MHVTA
Mid-Hudson Valley Transgender Association
New York,USA

- Rainbow Mountain Weekend -
Report By Edie - May 8,2003

You're roving reporter with a little blurb about last weekend at Rainbow Mountain.

Arrived on Thursday, a day before the official start, and got dressed for dinner. Casual, since there were no activities. There were about 10 of our people, old acquaintances. After dinner went to the lounge for Bingo. There were all of about 15 people playing, and I won a candle. Turned in early.

Friday, continental breakfast, hanging out chatting, then prep for the wine and cheese meet and greet. I wore an afternoon tea kind of outfit as we welcomed the new arrivals. We had a pretty good turnout this year and a lot of my old buds showed up. Went to dinner with them, then went back to my room to change for the big drag show; I wanted to wear something draggy. This was Miss Olivia's (Rainbow Mountain's resident drag queen) farewell performance. Miss Olivia / Frank has left the Mountain to be the dining room manager at a mainstream Poconos resort, and there were a lot of misty eyes. Miss Olivia did a great performance and introduced "her daughter," who did a couple of numbers. Also performing was Anita Man from Ithaca, NY. A couple of the guests also performed. Afterwards, went to the karaoke lounge until closing.

Saturday, breakfast, hanging out and chatting, then prep for the afternoon field trip. We went to a preview showing at a downtown Stroudsburg art gallery, in a school bus, chaperoned by Anita Man. Wine and cheese at the gallery and chatting with the artists. The subject of the show was the Delaware water gap. After about an hour we were getting bored, and it was suggested that we go to a vintage clothing store down the street. So we walked a block to that store. Nice 50s and 60s stuff, but this person wasn't going to fit them. I looked at a couple of handbags and was thinking, "If there was just a stanky old Lifesaver covered with tobacco in the bottom, this could have been my mother's."

We walked back to our yellow school bus. We then went to the Country Kettle, a collectibles, candles, and candy store. We bought lots of things there! I bought about 10 pounds of candy for my big kid at home. We went back to the Mountain and I changed for dinner.

Dinner was a disaster. Frank's absence was showing. The place was packed and it took us 3 hours to get through dinner. We had to change dinner orders because they were running out of the specials and no dessert. Went to the disco; could only take about 10 minutes of the non-stop techno, then went to the karaoke lounge. Turned in before closing because I had to travel on Sunday (I'm writing this in Kingsland, GA).

Sunday morning, turn back into myself, had breakfast with friends, and headed for home.

I often meet someone new and interesting this trip it was Daniella from Connecticutt. She was very funny in an offbeat way, and very femme. This was her first outing, and I think she left her room only for dinner.

We had some drama this year: a peeping tom in the cabin area, someone was knocking at a friends cabin at 3:30 to tell her she left her key in the lock, and police were called for a fight on the lodge steps (not our people).

MHVTA was well represented: me, Whendy, Tammie and Anitra. Also, Helen and Betty were there. I had a delightful time.

Regards,
Edie