Apples, Bananas, Peaches, and Pears

On Tuesday morning we drove through Mount Rainier National Park. Knowing it would be a very cloudy and rainy day, as well as the government shutdown, we knew we would not be able to see much. We were amazed at the amount of snow there was at the top of the pass!

We drove further south through Mount Saint Helens, and again there was not much to see except for clouds. We got back on to I-5 to continue on to Mount Hood in Oregon. Unfortunately, Chris did not see the speed limit sign and was pulled over to receive a speeding ticket. The policeman was extremely kind and lowered our ticket to only one over, the lowest ticket he could give us. He was very frustrated because he hated the thought of throwing away the money his Aunt and Uncle had just given us. We continued driving and found a spot near Mt. Hood to set up camp. We ate some of the Somalian left overs for dinner and went to bed. The next morning we headed out to find a couple of trails to get good views of Mt. Hood. As we began hiking the clouds started to roll in once again and took away any views we might of had. It was still a fun hike and towards the end we were able to get a few glimpses of the impressive mountain. Chris thought it would be fun to throw pine cones and acorns at me the whole way down.

 We got back into the Jeep in search of the second hike to inspiration point. The roads were not well marked and we made quite a few u turns as we kept going down the wrong roads. As we began to get frustrated and wanted to give up we noticed how many orchards there were in the town of Parkdale. We also noticed signs indicating that pickers were needed for these orchards. Chris turned to me to ask, "What do you think?", in which I promptly replied "Lets do it!". We could not work for the first orchard because they needed us to stay for two weeks or more, but the second orchard we found had only five or six days left of harvesting. The orchard was called Benjamin Orchards. We talked to a man named Nathan who was the son in law of the owner and soon to be taking over the business. He asked us if we had ever picked before, we smiled and said no, and then he asked if we had college educations. We replied that we did and he chuckled and said, "Well, this will at least be a learning experience for both of you". He said we could fill out the I-9 and W-2 forms later and he would see us at 7 am in the morning. As he walked away, his mother in law, Bette, walked up to us and asked if we needed a place to stay. We said that we needed a place to park the Jeep so that we could sleep in it. She told us to follow her and hopped in her truck. We drove to a gravel lot right next to the orchard and she told us to wait for her there. I assumed that this lot would be where we would be sleeping for the next week. She came back and said she had called Nathan's mother, Jackie, who owned and operated Mt. Hood bed and breakfast, and would like us to stay in one of the rooms for the night. We were BLOWN AWAY! Jackie came to find us in her car, we said thank you to Bette, and followed Jackie to the bed and breakfast. As she showed us the room she asked how long we would be picking. We replied five or six days. She thought for a moment and said I am going to put you in the bunkhouse so when our other guests arrive you will not have to change rooms throughout the week. Once again, BLOWN AWAY! Not only had this family given us a job, but they wanted to provide us with room and board for free! In the short amount of time that we had talked to Jackie, it became obvious that this family loved the Lord and are amazing at showering strangers, like us, in his love. She told us to do whatever we needed to do and they would be having family dinner at 5:30 and would love for us to join them. From that moment on we have felt like part of the Rice family. We ate dinner with everyone. This included Nathan, his wife Vanessa and their four children, Rick and Bette, Mike and Jackie, Caleb and Meagan and their two kids. It was a full house! It was fun to talk with everyone and hear their families stories and share a few of our own. The meal was delicious as well! As everyone started to leave we also went to the bunk house to rest up for the ten hours of hard work that awaited us in the morning! When we awoke, Mike had made oatmeal for us for breakfast. We both ate and headed to the orchard. Nathan gave us our picking bags, ladders, and showed us the row we would be working on for the day and we began to pick. We could not ask for a better view! Mount Hood was in plain sight every time we climbed up the ladder in between the branches! This mountain is 11,250 feet tall, but is only surrounded by farms and valleys that only reach the height of 1,700 feet. It towers over all the landscape!

The first day the trees were soaked from the nights rain and we were given trash bags to wear to keep from getting soaked. It is safe to say that we now how have a new and deeper appreciation for pears! I had a lot of difficulties with the ladder. It was a fight every time, while all of the other workers set theirs up with ease. I watched them enviously as I smashed, pushed, and pulled my ladder to get it where I needed it, all the while being smacked in the face constantly by the branches that were unwilling to move!

