Postal Service, The XX, The Lumineers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Elvis Costello, and best of all... MUMFORD & SONS!  I had caught their Rexall Place show the day before I left Edmonton, and seeing them only made me more excited to watch them again at Sasquatch.  We started making our way to the front about three hours before they were scheduled to take the stage.  Luckily, we were surrounded by very friendly people we could chat, laugh, and rap with.  That's one thing about Sasquatch: you meet tons of great people.  Mumford & Sons did not disappoint.  Seeing them up close was amazing.  I love seeing a band enjoying themselves on stage.  I like to know that they are having as much fun as the audience is.  I sang the words to every song and jumped and clapped along with the whole mass of people who have been touched by their music.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  

So yes, the port-a-potties (their brand of choice was Honey Buckets) and the rain and the chilly weather was no expense when it came to the once-in-a-lifetime experience I had.  I'd like to give a special thank you to my boyfriend, David Dempsey, for going out of his way to get me to the front for Mumford & Sons, and for making sure I had one of the best weekends of my life.  

-B