time warp in the woods- part 2
I've just settled in from my first night back to karate. It was a rough one, but good. I can't move my arms, and we conditioned (it's like Fight Club..."I want you to hit me as hard as you can" style) so I'm gonna look like a bruised freak, just in time to go back to Starfucks. In the past people have asked me if I have a boyfriend who beats me. Ah well. I'll tell everyone I battled forest ninjas in the woods ;)
So anyway...
I honestly can't recall the first two days that well.
As I said, I grabbed my chair, my rolling tobacco, and went back to the main camp. When I had returned, Laur had arrived, a big surprise as I thought he wasn't going to show until Saturday. He and Brandon created the Island of Brenton and Brandon, an impressive amphitheatre of a site. I found Yeshua sitting there as well, armed to the teeth with self made weapons. It was good to be back.
Quite a lot of "hanging out" ensued. The moment I saw Nuggette, I commissioned him to roll me my first cigarette, and one for himself. A hug from Dirt, a nod to Michelle, a big squeeze from Drowsy, and the rest is kind of lost. I remember tequila and seasoned pepper, the first filling and passing of the Mother Cup. Others appearing to say hello; Emily and Kim, Matthew, H-Man and his lady, one Bill Dyson who I remember seeing in Brandon's room all the time. It really was quite the gathering. I shared a hug with Brenton and Drowsy; it was the newly single group hug. I had been having trouble with my appetite, but I know I went back to my tent at one point to eat something small. I know I went to the hot tub and saw H-Man and H Girl there. We walked back together in the darkness under a sky full of stars, more than I had ever seen since a very young age. Even part of the Milky Way was visible. Later on, I walked around in the misty darkness by myself to visit the flushers and to brush my teeth. The night was utterly silent, like I was the only one who existed, save for the creatures of the field. I'm not even sure when I finally went back for the night, but when I did, I put on some music (First and Last and Always by the Sisters of Mercy, side 2) and as soon as I turned out my lantern-complete blackness, and then nothing. I don't even remember hearing any of the songs.
The next thing I knew it was morning. I awoke to sunlight, the sound of birds chirping. Out of morbid curiosity I checked the time... 9am. No way. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I awoke again around what I will guess was noon. Now it begins... the long process of my first press of coffee. I had brought a small camp stove which I decided to use. It took way too long to boil water on it. I sat in my lounge chair and listened to Joy Division as I waited. The woods were very breezy, the sun disappearing every once a while behind a cloud. Something in the aired just screamed... rain. I trekked over to the main camp to sit and enjoy my coffee and a rolled cigarette. I approached Michelle and asked, "do you think it might rain?" and she gave me that look, that "child, you weren't born yesterday" look and replied "most definitely". So I hired Brandon to help me install a tarp over my tent during the Wild Hunt. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. Another adventure. I spent some time gathering firewood and kindling in preparation for the rain. I scavenged the woods for large sticks and logs while A Storm in Heaven by the Verve played. I had to break many pieces with my bare hands or by hurling them against other larger pieces. It was a good way to vent. I packed up half of it in the trunk of my car, and the other half in a tarp which I placed in my tent to keep it dry. I made myself some vegetable soup stew and listened as the music of Tortoise echoing through the woods as I sat by my campfire. I grabbed a bottle of wine, my goblet, and walked over to see everyone else. Some others had arrived at the camp, familiar faces. Some drinking ensued for a while, and then at some point I ended up down at the roundhouse for a small gathering around the fire. The night was overcast, very distant thunder could be heard. I left the roundhouse before the rain came. Drowsy was still awake back at camp sitting with Brenton, and then out of nowhere a very drunk, but also troubled Matthew emerged and sat quietly. Thunder rumbled in the distance, then a quick flash of lightning. Gradually, the thunder grew louder, closer, kind of like in Poltergeist, and the lightning ever brighter. Meanwhile Brenton had trekked off to bed. The thunder grew to a climax, like it was right over our heads. Drowsy and I looked at each other and giggled like schoolgirls in anticipation. And then it came, softly at first. The sound of the rain in the woods was magnificent, peaceful, and yes, cleansing. But then the sky just opened up and it fucking poured, buckets and buckets full. We ran over under Drowsy's shelter where I waited it out, and Matthew was perfectly silent. Suddenly we saw a frantic Brandon scurry past us and a bumbling Bill Dyson, making for their tents as if a mischievous demon had chased them all the way back from the roundhouse. Again, I'm not sure when I went back to my tent. I put on some music (Chris Isaak unplugged), turned out my lantern, and then nothing.
The rain didn't last of course. By the time I awoke in the morning, the sun was shining, and it was already almost dry. Just a quick lashing to keep us humble I guess. It was Friday now, and for the past two days I hadn't been sure what I had done, why I was there, or what was happening, and I didn't care. I had had no idea what time it was when I had woken up, what time I had gone to bed, how many hours of sleep I had gotten, how long it had taken me to make coffee, nothing. The whole time I had had no concept of time except for the position of the sun. But now, the time warp was really and truly beginning...
