Then, near the end of May, I accompanied my daughter and her fiance' and their daughter for a photo shoot, documenting her pregnancy. Seems like a long time ago, can't believe it was just a year...
June say me striving for healthy habits and activities, and a trip to some amazing train tunnels that exist up near Donner Lake. It was a great hike with a lot of art painted in the tunnels, and even a nerd-citing with a Star Trek symbol at one one of the spots....
My nieces visited in June, also, and all of us stayed at the Morris. I think I expanded their horizons, they got to experience things they never had before, and I hope they learned and went away from Reno a tad more worldly =) They made art!
Now, it's been another four months since I've updated. Those are somewhat hard months for me. During football and basketball season, there are some long hours and lots and lots of games. Now, basketball season has ended with no post-season play for our teams, and we are heading into a more mellow time. That's the job.
I've been trying over these last months to remember and make time for all the good in my life and remember the things that are important to me. Friends. Family. Being a part of a community besides where I go to earn my living each day. I've so missed my Fire Family and Burning Man community. I am not involved to the extent I was before, but I am trying to make time and be involved where I can be. I think it's important.
The above picture is from December when some friends came to visit. We ate at this amazing local place that sources as much local food as they can, called Greatful Gardens. Good times! That's what matters.
Things with the kids are okay. B is going through some tough times, and Chris is still in Germany. With any luck, I will be going to visit him soon.
With the birdies, our little Pinkie bird died in a tragic accident, she was drowned in the toilet when she flew there on accident and couldn't get back out. Least said about that the better. Sad, and I still miss that little birdie.
In an interesting twist, my nephew (I think of him as my son), David, his wife and their kids (consider them my grand kids) are staying with us. With Bri gone, it's been amazing for me, helped assuage the loneliness. Having kids around has been interesting, but they are good kids. Getting to know Annette, David's wife, better has been pretty darn cool.
Just a quick update, cataloging things, life.
I hope to write again soon. I am involved in Compression again, as the vendor coordinator this year. I am excited about it. I've missed my fire family a lot and have managed to get on the board again, managing IT again, and attending a few meetings. I've missed them crazy folks!
There's an amazing project happening, called the Morris Burner Hotel. Friends of mine are doing it, my sister is living there and helping, I've done a little painting and been a part of the first event, and hopefully, there's more to come. Another friend who works with local media recently made a very cool video about the Morris that can be found here: http://www.rgj.com/article/20140320/EVENTS04/140320005/Watch-video-Morris-Burner-Hotel-brings-new-life-Fourth-Street. I feel blessed to know these folks and be a part of this in Reno at this time.
Relevant to nothing, there are certain movies, that when they come on, I can't help but watch them. One of them is "A League of Their Own", which is just finishing now. Another is "Shawshank Redemption".
I hope....
So, I returned home from Scotland, and truly, really did not stop running until after Burning Man...which presented a whole new set of challenges...
The weekend after I got home, or a scant four days, I was on the Playa, doing Ranger training, participating in 4th of Juplaya, and generally, relaxing. To be honest, now that I am writing this the first part of November, I know I was there, I know I had a good time, but I don't remember a ton about the entire experience. I remember sitting through training....I remember eating and hanging with friends, but nothing stands out. This was the first camping trip for our new birdie at the time, Kilo. She got spooked the final day we were there and flew out of the trailer and on to the playa. My sister saved her, ran after her. I remember feeding Keeper, who was in her last trimester of pregnancy, and cooking yummy food.
Then there was a week of work, and final preparations. My son had gotten married in February, but this, July 11th, is what we called "The Pageant"...the formal wedding, the show, the experience for all friends and family. This caused a tad bit of stress. I was just returning from an expensive over-seas trip and my obligation as the bride of the groom was to host and organize the rehearsal dinner.
We had previously talked to Chris' dad (that's another story and series of posts that is on my list to catch-up on at some point...but not now) and his family drove here all the way from Ohio, and they were going to rent a house. They did rent said house, and it was gorgeous! They had spoken of renting a house, and we had approached them with the idea of hosting the rehearsal dinner there, but there was some implication that there might be weirdness surrounding the entire situation, and I didn't want any weirdness, so I had sort of decided to just handle it on my own.
