Vermont Mountain Parties/Rugged DIY

Sorry for the lack in posting blog audience! The waning summer and the sun and general busyness has been keeping me from the blogging task at hand! Also, uncovering the secrets of mountain arts tucked away behind dark outhouses and blazing bonfires of Vermont is a thing that takes time to uncover...which is why last weekend, after scaling through many a rocky dirt road and hillside, and emerging into a birthday party/ variety show/potluck combo hidden in the trees, I uncovered a huge part of what it means to live in Vermont!

The celebration was an annual event brought on by a lovely couple who happen to be born on the same day, whose rustic cabin (they don't even have electricity- oh my goodness!) and gorgeous view set the scene for a strange and wonderful evening of sorts...I knew I was in for something spectacular when prior to the party a friend said they had to go over early to "start building" which peaked my curiosity as to what was in store for the night...

Greeted by a growing fire, a platformed wooden stage with a "Photo Booth or Smooching Shack" hidden underneath (pictured here with paper lanterns, candles, an eerie-ly sexy red glow and a pair of lovely ladies reading dirty text messages aloud- blush), flags and smiles and people and dogs and babies- it was great! The emcees for the evening were a mustachioed lady with an accordian and a tuba laddened dude both in suits and suspenders, part of a New England variety show/vaudeville troupe (whose name was never uttered, any leads?) who made jokes, sang and displayed various hand painted murals with accompanying stories throughout- also, I am not sure who was responsible for the giant sloths (below) but they were there too!

Guitarists, ukelele players zip lined to the stage from high above the trees, and primal scream therapy all took to the stage as the crowd got rowdier and the fire died down...I hid from the wrestling, water ballooning, fake (real?) blood mayhem but that was also there too! Living in farm country leads to good food too by the way: bonfire grilled veggies & cucumber salads prevailed, homemade blueberry wines, and also some sort of ceremonial opening of the last home brewed keg whose rites included beer running over into shared bowls...!

The industrious crafty-ness of rugged Vermont is pretty bad ass...all this production for a birthday celebration of two (of the nicest) people, all of this outpouring of creativity- it really was a crash course in how Vermont spends it's time! Building our own little handmade lives in peaks and valleys all over New England...beautiful & rowdy, a way to live...