There and back again, a heretic's tale
Sep. 3rd, 2003 10:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
treeskinOr, the Clampetts go to Mauii......
Well, that's what the pack-up at Heretic Camp looked like yesterday morning. Muddy, half-naked people dragging equally muddy plastic totes up the hill to vans and trucks.
Laid-Back Labor Day was not that laid-back this year.
.....fires.....
Thurs evening was tiring, by the time we got packed, got loaded, and got to camp & set up. By didn't really fire-tend much this time, but he did cook for those that were. Thursday was scrounge-for-yourself night.
Somehow, a dozen blue, purple, and pink plush monkeys appeared in the trees around our camp.
The fire-tending equipment that was missing was delivered Friday, by someone other than the guy that had the stuff. But it's back.
.....floods.....
By & Amy did a grocery run for the camp to Sam's Friday morning. Woo-hoo, planning ahead. The truck was full of groceries when they returned, including $20 worth of extra Guiness for Chuck (who was afraid of running out)and a case of hard cider for R & M, who called ahead and said they forgot to pack some.
Our friends R & M arrived Friday afternoon, just before it started raining lightly. Any rain, after the last two months, was very welcome.
We got R & M set up, their jeep moved so Ink & Terry could set up, and dinner served for all involved. R & M fit right in with the rest of the weird people, which was quite cool. Dinner was brats and sausages and hamburgers, with a very nice pasta salad.
I got much knitting done on the maple-leaf shawl, and the world was good.
It rained all night Friday night. Welcome to the Bog of No Return.
Our encampment sat west of the pavillion on Sunset Ridge, about halfway between the septic ponds and the overgrown herb garden. Our tents and "private living room" were back under the trees. Our kitchen and public social space was just outside the tree line, where the clay was. And we all know what happens when clay gets that wet.....
Saturday, we didn't leave the tent much. It was just too wet, and still raining. By did get some quality time with R & M, which he enjoyed very much, and which also had the side benefit of getting him out of prepping for that night's fire.
I switched to a rayon shawl I've been working on for a long time. The wool on the maple leaf shawl was too clingy with the high humidity. But I was still knitting, so the world was good.
Cy & Amy did manage their handfasting Sat afternoon, under the pavillion instead of in ritual circle. By & I stood for earth in the ceremony (can we say "typecasting", boys and girls?)--it's been a long time since we did anything that formal. But it was fun. They're doing the "year and a day betrothal" before they get formally married. Or so the plan is right now.
Saturday's dinner was spaghetti, since it was too wet for the planned pit roast beast that was supposed to be the celebratory dinner for Cy & Amy's handfasting. And Ink's super-secret baked squash recipe (and I finally got the recipe!!!)
It rained all of Sat night, too.
The auction was histerical, although By & I didn't stay for the whole thing. Just too tired and wet. Chuck said later they raised over $3000.
....riots in the streets....
Or there would have been, had there been streets.
Sunday morning, the plush monkeys were too full of water for the velcro to hold them anymore, so they were rescued, squeezed a little drier, and stuffed into bags to be dealt with later.
After all the rain, we started having busted tents. Ours was okay, aside from a couple of minor leaks in the seam that joins floor and walls. R & M lost a support pole. Between that and the muck, they decided to pull up and head home. R almost made it up the slope to the road, but got stuck. By managed to attach the toe rope to the wrong thing, and broke a tie rod on R's jeep, so we had to get a wrecker up the hill. After a few phone calls to various garages, the boys decided to take the jeep to our driveway, where By's buddy Fred said he could fix it Monday. So, R & M spent Sunday night at the Holiday Inn Express in Bonner, enjoying the hot tub room, and By & I spent the night at home, enjoying hot showers and dry towels and dry blankets.
I was too tired to knit, and was asleep on our living room floor by 8pm.
Amazing what 12 hours uninterrupted sleep will do for your outlook.
By Monday morning, it had stopped raining. Fred got to our place aroudn 11:30, had the broken part out, gabbed a bit, and was off to get the replacement within 30 minutes. Took next to no time to get the new piece in, too. R & M were back on their way home a bit after 2pm.
And after all of that, we went back!
Why not? It had stopped raining, and we had to get our stuff, at least. My purse, wallet, keys, and most of my knitting were still at camp.
So we packed some dry, warm clothes, just in case we decided to stay another night in camp, and headed back up the hill.
