P.O. Box 460141 / San Francisco, CA 94146-0141 / Telephone: (415) 821-2090 / FAX (415) 282-2369

Staff: Ramon Sender, Editor; Vivian Gotters, Pam Read Hanna, Sandi Stein, Contributing Editors; John & Jeanie Nelson, Assistant Editors; Tomás Diaz, HTML genii

The MOST Newsletter is an open forum for fact and opinion, and encourages the expression of all views.

The opinions expressed in the letters published are those of the correspondents and do not necessarily reflects those of MOST publishers or staff.

Summer 1999 Volume VI #2 pages     i - ii - iii - iv - v

Debit 7/14/96 MOST IV #1 - $55.00
Debit 7 /14/96 IV #1 postage - $66.00
Debit 10/22/96 MOST IV #2 - $55.00
Debit 10 /22/96 IV #2 postage - $66.00

Debit 10/5/98 MOST V #1 n/ltr - $102.00
Debit 10/5/98 PostageV #1 - $80.00
Debit 10/5/98 MOST VI #1n/ltr - $102.00
Debit 10/5/98 VI #1 Postage - $80.00

Debit 4/5/99 VI #1 - $102.00
Debit 4/5/99 postage VI #1 - $80.00
EXPENSES TO DATE -$1,084.00

Even more importantly, the Vivian Gotters fund is out of money and Vivian is in the midst of yet another round of chemotherapy, which is extremely expensive. If you can, please donate for this special need. Monster Donors (anything over $100), you will receive a letter that you can give to the IRS to inform them that you made a tax-deductible gift. Make your checks payable to The Peregrine Foundation. And a special thank-you to those readers who have already contributed! Thanks!
As an additional incentive, Monster Donors may request one of the very last copies of the now-notorious Morning Star Scrapbook, listed in collectors' catalogs these days at prices ranging from $50 to $100-plus. Requests will be filled until supplies run out!

Peggy Saltzman (the Tie Dye Guy's wife): 4/12 /99: Minor correction to your truly wonderful MOST Vol VI #1: Although Bart & Coyote perpetuated the use of "Badaba," they did not coin it; they both told me that the word came from Badaba Bobby, who would talk to his infant son, imitating the sound that the pileated woodpecker makes (similar to Woody Woodpecker), as they hung out on his porch at Wheeler's. O.B. Ray also told me this many, many times. Visit our website: http://www.tiedyeguy.com

