MICHFEST 2005 (DAY 1)

I am officially back, so I must therefore say SUCK IT, SMP SMP, AT TO DEATH, etc. to those of you I haven't said these things to for over a week.

Phew. Much better.

Anywho, I've been gone the past week attending the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival again (for those of you who haven't noticed my absence). So, like last year, I will be posting my Michfest thoughts and ruminations on this here blog. Hope you enjoy...


DAY 1

6, 523 women this year. Fucking madness. Fucking beautiful lovely madness.

The drive went by like nothing, six hours in a blink. Was remarkably unsleepy despite only 4-5 hours of sleep last night. Did the usual routine--stopped for BK and Cinnabuns. Stopped at Subway once we hit Hart. A car full of Michfesters followed us the last hour. They waved with grins on when they finally drove past to check us out, and then fell back again to follow.

The line was UNBELIEVABLY long, despite us arriving at 1 pm. Women who've been coming for years have said they've never seen it so long--probably because it's the 30th anniversary and all that. It wrapped out onto the main road where we were windswept by semis shuttling past. Finally got inside about 6 pm. (That's 5 hours spent waiting in line with my car, for those of you who can't do the math.) Set up an excellent tenting area--tarped very nicely, thank you, especially after last years sopping soggy mess of a tent, a little seating area out front.

Dusk and then darkness.

When finally all set up, we sat out in the pitch black and shared some congratulatory beers and some chips and salsa while moths flit crazily about our heads and darted into and out of the light of the lantern. M's lantern lit the undersides of the leaves, making them look tipped in silver and making the forest look like a fairy land. A large angry bug chitted at me heatedly. The crickets were a warm harmony as we slipped into the midnight hour with good talk and good energies. Then a nice pre-sleep shit in the Porta-Janes, read the first of E's daily envelopes, listened to extremely large bugs do kamikaze dive-bombs into the sides of the tent, and fell into a restless night's sleep, full of energy and excitement for the oncoming day.

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