Drowning Rat 07

michaelmcqueary — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 19:24:34 GMT

Anybody else notice it's almost May?
Who's all going this year?
Chef and the Demon Spawn will be there, not sure what day yet, depends, if I'm not working early in the week, if I find a job before then, late Friday.
And do I have the date right? May 18-20

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

Drowning Rat 06

slagrat — Thu, 11 May 2006 04:16:26 GMT

WHEN: Friday-Sunday, May 19-21

WHERE: Black Canyon Campground, about 20 miles east of Eugene
I-5 to Highway 58 (just south of Eugene)
Highway 58 East towards Oakridge
Past a couple reservoirs
There is a brown campground sign 1/4 mile before turnoff
If you hit Oakridge, you've gone about 10 mi. too far
Aim for the camp spots in the first loop by the river (around
#19 I think?)
If change of plans: look for note on bulletin board at entrance

BRING: Booze
Tools
Foods to eat & foods to share
Cooking gear
Tarps, easy-ups, rain-proof shade structures if you wanna
(Chef can't bring them this year)
Tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat
Rain gear to wear, warm clothes for night, layered clothes
Towels

Anybody got hemp twine for rat building?
FIREWOOD - not sure I can bring everyone's firewood this year
Dry newspaper, kindling
Lengths of fabric, costuming of any mad sort
Makeup too
Performance or ritual props
If you don't wanna get naked in the hot springs, bring
something to wear

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

RAT Revolution

slagrat — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 08:18:07 GMT

I've decided to lead a revolt against the dark forces of the damnable and hideous R.A.T. dominion and the evil dictatorship of the nefarious Rat Princess... Ha Ha!

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

2005 Drat photos

slagrat — Fri, 03 Jun 2005 21:56:03 GMT

http://infinityeight.net/pages/Drowning_Rat.html

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

Departure for Black Canyon

michaelmcqueary — Mon, 16 May 2005 21:33:36 GMT

Well it is almost time once again children to return to that spot in the forest where we drown the rat!

Who is leaving when?

I'll be leaving sometime Thursday afternoon and should be setup by 0:dark30ish.

posted in Drowning Rat - 3 replies

Frequesntly Unaskked Questionitas - details/directions here

magdalen — Tue, 17 May 2005 05:50:34 GMT

DROWNING RAT IV: Rats in Space

The breathlessly-anticipated sequel to "Drowning Rat," "Drowning Rat II: Bride of the Rat," and "DRat III: International Rat Frenzy."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS v 2.7849
www.drowningrat.com
moderated/semi-secret d-rat Tribe: www.tribe.net
MAILING LIST: drowningrat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
prepared by The Rat Princess, a.k.a. Lady Miss White Girl T.
ratprincess@drowningrat.com

0. "Rats in Space"? What the fuck is that?
Uhhhhhhhh, well, like, I just now made it up, so I'm not sure it's entirely relevant. But I think it means we should blast a rat over the moon in a rocket. Paint glo-stars on all of Chef's tents. Have stars in our eyes. Bring on the LIGHT SABERS!

1. What is Drowning Rat?
DRat is a couple people going camping and having a little ritual to drown a giant rat we make out of sticks & moss. Natural hot springs a 15-minute drive away...Maybe some pirate songs around the campfire or another bigfoot sighting or another movie theatre in the woods. Who knows?

2. What can I expect from the holy and wholly mysterious spiritual pilgrimage that is Drowning Rat?
- friday & saturday: build rat, drink, eat, complain about weather.
- saturday afternoon: build rat out of locally-occurring, all-natural substances. dress up funny. do the Rat Ritual. DROWN THE RAT.
- sat evening: Fancy-Ass Feast. please bring food to share in a delicious potluck fashion & some fancy things to wear over your Gore-Tex and black leather.
- sunday: pack up, go hang out in the hot springs, leave. unless you wanna stay an extra day...

3. Uh, is it really a spiritual pilgrimage?
That would be telling.

4. Can I be part of the ritual and the drowning?
Yuh-huh. We are expecting it, in fact. Bring tools & gloves for rat-making. Invent a short-short performance or ritual of your own to do publicly, or plan to do a private ritual yourself, infusing the Rat with some symbolic baggage you need to get rid of. Bring strange decorative and costuming elements. Or not. Whatever.

4. Is it silly or is it serious?
Yes.

5. Is it okay if I only come for part of it?
Sure. Saturday is kinda the big day. We have to check out of the campground Sunday by noon (after which we usually go to McCredie Hot Springs just east of Oakridge for a dip).

6. Can I bring my really hyperactive friend with the really poor social skills who likes to get really loud and naked as often as possible and who can't hold his drink -- you know, the guy who thinks everywhere is Burning Man Center Camp?
No.

