another violent & scary ocala

[oN ThA ReAL]

This year Ocala was not just shwaggy it was terrifying too. I saw much violence & personally had two friends hurt & saw a good family friend {a woman} who was punched in the face. How are people like that hippies. This gathering is being taken over by a reckless gang. I know a poor kid that was jumped by 9 gutter punk hippies who put a knife to his throat & took his picture telling him he was being banned from the gathering. All of the people in these examples were either taking or selling stuff like DOI & DOC & 2c- B. Now I know drugs can cause some problems, but who's right is it to police a gathering & tell people they cannot take anything except lsd or mushrooms. who's business is it really when it comes to whats good & whats bad. I used to enjoy going out & camping in Ocala, but you can count on not seeing me out there. I can not deal with a bunch of violent kids spreading misinformation & hurting people. I know alot of others who feel the same way. This is why alot of really good people tried to camp at free creek, and duck pond this year, only to get chased out by cops. it looks like eventually all the peaceful gatherers are going to get chased out & there will be nothing but psycho's & hooligans.

[OneVoice]

"This year Ocala was not just shwaggy it was terrifying too."

first: "was"? from my count it's only been 4 days of the gathering so far.... obviously the reality of the situation is that there have been people in those woods for months now, but the fact is, the gathering just started....

second: the problem with the alphabet soup (2cb etc.) is that it's often being given to people under the guise of "LSD"...

I don't condone violence. unfortunately there are instances of violence anywhere you go. The reality is that it's not too hard to avoid that kind of stuff at a gathering.

But you will see whatever you are looking for, if you saw and were involved in a bunch of violence then I can only assume that you surrounded yourself and involved yourself with a bunch of violent and agro people.

I'm sure there's going to be plenty of people 'schwagging' ocala this year, right along with people who surrounded themselves with positive people and had an amazing experience...

[oN ThA ReAL]

hey now I understand your points, but first off this stuff was not being disguised as lsd, and come on now a woman getting punched in the face is more than just agro. I thought the purpose of a gathering was to gather peacefully. I understand that violence is almost inevitable anywhere, but if so whats the point of going. If u have to segregate yourself to be surrounded by "positive people" then thats no gathering i wanna be at. I dont understand how you think this was avoidable either. These people were jumped & attacked by groups. Ok i guess you could camp out @ main circle, or just not ever urinate, but that seems silly to me. When you get to a gathering people are supposed to say "welcome home", and there is supposed to be food. People should not be attacked or hassled in the parking lots. Sadly i think a really bad group is taking over right under the noses of all the peaceful hippy gatherers.

[musiklover77]

So sad to hear of these things. I always knew there was a "rougher" crowd within the rainbow, I guess they would have been A camp. But even they would not do things like this. I truly hope that this is stopped, for one day I want my children and my childrens childrens children to witness the rainbow.


With hopes for future positive progressive trails,
~M~

[ID10T]

oN ThA ReAL,

Twisting the good with the Bad is again, Making poison. I dont hang with A-Camp or the wrecking crew but both have made Ocala a beautiful time this year. You will see alot more violence than that in town anytime!!!!

I was there for the sister in her family squabble. Its called boy and girl dont agree and much worse happen in babylon.

Now the kid was told several, several times to take his poison elsewhwere or act right amongst our Women and children. He choose his own fate. I commend the "Wrecking Crew" for handling this when "We as a Family" asked to have this problem solved.

I am so happy that all the Brothers and sisters from all walks have come to ocala to be positive like the event is intended to be.

If you want to eat poison, so be it !!!! Please take it away from our peaceful gathering. We are positive people looking for positive directions to send our youngs in that direction.

We will pray you wil see the positive light you seem to want to ignore.

Again, Thank you a-camp, duck tape squad and wrecking crew this year for all your positive input in keeping the drainbows in line!!!!

Palatka Ruth - the Fat Bitch who cares about all of children!!!!

