The Best Way to Spend the Longest Day of the Year

June signals the longest days of the year. That means lots of sunlight.  That means more to spend outdoors in the sun naked.  Including later in the day when the sun's rays are less intent.

Why not plan to spend these special days in your birthday suit?  You'll be glad you did!

Tyke Provides the Essence of Nudism

One of the Bare Platypus has a "puggle" who has grown up and is working in her first full-time job.  The job happens to be with an amusement park. 

Ms. Puggle works staffing a number of rides and attractions, but she typically works in the water play center of the park at least once a week.  The play center includes sprinklers, outdoor fountains, water pipes pouring out liquid, and a watery "trench" where youngsters can wade.  She told us of an amusing incident yesterday. 

It seems a little guy about three years old was having a dispute with his (British) parents.  He didn't want to get out of the wading area and he really didn't want to have to put clothes on.  Our puggle says:

 "He was naked as the day he was born. And he was avoiding the shorts his folks were trying to put onto him by stepping out and away from them as they held the shorts open for him. Unfortunately, the park really doesn't allow 'nude bathing' at any age.  So his folks were trying to get him dressed but he was having none of it.  I so wanted to be able to tell them, 'I'm a nudist too and I understand' but I couldn't given my job."

According to her observations, there are tiny "streakers" and "nudists" on a fairly regular basis.  And, she says, for some reason it's usually the lil' guys in the group who try to drop trou and stay that way. 

Sound familiar?

How We Spent the Day Naked

Here's how to be a Bare Platypus on a budget.  Go to your neighborhood Walmart.  Pick up one of those very inexpensive canopies that go up with a quick frame that unfolds and extends.  On sale you can get them for 50 dollars or less.  Next, pick up four inexpensive 8 x 8 tarps and some string.  Cut the string and hang the four tarps on the four sides of your easy-up canopy.  Just leave the top off the canopy.

You now have a handy non-offense shelter that goes up quickly and will give you a few hours of naked time in your backyard.  That's what we did today... We even had a chance to do some naked reading and talking, followed by some good barbeque.  Best of all, we can use our non-offense shelter again and again, plus store it in the garage between uses.

We've got a nice, all-over tan that proves it works!

Lessons from Yesterday

Yesterday the Bare Platypus team attended a social function held at a time share resort.  The place we visited was beautiful. Set on vast acreage within a resort district, on one side of the resort there was actually a small water park complete with squirting fountains, etc... The other side encompassed tennis courts, multiple, multiple swimming pools, at least four hot tubs, sauna, steam room, a huge lagoon with a fishing pier and paddle boats... even propane fueled grills with free propane!

The food cooked on said grill during the barbecue event was fantastic and we had a wonderful time thanks to our hosts.

From listening to fellow guests over some time, we deduced that there were many visitors from foreign nations.

But you know what?  Despite all of those amenities, there was not a single place for clothes-free sunbathing and swimming in all that acreage.  Why is that?  Why is it that with all the dollars to spend on swimming pools of every kind, there were no dollars left for skinny-dipping?  It's a phenomenon repeated throughout the U.S.

Social custom, even  more than dollars of expense, seems to prevent nudists from getting their place in the sun.  Perhaps if more people looking at time shares raised the question "What about naked?" things would change.  We've suggested that strategy in previous blog posts, including insist on this if you wish to resist and, maybe, some day things will change.

Restarting our Poll About Raising Kids - With Deepest Apology

We deeply apologize if you already voted in our poll asking how you'd raise kids.  It seems that Blogger-based polls continue to give trouble and mysteriously "lose" or even "delete" results.  The phenomenon is well-documented throughout the internet, but we at the Platypus did not know about it.  We've just been noticing jumping, hard-to-explain changes and ran a search on the topic.

We're now using a service called PollDaddy which, we trust, will preserve the integrity of our poll data. So... we humbly ask.... would you please cast your vote again?  You can even leave comments or insert your own choice of words!

With our thanks,

New Platypus Poll: Would You Raise Your Kids as Nudists?

There's a new poll on the Bare Platypus.  We ask, "Would you raise your kids as nudists?"  (We've kept the choices very basic because our blog service doesn't really like long, or too many choices.  That tends to cause it to malfunction with strange results.)

Go on, tell us what you think!

Cottontail Season is Just One Day Away!

We've written about the start of "cotton tail" season before on the Bare Platypus.  That's when everyone heads out to the nudist park, beach, or even backyard for the first time of the year.  Down South that may happen much earlier, but up North it's often during the Memorial Day weekend.  And that starts tomorrow!

Tomorrow people will get in their cars to head off on vacation.  Or leave work to perhaps start a nice weekend of back yard barbeques.  And swimming. Or... for the nudist.... skinny dipping.  And that means we'll probably see some white bums a/k/a cottontails.  Hence the start of the season.

