We have written a number of times on this blog about the "lessons" our family has learned from our family pets. For one thing---rather obviously---they don't wear clothes and they do not seem the least bit bothered by it. They thrive! For another thing, our pets learned quickly that they should be wary of anytime that anyone in the family puts on clothes. It means we'll be leaving them alone soon and they "protest" by barking, even raising a paw of "protest" to keep us from getting dressed. You can read blog entries ( March 17, 2012 Lessons from the Family Pet ) and March 29, 2012 Staying Naked Makes Their Terrier Merrier
on those subjects.
Today the lesson is a little more serious. See, until now we have always had very, very clever pooches that are escape artists when it comes to the back yard. They were constantly looking for a way to dig under a fence, squeeze through a gate, even jump and use objects to get out of the yard and down the street. Very clever. But it also meant we could not simply let our pets roam in the backyard for fear they would soon be down the street generating a neighborly "complaint" or, worse, risk getting hit by a car.
In the past six months, however, we lost two pets to age and have a new, larger dog. He is content to enjoy his big backyard with nary an attempt to pull a jailbreak. True, there have been a couple of occasions where we left a gate open and he wandered. But day-in-day-out this hound is a good neighbor. Doesn't bark to disturb others. Doesn't press the limits of boundaries he shouldn't. As a result, we feel comfortable letting him enjoy ALL of that backyard, and with letting him out virtually any part of the day that he wants to be there.
What does any of this have to do in a nudist blog? It's about respecting boundaries. As nudists, when we are fortunate enough to have a beach or nudist club to enjoy, we help preserve---even increase---our nude freedoms when we use such places responsibly and encourage others to do so. Help clean up the beach. Report inappropriate behavior. Use sound judgment when encountered by others.
Do we mean that there's anything wrong with enjoying our nakedness? NOT AT ALL. No more than there is anything wrong with our family pooch enjoying his backyard. The problem(s) come(s) when folks attempt to "test" the limits of what they can get away with. [The Platypus is reminded of a time when a man sought legal advice after being cited for indecency on a beach. Turns out, in that particular situation the man had been walking the sands in an obvious state of arousal and was actually wearing a "device" specifically designed to "maintain" that state. Really???? ]
Those who abuse beach and club privileges are, of course, very much the minority. We know that Platypus readers are among those who work to make their "backyards" a better place. We just don't want the reputation of a few stray dogs to cost the nudist community more of the precious spaces that we enjoy.
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Moms Pamper Yourselves With A Little Naked Time
Congrats moms! This is your day. We celebrate the countless hours you put into making our next generation all that it will be. That's why we hope you can do something special today in your birthday suit just for you. A few ideas:
- Take a long relaxing bubble bath;
- Enjoy a glass of a very nice wine without wearing a stitch;
- Watch an entire movie in bed or the couch sans clothes;
- Curl up with a good book naked;
-Sunbathe in your back yard;
-Skip doing the laundry... the kids and dad can go naked too.
Happy mother's day from The Bare Platypus.
- Take a long relaxing bubble bath;
- Enjoy a glass of a very nice wine without wearing a stitch;
- Watch an entire movie in bed or the couch sans clothes;
- Curl up with a good book naked;
-Sunbathe in your back yard;
-Skip doing the laundry... the kids and dad can go naked too.
Happy mother's day from The Bare Platypus.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
Why Getting Naked is Big in Germany
There is a story out today on CNN about Why Getting Naked on Holiday is a Big Deal in Germany . The piece is quite interesting and provides a litany of information about present-day habits among German naturists, plus the history in the country which helps explain why it is popular to bare there. The story goes into some detail about the unity-in-nudity that occurred between East and West Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Bare Platypus has offered prior entries on this blog in which we speculate why nudity is so popular there, ( see the September 23, 2013 post that Germans Love Nudity ) as well as the meaning of the letters FKK ( March 23, 2012 post).
It was, frankly, nice to read a positive, comprehensive treatment of naturism on a mainstream news site today. One can only hope that folks who read this will give naked a try. The only unfortunate aspect of the piece is the author's observation that naturism may be on the wane a bit. That echos our understanding of some current trends. See Our Birthday Suits Not Made In China (April 22, 2012 post) where we discuss the possibility that the U.S. is "exporting" prude notions abroad to Europe including Croatia.
