Cityretreat

Friday morning began with Stella whining at the tent entry, pleading to get outside and run. I unzipped us and set her free while I headed to the outhouse. Back up, I mentioned this is camping right? I guess we could have literally been going in the woods but the outhouse was enough of a departure for me. I am still a city girl afterall...The coffee is poured strong; bagels, fruit and lox are waiting on the table already. There are just about a dozen of us at this point and the morning is quiet.



I checked out N's gardens because they are amazing. She has huge plots filled with lettuce, spinach, asparagus, potatoes, I could go on forever. Amazing display. The flowers are wild, the pond filled with fresh mountain spring water. It is so wonderful here.



Several of the girls headed out for a big hike with N as our guide. She has expored all the trails in the area and took us on a great seven-mile trip along the AT, straight up the mountain during the first leg. Stella tapped her canine instinct and played the perfect role of hunting, trail dog. Running ahead a 100 yards to check things out and then return to ensure we're all still following her up the trail. It was tough but beautiful and when we came out at the top the clearing showed mountains and countryside as far as the eye could see - cheesy but you'll see for yourself in the pictures.



Upon returning home we took a dip in the pond and commensed eating and relaxing. New guests continued to arrive and populate Tent City. The core crew has been friends for probably 20 years. They are a totally different type of people - they compost, grow and hunt their food, have no TVs and are happy being an hour from cell service. The pace is relaxed, but this is how they live. It is refreshing, totally liberating, to be so out of touch, but at the same time I think I'd go crazy with just a couple more days. I woke Saturday and was surprisingly thrilled to see a newspaper. I picked it up to catch on the news only to realize it was dated February 28...