It was starting to dry out a little bit, and our fellow Heretics had made the kitchen and public space more useable by nabbing the pallets the firewood had been stacked on, and using them for decking in the walkways. Our kitchen was re-dubbed "HMS Heretic".
By I & decided to stay the night and get some social time.
Enter the Heretic Camp Cabana Boy
Just as we got there Monday afternoon, we were introduced to Willow, who had informed our campmates that Heretic Camp needed a Cabana Boy, and he was applying for the job. Odd little unit, Willow is, but obedient, and he can make coffee.
According to Ashe and Karen, Cabana Boy is a position some of the groups they know use to vet new people, and introduce them to the community. The newbie trades services for the entry fee to the festival, the camp gets dishes done and coffee made and drinks made and delivered. Not a bad deal, I think.
They're already planning on "uniforms" for Willow. Hope he has a good sense of humor.
Heretic Camp Pet?
This would be all my fault. But I had a lot of fun.
We were sitting the kitchen Monday evening, minding our own business and gossiping with a gal that knew Cy. She talked one of her (young!) friends (Jessie)into coming with her, assuring him that Heretic Camp really wasn't as scary as everyone seemed to think. By the time he'd eaten and talked a while, he had relaxed and was as onery as the rest of us.
As an aside, I must say Jessie's cute, light brown hair just past his shoulders, little bit of a beard, broad shoulders. Looked about 23, maybe 25.
We had run out of dry seats, so we were using the coolers in the kitchen as benches, and that's where I was perched. Amy told Jessie that he could sit next to me, but that I bite. (Hrmph. Me, bite?) He got this wry little twitch to his eyebrows, said "Oh really?", then looked at me and said "bite me?" When I asked him where, he offered his arm.
Sometimes, the devil takes me, that's the only reason I can find for what I did next. I started with his arm, and quickly worked my way up to his hands, nibbling on his nuckles and the sucking on his fingers. Then I stopped. Wide-eyed, he offered his hand and told me to bite him again. So I did. Rachel, Cy's friend, and Amy were giggling, and Jessie looked very distracted.
When I stopped the second time, there was much banter about whether or not he was trained enough to be interesting to me. I offered to take him for a walk and discuss that.
Jessie had noticed the wedding ring, and wouldn't venture out without talking to Byron. Smart boy. (I later found out he'd learned that lesson the hard way.) So, Amy called Byron over from the fire he was playing with, he & Cy & Ashe came over to see what was up. Jessie asked if he "could borrow your wife for a bit", looking a little embarassed about having to do that in public. Rachel and Amy were laughing out loud. By's answer was predictable, "Sure, have fun". And off we went.
The walk was pleasant; we settled on the benches over by the bardic fire and talked and smooched and petted a little while. Someone had taught him well: he asked what my likes and dislikes were before we started. Very civilized.
He decided he wanted to go shower before getting too friendly, because he'd spent the day drumming at Renfest. This was about where it registered that he was only 21! Yikes. Closest to robbing the cradle I've ever come.
The shower was much fun--I'd showered before we left home that afternoon, so I was still clean, and could be helpful instead. Not sure why it took him so long to get his hair washed. Or why he was breathing so hard.
Rachel was sharing his tent, because hers was flooded, and Jessie was too polite to oust Byron, so we ended up sneaking into one of the cabins for the night.
I must give him credit for being much more talented and patient than I would expect from a 21-yr-old man. After the fourth time (and his third orgasm), neither of us wanted to go back up the stairs to our respective camps, so we stayed in the cabin.
Ashe bestowed upon Jessie the title of "pet" during breakfast yesterday. Willow teased him about it, I guess, because cabana boy ranks higher than pet, but Jessie said he didn't care, because he got laid, and didn't have to do dishes.
Jessie's talking about making up a t-shirt saying "Heretic Camp Pet" for next year.
Before we broke camp, I gave him our contact info, and invited him to crash at our place after Renfest if he wished. We'll see if he takes us up on the offer. He says he'd like to play again, and I certainly wouldn't mind.
And now, By's at work, I'm at home doing laundry and resting. There is a line of bright plush monkeys drying on the rail on the deck, along with sarongs and tie-dyed dresses and shirts. Blankets next. Most of what we took is wet now. I haven't started cleaning up the kitchen stuff.
Chuck says he put the pics from Heartland on discs for everyone, and he'll make sure they get delivered. Don't know if he got any pics from Laid Back, other than of Cy & Amy's handfasting. I'd love to have pics of the monkeys strewn about the trees at camp to show my mother.
