Pasture Parties

I live on the edge of a pasture that is pretty much surrounded by woods. In days gone by, there were actually cows and horses grazing within sight.  Not anymore.  In fact -- most of the fence has fallen down, and I am content to enjoy the wildlife. It is especially nice that deer, turkey, bear, fox, coyotes and the occasional bobcat don't require chores. Yep -- the book on domesticated animals has closed. Instead -- I  watch the groundhogs and turkey vultures and -- I now have pasture parties.  Just so there is no confusion -- these are not parties in my pasture except on rare occasions when we gather around a campfire and chat. Mostly they are get-togethers of some of the people who live on the edge of my pasture.  Usually we gather in the summer, but we have been known to have pasture parties in the dead of winter when cabin fever drops in for a visit and overstays its welcome. The guest list has changed in the past few years - people have moved on in one way or another. New people have arrived. The gatherings are nice.  I love my neighbors.  I wonder if city folk would call them block parties?  It's the same concept really - only on a smaller scale.  People bring food and we sit around telling funny stories and catching up on neighborhood news. We have been known to tell the same story more than once if it is a good one. Some stories are repeated every time we gather. Nobody seems to mind. Now and then even people who have moved away are able to come back for one of the gatherings. Once a pasture neighbor, always a pasture neighbor.  We know who each other are.  It's comforting ... like the retelling of a shared experience.

You and I know that the world today is very fast paced... and that's not just because some of us are moving more slowly. There are even people who have lived in the same place for many years and have never met their neighbors. Now  -- maybe that could be a good thing in some situations, but it is also a sad indication of things being so complicated in our lives that we find it difficult or awkward to even stop and say a brief "hello".  I am all for anything that can slow us down if only for a little bit.  That is one reason why pasture parties are fun. Getting together with people of a variety of interests and ages is just plain refreshing and so worth the pause in busy lives.  I  must also mention that the food is always wonderful as well. My recommendation: stop, take a breath and, party on....  An informal gathering doesn't require a pasture or an excuse to get together -- just a few good neighbors.