Ramon Sender, /2/99: Howdy, all! For those of you unable to attend the May Day Spectacular, I thought I'd give a brief report. Perhaps others who were there (David Hatch and Sandi Stein, Peggy and Bishop, and I thought I saw Tommy's car with a river rafting sticker). Well, anyway, others from the MOST list who were there can add whom I've forgotten.
On the way up to Sonoma County I kept thinking it might be foggy, but by the time I arrived (I had to detour to Berkeley to take Judy to a teachers' writing conference and got hung up in traffic later) around 1 P.M. it was bright and sunny.
Walking in from the Ocean Song barn, I ran into Coyote and Denise, Michael (who used to be with Rebecca) and Mark Hickman. Our terrier Winston, who was with me (he had been to one previous May Day), decided to bark at Mark, who found this very amusing. I proceeded on down with Maryellen Kurtz who was also walking in. About one hundred folks were already gathered in the meadow and around the food. Even more kept arriving, so it was the best attended May Day that I've experienced in quite a while.
So let's see: there was Quiet Steve, Pieter and Marya Myers from Ocean Song, Jessica Raspberry Wheeler and her husband John Witchell, Heather, Hash Jerry looking great, of course all the Wheeler residents, Rainbow -- and his mom Ambrielle whom I hadn't seen in years, Margie, Penny and Wilder Bentley, Amanda Moon whom I hadn't seen in quite a while. I was especially impressed by the number of 'young adults' (18-24 year olders) who were there, probably some I had known as kids but now did not recognize. Beekeeper John Bermel and Chris Mickel, and -- surprise! -- Gardiner Kent of Green Tortoise fame! And Karin who now lives in Graton -- great to see her, and Sandi Stein like I said, both of whom looked ravishing as always.
Rena, I played 'Goof and Ball Park' as you requested, to Bill W's obvious delight. I also asked him where Fruits 'n Nuts Nancy might be, but he had not heard a word. He did remember when his lawyer Corbin fell in love with her, one of the strangest matches one would ever imagine, but then opposites attract, eh' wot?
Who've I forgotten? Wilder of course was there. The fog held off, although we had a chilly wind after the May Pole dance. As I left around 4:30 there was a steambath heating up.
A new friend named Paul Smith played my accordion for a while, and we chatted about mutual Occidental friends. He drove me out along with Michael, who told me Rebecca now works for the IRS. I suggested that maybe she was 'undercover for the Revolution,' but he said she wasn't, so I suggested that was because she was 'even deeper undercover!"
The day was gorgeous. The blue blossoms on the ceanothis (sp?) (tick bush) were still blossoming, the scotch broom was brilliant yellow. The air was sheer perfume -- and as always, as I exited the car up by the Ocean Song barn, the S I L E N C E hit me like a delightful wave of tranquility. Down lower, the wind was soughing in the redwoods (there's a good word -- 'soughing'...)
I was busy trying to take photos and play accordion at the same time, but I finally gave up and had someone else take the camera for a bit. Not possible to do both.
Our Jack Russell Winston had a great time. On the walk down, his stub of a tail stayed at six o'clock, a sign that he was not on his own territory and antsy about the wide-open spaciousness of it all. But after barking at Mark his tail went up, and by the time we got to the party he was feeling pretty cheerful and eager to participate, so I let him off the leash. One little three-year-old wanted to chase him, but I explained that Winston was 'nervous' about being chased, and he let up. A few tidbits later -- Jessica was munching on a huge slab of roasted chicken and Winston got some of the fall-out -- he definitely was enjoying himself. Then a couple came with a middle-sized white female poodle -- very close cut, but with an 'Afro' do on top that made her look very stylish. Winston encouraged her to chase him, which she did, and it seemed that it was going to work into a righteous romp.
I didn't pay too much attention to him for a while, so that I could play "When I'm 64" (which I now am) and Joanie's favorite "Kiss of Fire" and hm, 'Five Foot Two' and "Don't Fence Me In" and other Golden Oldies. I was orbiting towards the food table playing "Darktown Strutters Ball" when -- Rowwrf! -- Winston and poodle were going for each other's throats with much snarling and carryings-on. I pulled the poodle's back legs, which always seems a good approach, and then her owners ran up and took her away. Winston followed them, and it almost seemed as if he was going back for a really good bite, but came away when I called him. I leashed him to a tree and let him calm down. No one was hurt, but it sure was a 'moment!' He stayed leashed for the rest of the day, through the May Pole dance, but I put him somewhere where he could watch, with a cup of water and both sun and shade.
People who had seen the dogs go at it said it was over the garbage pail. Food fight. Last year Winston did so well at May Day that I thought he'd be okay. But I guess not. Luckily no skin was punctured!
Speaking of garbage, where was Garbage Mike? He was missed. And Sandi's Art, who was home with a cold. And Vivian, who left a message on our machine that she just couldn't make it. There were other gaps -- and other very familiar faces that I couldn't put a name to. The prerogative of elderhood is finally being able to not recall a name without embarrassment! On that note, I'll sign off and hope that others will add something more! Great day!

