Sunnycamp Wrapup

Subject: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 07:00 PM

Well, we had a great time at our final Sunnycamp...this was the last one...I am just too pooped..although there is talk of moving it to Olympia (and someone else doing it, or a club, which is even better). That would make it way more accessible for I-5 people.

Great music..another legendary salmon dinner...perfect number of people..probably 25 total coming and going...and at that number, every voice counts..just a couple of extras really perked the group up...it is interesting to watch how a group gets its voice organized or evolved...but it sounded great, especiallyt the late nitght stuff...Peace Call by Woodie Guthrie sang by Pat M. was a great rendition..and BB sang something at the very end this morning that was also great...

Weather was gorgeous on Friday...by Saturday evening it was getting stormy and the wind just howled all night. NOt really unusual for here but I guess even some Seattle types found it windy...a bit early inthe season.

I made some excellent decisions..one is an old one which is to hire the final cleanup done..and my roommate is a professional cleaner and is doing it as we speak...just the final polishes..

The other brilliant decision was to hire a young man from work to just take a truckload of stuff..get the wood, get the fish etc. Best $20 I spent in some time. T Yet anotherhe other brilliant decision at closing was to persuade nice man with a truck to drop a bunch of stuff off for me...made everything so much easier...

These things are great fun. I really recommend hiring stuff out, especially cleanup and carrying stuff..and then if you have money the cooking for a larger group. We are a small group and know each other and it wouldn't have been financially doable so it wasn't necessary...but darn if I feel like doing toilets right now...

Also, always plan food that vegetarians can eat and then just have meat on the side...and have a plan to dispose quickly of leftover food into a food bank or feeding program or people who know poor people etc...get the food packed up and gone so the kitchen can get cleaned up..maybe just a simple sandwich buffet and leftovers and fruit is what we did,...after a nice brunch...well, we ran out of eggs but that is a different story...

And I believe that October 27 of this year there will be a maritime workshop and concert day in Ilwaco and Astoria, respectively, put on by park rangers..I always forget the agency..Wahsington Parks? And then next year they hope to go for a weekend maritime event as we phased out Sunnycamp..they didn't want to compete..but the groups overlap a bit but not tremendously...so see everyone around...mg

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: open mike
Date: 30 Sep 07 - 09:09 PM

i hope that this event will continue...in some form...it is too good
to not keep going! I hope others will pick up and carry on. thanks for
putting this together, and i hope to hear of future events similar...

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: Stewart
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 12:44 PM

Too bad that this was the last time for Sunny Camp. Even though the weather wasn't exactly sunny, the music and friendly people more than made up for that. It was a small group, 20-25 (there was no 'official' count or registration), but everyone pitched in and it worked. The salmon dinner was fantastic, and it happened because of what people brought and did - salmon (local, I would guess), fresh corn-on-the-cob, a great apple pie prepared fresh on the spot, even a little wine smuggled in (this was a no-alcohol public camp). Everything seemed to work out with a minimum (or absence) of advance planning or organization.

The music was great. There were a few 'blue books' to be seen, but none were used in the singing (as far as I could see), and I heard a lot of great new songs in addition to some old favorites. On Sat. morning I retreated to the 'boat house' with my fiddle, my wife with her hammered dulcimer, a new friend with her musical saw and an old friend with this guitar, and we had a great instrumental jam mixed in with some singing. In the early afternoon I started a 'songs of the sea' workshop which I thought went very well - everyone contributed and I heard a lot of new songs that I will have to learn. The evening 'open mic' session around the fireplace was a lot of fun hearing everyone's 'party piece.'

Sunday morning the rain was really coming down as we gathered around the kitchen for breakfast. The egg scramble with many of the leftovers from the previous day turned out quite good, along with bacon and hot oatmeal - again a spontaneous creation.

My wife and I packed up early, not looking forward to a rainy 3+ hour drive back to Seattle. But we made it back okay. Now we will have to invent a similar event for next year.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 06:15 PM

More tidbits..just loaded the food and took it to the Supper Table program...

Jan J. has lost her cell phone in a silk bag...see if something got mixed in with your luggage por favor...

Just been listening to Stewart's lovely CD called Wooden Boats..you gotta get a copy...I especially love the sheep shanty.

Oh, we were recorded for the radio...the KMUN ship report. It is a shipping news show..so not much in the way of music..so the most I would expect is a few snippets of song...

Don't forget October 27 here in Ilwaco and also in Astoria..maritime workshop and concert in Astoria in evening...free at Ft. CanBy? park in Ilwaco..Lewis and Clark Center.

As for something next year..I forget what I said..but Lynn R. of Olympia was sounding like she would check into stuff around Olympia. We had the first Rainyccamp at Millersylvania...outside Olympia...ELC..not too much money..they do not have a fireplace though...She also mentioned a bible camp. There is also a place called Lewis and Clark camp south of Chehalis..lots of old growth timber...it sounded nice and is probably more available than Millersylvania although much smaller..24 capacity except room for RVs etc....and tent camping is OK..big forest...

I think something between Chehalis and Olympia would be good...people from south could avoid Puget Sound traffice..people could come from west..Aberdeen, Port Townsend etc..I think a road comes from the east from Yakima or someplace exotic over there...

Great time of year...late September or early October...

Let's do some checking...I'll just sit back and relax though...are there folk clubs in Olympia and Centralia/Chehalis that would be interested? Tacoma? mg

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: open mike
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 08:41 PM

is the camp there closing?
is that why it is the last?
or is it that you are burned out, Mary?
(after doing this for several years)

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: mg
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 09:04 PM

Not so much burned out by this..but burned out in general..I am working 7 days a week..two different jobs...this has to continue for a few more years...and I find I can't add anything to the mix..even fun stuff....mg

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 09:36 PM

If ya'll eat salmon, I am not showing up.

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: David Ingerson
Date: 01 Oct 07 - 10:47 PM

Thanks, Mary, for all the time and energy and vision you've put into these weekends. I had a hugely busy weekend, myself, but thought it might be worth it to drive out there for one late night sing. It was certainly worth it! A small but doughty groups of singers with good songs, stories and high energy. We sang until past 3:00 AM, just the sort of thing I love about these weekends. Had to leave early the next morning but it was worth it.

Cheers,
David

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: GUEST
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 12:48 AM

A big thank you to Mary for all the work she has put in lo these many years and a well earned rest. Hopefully Lynn or someone or a group of someones can put something together next year. Other than the mix of people the thing I will miss the most is the acoustics in the lodge. Maybe it was the mix of voices, but something about that room really enhanced the singing.

Fred

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup - The last SunnyCamp?
From: Genie
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 02:46 AM

Fred M, is that you?

Wish I could've gone, but as it turned out, even if I hadn't already planned to be in San Diego this weekend, my dad's passing would have summoned me here anyway to help my mom and be part of his memorial service.   My being at this "last" SunnyCamp just wasn't meant to be, I guess.   

I do hope that, with or without the name, this NW camp will continue for some time to come.   When I haven't been able to attend, it's been more a matter of timing than location, but Long Beach is considerably farther away, timewise, than the Olympia area, and the travel time has been a consideration.

If we find a spot near Olympia, maybe our old friend MouseThief will join us at one of these camps.

Genie

Subject: RE: Sunnycamp Wrapup
From: Fred Maslan
Date: 02 Oct 07 - 11:36 PM

Genie, yes it is I. Sorry to hear of your dad's passing.