[ID10T]

Since you dont take PM's, oN ThA ReAL, Here it is in the open:


"If you lay with dogs, You will get Fleas"

PR

[danthehoseman]

On the real, sorry you saw so many bad things. I too am very upset about the state of our family. I cannot be a part of a gathering where people turn a blind eye to the violence. In my rainbow land violence is always intollerable, even at front gate, even at the local grocery store. I do not put myself in situations in babylon where I'm exposed to violence, and we are supposed to be teaching our children that rainbow is a better place. How can we let our children run free when mayhem is right around the corner? Yes OneVoice, you can ignore all of that and hike in and have a wonderful experience, if you can get your mind off the fact that our brothers and sisters and children are being assaulted as they come through front gate. And yes, some people are looking for trouble, they should be pointed away from our gathering place, not beatin to a bloody pulp!
That all said and done, how do we do it? I don't know. No one person can do it alone. I'm not sure how we do it together, I'm very frustrated. Shantasena is dead.
As I said above, I don't expose myself (or my children) to violence the rest of the year, why should I in Rainbow land?
Do you remember that we are the ones who are supposed to save mankind after civilization implodes? How can we save mankind when we can't save ourselves?

[oN ThA ReAL]

babylon can be a really scary place, I agree, but like danthehoseman just said "in Babylon u can easily seperate yourself from these things". Id1ot u can persecute those who are different from yourself all you want, but the fact is some people out there are not like you, and have different views about the world, and have even read the literature about what they're doing. So go ahead & commend these groups that spread lies, but thats the sort of thing that adds to a crappy gathering. My main point is that of most others. We should not ignore violence & try to avoid it at gatherings. Like in society, maybe just maybe we should start throwing out the violent people instead of the non violent drug users. Come on ya'll this is a place we bring our kids, and family. A place your supposed to feel safe leaving your tent alone. I guess what im really trying to say is don't blame the kids for trying to have fun. Anybody can say no to drugs from somebody they don't trust, but a girl being punched, and I did not say by her spouse as was inferred by id1ot. Knives to peoples throats. who does this make the drainbows?

[galagala]

oN ThA ReAL,

i witnessed a dude getting beaten just after he got off the bus that dropped him off. this happened on the Tuesday before the gathering started. i understand your issues and i don't disagree with them but, it's true that if you lay with dogs you get fleas. if i had been a little further up the trail i wouldn't have been around all the front gate a-campers. it's true, the gutter punks are getting out of control. and i wish there was a righteous way for us to keep the ABC drugs away from our family but, people are still going to do whatever they want to do.

[galagala]

oN ThA ReAL,

i witnessed a dude getting beaten just after he got off the bus that dropped him off. this happened on the Tuesday before the gathering started. i understand your issues and i don't disagree with them but, it's true that if you lay with dogs you get fleas. if i had been a little further up the trail i wouldn't have been around all the front gate a-campers. it's true, the gutter punks are getting out of control. and i wish there was a righteous way for us to keep the ABC drugs away from our family but, people are still going to do whatever they want to do.

[hippyguru]

I have seen it all. Good bad and Swaggy. Rainbow Hammock is at Buck Lake and they are loving all the problems that are happening in the woods. Perhaps they are right without them the family can't have a safe gathering. I personally think that they are wrong. I was at freak creek and there were no problems. Pleanty of food water and kind hippies. I hear that the Island has little water food and kind hippies there. Two days ago the people at the creek were told they hade 24 hours to go to the Island. Most did but alot went on to Alabama. I can't for the life of me figure out why they picked a site with one way in or out. Sounds like poor planning to me. Just how hard would it be to block the only road in and search everyone? I am going to the Island today to see whats up but I don't plan to camp. Nor bring my bus out there. The gathering here just seems to be too agro and full of road trash for me and my family. But I will go see today.
peace

[Billy Bonghead]

