Last year at this time, B and I were talking excitedly about our imminent first encounter and our trip to the poly camp in southern Wisconsin. In our e-mails back and forth, we had been counting down--the count started when we were in triple digits. Exactly one year ago, it was down to a single digit.
Today, for this year's camp, the countdown has reached 4.
Outside of a quick trip to visit my mom late Saturday afternoon and finishing up a feature story, my main focus this weekend was packing for the trip to this year's poly camp. I'm planning to hit the road fairly early on Thursday morning; early enough, I hope, to drive about four hours to Oshkosh, pick up S and her GF and then drive another three hours to the event. The driver will probably feel quite weary by then, even before unloading everything from the car and setting up the tent and campsite.
For now, all I can do is get ready. During my trip to Ironwood Tuesday (which included a visit with N), I invested in a backpack (which I will use in place of the larger duffel bag I used last year) and a new supply of condoms (for obvious reasons). During Saturday's trip, I bought two small LED flashlights (with batteries), four alkaline "D" batteries (for the air mattress) and a second solar shower. We should be OK on flashlights--I think I have four now.
Flashlight overkill is a good idea because we may be roaming around at night in a very dark area, trying to find our way here and there (such as to and from the porta potties). If it's dark out and clear, star-gazing can be a great deal of fun. Let's check the moon's phases. The calendar says the full moon was Saturday, and the last quarter is July 4th. That's all I could find out at home last night because the internet had gone out.
But there's more than one way. My smartphone. There has to be an Android app that calculates moonrise/moonset, I thought.
And there was. It's called SunMoon. I wasn't sure whether to believe the times it showed me, but it seemed to know what it was doing. This morning, I checked with the U.S. Naval Observatory website, asking it to list moonrise/moonset times for us, so I could compare that with what SunMoon was saying. And the USNO website said ... SunMoon's predicted times are right on the money.
SunMoon says the moon will be rising just before midnight on July 2. So there's a little time to gaze at the stars and then let the moon work its magic. Like the Billie Holiday song goes ... "Oooooh! What a little moonlight can do!"
I called S Sunday evening to discuss plans. In fact, it would have been nice if she had been at ***mart with me Saturday, so we could look at various things we may need for the camp. (Of course, it's not as if we won't be passing several ***marts between Oshkosh to the camp.) "What do you think about that?" "Think we'll need that?"
We were supposed to get heavy rain Saturday night or Sunday. There was plenty of rain, all right, but it all went far south of us, in Wisconsin. More rain was forecast for us today. Southern Wisconsin got most of today's rain, again.
Of course, next week at this time S, her GF and I will all be staying in a tent ... in southern Wisconsin.
****
We just got the schedule for poly camp. Interested in what's going on? Read on.
--A talk about raw foods.
--A chant exchange. People bring pagan or other chants and share them with each other.
--Rocket construction!!! This is new. It will "allow the participants to construct their own rocket, decorate it and then later launch it. Altitudes of about 500 feet are possible." Seen that before--have covered "rocket day" at the local middle school for years, at the football field.
--A handfasting and celebration.
--A talk about the group's values, followed by a potluck dinner and membership meeting.
--A program about Deepening Friendships. It deals with the group's five core values through the perspectives of the seven elements.
--A Tsalagi dance of life, which apparently comes from the Cherokee "though it is danced by many peoples in various forms. The movements express receiving and giving to and from the earth and sky and the four directions."
--A symposium, where people bring wine and other treats to pass around. "The symposium welcomes stories, poetry, boasting, toasting, thanksgiving and lively discussion of the topic (deep friendship), all in a sacred space."
--A "deep friendship mirror dance" "Join in the experiential vision of Deep Friendship through participating in a simple dance of friendship. Please bring a small hand mirror for the dance."
--A "Naked Lunch," where we have a reading of a poem accompanied by flute music, as we share finger foods with each other, along with poems or songs to share. "Clothing is definitely optional."
--A listener workshop, about "the role of listeners in conflict situations and the skills they need."
--The main Sun God and Moon Goddess ritual.
--A fireworks show.
--The traditional reading of Dr. Seuss' "The Sneetches."
It takes place atop a hill in a very rural area. The camping area itself is in the trees, and it slopes down to a circle where the main events are held. There is also a picnic shelter at the top, near the parking area. Most meetings and discussions and potlucks are held there.
The event is clothing optional. That means it's up to you; dress however you like. As for myself, I enjoy being naked outside in the right circumstances, but normally I wear a T-shirt and shorts most of the time at the camp. Others make their own decisions. Keep in mind that most of the people at this event are in their 40s and 50s, with a few younger and a few older. Anyway, nudity is not a sexual act. It's just ... a societal taboo that, when you really look at it, makes no sense at all.
(By far, the part of my body that gets covered up most of all are my feet. I will wear sandals or tennies--never have gone barefoot a lot, and there are twigs and stones and roots here and there. No thank you.)
The group believes in polyamory, and the event is a sex-positive one. Did I have to tell you that? And while it is a neopagan event, many of the participants incorporate their pagan beliefs with their religious/Christian beliefs. The woman who acts as the high priestess, for example, is a devout Catholic. I have talked with her a number of times, and she is quite comfortable with it.
Yes, the people are quite interesting, and all have traveled their own path through life to get to where they are now. So have I. Who is to say which path is right? Is there, in fact, a "right" path?
I don't know. It definitely has not been the path of least resistance. It's been a long, twisty, difficult journey. My own journey through life. I'm just grateful I found these people along the way.
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