Working as a farm hand here on what could pass for Brokeback Mountain I figured it was incumbent upon me to do the full cowboy thing, going to town on Saturday to (D)rink (U)p (M)y (P)ay.
Being past forty and Buddhist this looks a bit different than you might imagine.
Farmerchuck’s place is at the far end of a daisy chain of a couple miles of one lane farm roads, but don’t imagine they’re subject to the same brain sucking Christian monoculture I face back in Iowa. Down the road, around the curve, and over the hill you’ll find the jewel of Massachusetts hilltown country; Shelburne Falls.
I started my weekend debauchery bright and early Saturday morning – Vinyassa yoga at Shelburne Falls Yoga. This is hands down the most gorgeous studio I’ve ever visited – an airy, second story perch overlooking Salmon Falls.
I’d been eyeing the Foxtown Coffee and Sandwich Shop since I hit town and I was not disappointed; sausage, two eggs over easy, and hash browns for $4.30.
I spent a good bit of the afternoon roaming around – and I’m amazed by the number of Tibetan prayer flags I find around town ... and the eclectic mix of shops. This place is double the size of my town in Iowa ... but it’s as interesting as Omaha, which is five hundred times larger.
I’ve been eating my own cooking far too long – the West End Pub was the obvious solution to this problem. Jambalaya was $12 and the views from the dining area were fantastic. The club area was full and, astonishingly to me as an Iowa resident, completely smoke free.
Night was falling and my final destination was just across the bridge – Mocha Maya’s coffee shop.
This is apparently the regional hub for local artists – I’d seen a band and an evening with two solo folk singers delivering an hour set each, and Saturday was again that format, with Emily Zuzik and another woman who’s name I didn’t catch. I caught a shot of Emily during her performance ...
The show ended at nine P.M. ... which is bedtime for us old folks, so I made my way back to the farm. Shelburne Falls is a livable, walkable town, full of fun things to do and I'm struggling not to look at the apartment listings as I'm going up and down main street.