Post ten things you love about Our Haven!

[nataliewitch]

10 things I love about Our Haven...

10.) The soothing sound of Buck Creek.
9. ) Leaning on the cool, grounding standing stones and sipping mead.
8. ) Sleeping in perfect silence at my cabin in the orchard.
7. ) Gazing at the Milky Way in the clear night sky.
6. ) Dancing from my soul to powerful drumbeats.
5. ) Leaving offerings to the White Goddess of the orchard.
4. ) Listening to Owls hooting through the night.
3. ) Singing showtunes with my gals until dawn.
2. ) The most beautiful fires I've ever seen.
1. ) My amazing, crazy, wild, magical, wonderful family.

[Manelqua]

10) seeing the trees come alive at spring
9) watching the deer have their nightly meeting at the main fire pit
8) Walking the trails looking for herbs
7) How the stars shine in the sky
6)  the sound of the water in the creek
5) the fires, and drums as well as the dancers..
4) ALL THE SHRINES
3) the feeling of family
2) the peace and quite
1) being able to share the heart beat of Our Haven with You
 

[SavvyB]

10. Being with my family.
9. Listening to the drums.
8. Exploring the woods.
7. Watching the fire.
6. Playing in the creek.
5. Laying on the grass and looking at the stars.
4. The feeling of being home and being safe.
3. Meeting new people and making them feel at home.
2. Taking pictures.
1. Feeling love and giving love to others.

[Bill Schook]

10) Reuniting with old friends and making new ones.
9) Sharing the mead I make with friends, old and new.  (It's the universal currency and icebreaker.)
8) Cast iron cooking with others, usually with my peach cobbler
7) Coordinating a group meal at someone's circle and pitching in
6) The "creative" names Joe comes up when naming his concoction of random alcohols, energy drinks and flavored fruit punches.  Beware the Joe-Juice.
5) Friendly competition and rib-jabbing
4) The ability of the community to come together in a time of need.
3) The desire to stay awake for longest night (winter solstice) and the total lack of desire to wake and stay up for Longest Day (midsummer)  :)
2) Upon arriving at the main gate, you are given a warm "Welcome Home" by Firehorse all the way to where you are camping.  (You gotta watch out for that Firehorse, she'll run you over like a phone box.  I've seen it, it ain't pretty!)
1) The constant reminders of a mistake you made long ago that was serious at the time, but is now a running joke, just like a family (Right Firehorse?)

Aww... just ten?

I'll add:  
The INSTANT welcoming of a new face to the community, no matter who you are, where you came from or how often you are there (you need to come out to Our Haven more often if you don't know what I am talking about).  Home is where you heart is and where you hang your hat.  Both can be done and from the last festival to the first one, my thoughts often drift to Our Haven.  I will have been going up to Our Haven since 2003, it gets prettier every time.

[dolly]

1. meeting new friends and old ones
2.joe juice
3.the beautiful night sky
4.the smell of nature
5.warm welcome's
6.m&m&k&s
7.the awsome fires the fire tenders build
8.the lovely girls and guys that dance around the fire
9.sound of drums beating in to the night verry soothing
10.fun & family that we all can make it be
                                                                                                       

[Willow K]

1.) Being Home
2.) My family
     Rodger, Michelle, Little Rodger, Carl, Holly the Diva, Sebastian, Cecilia, Robert
3.) Being able to see the stars
4.) Watching the deer in the yard during the morning smoke
5.) Saturday Breakfast... You know who you are (Bill remember the sausage lmao)
6.) The new paint job on the jeep (mud induced)
7.) The Turf Tiger
8.) Friends, Friends, and more Friends
9.) The Hillaphone
10.) The coyotes with the exceptional vocabulary

[zael]

Hmmm...
10 Well, meade!
9 Picking on friends
8 making new friends to pick on, lol
7 getting out in nature and helping get stuff done
6 family, adopted or otherwise
5 nekkid people
4 mud people
3 wrapping people in chain (chainmaille I mean)
2 the Drums!
1 the Events

We only get 10? ...

[DanielleWolf]

10-The creek at night(the sound it makes)
9-The wind rushing through the trees
8-watching the storms roll in
7-All of my family
6-Saturday morning breakfast(thanks Bill and Willow and Michelle)
5 Meade,Meade,Meade
4 JOE JUICE!
3 The Vendors
2The stars
1 THE FIRE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Michelle Castle]

10. The smell of fresh air
9. Open Spaces
8. Falling asleep to drums
7. The mud (ok not the laundry naked mud play is always best for that.)  Now to get it all in one place off the road so we can still drive.
6. Watching other's personal growth.
5. Seeing a community that can come together and be a family.
4. Meeting friends old and new
3. Scared spaces
2. Watching the kids grow in the best community.

And Finally ....

1.  It's Home!!!

[IRON DRAGON]

In no particular order:

The People, I love the land, but the people family/friends who come together and through thick and thin, through disagreements, depression, and life's turmoil. Every one of you are unique and special and I don't know half of you as well as I like to..lol and the other half I know too much allready*Wink*

The wind, Goddess is in the wind, she'll speak to you through the trees.

The Land, It surprises me every time I go out and holds on to its secrets, but some nights if you spill a little libation you may just learn a few.

The Water, it has saved my life many times, from heat, burns, and exhaustion.

The Fires, what to say, so much to express, Magic, Conflict, Safety, Danger, Therapy, Excitement, Order, Chaos, Beauty, and on..It is such the crossroads of the community and all that it implies.

Magick, Rituals, Shrines, sacred Spaces: Its there daily, maybe not always the type your used to but its there and its alive.

The creatures, Owls, Coyotes, Deer, and others..Hell I even miss the donkey that used to scare the new people in the night.

The Festivals, For bringing new experiences to me.

The Risk, For those who come to the land and really put it out there, Feelings, Time, Money, Effort, and come back even when any or all have been lost, who reinvent themselves and what Our Haven means to them.

The People: Truly My Friends and Family Thank You, For every memory and experience. We may not always get along, we may not understand why each other does something, we may hurt each other unintentional, but I believe we all just want the best for each other. and for my friends and family yet to meet Welcome and I hope to be seeing you for the next 10 years of Our Haven and more.

[Laurelei]

In no particular order ...

* It's where I met Natalie and Joe.
* Watching my children run with the other feral Pagan babies.
* Sweet and stirring memories of my ex-husband.
* Dancing at the Fires.
* Resh.
* The White Goddess shrine -- and the lady there who nurtured a broken heart.
* The water fan at Babalon Rising -- which literally saved my life.
* Sanctuary of Venus Erycine and the Goddess who whispers and moans in the trees there.
* The family and friends who have become mine.
* That it's OUR Haven -- all of our's.

[Starr]

10 things I love about Our Haven...

10.)  I love the natural beauty of the Land
09.)  I love watching the orchard grow
08.)  I love watching the community come together from all walks of life to create a family
07.)  I love the fact that we can't get cell service but we CAN get wireless internet access
06.)  I love the fact that there is solitude if I need it, company if I want it and Love whether I completely deserve it or not.  
05.)  I love knowing that we have some of the best young fire-spinners in the world.  (Shout out to the FireFlys!
04.)  I love watching the resident children grow up
03.)  I love the Fire Trybe and thank them so much for keeping me safe and warm through many nights
02.)  I love my Our Haven Family!  Each and Every one of them.  
01.)  I LOVE THE FIRE!

[DanielleWolf]

I have to add to that...the fact that I love the most is that no matter how tired we all are,we all pitch in and help when help is needed.