There was
not a cloud in the sky, it was going to be a hot day with temperatures
anticipated to be around a hundred degrees. The heavy dose for the morning
was number fifteen sunscreen. The Bus barn is located in the southern end
of the Willamette Valley where the western side of the United States experiences
very arid summers, even for rainy Oregon. The only precipitation is that
from the summer fog off the ocean that teases the coastal valleys. We were
too far inward to get that benefit.
George eased
the International Harvester onto the country road toward the ninety degree
left turn past the adjacent farm. There is a corral next to the road with
quarter horses that follow the Bus a few hundred yards to the next curve.
The juxaposition of those beautiful horses and the Bus with its cacaphony
of music and voices emanating from the sound system gets the horses riled
in a jolly way. George laying on the ahhhh oooogggahhh horn is what really
gets their attention. We're off... finally. But we need to stop for gas.
Juke times the pit stop and is amazed it lasted under thirty minutes with
Babbs getting a ride back to the farm to get his forgotten trombone.
Conde's is where the Whee2 Festival is located. It's an
old lumber yard about twenty miles north of Eugene on Route 5. We cruised
past the festival getting a nice buzz from the scene of tents and flags.
George pulled into a dusty entrance where we were greeted by our hosts
in a colorful Jeep with bumpers made from the bark of a tree. 
We assembled the tubing on top of the Bus that would
support the large painting Kesey created a few hours ago. The painting
was stretched onto the tube and tied down using dayglo zip ties and tape.
The Bus now in full-tilt-boogie mode was ready for its grand entrance into
the festival.
Heads to the
left of us, heads to the right of us. Louis Armstrong streaming from the
speakers, Newt the Nutcracker streaming down the middle; Kesey's mellow
jargon streaming like the banners streaming on top; 
Babbs,
Phil and Juke streaming over the sound system adding confusion streaming
from the Bus to nonplus anyone with hearing range of Zane in the Thunder
Machine streaming sonic riffs over the noise of George driving through
the middle of Whee2 like he was leading the parade of cars at Indy 
streaming within inches of vendors booths. The crowd
paying tribute as one of the greatest images of Americn Icon eased its
way to stage left directly in front of Dennis Peron's booth. Dennis Peron,
running for Governor of California on the Republican ticket, is a San Franciscan
who is also on the front line of the medical marijuana movement.s!
At precisely 4:20
right on time, Kesey, Babbs and Phil and a large entourage of compatriots
marched from the bus to the stage. Kesey made the Festival crowd take a
pledge. WE WILL NOT SMOKE THEIR MEDICAL MARIJUANA! Obviously or
not so obviously intending it to be obvious to the sick and dying and obviously
or not so obviously intending it to be not so obvious to those heads shaking
in bewilderment as their faces mouth the pledge but no time for wondering
for the Merry Band of Pranksters backed by lithesome lovely lasses boogying
to the backup beat, Bozos ripping to the core alongside, what ho a saxbozo
bro joining the Jazzbozo bro on the bozobone accompanying the lively lyrics
of the ban the bullet hit song: "You'll never take our guns away,
oh no, oh no," let everyone have one, but ha ha ha, no bullets!
The stage
was set. To the screams of the millions of minions the Bozos (we're all
Bozos on this bus) exited the stage with a promise to return later for
another greater show in toto entirety, replete with costumes! Meanwhile,
a whole afternoon of fun and pranks were waiting to be had by all.
Approaching
a group of seekers who were sitting on an indian blanket, I inquired about
that stuff they were imbibing. They graciously invited me to partake and
I stooped down to join them. I stood up and said "thank you very nice"
and walked away. About ten feet later, my legs turned rubbery and and my
mind went fuuuurrrrrtttttthhhhhheeeerrrrrr...
Thank you very nice.
-- R We Really?
Click on the bus for more from the Whee2 Festival
with the Merry Pranksters.
Click the BACK button in your browser to return to from where you came.