The Mooseman Experience.

So, as I may have mentioned at some point before and/or after this past weekend, I was out in the woods with a couple hundred other people at an annual artsy festival.

Every year, the property we're on is mapped out and divided between different theme camps, whose job is to create an experience for other campers. There was Hammock Camp, who strung up many different hammocks and hammock chairs, and one enormous trampoline into the trees, and projected spinning blue lights onto the underside of the tree canopy for people to enjoy.

There was Clown Town, a small rest stop for people to hang out in a dome and drink clown juice (a swamp water of liquors and juice)

There was the Powder Monkey Theme Camp, who host a wheel of punishment, which passer-by's can spin and be delegated an exercise in humility, as well as their annual baconade, a taster fair of different recipes packed with bacon, including bacon brownies which are apparently very good. I'm vegetarian, so I don't get to participate in that one, but it's a very popular event.

There was the Rockin' Robin's Revival, which is the church of Rock n' Roll in the deeper woods, fitted with a diner-esque kitchen, coffee, and instruments for people to participate in a full-band karaoke of rock songs. The host every year a Fleetwood Mac n' Cheese, where they sing Fleetwood Mac songs and dole out bowls of pasta to everyone, and then on Sunday they host a Rock n' Roll baptism, wherein they lead people down to the pond at the edge of the property and dip them. Afterwards, another camp - the Satanists, come to try to repossess the souls of Rock n' Roll.

The Satanists are another theme camp. Last year, they hooked a bunch of microwaves up to a generator and made a show of microwaving metal and spray cans and the like. That was pretty intense. This year, they made a locust pinata, and put the live locusts that were inside into pancake batter to cook up and serve to people. Their camp was around a stage with an inverted crucifix, and a stripper pole. It was right next to the Tiki Bar camp.

Tiki Bar camp is just a bar that serves drinks to people who bring cups. They may have had a bunch more going on, but I didn't spend much time where they were, so I may well have missed some main events.

Aside from that, there was Thump Thump, in the deepest part of the woods area, which was the designated raver zone. They had the trans and house music going all night long for people who just needed to be dancing. They were also outfitted with projectors and lights for the tree canopy.

On Saturday night, the talent show played. Mikey played his song from the musical he just finished performing in. A bunch of people did a bunch of things. Mostly music related. It was fun.

On Sunday Night, they burnt the Moose. A giant effigy, exactly as they do for Burning Man, to mark the end of the festival. People continue to party until dawn, but Monday is the clean-up and drive-out day for the majority of campers.

It's a really magical, beautiful experience. I chose this painting to illustrate the festival, because the experience of Mooseman is laid out for you, but it's entirely self-built. And mushrooms are a beautiful thing. Very experience-enhancing.

I spent lots of time babysitting people having bad trips, but that's the other part of it all. That we all take care of each other.

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