1. Stopping by the communal apricot tree to pick and eat a couple of apricots that are so tangy, fruity that they taste like they’ve already been made into jam.
2. The friendly wave from the driver of every car you pass (who’s local and not a tourist passing through).
3. Being outside almost all the time.
The past few days I have worked on the farm in the mornings and the restaurant in the afternoons. This week I’ve had the opportunity to harvest produce. The cascadia peas are utterly prolific. As Nathanial (the farm manager) has said, we could sit and watch them grow. I’ve also picked arugula and lettuce. Arugula produces a small white flower that is peppery with a tangy finish. In the
afternoons I’ve had a variety of tasks at the restaurant. One of the more fun tasks is to collect all sorts of edible and culinary flowers and herbs from the grounds for garnish. And then there are the cherries! Escalante is a town about 1 hour to the south west of Boulder. They have cherry trees, and their cherry trees are in the middle of a bumper crop this year. These are amazing cherries; they are incredibly flavorful with a small pit. I think the restaurant purchased at least 50 lbs of cherries . . . and they all need to be pitted. So, we’ve all been pitting cherries.
The amazing people I am meeting and working with include local kids, WOOFERS, staff, cooks, gardeners, dishwashers, recent immigrants, 60 year-olds, just graduated from college kids, mid-lifers, figuring-out what’s next, this is it, and everything in between. There is a large percentage of Chacos.
Yesterday at the end of the day a couple WOOFERS and I went for a short hike in the long evening sunlight. We did Lower Calf Creek Falls trail. This roughly follows a small creek up a red rock canyon in Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument. It ends at a beautiful waterfall in a red rock amphitheater. The contrast of the creek-side green against the red rock is a feast for the eyes. This is just 20 minutes from the center of Boulder. This is the beauty that infuses this place!
Today I moved from my little motel room to the staff house. There was an open room at the staff house, and I was invited to take it. It looks out on the farm, has a porch, and the opportunity to get to know the staff better.
I hope you are all doing well!
Kelly Beck! I LOVE your comment about the large percentage of Chacos in your new Boulder, UT life. Love it!
ReplyDeleteKeep the blog posts coming as often as you can. Reading about your experiences and relfections is a true delight. Keep having a great and interesting time!