What a week! As you can see, I’m just now getting caught up and have my thoughts somewhat in order to post about my last two weeks. PSG is always refreshing, rejuvenating, rejoicing, (and any other re you can think of!) But boy howdy does it make you tired and sort of numb by the time you get home – especially for us since we go so early to set up the place. We lay the foundations for the week – set the tone if you will for all that attend the gathering. It’s a lot of work – a labor of love really – and we enjoy every minute of it!
Tuesday, June 12 – we set out in the morning toward northern Illinois Springfield Ill Sycamore Ill
Wednesday, June 13 – We got up and went to brunch with our hosts then bid them a fond farewell until the next day. We went to Walmart and did our grocery shopping and such for at least the next few days. We arrived at the park just after noon. Our campsite that we had last year was not available since they put merchants in that spot this year and we were not merchanting. So we scouted the area and found a new spot and set up our camp. Dinner that night was out of a can but still something about eating outside while camping makes just about anything taste good!
Thursday, June 14 – To work! We started laying out the merchant spaces, organizing the signs we had and making any new ones that were needed. We also had to affix the merchant signs onto the boards that get affixed to the posts in front of each merchant site. It’s a lot of busy work but at least we can sit in the shade at a picnic table to do most of it! Our fellow setup crew arrived that day and set up their campsites. At the end of the day we all gather for the ‘Carpenters ball’ at one campsite and pass around the mead, tell funny stories, pass out awards to those that came the further, have been coming the longest, etc, And we also welcomed several new folks to the work crews.
Friday, June 15 – More work. The setup crews are starting to put up the 10x20 shelters all over camp, and the place is starting to look like PSG! We had more signage to do, merchant bags to organize, merchant information scrolls to roll etc… Everyone tries to get a good nights sleep this night as some of the merchants that have been coming for a long time get to arrive tomorrow!
Saturday, June 16 – Merchant greeting! That is what we did most of the day. There was of course a mad rush about noon when they were told they could come in and we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off for a while but then it slowed down in the afternoon to a steady pace that we could all follow really well. Tomorrow the gates open at 9:00AM!
Sunday, June 17 – We usually leave to go do laundry on Saturday but this year the gate was going to be closed at 7:00pm so we knew we would not get back in time. So we got up extra early on Sunday to be out of the gate before 8:00 (so as not to have to fight the traffic coming in!) and went to town to do our laundry, go to the grocery and pick up anything we might have forgotten. We also took a few orders from nearby campmates to fill. We arrived back around noonish to find we had new neighbors! While we were gone the campground really filled up! Sunday evening was the opening ritual complete with sparklers (magic wands LOL).
Monday, June 18 – the beginning of the festival in full swing. The camp next door had a baby that was teething – he woke us all up at 4:30, 4:45, 5:00, 5:15…. Yeah, I got up about 6:00 for good. Bill and I were still on Merchant greeter duty and we also started working on getting all the merchants electric set up. We had to tag their cords to make sure that they were plugged in to the correct box, and that everyone who had paid for electric had it. That evening was the first of our nightly music concerts.
Tuesday, June 19 – Our first day of somewhat nothing we HAD to do. Unfortunately the baby had crying to do at 6:00 in the morning so we didn’t get to sleep in. I attended workshops, shopped at the merchants, and in the evening we both enjoyed the Spiral Rhythm concert until we had to leave to facilitate the Dark Moon Ritual.
Wednesday, June 20 – Solstice! We got up early to set up the labyrinth. 1200 candles (one for each PSG participant this year!). We get it set up in record time – just over an hour! Our work was done until 9:00 that evening when we met back to light the candles. This year we managed to get most of the lit so the labyrinth was beautiful! I saw it all lit up as I walked along the road in camp – seeing it through the trees and tents all laid out on the field below was breath taking – I wish I had a camera that could have captured that. I suddenly realized that I had not heard the baby crying all day – apparently the baby went to grandmas.
Thursday, June 21 – Up early again to take the labyrinth down. I love that you can still see the tracks in the grass the next few days. All the people that traveled the path to the center and back out again – it’s just wonderful!
Friday, June 22 – OMG! I woke up and realized that PSG was almost over! But our weekend friends were coming in today so we had some new faces around the camp that evening!
Saturday, June 23 – last day of PSG – lots of hugs and well wishes and depressed looking faces toward evening. One last concert, one last trip around merchant row and then we started to pack.
Sunday, June 24 – Up early to pack out campsite as the forecast calls for rain. Bill had promised one of the ladies from Spiral Rhythm, PJ, to help her get her 10x20 down and loaded up so he went to do that. Once Aubri and I had everything we could pack in the truck and trailer we called him back to finish it up and then we all went to finish packing up PJ. We had bought a 10x20 from one of the other merchants so we helped take that down as well then into the truck and away we went. Stopping of course in Springfield
Monday, June 25 – Aubri commented on the way to the grocery that it seemed hotter in St. Louis
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