Summer Sailstice is This Weekend June 18-19

Ahoy! Bay Station is playing 2pm -3:30pm 'poolside' at the Encinal Yacht Club as part of this weekend's Sailstice in San Francisco (Sailstice is a national happening!). 

It's a free event with all sorts of boat stuff happening. Be there, there being Alameda, CA, this Saturday, June 18 11am-6pm

Encinal Yacht Club
1251 Pacific Marina
Alameda, CA 94501

Boat Building Contest I New EYC Lifejacket Pool Plunge l Visit Historic Schooner 'Alma' I Historic Classic Sailing Vessels I Plein Aire Paint Out l  Small Boat Racing l Exhbitors l Entertainment All Day l Sailboat Rides l Seminars l

Sailstice for the Solstice

Saturday afternoon, we're returning to the big sailing/summer solstice party at Encinal Yacht Club, Sailstice. There's a whole day of  activities planned, including plein air artists, boat building, sailing lessons, and a music stage —which we take to at 3 — at the Encinal Yacht Club.

Saturday, June 21st, 2014

 Summer Sailstice - 10am-6pm

Encinal Yacht Club  

1251 Pacific Marina,  Alameda, CA

About Summer Sailstice
 The Summer Sailstice San Francisco Festival is part of the global holiday of Summer Sailstice. Guided by an organizing committee of sailing organizations and businesses, the Festival intends to be Northern California's largest on-the-water celebration for everyone who loves harnessing wind, water, sun and sails to power their fun. See the feature story on Summer Sailstice SF Festival in Bay Crossings Summer Sailstice was founded in February 2001 by John Arndt, as the global, annual celebration of sailing held on the summer solstice. The annual Summer Sailstice sailing event is free to all participants and has grown from 200 boats signed up in 2001 to well over 4,600 boats today. Since many sailors join in the fun on boats signed up at http://www.summersailstice.com//, the actual number of Summer Sailstice sailors participating is estimated at almost 17,000 annually. 
 "The first rule of sustainability is to align with natural forces, or at least not try to defy them." – Paul Hawken - See more at: http://www.summersailstice.com/sf

Live at The Monkey House June 21: Deborah Crooks & Aireene Espiritu

It was a great boon to the East Bay when songwriter par excellence Ira Marlowe started hosting shows at his place in Berkeley last year. I've been wowed by Ira's songs since I met him at the venerable Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco more than 10 years ago, and he's put all he knows as a performer, songwriter, and music fan (aka a lot) into making a great experience for music lovers. I'm excited to perform at the private performance space this coming Friday, June 21, 2013 (which is also the solstice!), along with another one of my favorite people, Aireene Espiritu. Aireene and I will trading sets, backed by some of our favorite musicians! Please come! Doors 7pm; show 7:30pm
Deborah Crooks & Aireene Espiritu at The Monkey House, Friday, June 21, 2013 
$10-20 sliding scale  
The Monkey House is a private performance space offering high-quality concerts with an old Vaudeville vibe and unusually great acoustics. Located on University Avenue in Berkeley, the Monkey House is just three blocks from North Berkeley BART. Because it's situated in a personal residence, please EMAIL reservations@monkeyhousetheater.com to reserve seats and get more information.

Notes on the Solstice

Doomsday prophesies aside, I'm down with ending cycles and the opportunity for new beginnings. Here's saying thanks to the latest chapter of living and hello to a future that is that much more brighter, peaceful and healthy. 
Further reading:

How Stuff Works: The Mayan Calendar

The Farmer's Almanac: Winter Solstice

and a poem:

Winter Twilight
by Anne Porter
On a clear winter's evening The crescent moon And the round squirrels' nest In the bare oak Are equal planets.   From Living Things by Anne Porter, published by Zoland Books, an imprint  of Steerforth Press of Hanover, New Hampshire. Copyright © 2006 by Anne Porter.