On the Road Again

Yesterday we left the farm, a day later than we had planned because it as just so hard to leave. Our last night we went up the main house and drank elderberry wine with the Kern Family, and talked revolution and organizing and Sue brought out tons of books on farming and poetry for us to read and browse through. I can't wait to go back; Kern Family Farm is forever in my heart. We drove through Death Valley, which was fucking INCREDIBLE, then drove through the night (and the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas) to attempt a sunrise Grand Canyon arrival. We spent the night sleeping in the car at a 24hr Denny's parking lot, and woke up to ice an inch thick on the windows because the temperature had dropped to 2 degrees. We did make it, early, before the Visitors Center even opened, to the Grand Canyon and walked around totally marvelled at the beauty of the geography and the freshly fallen snow. From there we drove to Prescott so I could check out the college there, which I am officially in love with and applying to and going to. Most of the buildings were either old house/motels, or built out of recycled/sustainable/reclaimed materials. They have a gear room which made me drool, and a farm, ranch, and a garden that supplies the cafe with veggies. Every wednesday the faculty and students have a free, delicous lunch of soup and bread together. I can't wait to start school again! We are now listening to a Hannah Viens family history from Andrea's cousin, which is pretty damn interesting, and really makes me want to learn more about my own, of which many details are fuzzy. Anyway I have to go sleep now, we have a big day of hiking in the Superstitions planned for tomorrow.

North Fork, CA

From the exact center of california, I say guten morgen! I just finished up my first week of working on the Kern family farm. I never want to leave. We wake up in the morning, work until lunch, which is always a huge delicous feast with salads and breads and goat cheese (made on the farm, i did it yesterday!) and juices and smiles with the Kerns, and then hike, nap, climb trees, explore the property, read, etc for the rest of the day. The family is oh just so great. Hansel reminds me of Mr. Kipp, in that he has a huge grey beard and vocal liberal ideas. He wears overalls and a flannel everyday with his big straw hat. The kids, Becky and Aaron, are close to me in age and are both planning to stay on the farm. They run everything on solar, hydro, and wind power. I have been drinking a ton of goats milk, which I like better than cows milk, and eating so  many vegetables that I harvested I don't know what I'll do going back to a grocery store. I really really love doing farm work; it is so satisfying, I don't know if I've ever been more comfortable in a place. 

The land that the farm is on is in the foothills of the Sierras, and the end of the property is a cliff that looks out on mountains and a little river winding its way to Fresno. The sunrises and sunsets are breathtaking and the stars are incredible! I have also seen numerous UFOs. On the full moon we had a bonfire. The other wwoofers are really relaxed. These two guys from Canada, Jeff and Jordan, are starting their own farm up there in the bush,and tell stories of hinting rabbits and growing ginseng. Hopefully I'll be able to wwoof on their farm someday soon. Max is from Pennsylvania, which is cool because he knows what I mean when I talk about the sound a horse and buggy makes. This weekend we're going hiking in Mammoth Pool and Yosemite, but first I have to go help Hannah make beet, carrot, and potatoe soup and finish weeding the broccoli beds. My phone is dead and has no service here, so maybe send beautiful thoughts on my birthday instead of trying to call. I love you all, HI JACK, be healthy and I'll write again after we leave North Fork next weekend. 

Gobble Gobble, Familia

I hope all your thanksgiving dinners were as delicious as mine was! Hannah and I joined Tyler's family in Santa Cruz for a wonderful feast, that included avocados and shrimp as well as the expected holiday foods. She and I have been laying low for the past few days, blowing our noses and being disgusting with our congested, sickly selves, but we're hopeful for our health to return to us by tomorrow, please. We've all been in Santa Cruz for about a week now, and though plagued by laziness, we have done some hiking, tree climbing, farmer's market-ing, and a whole lot of eating. Tiffany and Jordan went to San Diego (and Tijuana) for Thanksgiving. We haven't heard much of their adventure yet, but we expect some good stories to be told. It has been so nice to be here and see all my lovely friends again. Their generosity is unsurpassed. The weather yesterday here was unseasonably warm; seventy and sunny, which is weird because my body doesn't know whether to prepare for winter or spring or summer or fall. The surf was huge, and we walked over to the cliffs to watch the surfers at Steamer's Lane. I was also glad to get to talk with most of my family on the phone for the holiday, it reminds me how nice it will be to see everyone again!
We leave Sunday morning, to begin work on Kern Family Farm in North Fork, CA, which is east of Santa Cruz in the foothills of the Sierras. They have goats and pigs and dogs and children. They have greenhouses. They have at least ten other wwoofers. I am eager to get started on the next part of our journey, though it will mean once again saying goodbye to everyone here. I'm sure I'll be back sooner than expected, though. I can't seem to stay away from here for long.