Well, that's what the pack-up at Heretic Camp looked like yesterday morning. Muddy, half-naked people dragging equally muddy plastic totes up the hill to vans and trucks.
Laid-Back Labor Day was not that laid-back this year.
.....fires.....
Thurs evening was tiring, by the time we got packed, got loaded, and got to camp & set up. By didn't really fire-tend much this time, but he did cook for those that were. Thursday was scrounge-for-yourself night.
Somehow, a dozen blue, purple, and pink plush monkeys appeared in the trees around our camp.
The fire-tending equipment that was missing was delivered Friday, by someone other than the guy that had the stuff. But it's back.
.....floods.....
By & Amy did a grocery run for the camp to Sam's Friday morning. Woo-hoo, planning ahead. The truck was full of groceries when they returned, including $20 worth of extra Guiness for Chuck (who was afraid of running out)and a case of hard cider for R & M, who called ahead and said they forgot to pack some.
Our friends R & M arrived Friday afternoon, just before it started raining lightly. Any rain, after the last two months, was very welcome.
We got R & M set up, their jeep moved so Ink & Terry could set up, and dinner served for all involved. R & M fit right in with the rest of the weird people, which was quite cool. Dinner was brats and sausages and hamburgers, with a very nice pasta salad.
I got much knitting done on the maple-leaf shawl, and the world was good.
It rained all night Friday night. Welcome to the Bog of No Return.
Our encampment sat west of the pavillion on Sunset Ridge, about halfway between the septic ponds and the overgrown herb garden. Our tents and "private living room" were back under the trees. Our kitchen and public social space was just outside the tree line, where the clay was. And we all know what happens when clay gets that wet.....
Saturday, we didn't leave the tent much. It was just too wet, and still raining. By did get some quality time with R & M, which he enjoyed very much, and which also had the side benefit of getting him out of prepping for that night's fire.
I switched to a rayon shawl I've been working on for a long time. The wool on the maple leaf shawl was too clingy with the high humidity. But I was still knitting, so the world was good.
Cy & Amy did manage their handfasting Sat afternoon, under the pavillion instead of in ritual circle. By & I stood for earth in the ceremony (can we say "typecasting", boys and girls?)--it's been a long time since we did anything that formal. But it was fun. They're doing the "year and a day betrothal" before they get formally married. Or so the plan is right now.
Saturday's dinner was spaghetti, since it was too wet for the planned pit roast beast that was supposed to be the celebratory dinner for Cy & Amy's handfasting. And Ink's super-secret baked squash recipe (and I finally got the recipe!!!)
It rained all of Sat night, too.
The auction was histerical, although By & I didn't stay for the whole thing. Just too tired and wet. Chuck said later they raised over $3000.
....riots in the streets....
Or there would have been, had there been streets.
Sunday morning, the plush monkeys were too full of water for the velcro to hold them anymore, so they were rescued, squeezed a little drier, and stuffed into bags to be dealt with later.
After all the rain, we started having busted tents. Ours was okay, aside from a couple of minor leaks in the seam that joins floor and walls. R & M lost a support pole. Between that and the muck, they decided to pull up and head home. R almost made it up the slope to the road, but got stuck. By managed to attach the toe rope to the wrong thing, and broke a tie rod on R's jeep, so we had to get a wrecker up the hill. After a few phone calls to various garages, the boys decided to take the jeep to our driveway, where By's buddy Fred said he could fix it Monday. So, R & M spent Sunday night at the Holiday Inn Express in Bonner, enjoying the hot tub room, and By & I spent the night at home, enjoying hot showers and dry towels and dry blankets.
I was too tired to knit, and was asleep on our living room floor by 8pm.
Amazing what 12 hours uninterrupted sleep will do for your outlook.
By Monday morning, it had stopped raining. Fred got to our place aroudn 11:30, had the broken part out, gabbed a bit, and was off to get the replacement within 30 minutes. Took next to no time to get the new piece in, too. R & M were back on their way home a bit after 2pm.
And after all of that, we went back!
Why not? It had stopped raining, and we had to get our stuff, at least. My purse, wallet, keys, and most of my knitting were still at camp.
So we packed some dry, warm clothes, just in case we decided to stay another night in camp, and headed back up the hill.
It was starting to dry out a little bit, and our fellow Heretics had made the kitchen and public space more useable by nabbing the pallets the firewood had been stacked on, and using them for decking in the walkways. Our kitchen was re-dubbed "HMS Heretic".
By I & decided to stay the night and get some social time.
