Men Playing Cricket in North Amherst

Driving back in the bright September sun, I passed a group of dark skinned men playing cricket in North Amherst. One man stood in front of a stake and the other pitched at him as he held his large bat. Amherst was a beehive of human activity, there was an apple harvest festival and a young girl was belting out a tune with a band while two people among a throng danced. She was about 8 years old and had a strong unwavering voice.

Elsewhere, there were fireman who took people up a long long ladder in the sky, and tag sales on the common. Towns like this have a buzz, an energy, a youthful full kind of feeling. Like the strong coffee at the ‘Sheep, Amherst is always the same…student filled and posters everywhere, advertising such a huge array of coming events. I met Kate and Nathan for a coffee this morning.

The Black Sheep was full of people with different uniforms; Bowdoin Football fans, Hampshire College female sophomores perking out at us; older people who looked vaguely familiar. I like walking around a college town this time of year, this is when New England is the best place on earth to be.