San Francisco, CA

We left Eugene and drove south, making it to California but not avoiding the rain. We spent the night in Jedediah Smith State Park, and used my stove for the first time to make lentil soup. We set the tent up, stupidally, directly under redwoods so we were soaking wet in the morning from the drip drip drip. We continued to drive in the morning, stopping for lunch in Arcata at a vegetarian cafe called Wildflower, that I learnt I'd been to when I was little and living in the area. Humboldt County is incredibly beautiful, made more so by Hannah's unbridled enthusiasm for the size of trees and incredible vistas. We drove off the 101 to the 1, on 22 miles of windy, narrow road I thought was going to be the end. We spent the night sleeping outside (the tent was too wet) in Mendocino County right next to the ocean off the one. The surf was incredibley loud, and it was so cold we didn't get much sleep. Yesterday we drove through Mendocino, Marin, and Sonoma Counties and ended up driving right over the Golden Gate Bridge. On the way, we cooked oatmeal with peanut butter, granola, dried cranberries, walnuts and honey on the side of the road. Sonoma County remided me a lot of Vermont, with cows and hills and red barns. We also passed a number of posh spas that were probably ridiculously expensive. In the city, we found a cheap place to eat in chinatown and absolutely STUFFED ourselves. We stayed the night at Tiffany's family friends' house, and it is so nice here. The beds are warm, large, soft, perfect...I even got to take a hot bath with jets last night. Today we're planning on going to the Museum of Modern Art to see Frieda Khalo, Georgia O'Keefe and Jackson Pollack. I hope all is well in other parts of the world, and the nobody else ha gotten swine flu. Give my phone a call if you want to, I'm going to charge it today. Oh yeah, and I'm currently uploading photos of my NOLS trip, so check ch-check check check ch-check them out!

Eugene, OR

After spending a few days in Portland, we are finally headed down the coast. We spent the night with the parents of the mystery Daniel, a kid on Tiff and Hannah's course. They were extremely nice, fed us tea and apple slices, and now I'm eating cheerios with sugar at their kitchen counter. Tiffany is sitting across from me eating an apple saved from the deer and checking the atlas for our route today. We're driving to Orick, CA in the redwood national park area to camp for the night. On the way we're stopping in Kirby to see Itsburl, a place full of treehouses and wooden carvings. Last night in Portland at the REI we bought a whisperlight, and I finally became a member. We hiked up these waterfalls in Washington. Every morning when I wake up, it is raining, except for in Seattle (it was just overcast). The farm we're working on in the Sierras is 30 min from Yosemite, so hopefully I'll turn 20 camping in Yosemite. Oh yeah, and we're looking for a place to stay in the San Francisco area, so if you kow anyone willing to put up four girls for a night, let us know! I dreamt of raccoons all night. 

Carson, WA

We are making veggy curry in Tif's aunt's kitchen. We drove from Seattle to a small town outside of Portland today. Hannah knit hats in the car, Jordan tried to whittle a spoon and Tiff did work for her teacher's cert. My flight out of Mexico went well until I tried to go through customs, and they found the rations I'd grabbed from NOLS. Apparently white powders in plastic baggies stuffed inside your hiking boots raises alarms. I was pulled aside, searched, and they found my leatherman which really pissed them off. I had to check all my bags and chug my water bottle, so I peed like five times on the hour long flight to LA. We spent the night in the cottage at my Grandma Patti's in Seattle, and she and her husband Stephen fed us delicous yogurt and granola, lattes and pastries in the morning. The drive was gorgeous. It was so nice to see snow and mountains and trees again after being in the desert. Tomorrow we're going to drive into Portland and go to a book store that is a block long called Powells. We also have to buy an MSR stove. It looks like we're going to spend Thanksgiving in Santa Cruz with Tyler and his parents. I'm still working on pictures, it'll probably be a few more days...

Loreto, B.C.S.

Im in an internet "cafe" in Loreto, Mexico, using a spanish keyboard that keeps confusing me. My NOLS trip finished yesterday, and I left the field feeling clean until I showered and realized how dirty I was. I had a fabulous time, and when I have more then than ten minutes of computer time ill elaborate. highlights include a pod of over a thousand dolphins, sea turtles, morey eels, tarantulas (i let one walk on my hand), scorpians, spending my first three days barfing in the desert, and paddling in four foot breaking swells. I had an incredible time and im seriously considering doing a NOLS instructor course, or interning. My new short hair has been such a relief. oh yeah, and arm wrestle me, i dare ya. i have tons of photos of plants and spiders, mountains and sunsets, and then my camera died after the first week.
Loreto is gorgeous, and salty. i ate ice cream and almost died it as so good after eating rations for a month. i also have shakira stuck in my head. i talked to hannah today, and she and tif and jordan are picking me up in seattle tomorrow, which I cant wait for. I will try to make some phone calls in the next week or so. My time is uuupppp, that clicker is clicking...