So, what's the problem with a cloud? We have clouds here in Guam. They are little puffy things that never seem to totally obscure the sun.

I talked with my parents this morning. When I mentioned working under a canopy my mother wanted to know why we don't work outside in the fine weather. I said we didn't want to work in the hot sun. She too seemed to have trouble with the concept of "sun" and "blue skies".

My father told me there was an article in the paper about some Japanese soldiers still hiding out in Mindanao. Apparently there may be some old men back in the bush who have been there for the last six decades. Amazing. Wakana is very excited and has tuned in to NHK for any late breaking news.

Yesterday we went to the Island Fair. Delegates from many of the Pacific islands had booths demonstrating local arts and crafts and a dance stage was set up for performances of indigenous music and dance. We were invited to set up a booth showing what we are doing. We were asked to bring our canoe.

The original plan was to sail it down to Ypao Beach and set up our booth there by the water. The organizers wanted us up nearer the rest of the fair. That meant we would have to push our canoe about 150 yards uphill and over concrete walks to where they wanted us. If we sailed it we would also have to deal with what have been very low tides.

So we decided to trailer the canoe to the event. Well, that brings up all sorts of other problems. We do not own a trailer or a truck large enough to do the job. We have to borrow them. The plan was to meet on Friday at 10:00 to move the canoe. Then the plan was changed to meeting at 1:00. Then we got the call that we would meet at Frank's ranch at 2:00. We waited there until Frank showed up at 3:00. When they hooked the trailer up to the truck it turned out that the hitch was too low and we would not be able to use that truck.

So we loaded the small canoe we are carving on to the truck and headed off to set up the booth. Our "booth" is a 30' by 30' canopy. We set the carving project inside and put a line of tables in a right angle to mount our pictures on. All we have is some poster boards and albums full of pictures, the Chamorro toothpick (Our carving project started out as a two man sailing canoe but has now been whittled down to a one man paddling canoe.), Gordon's display of hand-made jewelry that he sells, and, of course, the Quest, our 22' ocean sailing canoe.

Well, the Quest was not there, the pictures were not there, Gordon's jewelry was not there, and we didn't have any adzes with us so we could start carving. It was not a well organized effort.

Next morning Wakana and I headed down to Paseo to meet the crew as agreed at 9:00 to start moving the canoe. Nobody was there except for Tom. We waited. I played my guitar, Tom rode his bicycle, and Wakana rested in the shade. Finally the rest of the crew started to wander in about 10:00. Frank showed up with a different truck and the trailer. We got the canoe loaded and we ready to go when someone noticed a big piece of wire sticking out of one of the tires on the trailer. So we had to send someone to get a tire repair kit. Finally we were on our way.

Now, the Quest, when he's on the trailer, takes up one whole traffic lane plus a few inches. We have to go slow and we have to go in convoy. At a minimum we need to have one vehicle ahead and one behind. On Saturday morning we needed two trailing vehicles using one to block each lane behind the canoe. I had the duty as the block for the right hand lane, the one where we could expect angry drivers to try to pass us. After we pulled out of the courtyard at Paseo we stopped at the first light and I noticed that nobody had tied down the mast and sail. So we pulled our convoy out on to the road and lined up in the middle turning lane. While some of us tried to slow down the oncoming traffic the rest worked on tying down the load.

Then, finally we were on our way. It was slow going and the traffic was piling up behind us. We were on a seven lane road with a turn lane in the middle. The cars would zoom past us on the right and swing in suddenly when they got past me only to find that the canoe was there ahead of them. These were the people who do not see more than the car ahead of them. You could tell when they were surprised at what they found ahead of me.

At one light Gordon called on the radio that we should be able to get through. The light changed to yellow at his words but he zipped through anyway. Tom called him saying that he could get an operation to take the lead out of his foot. Then we came up on a crosswalk full of people coming out of church. Gordon called back a warning about "church walkers". Tom's answer was, "Let's send them to God." We spent a lot of time laughing in our cars.

About half way to the park a mysterious green pickup truck pulled into the line behind Gordon. We figured we were moving so slowly that he would give up soon. Then we figured he wanted to make a left and needed to pull over into the turn lane. Instead he hung on, moving with the convoy and even turning on his four way flashers! We were going nuts trying to figure out who this character was. He took a position protecting the right lane in front and helping us get through a complicated turn. Somebody suggested we give him a membership and a t-shirt. It wasn't until we got to the park that we found it was Bruce Best, a long time associate and supporter. Thanks for the help, Bruce.

Once we got to the park we had to maneuver the contraption down through a mess of cars parked haphazardly around the access road and people walking into and out of the fair grounds. Then we had to make a tight turn into the gate and run down to the booth. Bruce showed up to help unload. An older man, dark complexion set off by a white beard and bright Aloha shirt also helped. Later I introduced myself. He was an islander from Ulithi. He had been wandering the grounds looking for anything to do with seafaring and had seen nothing. Then, suddenly, we were there with a canoe. He was so happy to see that canoe. He looked at all our pictures and talked to everyone.

It's interesting that people who attend such events fall into one of three groups. There are those who don't know what they are looking at and do not care. Their eyes wander over the displays and then move in. They ask no questions and show no interest. Then there are the people who know a little and think they know it all. And they insist on telling you all they know. They do not listen to your comments and they do not want to know they are wrong. Their eyes are fixed on some point as they dredge up the truths and half truths and downright lies that make up their knowledge base.

But then there are those who do know what they are looking at and who stand quietly gazing, touching lightly, talking quietly with a friend, and remembering. Their eyes look at the displays and in the depth of those eyes you can see their memories scrolling by. Their questions touch on the organization and what we are doing with THEIR past and culture. The questions are gentle and probing, no animosity, and generally they are grateful for the chance to relive, if only for a moment, the past that made them what they are. Their memories are full of canoes and sailors they have known, navigators they have sailed with and islands they have visited. They remember good days and bad. And when they leave, they walk away slowly, turning back to look again and again.

The fair is set up on the road end of the park. There are brightly colored canopies, the beige pavilions and a big dance stage surrounded by scaffolding and the electronically amplified sound system. All through the day there is music coming from speakers the size of small cars. The performances usually are dance groups ranging from small children to adults from various islands. The costumes are colorful and the movements either graceful or threatening depending on the theme of the dance.

Overall it was a lovely day and well worth the effort of moving the Quest.