Rays of hope during and after Hailstorm 2008

[benazeman]

We were cleaning up and organizing the Lost and Found items after the hailstorm on Monday morning. My crew member, 14 year old McCartney, lamented, "We didn't even get to sing 'Never Turning Back.'"

Going to get cardboard boxes, we came across Eric, the amazing fiddle player from the Strangelings. We asked him to come back to our site and play as we sang "Never Turning Back."

There were ten of us singing and holding hands among the wreckage, including Ken from Security and Martha from Recycling. It was a very moving moment for me - hopefully for others as well.

What other hopeful and moving moments did folks discover among the wreckage, or during the maelstrom itself?

[boyhowdy]

My own observed rays of hope are vast and too numerous to mention, from Eileen Ivers and many others playing an impromptu set by the workshop stage in the aftermath to those who were able to stop and appreciate the "sculpture garden" of EZ-up tent skeletons which littered the site on Monday morning.

I was especially impressed with how many folks -- volunteers and fest-goers alike -- walked out of that place with their sense of humor intact, already making plans for next year.

But Ben, seeing the smile on your face as you jumped right in to organize the lost and found as the storm started to settle was incredible -- one of the most hope-filled moments I have ever seen. That image right there set the tone for so many others to follow. Kudos, and thanks.

[benazeman]

Awww! Thank you so much, boyhowdy!

Looking at your profile, you list your occupation as "Crew Chief - Teen Crew." So you're Josh, the guy who saved my wife Lucinda from possible death!

Both of them were under the Site Crew tent as it came down - Lucinda had a wire wrap around her neck and Josh untangled her neck. They were both able to run to safety before we on the outside had to let go and let the tent go down.

I really love Lucinda, so thanks for saving her! Certainly a ray of hope but also a hero/shero story. You rock, Josh!

[rhiyaya]

After the storm we walked down the hill to survey the damage, this is when we heard the rest of the festival was cancelled. All weekend I'd been talking about how I regretted my decision to not stay for the closing song last year, so I was pretty bummed. A few of us had gathered near the ditched-turned-raging-river and sang the only two lines we knew. "Keep on moving forward, keep on moving forward, keep on moving forward... never turning back, never turning back"

And as dumb as this may sound, it really did add some closure to this festival that I felt I missed out on last year.

[PaulC]

I've never missed the closing song since 2002, so it was very difficult to leave this year before the end. I left after I heard the weather report on Sunday at about noon. If I my son wasn't with me I probably would have stayed. It is nice to know that some sort of closing ceremony was held.

[rhiyaya]

One of the things we did feel like we missed out on this year was the lost and found guy. So I'm glad to see that you were there, and that we just somehow missed you all weekend!

[ml21096]

When we were done packing up all our gear and driving away from our campsite I got stuck, deeply, in the mud in our minivan with my two kids in back. Before I could even open my door to access the situation, people, mostly college age men, came from all directions to help us. They rocked and pushed the van, found planks to put beneath the tires, offered advice and kind words for almost a 1/2 hour until, lo and behold, by some miracle, they were able to free the van from the muck. On a very dark day they offered me a ray that reaffirmed the inherent kindness of the human spirit. Thanks again guys. Getting stuck in the mud was among the worst experiences I've had at the festival; the communal efffort to help was the best.

[ContraDancer]

There were plenty of happy dancers again this year at FRFF. Due to the new spiffy tent, floor space was enlarged for more dancing room (YIPPIE!) so it may have looked like less attended compared to the appearance of last year's tighter space. however, I'd say there were about the same amount of dancers this year. We're a determined, dedicated, energetic, and resourceful bunch of "folk addicts." Even after that mini-tornado flew overhead, about 35 to 45 of us took solace in the Dodds' large barn. We soon recruited a few musicians with instruments in-hand, got some kindly callers on board and, by-golly, we kept that fabulous festival going with more delightful contra dancing right inside that beautiful barn until around 5:40 PM. That amazing whirlwind blew us straight back to our blessed roots... no electricity, no PA system, no lights, no fancy frills, just wonderful old fashioned dancing inside the barn amongst grateful smiling souls ... our fun-filled feet and the old tunes were all floating about betwixt fragrant mounds of sweet-scented hay.... I guess we ended up being the only show in town!