Leaves and Shakers

Leaving upstate New York, we crossed into Vermont.  Almost immediately the roads improved - beautiful smooth highways lined with trees showing their finest colors.  Vermont is, I believe, not a wealthy state, but the homes and yards we passed looked more prosperous and better kept than we had seen in the countryside we passed through in Pennsylvania and New York.  There seemed to be a real pride in maintaining their properties. 

We crossed over into New Hampshire to walk around beautiful Dartmouth College - a classic campus with great old buildings and green open spaces.  There was an adjacent shopping street with a number of nice restaurants - much more upscale than we had seen at the University of Wisconsin in Madison but less interesting.

Some years back Nancy had taken a trip across country with her sister Diane, who has since passed away.  One of her favorite experiences then was a visit to a Shaker village in Kentucky.  Massachusetts was another center of Shaker activity during its heyday, and there is a Shaker village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, so we headed there.

The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing began in eighteenth century England and came to America near the time of our nation's birth.  They were given the name "Shakers" because of the gyrations observed during their charasmatic church services.  They were admirable in many ways, believing in equality of the sexes and kindness toward all.  They were very inventive craftsmen and are well known for their simple but elegant furniture production.  They lived communal lives.  Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Shaker lifestyle is that they did not believe that God wanted them to have sexual relations.  This, of course, limited procreation rather severely and made the movement less attractive to the lustful.  Of course Nancy and I couldn't help but wonder if slipups were occasionally made, and if so, what happened to the offenders when a new little Shaker popped out.

The buildings in the village are wonderfully preserved, and the staff is great at explaining what things were like when the community was active.  No Shakers have lived there for many years.  There is one small Shaker community remaining in Maine.  Please contact me if you want further information on how to join.

A mighty wind blew that day, before and after our Shaker visit.  Swept most of the color from the trees, leaving bare limbs and diminishing the beauty of the drive back to assist Nancy's parents in their move to a senior facility.