Everybus X  − 19 April, 2008

Dinner’s done for everyone except the ants which have laid siege to Ganesh. Despite the best efforts of Raid (aerosol and bait traps), the little buggers continue tirelessly in their search for comestibles. Similarly, the revelers at EveryBus X continue to persevere in spite of the bands of rain which have made a slight dent in the otherwise perfect weather this weekend.

For those immune to the insidious virus known as VW Bus Ownership, Everybus is an annual gathering of afflicted individuals in Hagan Stone Park, a 700+ acre county park just south of Greensboro, NC. Taking a stroll around the campground loop is like walking through an automotive museum. VW buses (officially known as Transporters) of every era are in abundance. Fully restored “splitties”, the split window version so commonly associated with the 60s generation, are parked in haphazard fashion beside of their not-so-restored stablemates. More common are the 70s variants, known as “bay windows” for their single-pane large windshield. Ganesh, my 1972 Adventurewagen, is one such beast. More refined are the accommodations afforded by the 80s contingent, represented by Westfalia Vanagons of various colors and conditions.

While most of the buses are camper conversions of one sort or another (and there were MANY companies who threw their hats into this collective ring), there are a few standard passenger buses, such as the lime green bay owned by my next door neighbor Berry. She is making her Everybus debut and, indeed, her first outdoor camping experience, with her daughter, Cory and friend Claire, in tow. The two teens have been a constant source of amusement as they cope with an invasion of caterpillars into their tent, the wanderings of Annie – the one-eyed Shih Tzu and the never-ending search for one toiletry/bath item or another.

On the other side of the “yard” is Zoo, a gentleman of 50+ years (a guess) who apparently is a regular to this event. He spent a portion of this morning recovering from the previous evening’s libations, which consisted of a fair amount of Tequila. Like just about everyone here, Zoo, who gained his name from his place of employment, is a convivial sort quite happy to strike up a conversation with a newbie.

Friendliness seems to abound in this little enclave dedicated to VW buses, the Grateful Dead and Tie Dye everything. I’ve stopped by several camps to ask owners about their particular vehicles, inquiring about such things as solar panels, camper interiors, paint jobs, etc. The only strange vibe I picked up was from a guy a few doors down who owned a later model Adventurewagen. When I appeared at his window to ask about his bus he acted a bit like I had DEA tattooed on my forehead. He was polite enough, but I just had this feeling that he was about to engage in something that his mother would not have approved of…

As far as illicit substances go, I have not witnessed anyone partaking, although it would be the height of naiveté to think that such an eclectic crowd was entirely populated with straight edge types. Officially, even alcoholic beverages are verboten at the park, but the “Red Cup” rule is considered sufficient deference to “the man”.

Cory and Claire just stopped by to chat. Her phone was charging in Ganesh’s overloaded electrical outlet when it began ringing. Josh, her boyfriend, had apparently bumped the call button on his phone while bussing tables at work. A cacophony of unidentifiable background noise was the only thing which greeted her attempts to get his attention. Now back to our regularly scheduled program…

“A beer in the hand is worth two in the fridge”, reads the cap on my bottle Magic Hat Circus Boy Hefeweizen. In this case, the fridge happens to be within arm’s reach of my seating position. While large motorhomes, which until the advent of $4.00 per gallon gas, were all the rage with the retiree set, have several legs up in the creature comfort department, the lowly VW camper features a coziness that cannot be duplicated. Granted, this quality was difficult to appreciate this morning when Wendy and I attempted to extricate ourselves from the sleeping quarters.

After some contortions, we managed to tackle the affairs of the morning. Wendy’s arthritic flare up due to the barometric change did her no favors, but in fairly short order we managed to whip up a pot of coffee and some freeze-dried eggs. She enjoyed an even greater protein intake when she chomped down on a Pop-Tart which had recent been claimed by the aforementioned ants. Ah, life in the wild…

That was hours ago. Now, darkness has settled upon Hagan Stone. From somewhere the sound of an acoustic guitar drifts in. In other quarters, the general bustle of items being stowed away in preparation for further rain takes center stage. A few tents away, Zoo’s rendition of “Plastic Jesus” is accompanied by the purr of an ancient air cooled powerplant.

Life IS good.

Comments:

peahayes (April 20, 2008. 03:50pm)

Mmm, it all sounds wonderful. I love the names -- Ganesh, Berry, Zoo... Would you believe it, I saw an ad for a new Honda minivan, with colorful flowers and paisleys in the background; the ad copy read "Respect the van" . It was obviously a reference to the eras of which you speak. I couldn't believe it. What were they thinking??? Who in the world were they expecting to fool?