We're home from Falcon Ridge, with all its mud and rain and more mud and rain. And through it all, I still managed to get a pretty nasty sunburn (and yes, Sara, I was wearing my SPF 50 - at least most of the time). The music was great (as usual), and the storms held off through Eddie from Ohio, but Saturday night? I'm not much into praying, but I do distinctly remember making a plea to God, the universe, whatever it was that created the storm that I swore was going to tear our tent right off the side of the hill: Please - just make it quick and painless. If you know much about me, you know that, along with all my other neuroses, am certain that I am going to die by tornado or lightning strike. Seriously - the rain, the winds, the lightning, all of it while I was tucked in a tent with a toddler curled up in the sleeping bag next to me, only a thin sheet of fabric between us and the wide open valley and the storm that was raging - I was certain this was the end.

Ok, a tad bit melodramatic now that I'm home, but at the time, it was truly terrifying. For what it's worth, I did a search and there was, in fact, a tornado in Hillsdale NY in 1995 - so it IS possible!

Other than that, we had a great time. Sammy was completely smitten with the abundance of roving musicians and their instruments. The camp down the road from ours (Bread and Bones) had a bass, and he let Sammy hold it and pluck the strings. The kid was beside himself - he was about to burst with excitement. We attempted the Family Dance (contra dancing), but he was more content with chasing the girls around instead. (And so it begins.) But the best moment had to come during one of our favorite FRFF moments: Dar Williams, "Iowa", when the sun has set and everyone on the hill breaks out their lights to sway along with the music. Sammy held up his green glowstick, looking back over our shoulders at the rest of the hill, lit up under the starry sky, and when it was done, just looked at us both and asked, "Again?"

And then my car got stuck in the mud Sunday morning, and then the rains came and it took Jay twice as long to get home, and when we were all home, we were just so very glad to be home. For as wonderful as the music and community is, the weather definitely took its toll on all of us. And yet, we've already begun counting down the days until next year. :-)