I lived in a camp for years before I was put into prison. I don't think I've ever seen one person get beat up for NOT doing anything. Usually it was because they didn't like something that someone said and they mouthed off. Or they REALLY DID do something. Are we the Rainbow or not. Do we believe in balance? Whenever someone would ask me about the Rainbow. I would tell them to imagine every kind of person from all walks of life. Shantasena is not dead. That sounds like total defeated B.S.. What happened to making changes and doing better for the whole instead of preserving our own personal utopia. We stand together as family, with one heart united for a purpose beyond petty selfish wants. A camp has always been ready to help and stand. I've been there when we were pissed on by "High Holys" and lied about by people who haven't even stepped up to our campfire. I was there when Kegger donated three thousand for supplies and all we recieved was an onion because for some reason we were cut off. I don't know what it is like now. I haven't been there for over ten years but I love my brothers and family and would lay down my life.

[Billy Bonghead]

1

[TheRaven]

As one with A-Camp, I The Raven can tell ya'll that, the woman punched in the face was hit by her boyfriend/husband. He was escorted out of the gathering after she came to me for help at the front gate. Alot of the situation was evaluated "BEFORE" he was approached & asked to leave those in Rainbowland told her to go to the Front Gate and ask for me, and told that I would help. Dragon, Little Chris and Kenny have been cooking dope(Meth, DOC and more) for a few years. Chris was warned last year that he wasn't welcome. The year before at Lake Mary my good brother who shall remain nameless "SHIT" himself because of DOC...AND Chris & Kenny both showed up even after at least 2 different kids with DOC(they got from Chris at Freak Creek because they said they had) trying to sell it to "ME"!!! Their drugs were taken from them & thrown in the fire...They weren't beat up just escorted out. Why would Chris or Kenny think we wanted them at our gathering. These 2 along with Dragon have caused the family alot of problems....more than A-Camp or Front Gate. The kids at the front gate are mostly new at the job and are less violent than the posts about them. When the Hammock Crowd "LEASED" Buck Lake for 2wks.They chose to be HIGH HOLY about acceptting all family. Ihad to leave but I am going back this AM. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! If you don't agree...N-Yer-Neck #&@koo!!!

[oN ThA ReAL]

what do u mean "our gathering" thats exactly whats wrong here. h8ters h8ters h8ters

[oN ThA ReAL]

As for your brother shitting himself, thats tough luck. U know before LSD got big people had all sorts of problems with it too. you can blame the situation, the shady people, or the user for accepting drugs they don't know about, but its silly to blame a drug for problems in the rainbow family. Its silly to single out and blame certain individuals too. All kinds should be aloud to go to a gathering, but like I said thats what makes ocala SCHWAGGGGG.

[soaringeagle]

what makes ocala shwag is all the talk about ocala being shwag, this causes alot of people,m good family to avoid ocala, shante sena and calm have no real pressence there so those jobs are left up to gutter punks and kids without the experience and understanding of how situations should be handled
we shouldnt be concentrationg on turning away the few bad seeds but instead concentrating on bringing back more family who now fear ocala
i think that if ocala wasnt every single year it would help improve things, and there shouldnt be a gathering without the backing and commitment of calm and shante sena folks
if it was limmited to every other or every 3 years for awhile it would break this downward cycle its been on the last 10 or so years

[oN ThA ReAL]

i agree with soaringeagle 100% There should be enough love in the woods for everyone

[soaringeagle]

another prob with ocala is that folks head there soon as it gets cold, months early, usualy the oners with nowhere else to go, so reports of problems pop up all over way way before the gathering starts..that scares alot of people away, except the ones who dont mind the bullshit..at regionals that arent every year you dont see holding camps 3 months early, you dont have ppl being ticketed or chased around the forrest long in advance, and you dont have reports of drunken fights all over the web months before peroplke even should be headed there

ive loved many ocala gatherings, but found many disapointing in many ways especialy recently, and i think its something that florida family really needs to adress
ya know, i think a southern gathering mid winter is wonderful, but if it was in ocala every other year and georgia or somewhere the other years it might help the situation a bit

[WanderingturnupII]

i think that if ocala wasnt every single year it would help improve things, and there shouldnt be a gathering without the backing and commitment of calm and shante sena folks
if it was limmited to every other or every 3 years for awhile it would break this downward cycle its been on the last 10 or so years
Who do you propose to do this limiting, and by what means?

