Seattle mini-nude bike ride report [draft]

Thanks for all of you who rode with us today and those of you who were with us in spirit! It was a fun little ride. While we didn't make it naked all the way to the beach we still had a good ride and we learned a lot about several things by talking with the police and meeting together at the beach. We do have some new contacts and projects coming up to work with. That last hill coming up from the beach was quite a workout!

Those of you who participated in today's ride, could you please double check my figures and facts for today's event?

This marked the fourth naked Seattle bike ride! This year the number of naked bike rides doubled in Seattle! I'm not sure how this compares with Vancouver BC's record of bike rides in one year. Although I'm still sure that they have more organized by a single organization in one year.

• Time of departure ~2 PM?
• initial participants 7 at meetup/photo shoot, 1 left, 2 joined us onthe trail, 1 left when police stopped us, 7 made it to beach?
• total of 8 people participated + a photographer?
• 1 non-riding photographer, 1 cycling photographer
• 1 bodypainted
• 1 woman 7 men
• 6 police cars responded? how many officers?

We deviated in our route by going up Thorndyke Ave to Magnolia Blvd., where we got stopped by police around W Bertona Street. Police took down our ID information, talked separately to Daniel. Other summary of dialogue with police? A lot of us were very impressed with how nice they were to us and how direct and honest they were with us. Part of the problem was that they did not know about the event ahead of time. We were asked to dress and continued on our ride to the beach.

Correction: there is a paved path most the way to the beach, despite what daniel earlier stated met at beach and discussed beach campaign, progress, strategies with meeting with park and police officials?

more info?

• total time cycling naked?
• locations of Ty's photo shoots?
• how about reactions from people on our route? Impressions of the
• route and trail itself? Any other comments?

Next events locally (tentative):

• Polar Bare Dip mid Jan 2006 BFC/SFBC
• World Naked Gardening Day Year 2 - earlier date? BFC/SFBC
• Solstice Parade ride! separate event
• Body Pride Ride at Gay Pride? BPR group
• WNBR Seattle 2006 (Ride 4) - Main Event -moving to July? Possibly ajoint event TRP/WLP/BFC & ?
• WNBR Seattle collaborative event - August (Ride 5)? Hint: today's mini ride may have something to do with this. TRP/WLP/BFC & ?
• Mermaid Swim 2006 Sept? BFC/FKKayakers

Cheers,

daniel

Body Freedom Collaborative (BFC) http://bodyfreedom.org

Disclaimer: The views and opinions of authors expressed in this forum do not necessarily reflect those of Body Freedom Collaborative or any individuals who are currently members of this forum.

Rooster Rock Bare Buns 5K Run & Walk Event Report

You all missed a wonderful event on Sunday morning, one that I hope grows into a major event next year. The weather was perfect, mid-70's. The wind was not blowing. The sky was clear and robin's egg blue. All around was the quiet and the majesty of the Columbia Gorge. A small group of us met with Mickey to run 3.1 miles, along the firm sandy beach of (aptly named) Sand Beach at Rooster Rock State Park. There were seven runners in all, six males and one female. The goal was to have a fun run, to pick up garbage spotted along the way, and to donate the entry fee to the American Red Cross for the Katrina relief fund.

We all headed out, at the blow of the starting whistle, at about 11:00 am. The lead was taken, early, by the only female of the group. She ultimately came in first with a time just over 21 minutes. One of our group found a shovel head on the beach and a large piece of metal which he toted back to the finish line. I found an old beer can and some other odds and ends. We left the course cleaner than we found it. Prizes included a $20 gift certificate to McMenamins, some sunglasses, some caps, and some water bottles. In addition, ribbons were given to the top finisher, second-place finisher and top finishers in each age group.

We were a small group, but the enthusiasm was great. We are all looking forward to next summer and, hopefully, several runs like the Rooster Rock BBFR. The nicest, and most sensual, thing for me was to get to run for over three miles with absolutely NOTHING on. There was no need for running shoes and socks. Barefoot was just fine and it felt so good to be so free from "textiles." Not many nude runs can be run that way. Personally, I'd like to see several groups band together to do a large run out at Rooster, next summer, or alternatively for several groups to sponsor a series of bi-weekly runs. The more, the better. Also, runs on personal properties might be considered, if anyone knows anyone with enough land. Or, a longer run along the Pacific Ocean might be organized. Let's be creative.

Brad (posting in ORCOBA)

Rooster Rock 360 Panoramic of Sand Beach

The beach at Rooster Rock was at it's widest expanse that I have seen it for years . . . as one person said, you could land an aircraft on it. Walking the beach on Saturday I took a moment to make a panoramic shot of the beach. The image you see posted does it little justice but if you drop me a line I'm more than willing to send you a copy of the full image.

Since the blogging software will not allow java or javascript to run within the posts, I have loaded a full-size panoramic viewer with the above image of the beach here. It will launch in a new page (or tab) and since the image is 746KBs in size, please give it a chance to load and start scrolling. You may use the navigation button at the bottom of the screen to enlarge, reduce or manually scroll the panorama yourself.

If you are interested in the full-image, you can download it here. Enjoy


As promised, here is an aerial image of Sand Island with the low water line marked on it (yellow), the limit of the hard packed or firm sand on the beach where it meets the softter sand (green), and the red line of the deeper channel of the Columbia River taken from the 2004 sat imagery. As you can see, there was a lot of beach exposed.

Rooster Rock First Annual Bare Buns a Success

Though I wasn't able to make it to the First Annual Bare Buns Fun Run at Rooster Rock State Park this last Sunday, I've gotten word that the event was a success with a good gettogether of fellow naturists taking part in both the running and the beach cleanup that both preceded the event and even during the event as some participants actually picked up the odd piece of trash on the beach as they ran. A unique twist was that the organizers (a loose-knit group on the beach) actually offered prizes based partially on the trash runners picked up during the run. What better way to combine both the fun of the run and a beach cleanup at the same time.

I offer my congratulations to Mickey, Melody and Terry for organizing this event and look forward to bigger events in the future. There is talk of a Hike/Run/Trash Clean-up event in the near future at Bagby Hot Springs. Keep checking their website at www.barebunsrun.com for future updates.

ORCOBA Adopts a Highway (near Rooster Rock)

It was well worth the drive and gas to go on down to Portland for this community event. We show that we care for the community and that we are a full participant in things that do matter. Good will does more to engender respect and acceptance than almost anything else.

And afterward, I got to spend the rest of the afternoon on Rooster Rock walking the flat sands of the geatest expanse of sand that I have ever seen at the beach in years. I will post some pictures of the beach in a day or so when I get some extra time. Rick



ORCOBA (Oregon Clothing-Optional Beach Alliance) members completed the group's first Adopt-A-Highway clean-up yesterday on Interstate 84 by Rooster Rock State Park! Stretching from the Corbett exit to Rooster Rock, this two-mile section lies at the entrance to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, in a beautiful spot once traversed by Lewis & Clark's Corps of Discovery expeditions through the West.

Following a wake-up gathering at the local Shari's restaurant, the day's crew of fourteen assembled near the western end of ORCOBA's section of I-84 at the Corbett exit. With enough people to clean both sides of the highway simultaneously, we split up into eastbound and westbound teams, and with safety vests and trash bags in hand, we got to work. The weather was perfect; sunny, warm, and not too windy.