Bare Platypus has offered prior entries on this blog in which we speculate why nudity is so popular there, ( see the September 23, 2013 post that Germans Love Nudity ) as well as the meaning of the letters FKK ( March 23, 2012 post).
It was, frankly, nice to read a positive, comprehensive treatment of naturism on a mainstream news site today. One can only hope that folks who read this will give naked a try. The only unfortunate aspect of the piece is the author's observation that naturism may be on the wane a bit. That echos our understanding of some current trends. See Our Birthday Suits Not Made In China (April 22, 2012 post) where we discuss the possibility that the U.S. is "exporting" prude notions abroad to Europe including Croatia.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Memorial Day Weekend is Coming
Those in the naked community know that, for many, the nudist "season" unofficially opens with Memorial Day weekend holiday. People will be visiting clubs and beaches eager to shed their "cotton tails" and other tan lines they have acquired through the winter and spring.
For this reason, the Bare Platypus usually makes a blog post reminding folks to start making plans for the holiday early in May each year.
Consider yourself reminded! Why not...
As we also like to remind folks, please plan to spend a few hours in activities that remember the brave men and women of the armed forces who have sacrificed so that we can enjoy such freedoms.
For this reason, the Bare Platypus usually makes a blog post reminding folks to start making plans for the holiday early in May each year.
Consider yourself reminded! Why not...
- Book a hotel near a nude beach while remaining rooms are available;
- Do a bit of walking in your neighborhood so you'll be in shape to hike from the parking lot to that nude beach...it can seem a l --- o --- n --- g way, especially on a holiday weekend;
- Ask for an extra day off from your boss, in advance, so that you can get a four day weekend this year to spend in the buff;
- Take a naked "before" selfie with your tan lines and "cotton tail" so you'll have an something to compare it with "after" you spend a weekend au naturale;
- Think of a new friend that you could invite to give naturism a try;
- Get a pedicure so your bare toes will feel at their best;
- Plan the route you'll take to visit a nudist club;
- Get some travel games ready for the kids to play in the car during the drive you'll be making;
- Go to the store and pick up some great new, plush, towels so you can have them laundered and ready for your bare tush...pick up some sunblock while you're at it;
- Get a henna tattoo to sport while you're in your birthday suit. It's only temporary and all in good fun;
- Do a bit of walking in your neighborhood so you'll be in shape to hike from the parking lot to that beach...it can seem a l---o---n---g way, especially on a holiday weekend;
- Start cleaning the leaves out of your family pool and add the chlorine so you can dive in and skinny dip when the time comes.
As we also like to remind folks, please plan to spend a few hours in activities that remember the brave men and women of the armed forces who have sacrificed so that we can enjoy such freedoms.
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
It's All Greek to Us
You've no doubt heard the oft-used expression, "It's all Greek to me!" to explain puzzlement or bewilderment. The phrase is especially fitting as we turn to a discussion of the United States Supreme Court's consideration of the gay marriage issue one week ago.
Please hear us out! This post is not about to argue one way or the other on the marriage topic itself.
Instead, specifically, the Platypus is interested in a line of questioning raised by Associate Justice Samuel Alito. During an interchange between the Justice and counsel seeking to strike down laws against gay marriage, Alito opined that while ancient Greek civilization did not discourage--even celebrated-- relationships between members of the same sex, the culture did not recognize marriage between them, per se'. As a student of history, he wanted to draw from that classic chapter of history.
It's true that we get many of our basic ideas about democracy, republics, and the jury system from Athenians... ethics too. We gain military insight from the tactics of the Spartans. Nowadays our country seems more than happy to copy the Greek approach to accumulating vast debt as well.
Our puzzling question is, if all that's so, why wouldn't the U.S. Supreme Court be open to allowing the practices of Ancient Greece to drive decision-making and lawmaking with respect to nudity? When it comes to nakedness, well,... no one quite celebrated it like the Greeks did: All those Olympic games and tournaments waged without a stitch of clothing. In fact, we get the word gymnasium from the place their athletes worked out in the nude.