[coyotesister]

HO! soaring eagle....speaking truth

love you!

[gaia2007]

There are so many who come south in the winter who don't have a clue about rainbow. The elders just give up, because of the immensity of the problem.

A rainbow gathering should be initiated by a council being called by at least three rainbows who actually understand what are the elements of a good gathering (for example, if you put it out on the internet, it's guaranteed that there will be plenty of folks attending without a clue -- also the FS is also guaranteed to be there). I have long contended that Ocala should be ignored by family, and that others (again, it does take three to call a council) could step in -- those in the Panhandle, AL, MS, CA etc -- where a hippy can stay warm during the winter.

People should be finding out about rainbow from their local contacts, and then attending local events. Even road dogs can get connected in this way.

I love you all, but Ocala is schwag indeed.

gaia

[treasure oger]

only love talking here
when i was there at the gathering this year i spent a lot of time near the front gate and it was alot more mellow than any other year.(my dog ran off becase of fireworks)
and about the druggs doc and 2ci we have had councils. in those councils concense said not here because sooner or later somebody will get some then call it somthing other than it is like lsd. councils are how we govern ower selfs. if you want doc or 2ci
goto a show and get it. doc is a drivitive of meth it is addictive and verrry hard on the
body the high can last up to 10 days it depends on your body and the ingredants please remeber that anyone will show up at a gather. I know for afact that alot of poeple show up for drunken druged up partyand f&ck the peace and love.before my change into a pasafice i was there to drink fuck and fight. thanf ja for my change

[treasure oger]

opps on my wifes account. i am cowboy oger

[cowboyoger]

i was at buck lake and we did not rejoyce about any problem at the iland.
matter of fact because there was talk of probems (waterbuffalos and no permit)
me and dirtymoma left bucklake came over to the gather and helped out where we could (i did a lot of shantasina work) if i want to rent a site and not stay at the gather that is my right. that idid go over and camp at the gather all that means is i missed my family. if you were not at buck lake you can not know what wasgoing on there. i was at both. what was happening at buck lake was small famly reuion not rainbow but there was some rainbows there. if you dont like that some of us have other lives than rainbow f&ck off and ask youself are you really a rainbow.

[oN ThA ReAL]

treasure oger "doc is a drivitive of meth it is addictive" just because something has amphetamine in the name does not mean its related to meth. DOC is not & surely is not addictive.

[oN ThA ReAL]

whats happening these days in Ocala is comparible to when the hippies in the 60's hired hells angels for security.

[MagnanimityMan]

the gathering through my eyes was beautiful. beautiful people and Spirit.
long live rainbow, long live peacefully gathering in the woods,
long live peace and love,
and soon will BE our prayers answered,

don't bring attention to the shwag..
what i saw , what i experienced was the beauty of everything i ever hoped to see.

[wanderingwolf66]

well how can u blame it on a-camp as i saw it there was 1 maybe 2 a-campers there mostly it was front gate crew i did first aid c.a.l.m. this year i agree abc soup should not be tollerated at the gathering i,ve seen first hand how mess up some of these kids become on doc 2ci etc... yes the people that bring this to the gathering should be 86,s from the gather i saw a couple of cases where the people were 86,s from the gather in peace and where asked not to come back so when they did come back the 86ing was not done nicely that second time which i agree with i wouldent myself wait for a second chance i,d rather beat them the first time so there won,t be a second time remember the first time shame on them the second time is shame on u, i don,t want the shame on me but those whom know me know i,m not easyly angered but if u get me started i,ll hurt someone, so if ur poisoning my fam if ur a childmollester or r taking photos of naked children being a preditor if i find u ur in troulbe until i get 86,s for protecting my fam. i like what i heard someone say about frount gate crew gardians of the gate gardians of the gathering there was local rednecks this year again shotting up frount gate again welp its better it happened the then in main circle just think how bad it could be if u chased r gardians away???????