It was clear that this section was sorely in need of attention, as is much of our highway system. While it was angering to see the end result of so many uncaring motorists, it was also fulfilling to have the opportunity to reverse months of abuse in just a few hours. By the stroke of noon, we were able to declare our first highway cleanup a success.

Here are some official stats for the day:

Number of participants: 14
Total number of trash bags filled: 54
Other large debris collected: Car bumper, wheel/tire assembly, patio umbrella, surf board, several large chunks of tire tread, lumber and plywood, metal posts, broken tire chains, fiberglass panels, and miscellaneous plastic products.
Duration of clean-up operations: About 3 1/2 hours
Number of sore muscles: Too numerous to count.

Following the clean-up, the crew assembled at the Rooster Rock Exit sign on the eastbound side of the highway for "official" photo ops. A few then headed over to Rooster for the afternoon. Peggy and I took down the "Litter Patrol" signs, and made a final tally of the trash bags and debris piles for ODOT to pick up. Having checked the condition of the highway three days prior, I was struck by the difference made by the morning's work. The highway right-of-way now actually blended into the scenic surroundings, and I became aware of how much trash lines our highways and roads. Day in and day out, we can easily become immune and desensitized to it all, as we drive along to our destinations. But over the rest of this weekend I was finding my eyes drawn to all of the stuff lying on the side of our roads, and resisting the temptation to stop and pick some of it up.

This project was an opportunity to show the community and the "textile" world that naturists care about more than just the right to be naked. We also care about our environment, natural resources and public lands, and in that vein, leaving things better than we found them. And, we recognize the value and benefit of working together to reach a goal. Witness thereto: a few hours' worth of teamwork on Saturday morning made a real difference, to be experienced and appreciated by many.

A genuine thank you goes to Mark Storey & Kathy Blanchard, Jim ("Hairy Homer") & Carol, Rick with the floppy blue hat, Kyle, June, Kevin, Steve, Jim C., Tim, and C.J. for being an integral part of things on Saturday. A few other folks had wanted to be there but were kept from it by other commitments, but their good intentions are just as appreciated. Now that our first clean-up has been completed, ODOT will soon put up our signs on each side of the highway, identifying ORCOBA's adopted section. We will have at least two clean-ups each year, in spring and fall, so future opportunities abound for all. Folks are required by ODOT to attend a safety & orientation meeting held by our group prior to participating in any clean-up event, but we will have several group meetings throughout each year offering the chance to become "certified".

For photos of yesterday's clean-up, check out the Files section of the ORCOBA Yahoo group, under "Adopt-A-Highway Clean-up".

Thanks again to all of the participants, and we look forward to our Spring clean-up!

Yours,

Don & Peggy


And this report from Mark, the Naturist Action Commitee Rep for the Pacific Northwest, who joined us . . .


NW Naturists:

My wife Kathy and I just had a fantastic weekend. Don and Peggy and 13 others of us from Oregon Clothing-Optional Beach Alliance (www.ORCOBA.org) met near Rooster Rock State Park in Oregon for breakfast Saturday morning. We then drove a few miles east to "do" ORCOBA's first adopt-a-highway cleanup of the two mile stretch immediately west of Rooster Rock. I've been on many a beach cleanup and quite a few park cleanups, but this one took quite a bit more work. The 15 of us (by my count) picked up dozens of bags of trash. I was pooped after the three-hour stint, but it was fun. Don did a great job of organizing the entire thing, and it's just one more significant contribution naturists are making to the nude beaches at Rooster Rock and Sauvie Island. There seem to be now at least three nudist, naturist, or otherwise naked groups supporting family friendly use of these sites. ORCOBA tends to attract the folks who are on the beach weekend after weekend, but others are doing great work, too, in making these clean, fun, and hasslefree places to go.

Kathy and I enjoyed some nude kayaking out of Rooster Rock afterwards, paddling toward Reed Island, over to the Washington shore, and back to the officially clothing-optional Sand Island. Rooster Rock is absolutely fantastic now. There is more clean, open sand than I've seen there in over a decade. People could land planes on the nude area, it's so open. And the weather was warm and sunny. Don't think that the nude season is over for 2005!

While at Rooster Rock I spoke at some length with a ranger patrolling the area. He agreed that Rooster Rock's atmosphere has been improving this past summer. We spoke briefly about the contributions group's like ORCOBA (e.g., with their yellow flag program and regular presence) and NW-AANR (e.g., with park cleanups and new bench) were making. He thought they all were great, and agreed that the group efforts were paying off.

Today (Sunday) Kathy and I paddled our kayaks from Seattle's (textile) Golden Gardens to South Beach at Discovery Park. This area continues to see quiet nude use on the weekdays, but today we were the only naked people. We just paddled beyond the bluffs to a quiet beach, and hung out naked for a while. I've found out that its really easy to kayak the Seattle area nude, and that from just about any put-ini on the Sound, I can find a secluded beach for sunbathing
and skinny-dipping (the water is chilly, but I love it). The Body Freedom Collaborative (www.bodyfreedom.org) continues to look for ways to making at least some shoreline section of Discovery Park more available for nude use.

Last week, by the way, I paddled from Golden Gardens to the "nude" stretch of beach north of Carkeek Park. Walking the train tracks can get you a $500 fine, but paddling nude there poses no problems. And once there, the beach is seems secluded enough for easy naturist use.

If there are any other naturist-minded kayakers in the Seattle area, check out www.FKKayakers.com. There are a LOT of cool beaches nearby that naturists can enjoy with ease. FKKayakers is a developing kayak group that is naturist-friendly.

All the best,

Mark

WNBR Seattle Mini Ride - Sat, Sept. 24, 2005 1:30 PM (Update)

WNBR Seattle Cyclists:
Posting in the various Naturism Groups by Daniel Johnson

We have just agreed on a start time for our Autumnal Equinox Mini Ride this Saturday! It is also expected to be sunny with a high of 68 degrees F! It should be perfect weather for our bike ride and beach visit!

Bring your friends and ride with complete strangers on a magical cycling tour through Seattle on your favorite human-powered cycling vehicle for one of the most exhilarating cycling experiences since taking off your training wheels! Its the perfect event to mark the end of summer! Don't miss out!

START TIME and LOCATION:

Saturday, Sept 24, 2005
1:30PM Leave Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle
~2:15 - 2:30 PM arrive at Discovery Park North Beach

The event is as Bare as you Dare! The World Naked Bike Ride dress code is "Bare As You Dare"... How bare is that ? How dare is that ?...Its all up to you, you decide what you are comfortable with. NO ONE IS EXCLUDED OR DISCRIMINATED AGAINST based on levels of clothing, bodypaint, or anything else, for that matter! PLEASE be creative and colorful! Bodypainting and bike decorating is highly encouraged!

START LOCATION DETAILS:

Please leave yourself plenty of time to get to the meet-up area/start location which will be on the NW side of new pump facility building (it looks like a restroom facility with a funky organic looking gate, but it has no public access) at the artsy overlook area with view of Puget Sound (just south of the large stone sculpture installation area). PLEASE do not dress down until everybody is ready to leave at the same time.

For those driving/carpooling:

There is very limited street parking in the area. Myrtle Edwards Park is a long, thin park and can only be entered from the north and south of park via the Elliot Bay Trail. There are train tracks and fencing on the east which cannot be crossed. There is also construction going on around the south entrance of the park, but the area is open. Please leave plenty of time to get to the meet-up/start location.

