 | |
| Marie is in jeans on the right in the photo |
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Marie is still missing
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Rainbow Music
Cleanup Update
I don't have much info about cleanup at present. Until I post something that says clean up is done, it will be ongoing. Word I heard was that trash was a big issue and at this point I would expect cleanup will go on until sometime during the first week of August.
The folks doing cleanup can always use some extra hands, so if you have a day or two and you live in the area, go back up and put some sweat equity into the gathering. Bring work gloves, a shovel and ask any dirty amazing family what needs doing. If you do go back up and it fits into your budget, bring some fresh fruit or even ice cream (if you have the coolers for it) to boost moral. True Rainbow Magic is ice cream at the end of a long time of hard work.
Word is that the mosquitoes hatched and are out in force, so prepare yourself.
The folks doing cleanup can always use some extra hands, so if you have a day or two and you live in the area, go back up and put some sweat equity into the gathering. Bring work gloves, a shovel and ask any dirty amazing family what needs doing. If you do go back up and it fits into your budget, bring some fresh fruit or even ice cream (if you have the coolers for it) to boost moral. True Rainbow Magic is ice cream at the end of a long time of hard work.
Word is that the mosquitoes hatched and are out in force, so prepare yourself.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Did you get a ticket on the road into the gathering?
If so, please read the top of this blog if you don't know how the game is played. If you didn't deal with your ticket, Jeff Kline has offered to try to help you sort it out (at no cost). Email him.
Or leave your contact info as a comment to this post, and someone will be in touch.
Or leave your contact info as a comment to this post, and someone will be in touch.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Learning Lessons
For those of you who hang out with me, you've heard me share this rap, but I'll reiterate just for the hipstory of it.
The gathering was under siege by the United States Forest Service (USFS) from the late nineties until 2008 with the worst years seeming to be from about 2001 building to the incident in Wyoming in 2008 (where the USFS cops shot pepper spray guns at folks in Kid Village).
During these years, myself and many long time experienced gatherers put most of our time and energy into dealing with the USFS not into dealing with our own internal issues. I'm not saying those of us who did that where right or wrong, I'm just saying that from my point of view that's what happened. I know personally that besides endless permit issues, I spent a lot of time trying to keep my family, especially my young brothers and sisters, from getting arrested. At the time it seemed like a good idea. When I have it to do over again, I may do the same thing only I'll have a different perspective on it.
However, ten years in the gathering is an entire generation. An entire generation of people who started coming to gatherings where main council rarely happened, people weren't willing to step up and focalize things for fear of being labeled a "leader" and going to prison for it like so many of our very wise long time gatherers did. An entire generation where proper sanitation techniques weren't being appropriately shared with new kitchens, where recycling has gone the way of poodle skirts, where people didn't feel main council was a good place to bring their problems, concerns or ideas for the positive evolution of the planet.
During these years, there was a lot of focus on the "individual" nature of the gathering as proof we shouldn't have to sign a permit and very little focus on the "collective" nature of the gathering. Even though we are individuals, we are also creating a temporary community which has a "collective" nature. I'm not talking in a legal sense because I feel as if trying to define who we are in reaction to law is a losing proposition. We need to define who we are based on our collective and individual visions of what this gathering, this family, this world can become.
Starting in 2009, we started having main council daily from July 1 through 6 (excluding the 4th). (Thank you David and Cody for your hard work in grounding our gathering.) I feel the energy shifting. People are coming and discussing real issues on the land. Nuts and bolts problems that we need to solve together. We do have a shortage of long time gatherers and especially the "earlies" at main council. The less experienced gatherers are hungry for what you have to share.
The hipstories have returned with people sharing collective stories from 1972 on to the present. We have workshops galore now after years of diminishing workshops.
However, we can't drop our own traditions for ten years and then except people who never knew them to pick up the moment we stop feeling under siege from the government. Since the spring of 2008, I have created an annual blog for each gathering where I rap about stuff I have learned in my years of gatherings. This is just one way to share the hard won knowledge and wisdom of this family. I know other people in this family are doing their part to share the wisdom in whatever manner each person sees fit. We really need to ramp this up, but not from a place of, I'm smart and you're dumb, but with this entire history of how we got to this point. Because the problem isn't the less experienced gatherers, its the more experienced ones who dropped the ball (for valid reasons).
Some experienced scouts started a page on Facebook to discuss scouting and share their knowledge with less experienced folks. (Great idea) and the discussions and ideas are flowing freely there on the topic of site selection.
