The Fox and the Dragonfly

I had a dream the other night and I don't remember much in way of details, but the "feeling" of the dream was like this...

We (whoever "we" were, probably farm friends) were at the farm, at dusk. We were sitting in a circle around the firepit, quietly enjoying the evening.

We were watching a bronze-colored dragonfly lazily spinning around the field, buzzing around us, unusually close, unafraid.

Then, as the dragonfly went over towards the edge of the woods, a fox comes out of the woods. The fox was beautiful and golden red, not unlike the dragonfly.

The fox began chasing the dragonfly, but in a playful kind of way, around the field. We who were watching were mesmerized.

After a while, it appeared the two were chasing away down the lower pond path trail. Some of the friends got up and began chasing the fox and the dragonfly.

"Let's not let this go!" someone said, enthralled.

I don't think I was part of the chase myself (or maybe I was, at times), but was seeing it through the eyes of the chasers.

Down the path they went, through a rather magical looking woods, again, golden and red like fall.

It seemed like the chase lasted a pretty good time, and other things happened, but I don't remember the details. It was a joyous chase!

The next thing I remember was being around the firepit at night, with the campfire going. Around the campfire, Roger got out his guitar and Cindy her concertina (I didn't know she had one!) and the people there together wrote a song, "The Fox and the Dragonfly..." whose words and melody do not return to me, but it was SO lovely.

And I don't think it was something seen or recognized during the chase part, but I think the reason the fox and the dragonfly weren't afraid of us, the reason we could follow them, was that the people were transformed, themselves, into foxes and dragonflies.

Birthday Celebration, Hootenanny and Contra Dance

We celebrated Kate's big birthday with a potluck dinner, birthday cake, hootenanny and our very first contra dance in the Main Room, demonstrating that there is just enough room for a dance. Barely. A great time was had by all and Kate was well-feted.

Late Summer's Night Magic

Sitting in the middle of a field and watching
the curious white cloud, shaped like a dancing bear or, no,
shaped like a great Titan struggle, and
I know that, even though the cloud seems static, like a
photo in a frame,
it is always moving, always shifting,
but for the life of me, I can't see it.

It is a mountain, made of steel and
frozen in time.
I make up my mind to just
stare
at this mountaincloud -
that looks like Frederick Douglass, now... no, like
Sitting Bull -
sitting and staring and watching this cloud until
at last I can see some change to its shape
or its location in the sky,
but it is concrete, set like stone
above the stand of sycamore on the
edge of the field.

There is a crackling of limbs in the trees to my right
and a flutter,
then a roar of wings
as a hidden murder of crows
takes to flight, sailing out of the trees
in an everlasting armada

and then, they're gone
and two bluebirds fill their absence
with a lovesong that is urgent
and a single dragonfly busies its way
across the field, visiting last summer flowers
beneath the setting sun
in the solemn sky
and that reminds me of the cloud, that mountain of water and mist,
and I turn to see if it has moved
even one inch
but Sitting Bull has left
his last stand
and the cloud is gone
entirely.

Werifesterians

Werifesteria: (v.) to wander longingly through the forest in search of mystery

Dragonfly fields of summer

          Shimmering dragonflies
hover over the surface of the field
 like God, hovering over the surface of the waters
     so long ago,
              and I know
                 today will be a day for miracles

Trails

with each trail I hike
I gather stones in my pockets,
twigs and moss in my hands

and one day
I will build a small home
made up of all those trails.

Our First Hobbit Day

We had our first ever Hobbit Day at the Farm back in March and just realized I never posted any photos. It was a lovely early spring day, ripe for adventures and good food.

"I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it's very difficult to find anyone."
"I should think so — in these parts! We are plain quiet folk and have no use for adventures. Nasty disturbing uncomfortable things! Make you late for dinner!"
+++++++
Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking-stick.
+++++++
Surely you don’t disbelieve the prophecies, because you had a hand in bringing them about yourself? You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit? You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins, and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!
+++++++
Still round the corner there may wait
 A new road or a secret gate
And though I oft have passed them by
 A day will come at last when I
Shall take the hidden paths that run
 West of the Moon, East of the Sun.