Just this last weekend I attended a musical get-together on private property in Indiana, near a small town.

This has been held on private property yearly for five years now. The total property is probably 12 acres, I'd say. The stage area is backed up to the owners' house, and there's about six acres for campers and tents--a good deal of which was occupied. There were, as I recall, five or six porta-potties. There was a cold-water shower available, and there was a 4-foot deep plastic abovegound "swimming pool", of which more later. This is located in the country, about 7 miles from the local town. Not only is no admission charged, but the hosts will not accept contributions.

The first year, 2001, there were as I remember about 40 or 50 attendees. This year it was 160 or so. About half were musicians, the other half families and friends, and some neighbors or relatives of the hosts. People came from (that I remember) Texas, Arkansas, Kansas, Indiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois--and England! There were probably other states represented.

I didn't get any hint of the hosts having made local regulatory arrangements at all, and there was no hint of police or sheriff attention at any time in the four days.

On Sunday one fellow dived into the shallow, above-ground swimming pool. Someone said, "Do it again, so I can get a picture!" He did, and hit his head. He wasn't actually injured, I don't think, but since he had a neurological condition he thought he ought to go to the local hospital to be checked out. An ambulance took him, and another musician returned him to the farm later. No injury (other than a bump), as far as I could tell. But the potential scares me.

On Monday, the few of us who were still there were talking to the host couple. The daughter of the hosts suggested that maybe they should have insurance! The host-wife said they had thought about it, but the cost was $400 per day, and so they hadn't bought it. Then she decided maybe they ought to get insurance coverage for next year.

I am covered with admiration for the generous spirit of the hosts, who are wonderful people, but "going naked" like that seems plumb-foolishness.

Dave Oesterreich