An Ordinary Good Day,
in a Town You Never Knew.

The island woke not to an alarm clock but to a brass band making its way through the village. On August 22, Divar Island in Goa held its 42nd Bonderam. The musicians stopped at key points to announce the festival. I would have liked to stand at a quiet bend and hear the music getting gradually closer.

Next came the traditional flag parade, a fancy-dress contest and floats from six village wards. Each float stretched more than 200 feet and involved about 150 people, with costumes, dance and even original songs. Music that began by waking the village grew into an island-wide performance. Being roused by a brass band might be quite pleasant, at least once a year.

One way to support a library, apparently, is to eat a grilled sausage in the shade. On August 23, the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village held Augustfest on its front lawn. Local sausages, craft beer, pretzels, vegetarian food and lemonade shared the grass with music and a silent auction. Guests even received a limited-edition library cup.

For two hours, neighbours probably caught up over food instead of bookshelves. The library says fundraising supplies 55 percent of its annual operating budget. This event matters, but it also gives something summery back to the people doing the supporting. For one afternoon, the garden of the place where books are borrowed became the village dining table.

A record 84 stalls filled the market, yet the greatest attraction for many children was neither vegetables nor sweets nor handmade soap. It was eight mules. Tomelloso held its 20th traditional market on August 23, bringing food, clothes, pottery and craft into Plaza de España. The mules arrived with a group that preserves the culture of working carts.

A big festival ought to be remembered for something more spectacular, which makes the mules’ victory rather funny. They knew nothing about the record number of stalls and may simply have walked at their usual pace. I would have kept looking for their long ears while pretending to concentrate on pickles and pottery. Eight mules can be remarkably formidable.