Green Light Pistols

Here’s a short story written several years ago, after returning from the great Larry Joe Taylor Fest, which is beginning again this week. There’s one little change in my camping conditions since I wrote this, in that I now will be driving and living inside my hippie van, but otherwise, the sentiments are all the same! Enjoy, and see you at LJT Fest!?!?!?!  P.S. The pic is of Green Light Pistols, a newcomer band to the festival.

Written after 2010 LJT Fest:

There are all sorts of books written offering great camping tips, but after spending five days in a tent at Larry Joe Taylor’s music festival — rain, wind, and all — I’m offering a few of my own.

1. Never underestimate the kindness of strangers. I went alone to the festival, situated on hundreds of acres of West Texas terrain. The festival manager was kind enough to let me pitch my tent behind the office, which got me closer to the two stages. It also worked out that I could use the indoor, flush-toilet bathroom, rather than the rather ramshackle chemical toilets placed a football field away. I even stole a shower once, but don’t tell on me.

I had to ask for help in raising the tent. The EMS crew working the festival did that for me, graciously. When it needed to come down, it was a young man named Andy walking to the office in search of his wayward billfold who never hesitated when I asked for help. He later learned the billfold had been returned, sans his cash. He reluctantly accepted my pittance “walking around money” for his trip home.

Kindnesses went beyond that. One night, a man, Johnny Ray, helped me tote my work tools (camera, computer, chair, and items not beginning with the letter “c”) to my tent. The next night, I was plugging along, by then pretty weary with wear, when a young lady took on my burden. Crystal was her name. Ryan and Willie were continually there for me.

2.  When sleeping on the ground inside your tent, be sure to buy an egg-carton foam-rubber mattress cover thicker than one inch. Or two cheaper ones could work. Anything less, and you might feel like the princess and the pea.

3.  It’s wise to pack plenty of dirty T-shirts to use when the monsoon comes and floods your tent. I happened to have had plenty, since I changed shirts twice daily before the shower. Of course, clean towels would do, too, to mop up the tent floor, but then what would you use when you steal a shower?

4. Take a bug-identification manual. You’ll need it to know whether that intrusive beetle will stink when you squish it.

5.  Take along a utility cart or a little red wagon. They come in handy when help isn’t around to tote those items which start with the letter “c”.

Enjoy your camping! Enjoy the fest!