This year specifically, I felt that lack of a site specific Rap 107 contributed to our struggles with keeping people camped back from the creek and not swimming in the creek. It was my understanding that some of the younger family didn't want the environmental impact of the paper. I can respect that
position, but we need a very small Rap 107 (printed on 100% recycled paper) that everyone gets coming in which includes site specific issues like Bull Trout eggs getting ready to hatch - hence we need to protect the creeks. That sure would have save me personally a lot of stress.
I'm sure everyone reading this has other ideas on how we can increase the speed at which people are learning gathering basics and our hipstory. I truly believe this is the heart of the various problems so many people are bitching about.
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Peace out!
The gathering was under siege by the United States Forest Service (USFS) from the late nineties until 2008 with the worst years seeming to be from about 2001 building to the incident in Wyoming in 2008 (where the USFS cops shot pepper spray guns at folks in Kid Village).
During these years, myself and many long time experienced gatherers put most of our time and energy into dealing with the USFS not into dealing with our own internal issues. I'm not saying those of us who did that where right or wrong, I'm just saying that from my point of view that's what happened. I know personally that besides endless permit issues, I spent a lot of time trying to keep my family, especially my young brothers and sisters, from getting arrested. At the time it seemed like a good idea. When I have it to do over again, I may do the same thing only I'll have a different perspective on it.
However, ten years in the gathering is an entire generation. An entire generation of people who started coming to gatherings where main council rarely happened, people weren't willing to step up and focalize things for fear of being labeled a "leader" and going to prison for it like so many of our very wise long time gatherers did. An entire generation where proper sanitation techniques weren't being appropriately shared with new kitchens, where recycling has gone the way of poodle skirts, where people didn't feel main council was a good place to bring their problems, concerns or ideas for the positive evolution of the planet.
During these years, there was a lot of focus on the "individual" nature of the gathering as proof we shouldn't have to sign a permit and very little focus on the "collective" nature of the gathering. Even though we are individuals, we are also creating a temporary community which has a "collective" nature. I'm not talking in a legal sense because I feel as if trying to define who we are in reaction to law is a losing proposition. We need to define who we are based on our collective and individual visions of what this gathering, this family, this world can become.
Starting in 2009, we started having main council daily from July 1 through 6 (excluding the 4th). (Thank you David and Cody for your hard work in grounding our gathering.) I feel the energy shifting. People are coming and discussing real issues on the land. Nuts and bolts problems that we need to solve together. We do have a shortage of long time gatherers and especially the "earlies" at main council. The less experienced gatherers are hungry for what you have to share.
The hipstories have returned with people sharing collective stories from 1972 on to the present. We have workshops galore now after years of diminishing workshops.
However, we can't drop our own traditions for ten years and then except people who never knew them to pick up the moment we stop feeling under siege from the government. Since the spring of 2008, I have created an annual blog for each gathering where I rap about stuff I have learned in my years of gatherings. This is just one way to share the hard won knowledge and wisdom of this family. I know other people in this family are doing their part to share the wisdom in whatever manner each person sees fit. We really need to ramp this up, but not from a place of, I'm smart and you're dumb, but with this entire history of how we got to this point. Because the problem isn't the less experienced gatherers, its the more experienced ones who dropped the ball (for valid reasons).
Some experienced scouts started a page on Facebook to discuss scouting and share their knowledge with less experienced folks. (Great idea) and the discussions and ideas are flowing freely there on the topic of site selection.
This year specifically, I felt that lack of a site specific Rap 107 contributed to our struggles with keeping people camped back from the creek and not swimming in the creek. It was my understanding that some of the younger family didn't want the environmental impact of the paper. I can respect that
position, but we need a very small Rap 107 (printed on 100% recycled paper) that everyone gets coming in which includes site specific issues like Bull Trout eggs getting ready to hatch - hence we need to protect the creeks. That sure would have save me personally a lot of stress.
I'm sure everyone reading this has other ideas on how we can increase the speed at which people are learning gathering basics and our hipstory. I truly believe this is the heart of the various problems so many people are bitching about.
Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Peace out!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Rainbow Guides lost in transit
They were shipped back and forth the country and never made it to the gathering. However, the guides were printed and are available by following these directions:
Some 2011 Rainbow Guides are now at my house and ready to be sent by regular mail to anyone who sends a request to Rainbow Guide. You can also ask to be sent via e-mail a PDF file of it. You can ask for more than one copy, and amounts of up to 75 can be sent to regional focalizers.
If you want to be included in the 2012 Guide, you can send an entry by Clicking here or sending an e-mail to Liz.
The Guide is available at no cost to anyone who wants one, but it costs $1.09 for the stamp and approx $1.85 for the envelope to send one guide thru the mail. It cost 42 cents to print and ship from the printer one issue of the 2011 Guide. Contributions of more than than the total of these amounts help to make up for the people who don't contribute, and to print the Guide next year.
