Mellow weekend............

The weekend was cold, windy, rainy, (or sunny....if you waited a few minutes), and the high temperature during the day did not get above 47. So, we took advantage of the "raw" weekend to get our act together for our trip east next week to visit family, friends, and dentists. It really was chilly...even by my standards....and we kept the heat on in the camper and stayed nice and comfy.

I had a bit of knitting to do, as a result of my Moab shopping experience, and Tom was busy with his computer stuff (probably ordering more electronics from amazon..ahhaaha), so we spent a relaxing morning chilling out doing our hobbies and watching the snow on the mountains around us.

47 degrees during the day!! (windchill is about 20!)

good day to catch up on knitting

so  many projects!!  (not to mention what's under the bed)!

hmmm...ordering some tech toys?

There are several restaurants here in this cute little town of Torrey, and one of my Phoenix friends highly recommended Cafe Diablo. As campers (who usually make their own food), she said they ate every meal at that restaurant. Well, that gave us a reason to leave the camper on a raw, crummy, rainy, windy day! We decided to try it for ourselves. The food (southwest) is very fresh ....and grown locally...and she was right! The food was delicious! We went for lunner (lunch/dinner) and enjoyed a great meal! Would have been really nice to sit outside if the weather was decent, but there was some nice art work on the walls for our dining pleasure:)

Cheers!

would have been nice to sit on the patio! its pouring rain and windy though

a nice warm Cuban sandwich

just looks gross...but its a healthy chicken enchilada (NO CHEESE)

After that nice, warm, comforting meal, we went back to the camper and started to get a little more organized for our trip east. My suitcase is full of baby stuff in preparation for the arrival of our grandson!!!! We just found out "its a boy", so thankfully all of the stuff I've already made is gender neutral. Not sure where I'll put my clothes, since I can't stuff another thing in that suitcase. Now...to get to work on some more grandbaby stuff! I think I'm gonna like being "Grandma"! (Jess and Andrew: I'm thinkin' you don't have time to read this blog so this stuff will be a surprise)!!!

a few receiving blankets

ready to have fun reading

burp cloths lined in flannel-so soft for the baby......and a signature baby afghan

the softest blanket ever

it all fits...but no room for my clothes....TOM??...any room in your suitcase

We both did a great job getting ready for flying east next week (and getting ready to relocate to Salt Lake City, and getting ready to bring the camper in for service, yadayadayada), so when the weather cleared up a bit the next day, we headed back to the park for one more little visit through Fruita in Capitol Reef National Park. It was still pretty windy and cold, but it was nice the rain stopped.

isn't that just a picture!

the weather depends where you look or where you are-sunny or rainy!

I love to hear about how people lived during different times. These pioneers that came to this area were particularly tough. The area is not easy to live in...between the cold, the heat, the desert, flash floods, all the rock. The pioneers came in the late 1800's and were here until the 1940's or so. They made a living farming, thanks to the Fremont River, and worked very hard to farm the land. Their orchards kept them alive! Their supply of apples, peaches, almonds, walnuts, to name a few, kept them with food all year. During harvest, much of the fruit was canned so they would have it during the cold winter months. They were so successful with the orchards, they were able to use the fruit to trade for other things they needed. They also raised livestock for food, and used smokehouses to preserve the meat. 

reconstructed orchard-the park service allows picking of fruit in season

old wagon from back in the day

 Due to the isolation in this area, they had to do everything themselves. And they did! The blacksmith made tools they needed, or wheels for the wagons and farm equipment. There were no tractors. They used horses to help with the farming. There seems to have been about 10 families that lived in Fruita, however if the families were all as large as the Behunin Family (10 kids), that could have been quite a lot of people. According to some of the recordings of these settlers, they had a very hard life, but also a very enjoyable one. They lived simply. They loved the area. It really is exquisite, though harsh to live in!

outside the blacksmith's shop

Blacksmith's shed - didn't get a tractor till late in the game

Blacksmith's shed

orchards....beautiful against the red rock!

lots of orchards

bridge over to another orchard

lots of mud from the morning rain (earlier)

The picnic area in that area is really nice as well. The old cottonwood trees are still alive and they are enourmous! The National Park Service has planted new ones so when the old ones die, there will be more. Apparently, the  folks in Fruita had their mailboxes at that tree. It was a meeting spot, and everyone enjoyed the shade it provided! Visitors to the park still do!

the mailboxes for the Fruita families used to be here under the tree

very old cottonwood

huge tree!

these trees are huge

Though farming and the necessities of life kept them busy, the pioneers did  have some fun. They fished, and played baseball in the summer. The women quilted and cooked, though I'm not sure that was considered "fun". Everyone read books in the winter. No mention of hiking! I guess they got enough exercise farming the land!! The kids went to school in the one-room school house, and that school house was also used for other things, like Sunday School. Most of the families that lived here were Mormons.

walking towards the barn

hello there

Nice farm...and the campground is right next to it

sleepy time

what a cute little marmot!

down on the farm

aren't they cute?

The Gifford House is a little museum, complete with a shop, displaying items common during the day. The furniture and items used in daily life were placed so we could see how the pioneers lived. Preserving fruit, baking and sewing were part of daily life, and many of the items for sale included such things as strawberry jam, potholders, aprons and baked goods like pies and bread. We particularly liked the cinnamon rolls!

Gifford House

I really want to get that Lavender/Mormon Tea Hand Lotion!

the best!!

Next to the Gifford house is a short trail along the Fremont River. This also connects you to the National Park Campground, which looks really nice. With the sun shining, the water just glistened.

Fremont River

After a bit, we headed back "home" to start packing up the camper for our next move. Oh, and we really enjoyed those cinnamon rolls!

such pretty orchards against the red rock

this is SOOOO good Susie!

Diet tomorrow! Really!

I will be on hiatus from blogging for the duration of our trip east, and will pick up again later in a couple of weeks. We are really looking forward to celebrating my parents 60th wedding anniversary, visiting with family and friends, and seeing our KIDS!!!!!