I am freshly back from Orfunner 2012, the Central Texas orphan Burn. I am surprisingly well rested for a return from the grassy playa, and eager to get back to blogging, writing, and most of the rest of my normal life.
Last week — which I unexpectedly took off from blogging — was a truly awful week, one of the hardest in recent memory. It left us badly shook up and licking our emotional wounds, and mourning recent events in my polyfamily. The details are not mine to share here, so I’ll just say that both Pet and I were very badly in need of some time at “Home” with our Burner tribe.
I have attended events at the small, forested, clothing optional private campground where Orfunner occurs for over a decade now. Remembrances of events passed filled my thoughts many times, and as often the case at these little events I spent some time talking to people about the days when Burning Flipside fit in a site that small. The event spread out in interesting ways this time, with theme camps popping up in places where there was previously just open camping.
The atmosphere was incredibly chill overall — literally and figuratively. Though it got hot during the day, it cooled off into the lower 70s at night. During the day a near constant breeze, sometimes gusting strongly, brought welcome relief as well. Unfortunately, a record-breaking heat wave and drought meant the wind also brought small dust storms that clogged sinuses and reminded everyone of the weather at That Thing in the Desert. During the windiest part of Sunday, strange clouds blew overhead, possibly a mixture of all that dust and smoke from what we’d later learn were terrible wildfires elsewhere in the state; it is always strange to return to reality camp and realize some major event has occurred while away.
Pet and I took our time getting to Orfunner, not wanting to stress ourselves anymore than we’d already been stressed. We finished setting up just in time to enjoy a wonderful and wild Saturday night, complete with dancing and debauchery of many kinds — a hedonistic release that deeply satisfied us both. As we drifted to sleep, Pet commented, “For all the hard times that we have gone through, during the good times we excel at having fun!”
The musical variety was amusing this year — lots of electroswing and even a bit of ragtime music and classic Gershwin mixed in with the usual oontz. Saturday’s music seemed better than Sunday’s, with the energy just being off so that a good dance party never seemed to form for long. That was true while we were awake at least — exhausted, Pet and I fell asleep before midnight, only to wake up in the early hours to take a stroll through a sleepy temporary city. We watched the sun come up, then caught another hour of rest. It was then that the nearest sound camp — the one we’d nicknamed “Laser Forest Dance Party” — cranked up some extremely manic drum & bass music at top volume, possibly the worst possible choice for a lazy morning wake up.
It was obviously time to “GTFO,” so we packed up before the heat began. We’ve showered off most of the dust, the laundry is going, and Pet is napping. I had a great time but I am glad to be home at Avocasa.
