Image: 

My oh my, it must have been the.......

(left to right) Erin, Tom, Kaya, and Karen (my sweetest friend in the world) about 45 minutes after dropping in on Chela Mela Meadow and all it's color and pageantry. My 3 companions were fair rookies, so it was a treat to see and hear their reactions to the one-of a kind-gut-busting-perma-smile shenanigans surrounding us as we wandered the paths, clearings, and sunshine that always is there for the fair.

I was glad to see the girl in the background show up in this pic. Her and I talked for awhile and her eyes validated the Box of Rain verse of "look into any eyes you find by you you can see clear to another day." I'm a big fan of eyes, and hers were mesmerizing. She was one of many beautiful people that I had the pleasure of meeting over the weekend.

Every time I'm at OCF I wish all Deadheads could be there. It's meant for us. Seriously. 7 stages of great music and entertainment of all sorts, wonderful natural food and drink vended everywhere, arts of all mediums, crafts, clothing, maps, parades, costumed stilt walkers pushing psychedelic wagons (?), mayhem, drumming, free speech, Kesey's Energy Park (alternative energy sources), comfy pillow chill areas, massage therapists, community, pranksters around every corner, out-of-this world visuals, ancient trees, a lovely meandering river, and the list goes on. For me though, I always feel "at home" in knowing that the Grateful Dead have very deep but unspoken roots in this event.

Magic happens here......GO!!! : ) You'll thank yourself.