Swinging Into Summer
Yesterday the high was 54-degrees and the gray sky blustery day prompted me to light a small fire in our cabin’s wood stove. This morning it was 27 F (-2 C) outside at 4 AM. This might seem a strange way to open a post entitled Swinging Into Summer, but not if you’re a seasoned Montanan. It’s not uncommon here for indoor heat to be needed once in a while even during our short summer months of June, July & August.
Summers are short here in Montana. So short that many folks experience a frenzy of activity in an effort to capitalize on the warm and sunny weather. As the landscape greens and the wildflowers bloom, people take to the trails and the many lakes and rivers that wonderfully grace the Rocky Mountains of western Montana. Friends and family come to visit, people pass through; traveling is in full swing. So too is true for us here at Empty Mountain. We are now in our season of increased activity and people coming by, both for day visits & overnight stays.
Now that the weather supports outside gatherings, we are gearing up to host a day of mindfulness (DOM) here at Empty Mountain (EM) in a few days, on Sunday, June 14. Due to low attendance at the events we tried to host the past two Julys, we decided not to put anything on our program schedule this July. So after our upcoming DOM, our next & last summer event will be our 4th annual camping retreat weekend in August. Experimentation is the name of the game we’re playing here at EM. We’re trying stuff out and seeing how it goes; seeing who and how many people will attend what.
I’ve been a community builder for coming up on 24 years. I started the Be Here Now Sangha (BHN) in Missoula in 2002, when I was 23 years old, which wonderfully continues to meet every Monday night. And I consider it a genuine privilege and honor to still be the program director for our lovely group. I’ve been organizing events & retreats, sangha circles & potlucks for a long time.
On July 1, Empty Mountain will turn 4. While I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned in regards to BHN, EM has been its own adventure quest. Which makes a lot of sense. Similarities exists between BHN & EM as far as community building goes, but there are a lot of differences. No two entities can really ever be the same.
As we slowly grow and continue to build here at EM, we’re hoping our opportunities for hosting and housing folks and offering events will expand. In the meantime, taking pleasure in where we’re currently at, summer opens the door to possibilities not as readily available to us in the winter, spring, and fall here in the north country.
Spring turns to summer turns to fall turns to winter, which eventually turns back into spring. Cycles cycle, mix & mingle, turn into other things. They change & they continue. And here at EM we are doing our best to take things one breath and one step at a time.