Reflections of MMCBBE12

     So the event is over.  Time to reflect on an event a year in the making... and it takes a whole year and some fabulous folks to pull of a BIG event.  I could never do any of this on my own.  As in years past - as soon as folks were packing up their gear last year - they were asking about this years event.  It was listed - but we needed to start planning.  After a few weeks of mental rest - we gathered and started to brain storm.
     We started throwing ideas about activities, stamp themes, raffle items and other things around.  Lists were created.  And the delegation began!  Having wonderful friends helping you - makes all the difference in the world... well that and letting them do what you ask them to without pestering them to death.
     First on the list - we needed an event stamp.  We enlisted Adventure Crafter and Aiphid with this task.  I'll admit - when I first saw it - I didn't get it.  But we warmed up to the image (after they explained it to us - lol) and started working with it.
     Needed to get stamps for series - requested were sent out... A LTC tracker was created around the idea for campsite boxes... "Something You Don't Know About Me Is."  Being part of the event - I felt like I probably should play along and join in... at least there were on 30.  But we finally got them made.
     We met again - and passed around more ideas.  Messages were sent on regular basis through the committee board on AQ.  Once you get creative minds going - oh my things start happening.  Details were beginning to filter together.  Stamps started to arrive from fabulous carvers.  And after the weather (snow and mud) improved - planting started in force.  Clues were sent off to Aiphid to start building the clue book.  And since he has nothing but time on his hands - he started to build a bigger and better letter boxer cypher torture device!  He showed us photos of the building process... you cannot believe the work he put into that box!  Absolutely amazing!
     My Dad carved buoys for the Buoy to You series... Christopher and I stood out in the snowy cold weather to base coat them all in white so that Teacup and I could have a painting party.  Bright colored buoys blossomed on a Sunday afternoon... while it wasn't ink - we didn't walk away any cleaner than if we were boxing!  Then we carved images for them and Teacup started to glue them together...
     We were started to get everything in order.  Final details were being pulled together.  Listed for different activities were being tossed back and forth.  We managed to get Mainekokopellian to help us with the Compass Reading class... and then started to hear from others that wanted to help.  MedicGirl offered to help with Bind-It-All and littlmoon offered to get tye-dyed with the kids!  These three were a great help and allowed committee members a bit of breathing room to do other things.
     So a week before the event I started to watch the event weather forecast... ugh.  It looked like lots of rain was heading our way.  I shouldn't complain since this was the 5th year in a row for the event - and so far the only one with any measurable rain in the forecast.  So I started to send out messages to make sure folks were prepared.  Somewhere along the line I realized there was another small event happening during the event... it seems the Summer Olympics were taking place.  So I whipped up a small event box so folks wouldn't feel like they were missing too much of the games.
     Minor details were being put into place... maps being made for the Progressive Dinner, clue books printed, last minute stamps carved, quick trips to TPB to find out they had built a new Fairy Village (which meant a little more carving needed to be done.)  Supplies were gathered, folks started to pack for the weekend and time was getting closer.
     Knowing that the best weather for the weekend would be Wednesday and Thursday - as early arrivals made their way to the campground - Teacup and I headed over to TPB and started to pass out clue packets.  We had spent lots of time and energy getting series off site put together and we WANTED people to get inky!  Even better if they could do it without getting soaked.
     Thursday arrived and I headed over to start to set up... The wonderful Wildcats had set up my tent in the morning before I arrived, but we were heading off to Event Central to set that up.  We ended up with a glitch since muggles in a motor coach were still there and they were no where to be found.  They finally made it back to camp around 3ish and moved their motor coach so we could set up.  More folks checked in and we passed out clues.  Teacup and I were bounded and determined to pass out clues to everyone - so many aliases signed up for the event and we wanted to try and crack who a couple of them were.  As we were passing packets out we were greeted by Grumpy Grinch!  Grumpy?  Nah, just a wonderful teddy bear - hugs were exchanged and we chatted a bit.  Then in rolled Celtic Roots and the whole scene was repeated!
     So Thursday had folks arriving and settling in.  Getting early ink.  Traveling about to get in some sights and just visiting with friends.  Unfortunately - it also brought in the first of the rain.  Seems a small front was pushing in from the south... while the weather held off during the day, the over night was a bit wild.  But the natives couldn't be tamed by a bit of unsettled weather.  Angel Tread's Doug was celebrating a personal miles stone.  So a small party was happening over at their campsite.  Chocolate Cream Pie seems to go well with white wine.  After the pie was gone - Jiffy and Nancy of Angel Treads were still giggling like school girls.  I had my kids with me - so I had to try and get them settled down for some sleep.  It was a rough night...
       In the middle of the night Veronica wanted water (she was fighting an ear infection but insisted on camping.) and Christopher woke up crying saying he wanted to go home.  Ashley - still mostly asleep offered to make him a sandwich and then immediately rolled over and back to sleep.  Morning eventually arrived - but sleep had mostly eluded me.  At 2:30 I watched the lightning dance across the salt marsh near our campsite.  It poured for about 30 minutes and then I ventured off to the bath house in the drizzle trying to get sleepy...
