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Safety
O.K. let's talk about your safety while you're at CJC2001.
First, of course, watch your acrylic! Never ever leave it exposed to the tiniest glimpse of sunlight! I've seen many things with burn holes in them, 'couse people left an acrylic lying on it. It ranges from whisps of smoke from the half dry grass lawn (although it has come in handy when lighting the 'nice' kind of grass) to an air mattress that now can't hold air anymore.
Then there are some other things; Water, Sun Screen, and Insect Repellent!
If you are coming from up North, I cannot stress the first two enough. Especially Water! The Camp has 'potable' water throughout. Merchants will be selling bottled water, fruit drinks, possibly 'Gatorade.' Baron Siggy, will have tasty fluids available, throughout the day. Please, Please, take advantage of these things, or bring in what you desire, but Keep Yourself Hydrated!!! It would break my heart to have one of you fall out on me, cause you drank only soda or beer all day, and we had to call an ambulance, for a case of heat stroke, or heat exhaustion. Tampa's a 'tourist city' so I see it happen a lot. Trust me on this one people, at least 4 pints throughout the day, and drink before you're thirsty.
Sun Screen. As contact jugglers this presents a problem. "Greasy @!#$ on my hands? No Way" I understand.
Fortunately, much of this camp is covered by an envelope of heavy tree cover, but if you go down by the lake, pay attention to your time out there. If you decide at some point to go swimming, (I'm checking on hiring a Lifeguard.) than Please put some sort of waterproof sun block on. The reflection off the water, combined. Will Hurt You, if you are not used to this climate, and how close to the equator you are, and it's much better to have some greasy @!#$ on your arms, until you feel like washing it off than to have your skin burnt so bad, it hurts just to move, let alone roll a ball over it. Then, after you've suffered with it for a couple days, you start to peel, which sends these disgusting, little, 'rooster tails' of dead
skin flying up behind the ball, when you do a back arm roll. :-p All-in-all, you just don't want to go there!! So please be aware of your time out in the open, and be aware that on a sunny day in Florida, (or even an overcast day) turning your skin 3 shades of red can happen in the space of an hour, if your not careful. They don't call us the 'Sunshine State' for nothing.
Insect Repellent. During the day you shouldn't need it. The heat keeps them in the deep scrub (read ticks and mosquitoes) But when night falls they come out with a vengeance, depending on the weather, (mainly the mosquitoes.) The camp has a regular pest control program, that keeps the ticks down to a bare minimum, but check your scalp and other 'hot spots' when you shower though, cause ya never know.
Ticks, set my teeth on edge, and I have found that eating a meal with garlic in it, (as well as a couple beers after dinner) will usually give them a bad taste in their mouth once they've landed on you, and will just drop off as soon as they can. Feast Saturday night will have 'roasted garlic' as a spread on crackers or bread. Once it's roasted it no longer has that 'garlic bite' and it doesn't leave a powerful odor on your breath, but it still works as a good insect repellent once it gets into your system, and I suggest you par-take in it. This works well for mosquitoes as well, but after years of 'partying' at camp sites around Florida, I swear, some of them actually enjoy biting intoxicated people, regardless of what they ate for dinner, and will seek you out.
Mosquitoes, will bite you. It's just a fact of Florida. No amount of pest control will stop these things after the sun sets. There will be a bond fire lite Saturday night, that will help greatly for those near it, but they're still gon'a get ya somewhere, somehow. The amount of times you get bit, will depend on whether or not your wearing repellent. Once again, as contact jugglers, putting something on your skin just doesn't sit well. (Actually there are some products that have no adverse effect on the ball 10 mins after application.) After years of camping in Florida, I just, kind of, ignore the mosquitoes.
That's the night time insects. Now for the daytime ones, and no skin repellent will stop these, if you encounter them. Wasps and Ants, and Spiders
Ants. Let me make this perfectly clear to anyone not familiar with Floridian Fire Ants. These Things are Everywhere! They do not bother you unless you bother them, which usually entails, stepping on a mound and stupidly standing there. I say 'stupidly' because anyone who has lived here for more than a month has found out the hard way what a Fire Ant Mound looks like, and we just go about our business while subconsciously stepping around them. If you're not familiar with them than it's a case of being un-informed. You can stand a foot away from a mound and be just fine, or you can step right on top of one and continue walking, and they won't catch you, but step on one and stand there for more than 3 seconds, and these things will be all over your foot and calf, up your pant leg and down your sock, and you will Not be a happy camper. Floridians tend to just keep an eye out for the tell-tale signs of a colony, and avoid them. I will be happy to point out a mound to those unfamiliar with these little bastards, but I would ask that any Floridians who happen to notice one of our Northern guests, getting too close, please point it out. Fire Ant venom is roughly the same chemical composition as any wasp or bee venom, so once again, if you're allergic let us know, watch where you're stepping, and wear shoes. After dark they usually head for deep ground, so they usually aren't a problem at night.
Spiders. We have Black Widows, Brown Widows, and Brown Recluses here in Tampa, (even in the City Proper.) There shouldn't be Any problem concerning this, but just don't stick your hand anywhere that you can't look into first, and see that there's something living in that crawlspace, remember you're at a campsite. Exerciser some common sense and caution (don't leave you shoes outside at night).
As for the rest of Florida's 'Wild Life' it is very doubtful you will encounter any of our poisonous snakes at 'Keystone,' but if you're walking down a trail and you do in fact hear a fast rattling sound, just back up quickly, and let someone on staff know where you encountered it, so someone can take steps to have it removed to deeper woods.
Oh, Yes. Alligators. Every out-of-towners big Florida highlight. If you don't get to see an alligator while you're here, I apologize. I know, they are rather popular. You can usually find one, (or many) in any out of the way, lake or pond. Provided that it's not a swimming lake or pond which Keystone's is. Places like Keystone have them removed as soon as they are noticed. Remember, Keystone is a summer camp for children, and although alligators are much more scared of us, than we are of them, (**There are exceptions to that rule.**) The alligator is at the top of it's, food chain, and a 2 year old wearing a flotation device looks a lot like a big turtle. So I seriously doubt you will see one at the convention itself. If you do go looking for one on your way in, or while you're here. Please Don't Feed the Thing. Feeding an alligator is Illegal! For a Good reason. By allowing that alligator to associate food, with a human being, you will create one of those 'exceptions!' More important than not getting busted, you may very well be saving a child's life, cause you exercised some control about feeding a little 2 foot male, that will someday grow up to be 15 feet, and we really prefer to not have those 'exceptions' down here, thank you very much. If you do happen across a big gator' hanging out on the edge of a pond, don't be stupid. That reptile has got you beat by a long shot. A big gator can move across land at 35mph, and yes, they can come out of the water, and onto land, just as quickly, so unless you can run faster than Carl Lewis, I suggest you keep your distance. If a big gator has not bolted away from you when you encounter it, than you either have a female protecting a nest nearby, or you have an 'exception.' In either case, you are placing yourself in a Bad situation.
Now I hope I haven't scared anyone off, from attending CJC, but I also don't want to see anyone injured by something that they were unfamiliar with, or unprepared for. We're still gon'a have one, kick ass time at this, and being informed about what Floridians often pay attention to subconsciously, will only make your visit that much more enjoyable.