Where did all that sunshine go? Not wishing to sound British by fixating on the weather but I have been pulled into the summer weather debate. Will we ever have sunshine again? How much rain can the land take? How much mud can I take? And have I actually experienced a waterproof free week at all this year? I don't know the answer to any of these questions you'll be glad to know so let's get onto something more interesting.........
The summer has fanned out like a peacock's tail in all its glory with activities, camps, kids and much more besides. Numerous people have come here to laugh, learn, play and cry and I have been weaving my wonky way through the middle like a grandad on the dancefloor. Much energy and focus went the way of our bushcraft week, where me and 5 of my friends/colleagues designed and delivered a week long programme in our woods to 12 young teenagers making fire, building shelters, gathering water.......... We had all sorts of challenges thrown at us from minor injuries, to high winds potentially risking people's lives, to moving our entire off site camp in the gathering dusk to....you guessed it....heavy rain. Just over a week after the camp finished a large tree crashed down directly on the central area, pulling several other trees with it. This happened at 1am in the morning but it was dizzying to think that the trees' timing was either fortuitous or just plain lucky as some of us would have been sleeping under it just a week beforehand. I add it to my list of weird one week near misses including - sailing on Pride of Free Enterprise to Zeebrugger just one week after Herald of Free Enterprise sank in the harbour mouth and missing a bombing at Be'er Sheba bus station in Israel just one week after I left the country via said bus station. Gracias to my angel and animal and spirit guardians for looking after me.
I also nearly faceplanted once on the floor and would've got trampled after leaning out the back of a horse and cart to stroke the nose of the cart horse behind us, not noticing that our cart had made a jerky start. (Thanks to the nameless adult that grabbed my coat leaving me with my arms swinging uselessly who saved me. I was only 12). Not quite the same gravitas I realise but it felt pretty scary at the time.
Other exciting events have been a storytelling festival right on my doorstep with much singing around fires and tables and a few unusual instruments in the mix. My favourite was a harp player who rehearsed with us all week, a 16 year old Steiner lad who played a mean banjo and guitar on his 16th birthday night and lovely Sophie singing her own songs with a ukelele. The build up to the festi almost outshined the event. It's incredible that we have much musical ability in all our communities, just build a fire and give it some space and off people go. It doesn't matter about being professional at it, its the heart of a person in it that counts. I also had the privelige of being the first person to hear a story someone had just journeyed to find (in a shamanic stylee) and then created. Good times.
I have added the expereince of holding a kitchen providing 60 meals for people over 3 days to my repetoire. Notable successes included the porridge, (which I had to "try" by spitting it out like a wine taster as I don't eat gluten), a 3 bean chilli and an authentic Indian evening meal helped by my wonderful friend Gazala. It was really fun and despite the odd 16 hour day was well worth it.
So now our pace is slowing a little after the summer mayhem. The calendar is still full but there's not quite the same frantic speed of people passing through and activities layering into each other. I have waved goodbye to three good friends recently whose journeys now continue elsewhere. I look forward to forging fresh friendships with them on a new level and in a different way but feel the little space they have left behind in our circle. Luckily there are several wonderful new people to fill it up so I look forward to Autumn with a vengeance. I have just made some sloe gin and am off to find elderberries soon. It's good foraging times. And surely there will be some chutney on the way too with all our green tomatoes......Oh and if I don't get back on here for a day or two..... Happy Autumn Equinox to you all.........
The summer has fanned out like a peacock's tail in all its glory with activities, camps, kids and much more besides. Numerous people have come here to laugh, learn, play and cry and I have been weaving my wonky way through the middle like a grandad on the dancefloor. Much energy and focus went the way of our bushcraft week, where me and 5 of my friends/colleagues designed and delivered a week long programme in our woods to 12 young teenagers making fire, building shelters, gathering water.......... We had all sorts of challenges thrown at us from minor injuries, to high winds potentially risking people's lives, to moving our entire off site camp in the gathering dusk to....you guessed it....heavy rain. Just over a week after the camp finished a large tree crashed down directly on the central area, pulling several other trees with it. This happened at 1am in the morning but it was dizzying to think that the trees' timing was either fortuitous or just plain lucky as some of us would have been sleeping under it just a week beforehand. I add it to my list of weird one week near misses including - sailing on Pride of Free Enterprise to Zeebrugger just one week after Herald of Free Enterprise sank in the harbour mouth and missing a bombing at Be'er Sheba bus station in Israel just one week after I left the country via said bus station. Gracias to my angel and animal and spirit guardians for looking after me.
I also nearly faceplanted once on the floor and would've got trampled after leaning out the back of a horse and cart to stroke the nose of the cart horse behind us, not noticing that our cart had made a jerky start. (Thanks to the nameless adult that grabbed my coat leaving me with my arms swinging uselessly who saved me. I was only 12). Not quite the same gravitas I realise but it felt pretty scary at the time.
Other exciting events have been a storytelling festival right on my doorstep with much singing around fires and tables and a few unusual instruments in the mix. My favourite was a harp player who rehearsed with us all week, a 16 year old Steiner lad who played a mean banjo and guitar on his 16th birthday night and lovely Sophie singing her own songs with a ukelele. The build up to the festi almost outshined the event. It's incredible that we have much musical ability in all our communities, just build a fire and give it some space and off people go. It doesn't matter about being professional at it, its the heart of a person in it that counts. I also had the privelige of being the first person to hear a story someone had just journeyed to find (in a shamanic stylee) and then created. Good times.
I have added the expereince of holding a kitchen providing 60 meals for people over 3 days to my repetoire. Notable successes included the porridge, (which I had to "try" by spitting it out like a wine taster as I don't eat gluten), a 3 bean chilli and an authentic Indian evening meal helped by my wonderful friend Gazala. It was really fun and despite the odd 16 hour day was well worth it.
So now our pace is slowing a little after the summer mayhem. The calendar is still full but there's not quite the same frantic speed of people passing through and activities layering into each other. I have waved goodbye to three good friends recently whose journeys now continue elsewhere. I look forward to forging fresh friendships with them on a new level and in a different way but feel the little space they have left behind in our circle. Luckily there are several wonderful new people to fill it up so I look forward to Autumn with a vengeance. I have just made some sloe gin and am off to find elderberries soon. It's good foraging times. And surely there will be some chutney on the way too with all our green tomatoes......Oh and if I don't get back on here for a day or two..... Happy Autumn Equinox to you all.........
No comments:
Post a Comment