Greetings friends!
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted anything about my adventures through the vast and every growing Regional Network. I’m here today with an update and also to wish a great big Happy Birthday to this little Regional Blog!
It’s been almost a year to the date since my first post and I write you once again from Atlanta, GA where I first started posting in April 2007.
This particular trip took us to the Work Play Weekend for Transformus, held at Deerfields outside of Asheville, NC.
I participated in the very same work weekend last year and it was a real treat to get to go back to beautiful Deerfields for a visit with my friends, the Dirty Southern Burners.
The weather was a bit warmer this year, though not any dryer. In true Deerfields tradition, we saw our fair share of rain over the course of the weekend. One particular treat the rain brought out (of the pond) was frogs. Hundreds upon hundreds of them. Everywhere. Spring has officially sprung in the South East and that means mating season for our little frog friends. Every few steps another little croaker would come bounding out of the darkness as we approached. Friday night’s rain storm brought about a long stomp through the dark, wet night in search of the little critters who were making a LOT of racket. Think I’m joking? Click here for an auditory experience.
Saturday arrived with dryer skies and Micah and Tunna from DPW led a series of work crews to get the chore list for the weekend done. Crews worked to restore the lake stage, trails, and MOOP detail among other things.
Just before dark that night, the Mysterians gathered to hold a Town Hall meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to give the community an opportunity to ask questions and participate in discussion with the Board of Directors for Transformus. Burning Man has done similar Town Hall meetings at BMHQ in San Francisco over the years. It is a great way to gather community feedback.
Wordplay opened the meeting by passing a sage bundle around and allowing everyone the opportunity to introduce themselves, where they hailed from and why there were there. Over 50 people from six different states were in attendance and the number of new Burners who had not yet been to Transformus or that thing in the desert was astounding!
Rebecca from the Alchemy Board of Directors took the minutes from the Town Meeting.
In true Dirty Southern Burner fashion, a beautiful fire was constructed and as the Town Meeting wound to a close, Phyrebolt from South Carolina did us a favor and set the pyre ablaze. The fire burned bright through the night, drawing chilly friends together for a chat or a dance to the beats laid down by DTR the other Regional Contact for South Carolina.
Morning brought sunshine, bacon and goodbyes. Such a short but sweet visit to Mysteria was just what everyone was needing, it was time for everyone to pack up and get back to their various homes to tackle the week ahead.
For me, that meant the five hour drive to Atlanta where I have been meeting Regional Contact candidates interested in joining the ranks to work with Danielle to support and nurture the Atlanta community which has grown at an explosive rate and now hosts what they hope to be their first official Regional Burn in 2008, Alchemy.
Once interviews have been completed in Atlanta, it will be time to say goodbye once again and head off to join the Florida Burners for PreHeat.
Stay tuned, more coming soon.
