I absolutely love the fall.
Crunchy leaves underfoot, gorgeous sunsets bursting with vibrant oranges, crimson reds and spectacular yellows.
And after a busy summer in the garden and lots of travel, visitors and music festivals, fall represents a slowing down.
It’s a chance to reflect on the harvest, to appreciate nature’s absolute best, and to just observe–long walks through the woods, Canadian geese calling from above on their pilgrimage south, spectacular leaf-peeping. Huddling around a toasty fire, s’mores in hand. And the stars!!
And of course, transitioning into the fall is a celebratory time. Which is why, on Sept. 23 of this year, we hosted our second annual Equinox celebration. With approximately 100 people in attendance, it’s arguably my favorite White Hawk event.
The music was knock-out fun. White Hawk resident and singer-songwriter Michael Early has entertained guests both years with his poetic, soulful guitar picking and singing. And bringing the evening to a close was Travis Knapp, whose music is known to be “uplifting and strong, kindling a sense of hope and optimism‖and coincidentally, was one of my first introductions to Ithaca three years ago, at Porchfest 2012 (one of my favorite Ithaca events!).
Despite hopes of repeating last year’s relaxing post-party fire, a torrential downpour later in the evening forced those of us still out to seek shelter, dragging behind us the tattered remnants of a borrowed shade tent. Oops!
I never have enough time–or room in my growing mid-section–to sample all the delicious, often home-grown food, representative of the season’s bounty, that everyone brings to the potluck. The highlight for many this year, though, was the cider press we rented from the Cayuga Nature Center. As guests unloaded boxes full of apples to press and take home in cider form, we lugged out the 100+lbs of apples we collected before the event from trees around our property.
The cider was so delicious, in fact, that some of us have became obsessed with the idea of building a press for next year. Has anyone out there done so, or want to pass along any tips?
To stay tuned for next year’s Equinox celebration, make sure you’ve signed up for our email list on our home page or like us on Facebook.
Until then, we hope you join us in celebrating the beauty and uniqueness that each season displays, and, equally important, the transitions from one to the next.
-Kartik Sribarra, White Hawk resident
