I left Portland for a small gathering being held at a community called The Hive, in Candia, New Hampshire. Maggie and I arrived in the early afternoon. Many of my friends from the previous gathering were there, scattered with a few new faces. The first several hours everyone hung out and chatted, and we explored the gardens and the land. The hive had offered to let me camp there, so I found a nice area next to a little woods to pitch my tent.
For dinner, we had a big potluck. I brought a large salad and some guacamole. There were so many different kinds of food, and to my delight, Andrea had made gluten free Mac and cheese. We all drank cacao and feasted.
Once it got dark we started a fire, and everyone gathered around it, many with their drums. One man, Mitch, also had two didgeridoos, which he played as well. I normally just listen during drum circles because my rhythm isn’t always the best. My friend Josh urged me to give it a try, and handed me a drum. I was nervous at first, but I’m so glad I decided to join in the drumming. The music moved through me and connected me with every other person that was playing. I enjoyed the fire and the company late into the night. I was able to catch up with some of my old friends and made some new friends that I was able to connect with on a deep level. Eventually I had to gather up Maggie and we headed off to the tent to sleep.
The next morning Andrea made us all gluten free bagels. We put the guacamole I had brought on them. They were some of the best bagels I had ever had. We spent the day hanging out, relaxing, and playing music. One of the guys there named Nick also painted a mural on the wall as we hung out.
Eventually I hit the road to head back to People's Perch to attend a stone soup party they were having. The event was based on a story about three monks who came to a small famine ridden village. The monks made a soup of just water and three stones. They convinced everyone in the town to help them with the soup by each bringing something to add such as vegetables, spices and other ingredients. Once everyone came together and shared what they had, there was enough soup to share with the whole village. Everyone who came to the soup party was asked to bring something to add, the same way they had in the story. I brought potatoes, but arrived late, so the soup was already made, the potatoes were put aside for breakfast another day. I joined everyone around the fire and got myself a bowl of soup. We shared stories by the fire and each did a show and tell. I showed my pup Maggie and shared about her; a few others also shared their dogs. Some people showed cool tricks they could do. My friend Michael brought out his clarinet and played us all a song.
The next day I spent some time at the library and in the garden. Later in the day, I joined Ian and Nolan on a bike ride down a dirt path through the forest. The path had a hill on it that curved in the middle. This part of the trail had mostly turned to sand. As my bike zoomed through it I almost wiped out, but was able to keep the bike upright. The adrenaline rush added to the fun. The path brought us to a rope swing attached high in a tree next to a river. Ian and Nolan both tried it. Ian did a backflip as he let go of the rope before splashing into the water. It was a colder day, only in the 50’s and although I hate being cold, I knew this was an opportunity I couldn’t miss. I climbed up the tree and grabbed onto the rope. I jumped out sideways and swung through the air before letting go, plunging into the freezing water below. The water was so cold that it made my skin feel electric. I quickly swam for the shore and did a plank on land to generate heat and warm up my body. I felt so awake and alert from the water. It was definitely worth it. That night for dinner we made food over the fire. Maria made a red sauce from scratch with tomatoes from the garden. Then Montana and I made gluten free pasta, normal pasta and a veggie dish to go with it. Markie hung out with us making sauerkraut for everyone as we cooked dinner.
The next day I went back out to the cannabis farm I had worked on previously with Markie and Montana to get a little more work in. We stayed in a little house they had on the property for a few days. We spent our time trimming cannabis, exploring the gardens, and of course playing. Each morning we were there, Montana and I would walk through the gardens down to a little pond. The pond had a little floating dock in the middle of it that had two other docks attached to it creating a walkway out. We would sit on a floating dock and soak up the sun before we started working. The peaceful energy of the land made it the perfect way to start each day.
One night while we were there, the owners invited us to join them and their children for a game of manhunt. We played the game with flashlights as we zipped around the yard trying to tag each other. In our time there, the kids seem to grow fond of us, and I loved being around them. The next day on breaks from work, we enjoyed playing on the tire swing with their daughter. We took turns pushing each other and soaring through the air. The family even invited us back into the home for homemade chili and baked potatoes. I’m grateful for the company and fun. It felt more like a mini-vacation than a paying job.
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