Last Research Site (Kind of)

Here are the rest of the pictures, and this is of my last research site. Or at least the last site at which I took pictures, as there are two after that.

note: I guess I have to divide this up into two updates...

This was in southeastern Pennsylvania, and much like northeastern Pennsylvania, almost everything was up or down a hill.  The "flat" land that was somewhat accessible to those with some limited mobility was off limits due to some storm damage. Other tenting sites had other issues with them, so I decided to take the remaining space in the "bunkhouse," which was  basically a bunk bed. I didn't get pictures, but they were sort of set up in 4-person cubicles.  Since I got there Monday before the actual event started, I mostly had it to myself until Friday.  There was NO air movement in there, though, so I went on a somewhat lengthy trek on Wednesday spanning Pennsylvania, Maryland, and finally a Walmart in West Virginia, in search of a battery operated fan. Thankfully, I found one.

Monday through Thursday was for those folks who wanted to be involved in the 'set up' for the main event Friday through Monday.  Much of  it was physical labor (which, I would have been all over two years ago), but instead I behaved and helped harvest lemon balm in the herb garden, pull weeds in the fire/drum circle, and fold programs.

I took way more pictures of the event than at the others. I was really astounded by the emphasis on community, that all such festivals have, but that I saw in evidence in a bunch of ways.  I wonder if it is just because it was the first time I had been there,  and that I knew absolutely no one there.

Anyway....

The glamor of field research continued...

So at many events there's a 'social hub' and here is the one for this event. They had a permit to sell mead they make there, in addition to coffee, tea, and other snacks when available.  To the left is a seating area for conversation. To the right is a shower house with showers equipped with a token system to control the water flow. Not as big an issue at the event, but at larger ones they've had a problem with people using too much water. The toilets are dual-flush, another water saving feature (and now I want one in my house!)

I was across the road and down a small hill (of course) from this.  In the shower house was the sign up sheet for volunteer work, and I was sort of amazed at first, how much it was filled in, and then also it seemed people actually showed up for what they signed up for.  There was a wide range of things to do.

The highlight of the event was adding a stone to the on-going stone circle.  This was done in the 'old fashioned' way, using rolling logs and straps and person-power to pull a VERY heavy stone (think 'tons') from the field where it was prepped (the first three-four days) and then to the circle.  

Note the hill...