The End of Vacation

It sure seems weird to take a week off these days. It used to be that a person earned a vacation. We felt such a sense of excitement we couldn't wait for vacation to start. But, when you've had nothing but "off" since the virus took over our world it doesn't seem right to take a vacation. It almost felt like I was cheating.

I chose this week off for a reason: Nudestock. I always take a week off at the end of August because Nudestock always falls in that week of vacation. Not this year though. Too bad.

But it was a good week off nevertheless.

A couple cool things showed up for the motorhome this week: The first was a new sticker for the back. Anyone that has ever traveled in Europe knows that these oval stickers used to be required by those living there to identify their country of origin. Since the license plates over there started putting the country on the left side of the plates these stickers are no longer required. That doesn't stop people from romancing them though. I just thought it was a cool thing.

The other thing is a new AC/DC flat screen TV. The poor old motorhome still contained the 1999 technology, and that meant a 12-volt CRT television, and a 12-volt VCR. After I took the whole TV and cabinet out I figure I probably saved close to 50 pounds, considering the weight of the electronics and the particle board cabinet they were in. I'm still waiting for the new bracket to mount it to the wall though. The new power cord showed up already, so I was able to see how well it worked on 12 volts. I believe the new bracket will be here tomorrow.

I think my favorite thing about this "stay-cation" was being able to go anywhere I wanted to go during the middle of the day. For example, one day I found an ad for a good deal on a band saw, so we were able to drive up to the University district of Seattle and pick it up easily with regard to traffic and travel times. I could really get used to that. Now I can't wait to retire!

Wednesday of this week found us down in the middle of the state, in the area of Chehalis, where we went to visit my cousin Melinda and her husband, Danny. Brenda has had never met Danny, nor had she ever been to their ranch. We had a great time visiting and seeing all the critters. Ruby had her fill of big dogs after that visit too, having been surrounded by their overzealous Greyhounds, Whippets, and Border Collies all day long. Their dogs just couldn't get enough of "the new kid" and pestered her to death for most of the time we were there.

Back to work today. Well, if you can call walking into a different bedroom and spending the day in there "working." Pretty convenient though!

Nude Complacency

Brenda commented this past week on how she just takes clothes off 'without thinking about it' when hot flashes hit. She said she was just sitting there painting with her watercolors, and--without blinking an eye--just started sliding her pants off when a hot flash hit. It occurred to her that she might have become so comfortable that she might just automatically start disrobing when it's not quite clear sailing! It's so automatic and commonplace to be naked around here (especially in August) that we don't even think about it. I only have to get dressed when I take the garbage out, or go check the mail generally. Basically, any time we have to wander past the security boundaries of our patio sun shades or hot tub fencing. If I decide to go outside to check the mail or to putter in the shop, first the shoes go on, then I look around for some shorts or something else to put on. I think I do that because I'm putting off getting dressed for as long as I can, like I'm postponing the inevitable.

So, I wonder if nude complacency is even a proper term? Complacency is basically doing things on autopilot, without concern of the outcome. Blissfully unaware. I'd wager that the term nude complacency could be correct in this instance. I say could because I'm always bastardizing the English language anyway (although I just do it for fun.)

I have always struggled with clothing fitting me to begin with. I have never been able to buy clothes off the rack that would fit me worth a shit because of my lanky frame and long arms. I have always gravitated towards short-sleeved t-shirts for that reason. I don't like to have to think about what I'm doing with regard to dressing properly to suit the instance or expectation. The only time I think about clothes I'm putting on are whether or not the top color "works" with the bottom color. That's probably why the only time I'm ever comfortable while dressed is when I'm wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I have thanked my lucky stars on more than one occasion over the years because I was able to enjoy jobs that had little or no specific dress code for the most part. Except for a few instances where I managed to pull off a barely adequate job of tying a tie for some wedding or something I have been able to avoid wearing suits and ties almost my whole life. Nowadays, I'm either nude or not, and that depends on whether I'm cold or not.

 

The Allure of Twister

When I was a kid I got caught up in the hype. TV ads bombarded us with all kinds of toys--especially in the Christmas season. Being the frustrated adolescent I was I was particularly fascinated by all the ads that showed boy/girl interaction, and none drew me in like Twister did.

Being the oldest of 5 kids meant I had to learn everything on my own. Having no older brothers or sisters meant I was the only one responsible for monitoring the media to make sure I was as normal as I was supposed to be. I had to make sure I wasn't missing out on something new and exciting that every other kid in the country was enjoying.

