Tennants Cove Writers Retreat: A Week of Creative Serenity

How lucky was I to be among the few writers selected to attend the #TennantsCoveWritersRetreat ? VERY!

Nestled along the banks of the St. John River in New Brunswick (Canada), the farm is a respite from the outside world.

Sitting on the deck overlooking the river, or on the grass in the shade of the old house when the sun threatened to bake me alive, I found myself sighing in rhythm to the breeze. It was so incredibly quiet. It wasn’t silent. There were sounds – birds tweeting, fledgling eagles screaming back and forth, the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees around the house – but no noise. Serenity.

A family of Phoebes nested outside an upstairs window, the parents flitting here and there gathering food for their hungry offspring.

Ball-obsessed Stu was a constant companion for all of us – willing to play ball at a moment’s notice, happy to romp to the shore and join in a swim, eager to scrounge nibbles of whatever wonderful meal Alden prepared for us – the furry embodiment of the joy of living in the moment!

The view from near the top of the hill overlooking the farm, across the river and beyond was spectacular. Our group enjoyed days of sunshine and warmth with an occasional spit of rain – nothing to spoil our fun and it all contributed to the incredible creative atmosphere we revelled in.

Peter and Melissa put together an amazing group of people who, almost within hours of meeting each other, formed a remarkable bond within which we all flourished and grew. There were people from Toronto, Washington (DC), Ohio, New York, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. A mixed bag of diverse and talented men and women keen to share their work and their lives with each other – at least for a little while.

My mascot buoy made a brief appearance for a photo op on the deck!

Although everyone worked diligently, with guidance from Peter and Melissa, on his or her project – memoirs, poetry, screen plays, novels – there was time for fun too. Whether it was laughter during our wonderful meals or venturing out onto the river to kayak or swim, the days flew by too quickly – but just enough as well.

Contemplative evenings were helped along with a bit of bubbly (thanks Richard!), some wine, and a few gin and tonic cocktails!

Alden (Peter’s son), a talented musician (AND chef) entertained us a few times with his song writing / guitar playing / singing.

We all enjoyed easy mornings, coffee (or tea) on the deck, homemade sourdough bread, copious amounts of cheese etc. for breakfast and lunch.

I found time (surprise) between bouts of writing inspiration to take my camera out and roam the property. There were SO many things to capture, to share, to remind all of us what a wonderful adventure it truly was! It was MORE than worth the price of admission to take part in this week-long creative adventure!

Thank you to everyone who was there – for your support and encouragement, friendship and kindness.

Fittingly, the sunset on our last night, viewed from the deck overlooking the river, was spectacular!