Wednesday, May 4, 2011

I hope you like tie-dye

When you read about Eugene, Oregon, there are 6 things most often mentioned. The homeless, the rain, the University of Oregon Ducks, the tax-free shopping, the marijuana (best place to grow in the USA after Humboldt County, California) and the hippies.
Ahhhh, the hippies.

Now, I come from BC and have spent some time in places around the province where hippies are known to thrive - Whistler, Salt Spring Island, Nelson, Creston. I've even been called a hippie myself on occasion. Granted, I own a djembe or two, and used to frequent full moon drum circles back in the day. I wore birkenstocks for at least two solid straight years (with wool socks underneath during the winter season) and still go for long long (longer even than hockey playoff season) periods of time without shaving my legs or armpits. I even used to make picture frames and sell them at Saturday markets, alongside the devil sticks, jars of honey, homemade jewelry and tie-dyed wall hangings. And, in order to spare my poor parents who do read this blog, I am pleading the fifth on discussing any history of marijuana smoking.

But, nothing-oh-nothing, could have prepared me for our walk through the Eugene Saturday Market, located just outside the back door of the hotel. It was as if I'd been catapulted through a timewarp, landing in San Francisco in the late 60's amongst an entire commune of Deadheads, all either trying to make a living by dying clothing, or not trying to make a living at all.
In fact, these Grateful Dead originals are all mostly from California and are the original hippies. When San Francisco began to change, grow and develop, these hippies migrated north to a quieter Oregon to live in peace amongst the trees.

Here's a taste of the Eugene Saturday Market through my eyes.

For the hippie baby in your life...

You totally know she's going for Toby's Tofu Pate.
More tie-dye anyone?

The younger generation... the back of his jacket says something about his grass being naturally greener. These two REEKED of pot.
Let sleeping dogs lie? I'm afraid of the big bad wolf? More likely, you'll huff and you'll puff and you'll get really high.
Ohhh, more tie-dye. Anyone?
Right down to your knickers!
Tie-dye?
And, again, for the little one, in case you missed that last booth.....
Doing something a little different here....
Nahhh, not really. It's still tie-dye.
How about some tie-dye?

And, for a change....
(I think it's Jerry Garcia himself actually.)
It's such an esoteric world.
Kinda fun!
Kinda done....
(Yikes. That is the result of the collision of a couple of different worlds right there.)


The one entire corner of the block was devoted to the loiterers and their music. A large drum circle played on through the afternoon....
(And yet another odd combination of style. Look, are you a gang member or are you a hippie? Make up your mind. You can't be both.)



Unfortunately I had to stare straight at this. And had trouble concentrating on the soothing repetition of the drumming.
Ick. I wanted to say "Turn the hell around! Can't you feel your ass crack exposed to the wind? Can't you feel the tightness of your pants HALFWAY down your ass?"
Instead I took a picture and walked away.

And I'm soooo not a Harry Potter fan, but even I recognized a youthful Gandalf when I saw him!

Wow...makes you almost feel high just from the years of fumes blowing through this place, doesn't it??
I don't know about you, but all I can see behind these eyelids is this....
Tie-dye?

8 comments:

Alissa said...

Oh Jodi, it breaks my heart to have to tell you this but Gandolf is from Lord of the Rings, not Harry Potter. The Harry Potter wizard dude is Dumbledore. :-) LOL

the rural rube said...

LMAO Alissa!! Seeeeee....I told you that I'm sooo not a Harry Potter fan. Apparently not much of a Lord of the Rings fan either.
I knew I can always count on you, my dear Potterite. (and I was actually hoping to impress you. damn.)

(Sulli and Tess just informed me matter-of-factly that Gandalf is, "of course!", from Lord of the Rings and laughed when I said that I thought he was from Harry Potter. Duhhhhh!!!)

Brenda said...

Ahhhh, the memories. And to think, this is only a very small sampling of what we saw.

Wished you'd have been able to capture a video of the 3 womyn 'band' and the drugged up guy doing his interpretive dance. That was priceless.

the rural rube said...

KIlling myself laughing at your use of "womyn" !!!!! LMAO!! Yes, they certainly were womyn. and you know I'm impartial to the Doc Marten boots and , you, to the accordian.
It IS too bad we didn't think to pull out the camera at that point. I think we were still in friggin' SHOCK of what we were seeing and weren't thinking clearly.

Alissa said...

Well, I feel it is my duty, as a Potterite, to educate the world about Harry Potter! Oh and I totally think that guy's wizard hat rocks and I want one just like it. We have a large hippie population here too. lol If your bored google Eeyore's Birthday Party Austin Texas sometime.

Alissa said...

ps. Brandon's watching the Canuaks (My Texas ass had to google that to make sure I spelled it right.) game right now so it made me think of you. He asked if you were there.

the rural rube said...

Totally giggling at your spelling of the Canucks. It's CanuCks you rube..even after googling it... lol

Tell Brandon to cheer loud for my 'nucks and I only wish that I was there. It's definitely on!!!

Alissa said...

LOL Well in my defense it's all google's fault. Google that spelling and if you just IGNORE the part that says DO YOU MEAN CANUCKS it looks like it was spelled my way cause pages come up with that spelling. LOL There was a facebook page too! (which i checked out just now and 1 person has liked it. lol) I am a horrible speller and I totally thought it looked off but i guess not everything on the internet is correct. heehee

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