National Rainbow Gathering 2002

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	The Gathering that year was at the Ottawa National Forest, Near Watersmeet, MI. Here is a picture of my brother & me. This was actually the last photo of the trip.
	I flew into Green Bay the day before Andrew did. While waiting for him to arrive, one of the locals suggested I go to Kroll's and try a "Butter Burger."
	A "Butter Burger" is where they use a huge pat of butter as a condiment!!!! Only in Wisconsin could you get a dish like this with a side of cheese curds. (Also pictured here.) This is a heart-attack on a tray.
	Despite loading my system with cholesterol, Andrew & I made it to the Gathering safely. Here is an interesting alteration of one of the forest service signs. (Note: The letters are covered with mud so no permanent damage was done to it.)
	The Gathering was about 2 miles long, with a main road running through it. I'm pointing on a map to where we were camped. (Next to Turtle Soup Camp)
	Here is a picture of our camp site. The tent on the left was for sleeping and the one on the right was for supply storage. (Andrew insisted on sleeping in the storage tent because he didn't want to wake up as early as I did.)
	Same pic, different angle.
	The Only Thing That's Real is What Happens. Everything else is just a thought.
	This is a picture of the main road running through the camp
	I wish I could remember the names of these two folks. They where so in love with each other I wanted to puke. (Okay, I was a little jealous...it was all very romantic.) This picture captured them perfectly & they asked me to email it to them.
	An interesting tattoo.
	This is a picture of Judith & Prosper. Good folks.
	Picture of Marie. Quiet, hardworking, kind.
	I volunteered with Marie to prepare an area for a Medicine Wheel. This is a 'Before' picture in back of Indigenous Village.
	Medicine Wheel facing North.
	Medicine Wheel facing South with a picture of MaryAnn over the hearth at the center. (She was the person who focalized this...I was just a work-mule.)
	Medicine Wheel facing East. MaryAnn was a stunning woman...but I don't know much about her. She's a medicine woman in the truest sense of the word.
	Medicine Wheel facing West.
	As a promise to a friend, I dedicated the hearth at the center of the Medicine Wheel to the goddess Hestia. I felt compelled to bury six daisies underneath the fire pit.
	Here is the hearth at the center of the Medicine Wheel being blessed & dedicated.
	A magic Xylophone in the forest.
	On July 4 the entire camp met in the main meadow to silently pray for world peace. The prayers continued until noon, then a big party started.
	The forest Service is busy taking pictures of everything. Apparently we are praying on an archeological site. (At least that was their excuse to block us of the meadow for most of the Gathering.)
	More Forest Service folks.
	Thousands of people praying in silence for world peace & love. What do the Christians do? They parade around, dressed in black, with signs warning of doom & destruction for the unbeliever! How inappropriate! Only a Christian fundamentalist would preach Armageddon during a celebration of life, peace & love.
	A few minutes past noon people start to dance, sing, play instruments & wear funny costumes. Notice that even Santa Clause has joined the festivities!
	PARTY TIME!!!
	Bubbles, bubbles everywhere!
	LOL
	Looks like the guy in the previous picture got what he was looking for! Even aliens can't resist a Gathering.
	This green guitar player ROCKED!
	Ummm....whatever.
	Strange looking fairy.
	Somebody brought watermelons to the circle, I had a knife so I started slicing melons for people.
	Can you spot any hippies in this picture?
	I passed out Spongebob Squarepants certificates to people for fun.
	Spongebob Squarepants chose to manifest himself too me as a stuffed pillow.
	Spongebob ROCKS!!!
	The next seven pictures track the process of building of a sweatlodge. This is the 'before' picture of where the lodge was built.
	I cleared the field.
	Then we searched the forest looking for oak saplings.
	The ground is further cleared of debris & a fire pit is made.
	The saplings are stripped of bark.
	The saplings are bowed to create a dome.
	Then the arch & frame are secured with hemp twine. Afterwards, we covered the frame with blankets. Since a completed lodge is sacred space, I did not take a picture of it.
	I found some balloons and began shaping them for the kids.
	I think they liked it. :)
	Just sharing this moment with these kids made the whole Gathering worth the trip.
	A balloon ladybug.
	Someone gave me a tarot reading for the year. I'm not into tarot so I don't know how to read this. What do you think...am I going to have a good year?