When picking the pears we would start at the bottom, fill our bags, then empty our bag into the bin. We had to be gentle because the Danjou pears have sharp stems that can puncture other pears in the bag. Then you would work your way up the tree until you had picked every pear you could see. As we ate lunch, one of the other workers made the comment, "Wow, the white guys are picking!". We definitely stuck out! We were 2 out of the 5 Caucasians working (Rick said that this was the first season they had that many, usually there is only one at any given time) and I was the only woman picker. At the end of the day we had picked 7 bins full of pears, which totals about 7,000 pounds! All the workers get paid per bin, so it is important to work fast and efficiently. We were in constant motion all day! Our backs, neck, and shoulders ached, but it was good to work again. We went back to have another delicious dinner. The next morning was the same and we picked 7 bins again. In watching a few of the other workers it was amazing to see how quickly they moved and everyones movement was planned so that time would not be wasted. We could fill 7 bins in a day together, but most others filled that many bins or more by themselves! They even had a worker once that would fill 14 bins in a day, he could pick 3 pears at once with one hand! Pretty amazing! I also loved all the music, singing, and yelling amongst the workers. I could not understand a word of it, but it made the environment so cheerful! 

That evening, Nathan and Caleb invited us to go to their small group dinner night. All the small groups of the church get together one Friday of the month to have dinner and fellowship together. Everyone was incredibly welcoming! I think every single person there came to introduce themselves and talk with us. Dinner was great and the conversations were even better. We headed home and tried to massage out the huge knots that had formed around our necks. Saturday morning was beautiful and provided another great day of picking. We picked seven bins again, but we were getting faster and able to leave when everyone else did, instead of staying late. That night we helped Mike and Caleb cut up their latest kill. They now have a lot of Venison steaks and roast! 

Bet you can't guess what he has in his mouth!

Sunday morning we ate breakfast, picked 7,000 pounds of pears, and showered. We were starting to get used to this routine and felt like we were getting a little faster and more efficient each day, but tomorrow would be the last. That night we went out for pizza and dessert with Caleb and Meagan. We had a lot of fun sharing about what God was doing in our lives and stories from our past. Monday morning was cold and wet. It rained the entire time we picked. We only picked until noon because the work was done! We picked 4 bins in that time. So in total we picked 32,000 pounds of pears! The most that were picked during the winter harvest was a man who picked 186,000 pounds! We were ready to go back and take a hot shower! Lauren was soaked to the bone and Chris had completely ripped out the butt of the rain pants he was wearing. He looked pretty ridiculous climbing up the ladder in those! The rest of the day we spent getting warmed up and relaxing. Monday evening we had another delicious dinner. Tuesday was another rainy day so we spent it relaxing, blogging, and talking with everyone. It was a very low key day. We said good-bye to Jackie, who left in the morning to help out with her sons surgery. Later in the evening, Caleb had learned that I always wanted to can my own jams, but had never done it. He insisted that this was the night to learn and him and Chris went out to pick some elderberries. We made elderberry jelly and used some of the other juice to make elderberry milkshakes! Delicious! Wednesday morning, Mike, Caleb, and Chris went out to a junk yard to get some scrap metal. Chris found a 99' Jeep Cherokee and removed the fuses from the fuse box to use in our Jeep, just in case something else unexpected happened. Lauren explored the property while they were out. Their property is beautiful! They have a cabin that they call the homestead that was built in 1904. The inside is amazing and very rustic! They also have a chicken coop, horses, many gardens, a pond, and much more. It is a very charming home! If you are ever in the area and are looking for a place to stay or a wedding venue I highly recommend Mt. Hood Bed and Breakfast. It is a outstanding area with amazing views of Mount Hood and the owners have the most incredible hearts. Jackie's gift is definitely hospitality and it is a blessing to experience it to say the least. We have felt at home this last week and will miss this place and the people and hope to visit again. We were told, by Bette, that spring is a beautiful time to come! The blossoms are breathtaking and people from all over the world come to witness it! 

The Homestead

The inside of the Homestead

Wednesday afternoon we went mountain biking and came back for family dinner. It was again a fun night, full of uplifting and great conversation. We said good-bye to most of the family and went to bed. Thursday morning Mike made these delicious German pancakes, which I think Chris will never stop talking about (they are made with egg, flour, and milk, and baked in an oven)! We blogged, did laundry, and got ready to leave. We said our good-byes and left after lunch. We have made some wonderful friends and memories here, which we will treasure forever! 