     Friday and more folks arrived and set up camp.  More clues were passed out.  Exchanges were made.  Event boxes were stamped up.  Raffle tickets were being sold and the weather had decided to agree with us for a bit.  The Progressive Dinner was that evening - so folks started to head off to their campsites so they could get things going.  When the dinner bell did ring, families with plates started to meander from site to site to taste friends offerings.  We had a wide arrange of appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts for the offerings. 
     After the Progressive Dinner - folks started filtering towards Event Central for their slots in Night boxing.  The early slots stayed relatively dry.  Unfortunately - the weather quickly progressed to rain.  So even though they were stamping up colorful images - they were getting wet and inky.  With the rain once again taking hold of the campground - folks settled down pretty early.  There were a few hold outs.  Some diehards hovered around camp fires or continued to meander from site to site to get those boxes in the shadows of the night.  And at some point, Mr. Big Foot managed to linger out of the marsh to make his presence known!  I fell asleep to the sound of 'click, click' as our site boxes were being stamped in by yet another night owl boxer!
     Saturday arrived.  Not too many clues to pass out, so check in was kind of quiet.  But event Central was still buzzing.  Because of the rain - things started off a little slower than usual... but me being mud, thought I needed to get things rolling with a lovely face plant in the dirt!  After brushing away the bulk of the dirt... the Wildcats decided I had opted for an 'organic' approach to a name tag... my shirt stayed muddy all day where a name tag would have been!  Other than a few bruises - the biggest problem was my spilled Dunkin coffee : ( that Teacup had brought me.
     So Teacup and I went off and planted a couple of temporary boxes... fairies down in Fairy Village, a fluttering butterfly that flew in from Oklahoma and something beach side.  After planting - I headed off for another cup of coffee while Teacup went to Event Central to look for more aliases.  We had a busy day planned and folks were busy getting inky.  Out on the trails, at camp sites, collecting buoys and stamping up event boxes. 
     At eleven we were so excited that littlmoon was willing to help the kids tye-dye their shirts.  Parents stayed around and helped tighten rubber bands, while Mainekokopellian was off helping some adults learn how to find out Which Way Truely Is North?  A Bind-It-All demonstration was managed by MedicGirl and Aiphid was off helping folks figure out ciphers.  His class was so popular that it ran two hours!
     Dave of the Wildcats was desperately trying to scare up a game of softball.  But it seems he couldn't get some hearty souls to swing a bat!  Even with Wildcat Alice trying to call folks in to play with the bull horn!  I think the humidity that had socked in at that point - had folks settling down to get inky at campsites!  While Dave couldn't get anyone to run the bases - he did get a few hearty souls to swing the bat!
     A few boxers popped over to play a round of BINGO with Angel Treads and Teacup.  The first round went to Sandcastle!  After a quick check of the numbers - we rolled into game two.  The second winner was one of the Sprites... he was so darned cute covered in more ink than his BINGO card.  One of the Spooky Group also won (well sort of.  We skipped a game because we were running behind - and I saw his BINGO and awarded him on the sly!)
    The next winner was Lego Boy - he actually was the first one to get the picture frame AND a coverall... but we played a bit longer.  The coverall had a three way tie in kimmywtvl, terrapin and dash the stick man.  We all stamped up daubers and headed off to the grandstand.
     Trying to get everyone in the photo - someone in the group ran off to the family reunion being held nearby and grabbed a couple of souls willing to snap some photos.  Nothing like 100 boxers yelling out which way north was!  I'm sure our photographers were more than a little confused when we all pointed skyward!
     Then we all ambled back to event central for the raffles.  Because of lots of great donations and things assembled by committee members - we had lots of items to pick from.  Larger items folks could only win once - and smaller items folks could win multiple times.  We had a couple frequent winners - but mostly many folks were able to win something as momentoes of the weekend.  And the money raised helped to offset the site costs and event supplies!  So we REALLY appreciated all that participated int he raffles!
     A few hours of quiet to get dinner and then our final night boxing event.  Aiphid and Adventure Crafter were the night boxing geniuses this year.  Folks signed up in advance in 15 minute blocks and everything went sooo smoothly!  Only a few people milled around - and while they did, they stamped up event boxes in the area.  We lasted a little bit longer before the rain came.  But another successful evening of getting colorful images wrapped up.
     Folks continued to stroll around getting boxes late into the night.  Even in the drizzle, camp fires were set up, folks hung out and chatted.  People seemed to have a nice quiet evening.  While the rain did temper some of the noise - the quiet camaraderie that was shared around campsites was more special than in years past.
    Sunday had folks breaking camp.  We could hear thunder starting to roll in the distance.  Cars were quickly being packed up - and all but a few souls managed to get everything tucked away before the deluge came.  Teacup and I were breaking camp at Event Central when the rain started... we got soaked!  But everything mostly stayed dry!
     Another successful - if a bit wet - event has drawn to a close.  And while we are taking a year off - we are hoping folks support Live and Breathe in our absence - you can bet that in 2014 things will once again get crazy at Thomas Point Beach!  In the meantime - watch out for those aliases that seem to pop up everywhere!  Keep your ladies close by as Mr. Big Foot seems to be a Ladies Man and here's hoping you all have happy dry inky trails until we gather again!