May Day!

A non-traditional crowd dancing around the May Pole.

Sam Auciello with giant hat and bubbles.

Lucinda Childs (our hostess) prepping the cloth for the May Pole.

Getting the kids ready to carry the May Pole.

Kids carrying the May Pole to the upper field.

The Musicians.

Festivities around the May Pole.

Since May of 1999 I've attended the Annual East Hardwick (MA) Spring Jamboree with Trevor. It's a weekend camp-out family May Day celebration hosted by our friends Eric Vollheim and Lucinda Childs on their property (70+ acres) in East Hardwick, MA. This year marked the 30th year, not to be confused with the 30th anniversary, which will be next year. (Can you see how that's confusing?)

I have, what I think of, as a love/hate relationship with attending May Day (as we call it). I love the people (most of them), I love the setting (except for the black flies and ticks), I love being outdoors all weekend (except when it rains for most or all of the weekend), and I love the lack of schedule (except when I forget to bring a book). This year was borderline for me. I LOVED seeing people I hadn't seen for an entire year and getting caught up. I also loved spending time with people I hadn't had much opportunity in the past to get to know a bit better. I love the leisurely pace of the weekend. The only planned event for the entire weekend is the May Day parade and dance on Sunday, usually sometime around noon, maybe later. I really could have done without the rain. Spending most of the weekend in my rain gear is not fun. I was extremely grateful to the early risers who got the cook fires going in the morning. I've done that job several times in the past. It's so nice to be able to just make a cuppa tea and eggs and toast without first having to build a fire! Makes me all the more grateful for the modern conveniences of my home.

Trevor & I usually arrive on Friday. This year, due to my current state of unemployment, we arrived Friday at 1:30PM. This allowed ample time to set up the tent (the Kelty Grand Canyon 9 - "sleeps 6" - yeah, right - sleeps 2 very comfortably with ample room for stuff). We also had plenty of time to set up the new screen house and arrange our coolers, chairs and other equipment. After doing this for 10 years, I've gotten quite good at it.

What did we do for the rest of the weekend until the traditional May Day parade and dance around the May Pole on Sunday around noon? Not much! We just hung out, took a nap, ate when we felt like it, imbibed when we felt like it, went to bed when we felt like it... You get the idea. It's just another little slice of heaven that we get to experience once a year. I'm looking forward to next year.