There is some parking on 16th AVE W, which parallels part of the Elliot Bay Trail which we will be traveling on (this trail is not shown on the map below). This area is located to the NW of Myrtle Edwards Park & Elliot Bay Park. The easiest way to drive there is go over an 'S'-shaped overpass from Elliot Ave West (Northbound). You will then have about an eight minute cycling trip to get to the meeting area at Myrtle Edwards Park.

See left part of this map to find the area of 16th AVE W and the overpass.
http://tinyurl.com/aby2u

ROUTE INFO:

(tentative - the route may change depending on the group, but it will not be any easier than what is outlined below):

Meet at Myrtle Edwards Park overlook area at pump station, ride through Elliot Bay Park on Elliot Bay Trail, past grain terminal, turn north up 16th AV W trail, slight jog to 20th Ave W (DO NOT continue WEST at junction to Smith Cove Park/marina area), leave the Elliot Bay Trail at that point and go North (right off trail) up 20th AVE to Gilman Ave, then continue to Government Ave and enter Discovery Park's main east entrance.

Once passing Discovery Park's Visitor's Center, keep going up the hill and proceed down restricted traffic road towards treatment facility (there is a sign) and when getting close to lighthouse, go north on path to North sandy beach area, which is NE of the lighthouse on the sandy beach. We plan on going to the very NE part of that long northern sandy beach.

Note:

(1) The gravel path that starts by the lighthouse prohibits bicycles (like all non-paved trails in DP). To avoid upsetting the Friends of Discovery Park (that help maintain it) or the Rangers we are advised not to ride our bikes on that last little stretch to the North Beach.

(2) This ride is a bit more intense hill-wise than the first two WNBR rides. If you found either of those rides to be a bit much, this ride may not be for you. However, this route is considered to be one of the more established, easier routes from the two points we are going between. After leaving the beach, the ride going up from sea level is quite steep, some may not feel comfortable cycling up that road.

(3) Much of the route is planned to be along the water on the Elliot Bay Park Trail and then through the rail yards and then off the trail with a protected bike lane all the way to the entrance of Discovery Park. With the addition of using the restricted traffic lane going down to the beach, this means that for much of our journey we will not have to deal too much with car traffic.

The route to Discovery Park is an established cycling route and can be viewed on the Seattle Bicycling Guide Map. That map can be viewed online at:

http://www.ci.seattle.wa.us/transportation/bikemaps/northbikemap.pdf
(PDF file 1.58 MB)

More Park links:

Myrtle Edwards Park
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/Medwards.htm
is just south of Elliot Bay Park
http://www.portseattle.org/community/resources/parks/index.shtml

Discovery Park
http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/Environment/discovparkindex.htm

- - - - - - -

Get the latest news on Seattle WNBR events!

Seattle Discussion Groups:

WNBR Seattle Announcements Only
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WNBR_Seattle2/

OR

WNBR Seattle - general discussion
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WNBR_Seattle3/

Scenic Hot Springs: A Pictorial Visit

Scenic Hot Springs continues to get visitors despite the 'No Trespassing' signs and the gate across FS Road 850. Of course, for the majority of the hike you are not on private property but on National Forest Service land and you have every right to be there. The private property part starts way up higher on the mountainside on the higher levels of the BPA maintenance road that this Forest Service road runs into when it enters the BPA clearcut area.

A shortcut trail or bypass is to be found to the right of FS 850 just beyond the first curve past the gate. You could just continue on the FS road but this steep bypass cuts off a substantial distance.

The second bypass is on the left rise of the BPA maintenance road as we come out of the trees into the sunlit easement area. Often this shortcut is marked by stacked rocks but the best indicator are the tracks. Taking this bypass uphill avoids a large dipping loop segment.

At the top of the second bypass shortcut you're on the final leg of the BPA road that takes you on up to the trailhead near its' end. The hike up to the springs follows the BPA maintenance road for a good third of the trip and there is lots of sunshine to soak in on this exposed road. It's also fun to watch the surprised looks on other visitors. I just tell them, 'Hey, I'm gonna get naked in the springs . . . might as well hike up naked." Makes sense to me and most agree.

Behind me lies the Tye River Valley with Windy Mountain of the left (west) and a hint of Cowboy Mountain of the Steven Pass Ski Area to the right (east). Just beside my left leg you can see a hint of Highway 2 as it makes its last steep gradient to Stevens Pass.

The BPA Transmission Line towers are always fun to play on and make for a good pose (at least I think so).

This is the entrance (or trailhead) to the springs, themselves . . . almost at the end of the BPA maintenance road. From here to the upper springs is another 3/4 miles of steep hiking. Note how the trail has been widened in anticipation of development. This widening goes about a third of the way up before it narrows to a rough trail again.

The property has been signed "No Trespassing" but few pay any attention. The sign is on the tree in the background to the right.

A short distance up you come to the first creek or stream . . . Honeymoon; and to the left 80 feet up a very steep slope is where the Honeymoon springs flow into a small rock pool. Honeymoon is the coolest of the spring areas with temperatures around 80-90 degrees typical. However, these springs also have the larger flow of any springs in the area. They are popular with couples seeking privacy . . . and sometimes people think these are the springs and have no inkling that the best is further up the mountainside.

Halfway up is a special place for the Naked Gourmet of days-gone-bye. This is the NGs Spirit Tree and the new owner was so taken by Robert's passion for this tree that it was spared the bulldozer when the trail was widened up to this point.

I see these more and more . . . trail markers, typically three rocks of descending size stacked atop each other; indications that first-timers are being guided to the springs by the knowledgeble. This marker was at the forking of the trail with a newly brush-cleared logging road from the fifties. A first-timer might have assumed the easier route of the logging road over the very rough-looking trail just ahead and to the left. I left the markers in place. No need to get a newbie lost on the mountainside.

This is easy stuff compared to some of the refrigerator-sized boulders ahead. This is also the steepest and hardest part of the climb. You need good hiking shoes on these ankle-biters

Finally, we reach a switchback on the trail that leads onto a major bench of the mountainside. The hiking gets very much easier. We are close now.

Another few hundred feet, passing a much used and illegal fire-ring, the last-remaining pool of the upper springs (the Monster Tub) comes into view on the slope below.

A closer picture from above of the divided tub with it's crystaline-clear hot waters. The tub is fed from two seperate spring sources, Bare Springs at around 113 degrees and Lobster Pot Springs from about where this picture was taken, at 122 degrees. The divider down the center segregates the pool into hot and scalding hot soaks.

After two years exposed to the elements and vandals, I really am surprised that my sign is still in place next to the tub. It was this sign that got me involved with the new owner of the property and keeps me pretty busy during what free time I have between work and other activities.

Of course, my real dream is to nudge Scenic Hot Springs and the entire 40 acres on this mountainside into a nudist-friendly nature area where we can roam the trails, sunbathe or soak without bother of uptight textile hikers.

A closer view of the removable divider in the pool. Even on a nice sunny day, as today, the steam rises heavily into the air, for the pools are only a few degrees cooler than the spring sources feeding them.

The water level is normally higher but I am in the process of siphoning the pools as I scrub the liners clean with a stiff brush. Algae is quick to build up without this every other day routine and the tarps become very slippery. Fortunately, there are a number of people who take the time and effort to keep these pools as clean as possible.