You can direct PayPal to send money here.
You can also send small bills ($20 or less) thru the mail safely to:
Rainbow Guide
3015 Oklahoma Ave.
Muskogee, OK 74401
Do not send checks or money orders made out to "Rainbow Guide". There exists no personal or business checking account with that name where they can be cashed.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Another lost brother (who is now found)
Dennis is OK and is hitchhiking home.
Since we had two missing women, (one who has been found one who is still missing) it's only fitting that we now have a second missing man. All we're asking is that he contact someone and let them know he's doing OK. He's an adult so he doesn't have to, but when folks are worried about you, it's nice to let them know you're doing OK from time to time.
**Begin forwarded message**
My brother, Bruce Davis, attended the Rainbow gathering and we have not had contact from him since. He was supposed to be in Colorado by last week, but has never arrived. I understand that someone named Virgil saw him on July 5th at the Gathering and said Bruce was in "good spirits with good vibes."
Could you please post this information and ask the Blog readers to send information if they have seen Bruce or know where he is? If you do, please email Hildreth.
Since we had two missing women, (one who has been found one who is still missing) it's only fitting that we now have a second missing man. All we're asking is that he contact someone and let them know he's doing OK. He's an adult so he doesn't have to, but when folks are worried about you, it's nice to let them know you're doing OK from time to time.
**Begin forwarded message**
Could you please post this information and ask the Blog readers to send information if they have seen Bruce or know where he is? If you do, please email Hildreth.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Personal Reflections
I came into this gathering a bit hesitant (due to personal issues). I packed heavy and managed to stay warm and dry the entire gathering (even during the stretch of rain that lasted 36 hours straight). Here are some of my own thoughts and reflections.
Due to the snow, seed camp got a late start. Although I arrived on June 23rd and there were kitchens already set up by then, the gathering seemed like a ghost town. I hiked around the meadow trying to find some place to camp and couldn't find any place that felt like a place. I ended up spending two nights at the gate by FS Road 150 where I had friends. A lot of kitchens came in late and the money started coming into the magic hat pretty late as well. Getting such a late start on seed camp was hard to recover from although people worked hard.
I participated in the Town Hall Meeting the night of June 24. There was a great turn out and lots of good conversations happening. For a copy of the handouts that were distributed at the meeting, click here. (Warning! It's a large file). Once back on the land, I ended up plugging into INFO and spent most of my gathering hanging out there and trying to help other people have a positive gathering.
Gathering participants met with the USFS Resourse folks and worked out an unsigned operating plan on the land. Click here to see the PDF version I scanned.
One of the things I really noticed this year is that there are a lot of amazing and wonderful younger family plugging into to kitchens and getting things done. Yet it still seems like some of the tasks that deal with the gathering as a whole are under represented by the younger folks. Some examples: meeting with the Sheriff and Emergency Medical Services in the area; working out gathering logistics with the USFS Resource Advisers on the land, dealing with the circle on the 4th, and parking. I didn't really realize this until after I left but as I was thinking back on these things, I realized we as a family need to do a better job of making sure our younger family knows how to work as individuals with various government agencies and how to think about gathering wide issues (such as not camping next to the creek, protecting our non-human family and coming to the town meetings). I guess this is food for thought for next year.
I met hundreds of day trippers and over nighters. Starting on the night of July 1st, they came in droves. Arriving by car at 1 PM and by the time they made it into the gathering, dinner circle was winding down and the day trippers had flip flops and hoodies - many didn't even have flashlights. Every evening as it got dark, they landed at INFO, lost and not sure how to get back to their cars--cold, hungry and thirsty. We tried to help them as best we could, but it was tough. Despite all the warm clothing people brought to share with others, it went as fast as it came in.
Despite the high numbers of first time gatherers, most everything rolled on peacefully and positively. The nights were cold. The nights were cold. Some of the days were cold as well, but the sun did come out for the weekend of the 4th.
The Rainbow Guide went into shipping hell and never made it to the gathering, nor was there an Always Free, but a new focalizer for Always Free has stepped up so I'm thinking good thoughts for next year.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Cody's hard work at facilitating Main Council, it happened every day. I made it twice and we had people discussing pressing issues regarding the gathering. I also made it to the Cyber Council and it was great to put some faces to people I only know online. We had a lot of people listening in to the discussions and some very good points were made. The two best points where that using the Internet to share directions, raps, etc. is great, but that we need to remember we make decisions on the land. The other good suggestion is when circulating info on the Internet, always include information on what a gathering is, a few of the raps, and make sure people understand what they are going to when someone post directions to a rainbow related event.