That was the way Twister was portrayed.

I asked Santa for a Twister game that year. I was pretty excited when I actually got it! I couldn't wait to have all the fun the TV ads promised me. You know what though? I didn't consider not having anyone else to play it with except for my brothers and sisters. It was fun at first, but it wasn't like the ads, and was quickly forgotten, relegated to that cobweb-riddled shelf down in the basement where things are mothballed.

Recently, I saw a picture of nudists enjoying a game of Twister. At first I re-lived the whole adolescent story in my mind, and I thought it would be fun like I thought years earlier. But then that cursed adult common sense jumped up on my shoulder like one of those little imps in the movies.

"Do you really want somebody's tender areas that close to your face?" the good side asked.
"What if somebody farts while we're all twisted up!" he continued.
"Someone is going to see something your doctor should have told you about!" he screamed in my ear, desperately.

Totally different than my thoughts of yore.

When I got the idea for this post I thought, thanks to the power of the internet, there would be a multitude of fun pictures of naked people happily enjoying a game of Twister. I was right--partially. When you search Twister attached to any term related to nudism, probably 99.9% of what comes up is just porn--pictures where the whole object of the shot was to display your goods.

I have a few usable shots, but the pickings are slim when your goal is to keep smut out of your blog as I am. Enjoy.

 

 How about a record-setting mass-Twister-thon?

Crack a Grin

I never said I was going to have strictly nudist funnies. Well, it would be nice really, but truth is there just aren't many out there! I'd bet that the ratio of non-nudist comics to nudist comics isn't any different than the ratio of non-nudists to nudists.

I do have lots of other comics (I love oddball comics!) that I'd like to share, so I'll likely do that sort of thing from now on. I just love the wacky shit!

Sunity

I thought I'd throw another nudist poem up from one of my other blogs, The Odeman, today. I hope you like it.

Sunity
By Rick Williams

The rays of sun caress my skin
and wrap me in their glow.
It blesses me--I feel alive;
tingling from head to toe.

As summer's end grows closer
it once again sends forth
the signal to shed clothing
before winter winds of north.

The solar heat warms gently
and accompanied by breezes
the cooling effect of gentle wind
feels good on skin it teases.

All our bodies' little hairs
exposed when we are bare
are energized receptors
of the sun and breezes there.

People wear clothing since day one
and we never question why.
Most of us would never dream
of giving nudity a try.

The small amount of folks that do
know of its healing power.
It cleanses cobwebs from the mind
like taking a mental shower.

When temperatures are perfect
it's so nice to shed your clothes
But it makes a difference where you're at
before you do expose.

The best, of course, are places
out away from prying eyes.
Like forests, lakes, or beaches
with space and clear blue skies.

When finally the suns rays go
and getting dressed is near
it's hard to think that it might be
the last until next year.

This word of mine called Sunity
was invented just for fun.
You just take a little nudity
and sprinkle it with sun.

Nudists Do Weird Stuff Sometimes

Brenda and I are both serious introverts. Neither of us feel comfortable in groups of people, and we're both much, much happier at home in the company of only each other. When you're introverted, being thrust into situations with multiple people can be problematic. It takes a lot out of us. Being outgoing and receptive to others during a gathering can leave us sapped of energy and feeling like we need a nap when we get home.

I wonder if the first group nudists went through the same sort of thing. Let's say someone had an interest in nudism and spent a lot of time and energy providing a gathering space for other people with the same interest. They all meet at Joe and Sally's farm because they have lots of space and no danger of discovery by the non-nudist population at the time. After much careful planning, the day arrives and the people show up--some eagerly, some a bit less so--all wanting to experience a nudism with new friends.

What do you do when you're all there? There's no pool, there's no volleyball court--there are none of those things we now consider the Status Quo of nudist parks. Do you all just stand or sit around, all enjoying the feeling of being nude, but wondering, "Okay, we're here... Now what?

Whenever I see pictures like these, I have to wonder if it wasn't something along the same lines as those early group members. Maybe they arrived that day hoping to just sit in a comfy chair in the sun and read a book, but instead were drawn into being group participant.

