Catskills!

We had a fine time in Olivebridge, N.Y. with my old friend Linda and her husband Paul. We attended a Pete Seeger memorial barbecue and group singing session at the Ashokan Center, a community center that focus on arts, ecology, and community. It was really moving to sing songs of hope like "If I Had a Hammer", "This Land Is Your Land," etc. with others who have loved this music for decades. It felt like a deep connection with our youths, a well needed reminder that dreaming is essential. This is a beautiful area of deep forests and round, rugged mountain ridges that leap up and surprise you. Red efts (bright orange salamanders) and tiny spring peeper frogs are everywhere in the woods, along with the season's first wild fungi. Food coops and bookstores thrive here. There's also an interesting sculpture garden that was inspired by the artist's visits to Mayan ruins in Guatamala. A creative and lovely area, check it out for sure.