We had the usual Shanti Sena issues and lots of people plugging in. There was a Shanti Sena Council on July 3rd that had a small group of people sharing methods and styles of dealing with various issues. There was a lot of discussion on preventative measures and how people can make sure that no one is getting lost or starting to feud with their neighbors. We had a great mix of young folks who have been actively doing Shanti Sena and experienced folks.
Because most of the meadows were marshes, dinner circle happened on a small spit of dry land between Montana Mudd and Rainbow Crystal Kitchen. It was cozy to say the least. On the 4th, there were two circles: a small intimate one in the dinner circle meadow and a large one that spanned the perimeter of Main Marsh. The children made it to the side of the circle where they stayed before the oming even started (kids were a bit early if you ask me). The circle at the far end was pretty sparse with fingers stretched out to touch fingers, but I think we closed the circle before the Om broke.
The USFS Resource Advisers came in a couple of days at the end of June and July 1st. Other than that, Gary Campbell and Mary King came in and walked around a few days. While about 150 people received tickets on the road, the LEO DID NOT server warrants in the gathering. I repeat, there were no bands of armed and hunting law enforcement officers inside the gathering. I only heard six up a few times in almost two weeks. From July 2nd until July 6th, we didn't see any forest service. They did return on July 6th although I was driving out when they were coming in so I don't know why they were coming into the gathering.
For what ever reason, we never manifested a Welcome Home. There where 3 or 4 gates depending on how you counted them and people coming in all of them. This made it very confusing to direct people out as everyone came in via the "main gate." Luckily 3 of the 4 gathers dumped people out very close to info, but I know a lot of people had a hard time with the chaotic energy where they came in and it would have helped out a lot to have a Welcome Home camp that was actively greeting people. The INFO crew was out in force on the busy nights welcoming people home and helping them find the camps they were looking for.
The parking scene was a bit tight. Much of the road side parking was covered in snow drifts that were 2-3 feet high when I drove out on the 6th. I came into the gathering twice and both times was greeted by a friendly and peaceful face (Thank you front gate - you rocked!). Unfortunately, some of our family is pretty stupid when it comes to parking and a few people did get their cars towed, but for the most part, we controlled the road and it was tough to stay on top of it. The USFS LEOS did close the road for 12-14 hours, but then the blockade came down and people started double parking and blocking the road. Hey family! DO NOT EVER PARK SO A FIRE TRUCK AND/OR AMBULANCE CANNOT GET THROUGH. We have medical emergencies all the time and need to get our family medical help. Don't be an ass. If you have to park 5 miles away so you're not blocking the road, do so. The life you save may be your own.
I was also dismayed at how many people think pitching a tent two feet from the bank of a creek is OK. Never, never, never camp on the bank. All the foot traffic causes erosion in the banks and that's not good for fishes and other creatures who live in the creek. Plus this sort of damage is very hard to repair. Creeks are sensitive areas. This year in particular, Bull Trout eggs were getting ready to hatch downstream. Stirring up dirt in the creek can plug the air holes in the eggs and prevent them from hatching. Please remember to consider all the living creatures who depend on the ecosystems in which we gather. A standard rule of thumb is 50 feet back from surface waters.
A big shout out to the folks on the land early who shoveled snow to get into the gathering. That's hard core energy and I'm glad it was you, not me.
Loving all of you!
Due to the snow, seed camp got a late start. Although I arrived on June 23rd and there were kitchens already set up by then, the gathering seemed like a ghost town. I hiked around the meadow trying to find some place to camp and couldn't find any place that felt like a place. I ended up spending two nights at the gate by FS Road 150 where I had friends. A lot of kitchens came in late and the money started coming into the magic hat pretty late as well. Getting such a late start on seed camp was hard to recover from although people worked hard.
I participated in the Town Hall Meeting the night of June 24. There was a great turn out and lots of good conversations happening. For a copy of the handouts that were distributed at the meeting, click here. (Warning! It's a large file). Once back on the land, I ended up plugging into INFO and spent most of my gathering hanging out there and trying to help other people have a positive gathering.
Gathering participants met with the USFS Resourse folks and worked out an unsigned operating plan on the land. Click here to see the PDF version I scanned.