Enter the Heretic Camp Cabana Boy
Just as we got there Monday afternoon, we were introduced to Willow, who had informed our campmates that Heretic Camp needed a Cabana Boy, and he was applying for the job. Odd little unit, Willow is, but obedient, and he can make coffee.
According to Ashe and Karen, Cabana Boy is a position some of the groups they know use to vet new people, and introduce them to the community. The newbie trades services for the entry fee to the festival, the camp gets dishes done and coffee made and drinks made and delivered. Not a bad deal, I think.
They're already planning on "uniforms" for Willow. Hope he has a good sense of humor.
Heretic Camp Pet?
This would be all my fault. But I had a lot of fun.
We were sitting the kitchen Monday evening, minding our own business and gossiping with a gal that knew Cy. She talked one of her (young!) friends (Jessie)into coming with her, assuring him that Heretic Camp really wasn't as scary as everyone seemed to think. By the time he'd eaten and talked a while, he had relaxed and was as onery as the rest of us.
As an aside, I must say Jessie's cute, light brown hair just past his shoulders, little bit of a beard, broad shoulders. Looked about 23, maybe 25.
We had run out of dry seats, so we were using the coolers in the kitchen as benches, and that's where I was perched. Amy told Jessie that he could sit next to me, but that I bite. (Hrmph. Me, bite?) He got this wry little twitch to his eyebrows, said "Oh really?", then looked at me and said "bite me?" When I asked him where, he offered his arm.
Sometimes, the devil takes me, that's the only reason I can find for what I did next. I started with his arm, and quickly worked my way up to his hands, nibbling on his nuckles and the sucking on his fingers. Then I stopped. Wide-eyed, he offered his hand and told me to bite him again. So I did. Rachel, Cy's friend, and Amy were giggling, and Jessie looked very distracted.
When I stopped the second time, there was much banter about whether or not he was trained enough to be interesting to me. I offered to take him for a walk and discuss that.
Jessie had noticed the wedding ring, and wouldn't venture out without talking to Byron. Smart boy. (I later found out he'd learned that lesson the hard way.) So, Amy called Byron over from the fire he was playing with, he & Cy & Ashe came over to see what was up. Jessie asked if he "could borrow your wife for a bit", looking a little embarassed about having to do that in public. Rachel and Amy were laughing out loud. By's answer was predictable, "Sure, have fun". And off we went.
The walk was pleasant; we settled on the benches over by the bardic fire and talked and smooched and petted a little while. Someone had taught him well: he asked what my likes and dislikes were before we started. Very civilized.
He decided he wanted to go shower before getting too friendly, because he'd spent the day drumming at Renfest. This was about where it registered that he was only 21! Yikes. Closest to robbing the cradle I've ever come.
The shower was much fun--I'd showered before we left home that afternoon, so I was still clean, and could be helpful instead. Not sure why it took him so long to get his hair washed. Or why he was breathing so hard.
Rachel was sharing his tent, because hers was flooded, and Jessie was too polite to oust Byron, so we ended up sneaking into one of the cabins for the night.
I must give him credit for being much more talented and patient than I would expect from a 21-yr-old man. After the fourth time (and his third orgasm), neither of us wanted to go back up the stairs to our respective camps, so we stayed in the cabin.
Ashe bestowed upon Jessie the title of "pet" during breakfast yesterday. Willow teased him about it, I guess, because cabana boy ranks higher than pet, but Jessie said he didn't care, because he got laid, and didn't have to do dishes.
Jessie's talking about making up a t-shirt saying "Heretic Camp Pet" for next year.
Before we broke camp, I gave him our contact info, and invited him to crash at our place after Renfest if he wished. We'll see if he takes us up on the offer. He says he'd like to play again, and I certainly wouldn't mind.
And now, By's at work, I'm at home doing laundry and resting. There is a line of bright plush monkeys drying on the rail on the deck, along with sarongs and tie-dyed dresses and shirts. Blankets next. Most of what we took is wet now. I haven't started cleaning up the kitchen stuff.
Chuck says he put the pics from Heartland on discs for everyone, and he'll make sure they get delivered. Don't know if he got any pics from Laid Back, other than of Cy & Amy's handfasting. I'd love to have pics of the monkeys strewn about the trees at camp to show my mother.
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Date: 2003-09-03 12:24 pm (UTC)We're blaming the rain on a whole bunch of pagans, all in one place, muttering about how much we needed rain. Cy & Amy have the alternate theory that R 7 M brought the rain south with them.