But don't worry, you'll soon be getting that nice all over tan. Just don't overdo it.  Use sunscreen too.  We don't want you burned.  Just happy.

Comics Bare -o- Meter Report for May 2013

We have often noted on The Bare Platypus that what is (or isn't) on the comics page each day when it comes to naked cartoons has an effect on society's views about nakedness.  See, e.g. Does Nudity in the Funny Pages Reflect Society Views?  and Comics Bare-o-Meter Revisited or Would You Put a Swimsuit on a Platypus? plus A Tale of Two Swimsuits .

Recently we've noticed very, very few bare bums in the funny papers.  Let's hope that changes with the arrival of Memorial Day and the summer season.  After all, there's nothing like a humorous tush or birthday suit quip to start a morning.

There are nude cartoons on TV ranging from The Simpsons to Family Guy, or even Bob's Burgers.  So maybe it's not the message... just the medium.

5/28/13 Update: Marvin runs bare bottom away from mom's bath in this morning's STRIP .

5/22/13 Update:  We did find this panel from ZITS No nudity shown, but Jeremy seems to envision skinny dipping in a hot tub with his girlfriend.  Discarded clothes nearby seem to make the point.

News 'Bout Nakedness

There are two news media stories about nudists circulating today: One is actually a blog entry in the Huffington Post .  JustLuxe ponders, "What really goes on in nudist resorts?"

The other story announces that a Naked Portrait of Bea Arthur Sells for nearly $ 2 Million .  Imagine that. The lady who played Maude on that tv show in the 1970's fetches that kind of money for a painting of her in the buff! If we recall correctly,  that show started with a song about "Lady Godiva was a free---e--dom rider... she didn't care if the whole world saw...  And then there's Maude!"

 Turns out "Maude" didn't care if the whole world saw, either!  (She was a Golden Girl too.)

Needed: Nudist Powerball Winner

Today a top story topic is Powerball.  According to MSNBC, the jackpot sits at $360 million making it the third largest jackpot in the game's history.  The payout could go higher in the hours leading up to the drawing and much higher if there's no winner tonight.

We need a good nudist to hit that jackpot. Someone who would invest at least some of those winnings into a nice clothes-free club in a place of their choice.  Or even just a nice piece of land to entertain nude friends.  Someone who likes Platypuses wouldn't hurt, either.

How about you readers?  Have you ever dreamed of making the perfect nudist home or retreat?  What would you do with the pool or yard?  Dream big.  And buy a ticket.  In the mean time, tell us about your dream in the comments section.

Philanthropy in the form of genuinely helping others is probably tops on what the Platypus family would do if we hit it big.  But we would be looking for wide open space.  And hot tubs.  Or maybe a condo near Haulover beach... the nude beach in Miami.

Now, back to work...

Happy Mom's Day... Now Forget What She Told You

Reposted from a previous entry...

IT’S MOTHER’S day and the Platypus would be remiss if we didn’t say “thanks” to all our moms. You brought us into this world, fed us, changed our nappies, got us ready for school, drove us to soccer, band, and ballet.  You helped us with so many things and gave us so much of yourselves that you deserve to be celebrated today. 

Now for the hard part: Moms are great but in some cases we’ve got to forget what they may have told us.  Among those things? “Put your clothes on!” “Keep your clothes on!”

Moms, would it have hurt to let your kid(s) streak around the house?  When you visited others with a pool on those hot summer days, would it have been so bad to allow some skinny-dipping instead of saying, “Oh… we should have remembered your swimsuit.  We’ll have to remember that next time so you can swim with the other kids…”  The same goes for romping through the sprinkler in our birthday suits or sleeping in the buff when we were too tired to be struggling with pajamas after a long day.

Many of us actually have to get past the maternal instruction we received for years that good kids wore clothes and never looked at other people who weren’t wearing them in the National Geographic.

If your mother was more open-minded and embraced the human body, GOOD for her. She gets extra kudos today.  If you’re raising your own kids (or did raise them) to enjoy their birthday suits you get extra thanks and kudos too. Who better to wish all this for you than an egg-laying mammal with lots of puggles of its own?

More Naked Album Covers

Previously the Bare Platypus posted an entry about musicians' naked album covers. 

This week we learned about a website with more such covers.  Click MORE NAKED MUSIC ALBUMS to get there.

Music may tame the savage beast, but a little nudity doesn't hurt either.  We applaud anytime that the beauty of the human body meets the beauty of song. 

Plan Now for a Naked Memorial Day Weekend

Reposted from this time about one year ago...

MEMORIAL DAY is, first and foremost, a day to remember the sacrifices that the men and women of the armed services have made so that we may enjoy freedom. Consistent with that, plan to visit a cemetery to remember fallen loved ones, watch a parade and cheer the VFW and American Legion, or make a donation to a veterans’ group.