One of the things I really noticed this year is that there are a lot of amazing and wonderful younger family plugging into to kitchens and getting things done. Yet it still seems like some of the tasks that deal with the gathering as a whole are under represented by the younger folks. Some examples: meeting with the Sheriff and Emergency Medical Services in the area; working out gathering logistics with the USFS Resource Advisers on the land, dealing with the circle on the 4th, and parking. I didn't really realize this until after I left but as I was thinking back on these things, I realized we as a family need to do a better job of making sure our younger family knows how to work as individuals with various government agencies and how to think about gathering wide issues (such as not camping next to the creek, protecting our non-human family and coming to the town meetings). I guess this is food for thought for next year.
I met hundreds of day trippers and over nighters. Starting on the night of July 1st, they came in droves. Arriving by car at 1 PM and by the time they made it into the gathering, dinner circle was winding down and the day trippers had flip flops and hoodies - many didn't even have flashlights. Every evening as it got dark, they landed at INFO, lost and not sure how to get back to their cars--cold, hungry and thirsty. We tried to help them as best we could, but it was tough. Despite all the warm clothing people brought to share with others, it went as fast as it came in.
Despite the high numbers of first time gatherers, most everything rolled on peacefully and positively. The nights were cold. The nights were cold. Some of the days were cold as well, but the sun did come out for the weekend of the 4th.
The Rainbow Guide went into shipping hell and never made it to the gathering, nor was there an Always Free, but a new focalizer for Always Free has stepped up so I'm thinking good thoughts for next year.
Thanks to my wonderful friend Cody's hard work at facilitating Main Council, it happened every day. I made it twice and we had people discussing pressing issues regarding the gathering. I also made it to the Cyber Council and it was great to put some faces to people I only know online. We had a lot of people listening in to the discussions and some very good points were made. The two best points where that using the Internet to share directions, raps, etc. is great, but that we need to remember we make decisions on the land. The other good suggestion is when circulating info on the Internet, always include information on what a gathering is, a few of the raps, and make sure people understand what they are going to when someone post directions to a rainbow related event.
We had the usual Shanti Sena issues and lots of people plugging in. There was a Shanti Sena Council on July 3rd that had a small group of people sharing methods and styles of dealing with various issues. There was a lot of discussion on preventative measures and how people can make sure that no one is getting lost or starting to feud with their neighbors. We had a great mix of young folks who have been actively doing Shanti Sena and experienced folks.
Because most of the meadows were marshes, dinner circle happened on a small spit of dry land between Montana Mudd and Rainbow Crystal Kitchen. It was cozy to say the least. On the 4th, there were two circles: a small intimate one in the dinner circle meadow and a large one that spanned the perimeter of Main Marsh. The children made it to the side of the circle where they stayed before the oming even started (kids were a bit early if you ask me). The circle at the far end was pretty sparse with fingers stretched out to touch fingers, but I think we closed the circle before the Om broke.
The USFS Resource Advisers came in a couple of days at the end of June and July 1st. Other than that, Gary Campbell and Mary King came in and walked around a few days. While about 150 people received tickets on the road, the LEO DID NOT server warrants in the gathering. I repeat, there were no bands of armed and hunting law enforcement officers inside the gathering. I only heard six up a few times in almost two weeks. From July 2nd until July 6th, we didn't see any forest service. They did return on July 6th although I was driving out when they were coming in so I don't know why they were coming into the gathering.
For what ever reason, we never manifested a Welcome Home. There where 3 or 4 gates depending on how you counted them and people coming in all of them. This made it very confusing to direct people out as everyone came in via the "main gate." Luckily 3 of the 4 gathers dumped people out very close to info, but I know a lot of people had a hard time with the chaotic energy where they came in and it would have helped out a lot to have a Welcome Home camp that was actively greeting people. The INFO crew was out in force on the busy nights welcoming people home and helping them find the camps they were looking for.
The parking scene was a bit tight. Much of the road side parking was covered in snow drifts that were 2-3 feet high when I drove out on the 6th. I came into the gathering twice and both times was greeted by a friendly and peaceful face (Thank you front gate - you rocked!). Unfortunately, some of our family is pretty stupid when it comes to parking and a few people did get their cars towed, but for the most part, we controlled the road and it was tough to stay on top of it. The USFS LEOS did close the road for 12-14 hours, but then the blockade came down and people started double parking and blocking the road. Hey family! DO NOT EVER PARK SO A FIRE TRUCK AND/OR AMBULANCE CANNOT GET THROUGH. We have medical emergencies all the time and need to get our family medical help. Don't be an ass. If you have to park 5 miles away so you're not blocking the road, do so. The life you save may be your own.
I was also dismayed at how many people think pitching a tent two feet from the bank of a creek is OK. Never, never, never camp on the bank. All the foot traffic causes erosion in the banks and that's not good for fishes and other creatures who live in the creek. Plus this sort of damage is very hard to repair. Creeks are sensitive areas. This year in particular, Bull Trout eggs were getting ready to hatch downstream. Stirring up dirt in the creek can plug the air holes in the eggs and prevent them from hatching. Please remember to consider all the living creatures who depend on the ecosystems in which we gather. A standard rule of thumb is 50 feet back from surface waters.
