With the warm weather we've been having, this has reminded me of one of my more well-developed fantasies: Camp Poplar.
What is heaven like? If you think about it you will find that your idea of heaven is really just a slice of life in the current world. I thnk of heaven as having different channels. Anyway
In The Air:
I had been making handmade games, mostly traditional, originally made from oak, and had done Internet searches for this sort of thing.
I developed a respect for the older, live/tactile types of entertainment.
I used to work, and I would dream of instead sitting in the sun on a nearby tiny hill at the Forks Market in Winnipeg, reading a nice
science fiction book. I had been reading about science fiction literature.
I was playing a lot of soccer for a time. We would cycle all the way to St. Vital Park, play some exhausting soccer, then cycle all the way back. I would be thirsty for drinks, including my beloved exotic non-alcoholic drinks. Our social life often involved going to Chinese restaurants. I also watched endless World Cup games on VHS.
At elfwood.com, where amateurs post fantasy artwork, I saw a picture of four elves in trees. One had a
knife, another was reading a book, one was eating an apple while another was talking. That stirred something in me.
Camp Poplar is a misnomer. In the south there is a wooded area, with a campground and a kids camp farther out. The core of Camp Poplar is a park. Think of Assiniboine Park in the Interlake region, not in a city. There is a lot of greenery, bike trails, open spaces and a pavilion. To the east there is a zoo and a conservatory and golf, with more woods farther out. On the west face of the park there is a beach. To the north it gets more urban, with stores and eating places much like the Forks, as well as some outdoor sports facilities, at least a skate park and tennis court. A river? You could get to and from Camp Poplar via a steam train ride.
The fun of the Camp Poplar fantasy is figuring out all the different things that one could do, from the normal to the novel, organised and otherwise.
Themed days include Classy Thursday, Folky Friday, Party Saturday (ideal rock/pop concerts), Super Sunday (sports) and Movie Monday.
wine tasting
looks like a nice day for a potluck
Grand Beach.
Birds Hill Park
a skaggle of skunks
Cricket in Assiniboine Park, with the pavilion in the background. There is a stage next to the pavilion, and they have ballet in the park as well as Shakespeare in the park.
Some more Assiniboine Park. When I was a teenager I used to endlessly cycle through the bike trails. And now you know why.
The Winnipeg Folk Festival in Bird's Hill Park, which I've never been to. Not my thing.
a hammock at the Winnipeg Folk Festival
a great statue in Butchart gardens in B.C.
Some archery at camp. Even better would be horseback riding.
I wonder if they provide pizza.
They have fireworks at The Forks every once in a while, as shown here. They have a baseball stadium next to the Forks, among other things.