Lights Out America and local Oyster Festival

This Saturday, from 8-9 pm, San Francisco, CA is participating in a campaign called "Lights Out America". Something like 75% of all children have never seen the Milky Way, because our skies are so lit up with ineffective (unshielded) outdoor lighting. Even the Golden Gate Bridge lights will be shut off. Emergency and lights needed for safety will be left on, but all others are being asked to be shut off. Another city that did this found it saved 10% of the day's electricity for just that one hour of non-essentials. As someone who missing seeing the stars (just in the last 10 years at our house) because of bad development and lack of enforcement of our existing regulations, I plan to shut off the lights for that one hour on Saturday anyhow. There will be a national campaign on Mar. 29th, for those that like to be with the mainstream. (The Dark Sky Association is also participating in this campaign.) So get out a candle and have dinner; Or hug a loved one as you gaze at the stars.

Locally, the National Oyster Festival is being held here in St. Mary's County this weekend at the Fairgrounds. I will be at the Farm Museum again demonstrating spinning yarn and weaving on the ancient restored barn loom there. If you want to learn to weave rag rugs, I'll let you try your hand at it. If you want to bring your fiber skills (knitting, spinning, etc.), I'd love the company. I'll be there from about 12 to 4 or 5p.m.
I have a good amount of tiny cutouts of matboard (100% rag fiber) for anyone who wants it. It's good for paper making, little watercolor or acrylic paintings, or crafts.