So anyway...
I honestly can't recall the first two days that well.
As I said, I grabbed my chair, my rolling tobacco, and went back to the main camp. When I had returned, Laur had arrived, a big surprise as I thought he wasn't going to show until Saturday. He and Brandon created the Island of Brenton and Brandon, an impressive amphitheatre of a site. I found Yeshua sitting there as well, armed to the teeth with self made weapons. It was good to be back.
Quite a lot of "hanging out" ensued. The moment I saw Nuggette, I commissioned him to roll me my first cigarette, and one for himself. A hug from Dirt, a nod to Michelle, a big squeeze from Drowsy, and the rest is kind of lost. I remember tequila and seasoned pepper, the first filling and passing of the Mother Cup. Others appearing to say hello; Emily and Kim, Matthew, H-Man and his lady, one Bill Dyson who I remember seeing in Brandon's room all the time. It really was quite the gathering. I shared a hug with Brenton and Drowsy; it was the newly single group hug. I had been having trouble with my appetite, but I know I went back to my tent at one point to eat something small. I know I went to the hot tub and saw H-Man and H Girl there. We walked back together in the darkness under a sky full of stars, more than I had ever seen since a very young age. Even part of the Milky Way was visible. Later on, I walked around in the misty darkness by myself to visit the flushers and to brush my teeth. The night was utterly silent, like I was the only one who existed, save for the creatures of the field. I'm not even sure when I finally went back for the night, but when I did, I put on some music (First and Last and Always by the Sisters of Mercy, side 2) and as soon as I turned out my lantern-complete blackness, and then nothing. I don't even remember hearing any of the songs.
The next thing I knew it was morning. I awoke to sunlight, the sound of birds chirping. Out of morbid curiosity I checked the time... 9am. No way. I rolled over and went back to sleep. I awoke again around what I will guess was noon. Now it begins... the long process of my first press of coffee. I had brought a small camp stove which I decided to use. It took way too long to boil water on it. I sat in my lounge chair and listened to Joy Division as I waited. The woods were very breezy, the sun disappearing every once a while behind a cloud. Something in the aired just screamed... rain. I trekked over to the main camp to sit and enjoy my coffee and a rolled cigarette. I approached Michelle and asked, "do you think it might rain?" and she gave me that look, that "child, you weren't born yesterday" look and replied "most definitely". So I hired Brandon to help me install a tarp over my tent during the Wild Hunt. Neither of us had any idea what we were doing. Another adventure. I spent some time gathering firewood and kindling in preparation for the rain. I scavenged the woods for large sticks and logs while A Storm in Heaven by the Verve played. I had to break many pieces with my bare hands or by hurling them against other larger pieces. It was a good way to vent. I packed up half of it in the trunk of my car, and the other half in a tarp which I placed in my tent to keep it dry. I made myself some vegetable soup stew and listened as the music of Tortoise echoing through the woods as I sat by my campfire. I grabbed a bottle of wine, my goblet, and walked over to see everyone else. Some others had arrived at the camp, familiar faces. Some drinking ensued for a while, and then at some point I ended up down at the roundhouse for a small gathering around the fire. The night was overcast, very distant thunder could be heard. I left the roundhouse before the rain came. Drowsy was still awake back at camp sitting with Brenton, and then out of nowhere a very drunk, but also troubled Matthew emerged and sat quietly. Thunder rumbled in the distance, then a quick flash of lightning. Gradually, the thunder grew louder, closer, kind of like in Poltergeist, and the lightning ever brighter. Meanwhile Brenton had trekked off to bed. The thunder grew to a climax, like it was right over our heads. Drowsy and I looked at each other and giggled like schoolgirls in anticipation. And then it came, softly at first. The sound of the rain in the woods was magnificent, peaceful, and yes, cleansing. But then the sky just opened up and it fucking poured, buckets and buckets full. We ran over under Drowsy's shelter where I waited it out, and Matthew was perfectly silent. Suddenly we saw a frantic Brandon scurry past us and a bumbling Bill Dyson, making for their tents as if a mischievous demon had chased them all the way back from the roundhouse. Again, I'm not sure when I went back to my tent. I put on some music (Chris Isaak unplugged), turned out my lantern, and then nothing.
The rain didn't last of course. By the time I awoke in the morning, the sun was shining, and it was already almost dry. Just a quick lashing to keep us humble I guess. It was Friday now, and for the past two days I hadn't been sure what I had done, why I was there, or what was happening, and I didn't care. I had had no idea what time it was when I had woken up, what time I had gone to bed, how many hours of sleep I had gotten, how long it had taken me to make coffee, nothing. The whole time I had had no concept of time except for the position of the sun. But now, the time warp was really and truly beginning...