The biggest hurdle with this was money, but with any luck, this would be the only time my son got married, and it was an overall small piece of everything that was done, but when you're hurting, it's hard to see those things, it's just stress! The alleged potential weirdness ended up being nothing, a misunderstanding. When we had asked Chris what he wanted to do for rehearsal dinner, his wish was to BBQ at a house not too far from where we would be at the Lake, grill some dead cow, eat good food, drink, and all hang out and get to know each other. There was bonus family, too. In addition to Chris' dad, Tom, and his wife Melody and their four kids, they brought Tom's mom, his brother and his wife, and their small daughter too. Yay, family! Chris always wanted a large family and that's something I just couldn't really give him, so I am glad he has that with the other part of the family...
So, I got the chance to talk to Melody on the phone, and there was NO weirdness at all, we arranged to buy the bulk of the food, and they agreed to host at this awesome house they had rented. I made a giant batch of potato salad, we did a lot of bread and it was Summer, which screamed tri-tip and plans were laid and made.
In absolute, I REALLY don't think the weekend could have gone better! The rehearsal dinner was exactly what Chris had said he wanted, Tom and Melody were kind enough to offer us space to stay in the house they rented, the wedding was beautiful with a stunning and not-to-be-believed location, everyone was lovely, friendly, loving. This day made me feel blessed on a level that I cannot adequately express. I was SO thankful for EVERYTHING! My colleague and friend Jim was the officiant, my friend Lenae and her cadre of photographer friends took professional photographs, all the family came and was loving and we all had a good time and there was very, very little drama! I adore my new daughter-in-law, it was fantastic to meet her parents and brother and friends, and there was Sake drinking that was fantastic and good times were had by all! It was a win for everyone!
And here are the pics....I don't have them all labeled yet, but I will work on that...might need to consult with some folks to ensure I get all the names right....eeeeek!
I could not have been more proud of my son, my family, my community...this was truly the sort of day that dreams are made of! I only hope that those who participated feel the same!
This morning, as I type this on August 24, biding my time until I can go to a different kind of "home", I contemplate how different places feel like "home" or have that sense about them. I adored Ireland. I learned a lot, the country was lovely, the castles were awesome, the people were funny and engaging and very nice. But I would be lying if I didn't say that, for me, the goal of this entire thing was getting to Scotland. This was that day on the trip.
I had previously missed that there was a timeline going up the spiral staircase, that contained the history of the Europa hotel. We found out at the end of the stay that the Europa is in the Guiness Book of World Records...as the most BOMBED building in the world. Nice. Sort of glad we found that out at the END of the trip =)
At any rate, the first pictures are the interesting bits I thought, of the timeline going up the staircase at the Europa. This was taken VERY early morning, while there was some confusion about whether or not we had boxed breakfast things to take to the airport. We ended up not really having anything to eat. They told us to go, if we wanted coffee and fruit, but apparently, the hotel had made our boxed breakfasts...the week before, so there were none to be had on this day. I passed on the trying to scrounge for food, and decided I'd just eat when I could. I also didn't really want to be swishing coffee around while the bus was lumbering side-to-side.
I think I was most impressed with security at the Belfast airport, go figure. They take things VERY seriously there. I hadn't even realized or been called on such things, but I was forced to get a detailed bag search after I neglectfully did not remove a tube of lipstick, hand sanitizer, some makeup powdery stuff, lip stain, and hand lotion. I am a bad traveler...but I sure wasn't alone. It was actually kind of scary and these folks weren't messing around. They were militaristic and non-smiling, fairly seething menace...
The flight was uneventful, and we arrived in Edinburgh. SQUEEE, the point of the entire trip! SCOTLAND!! The first place we stopped was Calton Hill and Observatory. It was really beautiful there! We got to see old stone walls that were stunning, climbed steep ramps and stairs, but the breathtaking view at the top was worth every single step. Gorgeous, tall columns, and a view of all Edinburgh that was to die for! This mountain that you can see from most places in Edinburgh, I know I have pictures of it from several different places throughout the city. It's green and lush and just looks majestic.
We drove around getting from the airport to our hotel, ON the Royal Mile. Man, we were lucky. We passed interesting things, more examples of Georgian architecture, and other examples. LOVED the red stone some of the buildings had. I was struck by how DIRTY the buildings were. I know it's a city, but dang....everything, beautiful buildings and such historic significance, and they were just dingy.