A big shout out to the folks on the land early who shoveled snow to get into the gathering. That's hard core energy and I'm glad it was you, not me.
Loving all of you!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Missing Brother Has Been Found.
*************BEGIN MSG*******
His name is Dennis Robertson, he also goes by Yeramy
He is 32 soon to be 33
This was his first time at the gathering, although at age 14 he was quite influenced by those he saw from the Rainbow family that had passed through our town
He left with some camping gear and hitchhiked there. He also does a lot of flint napping and was planning on trading a lot of the things he had made.
He was alone
He was going to contact me in a couple of weeks by phone.
Here are a couple of recent pictures of him. Please let us know if you have any contact with him or any information.
Thank you,
Kathy
Email Kathy
Friday, July 15, 2011
Vision Council
Originally this post had the general wording of the consensus. This is now the wording as read on the land.
R.I.P. Steve and Amber "Aya"
While two babies were born this year, we lost two beautiful people due to pre-existing medical conditions. Ignore all rumours about other causes.
In alphabetical order by first name
Amber "Aya" M. Kellar, 28, passed on to her new life on July 6, 2011 at the Rainbow Gathering in Washington state.
Her partner is our brother Rudi Bega of Warriors of the Light kitchen. Amber had a heart
Amber was a native of Tully, NY, who lived in the Syracuse area for most of her life and was currently residing in California. She was an accomplished artist who was known by many for her artistic talents as well as for her kindness and loving nature. Her brother, Robert Mersfelder, predeceased her in 1999. S...urvivors include her mother, Dale Kellar; her father, Steven Kellar; her sister, Kimberly A. Kellar; her nieces and nephews, Michael, Robert, Stephanie, Kyleigh, Autumn and Bella; and her aunts, uncles and cousins. Everyone is welcome to celebrate Amber's life at a gathering, "Aya's Festival of Life," which will be held at one of Amber's favorite places, 3720 Tanner Road, Syracuse, NY 13215. Beginning 10 a.m. Friday, July 15, remembrance services will be held at the property, and then Amber's burial will follow in Howlett Hill Cemetery. "Aya's Festival of Life" will continue, following her burial, until Sunday at the Tanner Road property. For those inclined to do so, contributions may be made to a fund established for arrangements.
A second memorial has been scheduled for the weekend of Friday, July 29 · 12:00pm - 3:00pm @ 17106 Player Court --Weed, CA
A gathering and celebration of Amber's Life will be held at our home in Weed, CA. We are going to be gathering for the whole weekend, and celebrating at Amber's favorite spots. North Shore at Lake Siskiyou, McCloud Falls, Pluto's Cave, The Buddha Hole, etc. If you can only make it for 1 day, the 29th will be the one you are looking for. If you can join us for more of the weekend, please do. We have a really really big house, all are welcome to stay, plus there is camping all over around us. Amber would love for you to come share her memories and her favorite places and pastimes, here in the Mount Shasta area. Also I would love to give you all a hug.
Online condolences at CarterFuneralHome.com
Donations can be made to:
Dale Kellar
3816 Split Rock Rd.
Camillus, NY 13031
It is requested that in the memo space, that "For Amber" is added.
Some additional information from a friend who has been in contact with the family:
New York Steve (Steve Pierce) , 50, of Ft. Bragg passed at the Ovens on 6/24. Steve was making sticky buns at Loven Ovens when he passed on to the earth or the sky or heavens. Family and Forest Service united to try to save Steve's life to no avail. It was a team effort and one that touched all who participated deeply. Thank you to all who where there when Steve moved on or up or down. (Photo above is Shalom, Marion, D, Marilyn (Front/Center RIP), NY Steve (lower right) Leaving 1993 Alabama Gathering)
Steve had been working on improving his health and he had lost 100 pounds since the last time I saw him. Steve traveled with cooking gear, lots of cooking gear. I have a wonderful image in my mind of him sitting at Welcome Home in Wyoming 2008 with a huge pile of cooking gear around him that he was trying to get to the ovens. Like a kid sitting in a pile of blocks, Steve sat in a pile of cooking gear. I wish I had a photo of that moment to share with you but hopefully I've describe it well enough for you to picture it.
Please share your memories of these two shining stars by commenting on this post.
