Port Eliot - Saturday reflections

Home and time to reflect quietly on an astonishing and wonderful day.
Just as I was packing up my blogging station Sarah Waters popped in and said hi, so I am really looking forward to her talk tomorrow and having now learned how this festival works I'd better pitch up at 6am.
William Fiennes very kindly signed my copy of The Snow Geese (and drew me a goose) and we had a chat about the book, (see how ordinary I look, no silver tutu) which I am now rationing because the geese have nearly arrived and I don't want the book to end. William has very kindly agreed to do 'dovegreyreader asks...' when the dust has settled on LitFest season, but if you get a chance to go on a tree walk with him, go.
Apparently I missed the ash tree which was the best.
Bookhound went off and found Kit Berry, thought the salsa dancing was amazing, saw a gorilla driving a quad bike, chatted to the giant rat and spent a lot of time messing about down by the the river and the boathouse and he'll be back there tomorrow for the Caught By The River - A Collection of Words on Water event.
Having not done this festival before we've got our bearings and it will be 'on your marks...get set..go' tomorrow to fit in everyone in we want to see.
The atmosphere is completely carnival, it's feasting and merrymaking and a feel-good aura you couldn't manufacture, relaxed and informal, friendly and trusting. Children are catered for as very important little people and there are magical things going on for them everywhere and they were loving it.
When Bookhound and I were studying our map this morning trying to figure out where we were, I was more than grateful that the Earl of St. Germans himself very kindly asked if he could help us at all, and only slightly embarrassed to have to tell him that actually I was looking for the toilets.
He pointed us to the 'Queen Mother' standard ones and off I dashed.
More tomorrow.