Once we got checked in to the hotel and settled, it was time to EAT! Then we went on a short walk. A picture I took walking down the street was of another mime. He was okay, but not as engaging or as, umm, startling as the mime in Dublin. I find it interesting that the first one was, bronze, I think, and this one was silver. This one, not as meticulous in his presentation, check out his socks....slight dark red poking through that silver, guy =)
First we saw a lovely little courtyard, and, and got to visit St. Giles Cathedral. Not being a religious person, I could appreciate the style and intricacy of design in the church, the history contained therein, the flags, and all the pretty stained glass, but it did not hold spiritual significance for me. I did light a candle for my parents. My mom would have liked that and while I am not sure my dad would have cared, I think he would have appreciated the thought =)
Then, it was time to walk to Edinburgh Castle. This was a very cool place. It's at the top of the City, so you can see it from almost anywhere in the City. We were lucky and unlucky, as when we walked across the bridge to get there, they were already setting up the bleachers and such for the annual Scottish Military Tattoo. This is a competition of piping and other military stuff (?), I am to understand occurs in the Summer at the castle. Flanking the entrance to the castle is William Wallace on one side and Robert the Bruce on the other side. Symbolic and ironic, that. Touching. We walked up and saw the gun batteries, the chapel, which is the oldest building in the castle, and now houses a prisoner of war exhibit I was okay with not seeing, although I have enjoyed seeing pictures from it. I saw the Great Hall, and the Scottish Crown jewels. Monarchs remain a mystery to me and it's a very strange concept to me to make an assumption of superiority based on nothing but your birthright. Boggles my mind.
Now is where I tell my castle ghost story. This castle tried to eat me, I am sure of it. This is how I remember things. There is a picture in my pics, that says "David's Tower". I had gone in search of a rest room, and passed David's Tower on my way down to it, used the facilities, and then made my way back. The tower was an area where you could go inside the castle and see some of the underground and excavated stuff, and I think portions of at least a few of the dungeons. So I walk in to this place and it is damp and creepy, to be sure. I see this one area where there is a gate, and the gate is open, and it's like, I am being beckoned to go through the gate and investigate. I do go down. It's dark down there, and I think how easy it would be to lose one's way down there. I cannot see well and have to move back up the stairs and into the light to make an adjustment on one of the cameras I was using. It feels like a tugging, a "don't go" as I'm walking back up the stairs and into the light. I make my adjustment and turn back around to return. I walk forward a few paces, and the gate is no longer open and beckoning, it is closed. I move my hand to the inside, thinking it's just a latch because I was JUST THERE, and there's a lock on it. I look around startled, and there is no one else around. I SWEAR TO GOD that gate was JUST OPEN and I was JUST down there (pointing). At this point I get REALLY creeped out, get goose bumps and hurry up and out of David's Tower. I can't shake the feeling that David's Tower wanted me to stay for a very, very long time...
Now, I had a fascination with "closes" when I was in Scotland. There's a particular book by Diana Gabaldon that has my favorite, most romantic scene. It involves someone peering down a close to find a particular business, and find it she does. My goal was to find a close that I thought closely resembled the one in the book and take a picture of it. So, I had to take a picture of a lot of closes in the process, but they really are fascinating things...small little alley streets that connect the main streets and different levels in Edinburgh, and I saw them in Inverness also...this was also coupled with taking pictures of everything in Scotland that had "Fraser" on it. Heh, yeah, I know I'm a dork...
Finally, there are a couple of pictures of my room and the view from it. The next pics are of the restaurant where we ate dinner that night. Called Maxie's, it was an awesome place and I had one of my favorite meals here. In the UK, they have these special deals where you get like two or three courses on an "early bird" special for a lesser price. This night, you got to choose an appetizer, main course and a desert. My appetizer was a smoked salmon spread that was put on Scottish oak cakes, and there was small salad on the plate too. Then my dinner was a bed of potatoes, a salmon filet, then a chicken breast and a white cream sauce. My GOD was it good! One of my top two, for sure.
Finally, we ended up at Black Bull No. 12, a pub with a lively Scottish entertainer, fine cider, sing-alongs, and great times. The square we had to walk through on the way down is where they used to hold public executions, and looking up, there was a stunning view of the castle from below.
We ended walking back to the hotel and happened upon some chaps who were in their chips and helping the local garbage men toss the bags into the truck. With it being high tourist season, it seemed the trash was collected daily on the busy streets, and it's a wonder they keep the city as clean as they do!
Jet lag sucks. Adjusting time zones is interesting =)
I think I am in love with this hotel. Funky, eclectic, oh man. I like it a lot.
Beer is good =)
Dinner crew, night one =)
Salmon, VERY delicious!
Bailey's cheese cake. Need I say more?! Food Porn!
LOVED this area! Temple bar district and street
The Temple Bar
Street signs in Dublin, my first taste of Gaelic!
