First Two Days At Ironwood

Hitchin a Ride

Wow! We’ve done so much and learned so much I don’t know where to start!

There are two other interns here with us – Erin from MN and Julie from Peru. We spent most of our first 24 hours just settling in and getting to know everyone before getting our hands dirty.

In the past few days we’ve observed cheese-making, woke up shivering to snow, made snowmen before it melted, built a chicken tractor and transferred chicks, fed a gazillion animals, eaten the yummiest food, moved hay, played with goats and kids, chased turkeys, been chased by geese, watered the greenhouse, sealed cracks in adobe flooring, asked a million questions, began learning Spanish and the coolest of all…

I Really Did Milk A Cow

I milked a cow!! (So did Zeb!)

So many more photos here.

Being here is amazing and I feel so comfortable, despite the learning curve. I was telling Justin how easily I can picture us doing this same thing, but how I can’t imagine doing it alone. Working with the others, joking and laughing and talking, all while being in such a serene (albeit noisy) atmosphere is beyond description.

I’m hoping in the coming weeks to share more from Chris (the owner) about the sustainable housing, animal husbandry, alternative energy and all the other sustainable features of Ironwood.

For now I have some homegrown/raised food to eat and a bed calling my name. ::yawn::

City of Rocks Stole My Heart

Grassy Run

Okay, City of Rocks wasn’t quite the spot that takes my breath away and although I’m told it’s the place for star-gazing it was too cloudy to see the most stars I’ve ever seen (both on my list), but it was so gorgeous we will most definitely be making our way back in the future for a longer stay. We spent our short day there scrambling rocks and staring out over the valley below.

You can see more photos from City of Rocks here.

Unfortunately we left the peace behind. The trek from City of Rocks to Albuquerque wasn’t the best. Apparently we need to have a talking to with our GPS about not navigating us through steep, narrow mountainous roads covered in ice and snow with sharp drops. An early morning panic attack pretty much sets the intention for the rest of the day and it was hard to recover from there; we had numerous mishaps and bad moods and one ridiculous incident we’ve agreed never to speak of again.

We’re now settling into the farm, Zeb is making FAST friends with the two unschooling kids here and we’re all catching our breath before the real fun begins!

Possible farm duties: the usual feeding (of animals and humans) and garden care, sheep sheering, milking and if we’re lucky we’ll see the birth of goats and cows! :D

Goodbye Phoenix, Hello Nowhere

Bench Monday - Boondocking
Bench Monday – Boondocking

If anyone placed their money on “the toilet” breaking next, you won!

We had hopes of hitting Tucson early enough to meet some local unschoolers. But a smelly leaking toilet doesn’t let you get far. Instead we spent the morning sniffing sewage and laughing hysterically as one thing after another happened. (A sopping Justin wrangling a rouge water hose was the highlight of the morning. But really, must it always be water-related?!)

Tonight we’re boondocking in the desert and I’m hoping the clouds will clear long enough for me to get a clear view of the most stars I’ve ever seen. As soon as we pulled onto BLM land and found our spot amongst the other travelers, we felt at home. There is something magical about the self-reliance of needing nothing but an open spot to park, something enjoyable about the quiet and seclusion…something laughable about it all – the stars, the hooting owl, the peace – being free of charge. ;)

Zeb is doing really wonderful on the road, building fires, making jokes and playing games. I’m still struggling with feeling overwhelmed, but I must say my husband is amazing. He reaches for my hand as we’re driving to calm my nerves. He takes a time out to hug (and re-energize) me. And as we pulled up tonight he suggested I go for a walk with my camera to center myself. It’s always just what I need.

The View From Here - AZ

The Good, The Bad and The Funny

Leaving Las Vegas

I have no idea how to start this post, other than to say it’s all catching up to me. I’ve been tired and sluggish since we arrived and am so thankful we’re staying with friends while we all acclimate. No plans, no sightseeing; just hanging out. It’s a nice way to ease ourselves into things. (We’ve all been catching up on sleep and making our way back to eating Real Food; we’ve been eating lots of bad fats and not enough good fats and fresh veggies lately. I think Justin and I will be restarting our cleanse soon and I’m going to assist the process with a green smoothie fast.)

Friday morning Zeb fell asleep before we left, so we moved him to the RV and let him continue sleeping. He woke up around Kingman, immediately went to the map and found our location, as well as our destination and figured out our estimated arrival time. He spent the next couple hours, sitting and watching the scenery out the window, never once feeling bored.

Of any “life learning” moments, those quiet ones feel the biggest. When a person has the time and inclination to just sit and think, amazing things emerge: thoughts and ideas, questions and most importantly, processing. I was happy to see Zeb enjoying the ride and curious what was passing through his mind. :)

Contemplative

Friday and Saturday were both beautiful and warm. We’ve spent time at the park, splashed in the residual puddles, rode bikes, ate homemade tacos, played Wii and watched the highly-debated Radical Parents on DVR. (I thought the families were great, but the “experts” could have done a bit more research before pushing the same outdated stereotypes and misinformation.)

Giant Puddles

The rain has been coming down hard since last night; so hard in fact we’ve found two leaking windows. (Ahem. For the record, I had suggested resealing the windows when we did the roof.) On top of that, our water pump stopped working.

But somewhere around the time two people are balancing on a narrow hitch in pouring down rain with a giant umbrella over their heads threatening to blow away, trying to dry a window so that they can duct tape a trash bag to it to give the silicone sealant a chance to dry underneath and they get a whiff of a black water tank that needs emptying, you realize you can do nothing but laugh at yourself. Ah, the joys of vintage wheels.

Thank goodness for neighbors in need of a massage for the exact price of the pump and friends willing to give us a ride to the nearest RV store.

I’m beginning to think I could make some extra money by taking bets on what Benny will do (or not do) next.

We were planning to head out tomorrow, passing through the Petrified Forest and ending up in Albuquerque the day after, but with the rain and snow, we’ll be playing it all by ear.

Leaving Las Vegas

The RV is packed and waiting, we’ve said our goodbyes and Justin is waiting for me to get off the computer. :) What felt like an eternity away just six months ago is here and now it’s our time to finally go.

Photo credit: Sara Janssen

“The open road is a beckoning, a strangeness, a place where a man can lose himself.” – William Least Heat Moon

First stop: Phoenix!