click here to see more pictures. The annual family camp dance happened Friday night at Karme Choling. Two DJs provided an excellent lineup of dance tunes, inspiring young and old alike to jump up and start dancing. A lot of wonderful moments and good vibes happened. At the end of the dance, people walked away smiling.
click here to see more pictures. Music and relaxation are an important part of Family Camp. People gather on the front porch, front lawn, or anywhere to enjoy music. A lot of talented people brought their instruments to family camp. Music making added to the joyful and friendly atmosphere.
click here to see more pictures. Afternoons were free for those who wished to go swimming. Yesterday a lot of people went to the reservoir, a beautiful lake about ten miles from Karme Choling. I included sequences of the rope swing and muscle men on the beach.
click here to see more pictures. The days of heavy rain eased off and allowed family campers to enjoy a barbeque. The teens in this photo hiked up some newly purchased property and hung prayer flags from the summit of one of the hills. It was a happy moment; young people returned from putting up the flags, happy hour on the front porch, standing in line to have a burger fresh off the grill.
click here to see more pictures. Family Camp opened with a Lhasang ceremony, a ritual fire in which juniper and various substances are burned to create a column of smoke connecting earth and sky. The smoke invites energy of basic goodness, purification and the lineage of Shambhala.