The cleaning routine: Scrub the pool thoroughly and siphon the water out to be replace by fresh, hot water from the springs. The siphon is the white tube on the left, which we submerge, block one end with a palm and toss quickly over the side to establish a very powerful and efficient suction to empty the pool . . . or in the case of a quick cleanup, siphon the pine cone and needle debris from the bottom of the pool. It takes about an hour to completely empty the pool of all 3,000 gallons. The siphon is self-limiting, meaning that when the water gets to the bottom air enters the tube, suction is broken and the tub begins to fill up again. I often leave the siphon in place after I scrub the tub, knowing that the pool is refilling automatically while I'm hiking back down the mountain after my soak.

Scrubbing is important. The algae is not easy to see and often the only indication is the slipperiness of the tarp surfaces. When you see black algae, the pool hasn't been cleaned in awhile.

The yellow flex hose on the right is the source waters coming directly from the springs (in this case, 122 degrees Lobster Springs.

The soak is always the best part . . . even with the pool barely halfway full with fresh . . . and definitely hotter water. I while away the rest of the afternoon in the pool until I can take no more. The skin is luxuriated and glowing and it feels really sensuous to hike back down the mountainside with the cooling air soothing your overheated skin.



I meet a few couple headed up for the night time soaking and let them know that I have cleaned the pool and refilled it with sparkling clean water. They are always appreciative and promise to carry out as much litter as the almost-full garbage sack that I carry.

Should nude photographs be considered art or pornography?

The News Review, Roseburg, Oregon

TRUTH OF YOUTH
September 12, 2005

"Nude photography is, in my opinion, pornography. From a moral point of view, I think that the naked human body, portrayed in a photograph, incites lust -- which is condemned expressly in the Bible (I John 2:16). The human body is beautiful; it is a work of art in its own right. But the body does not need to be displayed nude to show its magnificence.

I do think differently, though, when it comes to Renaissance art displaying nudity. Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, which contained nudity, is one of the finest works of art in all mankind, and it was not created to incite lust, but rather, different emotions. Many other paintings and sculptures from the Renaissance contain nudity, but like the Sistine Chapel, the emotions they draw from us are not feelings of
lust . . .

Truth of Youth is a column for teens to express their views. The rest of this column here, along with some dissenting views: http://www.newsreview.info/article/20050912/NEWS/109120030

The cited passage from the Bible:

I John 2:16 "For the things in the world--the cravings of the earthly nature, the cravings of the eyes, the show and pride of life--they all come, not from the Father, but from the world. " Weymouth New Testamont

This commentary is from a high school student attending a Christian school; other students take a different view as do I. Nor do I get the same interpretation from the quoted Bible passage that this student seems to arrive at. They say "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Whether I look upon the form of Michelangelo's David or a nude beachgoer, I see wonder and art and beauty . . . not pornography. Rick

To All You Citizens Of America - Important!

Found posted in the Yahoo Nudism Group by a regular poster; Dario Western. I chuckled for the longest time and believe me Dario . . . I know how to spell 'neighbour'. Take the post for what it's intended . . . humour. Rick

Update: Seems some of my fellow Americans have no sense of humour at all and I've had to turn on SPAM controls and moderate the really nasty comments made be some readers of this post. Get over it . . . I ain't leaving so ya'all will just have to get used to it. Rick (born in the UK, raised in Canada and a full, naturiliz(s)ed citizen of the U.S.) LOL



In the light of your failure to elect a proper President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective today.

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchial duties over all states, commonwealths and other territories. Except Utah, which she does not fancy. Your new prime minister (The Right Honourable Tony Blair, MP for the 97.85% of you who have until now been unaware that there is a world outside your borders) will appoint a minister for America without the need for further elections.

Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire will be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed. To aid in the transition to a British Crown Dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. a. You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary. Then look up "aluminium". Check the pronunciation guide. You will be amazed at just how wrongly you have been pronouncing it.
b.The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'favour' and 'neighbour', skipping the letter 'U' is nothing more than laziness on your part. Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters.
c. You will end your love affair with the letter 'Z' (pronounced 'zed' not 'zee'), and the suffix "ize" will be replaced by the suffix "ise".
d. You will learn that the suffix 'burgh' is pronounced 'burra' e.g. Edinburgh. You are welcome to respell Pittsburgh as 'Pittsberg' if you can't cope with correct pronunciation.
e. Generally, you should raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. Look up "vocabulary". Using the same twenty seven words interspersed with filler noises such as "like" and "you know" is an
unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. Look up "interspersed".

2. There is no such thing as "US English". We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take account of the reinstated letter 'u' and the elimination of '-ize'.

3.
a. You will learn to distinguish between English, Australian, and New Zealand accents. It really isn't that hard. Also, English accents are not limited to Cockney, upper-class twit or Mancunian
(Daphne in Frasier). You will also have to learn how to understand regional accents. Scottish dramas such as "Taggart" will no longer be broadcast with subtitles.
b. While we're talking about regions, you must learn that there is no such place as Devonshire in England. The name of the county is "Devon". If you insist on calling it Devonshire, all American States will become "shires" e.g. Texasshire, Floridashire, Louisianashire.

4. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as the good guys. Hollywood will be required to cast English actors to play English characters. British sit-coms such as "Men Behaving Badly" or "Red Dwarf" will not be re-cast and watered down for a wishy-washy American audience who can't cope with the humour of occasional political incorrectness.

5. You will relearn your original national anthem, "God Save The Queen", but only after fully carrying out task 1. We would not want you to get confused and give up half way through.

6.
a. You will stop playing American "football". There is only one kind of football. What you refer to as American "football" is not a very good game. The 2.15% of you who are aware that there is a world outside your borders may have noticed that no one else plays "American" football. You will no longer be allowed to play it, and should instead play proper football. Initially, it would be best if you played with the girls. It is a difficult game.
b. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby, which is similar to American "football", but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds, or wearing full kevlar body armour like nancies. We are hoping to get together at least a US rugby sevens side by 2015.
c. You will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the 'World Series' for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.15% of you are aware that there is a
world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. Instead of baseball, you will be allowed to play a girls' game called "rounders" which is baseball without fancy team strip, oversized gloves, collector cards or hotdogs.

7.
a. You should declare war on Quebec and France, using nuclear weapons if they give you any trouble. The 97.85% of you who were not aware that there is a world outside your borders should count yourselves lucky. Oh yes, the Russians have never been the bad guys.
b. You will no longer be allowed to own or carry guns. You will no longer be allowed to carry anything more dangerous in public than a vegetable peeler. Because we don't believe you are sensible enough to handle potentially dangerous items, you will require a permit if you
wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.
c. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not adult enough to be independent. Guns should only be handled by adults. If you're not adult enough to sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist then you're not grown up enough to handle a gun.

8. July 4th is no longer a public holiday. November 2nd will be a new national holiday, but only in England. It will be called "Indecisive Day".

9. All American cars are hereby banned. They are rubbish, and it is for your own good. When we show you German cars, you will understand what we mean. All road intersections will be replaced with roundabouts. You will start driving on the left with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

10. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips. Fries aren't even French, they are Belgian though 97.85% of you (including the guy who discovered fries while in Europe) were not aware that there is a country called Belgium. Those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called "crisps". Real chips are thick cut and fried in animal fat.

11. As a sign of penance 5 grams of sea salt per cup will be added to all tea made within the State of Massachusetts, this quantity to be doubled for tea made within the city of Boston itself.

