Denny sums it up the Victoria Gatherette

Dear fae friends...

Well, I did get up to the gatherette this last weekend--in fact, I got there Fri. aft. and left Tues. aft--fantastic!

As usual, once I got there, I wondered why it had taken me so long to get back to the land there. It truly is a magical place...

Usually, the first gatherette of the season is quite a small one, people-wise.

This one, though, broke an Amber Fox record--attendance peaked at 17 men.

Also, there were 3 lovely younger men from Montreal who had tried to visit last year and finally got there. Their energies were much appreciated and they took to the faes like ducks to water.

I think most folks energies were not at their highest point. There were no fun or interesting activities during the day, excepting food prep and dish washing, (wood gathering, setting the water system up, rehearsing for the follies, prancing in birthday suits, mowing, food shopping, sun worshipping, falling over the rabbits) of course.

Mind you, there was a fire outside the Erection (the communal kitchen/socialzing space) every night, and there were sweat lodges (each) night, as well (in their fabulous wooden sweat lodge).

I figure that, when I'm at an gathering space, there should be a Faeries Follies night and so I suggested that on the Sun. and spent the day rehearsing with folks as keyboard support.

There were 7 performers. The first was Brendan from Montreal who started it off reading some prose that he'd written that day that expressed his new-found feelings about being there and with the Faeries--lovely...

Andre, from Ottawa, did a very tender rendition of a Bob Dylan song. He was bewigged and sat in a rocker and spoke and sung. Lovely!

Then we had a mixture of performers doing songs. Geneva, a Toronto fae, did a heart-rending version of "I Won't Live in a World without Love". His voice is reminiscent of Willie Nelson and I just loved it.

Boy Ricky did "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Faeries" to the tune of "One Little, Two Little, Three Little Indians"--very amusing!

Shimmer, from Boston, did "Nowhere To Run", a Motown number that went right over the top in mock hysterics--done in a rock vein!


Geneva's boyfriend, YJ, did a very sweet version of a Louis Armstrong song--"What a Wonderful World", and I ended the show doing three original songs of mine.

The show wasn't too long and there was a fab dessert by Shimmer (pear pie!) that held the audience hostage until the show was over and dessert was served.

Then they were off to the sweat lodge where, I'm told, it got a little frisky on two of three nights.

Ken, the owner of the land, arrived Monday evening and I stayed on later so that I could spend a little time enjoying his company.

Howie-Sue was his usual very entertaining somewhat ascerbic self--it was great to reconnect with him.

Shimmer did a rune reading for me for which I am truly grateful. (The results were encouraging.)

Otherwise, I did get to chat quite a bit with Boy Ricky who lives in Ottawa and is at Amber Fox quite a bit, particularly, of course, during the good weather.

He is a sweetie-pie and if it was not for his encouragement and help, I might not have made the bus trip schlepp up, fatigued as I was, my back still bothering me, etc. (YJ and Philip a.k.a Geneva were driving back so I got a ride with them--wonderful--and had a more relaxing return than had I had to do the bus thingy again--thanks!!!!)

I was sad, as usual, for me, to leave and it's been an adjustment being back in the Big Smoke but I come back much refreshed and full energy to get up there as much as possible this year.

Hopefully, we will be able to get up there more, organize rides, if possible.

For those who haven't been to a gathering, I hope my little description here piques your interest but do remember that the Canada Day gathering will likely have a few more men, as well as lots of fun activities, sharing and, no doubt, at least one ritual.

Denny :)