We've decided to forego spring PDF this year in favor of getting in on the inauguration of a new burn just over the PA border at Four Quarters Farm (4qf.org): Wicker Man Burning, which happens the same weekend. After the bugs, rain and heat of last year's spring event, we almost didn't go back for fall PDF (my art grant changed all that). Fall was very nice, maybe nicer than is typical, so I figure we'll consider fall again, but for spring we're bailing.

Four Quarters Farm is 100 miles from the DC/Baltimore beltways. If you've been out to Western Maryland and driven through the Sidling Hill road cut (a geological delight of exposed folded rock) the hill is named after nearby Sidling Creek, which wraps around 4QF on three sides. Twist and I were there for Fires Rising in 2005 (GREAT event), plus we've visited again in the last few months when I was trying to encourage PDF to reconsider moving there.

Four Quarters Farm has:
* more hot showers in more locations
* nice bathrooms (rather than porta-johns)
* piped water throughout camp
* electricity so sound camps won't need to bring generators
* a stream with swimming holes surrounding the venue on 3 sides
* few flying bugs
* TREES to camp among as well as sunny spots
* a road loop for art cars
* some areas are flat, some are hilly, just like Transformus
* there's already a designated area for "adult" camps (Sin City) that has been used for other events and has the best swimming hole just adjacent
* sound problems SOLVED: If you've heard of Gaian Mind (www.gaian-mind.com/), a popular psytrance festival, this is the place where it happens (and there's another swimming hole by Sound Town)

Finally, word is that Wicker Man Burning will have one of the most impressive effigies outside of Burning Man, planned at 40' tall.

I know of a number of DC burners who are seriously thinking about trying the new burn (me and Twist, Sherri and Wil, Joel Traylor [JET], Tony and Christina, Candygirl, and more). Anyone else considering going? Got any questions?