Sunfire Sets Sail
If you’ve been to Easton Mountain, chances are you’ve met Sunfire.
A longtime member of the community, Sunfire has been a fixture at the mountain for decades.
At the end of September, we bid Sunfire farewell. He is now settled back into his home in Long Island.
Over the past several years, Sunfire would fly to Long Island or Florida for the winter, trading in his small cabin here at the mountain for milder temperatures — or, at least, indoor plumbing.
In the interest of his health and wellbeing — and despite his love for and deep connection with this place — Sunfire has made the decision that this was his last summer residing at Easton Mountain.
Sunfire is many things: a poet and author, a musician and composer, a photographer and cinematographer, a storyteller, theatre artist and puppeteer, a naked gardener, an energy worker, and a beloved friend and member of our community as well as the Quaker community.
Maybe you’ve chatted with him at the dinner table, or listened to a recitation of one of his written works, or witnessed his piano improvisations, or walked with him, or maybe you’ve just been in his proximity. Whatever the case may be, Sunfire has touched the lives of many.
Here are some pics from the farewell dinner we held in his honor. We ate Sunfire’s favorite meal (chicken and dumplings, made by Ace — delicious) and shared memories and stories about Sunfire. Sunfire regaled us with memories of his own, and expressed his love and appreciation for the community, the land and the ongoing project that is Easton Mountain. He boarded a train the following morning and, self-assured as ever, made the trip from Albany to Long Island.
I sent him a text an hour after his departure, asking him to let me know when he boarded the Long Island Railroad. His journey, after all, included a connection at Penn Station while wielding a giant, rolling duffle bag. When saying goodbye and wishing him safe travels, I encouraged him to ask for help when he arrived in NYC, if he needed it. This was his reply:
“Hi Cam. I’m on the LIRR. Just left Penn Station. I managed to get to the LIRR train without assistance. I could have saved time if I had assistance but there is something satisfying about accomplishing something on one’s own. Love, Sunfire.”
Well, that’s Sunfire for you. <3
We’ll miss him, and hope to welcome him back as a guest in the coming year.
If you’d like to get in touch with Sunfire, send us an email and we can connect you.
Written by Cam, no AI
