The howl from this end...

[KatmanDu]

First off, many, many thanks to Smash for organizing and hosting the Howl. It's
events like these that keep me recharged enough to face the BS of everyday
life.

Secondly, this'll prolly be another long post.. advance warning! "Stand back,
I don't know how big this thing gets!"

Thirdly, yes there was a video camera there; I reviewed the tape tonight (got
back to town around 3am this morning) and it's passable... 2lux VHS-C or not,
low light does funky things with graininess and color. I'll work on the .gifs
this weekend... total time was about 16 minutes.

Hokay. I left Athens around 6am Friday morning. The nearly full moon was still
up, and it seemed I drove towards it until the sun rose... a good omen. The
car was being a cranky snot, as usual. I crossed the Ohio state line around
2:30pm or so; and what did I hear on a local radio station as I sped towards
Southington but... Duran Duran, "Hungry like the Wolf". Heh.

I arrived at the campgrounds just past dark, and spotted Smash's car. Bison
was getting some stuff out of his car and I followed him up to the campsite.
Smash, Kender, Sio, Bison and Serf were there and set up and we exchanged
tail-wagging greetings. Darren and Kevin arrived a little later (after we
howled them directions) and Moria soon thereafter. The next couple of hours
were spent with setting up camp in the dark, lighting a fire, tapping the
keg... Red Wolf is not half bad beer, and this is coming from someone who
really loathes the taste of beer. I'll have to add it to my list of acceptable
brews, with Guiness Extra Stout. *lip smacking noises* We then sat around the
fire, talking, sneaking occassional glances at the incredibly bright moon,
until we one by one retired for the night, after a long day of traveling.
I remember looking up through the canopy of trees and rising sparks at the
moon almost directly overhead, surrounded on all sides by folks of a like
mind, and thinking to myself "Shit.. who else do I know who's even contemplated
doing something like this." Would I stay here until I grew old if given the
chance, I asked myself in all seriousness? It brought back the mindset of a
few years back, when going feral seemed like the only thing left to do.

Oh, yeah... we were visited by a couple of the campground's more permenant
residents that night... "You folks some kind of group, like Young Pioneers?"
I could see everyone carefully put on a poker face and consider telling 'em
the truth. "No, sir, we're werewolves, just having a little get-together.
You fellows are welcome to stay around for the hunting later..."

I got up around 9 the next morning and went for a walk around the lake. Deer
tracks and scrapes are abundant around here.. ya know, Smash said the owner
wouldn't mind us hunting... nah, better not. :) I ended up at Direwolf and
Windwolf's tent as they were popping out for the morning (amidst the clatter
of assorted weaponry.. and I thought I was a walking arsenal!)

Breakfast was soon on the way and we spent some time collecting pallets from
the owner for the bonfire that evening. Old ford ranger truck tailgates, BTW,
should carry a warning: WARNING! Cable support will break as soon as someone's
standing on the lowered tailgate. *grin* It was finally determined that we
needed a bow saw or axe for the really big logs, so Smash, Serf, Kender and
myself piled into the car and headed to town for implements of destruction.

When we got back, Dagar and Colin, not AHWW denizens but open-minded enough to
tolerate us, had emerged from the woods and we got the chili started. And the
Green Shit (tm), which went around with sips and shudders. Soon the chili was
gone, and darkness was falling rapidly; so we adjurned to the field next to the
campsite and started the bonfire. Well, we had some help from a roll of toilet
paper as fire starter. The music was loud and energetic, and the fire grew.
We did some fire leaping.. never smelled so much singed fur. :) At one point
we called down Cornholio, the sacred spirit of TP, from the heavens. I think
he's still stuck in the top of a tall pine tree... about 20 feet of toilet
paper that stayed suspended on a thermal from the fire for an amazingly long
time.

Hint: Never wrestle werewolves drunk. Ruins your concentration. "OK, Darren's
gonna try to sweep my feet... wow, that moon's bright *THUD!* Damn. *grin*
My sore spots have sore spots. After everyone was good and in the mood, we
read Silver-Night's poem around the fire, and howled for all those who
couldn't attend. There was some more dancing in the flames before we settled
down into clumps, talking about life in general well into the wee hours.

Sunday dawned a little meloncholy, as we all knew we'd have to depart. Darren
whipped up some absolutely incredible clam chowder and Kevin produced a jug of
cider. Sio and Bison slipped away before I could say goodbye to them... I'm
glad to see ya'll made it home safe, if a little late due to a fuel pump. We
eventually straggled out of camp before dark Sunday.

Thought I wasn't gonna say anything about gas cans, eh Darren? *evil grin*

All and all (and I know I'm leaving stuff out here) it was an incredibly
satisfying trip. A spring Howl is definately in order... where and when?

***********************************************************************
Katm...@uga.cc.uga.edu Do you ever get the feeling that
ewi...@phoenix.cs.uga.edu the story's too damn real and in
a1a...@aol.com the present tense? Or that everybody's
Sysop of A1A BBS (706)613-1629 on the stage, and it seems like you're
FIDO 1:370/130 the only person sitting in the
DoD #1095 audience? -Jethro Tull
KotAHWWFAQ .....and about a jillion other abbreviations.