Soul Trees

You can expect just about anything up at Richard Richardson's place. Tonight was his annual solstice party, with a Goddess band, another, bluesier band, fire dancing, a groaning board of interesting food (like simmered collards, homemade ravioli, wild rice with sweet potatoes, red tomato pie) and drink (umeshu plum wine, raspberry cheesecake pudding shots, mead, and of course plenty of merlot), etc., etc. Perfect opportunity to wear your feathered headdress, your kilt, your vest made of leaves, or your entire scarf collection. Richard had an arresting new shirt--you could spot him from two football fields away. Brighter gold than his newly-painted house (see above) with a mesmerizing pattern which resolved itself, once your eyes adjusted, into a tiger staring out at you from his midsection.

We didn't stay too long. I had already spent a full day in Connecticut before heading up to Goshen, Alma had poison ivy in her eye from working on the set of Labor Day, and Chris was worried about leaving his dog alone for too long. We had eaten and drunk our fill, danced, sat around the fire pit with old friends, scored a couple of deep massages, seen Richard's latest installations, and watched the moon rise. We were picking our way carefully in the pitch dark, trying to find our car, and this is what we stumbled upon. A woman watering metal trees in the moonlight with a big watering can.

The woman is Antoinette Reed of Cummington and the sculptures are part of her exhibit of "Soul Trees," with Robyn Cummings. They're mostly copper, with glass, marble, and found objects worked into them. Anyone who's been up to the Three Sisters Sanctuary will understand how well these fit into the landscape there. And anyone who hasn't visited really should. There'll be an opening June 30, catered by Bread Euphoria (yum), Blue House Café (yum), the Old Creamery (yum), and Sherry Berry Catering (don't know them, but I assume yum). The event's from 2 till 8, so you won't need a camera flash to see what's in the garden.