7. Oh. Well, can I invite someone else?
Yeah, sure.

8. Can I post information about Drowning Rat to public email lists, Tribe, etc.?
I'd rather we didn't spread the date/place around publicly anymore.

9. So what's the sekrit location and date?
DATES: May 20-22. 2005.
LOCATION: It's at a regular old US Forest Service campground. Around $10/night per vehicle for camping fees; we can share campsites, but they limit the number of cars (2 per campsite) and the additional vehicle has to pay a fee. BRiNG CaSH or CHecKs FoR THiS. After you come in & park, walk to the front of the campground and pay in the envelopes provided. This will endear us to the camp hosts, as opposed to them having to come ask for money.

BLACK CANYON CAMPGROUND
I-5 to Eugene
Highway 58 East toward Oakridge
(a.k.a. Willamette Highway)
About 30-40 miles up, you'll see sign for
Black Canyon campground;
about 10 miles west of Oakridge.
Take immediate left into campground

Turn right into the campground and wander around 'til you hit a very sharp left -- at this point, the campground road is close to the river. The very first campsite on the river (i think it's #19) is our main gathering spot. It is reserved for Chef -- this is where he oh-so-kindly sets up covered kitchens for everybody to use (yay chef!). And there is room for another vehicle to camp with Chef.

And then we usually just take the campsites nearby, sharing them with each other. If Normal People have taken over this area for some reason, just wing it and find someplace to camp.

10. What facilities exist at this place?
There are outhouses, outdoor cold water taps, trash, and small firepits w/ big grates on 'em. Chef brings tables, cooking utensils, pots & pans, and gas stoves. This is a USFS public campground. Super-loud music, wandering around naked, etc., may not go over so well. And it's usually cold anyway.

11. What do we do for firewood?
I'll bring a load courtesy of my parents, who live out in the woods near Eugene (yay mom and dad). But if you have access to wood, may as well bring some. We can share the main fire, or start your own fire if you want.... It would be great if you could bring a few newspapers and small dry kindling to share.

12. Can I chop up firewood in the campground?
Fuck no. We gently strip the (soggy and green) fallen branches from storms, and some moss and leaves, to make the Rat. That's as much stuff as we should steal from the forest.

13. What kinda weather is likely to happen?
Some grey skies, some rain, some cold, some sun. Definitely cold nights.

13. What should I bring?
NECESSARY: Cash for campground fees. Cold/wet weather camping gear & clothes. A chair or two. Towels. Flashlight. Food. A dish to share at the Saturday Feast. Plates/mess kit/utensils. Drink. Marshmallows.

OPTIONAL: Costumes, music-making things (acoustic preferred), fishing gear & licenses, your Drowning Rat t-shirt or hoodie from last year, rats!!!!, Rat-making tools & gear (work gloves or garden gloves are good for this), kindling, fingerpaints, newspaper, absurdly delicious food, fancy-ass-clothing, fire performance stuff, tarps, wine, red patent-leather stiletto-heeled fuck-me boots. Video cameras, cameras, if you'd like to document the madness.

14. What if I don't have the right camping gear?
Ask on the mailing list. Sometimes Chef & others supply big ol' tents for other people to sleep in.

15. What if I can't make it to Oregon this year? Can I drown a rat anyway?
Mais oui! Last year, par example, Sean O did his own beautiful rat ritual in the San Francisco Bay (photos ~ http://www.infinityeight.net/pages/Drowning_Rat_2004.html). Steve Fritz drowned a rat in his Portland bathtub (photos ~ http://members.aol.com/sfritz2994/temp/drat04.jpg).

And the New York contingent prepared a Chinatown Rat Book and drowned it in the East River (photos ~ http://www.gabbertoons.com/photoalbums/ramblinghistory/2004/05/drowningrat/index.html).

16. Is it true that the Rat Princesse is going to call Drowning Rat an "interdisciplinary art happening" for a grant application or college application or something, and write something solemn about it?
Fuck yeah! High-res photos and videos would be appreciated, if you guys have them.

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

website

slagrat — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 19:47:20 GMT

Hey Tiff

I've been trying to access the drowning rat website to no avail. Does it still exist? Is it simply just neglected? If you're having a problem hosting it, I can host it for you at no cost.

So are we gonna do this thing? If'n so, then I'll probably drive up with some folks this year.

SeanO

posted in Drowning Rat - 3 replies

photos

slagrat — Mon, 07 Mar 2005 20:20:52 GMT

View photos of 2002 and 2003 here:
http://www.infinityeight.net/pages/Drowning_Rat.html

posted in Drowning Rat - 0 replies

Drowning Rat's topics - tribe.net

Drowning Rat 07

Drowning Rat 06

RAT Revolution

2005 Drat photos

Departure for Black Canyon

Frequesntly Unaskked Questionitas - details/directions here

website

photos