When I last updated this blog, I had wrapped up one festival and was preparing for another. I attended Wisteria's Summer Solstice celebration (Sunday through Thursday) and then came home to go to Comfest.
Soon after Comfest however, I was hospitalized under suspicion of Multiple Sclerosis. It was a very scary time and a very long recovery with lots of rehabilitation (and new insight to the inner workings of our health insurance system). Be that as it may, my sabbatical was suspended until Fall 2018. Research delayed, not research denied!
I did get some surveys completed, but I don't know how many. I am starting the process of seeing where I am and if I can get a publishable result out of it. I did not do so well getting responses because it was a much larger event where I am not a well-known person. There were also scant opportunities to "pimp" my research. I got responses at Comfest (again I am not sure how many).
At Wisteria, I volunteered as a fire tender/builder and at first aid. I'm attaching pictures below, so that you all can see.
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| This was the 'hearth' fire. I got it started every night. Ideally people in the community keep it going the whole time, but I always had to re-light it. |
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| Communal campsite. I don't have a shot of my tent, but that is my awesome deluxe kitchen. |
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| Giant Jenga. It took a while but eventually whenever anyone walked past, they removed and replaced a block. They even set it back up when there was no one there to see them knock it over! |
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| Bonfire Build -- "Ladies Night" when all fire tenders scheduled were women. Although the men helped with the build, and did some tending that night as well. (Can't keep firetenders away from a good fire!) |