12. From December 1st the UK will harmonise petrol (or "Gasoline" as you will be permitted to keep calling it until April 1st 2006) prices with the former USA. The UK will harmonise its prices to those of the former USA and the Former USA will, in return, adopt UK petrol prices (roughly $6/US gallon - get used to it).

13. Please tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us crazy.



Tax collectors from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all revenues due (backdated to 1776).

Thank you for your cooperation.

Sauvies Island: Bare Buns Fun Run South Planning

The Bare Buns Fun Runs have become a staple of summer nudist activities in the Pacific Northwest each year . . . typically running first at Fraternity Snoqualmie in Issaquah (Bare Buns West), followed by Kaniksa (Bare Buns East (Spokane)) and the final run at Wreck Beach near Vancouver, BC (Bare Buns North). What we'd like to propose is a Bare Buns Fun Run along the firm sand of Collins Beach on Sauvies Island near Portland . . . a Bare Buns South.

The Bare Buns Fun Runs are a 'bare as you dare' event and anybody can participate in any stage of dress they desire (it's clothing-optional but we all know the best way to run a marathon is nude). You don't have to be a marathon runner . . . this is a fun run and many just walk the course for the fun of it . . . and that's what it is all about. FUN!!!!

Collins Beach on Sauvies Island is one of the two beaches in Oregon designated officially as clothing-optional. The beach lies along the Columbia river with superlative views and over a mile of wide, sun-baked fine sand to sunbathe on, join in a competitive game of sand volleyball, or stroll the firm-pack of sand near the water line. Collins Beach has a great reputation for safety and family-friendliness where you can relax and know that the beach community cares and is looking out for you. There can be no better place to delve into the liberating experience of a clothing-optional lifestyle.

Planning is now underway to try a Bare Buns Fun Run. Would you like to participate in a really FUN EVENT? Would you like to be part of the event planning? Would you just like to take this family-friendly opportunity to try the clothing-optional lifestyle?

If the answers to any of those questions are 'YES', let us know by sending a message to myself (link in the Sidebar) or posting a message in the ORCOBA (ORegon Clothing Optional Beach Association) or NWFunInTheSun groups. The date hasn't been set yet but your input could set that up . . . JOIN IN!!!!!!! Be part of the planning for the First Annual Sauvies Island Bare Buns South Fun Run

Tags Sauvies Island Collins Beach Bare Buns Clothing-optional Beach

Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute

Seems everywhere I hike there seems to be more and more garbage left behind by thoughtless and unthinking people.

And, I think one of the very important messages we, as naturists, should be emphasizing on the public is just how important we believe in preserving our environment and keeping it clean.

You rarely see the run-of-the-mill textile hiker, or soaker, or beach user toting out a garbage bag full of . . . well, garbage, you you see naturists and nudism doing it all the time. That is a very positive image to impress upon the powers-that-be.


This week has been another one of those dash in and get a quick hike weeks for me. I've made Scenic Hot Springs twice, Heybrook Lookout and an eight hour hike along the Quartz Trail as far as Cadet. I've also discovered an unmarked logging road going almost to the top of Windy Mountain . . . that guardian that overlooks the west side of Stevens Pass and Highway 2. As soon as I can get permission from the property owners I would like to seek out Windy Peak and Lake Embro at the top and take in the vistas of the Tye Valley way far below. All of this in the nude, of course.

Tags nude hiking

the adam and eve project: average woman, average man

Nifty project that you might want to consider participating in. Shane Cooper hopes to blend the photos of as many participants as possible to produce a high quality image of the average woman, the average man and an average of both sexes.

Curiously, few men have responded and there is no 'averaging' of a male as there is of the female to the left. Being ever vigilant to worthy causes, I have, of course, volunteered my body to this worthy project. Unfortunately, I think she wants me to remove my floppy blue hat! So I'm going to pose for some pics that meet her specifications.


From her website:

I am seeking as many participants as possible, ranging over the maximum variety of lineage, age, and body types. This is not a project for the "beautiful people" only, I am interested in real people. Your participation is very valuable to me - I need you to represent yourself in the mix. Be brave, it will be worth it - the final image is to be shown in magazines and galleries - there is currently a lot of interest in how this turns out. Don't miss this opportunity to do something fun - help me build something amazing from who you are. Participants will have free access to the final high resolution digital images. These images will be for their own use, and suitable for print. If you are interested in seeing what's involved, or better yet, have decided to join the other contributors, click here -

From each participant, I accept three images

• a closeup of the face
• a nude image of the entire body, front
• a nude image of the entire body, back

As I receive the images, I average all of them into singles images of

• the avergae woman ("Eve")
• the average man ("Adam")
• the average of both sexes, the androgynous being lying between "Adam" and "Eve"

The Place With No Name

If you have never stood atop a high place as the wind caresses your whole body lovingly, then you have missed something sweet.

If you have never leapt from that high place and plunged into a deep clear pool uninhibited by any trapping of society, then you have missed something delightful.

If you have never lain in the cool grass while the rain drops kiss you in your entirety, then you have missed something valuable.

If you have never sat in a waterfall and been truly free, you have missed something worthwhile.

If you have never been down to the sea clothed only in the night, then you have missed something divine.

If you have never met the wilderness exactly as you are, then you have missed something very precious.

If you don't understand any of this at all, I hope that one day you will. If you never do, then you will have missed something important about your very humanity.

Shane's very eloquent words manifest what many of us feel when we are out there communing with nature . . . seeking and finding that epiphany; oneness and belonging. I very shamelessly borrow Shane's words here under 'Fair Use' in the hope that you will visit his website and come to the realization of what being a naturist really is all about. I cannot say it better than Shane.

Shane's Hiking Journal and "On Being Human"

Aerial Image: Sauvies Island, Collins Beach

The image above is a 'stitched' mosaic of 7 high-resolution aerial images. To the left equals south and the beginning of the clothing-optional area between Trail#1 and Trail #2 and roughly analogous to the curve of the sandbar in the water. Between this area and the area just north of Trail#2 has become very popular with families and children. ORCOBA and the Yellow Flag reps often set up in this area, their presence adding a sense of security and safety to the beach.

There is a very active nude sand volleyball contingent on the beach and the young adults participating (and sometimes allowing us older (over 30) folks in) are very competitive in their tournaments. Another popular sunning area is just north of the volleyball area and continues north toward the taper to the first jetty.

North of the jetty is more popular with people who seek a place to relax without the crowds . . . and sometimes irresponsible partying. This was the site of this years drowning where alcohol was involved and probably contributed to the unhappy outcome.

Going further along the beach, you come to the remains of Tom's Cabin named after a long-time beach-comer who slowly and meticulously assembled his contribution to the beach with loving hands. Sadly, someone took it upon themselves to build themselves a huge bonfire this summer and little remains but charred driftwood. Many remember Tom and are determined to reconstruct the'Cabin'.

Just a little further up the beach is a point that was a favorite among another regular beach goer who just passed away . . . Myran Schnoor. Though I did not personally know the man, countless others did and they speak kindly of his caring soul. The 'point' was one of his favorite parts of the beach and accordingly, I have marked and named the point on the image in his honor and to his memory.

Going just a little further north we come across a low area that becomes very muddy when the tide is out . . . mudflats. Then there is the second jetty and a rocky area before the final stretch of clothing optional beach beyond. This area is popular with the gay element and they do a good job of policing their own. I have never had any problems walking through this area.

