Seems to be the season of retreats, these past few weeks, with more on the way. So let me get started with a quick recap on visitors and projects!
Around the 15th for 24 hours the University of Vermont Catholic Center group, FOCUS arrived with 17 college students who were on retreat to plan projects and Evangelization activities on campus for the upcoming school year.
As soon as they arrived they explored the farm, settled in and headed straight to the lake for some kayaking fellowship,
Karol Wojtyla style.
Once they were back it was all about cooking and meetings, prayer in the chapel and a lot of laughing before bed. When morning came they were gone, as silent as Ninjas. a quick energetic
and wonderful group.
Shortly after that, Paul and Paula Harvey from PA arrived.
Paul and I could be twins! We laughed to find out that we had a lot of similar life experiences as well! We both had a history of acting Shakespeare, both in this country and England, we were both lectors and we even had some of the same
close friends in Philadelphia too.
Not to mention the same taste in fashion! Small world.
As the Harveys enjoyed their tranquil time praying in the chapel, walking the grounds and chit chatting from time to time another group showed up.
This group was about 25 Lyndon State College students who came as a work detail to harvest and clean the garden!
They arrived in a school bus,
And Cathy got them right to work.
All of them headed off to the garden to begin
weeding and harvesting.
As the garden work drew to a close they headed into the apple orchard to harvest there.
Cathy hopped on her tractor and kept things going as these young people kept working away!
After herding goats with me Gurly was looking for shade and the horses even came out to eat and watch in their new play pen or paddock or coral or grassy eating place-thing.
In no time the food shelf harvest was looking really good!
Later on today all these veggies and more will be on their way to the interfaith food shelf in town to feed a lot of people.
Once work was done it was time for a few gulps of water and some group shots before the bus pulled out and we all waved good bye!
What a blessing to have them here to do all the work they did!
Now things will slow down for a bit...
the turkeys eat and get fatter for Thanksgiving.
The chickens get bigger and soon will be laying our eggs.
And Aaron the buck dreams of making baby goats!
But within 24 hours the Mother Superior retreat arrives for a week and right on the heels of that is the 50 member Franciscan retreat, so stay tuned for more from,
The Mary Theotokos Monastic Center.
