What a beautiful day of community and global action! About 100 people showed up for our picnic on a picture perfect day. Speaking of pictures.... here's the shot we took for the 350.org (https://www.350.org/) International Day of Climate Action, which is publicizing the number 350 as the maximum sustainable number of parts per million of C02 in the atmosphere:
Click for the High Resolution shot! (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/waccobb/ImagesforMembers/350prBig.jpg)
Thanks to Marty Roberts, Scott McKeown, and all the people who worked on the 350 campaign, along with Gregory Smith, who is a professional photographer, who happened to show up for the picnic (unaware of the planned photo shoot) with his amazing pro gear and managed to herd us all for this shot!
It was great to meet some of the people behind the posts, as well as several lurkers!
Imagery
10-24-2009, 09:39 PM
Here we go, some pictures of the event.
First, we'd like to thank https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Barry.jpg for being such a dedicated host, and wonderful person to put in all the long hours to make waccobb.net such a great place to visit. Without him, we'd be missing a valuable resource for our local (online) community. Thanks to you Barry!!
We saw the picnic posted on https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Waccosign.jpg and knew that it was going to be a fun event. Meeting people who had before been names on a monitor, posts in an online community - REAL PEOPLE?? Oh, my!!
With that, we placed it on our calendar to be at the https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Gazebo.jpg between 1pm and 6pm on Saturday. Of course, we knew that everyone would bring some delicious https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Food.jpg to share, there would be https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Drum.jpg and https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Dancing.jpg and really connecting with our local community.
When we arrived, we notice that a https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Crowd.jpg had formed, which was good sign. Upon joining, we found a https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Massage.jpg therapist at work, giving out free chair massage.
Imagery
10-24-2009, 10:07 PM
Of course, this being the public park as it is, we were looking forward to the https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Dogs.jpg that would be playing, the https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Balloon.jpg and https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Girls.jpg and colorfully dressed https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Colorful.jpg people there. Sure enough, there were people https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Resting.jpg after meeting with so many new faces.
We really enjoyed the piperhttps://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Piper.jpg as he made the people https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Dance.jpg to the sounds of his melody. The picnic https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Picnic.jpg was fast becoming a success, but we were called to a higher purpose as well:
With signage in hand, https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Signage.jpg, we went as a community, and created this https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/350group.jpg for the 350.org website, to show our support for the lowering of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. After posing https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Posing.jpg for some pictures, the group went back to the picnic area, and formed a https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Circle.jpg at which time we had a poet https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Poet.jpg grace us with her beautiful prose. As we gathered in the circle, we introduced ourselves, neighbor to neighbor, one to another, and enjoyed the company of community.
Of course, there was room for healing as well. There is an old saying that laughter is the best medicine...
https://www.sonic.net/~essence/WaccoBB/Laugh.jpg
(We have several more, just choosing and post-production take a while.)
Here are a few random images from around the picnic grounds:
it's some kind of multi-colored carrot. i think they're called Rainbow Carrots.
but ... i over-did something on Friday & got something a little/lot like heat stroke. i was out of it Saturday.
jay
10-26-2009, 07:20 AM
I haven't quite figured out if I am replying correctly when i push the button to reply to a post, but here's hoping.
The picnic pictures are just scrumptious. I didn't go to the picnic, but I truly felt like I was actually there as I was viewing them. I could feel the joy and friendship in every unique shot. Beautiful, just beautiful.
What a lovely way to start my day - jay
greeness
10-26-2009, 06:06 PM
Hey there fellow picnickers!! When we were doing the introduction circle, I was so absorbed with listening to everyone that I forgot my own "3 words". So now I will tell you that they were "I'm a lurker!". I have to tell you that I had such a wonderful time and felt such a sense of community and connection. I have lived here for a year now and this was the first time I can say I had that feeling. So thank you. Hopefully next year Barry will give us "4 words" next year so I can say "I'm a former lurker!".
Barry
10-26-2009, 07:22 PM
Yay Donna! And you're "coming out" in grand fashion, too, with a lovely avatar (small profile picture) as well! (Members can go here to setup an avatar (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/profile.php?do=editavatar)). And I'm so happy we could feel connected!
I pledge that next year we'll have at least 4 words per person so you can state your new status!
Speaking of which, how did you guys feel about the circle? Was 3 words too brief? Would you have rather had more time/words and had the circle take longer?
And how can we encourage other lurkers to de-cloak?
Hey there fellow picnickers!! When we were doing the introduction circle, I was so absorbed with listening to everyone that I forgot my own "3 words". So now I will tell you that they were "I'm a lurker!". I have to tell you that I had such a wonderful time and felt such a sense of community and connection. I have lived here for a year now and this was the first time I can say I had that feeling. So thank you. Hopefully next year Barry will give us "4 words" next year so I can say "I'm a former lurker!".