Sunday, September 9, 2012

9/1 #opwalkabout takes $%&*# Fest

To backtrack a bit (har har), Brittany, my Providence host, was a find on couchsurfing.org, or rather she found me. I'd posted a request on my itinerary for Providence, it seemed like moments later when I got a hit.
We chatted for a few minutes on the phone, solidified the dates and that was that. Even after foot fail 1.0 she was cool with me showing up a couple days late. Our initial meeting wasn't in Providence though, during my convalescence she called and invited me to a party South of the city in Essex. Joy thought it'd be a grand old time so hove to around 7 after dinner.

We spent an hour driving up and down Southern Rhode Island looking for a gas station. Third times a charm with the first being closed for renovations, the second didn't exist. We picked up smokes at lucky number three and filled the tank.

The droll voice of the GPS rattled off directions to our destination. We chattered like magpies, nearly missing the sign at the end of the dirt road noticing just in time to do something about it. The dusty track took us past houses, tractors, and more barns than I care to mention. We rolled down the windows and followed the music.
After letting several cars out, including an ice cream truck, Joy and I did a double take as the grizzled driver shouted, "It's a rough road be careful up there folks!"

Nosing slowly up the road around dips and bumps that would have holed lesser vehicles, we hit the landing, and the ticket tent. A mustachioed fellow flagged us down and asked us for tickets. I spoke over Joy, "its 5 to get in right?" Hoping that my knowledge of the cover would get mustache to let us in. Success! He checked our IDs took my money and waved us through. We were told to take a left at the entrance and follow the music to the party.

Brittany and I played Marco Polo embracing exuberantly upon meeting in the middle of the pasture cum parking lot. We'd been texting back and forth the past few days so it was like seeing old friends. I had to throttle down the urge to run on seeing the 300 plus people milling around. My natural inclination is to spend my time in a building, all the time. This was a horse of a different color, or rather a goat that I would have to teach to sing over the next couple weeks.

I helped erect Brittany's tent, and we chilled a bit under the stars only to be forced back to civilization when the skies opened up.

Here's to new friends and fields of strangers dancing in the rain long into the night.

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