You have heard a word about Oregon yet but here I sit on the stoop of my house pondering how I will be leaving tomorrow. It was beautiful. Every night I sit outside and watch sunset. Tonight I am joined by both Carlata (Cat-lata) and Mac (Mac-a-dog). As every other night has been, the air is still but light. The deepening blue of above is forever expansive and the horizon shifts from peaches to ambers to final darkness. Tonight the silver of the moon is hanging low in the sky joining the light show.

I’m sad to be going. I have been staying at a farm called Bittersweet. It is small but loved. People come and go helping to work but absolutely no one is paid (in cash at least). I’ve not yet stopped finding hidden treasures (others might call it junk) around the place.

On of my favorite spots to sit, as I have a lot of spare time, is on the roof of one of three broken down rvs that now serve as extra living space for guests. An old bathroom has been transplanted to the outdoors and the toilet and claw foot tub serve as gorgeous planters. The tub is my favorite. Its full of lavender. During the day we work under a tent, the type used to sell at markets, but this one is permanently attached to a giant old fir tree and a little cherry tree, without which the tent could not stand. But I think of this space more as the living room. Aside from where we sort salad greens or pot plants, its often where we eat or talk over npr (which is always on). Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention that the couch in this living room is an old bench seat from a car. I love recycling this way!

I also love the van that we drive to market in. It has wooden shelved built in the back for storage and a metal folding chair in the middle of the front seats, chance an extra passenger need it. And it needs an extra seat as its now a family car and the baby has claim to the passenger seat.

The people I have met here have been just as beautiful as the place. Drew is the only person that I have spent all three weeks with here but I’ve spent time with a huge handful of the friendliest people, whether it be for hours or days. If there is one thing that I wish I could take with me from this place its Drew’s humor. Everything I can try to hold remember by picture or writing, but Drew’s way of saying things is simply not reproducible.

So, Oregon has been great. I don’t want to leave here but its time to go home. And that will be great too! I have a 41 hour train ride starting tomorrow night so I promise some of my time will be spent putting up some pictures.

So it seems as though I am going to Oregon after all. I have found I farm with some open space to house another worker. I know so little about what I am jumping into but Oregon sounds great. I’m working on Bittersweet Farm, 8th certified organic farm ever, currently in debt. All I hope for is nice people to spend my time with, public transport, and feeling alive.

yesterday

my coworker friend Jessi, who had given her two weeks notice about a week ago, was told that she had to be out by the night. just like the owners treat their stock animals, her utility value had run dry and that was the end of their energy spent on her. so without a care as to where she could sleep for the week that she would still be in montana they threw her out in the middle of the day. after quiet the exhilarating yelling match with the owner man, it was decided that i was to be out by the night as well… even though the wife told me i should critically rethink this after our emotions (because i still had utility value, they just as quickly would have abandoned me if it would have been a business savvy decision)

so we were free

we packed and got in jessi’s car

after a slow afternoon, we called a potter that jessi had met a few times and she generously took us in for the night. jessi will be dog sitting for them as they are on vaction for the next week. serendipity works for all. the potter and her husband are such kind and interesting people. and their house and studios are amazing. such a good place. it would take me too long to describe it well enough.

today

my grandma should be here to begin our vacation together within the hour.

but aprovecho, my intership program, sent me an email saying that their aren’t enough people and the class is canceled. i am so disappointed. it sounded perfect. so, my plans for the weeks after this vacation with my grandma are totally unplanned. i still really want to go farther west. but have no where to stay, no job… just myself and my backpack. sounds a little daunting but also exactly what i was looking for in a way.

When I jumped off I had a bucket full of thoughts. Then I did a lot of domestic work.

I’m getting back on the Amtrak after I take a week to actually enjoy the park (with my grandma!!!). My next stop is Cottage Grove, Oregon for a month long internship/class/job of permaculture design. I’m looking forward to so many things about it… vegetables straight from the garden. I’m so sick of the food that I cooked here. Don’t get me wrong, there have been good times and things to be grateful for… just not the food. Which makes the job of cook not so fulfilling.

Thats my big update - last day of work on the fifteenth.

I SEE HANNAH TOMORROW at her work in the park of geological studies!!!

So I haven’t been doing a good job keeping in touch with just about anyone. Sorry about that. Here, I work on deadlines. Food has to be places at certain times. And, whats more, I have been trying really hard to fulfill these deadlines. For some reason being on time makes more sense to me for food than they did for school. (I think because for school it was only a burden to myself if I didn’t do things on time. Here I have angry, hungry cowboys as a consequence.)

Lately I haven’t been arriving to anything on time though. I have a sinus infection that started as an ear infection from that skinny dip on Spring Fling in Millers pond. Still worth it. But I have become the biggest space cadet known to man as a result of ailment plus constant household work. (Tangent - While I am alone by myself cooking and cleaning for hours at a time, I have changed the name of my job description from cooking for cowboys to wife school). Yesterday I was walking into a mini fake tourist town that I live by to do laundry. I walked into the convenience store, picked up the laundry detergent and left, not even thinking about it. Suddenly on my way to the laundromat I realized what I had done and turned around to pay. I entered into the store to find the women with smirks on their faces. They said they figured that I really needed it.

Everyone has been incredibly nice in the state of Montana. At the cabin that I work but do not sleep at (I feed two locations of wranglers), I have this neighbor named Pete. He is an older man who drops in to say hello (he has definitely caught me taking embarrassingly huge mouthfuls out of the food that i am cooking). Today I went over to his house for coffee after delivering breakfast. He tells crazy stories about animal encounters he has had over the years here and the history of the park. His family owns property within the national park which means that they have been here for a very long time. I like his attitude. He is in no rush for anything but is always up to improving life around him somehow… plumping, building things, being kind to people, simple.

I wish that my work were more like his attitude. I do feel that I make peoples days run better. Food is good. But, first and foremost I feel like I am working for a business with money making as first priority. Which unfortunately, i am. send wishes of MORE ADVENTURE, LESS HOUSEWORK!!!

Hmmm, what else should the world know. I saw a black bear. That was back on one of my first days. Bears are not something that I knew about before getting here. I walk around all day hearing and seeing things that I am unaccustomed to whether it be moss on the tree (i have learned two main kinds one of which is poisonous and the other nutritious), or dinner table conversations about horses who suck back and double barrel others in the hock. Also new to my life is the accents that people speak in. I love everyones from southern drawls to silly northern inflections.