[gobot]

^If people with psychedelic compounds should be banned, what about heroin and alcohol?

A camp has always been full of alcohol and a good few of old established A campers bring heroin to the gatherings every year a lot of us think that stuff is a lot more poison then a synthetic mescaline.

Just more A camp talk, everything you guys do you talk crap about how it is such valuable work for the family.
You guys sit around trying to score alcohol and say you are working for the family. bullshit your just feeding your addiction.

No the family wont fall apart without a bunch of drunks in the parking lot.

“just think how bad it could be if u chased r gardians away???????”

^We would just have some sober people greeting family with love as they come home. And shanta sena would put out a call to family if needed.
You A campers hide behind the family protection anyway if you were left with out the rest of the family the rednecks would pound you guys to nothing in a few days.

[Billy Bonghead]

It is better for someone to be quiet and thought an idiot then for them to open their mouth and take away all doubt

[WanderingturnupII]

just think how bad it could be if u chased r gardians away???????
Ummmm....More like Ocalas '06 and, from what I heard, '07?

[oN ThA ReAL]

obviously a very split issue here. I agree with soaring eagle and gobot. people should do thier research before they start calling things poisons. anyone who condones violence at a gathering is not rainbow. Not a hippy, not even a peaceful gatherer. They are gangsters plain & simple.

[Billy Bonghead]

A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both

[TheRaven]

The Forest Service both Wildlife Management and LEO's (Law Enforcement Officers) agree that when the Ocala Gathering happens, The Rainbow Family becomes an additional "Town,city, village" whatever you want to call it. The amount of people who gather is one of the largest regional gatherings that happens ever year. They know and prefer if we can police ourselves and sign a permit. It makes things go easier. It's all about co-operation. The "violence" at this years gathering was not as dramatic as people rumor it to be. In every town, city or village there are disfunctional people. Most Rainbows are. Every town has it's drunks & homeless, who fly a sign or spare change for beer. Lots of town drunks have jobs and drink at night till they pass out. Why should The Rainbow Family be any different. Some kind of protective force/power has to exist to enforce the peace. Whatever you think the answer to "Drainbows, perverts & child molesters, rednecks locals and Local Law Enforcement" coming into a gathering. I personally invite you to work The Front Gate...or park cars, be the first to see the LEO's roll in and take a ticket for the family.I've stood between rednecks with guns and my family... captured more than one murder suspect. Don't tell me I can't be me... I dare you to live a day in the shoes of another...PEACE!!!

[Billy Bonghead]

Amen

[oN ThA ReAL]

So there it is. Now they actually even admit to policing. I jus think its absolutely silly that a few pretty harmless psychedelic phenethylamines, and or amphetamines are being "banned". What kind of hippies are you when you ban a psychedelic experience. if you do the research LSD is theoretically worse on your head than 2c-B or I by comparison. LSD affects 12 nerves, whereas the 2c-'s only use 6 or so. Now you do have to get dosages right, but my main point is one that is brought up many times in history. blame the people, not the drugs, blame the fuck-ups, not the substance. Come on you people act like you've never seen a beligerent drunk before, or someone freaking out on LSD, or someone tweaked outta there brain. The well known old drugs cause problems too, they have just been around for a really long time, and people have perfected the dosages. I have seen firsthand some great & horrible things because of these drugs, but the same goes for mushrooms, and LSD. So how can you persecute those who choose to use these things. Which are non-nuerotoxic substances. "for all who choose to use the word poison" the last i checked most poisons caused long term physical damage to the brain or body. These drugs do nothing of that nature. So be careful who you take advice from if your an Ocala goer, because alot of h8ters like to spread false knowledge. Basically don't go to Ocala unless you want to join a gang, get mean stares, or seperate yourself from the hooligans. Cant we all just get along. Since we have hippy mobsters & hippy police out there now, we might as well elect a rainbow president too. I bet that "raven" character would like the job. He seems to like control. Oh well, at least i won't be out there to see it. have fun ya'll & hail to the drainbows.

