A Brief Con Report:

For the weekend of April 24-28, 2014, we OzFoxes (Robert & Margaret Carspecken) were invited to be the artist Guests of Honor at the Wild Night's Furry Convention, held at Robbers Cave State Park near Wilburton, OK in the Southeastern Oklahoma Ozarks.

Wild Nights is one of three furry camping conventions currently running each year (two in the U.S., one in Canada), so we looked forward to enjoying a unique convention experience! The theme this year was "Wild Nights in Sherwood Forest," so how could any dedicated Robin Hood fan resist the invitation to partake?!

We spent the weekend among 301 fun and friendly people. Our lodgings were at the comfortable Belle Starr Lodge, a short distance from the camping part of the outdoors weekend. The park itself was worth the trip for all the incredible scenery, and the merry company made it all the more enjoyable. Kitchen staff members like "Pan-Pan" took excellent care of us, making sure we had plentiful food and beverage.

Being a camping con, there were few traditional convention venues such as a Dealer's Den, but an impromptu "Artists' Alley" appeared each day in the Mess Hall where we and other vendors could display our wares. We enjoyed seeing the work of other talented artists and watching them create.

Some of the con attendees, including several on-staff, were fellow members of the Society of Creative Anachronisms (SCA). With activities like archery practice and storytelling around a late-night bonfire, we felt right at home!

The weekend was not without a few glitches, as is typical of any camping-related outing. A freezer in the mess hall chose to conk out, leaving the kitchen staff frantically moving frozen goods to the walk-in icebox while handing out free ice cream novelties to all comers so the goodies wouldn't go to waste. (What can be more fun at a camping event than messily devouring a half-melted ice cream drumstick?) At one of the evening bonfires, we witnessed the demise of two beautiful Luna moths who chose to go kamikaze directly into the flames. While the weather was beautiful, Sunday evening included a hail-laden deluge as a massive storm front moved through--fortunately after a group had finished playing "Werewolf!" And oddly, Veriozn's cell phone and data services were non-existant south of Muskogee - a 'glitch' that some may have found quite worthwhile!

All in all, we were made to feel very welcome, and we are grateful to the staff and to all the attendees for their good humor and hospitality. We didn't know a camping con could be this much fun!