As the holiday is all about freedom, also plan to spend some of it naked!  The three-day weekend marks the traditional beginning of summer, so there’s no better occasion to start stripping off. If you haven’t already started planning for your day(s) of naked freedom, Bare Platypus has a few ideas:

• Mow the grass in your fenced back yard and plant those shrubs over the next couple of weeks so that you can spend the holiday enjoying your own Garden of Eden;

• Make reservations at a hotel not far from Haulover Beach, Miami, Gunnison Beach in New Jersey, Rooster Rock Beach in Oregon, Mazo Beach in Wisconsin, Black’s Beach in San Diego, or another space on public lands where you can be nude;

• Plan to visit one of the nudist clubs within the country.  For a list, click: HERE 

• On a tight budget with no private backyard? Don’t let that stop you.  Start acquiring the items of a perfect picnic lunch (beginning with the non-perishables like a bottle of wine, condiments, etc.).  When the holiday arrives hold your picnic on a blanket in your own living room.  Turn the radio in to beach tunes and get bare;

• Get supplies for a bare slip n slide (sheet plastic, the hose, dish soap) or a kiddie pool that you can set up in your yard.  Skinny dip at night with the family if you haven’t got a privacy fence.

Maybe some of our readers will post ideas for enjoying this gateway to summer in your birthday suit.

05/05/13 Walter of the Week: Our Readers

The Walter Award for this week goes to those who read this blog.  In just over one year's time, you've helped us reach over 75,000 page views... a milestone that occurred yesterday!  That may not seem like a lot in a world where there are probably 75k tweets on Twitter every second, but it means a lot to us.

You come to read content, because we don't offer any nude pictures.  (We respect that there are sites that do... we appreciate the human body. But from the beginning we made the decision to refrain for a variety of reasons.)

You comment on the posts that speak to you and you give us things to think about. 

You vote in polls... although the current one that we're running doesn't seem to be functioning quite correctly. 

You come from many, many, nations. 

You surprise us with the posts you find most popular.

Above all, you share our happiness with being able to take off your clothes when you get home or go on vacation.  You are the reason for the Bare Platypus.  This Walter's for you!

Celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the Buff

Today was World Naked Gardening Day and that, obviously, meant going without clothes. (The Platypus managed to spend some time outside naked, then spent time doing yard work and planting although that was done in clothing given that it happened in the front yard.)

Why not keep the trend going by celebrating Cinco de Mayo naked too.  There are lots of supporting reasons:

First, the holiday is often a good occasion to drink lots of tequila.  As the song goes, "tequila makes her clothes fall off..."

Second, there are lots of nude venues South of the Border.  Among them, Hidden Beach resort near Cancun.

Third, the holiday falls on a weekend this year, so it's a lot easier to work in naked time.

Fourth, Mexico observes that great tradition - siesta.  What better way to take a siesta break then nude?

Fifth, ... we can't remember the fifth reason... too much tequila too soon...

Yeah! World Naked Gardening Day is Saturday!

Go out and plant something in the buff on Saturday!  It's a celebration of the way the very first gardeners---Adam and Eve---did things: bare bum!

We heard about the story on the Portland Monthly Website .

If you have a non-offense fence and can work in your back yard without a stich, we hope you can participate.  Cultivating plants is good for the environment and nudity is good for the soul.

A Tale of Two Swimsuits

This week the cartoon series Baby Blues is based upon events that occur once mom enrolls her tykes, son Hammie and daughter Zoe, in swimming lessons.  Within several strips mom worries that she doesn't look young and attractive in swimwear any more.  The panel on April 30th, which you can view for a while by clicking the link above, has Zoe complaining that she has committed the ultimate faux pas by showing up in the same swimsuit style as her instructor.

Contrast that with the cover page picture and title of an anthology / collection of cartoons from the same series: Butt Naked Baby Blues .  In "butt naked" the kids have ditched their swimsuits to do some bare bum skinny dipping in the family wading pool.  It's only a cover page, so we don't know the emotions... we just get a show of tot solidarity, perhaps, in their mooning of the audience. 

Yet there's no hint of worry about what everyone else is wearing when everyone is wearing nothing.  And mom wouldn't have to fret about body image within a nudist setting either.

Now, isn't the naked side of life a better way to beat the "Blues?"

The "Naked Genie" We'd Like to See

Watching television tonight, the Bare Platypus saw not one but TWO advertisements based upon the theme of getting wishes granted by a genie-like individual to the person who purchased a given product.

For example, one commercial showed a State Farm insurance agent who grants the insured virtually anything he wants as long as he sings the jingle about State Farm being a good neighbor.  The other commercial features a Toyota RAV 4 genie who makes home and yard safe and enjoyable for the Toyota drivers.

So here's our idea:  A magical, mythical figure who can suddenly create nudity on a given beach, in a given swimming pool, or other outdoor recreation experience.  Imagine: one snap of the fingers and everyone's in a birthday suit.  Talk about being a good neighbor!