Thursday, October 02, 2008

hippie advice

Todays Thursday Theme is mailbox,


and these are mailboxes in Liberty, NY.
I only have a couple of mailbox pictures (may have used this one before) as we generally don't have them here in the UK - but here its my handy link to some more pics from my US trip in August...
because one reason for being in the Catskills that weekend was the hippiefest concert at Bethel.

(oh and its so so lovely to be looking at these hot hot sunny summer photos as the weather changes here in England. dragon-breath for the first time this morning...)



Ched had been to hippiefest before and knew what to expect, so I guess didn't need advice - knowing to be prepared with blankets to sit on, warmer layers for the evening [when there was a little bit of a chill, after a spectacularly beautiful day of sunshine] and a LARGE bag of popcorn.



Steve and I, however, both received some interesting and entertainingly cross-generational advice.

Steve's advice, from his father:
"make sure you visit the Bethel (Sixties/woodstock) museum"

My advice, from my daughter:
"Don't smoke weed, mum. Eat it in a cake."




It was a perfect evening, amazingly clear air and colours up there in the mountains, with a groovy atmosphere and crowd of all ages.


Oh, and the music was GREAT.


More on the music here, with other associated psychadelica.


Some sat their way through it all




some got up and danced


these guys scarcely moved a muscle the whole evening, even when hit directly by various airborne missiles (beach balls, toilet rolls...)



Ched took some great people pictures.

The setting sun cast long long shadows ...




... before we wended (went?) our way homewards in darkness.

20 comments:

tut-tut said...

I'm glad your post appeared in MY mailbox!

R.L. Bourges said...

no direct link to this lovely post, lettuce, but the local paper carried a story today about - guess who? The Giant Gnome Himself! The very same one you posted about. Haven't read the article yet, I'll let you know if there's anything interesting in it.

best

Bobby D. said...

The fest was the nicest one because of the company --it was a lot of fun and the best performances of all of the fests. and I'm shocked to hear the Kerhonkson Gnome was in the French papers! He is truly famous.

Reya Mellicker said...

Is that Steve in the shorts (second to last pic)? That is a looonnnngggg shadow. Wow.

Akelamalu said...

WE had a real Indian Summer didn't we? All over now though. :(

Did you smoke or eat??? ;)

Unknown said...

Looks like a totally cool day out - and yeah, I also want to know, smoke it or eat it??? :-)

mouse (aka kimy) said...

what a fun post.... great photos of the hippiefest....so the big question is did you and steve take the intergenerational advice!

no mailboxes! does everyone have slots in their doors for mail? I guess now that you mention it I don't remember seeing mailboxes - especially roadside ones. in u.s. cities most of the mailboxes are either slots or boxes on the porch. my mailbox is on the front porch - it's handy, but not as handy as a mail slot would be!

it's cooling off substantially - so looking at these summer fun pictures are great....

Steve Reed said...

Ha! I loooooved that "eat it in a cake" advice.

We tried to go to the museum, but alas, it was closed. :( (Which raises the question, WHY would the museum be closed the night of Hippifest??? REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES, people!!!)

I like the pic of me walking with the long shadow, Lettuce!

As for whether we took the "eating" advice, well, I'll let Lettuce answer that one. :)

Barbara said...

I wish I could have been there with all of you! Your daughter is so cool. I love the fact that she gives you advice. The pictures really convey the feel of the gathering.

R.L. Bourges said...

Letty: Your Midi-Pyrénées correspondent reporting back with the latest news on the Giant Gnome sighting in La Dépêche du Midi. Seems he's made the 2009 Guiness World Records which was the main topic of the article (but your photo was better);

Among other notable achievements reported by the GWB:

- The champion 12kg beer barrel thrower managed to heave the thing over a bar 3 meters off the ground (now how do the patrons reach that bar? I'll have to check.) The winner is a Finnish woman and I bet I know where she lives too (long story).

And did you know GWB is right up there in sales, right after the Bible and the Coran? Well, now you do :-)

best

Shammickite said...

Groovy, man!
I could do with a hippiefest weekend... but it's getting a bit too cold for that kind of activity here.
Maybe I'll just stay home and rent a movie.

la bellina mammina said...

It's summer all year long here!! ;-)

Love the pics, and those of Chad's too!

lettuce said...

tut-tut, seeing a friend's name in your inbox is at least a little bit like seeing a 'proper' letter arriving with the mail, don't you think?

rlb, thats so unexpected! what a funny (and rather satisfying) little synchronicity. I'd quite like to hear your long story...

ched, the best of fests indeed

reya, it is. And isn't it?!!!

12' today Akelamalu. :-(
(neither, sadly.....)
'Nilla, i admit i wouldn't have minded a bit of a nibble

Kimy, we pretty much always have slots in the door (known anomalously as letter boxes)

Steve i too love that long long shadow pic.

barbara, she's pretty cool sometimes. teenagerdom is so very different these days...

shammie, the seasons are really turning now aren't they?

hey bella! nice to see you again! would love to be somewhere hot for a week or so!

Lynne said...

It is beautiful there, isn't it? I imagine up there the trees are changing fast now since ours are beginning to turn.

Love the psychedelic photo of the lights at night!

I never thought about rows of mailboxes looking strange. If I had a letter box in my door I wouldn't get my exercise of walking up my driveway to collect to my mail. :)

Anonymous said...

I would be very careful in taking that advice myself. ;O)

Funny tho'
x

Coffee Messiah said...

Looked like fun and I'm sure the company was A-1! ; )

la bellina mammina said...

Lettie - you're welcome to come and visit! :-)

Pod said...

i LOVE popcorn, and secretly don't like to share it at the movies, despite being very generous in other more important areas of podlife

lettuce said...

lynne, our front path is about 12 feet long, so not much exercise to be had there

which advice in particular would that be now trac?

Yes and yes, CM :-)

bella i would love to. Maybe one day...

pod!

pod!

Betty said...

Beautiful photos - would love to have been there with you!