David Hatch - More May Day, 6/4/99: Ramon did such a thorough account of the May Day celebration here that there isn't so much to add now. Most of the work preparing for May Day involves dying the sheets and tearing them into strips, and as usual Penny and Wilder did most of it ( a job they inherited from Peggy and Bishop) with some help from others of us.
I was especially happy to see Sandi Stein there, and I had a good talk with her. Also Bob and Margie (who borrowed a guitar and sang an out-of-sight rendition of the Beatles' "Help"). I hope to hear something from them in the Most-digest. An early arrival was Richard, who says he is in the homeless S.F. brigade, while a late arrival was Maverick. The wind was more than soughing down at May Day field, preventing any au natural-ists from doing their thing. In fact, the wind at one point ripped a paper plate off the picnic table and pasted it against someone's face just like in a movie comedy. Talk of breakwinds next year, but you never know -- it rained the next day. I missed the sweat, but I talked to Bill yesterday and he says he ran it when the person who was going to couldn't make it. Rainbow and Tim Bentley helped out. All in all a fine May Day. The raccoons loved it that night also! Badaba,

Q: What is Virtual Morningstar?
A: Virtual Morningstar (VM*) is a land of the pure imagination, where access is denied to nobody. All acts done there need the consent of everyone involved. It is based on the open land hippie movement of the 1960's and 70's as chronicled in the history "Home Free Home"[http://www.diggers.org/most/hfh_indx.html ], featuring Lou Gottlieb's Morningstar Ranch.
Q: Where is Virtual Morningstar?
A: Virtual Morningstar, while residing in the imagination only, has almost the same terrain and the same buildings that existed at Morningstar Ranch in the late 1960's. The major exception is that Virtual Morningstar has a pond that Morningstar lacked.
Q: What is the climate at Virtual Morningstar?
A: Virtual Morningstar is meant to be a paradise, and it has warm sunny days (just right!) and nearly balmy nights. It rains about once a week year round.
Q: How do I get there?
A: By the use of your imagination -- not too hard for those who spent time at the old Morningstar Ranch. For those who were never there, just imagine a land with towering redwoods, apple orchards, grassy pastures, clear streams, and a beautiful pond.
Q: Can I live there?
A: Yes! (In your imagination). It is land whose access is denied to nobody! There is no rent or other fees. Construct (again in your imagination) a simple shelter that doesn't use electicity, or stay in one of the existing "virtual" dwellings -- an "upper house" (which does have electricity), a "lower house," or a barn.
Q: How can I communicate with other people living there?
A: Through the Virtual Morningstar Message Board at http://www.intrepid.net/~friartuc/vir_ms.htm. For private matters, use private e-mail or the telephone!

David Hatch, 1/31/99: I was out for a walk this morning at Virtual Morning* after a rain, taking the path behind Lou's old cabin that heads out into the apple orchard. At the gully where the stream crosses, I heard frogs croaking to my right, so curious, I walked upstream. Not very far, around a bend there was a clearing and a tall dam made out of fallen tree debris. Imagine my surprise when I got to the top of the dam and saw a crystal-clear pond of water some 100 feet long and 50 feet wide, ringed with tall cattails and grassy banks! I immediately jumped in -- it was nice and warm, as the sun hits it even in the winter-time. Deep at the dam end, it got quite shallow at the other end. Lots of many-colored dragon flies whizzed over the pool, while in it water bugs and tadpoles sported about.
I felt like kicking myself for being here a month and not being aware of this pool's existence! I have dubbed it 'Beaver Pond' in honor of its creators, who apparently have moved away. Santa's map was definitely deficient about this feature! Peace and Light,

Mayday: Sandi Stein and David Hatch
(Click on thumbnails for full picture)

It's a wrap!

Pam Read Hanna, 4/27/99: Replying re David Pratt's (M Star E & W, '67) whereabouts: David has been in Austin living in his art gallery at 2209 D. South 1st St., Austin, TX 78704. He sends us little postcards of openings and occasional color photocopies of his work.
A couple years back, he wrote a little piece for MOST that started out -- "Hello bright angels...." When I last talked to him on the phone, he told me that he's been doing movies lately and loves it -- little artsy flicks for Sundance, the latest called "Borders."