Again, what do you do? How about leap frog? I mean really--have you ever seen adults playing leap frog? Without drugs or something causing it? It's just not something you see adults doing. Hell, you don't even see kids playing leap frog these days. But... take away the clothing and suddenly the fun meter just went up. Everything if fun if you're naked while doing it! How about a double wheelbarrow race?

What about a hula-hoop? Tired of trying to twirl it around your hips like normal people do? I know--let's just jump over it. I don't remember ever performing feats of daring with a hula-hoop before. I guess that's probably just because I wasn't naked, and it had zero appeal at the time.

A lot of people in the world have never jumped on a pogo stick. If you have, you'd know that they do take a wee bit of balance and practice, so to see two competent pogo-people going down the road naked while holding hands... what's so unusual about that?

Another way to look at nudists doing weird stuff is just the relaxing nature of being naked in the first place. It's a state of mind that allows you to relax and enjoy the little things in life. Blowing bubbles is another thing that you don't see adults often doing, but it's surprising how many times I've seen it at nudist parks. I think bubbles and nudists go together extremely well. It's just got "relaxing" written all over it.

The bottom line: Everything is more fun if you're enjoying it naked, no matter how mundane or simple it is!

Bicycling Nude?

The first time I ever saw anyone riding a bicycle with no clothes on was during the famous Fremont Solstice Parade in Seattle. During that event painted people festooned with all sorts of decoration ride bicycles of every description before the adoring crowds. There were mountain bikes, road racers, cruisers, tricycles, and unicycles--even skates and skateboards... but that's another story.

When I've had conversations with people that are "hopelessly textile" I have to constantly give them a figurative face slap when they ask this stupid question: "What about your goods? Doesn't everything get smashed when you're doing that?" I look at them in disbelief, followed by, "Now think about this--why the hell would not having clothes on make anything squish any different that it would if you had pants on?!" I mean really, people--how about a little common sense here.

Most people can only ride bicycles nude as long as they're out of the public eye, and that usually means on club property somewhere. Most clubs have plenty of well-maintained paths and roads around their properties, allowing club visitors to enjoy pedaling pretty much any kind of bicycle they want to ride. Because of the family atmosphere of most clubs, people tend to gravitate toward bicycles that allow them to mount baskets and carriers for kids or pets, and that would be the cruiser-style bicycles. Nudists also tend to be pretty laid-back folks, so ambling around the grounds at a relaxed pace is what we do anyway. It also has a little to do with the age demographic because so many nudists are folks over 50. Chances are you're not going to see any nudists speeding around and racing each other on their bikes.

Bicycle-riding is big with nudist families. Why wouldn't it be? If it's a family there are kids, and if there are kids there are bicycles!

Some nudists have more opportunities to ride naked where they live, and are able to take their bikes out on real trails. Maybe they are far enough out that they would have little or no chance of a problem encounter with the public. In places like that a mountain bike is the only kind of bicycle that really works. Folks that do that routinely tend to be younger and/or more athletic than I am. They might also be the type of person that' interested in it because it's something they hadn't done before... like the fellow in this article:

https://gearjunkie.com/naked-mountain-biking

I'm not in good enough shape to be a mountain biker, let alone a naked one. I'm certainly receptive to the idea, though. After all, anything done naked allows the fun-meter turned up a tad more than usual. Remember some of those old stories we heard growing up like, "I had to walk 10 miles to school, and it was uphill both ways!" I'd rather live in a place where I could leave home on my bicycle, and coast all the way where I was going. In other words, downhill both ways. I'm more of the hiking type than the bicycling type.

You'd think that as much as I have ridden bicycles during my life that there would be at least one instance of me riding naked... especially given my inclination to be without clothing most of the time. I can't think of a single time. Sad, isn't it? I don't see that remaining the same for long, though. One of the things I bought after we picked up our motorhome was a bike carrier that locks into the trailer hitch receiver, so we will be taking our bicycles with us to the nudist parks of course. I guess I'd better start looking for the perfect seat cover. Cotton terry? Sheepskin?

I would just love to be able to walk out of the house here at home on a nice day, swing my leg over my bike, and pedal away, uncaring in any way about my nakedness except for the possibility of road rash if something goes wrong. Maybe in another lifetime. Sigh.

I got a little juxtaposition kick out of these two pictures because they're both from the same time period. The first shot from 1912 may very well be the earliest candid shot of someone riding a bike naked, who knows? I included this shot of the two "proper" ladies to show you a little comparison between the nudists and the more typically-dressed bicycle rider of the day.