Have You Ever Seen the Rain

Wednesday evening we arrived in Seattle at Chris' Uncle Roberto's house. They were very happy to see us, and thought that Victor (Chris' dad) had come to visit. We ate dinner with them and went to bed after we had passed the evening catching up with them. In the morning as Chris' Aunt and Uncle headed to work and our younger cousins went to school we got ready to see downtown Seattle. Aunt Audrey kindly offered us a ride to the train station. She gave us some bus passes and train tickets which was very generous of her! One of the Somalian women she works with made us a breakfast of warm injera bread sprinkled with sugar. It was super delicious! We ate the whole bowl as we walked to the train (Audrey insisted we take the bowl with us), and then stuffed it, awkwardly and empty, into Lauren's backpack. We found our way to Pikes Market in downtown Seattle, where we watched the famous Pike Place Fish Market toss fish to and fro amongst the employees!

We blew bubbles with our bubbalicious bubble gum before sticking it on the famous Gum Wall. After we toured the market, we went down to the water front to watch the ferries and the ocean liners as they entered the Puget Sound. We bought clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls for lunch at Pike Place Chowder. It was soooo good! Once we finished lunch and shooed the encroaching pigeons away from our feet, we walked to the Columbia Tower. We were going to climb to the top of it, but found out that it cost money, and opted not to. We were told it was free to look out from the 75th floor during the week. From there we walked along 3rd avenue towards the Seattle Center.

We took pictures of the Space Needle and we watched several cycles on the Inspiration Fountain as it shot water 100+ feet into the air, and in every direction! A teenager was showing off an array of Michael Jackson moves, complete with a glove on his right hand and interchangeable hats depending on his mood, near the fountain. He was really good, and repeatedly moon walked right out of the way of the approaching spurts of water with ease! Others were not so lucky! When we finished at the Seattle Center we made our way towards the Queen Anne district to get a good view of Seattle's Skyline. After that we trekked back to downtown Seattle caught the 21 bus to West Seattle and back to Roberto and Audrey's home.

We arrived at the same time as our cousins got home from school. We played cards with them until dinner was ready. Audrey had been given a huge tin of leftover pad thai and fried rice from work to take home to her family for supper. It was delicious and there was more than enough to go around! The next morning we were given more injera bread from Sophia, the same Somalian woman from the day before. After breakfast we found a Starbucks near there home. We spent the day blogging and reading since it had been forecasted to rain. It didn't rain, it was just cloudy all day but otherwise perfect Seattle weather as Roberto would say! We returned to their home and a dinner that had been provided for us by Sophia. It was an Eastern African version of spaghetti, and it was very delicious! The next morning Uncle Roberto, Chris, Lauren, and Lemuel headed to Whidbey Island to hike around. We could not got to Rainier as we originally planned because it was raining/snowing heavily on it. We didn't get home until dinner time. It was really good to spend time with Uncle Roberto and our youngest cousin but we were all extremely tired on the way home.

Sunday morning we rode the bus to church with their family, and after the service we went to Chinatown with them and did some shopping! Audrey bought a duck with its head still attached! We ate that for dinner along with more Somalian food! Sofia had made the family a huge platter of fried rice, seasoned chicken and lamb, and a bunch of roasted vegetables! At this point we were thoroughly overwhelmed with her kindness. She had 5 kids of her own and was also watching several of her nieces and nephews at the time we were in Seattle, and still she found time to cook meals for us and our Aunt and Uncle! The rest of the evening we spent playing with our cousins and talking with Audrey and Roberto. On Monday we had been planning to ride our bikes to the ferry and take that across the Sound to Vashon Island. Unfortunately, it rained hard that day so instead we went to a park when there was a break in the rain. We found an awesome miniature zip-line and spent an hour pushing each other and taking pictures on it! When we came home, Chris went with Roberto to pick up Lemuel from school and Lauren met up with Sahara, another Somalian woman Audrey works with, and they went shopping for Henna supplies. They went back to library with the supplies and Sahara started painting Lauren's hands. Sahara was incredibly fast and painted all the designs free-handed! This time and experience was such a blessing because this gave them a chance to talk. They talked about the struggles Sahara faced coming to America and all the troubles she had experienced trying to find work and start a new life here. Lauren was able to talk with her about their religious and cultural differences, and Sahara would not have been able to talk so freely with Lauren if Chris had been around. Lauren's decorated hands were beautiful and in order dry the henna she had to put her hands in the oven for quite a while.