Looking at most sculptures, statues, and architecture from the era you have to wonder whether anyone in that civilization actually ever wore a robe. (In another case involving obscenity that took place decades ago, the Court noted that the very Supreme Court building itself was adorned with all manner of naked cherubs, boys, and girls, etc. You can see, for example, Naked Figures on the East Frieze Supreme Court Down the street outside the Library of Congress are fountains where water splashes over naked figures (i.e. The Court of Neptune. ) There's nude statuary outside the Rayburn House Office Building (i.e. "The Spirit of Justice")
So how about it? Perhaps it's time we took one more chapter from the book written by those on that peninsula in the Adriatic. Let's embrace our "gymno" state!
Please hear us out! This post is not about to argue one way or the other on the marriage topic itself.
Instead, specifically, the Platypus is interested in a line of questioning raised by Associate Justice Samuel Alito. During an interchange between the Justice and counsel seeking to strike down laws against gay marriage, Alito opined that while ancient Greek civilization did not discourage--even celebrated-- relationships between members of the same sex, the culture did not recognize marriage between them, per se'. As a student of history, he wanted to draw from that classic chapter of history.
It's true that we get many of our basic ideas about democracy, republics, and the jury system from Athenians... ethics too. We gain military insight from the tactics of the Spartans. Nowadays our country seems more than happy to copy the Greek approach to accumulating vast debt as well.
Our puzzling question is, if all that's so, why wouldn't the U.S. Supreme Court be open to allowing the practices of Ancient Greece to drive decision-making and lawmaking with respect to nudity? When it comes to nakedness, well,... no one quite celebrated it like the Greeks did: All those Olympic games and tournaments waged without a stitch of clothing. In fact, we get the word gymnasium from the place their athletes worked out in the nude.
Looking at most sculptures, statues, and architecture from the era you have to wonder whether anyone in that civilization actually ever wore a robe. (In another case involving obscenity that took place decades ago, the Court noted that the very Supreme Court building itself was adorned with all manner of naked cherubs, boys, and girls, etc. You can see, for example, Naked Figures on the East Frieze Supreme Court Down the street outside the Library of Congress are fountains where water splashes over naked figures (i.e. The Court of Neptune. ) There's nude statuary outside the Rayburn House Office Building (i.e. "The Spirit of Justice")
So how about it? Perhaps it's time we took one more chapter from the book written by those on that peninsula in the Adriatic. Let's embrace our "gymno" state!
Sunday, May 3, 2015
The Platypus Celebrates Naked Gardening Day
Saturday was World Naked Gardening Day and the Platypus turned it into a naked gardening weekend. Aside from running some shopping errands at the store and the family's trip to church this morning, he spent the hours landscaping.
Now, to be perfectly honest the habitat of this Platypus is not secluded enough for him to bare his fur while mowing the lawn or weeding and caring for the front yard. In fact he had to keep shirt and shorts on while he transplanted a large oleander to a corner of the back yard and planted two lilacs in a window box nearby where their height would help make things more secluded too.
This Spring, for the first time, the vegetation in this little corner of our world is lush enough that it is actually possible to get naked and enjoy the fruits of all that labor. The space may only be about 8 "webbed" feet by 8 "webbed" feet, but it is enough to set up two chairs, or a blanket, where you can be au naturel without giving offense. We're counting our blessings. In the past we have always had to set up a small shelter constructed from a quick-up canopy.
Now there is no need. And no walls... just thick vegetation so the breeze flows through everything. What's more, with all those flowering plants around the scent of the live bouquet is nothing short of amazing. Powerful jasmine here, mixed with lilac and freshly cut grass that includes some clover. The space may be small, but that means we can lavish it with Miracle Grow that we couldn't afford for the rest of the yard. And we can thoroughly water everything in on this little patch without being water gluttons.
Laying there in the sunshine... comfortably naked now... it was possible to get a glimpse of what life must have been like for Adam and Eve before they bit the fruit. The wonderful smell. The sound of mocking birds chirping and insects buzzing. The sight of butterflies and dragonflies. Splashes of orange (lantana), purple (lilac), pink (oleander and bougainvillea),yellow (lilly) and blue (plumbago).