Dude played like FOUR Richard Marx songs...and CCR, and Hotel California, surreal!
mmmm......Bulmer's....my new favorite
Crew at the pub the first night.
Cool metal sculpture found encountered on the walk back to the hotel.
And a few important technology notes.....figured out how to charge everything, which was a huge relief!
The people in Ireland are A-MAZING....got asked three or four times yesterday if I needed help, knew where I was going, etc. I am not sure whether or not to feel warm and fuzzy or offended that I obviously look very clueless walking around Dublin clutching my free tourist map =)
Irish pub goers and others REALLY like American classic rock! And seriously?!? Richard Marx? wow!
Who knew the currency of choice in Dublin would be the Euro?
I don't know the answer to that question. I am not an academic educator in the traditional sense of the word. I do work in higher education. Perhaps that's why this is an issue for me. I do teach dance, and flow tool manipulation to teens and adults, and I think about how my teaching affects those I teach.
Does everyone become an educator by virtue of having obtained a specific amount of experience as a human? If that were to be true, is there responsibility to those being educated? How far does that responsibility go? Is there a responsibility to preserve the feelings of those being educated?
Does a person, or a group of people, open themselves up to whatever a "judge" or "educator" thinks when they agree to participate in a competition? If one is an educator in charge of those attending a competition, what responsibility does that person carry? What if the feedback received from a competition could negatively impact those who participated? Is it the group educators responsibility to impart the comments of the judging educator unedited for the benefit of ultimately making the group as a whole stronger?
Perhaps if taking the time to read this, you can get the gist of what's bugging me, but these questions have been rolling around in my brain for over a week now. I don't know how I would frame things if the girls I teach dance to chose to compete and came away with some very negative comments. I think it would hurt my feelings and I think it would hurt their feelings too. They say that that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger, that adversity breeds toughness and any other manner of such things. How does an educator frame such a thing, when given feedback by another educator, when imparting this information, to allow those they educate to continue to love what they are learning? To keep at it? To get better?
Getting that kind of feedback feels bad, though. Do you deny that it feels bad and move on? Do you acknowledge that it feels bad and move on?
Ultimately, I think we are all responsible for our own general mental health and well-being, but I just wonder at people who seem to find it necessary to injure someone else's psyche or to hurt someone's feelings simply because they can. Without knowing any of the circumstances of a given situation. When things happen, especially bad things, there is ALWAYS a story. I tend to give folks the benefit of the doubt, and have often paid perhaps a greater price for that, but I've not usually been sorry. Because I care how people feel. I care about the affect my words and actions have on them. Sometimes it's not about them, it's about me, and they've had an affect that I need to respond to. If that's the case, though, I try to say that up front because I don't like hurting people. I don't like being hurt.
I look, curiously, at people who do. Do they just not know or realize it? What must it be like to live like that?
I can't imagine....
And then there were many amazing and beautiful things about this years experience, and only a few sad ones. I think there is something within me that craves to find the beautiful and the positive even in horrible things. Eternal optimist? Maybe.
I had a really cool, somewhat frilly, somewhat un-like me theme posted here for awhile. A theme I actually paid for, so that's really saying something.
BUT, with the most recent Wordpress update, it broke the pictures scrolling thing at the top that worked for "featured posts". I had patience for a little while, but, alas, my patience waned, my mood turned as black as this pretty new theme, and here I am, posting again =)
As we approach Jazz Festival (I think this is number 12 for me, without missing any) week, life is going pretty damn good for me. I can't believe that next year, the Jazz Festival will be 50!! Let's hope nothing budget-related and totally messed-up happens to compromise that. Nothing surprises me anymore....but for now, I am keeping the faith! Blessings abound. There's so much to write and think about!
This crazy (that's crazy in a good way, not crazy in a stalker-bad-creepy way) dude that I've admired on Facebook for awhile, his name is Chad Sorg, and I approached him in early December about being the artist to create the "Compression" poster this year. He said yes, to my great satisfaction, and I got the finished product in the not-too-distant past. Here it is:
I REALLY like the design! It's much lighter than I thought it would be, and it just feels good, to me. That photo was taken by Dana Nollsch, a good friend who shot the event last year, and Chad worked magic with it. So, that's the look we have for this year! This is WAY exciting for me!
