TheBanyanTree: Field Report from Banyanarama 2003

[Mike Pingleton]

This is my report from last weekend's Banyanarama, the annual get-together
for the Banyan Tree.  Or as Sheri calls it, the Hoe-Down at the farm.  You
could also call it Bandanarama, since Sheri gave us all neat bandanas as
keepsakes, with little flamingos embroidered on them.  The flamingos are
in reference to the pink plastic flamingos that go wherever this event is
held, even back to the days when this group was the Spoon Cafe and these
get-togethers were called Spoon-Cons.  But I digress.

Banyanarama 2003 was held on the dairy farm owned and operated by Sheri and
Gary Baity, in the rolling hills of north-central Pennsylvania.  Our main
base of operations was a campsite on a tall hill in the midst of the Baity
farm, complete with firepit, hunting shack, outhouse and chipmunks.

Those of you who have met her know what I am talking about; Sheri made me
and everyone else feel right at home from the git-go.  Like family.  Hers
is a deep, steady warmth, right from the heart.  I want to thank you again,
Crow Woman, for opening hearth, home and heart to us all.  I know you and
your family worked hard to make sure we all had a good time, and to arrange
it so folks could simply relax and enjoy it all.  I do appreciate you letting
me help out some and drive that old farm truck!

Sheri's daughter Jaime is a peach of a gal, and her husband Darrell fit 
right in with us - I think he had as good a time as anyone.  Their daughter,
lil' Doodlebug - well, she's just a little fairy princess, the apple of her
grandmother's eye.

'Twas good to see Maria and Carla again, they kept me grinning the whole
weekend.  We reminisced about our past lives as landed Virginia gentry :)
Carla brought her talking parrot, Buddy, who had as good a time as anyone.
No future Banyanama would be complete without a talking parrot, so Buddy
has a lock I suppose. He does have his own plastic travel cage, sort of a
bird-in-a-bubble arrangement.  The girls also brought their friend April, 
who fit right in with her dry wit and sensayuma.  And Maria's husband Randy
caught us all at our best and worst with his digicam.  Can there be no
gathering without the damn paparazzi showing up?  :)

Mariella and Rossana were there because they were befriended by Carla and 
Maria while standing in line before a cruise last January (you get taken
under wing by these women, and that's it - you're part of the gang and you're
comin' along!).  Rossana is Mariella's daughter and is er, um, extremely
urbanized (they're from Queens NY).  She was not exactly thrilled to be away
from 'civilization' at the start, but by the end of the weekend, she had went
through an amazing transformation.  She must have asked Sheri and Gary a 
hundred questions about their life on the dairy farm.  By Sunday morning, 
she was kissing calves and picking sweet corn right out of the field.  I 
think we all enjoyed watching the little City Mouse expand her horizons.

I didn't know Rob McMonigal was attending, so that was a pleasant surprise
for me.  I enjoyed getting to know him in person.  He is an interesting
fella with a surprising depth for a young adult, and very gallant to the
ladies :)  It's great to put a face and a personality to someone's writing,
and Rob I hope you will write more to the Tree in the future.

Oh, but we had some fun!  So much to talk about, so many things to say and
to laugh about.  The weather was perfect, the countryside gorgeous in its
late summer clothing.  There were deer off in the fields, chipmunks on our
hilltop, and the coyotes yipped at night, in spite of Crow Woman's presence.
I think they wanted to weigh in on the event; Coyote must have his say about
his not getting an invitation :)

We had a hayride.  We rode the four-wheeler, we took walks.  We stayed up
'till the wee hours and sang around the campfire.  We ate too much, drank
just enough, and in general just enjoyed each other's company.  I enjoyed
the relaxed, comfortable feeling that flowed over everything.  I cannot
adequately describe it, but those of you who have attended these gatherings
know what I am trying to say.  I don't sing at just anyone's campfire :)

This was my third Banyanarama; each was a special event to me.  I hope to
never miss another one.  It was a helluva drive (for me), 748 miles from
my door to Sheri's, but worth every bit of it.  I know a number of folks
wanted to come but couldn't make it - I hope to see you all next year.  And
for those of you who've never been but might be considering - I hope to see
you all next year!

Images from Banyanarama 2003:

http://spongebob.ncsa.uiuc.edu/mike/b03/b1.htm

regards,  Mike