If someone were to ask the Platypuses why we are nudists, at this point our first response would be to sit that person into a chair, out there, on a day like today. Just sitting there (or laying on a blanket), in the sun would capture the essence perfectly. We have cruised on nude cruises. We have been as far as Mexico and Canada visiting nudist clubs with all manner of amenities. But be it ever so humble there's no place like your own backyard in the buff.
Now, to be perfectly honest the habitat of this Platypus is not secluded enough for him to bare his fur while mowing the lawn or weeding and caring for the front yard. In fact he had to keep shirt and shorts on while he transplanted a large oleander to a corner of the back yard and planted two lilacs in a window box nearby where their height would help make things more secluded too.
This Spring, for the first time, the vegetation in this little corner of our world is lush enough that it is actually possible to get naked and enjoy the fruits of all that labor. The space may only be about 8 "webbed" feet by 8 "webbed" feet, but it is enough to set up two chairs, or a blanket, where you can be au naturel without giving offense. We're counting our blessings. In the past we have always had to set up a small shelter constructed from a quick-up canopy.
Now there is no need. And no walls... just thick vegetation so the breeze flows through everything. What's more, with all those flowering plants around the scent of the live bouquet is nothing short of amazing. Powerful jasmine here, mixed with lilac and freshly cut grass that includes some clover. The space may be small, but that means we can lavish it with Miracle Grow that we couldn't afford for the rest of the yard. And we can thoroughly water everything in on this little patch without being water gluttons.
Laying there in the sunshine... comfortably naked now... it was possible to get a glimpse of what life must have been like for Adam and Eve before they bit the fruit. The wonderful smell. The sound of mocking birds chirping and insects buzzing. The sight of butterflies and dragonflies. Splashes of orange (lantana), purple (lilac), pink (oleander and bougainvillea),yellow (lilly) and blue (plumbago).
If someone were to ask the Platypuses why we are nudists, at this point our first response would be to sit that person into a chair, out there, on a day like today. Just sitting there (or laying on a blanket), in the sun would capture the essence perfectly. We have cruised on nude cruises. We have been as far as Mexico and Canada visiting nudist clubs with all manner of amenities. But be it ever so humble there's no place like your own backyard in the buff.
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Will Nudity Become a Human Right in Europe?
This week online news sources reported a story about naturists in Spain who plan to appeal a decision by their country's highest court upholding closure of a nude beach. The Court ruled that nudity is not a fundamental human right, but the group vows to take the issue to the European Union's panel in Strasbourg. You can read more at http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/23/catalan-naturist-club-nudists-castell-platjadaro-strasbourg
If the appeal is made, it will not be the first time that the EU has considered whether nudity is a basic human right. Just over a year ago Stephen Gough, Britain's Naked Rambler, appealed the many charges that have been levied against him for violating "ASBO" orders that forbid him from walking the countryside naked. Time magazine reported that story here: http://time.com/3543408/europe-court-naked-rambler/
The Naked Rambler's case did not go in his favor, but the challenge to the Spanish beach closure will no doubt involve some different fact patterns, circumstances, and asserted legal arguments. It will be interesting to see the extent that Europe extends protections to naturists, and on what grounds.
For those of us in North America, the issue is important too. While not legally binding here, such decisions play a key part in shaping public opinions... and may even drive the thinking of legal scholars.
Let's hope for an eventual right to bare arms and butts.
If the appeal is made, it will not be the first time that the EU has considered whether nudity is a basic human right. Just over a year ago Stephen Gough, Britain's Naked Rambler, appealed the many charges that have been levied against him for violating "ASBO" orders that forbid him from walking the countryside naked. Time magazine reported that story here: http://time.com/3543408/europe-court-naked-rambler/
The Naked Rambler's case did not go in his favor, but the challenge to the Spanish beach closure will no doubt involve some different fact patterns, circumstances, and asserted legal arguments. It will be interesting to see the extent that Europe extends protections to naturists, and on what grounds.
For those of us in North America, the issue is important too. While not legally binding here, such decisions play a key part in shaping public opinions... and may even drive the thinking of legal scholars.
Let's hope for an eventual right to bare arms and butts.
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