To everyone who is anxiously waiting to read my next blog (Scott): We have arrived safely on the farm, with only a few hiccups (we got a little lost trying to find the farm). The days are really long but go really quickly and there is no end of work--but it feels great to be out in the sun all day. We are adjusting pretty quickly and it gets easier everyday because we always have something to do and something new to learn.
It's been only two days that we've been working here but already it seems a lot longer. The people are easy to get a long with and everything is pretty laid back. There's an OCD dog here that very amusing to be around. He likes to chase his tail endlessly (and perhaps if it were a little longer he could catch it more often) or chase sticks endlessly or smell things incessantly. Yesterday he killed a mole and rolled it...yum. All in all, we're enjoying the simpler things in life: the way the sun feels on your skin, how the light hits the porch at the end of the day, the satisfaction of knowing you've helped things grow. It good right now, and it'll only get more interesting.
I'll try to post pictures and a long blog post soon but I'll have to wait for the right time. Or in other words I'll have to choose a night to post when I'm not struggling to keep my eyes open after a long day in the sun. Hope everyone everywhere else is enjoying life!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Day 3: Montana
We traveled from Laurel, Montana to Missoula, Montana today. It was about 300ish miles, so it wasn't as grueling as yesterday or the day before and the scenery was breathtaking!
Here's one of the first views of real mountains (ignore the spots, this was through the window):
We passed many, many beautiful cliffs, mountain ranges, rivers, and combinations of all of the above. While we didn't get good pictures of it all we managed to get away with some:
And the highlight of our trip was Bozeman, Montana! We stopped there because we looked up co-ops on the NCGA website and Bozeman had the only one between Washington and Minnesota. At the very moment we pulled into Bozeman I felt a good vibe. It was easy to find the co-op--just down main street--and it shown like a beacon to us.
We got lots of great pictures of the co-op and I'm sure the people shopping there were wondering what the heck I was doing. If they would have asked I would have just said "Oh, I'm geeking out about how beautiful this co-op is. I used to work at a co-op. I love co-ops. I would live in a co-op if they had organic beds in the break room." Or something along those lines. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself:
And this was the view from the upper level seating area:
Alex and I decided to get some lunch from the deli and sit up here and enjoy the view while we ate the delicious food. Alex had a chopped salad with an assortment of vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and some delicious dressing and I had Vietnamese rice noodles with tofu and half of a tofu and peanut sauce wrap. It blew me out of the water--of course I was hungry and that is the best seasoning but you could tell they knew their food.
I also had a delicious coffee smoothie beverage which tasted like something I used to make in the juice bar at Mississippi Market. I'll try to post more pictures of the co-op (and the rest of Montana) on my Facebook page some time in the next week, if you want to check it out.
We were so in love with the co-op and the people, who were so warm and welcoming towards us, that we were super reluctant to leave. We haven't been surrounded by people like that since we left St. Paul. It's hard to describe what quality it was that made us feel so loved and welcome in a place we've never been to before but I assume it the same reason it made it so hard for me to leave Mississippi Market.
I cried when I left MSM and I kinda got a little teary eyed when we had to leave Community Food Co-op. We'll be back there again.
So, that brings us to Missoula--where we stopped after discovering the camping area we were shooting for didn't really measure up to what we expected and, besides, it was completely full. One more night in a motel, which is nice since I get to update you lovely folks again, and then we are on to Washington. I hope that we at least find some decent camping there.
We're looking forward to another good night of sleep and an early start to day 4!
Here's one of the first views of real mountains (ignore the spots, this was through the window):
We passed many, many beautiful cliffs, mountain ranges, rivers, and combinations of all of the above. While we didn't get good pictures of it all we managed to get away with some:
And the highlight of our trip was Bozeman, Montana! We stopped there because we looked up co-ops on the NCGA website and Bozeman had the only one between Washington and Minnesota. At the very moment we pulled into Bozeman I felt a good vibe. It was easy to find the co-op--just down main street--and it shown like a beacon to us.
We got lots of great pictures of the co-op and I'm sure the people shopping there were wondering what the heck I was doing. If they would have asked I would have just said "Oh, I'm geeking out about how beautiful this co-op is. I used to work at a co-op. I love co-ops. I would live in a co-op if they had organic beds in the break room." Or something along those lines. But don't take my word for it, see for yourself:
And this was the view from the upper level seating area:
Alex and I decided to get some lunch from the deli and sit up here and enjoy the view while we ate the delicious food. Alex had a chopped salad with an assortment of vegetables, chickpeas, feta, and some delicious dressing and I had Vietnamese rice noodles with tofu and half of a tofu and peanut sauce wrap. It blew me out of the water--of course I was hungry and that is the best seasoning but you could tell they knew their food.I also had a delicious coffee smoothie beverage which tasted like something I used to make in the juice bar at Mississippi Market. I'll try to post more pictures of the co-op (and the rest of Montana) on my Facebook page some time in the next week, if you want to check it out.
