vaneramos | Grounding

I have come to the precise place I need to be this weekend. djjo and I are attending a men's knitting weekend at Easton Mountain, a gay retreat centre near Albany, New York. We drove down from Toronto with Knitterguy yesterday. As soon as we arrived, Danny and I headed into the woods for a walk. We found the biggest white birch I have ever seen. The air is filled with birdsong, including some warblers I need to double-check for ID.

The people here are intently fibre-focused. We have lots of time to knit and converse. Last night a few of us retired to a candlelit woodfire sauna back in the woods. There is a certain degree of flirtation, but the sexual energy is more relaxed than I have ever encountered at a gay male event. This is just about my speed anymore.

There is another fellow here named Van, a handsome and pleasant knitter from the Catskills. I've heard of a few men who share my name, but this is the first one I've ever met besides my grandfather and a Vietnamese bartender.

This is what I need: an opportunity for grounding, connection, creativity, nature, fondness, looking forward and moving on. I've booked myself later this morning for a professional massage session, the first I've had in 13 years.

This morning brought a cloudless sky. Just now, a few of us are sitting on a balcony overlooking the small lake, where a Canada goose is yodeling and a woodpecker is drumming. The other men are knitting and sharing tips. I will join them presently.