Well, I'm finally getting around to writing a blog entry since we got back from La's Vegas. The above picture and a few others I'll post were taken at a national park about an hour from Vegas where we did some very vigorous hiking and just enjoying being outside. The weather that day was lovely for being outside, about 65 for a high and beautiful, cloudless blue sky.
I have to say that the trip was strange from start to finish. We are really tightening our belts right now as work for Eric has been very intermittent. But my work paid for my ticket and the hotel because I was taking a class for 3 days and then we bought Eric's ticket months ago. Needless to say, it was uncomfortable leaving for a trip when we were already having some financial trouble. The class was great and I learned a lot about better techniques for technical and other types of writing and met some very cool people who I hope will be stopping by this blog to see how we are. I want to give a special shout out to Rolanda, a lovely woman I met in the class who I really connected with.
In general, I found 'the strip' in Vegas to be expensive and noisy and mostly went against my personal ethics and goals about sustainable living. It was interesting but on the whole, I'm happy to never go there again. Having said that, the area around the city was very interesting, especially for me since I have never spent time in the desert. We enjoyed our time hiking Turtlehead Mountain, climbing 2000 ft elevation in 4 miles.
Then Sunday we went to Lake Mead for a little while but pretty quickly realized it was not a place that interested us, either. It's a man-made reservoir of the Colorado River, quickly being used up by the burgeoning population. The area around it looks very much like a 40 year old construction site; scrubby growth but no bigger vegetation like in other places nearby. Also, giant houses with a postage stamp of irrigated yard were plopped rather willy-nilly. We stayed at Lake Mead just long enough to eat an orange and decided to try another direction.
This took us up to Mount Charleston, the ski area north of Vegas and I'm glad that was the taste in our mouths before we left Nevada. It was desert high country; rugged, snow-topped mountains that I wish we would have had time to climb. But we did get to enjoy a nice drive and then turned in our car and flew home.
I have ordered seeds for our garden. Most of the veggies will be grown down on Eric's family's farm again and I have some new and interesting plans. I am applying to sell produce on the weekends at the minneapolis farmers market, the big one on the northwest side of downtown. I'm nervous and excited, but I do have a little help on the inside a friend from ECFE is on their board and will help me get started there. My focus will be chemically free pruduce, not technically organic due to the federal restrictions on using that label, but certianly in the spirit of the sustainable food movement. I have some friends interested in buying produce from me, rather like a CSA ( community supported agriculture ) and a firefighter friend who thinks his firehouse might be interested in buying each week, and maybe other firehouses. So lots of interesting things on the horizen for our spring.
It was great to get back to Leo and our home and doggies. We spent this week getting back in the groove of being at home and adjusting to daylight savings time. I had book club this week and am so lucky to have a group of women in my life to share with. I also had a greta dinner last night with my friend Gretchen, pregnant now with baby #2 and very excited. What an honor to have so many friends in my life.
hugs...