We were so in love with the co-op and the people, who were so warm and welcoming towards us, that we were super reluctant to leave. We haven't been surrounded by people like that since we left St. Paul. It's hard to describe what quality it was that made us feel so loved and welcome in a place we've never been to before but I assume it the same reason it made it so hard for me to leave Mississippi Market.
I cried when I left MSM and I kinda got a little teary eyed when we had to leave Community Food Co-op. We'll be back there again.
So, that brings us to Missoula--where we stopped after discovering the camping area we were shooting for didn't really measure up to what we expected and, besides, it was completely full. One more night in a motel, which is nice since I get to update you lovely folks again, and then we are on to Washington. I hope that we at least find some decent camping there.
We're looking forward to another good night of sleep and an early start to day 4!
Friday, May 22, 2009
On the Road
Yes, it's only day 2 of our amazing adventure and I already miss Minnesota (okay, a little) and all of my friends (a lot). Both days were long and tiresome and I'm fully ready to sleep, as soon as I get this post up.
Right now we are in a Best Western in Laurel, Montana. We had had plans to camp at Cooney State Park but after driving over 409 miles and then travelling down a winding country road, which then turned into a winding gravel country road, for what seemed like an eternity all the while wondering where in the hell the damn state park was--we figured we deserved some comfort.
Not to mention the fact that we didn't get much sleep at Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park, where we camped last night, because it was super chilly and then we were awoken at 5:30 am to the sounds of a wild kingdom surrounding us. I kid you not, between the high pitched bird twittering, the chirps of squirrels, the lowing of the mourning doves, the honks of the geese, plus various and sundry other animal noices, it was deafening. I've never heard such a "natural" cacophony.
So, yay, we're not going to be cold tonight and the only animals we might be awoken by tomorrow morning would be the humans next door to us. Plus, we are clean! And we don't have to take that humongormous tent of ours down tomorrow morning. So, although, this trip has gotten off to a shaky, but interesting start (more details, and pictures, to come) it is shaping up nicely. We've gotten some great pictures of buffalo, painted hills, and each other :) I look forward to sharing those with you along with some of the tales from the trip.
Tomorrow we'll be exploring Montana! Wish us luck!
Right now we are in a Best Western in Laurel, Montana. We had had plans to camp at Cooney State Park but after driving over 409 miles and then travelling down a winding country road, which then turned into a winding gravel country road, for what seemed like an eternity all the while wondering where in the hell the damn state park was--we figured we deserved some comfort.
Not to mention the fact that we didn't get much sleep at Ft. Abraham Lincoln State Park, where we camped last night, because it was super chilly and then we were awoken at 5:30 am to the sounds of a wild kingdom surrounding us. I kid you not, between the high pitched bird twittering, the chirps of squirrels, the lowing of the mourning doves, the honks of the geese, plus various and sundry other animal noices, it was deafening. I've never heard such a "natural" cacophony.
So, yay, we're not going to be cold tonight and the only animals we might be awoken by tomorrow morning would be the humans next door to us. Plus, we are clean! And we don't have to take that humongormous tent of ours down tomorrow morning. So, although, this trip has gotten off to a shaky, but interesting start (more details, and pictures, to come) it is shaping up nicely. We've gotten some great pictures of buffalo, painted hills, and each other :) I look forward to sharing those with you along with some of the tales from the trip.
Tomorrow we'll be exploring Montana! Wish us luck!
Quick Thank You
I just wanted to take the time to thank those who came out to bid us farewell at the Muddy Pig and to those who were able to make it out to our full blown going away party!
I even got to try my hand at making a chilean specialty that my grandpa used to make for me all the time, Empanadas de pino. I made a beef and turkey version and they turned out just like I remembered them. Sigh.
And there was fire!
I even got to try my hand at making a chilean specialty that my grandpa used to make for me all the time, Empanadas de pino. I made a beef and turkey version and they turned out just like I remembered them. Sigh.
And there was fire!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Ahhhh!
The panic is setting in for both of us.
We leave tomorrow morning. We've got too much stuff. There's still more to pack. My eyes burn. Alex is super sad. It's just weird and overwhelming right now.
But the fun will start tomorrow (after loading the car)!
I hope to post a decent farewell post soon including photos from various going-away gatherings.
Until then, I bid you adieu. There are CDs to burn, toiletries to pack, more freaking out to do, and plenty of things to clean and organize. It's a process. A long, long process.
We leave tomorrow morning. We've got too much stuff. There's still more to pack. My eyes burn. Alex is super sad. It's just weird and overwhelming right now.
But the fun will start tomorrow (after loading the car)!
I hope to post a decent farewell post soon including photos from various going-away gatherings.
Until then, I bid you adieu. There are CDs to burn, toiletries to pack, more freaking out to do, and plenty of things to clean and organize. It's a process. A long, long process.
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