NotKnowing

The name comes from a conversation between two monks, recorded in the Book of Serenity. Dizang asked Fayan where he was going. Fayan said he was going on pilgrimage. Dizang asked what pilgrimage was for, and Fayan said he did not know. Dizang replied, “Not knowing is most intimate.”

We have not settled what it means. We like walking around inside it.

We create beautiful occasions outside.

An occasion might be a walk down into the Valley on an October morning, when the creek is cold enough to sting and the maples have started to turn. It might be soup at a long table, a night under canvas, a playlist for the drive home, or a small book illustrated by a local artist that you fold into your coat pocket.

Beautiful, for us, means rich with feeling. That leaves room for mud on your boots, a taste you remember forever, a hard conversation, a good joke, and an hour of quiet by the water.

Looking after people is a craft. You think ahead about what a guest will need: where to park, a warm layer for the hour when the sun leaves the trees. You get the practical things right, then pay attention to what happens.

We bring that same care to the things we make. A cup should sit well in a cold hand. A book should be worth carrying.

We’ll tell you where we’re going and what to bring. What comes of it is something we’ll discover together.