The clothing-optional beach ends at a large timber stuck in the beach . . . the official sign just up and barely visible in the dunes west.

Like the previous Rooster Rock image I posted a few days ago, the image behind the 'click' is a much reduced size. For those interested in the original image, drop me a line and I'll send a copy off to you in an email.

Rooster Rock Aerial Photo

The image above is a 'stitched' compilation of 18 high-resolution aerial images. To the left is Sand Island within the clothing-optional area of Rooster Rock State Park; and the image continues to the right, through the parking lots and textile area to the boat-launch area at the western end of the park.

The image behind the 'click' is a much reduced size (or else you'd be downloading all night). For those interested in the original image, drop me a line and I'll send a copy off to you in an email.

FCC Study: NNBD (Nearly Naked Breast Disorder) (Satire)

This article was originally posted in "The Onion", an online eNews site catering mainly to the college crowd with tongue-in-cheek takes on the news. Rick

U.S. Children Still Traumatized One Year After Seeing Partially Exposed Breast On TV

January 26, 2005 | Issue 41•04

WASHINGTON, DC—As the nation approaches the one-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XXXVIII tragedy, an FCC study shows that millions of U.S. children were severely traumatized by the exposure to a partially nude female breast during the Feb. 1, 2004 halftime show.

"No one who lived through that day is likely to forget the horror," said noted child therapist Dr. Eli Wasserbaum. "But it was especially hard on the children."

The tragic wardrobe malfunction occurred approximately 360 days ago, during Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake's performance of "Rock Your Body," when Timberlake tore Jackson's costume, accidentally revealing her right breast.

"By the time CBS cut to an aerial view of the stadium, the damage was done," said Wasserbaum, who has also worked extensively with orphaned and amputee children in Third World war zones. "I've found that children can be amazingly resilient, but this event was too much for many of them to take. The horrible image of that breast is likely to haunt them for the rest of their lives."

According to the 500-page report filed by the FCC, more than 90 percent of the children who saw the exposed breast said they were "confused and afraid."

"Mommy has dirty chest bumps," said a 5-year-old boy quoted in one of the thousands of case studies compiled by the FCC. "She's like the bad lady on TV. I'm afraid Mommy will take off her shirt and scare everyone. I hate Mommy."

Girls were traumatized as well, often expressing apprehensions about sexual development. According to Wasserbaum, one 8-year-old girl told her parents that she didn't "want to get evil breasts."

Wasserbaum said children of both genders associate their trauma with footballs, presumably because of the context in which they were exposed to the breast.

(The Nipple Piercing that traumatized so many children (not part of the original posting)

A great number of children who witnessed the tragedy are still plagued by nightmares of sun-shapes that recall Jackson's nipple ring. Of the infants who saw the breast, 76 percent are unwilling to breast feed or use a bottle, forcing their parents to nourish them intravenously.

"When the tragedy took place, we knew it would cause psychological trauma, but we had no idea how long the effects would last," Wasserbaum said."Our worst fears have been confirmed. It will take years to repair the damage."

Cases of deviant sexual development induced by breast-glimpsing are widespread amongst older children. Pathologies range from schoolyard exhibitionism to gender-role confusion and violent shirt-tearing.

"The FCC imposed the maximum $27,500 penalty on each of the 20 CBS-owned television stations," Wasserbaum said. "But the government offered no recompense to the individuals exposed to the breast. And neither Jackson nor Timberlake has ever specifically apolgized to the children whose lives they ruined, or donated a penny for the adolescents' psychiatric care."

Across America, parental concern over the condition doctors have dubbed Nearly Naked Breast Disorder continues to grow.

"How can my son Brandon be expected to make it through something like that unscathed?" asked mother of four Shonali Bhomik of the San Francisco-based What About the Children? Foundation, one of many social-awareness groups spearheading the fight for increased NNBD funding in Congress. "For approximately 1.5 seconds, he saw a breast. The image was seared into his innocent, tiny retinas. He can't close his eyes without replaying the whole ugly scene over and over in his little head."

"For the love of God—that breast was almost nude," Bhomik added.

Bhomik said she has concerns about her son's development.

"I shudder to think how this could affect my son once he reaches puberty," Bhomik said. "Little Brandon just wanted to watch the fun halftime show with his family. He was only 10 years old."

Bhomik is one of millions of people facing every parent's worst nightmare: that their child will see a partially exposed breast.

Wasserbaum said there is no way to predict whether the children will recover.

"One thing is certain," Wasserbaum said. "For us as a nation, the horrific consequences of almost-nakedness have only just begun to make themselves apparent."

Wasserbaum added that children who saw the televised breast in Europe, Australia, and various other nations throughout the world were somehow unaffected by the sight.

NAC Alert: Wreck Beach

Look at these beautiful bluffs and then imagine a number of high-rise residential towers on the bluffs overlooking the beach below.

Imagine some day the University of British Columbia now arguing that the traditional and legal clothing-optional beach now has to go because it might offend the people who are now living in those towers.

It could happen. Protect Wreck Beach now!

Photo by Judy Williams

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Letter writing campaigns do work. Wreck beach is a superlative nude-venue . . . internationally-known and loved, and now the University of British Columbia in Vancouver threatens the beauty and serenity of this beach . . . and possibly the beaches' very existence. Do your part by making your opinion known. Rick

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NATURIST ACTION COMMITTEE
ACTION ALERT

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http://www.naturistaction.org

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Copyright 2005 by the Naturist Action Committee, which is responsible for its content. Permission is granted for the posting, forwarding or redistribution of this message, provided that it is reproduced in its entirety and without alteration.

DATE : September 7, 2005
SUBJECT: Wreck Beach, British Columbia
TO : All naturists

Dear Naturist,

The Naturist Action Committee (NAC) asks all naturists to unite in a worldwide grass roots e-mail writing campaign to save Wreck Beach from plans being made by the University of British Columbia (UBC) for three additional residence towers to overlook the beach. One tower is already being constructed. If the University is allowed to continue on its present course, a total of four towers will blight the beach forever.

This situation has been the focus of previous NAC Action Alerts. The decision by NAC to issue this new Action Alert was prompted by UBC's recent insistence on moving forward, despite public protests, with two more 18-story towers and a 14-story one. NAC asks for your help in a grass roots battle to preserve Wreck Beach. This new request is made in close cooperation with the Wreck Beach Preservation Society (WBPS), the Pacific Spirit Park Society (PSPS), and the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN).

This e-mail writing campaign is a NEW effort to preserve the magnificent view from Wreck Beach, including its forested cliff tops and its sense of wilderness.

The Wreck Beach Preservation Society will be binding copies of your e-mailed letters into a book for presentation at these meetings. So that we have documented proof of the contents and numbers of letters authorities are receiving, we ask that you please copy all e-mail correspondence (and whatever replies you may receive) to Judy Williams, NAC board member and Chair of the WBPS: judyw@wreckbeach.org

"Note: You probably want to include Judy as a Blind Carbon Copy (Bcc) instead of a regular Carbon Copy (Cc) in the emails you send to further imply to the recipients that you are writing of your own volition and not necessarily as a mass response. In my previous emails with GVRD officials I found that a personalized email got individualized replies rather that a piece of 'boiler-plate'. Rick"

BACKGROUND

Wreck Beach in Vancouver, BC, Canada is one of the most beautiful clothing-optional beaches in the world. Presently, the pristine forested cliffs above the beach have hidden any university buildings from view, giving beachgoers a natural backdrop that approaches wilderness despite closer proximity to the city. This precious heritage view is still enjoyed by boaters and people who visit the tidal flats today. The mistake of Tower #1 must not be allowed to be replicated three more times.


