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Last weekend we had the opportunity to go rock climbing, on real rocks! Both Ryan and I have never really been into rock climbing since we’ve really only ever done it indoors. The guy who is in charge of growing mushrooms here on the farm happens to know a lot about rock climbing so he took us wwoofers out to a local spot to show us the ropes. Hiking out with all of our gear, it seemed that there was nothing but flat desert, when all of a sudden a narrow canyon appeared below us. We repelled down the canyon side, one by one and then proceeded to climb the various routes that Peter directed us to, which were really nothing more than cracks running vertically up the entire face of the rock wall. This proved to be more challenging than indoor rock climbing, because the holds are not so obvious. We definitely like rock rock climbing.
Early in the week we got to learn a bit about mushroom cultivation. From mycelium generating on agar petri dishes all the way to harvesting the mushroom fruiting bodies, we followed Peter step by step to learn the somewhat complicated process involved in growing mushrooms. It was great because fungiculture has always been so mysterious, so this helped to shed some light and now we some-what know how to grow our own.
Wednesday Ryan and I took the day off to visit the Grand Canyon. Gazing out over the massive depths and rising peaks undulating across the canyon, it is easy to understand why it is considered one of the seven wonders of the world. With nearly 2 billion years of the earth’s geological history exposed by the carving of the Colorado River, every layer of rock reveals a new color and texture, giving the whole thing an unreal hue. The pictures truely do not do it justice.
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May 31st was my birthday so after a waffle breakfast Ryan and I headed to Sedona, apparently a must-see in Arizona. The drive there was on a small, beautiful road that winded through a mountain range. Sedona proved to be worth the visit, with its unmistakable red rock greeting you from the face of every mountain. We went for a hike at Devil’s Bridge, a rock formation that forms literally a bridge about 50 feet off the ground. On the way back to the farm we stopped in Jerome, another popular tourist destination. The town was nestled on the side of a mountain with houses and shops sprouting out of steep cliffs and we walked the main street, stopping at the awesome kaleidoscope store.
For the weekend we got to join Kate at the markets where we helped set up, explained our tomato knowledge to the customers and revisited simple arithmetic trying to count change. The market was an awesome time.
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Spending three weeks at Chino Valley Farms was great for us; we got to learn so much from working and talking with Mike and Kate and of course made many friends along the way. Arizona is a beautiful state with lots of outdoor activities, great views and nice people so we are sad to leave, especially without being able to have done everything, but alas, we must continue on to our next adventure!
Thanks to Mike, Kate, and Elaine for all of your wisdom and wit.
Insistently itinerant,
Tonya & Ryan
Just as Free 