Listening to the Sawkill
Map
Map
Story & Experience
Solstice Saturday, June 21, in Woodstock, NY, eight of us gathered in the woods along the banks of the stream where we were headed a shortways upstream to the site of an ancient handbuilt dam that created a now inactive drinking water reservoir for the nearby city of Kingston. At the base of the dam is a popular “Little Deep” swimming hole created by water falling over the dam.
There was the initial gathering before setting out, a centering and respectful entering the selected site for bringing RadJoy to this selected site. The introductions were coupled with each person sharing profound reflections connected with being in community by a familiar waterway near a popular strolling woods. From the beginning of our time together, we followed the Sawkill, and stopped as a group along the way to hear more about it and explore why we were there, and some added what they know or questions at each place we stopped.
We walked along the path to Little Deep, and then up to the top of the dam to observe the old reservoir water that was brackish and filled with water plants. This area is slowly turning into a wetland, but the dam also appears to be crumbling, so the old reservoir might not be long for this world.
We felt the ancient crumbling of this area, walked around in meditation, and gathered twigs, plants, and pinecones that we used to make our RadJoy bird. After this step in the RadJoy event, some of our group continued up the path to the next larger swimming hole, Big Deep, above the reservoir, which was very crowded with grateful local swimmers on a warm Solstice afternoon.
Knowing some of the story of the old reservoir, the Sawkill Creek, and creating the RadJoy bird is now part of the experience for us and part of a healing for that place. Hopefully, also flowing downstream to whoever comes upon our bird at least as a curious question- What do we have here? And for those of us who participated, what can we have here?
The voice of the stream is speaking to us. What are we going to do with what we hear?
Solstice Saturday, June 21, in Woodstock, NY, eight of us gathered in the woods along the banks of the stream where we were headed a shortways upstream to the site of an ancient handbuilt dam that created a now inactive drinking water reservoir for the nearby city of Kingston. At the base of the dam is a popular “Little Deep” swimming hole created by water falling over the dam.
There was the initial gathering before setting out, a centering and respectful entering the selected site for bringing RadJoy to this selected site. The introductions were coupled with each person sharing profound reflections connected with being in community by a familiar waterway near a popular strolling woods. From the beginning of our time together, we followed the Sawkill, and stopped as a group along the way to hear more about it and explore why we were there, and some added what they know or questions at each place we stopped.
We walked along the path to Little Deep, and then up to the top of the dam to observe the old reservoir water that was brackish and filled with water plants. This area is slowly turning into a wetland, but the dam also appears to be crumbling, so the old reservoir might not be long for this world.
We felt the ancient crumbling of this area, walked around in meditation, and gathered twigs, plants, and pinecones that we used to make our RadJoy bird. After this step in the RadJoy event, some of our group continued up the path to the next larger swimming hole, Big Deep, above the reservoir, which was very crowded with grateful local swimmers on a warm Solstice afternoon.
Knowing some of the story of the old reservoir, the Sawkill Creek, and creating the RadJoy bird is now part of the experience for us and part of a healing for that place. Hopefully, also flowing downstream to whoever comes upon our bird at least as a curious question- What do we have here? And for those of us who participated, what can we have here?
The voice of the stream is speaking to us. What are we going to do with what we hear?
Why this Place?
Old Reservoir #2 Woodstock, NY
An old abandoned and crumbling reservoir that used to serve the City of Kingston, NY.
Act of Beauty
We gathered twigs, plants, and pinecones that we used to make our RadJoy bird.
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