UPDATE ON THE RESULTS OF YOUR EFFORTS SO FAR

At the meeting of the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD) board of directors on July 29, 2005, GVRD basically supported preserving the natural views from Wreck Beach. We urge your letters to encourage the GVRD to hold the line on the line-of-sight recommended by their staff and to encourage the GVRD to ensure that visibility is measured prior to consideration of any new UBC building plans.


ACTION: NAC ASKS ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS TO CONTACT THE FOLLOWING
AUTHORITIES

We urge you to become part of this important new effort. Whether or not you have written before, please write now in order to make a difference at the meetings of GVRD and UBC on September 21 and 22. Please send your e-mail correspondence to as many on the list as possible. Surface mail may not arrive in time.

Note: I have taken the liberty to insert 'email' links. The link will start a new message in your email program with the proper addressing (including Bcc to Judy), subject and beginning salutations . . . which, of course, you are free to edit. Rick

1) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE
c/o Paulette Vetleson
paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca

2) GVRD-UBC JOINT COMMITTEE
c/o Kristian Nichols, GVRD

kristian.nichols@gvrd.bc.ca

3) INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS of the JOINT GVRD-UBC COMMITTEE:
Gary Gibson, Electoral District A: gbgibson@telus.net
Councillor Raymond Louie: clrlouie@city.vancouver.bc.ca
Mayor Ralph Drew, Belcarra, BC: rdrew@shaw.ca

4) MEMBERS OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE WHO CAN BE REACHED
THROUGH GVRD:
Nicola Byres, UBC Board of Governors
Bryce Rositch, UBC Board of Governors
Chancellor Allan McEachern, UBC Board of Governors

Address e-mail to the above-named officials ...
c/o Shelley Jackson, GVRD Program Assistant
Shelley.Jackson@gvrd.bc.ca

5) PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY
Martha Piper, President of UBC and Member, Board of Governors
c/o Shelley Jackson, Shelley.Jackson@gvrd.bc.ca

6) GVRD PARK COMMITTEE CHAIR
Judy Higginbotham
jehigginbotham@city.surrey.bc.ca

7) GVRD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
c/o Paulette Vetleson, paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca

8) GVRD CAO
Johnny Carline, CAO of the GVRD
c/o Paulette Vetleson, paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca


WHO SHOULD WRITE?

NAC is asking ALL CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS to send comments by e-mail. That includes residents of the US, as well as those who live in Canada and elsewhere. Vancouver and UBC pride themselves on their international appeal.


WHAT SHOULD I SAY?

When you write, be sure to give your name and address. Anonymous correspondence is typically ignored. Be polite. Carefully express your outrage and your resentment, if you wish, but avoid threats and name-calling.

In your message, state very clearly that you OPPOSE the proposed towers.


SOME POINTS TO CONSIDER

Please use your own words. You may simply and respectfully ask decision-makers to consider the requests of the Wreck Beach Preservation Society, or you may elaborate on any of the following points:

1) ENCOURAGE the GVRD to continue to defend the line of sight
that will protect viewscapes from the beach toward the tops
of the cliffs.

2) STRESS THE URGENCY. With decisions about to be made at the
executive levels, call upon the GVRD to ensure that visibility
of the towers is measured prior to consideration of any
additional UBC building plans.

3) OPPOSE any bio-engineering (shaving of cliffs and planting
of replacement vegetation) and interceptor ditches to protect
buildings that should never have been built at the proposed
heights and locations UBC has planned.

More than any other issue, the potential loss of the wilderness-like setting has captured the attention of naturists and nature lovers from around the world. Simply put, the construction of towers looming over the beach would forever change the character of Wreck Beach.


WHAT ELSE CAN YOU DO?

As of September 1, 2005, over 40,000 persons have signed petitions opposing construction of the towers. You can still add your name to the petition online at http://www.wreckbeach.org.


PLEASE HELP NAC HELP NATURISTS IN CANADA AND ELSEWHERE

The Naturist Action Committee exists to advance and protect the rights of naturists throughout North America. NAC is a volunteer nonprofit organization that relies on the grass roots participation of those who understand that individuals working together can make a difference.

NAC has no membership roster on which to assess dues, and it relies completely on voluntary contributions from concerned and involved naturists like you. Monitoring developing situations and coordinating action across North America is expensive.

Won't you take a moment to help NAC by sending a generous donation? you may donate directly online, using your MasterCard, Visa or Discover Card by going to:

http://www.naturistaction.org/donate/

You may also send your contribution to the address below, or you may call toll free (800) 886-7230 during normal office hours to donate by phone, using your MasterCard or Visa.

NAC
PO Box 132
Oshkosh, WI 54903

Thank you for choosing to make a difference!

Naturally,

Judy Williams
Board Member
Naturist Action Committee

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Naturist Action Committee (NAC) - PO Box 132, Oshkosh, WI 54903
Bob Morton - Executive Dir. -
Judy Williams - Board Member -
Online Rep. Dennis Kirkpatrick - naturist@sunclad.com

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To help you out with ideas, here is the email I sent to all addresses in the above list:

Dear

I read with growing concern about the building of four high-rise buildings being planned on the bluffs overlooking one of the most cherished natural surroundings in a world where such soul-renewing spots are disappearing within easy reach of people. I have visited the Wreck Beach many times . . . one of the destinations I always plan whenever I visit Canada and Vancouver from the States. There are few such open places remaining and Wreck Beach is a 'breath of fresh air' from the steel-concrete-and glass of the city. To have four tall, and large buildings rise up on the bluffs destroys the perception of visitors of 'paradise' just a little way from the city. Many visitors go to this area to escape the big city. And now the University of British Columbia wants to intrude the city back on the beach users?

I have been previously assured by representatives for the University of British Columbia that adequate technical and aesthetic studies have been performed with public input and that the "University will continue to maintain its commitments to development review procedures and to providing opportunities for public comment." Yet I still read of steady encroachment and diminishment of the views and perceived open-space of the beaches better-known as Wreck Beach and Spirit Park. When I last visited for the popular Bare Buns Fun Run Marathon this summer, I could not ignore the rising floors of Tower #1 already insinuating itself into the view of beachgoers. Nor could I ignore recent slides of unstable material from the bluffs that are indicative of the need for caution.

I question the necessity to site these buildings just where they are. Obviously, they give superlative views to the students who will live there and probably will make the UBC a prime choice among potential students . . . but at what cost? The buildings are inappropriate and will destroy the nature of Wreck Beach and the adjoining shoreline areas.

I am also extremely concerned about the environmental impacts of these buildings and the seemingly lack of any addressing of this issue by the university. In fact, there seems to be little or no public discussion on these impacts from the university side and one must ask 'why?' when the initial decision to go ahead was made in spite of strenuous objections from many quarters. The UBC is a construct of the people and I would expect that the spirit of academic freedom and discourse would apply in any impacts the university would have on the community it services . . . the people of British Columbia, Vancouver and the untold thousands of international visitors each year.