[WanderingturnupII]

The "violence" at this years gathering was not as dramatic as people rumor it to be.
I've read Whistler's reports on AGR, ie http://groups.google.com/group/alt.gathering.rainbow/browse_thread/thread/4bba7a13dcae6f7a/fd87db1a3b565827?hl=en#fd87db1a3b565827 His accounts seem reasonable to me, and I am certainly not one who often accuses that grouchy ol' fart of reasonableness.


In every town, city or village there are disfunctional people. Most Rainbows are. Every town has it's drunks & homeless, who fly a sign or spare change for beer. Lots of town drunks have jobs and drink at night till they pass out.
And these are not the people who run the Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center to that town, or to whom that town entrusts its security.

Why should The Rainbow Family be any different.
Exactly.

Some kind of protective force/power has to exist to enforce the peace.
Enforce the peace? This sounds perrilously close to fucking for virginity

Whatever you think the answer to "Drainbows, perverts & child molesters, rednecks locals and Local Law Enforcement"
That's a half dozen problems. I'm aware of more. Might require at least a half dozen answers, not jut the answer. When the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

[WanderingturnupII]

Is the Green & Purple Kitchen mentioned in this atricle in any way related to the one from back in the early '90s?

March 03, 2008
A taste of life with the Rainbow Family

By SARA KIESLER
Staff Writer



OCALA -- They pull up in their old cars and new SUVs, beat-up vans and hitched rides, then park along a path and pitch a tent.

Maybe they'll leave tomorrow. Maybe they'll stay for three months.

Regardless -- time stands still at a Rainbow Family gathering in Ocala National Forest. Yes, days come and go as the sun rises and sets. And sure, time passes with the daily calls from family kitchens for breakfast, for midday meals, for nightly handouts while gathering around the drums at Main Circle.

But there is no TV reminding you that a half hour of your life has passed, no radio promising a block of music before it drones on into commercials, no clocks or cell phones to display the date and time with fervent accuracy.

Only you and the time you get up, the trek you make, the random exchanges with new friends and the sleepiness that will eventually come, at some hour into the darkness.

I had been fearful and nervous as we pulled into Ocala, wondering exactly which mile marker would lead us to the family gathering. So many media reports had told tales of an assault -- an unexpected result of a gathering that meets every year across the nation and world to pray for peace and practice communal living.

We spot a group of young women sitting outside of a convenience store munching on food. The sisters tell us the way, warn of "aggroheads" at the entrance, or aggressors, and the "street kids" at camp, or homeless young.

This doesn't help my fears.

We spot mile marker 29 and pull off onto the road behind a trio of men hauling trees and wood in a big, gray truck. They pay no attention until we turn right onto the dirt path leading to the gathering. Suddenly, there is an understanding, an immediate shoe-string of connection tied from our hearts to theirs. They turn. We flip peace signs and shout hellos.

Welcome Home, the man with black dreads mouths. Such a simple greeting helps my fears quickly dissolve. We had arrived.

The Rainbow Family is the largest non-organization of non-members making homes out of forests across the nation and world to pray for peace and love. Officials say more than 500 gathered in Ocala this year at a little slice of the forest called "Syracuse Island." That's 500 "Welcome Homes" called to entering cars and trucks.

The Marion County Sheriff's Office released a Feb. 18 report of a victim being hit in the back of the head at the gathering, which begins in mid-February but started for some as early as November. The only attack I encounter is from a dirty, young, decked out head to toe in tie-dye family member named Run Away. Jovially shoveling fistfuls of dirt down my back, he deems me "way too clean."

It's like Kimberly "Mama Turtle" Reyes says: There are a lot of misconceptions of the Rainbow, but there's only one requirement for being welcomed into the family.

You've got to have a belly button.