In alphabetical order by first name
 | |
| Aya |
Her partner is our brother Rudi Bega of Warriors of the Light kitchen. Amber had a heart
Amber was a native of Tully, NY, who lived in the Syracuse area for most of her life and was currently residing in California. She was an accomplished artist who was known by many for her artistic talents as well as for her kindness and loving nature. Her brother, Robert Mersfelder, predeceased her in 1999. S...urvivors include her mother, Dale Kellar; her father, Steven Kellar; her sister, Kimberly A. Kellar; her nieces and nephews, Michael, Robert, Stephanie, Kyleigh, Autumn and Bella; and her aunts, uncles and cousins. Everyone is welcome to celebrate Amber's life at a gathering, "Aya's Festival of Life," which will be held at one of Amber's favorite places, 3720 Tanner Road, Syracuse, NY 13215. Beginning 10 a.m. Friday, July 15, remembrance services will be held at the property, and then Amber's burial will follow in Howlett Hill Cemetery. "Aya's Festival of Life" will continue, following her burial, until Sunday at the Tanner Road property. For those inclined to do so, contributions may be made to a fund established for arrangements.
A second memorial has been scheduled for the weekend of Friday, July 29 · 12:00pm - 3:00pm @ 17106 Player Court --Weed, CA
A gathering and celebration of Amber's Life will be held at our home in Weed, CA. We are going to be gathering for the whole weekend, and celebrating at Amber's favorite spots. North Shore at Lake Siskiyou, McCloud Falls, Pluto's Cave, The Buddha Hole, etc. If you can only make it for 1 day, the 29th will be the one you are looking for. If you can join us for more of the weekend, please do. We have a really really big house, all are welcome to stay, plus there is camping all over around us. Amber would love for you to come share her memories and her favorite places and pastimes, here in the Mount Shasta area. Also I would love to give you all a hug.
Online condolences at CarterFuneralHome.com
Donations can be made to:
Dale Kellar
3816 Split Rock Rd.
Camillus, NY 13031
It is requested that in the memo space, that "For Amber" is added.
Some additional information from a friend who has been in contact with the family:
- Amber had a pre-existing heart condition. The times I've met and laughed with Amber and Rudi there was such fun, love, and care humbly expressed not just for one another but for our responsible stewardship of the Earth. She is so sourly missed by all who've been blessed to have been touched by her journey.
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| New York Steve and a Friend |
Please share your memories of these two shining stars by commenting on this post.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Now we have a missing mom
Age - 54
Hair Color - Brown
Eye Color - Brown
Last Seen - July 7, 2011
Last Seen By - Alan Peck and Catherine Ward
Medical conditions - back problems
For more information, click here.
Marie has no ID, no credit cards, no cash, no phone. The people she was last seen by/with have all of her stuff. They left the campsite without her. If anyone has any information please contact Michael Hanson, her son, at 619-818-5292. Please help.
7/22/2011 Additional Info from news article
It has been over 2 weeks since Marie Hanson was reported missing. Marie, a resident of the South Lake Tahoe community, decided on a whim to attend this year’s Rainbow Gathering held outside of Portland in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest with her neighbor.
Separated at the Gathering, the neighbor retuned home to report Marie’s disappearance. Marie is without her identification, cash, and vital medication. Those interviewed claim she was last seen wearing jean shorts, tennis shoes, and a pink and white tank top. A man known only as “Owl” who is described as about 6’1, slender build, with a gray ponytail was the last person seen with Marie.
**** Additional Info*****
Hi everyone - I'm Penny, the webmaster that created http://mariehansonmissing.com/ and I'm the auntie of Tawny and her brother Mike, Marie is their Mom. First I'd like to thank you all for thinking of Marie and posting the link to the website. We are hoping that Marie is ok. The story we were told is that the guy that transported her there lost his car keys and it took several days to panhandle enough money to get a tow truck to the site. Or maybe they were locked in the car, not sure which one. If I had been in Marie's place and my critical prescription medicine was locked in a car I would have grabbed three burly men with rocks and taken care of the situation, but I'm not Marie. She not only takes pain medicine for her recent huge back surgery but for her mental health as well. I personally sat by her husband's side and discussed her medicine, and I personally know that if she was denied access to her medicine it would only be a matter of a day or two before she was not able to make any sound decisions or feel well or feel like herself. It took 3 or 4 days to get into the car, she was never re-united with her ID, her money or her medicine. The driver of the car left without her, although lots of people saw her there after he left. We'll leave that issue to the police. I'm glad I'm not in charge of dealing with that aspect because I'm furious. In the meantime this poor simple grandmother has been abandoned without her money, medicine, ID or her common sense, thanks to the situation that left her in the woods without her medicine. We hope to find her very quickly so she can get the medical attention she needs immediately, and get back to the family she loves, and that loves her. For mental health and the love of grandmothers everywhere, please pray that Marie is found quickly.
