It was a busy one last weekend, folks.
The last weekend of May and going into June 1st served as the timeline for the 4th annual Prairie Festival here in Outlook.
Excellent weekend, lots to see and do, some great variety as far as the daily schedules were concerned, and I think everybody had a blast.
During the three-day celebration, I was asked by several different people on several different occasions how I manage to do what I do when there's so much going on. I gave the standard joking answer about how "there's more than one of me they cooked up in a lab somewhere", but then I actually stopped and thought about it: How DO I manage to shoot all these photos and produce all this content when there's only one of me?
With that, I thought I'd "open the curtain" on my daily life when such a multi-day event takes place and show you how my day-to-day operations are carried out.
FRIDAY, MAY 30
- Wake up.
- Scratch myself in two places at once.
- Shave and shower.
- Cup of iced coffee.
- Fire up laptop.
- Upload & edit photos from Dinsmore play held on the previous night.
- Post stories online to 蘑菇视频短视频.ca.
- Drive to Outlook museum grounds.
- Capture opening ceremonies.
- Photograph some Filipino folk dancing, followed by dancers from En Point Studios with Outlook Dance.
- Tell myself that I haven't had anything all day besides that morning iced coffee, so eat something, ya dummy.
- Eat something.
- Photograph the talented Lisa Moen and her band Full Throttle as they headline the Friday night festivities.
- Photograph my friend Syhra in between Lisa's sets when she takes the stage and proceeds to show people the wide-ranging emotional depth of her own vocal talents.
- I've lost track of time at this point.
- The sun's disappeared in the west.
- No one's playing music anymore and people are leaving.
- I guess that means that Friday's a wrap.
- Go home.
- Continue my binge of 'Cheers' on Paramount+.
- Scratch myself in another place. Did I step in something...?
- Sleep.
SATURDAY, MAY 31
- Wake up.
- Iced coffee.
- Drive to the museum.
- Check out and photograph some incredible classic cars and trucks in the Show n' Shine.
- Photograph kids having fun in the Kids Zone on the museum's front lawn.
- Photograph the large crowd gathered in the Bounty Theatre hall to check out Conquest history videos as presented by Bob Jones.
- Sit down to check out said videos. Great glimpses of times gone by in my hometown.
- Visit with my sisters and my niece Christine, who just got out of a stay in Royal University Hospital.
- Give her a lengthy hug and remind myself that this kid is stronger than most adult men that I know for all the medical stuff she goes through.
- Photograph the merchants over in the Outdoor Market in front of the museum.
- Come across a glass mug with three words: 'Drink - Drank - Drunk'. Sold!
- Sit and visit with family under the big tent with a couple hundred other people.
- Say an internal thank you to the organizers for obtaining this massive tent, shielding me and hundreds of others from the hot sun.
- Say goodbye to family.
- Photograph the performers taking the stage on this day: Kevin Harcourt, Glen Adair, and Jolie Blue are hits with the growing crowds.
- Eat something.
- Photograph the Saturday night headliners, the Riverbottom Boys, who give the crowd a memorable show.
- Tell myself that it's 10:00 pm and that it's okay if I now go "off the clock" and relax.
- Take my brother home.
- Return to museum grounds.
- Grab an "adult beverage".
- Take in the show.
- Witness two families and a friend on the stage all at once. Three Akre members, three Rude members, and one Myrol.
- Pull out my phone and photograph it, knowing full well that at the end of the day, I'm always going to be "on the clock".
- Meet a fan of mine when I'm standing in line for a lemonade.
- Ask myself, 'Do journalists even have fans...?'
- Pose for a couple of selfies with said fan. (Appreciate you, Hunter! Thanks for reading.)
- Witness two fireworks go off by the booze booth.
- Ask myself how smart that is, considering how much of the province is in flames as I type this.
- Go home.
- Watch 'Snakes On A Plane' on Paramount+. (Hey, I like it, okay?)
- Sleep.
SUNDAY, JUNE 1
- Wake up.
- Coffee.
- Drive to museum.
- Photograph Warren the Balloon Guy in the Bounty Theatre hall with kids.
- Photograph the race track with kids ripping around that's been set up in the Theatre.
- Photograph all the talent on display for Outlook's Got Talent.
- Eat something.
- Photograph the coolest looking kid here today, wearing a Guns n' Roses t-shirt (so am I) and Gene Simmons KISS makeup. (Thanks, Sawyer!)
- Photograph the winners of Outlook's Got Talent.
- The 4th annual Prairie Festival is in the books for this year.
- Stack chairs and move tables.
- Take brother home.
- Drive to Jim Kook Rec Plex ball grounds.
- Photograph the multiple ball games going on simultaneously for Outlook Amateur Sports Day.
- Drive home.
- Upload and edit photos.
- Coffee.
- Take car.
- Go to Mum's.
- Kill Phil. ("Sorry!")
- Grab Liz.
- Go to the Winchester.
- Have a nice cold pint.
- And wait for all this to blow over.
- How's that for a slice of fried gold?
See you for the 5th annual Prairie Festival, coming May 29-31 next year, where my friend Syhra has already been confirmed as one of the headliners.
Okay, so those last few bullet points were lifted straight from 'Shaun of the Dead'. Bonus points if you understood the reference!
With that, my friends, yes, that is essentially how the weekend broke down for me, point by point. Is it busy? Yes. Do I lose track of time because of said busy-ness? Yes. Do I still love what I do for a living? Yes.
Because this is what I do; I capture life as it happens and document it for others to read about.
I serve a role, and I take my role very seriously.
'Til the next one.
For this week, that's been the Ruttle Report.