"Truth is it's a really quick exercise on how to become conscious, how to be nonviolent, how to live on the land, and how to look each other in the eyes and not be afraid," she says, "and stay in love."

'A SPIRITUAL ESSENCE'



The moon is begging howls on this night, all lit up in its blue-black blanket and casting long shadows behind the forest pines. Past the oldest potato soup on record at the Green and Purple Kitchen is Thatch Hut Theater.

"Gypsy" Joe Hocking has taken the stage among the neon pink, blue and green bracelets encircling the campfire. He plays old jazz, bluegrass, some of Johnny Cash's finest.

The 25-year-old from Massachusetts likes the sustainability in the woods, but is tired of people who say they don't buy into the system and smoke cigarettes, supporting corporations.

"I don't have a car, a house, or an apartment. Just my guitar," he says.

Others point out hypocrisies, too. A man who only uses the name Olive Owl walks away from the Council, an impromptu gathering to discuss issues of concern or hopes for change. He wants to change the us and them mentality of some of his fellow family: us vs. the outside world, us vs. law enforcement, us vs. the alcohol-allowed, sometimes aggressive "A-Camp" guarding the entrance to the gathering.

A lot of people in the family start out feeling separated, says Robert "Flute Man" Barnes, Nashville. He went out looking for a way of life and found the Rainbow Family.

"The family gave me hope. I found I was worthy of being alive," Barnes says over kettle corn popping at Iris Kitchen. "There's a spiritual essence about us that goes beyond our personal life."

That spirituality can be shared many ways. It's in the random pocket trades of knick-knacks and beads, it's in the hellos from every passerby. It's at the drum circle, where hippie chicks in skirts and bikini tops dance; where no one leads the songs tonight; where some are high on drugs and others are high on life.

Chaos ensued early into the gathering this month when the U.S. Forest Service asked the Rainbow Family to leave their first camp, Duck Pond, because of an overload of damage from ATV drivers, said some of the family members and Forest Service Spokeswoman Heather Callahan.

But some things never change. You lend a brother a spare tent, he points you to the Grateful Dread Kitchen where the veggie burgers are hot off the grill. You throw some organic dried fruit into homemade banana bread, and the next kitchen offers you some rice pudding.

There's no requirement of giving to get. But that's what you do in family. Share a hug, food or laughter like it's your favorite family holiday.

'BABYLON' CAN WAIT



Rain and winds hit hard on the tops of tents at night. There is no Weather Channel here to tell us whether they are tornado-force or simply loud and never-ending throughout the dark forest.

Next day, the clouds break about 10 a.m. and the Florida sun shines. I wander from one camp to the next, kitchen to kitchen, basking in the individuality and togetherness that these woods-bound children and adults call "family."

At the Iris Kitchen, wooden poles hold up shelves loaded with bags of turnips, onions, potatoes, tofu, cranberries, cherries. Nearby stroll home-schooled children, dogs and wanderers.

At the Grateful Dread Kitchen, William "Willie" Roberts welcomes the rednecks, the road dogs, the vegans, the old granola hippies, and everybody cooks what they eat. They're making lasagna and chocolate-wheat pancakes tonight; they're proud to be the last camp on the trail so everyone that's coming is coming to see them.

Bellies fill and some who came simply for the weekend, like Skye "Captain Cupcake" Campbell and his son Lotus will head back to "Babylon" come Monday for school and work.

But as they have done for 13 years in Ocala, some of the family will stay on. They'll wake up tomorrow, spread some love, and relish a family that shares.

sara.kiesler@news-jrnl.com (sara.kiesler@news-jrnl.com)

[King Robert]

I am homeless now and heading to Ocala. I am very interrested in learning how to live in the woods peacfully and meeting as many of the old timers and new timers that know the true way of the rainbow. I long to hear the beautiful sound of Welcome Home again. Loving you. woody

[gonzogrrl]

thanks for posting my story, wanderingturnup. after all the fear spread about this year's ocala, i had an absolute blast jamming with the family!

anyone in particular you're wondering about at the green and purple kitchen?