#11 - Back to the farm !
Last week, we wrote from the Bay of San Francisco, in the house of Carter who had kindly agreed to host us for a night. That seems to us very far! Our adventures have continued and this week was one of the most surprising since the beginning of the trip. Today we write from a small divine farm in the middle of Oregon.
We started the week as we had finished the last one: thumbs up along Highway 1, the one that runs along the west coast of the United States. We soon observed with relief that hitchhiking becomes easier once away from the city.
Monday, we were quickly given a lift, first by a young couple of Californian surfers, then by Alain and Manon, two Quebecers whose generosity has once again surprised us. After having taken time to show us around the deserted beaches of Northern California and the immense meadows overlooking the ocean, they decided to keep moving in our direction to help us. For over an hour, we drove to the north, in the direction opposite to theirs, and before letting us sleep in nature, Manon jumped from the vehicle to get us a good bottle of red wine ! Embarrassed to have only our smile to give them in exchange, we agreed with emotion their gift that could not be more selfless.
In the Van with Alain and Manon
Not too crowded !
But it is Tuesday, after a hard night in our tent in the middle of nowhere, that we had our most surprising day. Many of the people we met during this trip surprised us by their ability to follow life without trying to plan, organize or control events. Even if we do not feel ready to live in a disordered chaos, we find a certain charm to this ability to let it go, which gives an unpredictable path to our days, too often similar.
Tuesday we were given a lift by John Adam, driving his stunning Mercedes from 1979. After a few presentations, he told us he was leaving to Hawai the next day and was trying to sell his car before his departure. We haven’t hesitated one second ! After a few hours of paperwork and vehicle inspections, we were driving the car in which we were given a lift few hours earlier ! For the first time in our lives we had a car, even though it did not even get through our minds the day before to get one.
Jules, John Adam, Tristan and the monster !
Crossing the one thousand kilometers that separate us from northern Oregon would have taken at least one more week hitchhiking and our arrival on April 8th was more than compromised.
With the car, we easily solved this problem. For two days we rode among towering redwood forests first and then along the Pacific coast of Oregon.
The car gave us some problems early on, because of his old age. Water, for example, leaked inside in rainy moments (which are quite common in Oregon) and we also had to do without our suitcases for a while, the trunk refusing to open. But we have patiently faced these challenges, and we even named the vehicle "High Hopes" because of the hopes we place in this car: despite the skepticism of those we meet, we dare to believe that this old car will lead us to Alaska !
Riders on the storm
During this long road, we could stop to observe the picturesque nature on the US Pacific coast. In particular, we saw a whale in the ocean on her way (just like us) from Mexico to Alaska. We also understood why it was sometimes difficult to be taken when hitchhiking in the United States. The only hitchhiker that we met (and took with us) has indeed turned out to be a strange specimen. He talked a lot and in an incomprehensible way about his fear of the last judgement. Seems like the people who hitch hike in the States are not the same as in France !
Stop to watch the whales going North
After two nights on the seats of "High Hopes", we finally arrived at Harmony Haven, farm located one hour south of Portland where Daryll and Kim have lived for nearly 10 years. It's once again thanks to the WWOOFing organization that our two hosts welcome us, swapping their comfortable beds and delicious meals against our work on the farm. What a pleasure to find such comfort after almost 3 weeks of wandering in the USA!
We missed rural life, and it is with joy that we have put on Thursday and Friday our working clothes. Daryll and Kim have thirty sheeps, sixteen of which are pregnant, ten ducks, three turkeys and fourty chickens, hens and roosters. These animals are not only the meat they eat every day, but also produce the whool Kim uses to make hats, scarves or blankets. They also operate a small vegetable garden that allows them to be fed with their own products everyday.
While they both worked in large companies across the bay from San Francisco, they realized that this was not the environment that made them happy, and have set up a ten-year plan to get away from it, and withdraw to Oregon. Kim still works as a database consultant, but from her home, while Daryll takes care of the farm.
Daryll and the sheeps
It is in a different atmosphere from the one we experienced before that we work here. Daryll indeed considers its farm as a church, and evolves with a religious calm, doing tasks calmly, without haste. So we do not feel under pressure here, and we take the time to enjoy the pleasure of working outdoors, under the sun, with our minds free from any concern. Our day starts around 6am, allowing us to do most of our work in the morning and enjoy our free afternoon to relax and read quietly on their sunny terrace. In two days, we have worked on building fences demarcating the area of freedom of sheeps, and we cleaned the stable where live all the young sheeps.
Tristan just farmin' around
Jules just farmin' around
But the end of this week was also marked by a new surprise. Indeed, we have had the great opportunity to see our arrival coincide with the delivery period of pregnant sheeps. Friday, for the first time in our lives, and in honor of Tristan who was celebrating his birthday, we witnessed the birth of two lambs. It is with emotion that we watched during several minutes the efforts of the sheep to give birth to her twins, and the maternal instinct with which she protected her newborns.
Born on the same day !
His first steps !
Because Darryl and Kim raise animals to eat their meat, we have the indredible pleasure to eat the best meat possible three times a day. This is the first time in our lives that we know where the meat we eat comes from !
Yesterday, we went all together to the local Farmers' Fest where we saw a traditional rowing competito. 100% immersed in the American culture, that's exactly what we were looking for !
Working hard in the fields
We wish you a very nice week,
See you next Sunday !