2010

Happy New Year!

The Bosque is a forest full of happy people today!  New Year’s Eve was…  dare I say… the best one yet.  The current group – last group shot of 2009!:

Yesterday, after a big mid-day meal, Rose gathered people together for an intention setting ceremony.  Resolutions were shared and recorded.  A few people remarked that this was a completely new experience for them; a way to think about goals within a close group.

After that ceremony, some folks headed to the View for a yoga session.  The sauna ran all day and was SO nice – we have new benches made by Matt and Benjamin that are much more comfortable and practical than the “temporary” benches that were installed a year ago.

During dinner people exchanged gifts in Secret Santa fashion.  Included among the gifts: a beautiful necklace, a Moraccan shoe , $1000 fake pesos, a massage, handmade pottery, chocolate, dreamcatchers, and pick-up sticks.

We brought out the telescope to look at the full moon.

This New Year’s Eve we had a blue moon – read about blue moons on wikipedia.  A blue moon on December 31st happens even less than once in a blue moon!  Paul (being awesome as usual) used a magnifying glass to do moon-focusing.  The lens points the light of the moon onto a person’s forehead, and Paul draws a design.  His favorite symbol to draw is a heart, though he is happy to take requests.  Paul says the ritual opens up your third eye – an eye that can see…

We opened the Black Rock Lodge for a dance party!  It was the first time we’ve cleared out enough space for dancing in the main room.  Because Brian and I live in the lodge, and because we host so many people, we tend to keep the building closed except during the day when the kitchen is used to crank out food for folks.

Brian set up dance lights, a fog machine, a strobe light and a laser.  We ran the generator – a selective use of gasoline to help create a nice vibe.
Rose spent hours collecting good music – last night was her DJ debut.  Nearly everyone donned costumes and danced like crazy.

We counted down together for midnight – happy 2010!  Brian and I passed around Sidra (fizzy Mexican cider) and sparkling apple juice, and everyone shared beer and tequila.

The Bosque is welcoming 2010 today by taking time off from normal work and enjoying the lovely people, the forest, some good food and a nice sauna.  Today’s activities include a wood carving class, a pine needle basket weaving class, hammock laziness and card playing.  Tomorrow: we start our resolutions to make a better world.

We wish all our friends, family, and anyone reading a happy January 1.

Honey Cupcake does not know what to think:

Peggy made a million balloon hats:

Cool laser effects:

Dancing dancing dancing:

Cathy played the trombone.  She is amazing: