Other than things that I have to keep in mind for next year I think it went great. A couple of things I thought would be nice while I was there were minor live and lean things . Though it
would be fun to have a bon fire on Thursday or Friday where many of us can sit around, get reacquainted, and roast marshmallows with lots of CHOCOLATE. Also if there were an opportunity to rent an instrument for the weekend or just for some of the classes would be ideal. I had my drum but it would have been fun to have a saz to get in on a lesson. I'll think some more and get back to you! Counting down the months until next time!
Angela

How about more workshops where guys can get involved with?

I agree Chris, every year, things just get more and more ironed out. I thought this year was just awesome, and I heard many people say it was their favorite DID yet. We really lucked out on the weather, we had some rain and one chilly night, but plenty of sunshine made up for it and dried up the ground.

The new landscaping at the farm is beautiful, that place just gets more magical every year. The grounds were well cared for, and the tent layout worked well. By the way, I loved the striped tent! Bringing in catered food worked out well, and all of it was very good, especially that Mexican food! I liked having cafe options to munch on at night, very cool.

I thought the workshops were great, I loved all of them and I think we had just the right amount of information. I didn't feel overwhelmed or exhausted. It allowed enough time to relax, mingle, swim, and get dressed up for the evening entertainment, without feeling rushed. The Guedra this year was great, and I liked having it next to the pond. Overall, I think the workshops, performances, and events went very smoothly and were paced very well.

A few things were mildly neglected, which disappointed me. I really think the explanation for all of these things is that Scott and Kay can't be everywhere all the time. They have so much to take care of, some things are gonna fall through the cracks. For example, there was not a henna party or a regalia swap, even though it was mentioned on the schedule. I'm not sure where that fell through. Same as the lack of a campfire being lit. I think these things just get chalked up into the "oops- it slipped my mind" category, people get busy and distracted and it just doesn't happen.

My other disappointment was the shopping. The vending area was much smaller this year, and much less wares. Although all of it was just beautiful and tempting, most of the items from Touch the Earth were too pricey for me. It would have been nice to have a broader price spectrum. It was also hard to get a hold of someone to ask about prices or to even purchase something, since most of the time no one was manning that half of the tent. (George and The Culture Shop were available, but that's not his side of the tent to sell.) I think the vending in general just needed more attention. I also think it would be nice to add a small private area in the back of the tent with a full length mirror for people to try on clothes. It's tiring to have to carry it up to the showerhouse every time.

The hafla performance was absolutely phenomenal, I was just floored with the variety, the skill, the talent, just everything! Mab was awesome, Onca and Baraka Mundi rocked my world, Zafira continues to blow me away, and Turku kicked butt as always. And of course Chirgilchin was amazing. The only tiny thing wrong was the lighting, it was a little low for some of the last dance performances once it got dark, but we were all close enough to see, so it was just fine.

My personal opinion on the hafla is the same as last year's........I just want more time to dance and drum. I feel that in DIDs past, I used to to just dance my heart out the entire night and collapse in my tent. Last year and this year, there just is more time spent sitting and watching performances than really whooping it up, dancing and drumming the entire night. I miss that. I get antsy sitting and watching everyone dance, and I itch to get up and shimmy.
This year, I think the dance area was too small, and similar to last year, it was very hard to get any sort of eye contact with the musicians or drummers, which I crave and feed off of. A few years back, we had the hafla in one of the larger canvas tents used for classes. It was lit inside, and the chairs lined around half of the tent. It was perfect for interacting with the musicians and other dancers, it was perfect for watching, and the overflow of dancers could dance on the hill around the fire. I would LOVE to see the hafla back in that set-up, and I would love to have more time to really party.

I really hope that I don't come off as complaining, because I was extremely happy with DID, as I always am, and it still stands as my highlight of the year. I truly look forward to this weekend every year.

Scott and Kay's hospitality is beyond amazing. This family just bends over backwards to make sure everyone is as happy and comfortable as possible. Scott was running through the rain, closing canvas walls and flaps during workshops to keep us dry, Kay was passing out blankets during Chirgilchin's performance so that we weren't chilly, Mom would personally reheat dishes for you if the buffet got mildly lukewarm, and when our tent flooded, Kay took all our wet items, clothing and sleeping bags, and put them in the dryer for us. Plus, you can always count on getting a good bear hug from any of them throughout the weekend.
You leave feeling like family, and like you have gained a whole new crowd of friends.

I think starting classes later than 10am would be awesome.... 10am is a little early -

Maybe another more potty or two? Ours filled up, ick. No wisecracks now.

I brought swap stuff but don't think anyone else did?

Otherwise, super enjoyable!!

Atesh