In addition to all the wonderful programming at the Getaway, there's also the magic music-making that happens at least partially spontaneously all around the place.

And last year, being the first year at the much smaller West River, that part didn't flow anywhere near as well as it was able to do in the bigger more rambling buildings at Camp Ramblewood (the only other Getaway site I have known).

At West River there just seemed to be all this spiky furniture in the way, or things took place in unknown-to-most locations where you wouldn't just happen along and decide to stay (like outside a bathroom deep in the interior of the main lodge). An obvious jam ran in the main building much of the time, but there were so many other activities going on on top of it, there almost wasn't any room to join, especially on the edges, and it was hard to hear.

Last year the weather outside was unusually cold even for that time of year, meaning no outside jamming - but the temperature inside all the buildings was super-hot, as no one seemed able to adjust the heat below about 85 degrees- that added to the difficulty.

While this subject isn't exactly "program", these free-flow things are often what you remember and love the most years and years later, so I'm posting here, rather than the other Getaway "kibbitzing" thread.

I've been thinking about this problem all year, and still don't have any very good solutions to offer. I just visited a folk weekend at a gorgeous facility in New Jersey that only put this in sharper focus for me. Made me want to tear my hair out with envy, but aside from towing that camp itself a couple of hundred miles south, it wouldn't help.

I've only been able to come up with two ideas that might improve things. One is to have jam locations announced somehow, verbally or written. I know we are still building new West River traditions, so on Friday it might not be known where things in addition to the moderated singaround are happening, and people should just know to feel free to open closed doors and explore around.

But by Saturday music-makers will probably have made some plans. If, for example, there's going to be a late-night jam in PAX, there should be a way to let everyone know. Also, perhaps people knowing they can and should be aggressive in moving clanking furniture around, even if doing so is temporarily noisy and there's already some music going on, would be helpful. (at appropriate pauses, of course) Charlie Baum's wonderful announcement to "Go forth and make music" just might not be sufficient anymore.

There was some talk of a new Dining Hall being built. Did that ever happen? And SUNDAY night singing in the main building was so wonderful. I hope, hope, hope IT happens just the same this year.

Linda, who's loves the Getaway and is still trying to like West River