After dinner that night we took pictures with their family. Once the kids went to bed Roberto, Audrey, Lauren, and Chris all prayed together for blessings on one another and that God would continue to provide the things we all needed and for the Somalian women who had shown us so much kindness. Roberto and Audrey wanted us to take a sum of money, which was no small amount to them, and a ton of rice and leftovers with us to help get us home. We were utterly blown away by their kindness and the ease with which they parted with their belongings and money! They blessed us immensely that night with there prayers and their gifts! After praying we said good-bye to Roberto since he would be getting up early for work. The next morning we went with Audrey to drop Lemuel off at school, and then to say good-bye and thank the Somalians for all their love. Chris waited for the bus with Lazarus and said good-bye to him. We both said good-bye to Audrey and thanked her for everything that she had done for us. The last to leave was little Dorcas, who would hardly talk with us the first night we arrived. She really connected with Lauren and wanted to hold her hand all the way to the bus! Lauren loves the sassy ones, and Dorcas was definitely very sassy, but a very sweet girl once you spend enough time with her! After all of the good-byes we got into the Jeep and headed back on the road again. Seattle was not only a fun and unique city, but it was a chance for us to experience other cultures  and God's love in a new way. Many of the people we met had very little in a physical means, but they had an abundance of love, joy, and a desire to bless others with what they did have. With no question we were greeted with open arms. They were even willing to go outside of their cultural and religious bounds to make us feel comfortable. Typically, Audrey rides with Sahara and Sofia to work, but because we were with her that first morning she felt it would be easier to drive separately, but the women insisted that they drive all three of us. Audrey declined their offer, we didn't think twice about this situation, but Audrey informed us later that this was no small gesture! They do not allow other men, besides their family, into their homes or even shake hands with them, but they were willing to give Chris a ride in their car! We felt so loved by all of these women as well as Roberto and Audrey! We had a wonderful time there!

Strawberry Fields Forever

Sunday night we reached the southern edge of Olympic National Park. We found a trailhead, conveniently with a bathroom, and camped in the parking lot. The next morning we hiked in the Quinault Rainforest, and saw the worlds largest Spruce! The tree did not disappoint, it was truly massive. It either drizzled or rained most of the day. As we got closer to the coast, the rain ceased and the sun shone out briefly. We visited Ruby beach. It was a short hike from the parking lot, but well worth it! There was a rocky beach that was buried in driftwood from the incoming tide, large waves would pick up the huge logs like toothpicks and smash them together. As the waves receded, the logs were swept out with them only to return speedily with another surge! It was mesmerizing to watch! When we began dinner it started pouring, go figure! That night we slept in yet another parking lot. 

Guess what happened to the Jeep the next morning?! 

A) Bad starter

B) Dead battery

C) Big Foot broke into the Jeep

D) Lost our keys

If you guessed A, you have not been reading our blog! If you guessed C, you have a good sense of humor! If you guessed D, you know Lauren too well. In case this does happen we are prepared with five extra Jeep keys! If you guessed B, you, my friend, are correct! You win a smile! 

We stood on the side of the road with Jumper Cables in hand, and flagged down the first car we saw. He jumped the Jeep without a hitch, and we were on our way again! Our first stop was at the Salmon Cascades, where we got to see the Salmon jumping out of the water and making their way up the falls! That was a pretty cool thing to witness.

 

See if you can find all 3 jumping salmon!

After that we hiked a loop that took us to Sol Duc Falls. As we hiked we saw many fun guys...haha just kidding, Lauren just took many pictures of mushrooms and fungi! Next we drove around Crescent lake and took pictures of Madison Falls. We camped that night in a pullout near Highway 101 (the Pacific Coast Highway). We were reminded that night that only two states have legalized marijuana, Washington and Colorado. A Washingtonian saw that we were from Colorado and asked if we wanted a doobie. Don't worry we promptly said no, but had a good chuckle from the encounter!

Inside a tree stump!

In the morning Lauren's going to make pancakes! She didn't disappoint, and she even cooked up some apples with cinnamon for a topping! Dishes took a while, but it was worth it. From there we drove up to Hurricane Ridge, but the fog was so thick we could barely see 50 feet from where we stood, so the views were disappointing, to say the least. Instead we drove to the East side of the Park and hiked up Mt. Walker, with a whooping elevation of 2805'! It was, however, very steep since the ascension was from sea-level in two miles. Once again, disappointing views, but nonetheless a fun hike! After that hike we headed to Seattle to meet up with Chris' Uncle Roberto and his family!

Apparently, someone could not read the 30 signs in the park about keeping wildlife wild!