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Ashfield 250's biggest weekend of the year of celebrating 250 years of being a town, happened. Over all, it went quite well.
Friday evening was the culmination of the beard contest, (some honorary mentions, some cash and certificate prizes, and all the participants received a certificate of participation and a giant cookie with a bearded face done in icing). It was also when some certificates/letters from the state congratulating Ashfield on 250 years were given by a couple of our state reps, and a little speechifying happened but mostly pretty good stuff -- including some personal history in Ashfield by a few folks.
Had lemonade at the Lakehouse (still being renovated but open for after-reception that night), and fireworks over the lake (all paid for by donations).
***
Saturday morning was the parade, which lasted 45-60 minutes, not the 3 hours some were fearing. Perfect weather, and some amazing things. Um, I'll see if I can grab some pics from other people -- we ended up talking to folks on the green and I'd left my camera at the other end of town.
There was stuff in the afternoon - games and such - and a casual dinner and dance in the evening, which we passed on. I finally finished a new yellow tabard for Air that night.
***
Sunday morning it was raining, so we moved under one end of the large tent that was set up on the green for the weekend's events. Only a dozen or so showed up for the Summer Solstice celebration but it went well. Revised the elements opening L and I'd written for PPD 2008(?) worked well here, and I'd also done up a blessing for crops and animals (looked online for inspiration, nothing was quite what I wanted but I took some bits and mixed them together with my own words and it worked). Being under the tent where the Interfaith service was going to follow, we may have ended up with a few folks who might not have originally planned to join us - a good thing in my book.
Interfaith had representatives from quite a few different religions, different beliefs, and philosophies. Pretty cool. And yes, some serious things were brought up because that's who we are here; all the sad and bad things of the world cannot be hidden from, because eventually they find you anyway. It was nice to talk to some people I hadn't talked to before, and we got to see a little bit of different aspects of life than many folks there might ordinarily see. (I read a poem I wrote, and a couple of friends did a Wiccan ceremony, so druids and witches were part of this).
Went to lunch and later swimming with a couple of people we knew and a couple we'd only seen around town, which was a lot of fun.
***
Only downside has been that even with taking things fairly easy, L had a setback in recovery from the cough he has -- the incoming weather probably didn't help either. So, Monday was back to the doctor for a stronger cough medicine and hopefully soon he'll have an appt. for testing/evaluating his pulmonary system.
***
This morning (Tuesday) me and the rest of the folks from Sunday afternoon went for a hike in the woods, while L took it easy and worked at Elmer's.
***
A blessed Solstice to all! May the coming days bring you good health and joy, and may your gardens, farms, woods, and critters flourish and prosper.
Friday evening was the culmination of the beard contest, (some honorary mentions, some cash and certificate prizes, and all the participants received a certificate of participation and a giant cookie with a bearded face done in icing). It was also when some certificates/letters from the state congratulating Ashfield on 250 years were given by a couple of our state reps, and a little speechifying happened but mostly pretty good stuff -- including some personal history in Ashfield by a few folks.
Had lemonade at the Lakehouse (still being renovated but open for after-reception that night), and fireworks over the lake (all paid for by donations).
***
Saturday morning was the parade, which lasted 45-60 minutes, not the 3 hours some were fearing. Perfect weather, and some amazing things. Um, I'll see if I can grab some pics from other people -- we ended up talking to folks on the green and I'd left my camera at the other end of town.
There was stuff in the afternoon - games and such - and a casual dinner and dance in the evening, which we passed on. I finally finished a new yellow tabard for Air that night.
***
Sunday morning it was raining, so we moved under one end of the large tent that was set up on the green for the weekend's events. Only a dozen or so showed up for the Summer Solstice celebration but it went well. Revised the elements opening L and I'd written for PPD 2008(?) worked well here, and I'd also done up a blessing for crops and animals (looked online for inspiration, nothing was quite what I wanted but I took some bits and mixed them together with my own words and it worked). Being under the tent where the Interfaith service was going to follow, we may have ended up with a few folks who might not have originally planned to join us - a good thing in my book.
Interfaith had representatives from quite a few different religions, different beliefs, and philosophies. Pretty cool. And yes, some serious things were brought up because that's who we are here; all the sad and bad things of the world cannot be hidden from, because eventually they find you anyway. It was nice to talk to some people I hadn't talked to before, and we got to see a little bit of different aspects of life than many folks there might ordinarily see. (I read a poem I wrote, and a couple of friends did a Wiccan ceremony, so druids and witches were part of this).
Went to lunch and later swimming with a couple of people we knew and a couple we'd only seen around town, which was a lot of fun.
***
Only downside has been that even with taking things fairly easy, L had a setback in recovery from the cough he has -- the incoming weather probably didn't help either. So, Monday was back to the doctor for a stronger cough medicine and hopefully soon he'll have an appt. for testing/evaluating his pulmonary system.
***
This morning (Tuesday) me and the rest of the folks from Sunday afternoon went for a hike in the woods, while L took it easy and worked at Elmer's.
***
A blessed Solstice to all! May the coming days bring you good health and joy, and may your gardens, farms, woods, and critters flourish and prosper.