Then, I got to take a turn myself at doing a small bit of graphic design, creating a poster for Unmata'sAmy Sigil, who's performing at Compression this year, and also doing workshops on Sunday, which is something my good friends at Asha are sponsoring. Here's that poster:
Both of these things make me very happy. I just saw Amy and crew last weekend. For Papa Ben's birthday, we all took off and drove to Sacramento last weekend on Saturday, to make this happen. The performances were amazing. Many of the Hot Pot groups did a new piece that was breathtaking, and Amy, Shelly and crew did "Fashion", which made me cry when I saw the video, and again when I saw it in person. Here's the video from Tribal Fest this year:
Absolutely breathtaking!
There's also exciting stuff coming up for Controlled Burn, as they also suffer some growing pains, but that really should be it's own post. I am very proud of the stuff that I do for them...
Next Friday, we get to spin again at UNR's Night of All Nations! It's been a few years and we are very excited to be welcomed back. I will write more when I can, but for right now, I wanted to break the dry spell, install darkness again upon my words, and now....
Last Sunday, I got to do one of my most favoritist things ever! For the past three years, on a Sunday early in the year, my friend Lauren gets together a group of women and we sit down and create Vision Boards
We meet, we bring a brunchy-type dish to share, we eat, we all bring magazines, and after the food, we converge on the stack of magazines and begin to cut out images, words, and concepts from the magazines assembled. The goal is to create a collage that's representative of what you wish to manifest in the next year. It's pretty amazing, and each year is different as there is always a slightly different group of ladies that participates...
This years group was amazing, and I felt this year like there was a special energy between us all. A couple of years ago, I met this lady named Kim. Her manifestation goal, as an advocate of young adults, was to create a book that would help kids learn with practical knowledge things that they aren't often told before expecting to somehow intuit this information. This last year, her book was published and she was nice enough to gift me a copy. Here is her book:
Her website is here, and I haven't read the book yet, but I very much believe in the cause. We have all come to the conclusion that putting energy and revisiting and thinking constantly about what our goals are throughout the year is magickal and something that is worthwhile. This is absolutely true for me. Here are some more pics from this awesome and inspiring day:
Photo by Elaine Noble
Photo by Elaine Noble
Photo by Elaine Noble
I am so thankful for the quality of people I have in my life. On days like this, it is great to be me =)
this was a good year. as mentioned in the last post, holidays leave a lingering tinge of sadness now, as the specter of missing mom is always in the back of my mind, but i guess i am beginning to feel like every successful and loving holiday we have pays homage and honors her because so much of what i am is attributable to her...
the kids came over...david and brianna, with their respective love interests. we had dave's lady annette and her two adorable littles, mathis and lindsey...and larry came over after dinner to visit. bri's friends flor and julio, and ashley were there, dan's friend chris, and joy and her man, mike. it was festive! here's photographic proof, photos taken by mike:
This was the BEST GRAVY EVER!! Seriously, that I'd ever made...
Bri Bri and her Larry
Getting the full on...
Funny thing is, he didn't really event eat. When Thanksgiving attacks =)
Gramma Joy. 'Nuff said =)
Bear Bear sitting ON Joy's phone...
Seesters, working together to make it all happen...
SO FULL...
Joy getting funky with the taters.
Mashin' taters and makin' gravy
When Dave was little, if you asked him to smile for the camera, he smiled and closed his eyes, so a good pic could never be taken. History repeats itself =)
Bellied up to the table, in the midst of the feast.
The crew, lounging around and visiting before we ate.
So, I have this friend. She's a really awesome friend, and I've known her for over 30 years. We lost a lot of time in the middle there, but we spent some time together just yesterday and talked about how easy it was to talk to each other just because we both seem to "get" the same things =) This friends name is Jill, and she is producing a show that I agreed to stage manage for...
I won't pretend that I'd really heard of the Decemberists before she started talking about doing this show, but after seeing a rehearsal, I am excited about what this will be like. I am excited about working with Jill, and I think this show is going to be amazing. Here is the poster:
And here's the press-release-y information about the show:
Hazards of Love- A Tribute to the Decemberists. Produced and Performed by The Juxtaposeurs: Jill Marlene and Company
The Hazards of Love is a Folk Rock Opera written by the incredibly diverse and virtuosic Indie band "The Decemberists" and it is being staged and performed live by some of Reno's premier musical and dance talent. Hazards of Love is an Mythical tale of two lovers who meet by chance through the veil that separates the mundane from the Magical. In a dark forest, called a Taiga, the heroine, Margaret, ventures beyond the safety of her village into the strange mystic woods where she happens upon a wounded creature. As she stops to help, the creature transforms into a man and they fall instantly in love. There is - as there always is in the darker fairy tales - a deadly twist. The lovers must face the jealous wrath of the great forest queen and the lust of the bold and remorseless villain.
