My session on writing renga went OK and produced something. For some reason, it was hard for people to write the 7-7 couplets, so I ended up writing all of those and everyone else just contributed haiku (or haiku-like verses). I munged them all together and presented it for the Kultura Vespero. I also presented my Kontrauxmilitaj kaj Pacaj Hajkoj, which people seemed to like. I received several enthusiastic comments afterwards. The other events in the Kultura Vespero were similiar to years past: several musicians performed, there was a reading, some story telling, etc. A group of younger folks performed an imprompteau sketch that involved starting with a letter (cxo, for example) and a "situation" (pregnancy, for example) and then each person in the sketch had to come up with a statement that began with the next letter in the alphabet. My favorite was the person who said, "Hximero devas esti" for "hxo". It was quick thinking to come up with a good word that begins with "hxo" relating to pregnancy.
Today the schedule is light: a couple of meetings in the morning, a group photo opportunity, and we're on our way. We should be home in time for tea. One of the meetings this morning is for ESNE. There has been an on-going discussion, which (for me) culminated when I wrote this piece. The editor of Verda Lumo had said he was looking for something for a page in the newsletter, but he exercised his editorial priviledge and chose not to run the piece. I don't think anything will come out of the meeting this morning -- nothing I've said so far has changed anything.
I checked out 
Java Baba's website and was pleased to see that it represents a merger between a deli and the State of Bean coffee coffee shop we remembered from years past. You can still get "State of Bean" coffee cups. I might get one, if I wasn't spending all my money on network connectivity.
Here is this year's "Group Photo" minus me a couple of others who were also taking pictures.
We arrived back from Okemo in good order. The last order of business was to discuss places to meet next year. The ISE has been at Okemo for 10 years, but during that time the cost has increased more than the inflation rate. Furthermore, when we look at who actually comes, it looks like Albany would be significantly easier for almost everyone. During the next year, the search will be on for a place that will be sufficiently low cost. Ideally, we'll find someplace that will also be welcoming. Okemo has been OK, but they have not in any way gone out of their way to encourage the meeting. If Alisa ran Okemo, she would have the staff learn a few stock Esperanto phrases for when the Esperantists came to town, or something like that.
I've downloaded pictures. I'll update Saturday's page with a picture of the "regxo" from Kubb. Here is a picture of one of the mountains in Vermont with the fall colors. There is something about low mountains with the mixture of evergreens and decidous trees that makes for truly magical colors.