I am one of those international visitors and I spend a lot of money in the recreational activities that abound in the Greater Vancouver area . . . including the pristine shorelines like Wreck Beach that lead to hours of relaxation from a busy day in the glass towers of downtown Vancouver. What is needed is preservation of the beautiful scenery and wild areas we already have . . . not a diminishment of them.

I would hope that the University of British Columbia would reconsider the height and siting of these buildings; perhaps re-siting back from the bluffs or reducing the overall height with a view toward minimizing the visual impact from the beaches below.

UBC is a public institution and has an ethical obligation to be up-front and above-board in all its' dealing with the public . . . which means when a citizen asks questions about the process, the studies, the impacts; the university would answer those questions honestly, completely and with due haste. The University of British Columbia is a world-class university in a world-class city known for it's breath-taking natural views within city limits. Please don't destroy this legacy.

Therefore, I respectfully ask that reconsideration be given to the long-term effects these buildings will have on the perception of international visitors to the gorgeous Greater Vancouver area and everything this world-class setting stands for.

Respectfully,

(Your full name and address if you want to be taken seriously)

Sunlight Robbery: A Critical Study of the UK Health Policy on Sunbathing

Some interesting light reading for those of you who enjoy getting out onto the beach and working on your tan. The author of this study is highly critical of the UK Ministry of Health's policy recommendations to the public on sun exposure; arguing that the policy is based on the SunSmart program that was developed for the Australian counterpart and that people in the northern lattitudes just do not get enough sun.

The author even goes so far as to suggest that sunbathing in the nude is that healthful approach and should be practiced . . . an endoresment for the naturist lifestyle, in a way.

The study is 47 pages long in a PDF format. You can download it here, or by clicking the title link. Maybe you should read it this weekend while we crisp our skins at Sauvies . . .

2) Regular sunbathing needed for optimum health
The SunSmart campaign fails to explain that regular sun exposure is needed in summer in the British Isles so that vitamin D stores may be replenished after the winter. Vitamin D levels in people living in the British Isles are generally low and sun exposure is of vital importance to maintain these levels. Some 80-90% of our vitamin D comes from the sun.

Exposure of the naked body to the sun for 20 minutes (10 minutes each side) at midday in midsummer in the UK will provide maximum vitamin D synthesis. Less time should be spent in the sun if there is any baking or burning sensation. People with very fair skins may be able to tolerate only five minutes (or less on first exposure) in the midday sun in the UK. Nevertheless such brief exposure is important for them and will generate a substantial amount of vitamin D. Under optimum conditions longer than 20 minutes exposure will not produce any more vitamin D.

In fact optimum conditions for vitamin D synthesis are seldom achieved in the UK because of cloud cover. To obtain good exposure of the skin to UV light and obtain good vitamin D synthesis (while taking care to avoid any baking or burning sensation) longer than half an hour will often need to be spent in the sun in the UK. These facts should be addressed in a public health programme concerned with sunlight.

. . .

Part 2: Vitamin D and chronic disease
Sceptics may find it difficult to believe that the many diseases listed below can all be influenced by deficiency of just one ‘vitamin’. In fact vitamin D is different from many other vitamins. Although vitamin D has become known as a vitamin through its discovery in food, most of our supply comes from sunlight rather than food. Actually vitamin D is better described as a steroid hormone. Vitamin D is now known to have many effects other than those on bone and is synthesised at numerous sites throughout the body in many tissues and organs.

. . . and the study goes on to examine the effects of Vitamin D deficiency on:

• Nervous system diseases including not only schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis but bipolar disorder, autism, Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Diabetes type 1 and 2
• Obesity and weight control
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Muscle weakness and balance
• Cardiovascular disease and heart failure
• Cancers, Psoriasis and Infections (Vitamin D boosts immune system response)
• Polycystic ovary disease, menstrual problems and fertility
• Crohn’s and other inflammatory bowel diseases
• Bone disease: Rickets, osteomalacia, osteoporosis
• Dental decay

Well, well, well. Who knew that prancing about naked in the sun was actually so good for you? LOL

Barclay Creek Nude Sunning

The view of Baring Mountain as we approach the trailhead of the Barclay Lake Trail

Another one of those sunny early afternoons and the itching to get out somewhere and enjoy the sun naked. It was just by chance that I turned off Highway 2 at the FS 6024 sign in Baring just to see what nude hiking possibilities were to be had. A Wednesday and I figured that I might have a chance to have a new trail to myself. I stopped in the middle of the road just to take the above picture and met my first car coming back the other way with two little old ladies just back from an early morning hike. Good thing I wasn't already naked and standing there in the middle of the road . . . they came upon me completely by surprise . . . LOL

At the trailhead there was already two other SUVs . . . one with four days worth of daily passes (jeez, they could of bought an annual pass for the cost of four daily passes). The other car was likewise . . . a couple of days worth of passes displayed, so these were campers, due back today. Well, I'd never been to Barclay Lake so why not give it a try.

First, the obligatory posing in front of the trailhead sign along with my ever-present cup of coffee.

Then I started on down the trail into dark and cool cover. Fifty feet or so in and I heard another car pulling into the trailhead above. Too popular. Barclay Lake would have to wait for another day. I found my short and pulled them on before entering the parking area; said my 'hellos' to the couple and dog. I'd just have to find somewhere else where I could be undisturbed for a few hours.

Driving back I passed a couple of ruts of an old road heading towards Barclay Creek. I pulled over, figuring on a least investigating. I stripped as soon as I was a few feet down the overgrown road. It went in perhaps a hundred feet, terminating at a berm and fallen tree. A few messy fire rings and numerous beer cans. I continued, hearing the creek not far away. It was just the other side of the berm down a scramble of river-bourne boulders.

The lazy creekbed from Barclay Lake

I love cold, crisp alpine creeks and streams cascading down mountainsides . . . but the lowland streams I'm kind of abivalent about. Down here in the foothills leading up to the Cascades (we're around 700-800 ft) it feels different. Of course, it is. The air is heavier . . . there is a stillness about it, as if just hanging about. Far different from the higher elevations I like to hike.

But, it is interesting and I'm quite alone to amble about in the almost dry streambed . . . stepping from exposed, dry rock to rock. It is extremely sunny, too. The stream an open space. So I'm getting lots of sun. I keep thinking to myself, 'Gee, I'm kinda exposed here in the middle of the creek and I'm not really that far from the trailhead parking area and the trail that leads off east to the lake that feeds this creek.' What is really wierd is that there is little bug problem where I expected there to be a major problem (water, warmth, etc.). The bugs just ain't bugging me at all.

Lot's of locations to just sit on a fallen tree trunk and soak in the sun.

Upstream and downstream is just more of the same so I settle of a tangle of storm-piled timber to spend the afternoon laying out on. Some of the tree trunks are three feet or more in diameter, a testament to the force these creeks can attain during the rainy seasons. For now, it is tranquil and the sun is bright and warm.

Posing with Baring Mountain in the background to the east

A closer, zoom-in on the rugged granite peak of Baring Mountain

Location: Just east of milepost 41 at Baring on Highway 2 (13 miles east of Goldbar), take a left on Forest Service road 6024 over the BN RR tracks and straight past a few house. Continue on FS 6024, snaking in and out of the BPA clearcut and then into forest, At 4.3 miles you will reach the trailhead for the Barclay Lake trail. 200 feet short of this is a disused vehicle track to the left, heading down toward the creek.