The Show is staged with full ballet including aerial silks, classical and some modern movement. All music is live and features a wide variety of studio performers, professional musicians and a few extremely precocious youth. Part of proceeds will be given to the Reno High School Orchestra for instrument acquisition, repair and replacement.
Audiences are encouraged, should they so desire to dress in "old timey" or Steampunk attire... just for fun.
Directed and Produced by Jill Marlene, Musical Direction by Raymundo Silva and Chris Nelson, Choreography by Lindsy Roberts and Company.
November 12th, 13th 18th and 19th at 8 pm.~ Doors at 7
November 21st at 3 p.m. doors at 2
All Performances at The Great Escape in the Sports West Plaza
Tickets are $10 and are available by calling 775-225-4421 At Prism Magic clothing and gifts or at the Melting Pot World Emporium
Cast:
Music~
Director, Producer, Voice of "The Queen"~ Jill Marlene
Musical Direction, Keyboards, Voice of "the Rake"~ Chris Nelson
Musical Direction, Recording Engineering and Bass Guitar- Raymundo Silva
Drums and Recording Engineering~ Tom Gordon
Guitar, Banjo, Co-production and Voice of "William"~ Gabriel Hiiton
Keyboards, Bass Clarinet, Creative Consultation and Vocals~ Kaitlin Oki
Voice of "Margaret"~ Mary McNeill
Violin~ Bryan Macauliffe
Guitar, Mandolin and Banjo Instruction~ Doyle Wayne Stewart
Electric Guitar~ Steve Widmer
Children (vocals and movement):
Charlotte~ Elaina Joy Snyder
Dawn~ Elsa Robison
Isaiah~ Ethan Robison
Cast (Movement)
All movement was largely choreographed by the cast under the supervision of Lindsy Roberts
Margaret~ Lindsy Roberts
William~ Nathan Robison
The Queen~ Erika Tauchen
The Rake~ Rory Dowd
THE FOREST~
Brave Legend
Lara St. John
Michael Enns
Kat Rosen
Sharon Neville
Teresa Moiola.
Stage Manager~ Danielle Gann-Lind
Post Performance entertainment~
12~ Mark Earnest,
13th~ the Electric Catfish
18th~ Michelle Pappas
19th~ Todd South
21st~ Gabe Hilton followed by the Grups.
ahhh....i still marvel all the time at how lucky i am, to have the life i do =)
in my last post, i mentioned the fire weekend, and graduation. before any of THAT happened, our local food coop was having a local seedling sale. i really wanted plants that were proven locally, and that real people had raised and had luck with, so tomatoes and peppers were gotten, various varieties of each. then was graduation. here is a pic of my surrogate daughter, yurie and her mom after graduation:
i was so proud of her! i know i had nothing to do with raising her, her mom did a fantastic job of that, but since she's been here, and the entire time she's dated and been friends with my son, i have come to love this girl! i think she graduated with a double major, one was accounting and maybe international business. she was a mad woman with the taking of the classes, and dealt with all the stuff she had to do to support my son being in Afghanistan too. yes, i cried! it's likely the only time i will get to meet her mom, and while it wasn't a long moment, it was a good one...
then, we were finishing up the yard, so we needed to plant and get out to the fire gathering. THAT, too, was amazing. i was worried about going ALL THE WAY out to gardnerville, but it was a quick trip, and as soon as we got there, i knew it was going to be a good time. here's some of the crowd, just chillin':
then, a few of my favorite people were there. cody, his brother cory, and cory's fiance' chelsea among them. here's cody :
and here's another of my favorite people, grin:
finally, later that night, things began to light up. here's a pic of the giant ex-propane tank that was
converted into an amazing piece of art:
and while there was fire spinning that night, i did not personally indulge. i was having a bit of a sore back from all the yard work. cory is a kick-ass staff spinner, but in a rare moment, was caught on film spinning poi:
i was going to write about the black rock rendezvous in this post too, but i think that deserves it's own post, so that will be next.
the fire gathering was ostensibly to build fire barrels and other artwork and for a variety of reasons, not much on THAT front was accomplished, but our progress in friend-making, merry-making, visiting, sharing, and general camaraderie went beyond anything i hoped for! this was a GREAT time!
one of the best things about the weekend was the fact that dan came out with me. i am pretty used to doing these sorts of things alone, but it was sure nice that he was there. gosh, i love that guy =)
until the rednezvous post....