And Rainbow followers - can anyone tell me where the Regional Montana Gathering will be held and when?
**** Additional Info*****
Hi everyone - I'm Penny, the webmaster that created http://mariehansonmissing.com/ and I'm the auntie of Tawny and her brother Mike, Marie is their Mom. First I'd like to thank you all for thinking of Marie and posting the link to the website. We are hoping that Marie is ok. The story we were told is that the guy that transported her there lost his car keys and it took several days to panhandle enough money to get a tow truck to the site. Or maybe they were locked in the car, not sure which one. If I had been in Marie's place and my critical prescription medicine was locked in a car I would have grabbed three burly men with rocks and taken care of the situation, but I'm not Marie. She not only takes pain medicine for her recent huge back surgery but for her mental health as well. I personally sat by her husband's side and discussed her medicine, and I personally know that if she was denied access to her medicine it would only be a matter of a day or two before she was not able to make any sound decisions or feel well or feel like herself. It took 3 or 4 days to get into the car, she was never re-united with her ID, her money or her medicine. The driver of the car left without her, although lots of people saw her there after he left. We'll leave that issue to the police. I'm glad I'm not in charge of dealing with that aspect because I'm furious. In the meantime this poor simple grandmother has been abandoned without her money, medicine, ID or her common sense, thanks to the situation that left her in the woods without her medicine. We hope to find her very quickly so she can get the medical attention she needs immediately, and get back to the family she loves, and that loves her. For mental health and the love of grandmothers everywhere, please pray that Marie is found quickly.
And Rainbow followers - can anyone tell me where the Regional Montana Gathering will be held and when?
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Operating Plan
This year various gathering participants worked with the United States Forest Service on an operating plan. I scanned the latest copy I have and you can find it here if you're interested. My scanning software is limited so the cover of the document is actually page six. Please copy and distribute this information freely.
Freaked out Family (Hope has been found)
Hope Lindsay Johnston Height: 5’ 7” Weight: 150
Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
Residence: Canton, GA 30115
Birth date: October 26, 1990
Last Seen: July 2, 2011, Washington state heading into National Forest at Gifford Pinchot National Forest near Cougar.
Tattoos
Multiple on arms, legs and back. “Shoot The Moon” text on left arm. Cat paws on both hip bones. New flower tattoo on left torso.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Lost and Found (people, pets and things)
Lost People
Every year people go to the gathering and their loved ones worry. Just a reminder, there usually is no cell phone reception at the gathering. This year, there were a couple of places on the road where Verizon and Creedo could get out sometimes but not all the time. If you haven't heard from your friends and/or family since they went into the gathering, odds are they are still in the meadow and can't call you. The other usual event is that the person decided to go on the rainbow trail for a while and didn't feel like letting you know. Either way, it's generally safer for people to stay inside the gathering, then to run the cop gauntlet to make a phone call. Most people usually surface by July 15th as the clean up crew starts shrinking by then, but people will be on the land until at least the end of July (and on the land means no or haphazard access to telephones). If in a few days you still haven't heard, email me and include this information:- How old is he/she?
- Was this her/his first gathering?
- Was he/she planning to camp with any camp in particular?
- Did she/he travel to the gathering with friends who have since left the gathering?
- Did she/he have any mental and/or physical health issues?
- What kind of drugs (if any) does he/she typically use?
- Was there a specific previously agreed on plan for he/she to return home at a certain time or at least check in?
Lost Things
For those people who went to the gathering and lost something, found items are taken to Info or sometimes to the nearest kitchen so don't give up yet. If you didn't check the lost and found items and Information, your stuff may be there. Even if you did, many items are discovered during cleanup. At the end of cleanup, all the valuable lost and found items will be taken out of the gathering site. To try to get reconnected with your stuff, at the end of July call the Northwest Tribes Lightline @ (503) 727-2498. Leave your name, phone # and a brief description of what you lost. Someone will call you back if your or similar items are there. Keep in mind, lost and found at this level is for things like wallets, cameras, expensive gear. We don't try to reunite people with lost t-shirts, bliss wear, etc.Lost Animals
For those people who left without all the animals they brought, please go back to the site and retrieve your pets. If you don't, folks on the land will find a home for your pet. We never leave any pets behind. Every pet will leave the gathering with a human companion ~ hopefully the one they came with. If you can't go back yourself, try to connect up with a friend in the area to retrieve your pet. Just a reminder, pets on leashes don't get lost as often as those not on a leash.
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