Research Site II...er, I

Greetings...

I'm trying to get caught up before I leave in a few days for the next round.

This is only Research Site II in that it was at a different time, but still the same location as Research Site 1.  They are coded as different events in the data set.  Here's a picture of Field Office II:

Of note, you can maybe tell the tent is a larger 10-person style cabin tent.  It is nicer than the other one, in that I can stand up and there's room for all my things. I even put my big utility table inside to put my duffel bag on.  You also can maybe see on the left the super cool Cabela's Deluxe Kitchen that was a total splurge two years ago (and can be seen in photos from there).  Even though I was on the meal plan, it was so much easier to make coffee in the morning and store some stuff in the cabinets than in just a tote. 

That's my index finger. No I am not flipping off the kids!

Although I am not specifically doing ethnography or participant observation, I did allow myself to make note of times and places to accomodate children.  Both this event and the preceding one had fully developed child and teen programming, with much of the children's events taking place at the location above. There was plenty of unstructured time, as well.  The area was fenced off to keep especially younger children from free-ranging, had shade from both the canopy and a number of large trees towards the back, and was well supplied with a large cooler for water. (I took this picture technically before the event started, so as to not accidentally take pictures of the children.)

I did arrive before the official start of the event, during another event that backed right up to this one.  The prior event was not Neo-Pagan in origin, but instead consisted of people gathering to greet a flying saucer to rescue them.  I had hoped to get there for the expected landing time (because you never know, right?) but I missed it by about 12 hours.  Because the saucer didn't come, they burned their "prophet," Bob, in effigy.  Lest you think this is some sort of Heaven's Gate off-shoot, nothing could be further from the truth.  The whole thing is very much tongue-in-cheek, and I suspect developed out of the 1960s counter-culture as a reason to get together and, um, "tune in, turn on, and drop out."  Something to think of for that other research project on UFO believers I keep talking about...

Anyway, I was a bit more "out there," and went to several of the workshops, including one that was all about family issues in Neo-Paganism. Still, this garnered only 10 completed surveys.  I did get to complete two interviews however, so that will save my time on that, later.  Until the next adventure....