Peter Fraterdeus
Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:57:27 -0700
Excellent excellent ;-) Thanks, Garrick. Great to be there, Great to Share with such an amazing family all around! Thanks, Plunker for forwarding!
Blessings all! P Begin forwarded message: > From: peacetri...@wildrockies.org > Date: 8 July 2010 4:38:22 PM CDT > To: <peacetri...@wildrockies.org> > Subject: Fwd: "What a beautiful Gathering!"...PA (Again) 2010 -- gb's rap.. > nice, accurate > > >> From: "Garrick Beck" <garr...@nets.com> >> To: <a...@welcomehome.org> >> Subject: PA Again 2010 >> Date: Thu, 8 Jul 2010 15:03:01 -0600 >> >> Dear Family, >> >> What a beautiful Gathering! >> >> First, and most impressive, zero Forest Service Leo's onsite the Third, the >> Fourth, the Fifth or the Sixth of July. Yes, there were the usual stories of >> intolerable harrassle early on, especially along the roads but something >> happened, something (no doubt) to do with both our own amazing peaceful >> behaviour in the face of FS Leo aggression over many years and also to do >> with the FS Admin and Resource people at last stepping up to do the right >> thing and pulling these aggressors back. >> >> I don't know what the mechanism was for that...but something happened. The >> good guys in the FS finally got up enough steam to stand their ground. My >> guesses are that either a) the Admin/Resource people took control of the >> 'permit' process and allowed for a working operating plan to stand on its >> own and/or b) the FS hierarchy did not issue an "Emergency Declaration' and >> therefore the Unified Command system [which is the umbrella over the >> Incident Command that has been harrassing us] didn't get it's flood of >> funding. >> >> We had what folks were calling the 'Operating Plan from heaven' - where >> details were talked over in public meetings right next to Info, an Op Plan >> where everything made sense, and where the last draft was brought out to the >> center of main circle and presented to the family openly and consensed to. >> Just amazing. >> >> Second, the Gathering was beautiful. Young people and old timers all with >> the best intentions and both traditional and newly creative ideas, all >> getting along, all sharing and caring for each other and the earth. It was a >> really clean gathering. Everyone seeming to take care of their trash and >> recycling. I didn't see any real messes. I didn't see any sloppy-clan >> encampments. The area was relatively bug free, poison ivy free, tick and >> chigger free. Humid, yes. But lovely morning and evening temperatures. Just >> right for enjoying the lush green forest. Hemlocks and maples made a >> charming green shade everywhere. Wildflowers waved in the beezes and many >> smaller open meadows and woodland clearings were there to set up in...and if >> you wanted rocks to build with you were limited only by how much you cared >> to carry. >> >> Third, the Gathering was healthy. I didn't see any sick people. I'm sure >> some people out of the 10,000 there must have had some illness. Still there >> was no sickness spreading thru the camp at all. The water system was much >> simpler than some of the past few years, so people had to haul more water >> further, but the in-line-filtered water system really did its job and people >> stayed healthy. >> >> Fourth, the temper of the Gathering was sweet and loving. It was like >> basking in waves of kindness. People helping each other, kitchens helping >> each other. Mutual support everywhere. >> >> The Fourth of July Silence was deep and long. Late in the morning kids (and >> parents) from D-camp made a disturbance, threw some firecrackers. One kid >> was grabbed and bit the Shanti Sena who tried to stop it. There was a bunch >> of yelling. Things quieted down again and some self-appointed 'prophets' >> began mouthing off about their own versions of the future. But that too >> passed and in a great redemptive moment the Kids Parade entered in silence >> and for the longest time spiraled in among We The People to the center of >> our sweet circle. That was profoundly beautiful, proving once again that >> Kids Save the Day. >> >> Well, those are my four brief reports. It was the shortest period of time >> I've been to any Gathering that I've gone to. And one of the most fun. I >> came in with a backpack instead of a trailer-full of gear. So I spent more >> time bopping around and less time setting up and taking down! >> >> Here are a few more instants from the "PA again Twenty-ten" [That's Babz' >> nickname for it] Gathering: >> >> Fire twirlers around the main meadow after dark on The Fourth. >> >> A big area that was laid with flat rocks so the huge drum circle could dance >> and pound without tromping the earth - and wow did that project the sound of >> the drums. >> >> Children wading gleefully in the gentle creeks. >> >> The "Green Man" theater at Granola Funk - tho it looked more like a huge >> Green Dragon to most of us. Fiddle and Cello and Mime and Rounds and more >> acts than you can list. >> >> Diamond Dave, mayor of Haight Street, hosting the 12th annual spoken word at >> PopKorner. >> >> Tipis scattered in the shade, not baking out in the sun in a circle. >> >> PA State Police on horseback taking pictures with family and the kids >> petting the horses - in and out of the Gathering without incident. >> >> The Lovin' Ovens, ahh the ovens, excellent as ever, feeding rolls to the >> main circle in uncountable numbers and making Danish and Pizzas till the wee >> hours o' the morning. >> >> A small council (probably heartsong) going on in the center of Main Meadow >> on the Fifth and the Sixth. >> >> Mimes, jugglers, troubadors, costumes, banners, flags, pennywhistles, & >> stars at night. >> >> The geography of the site was pretty complicated to figure out. They said >> that there was one place where if you started walking in a circle you would >> eventually come right back to where you started. >> >> I say: The Rainbow isn't Utopia, but we do have one toe in Utopia. >> >> All love, >> >> Garrick >> ____________________________________________ >> Agr mailing list >> a...@agr.welcomehome.org >> http://www.welcomehome.org/mailman/listinfo/agr
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