My sisters came to visit!!  I try to not be too excited for most of Friday because it would make it a very long day.  Instead I work really hard in the garden all day.

Well, first we start the day with a meeting with Subra.  He’s looking ahead and realizing that most of this staff is leaving in the next couple weeks and - oh my gosh- the garden girls might actually have to do a shift inside.  He held a meeting just to “make sure that was ok with them”.  We also discussed the dishes situation - which is out of control, mostly due to our staff.  It was a fine meeting, but then I had to take it one step further with the garden girls to try to air out some of this animosity that has been brewing... I’m not sure they liked that very much.  I really only asked them to do their own dishes, but for some reason they got mad and were talking under their breath all day.  Fuck ‘em - I don’t care if they don’t like me, I’m only here for one more week and I want that last week to be good.  It feels dumb to sit and bitch about the same issue over and over again without discussing it- so I discussed it and maybe it will get better.  Ugh, whatever. I can’t wait to be with adults again. 

I will say that I have become increasingly confrontational since moving here and I also have an exponentially worse “potty mouth”.  Not saying for better or worse, just noting the change.

Anyway, I really was in the garden all day.  Weeding, planting seeds, weeding, planting starts, weeding, etc. I did take a short break this afternoon (after an amazing homemade falafel lunch) to head into town again.  Sara has convinced me that I need to try this “Diva Cup” thing to catch menstrual blood, and since I’m about to start I thought I should get it today.  hmm.. we shall see.  I’m down to try anything once :)

My sisters roll in earlier than I thought around 7:45.  We are all starving and go out to a nice mexican food restaurant.  I take them back to the hostel, introduce them around and we check into our tipi.  They seem open to the idea of it, this will be good.  We’re all pretty tuckered out and hit they hay early.

We wake up with the sun.  Since there are no walls or doors to block light or sound we are awoke by a rooster and fellow campers rousing.  This is fine so we can get a good start on the day.  Breakfast is at the Taos Cow and then we head into Taos to shop around for a few hours.  Around 1 or so we are ready to start drinking wine :)  Our goal was to make it to a winery close to Santa Fe, but logically time would not allow.  Instead we ate lunch in Espanola and on the way back hit 4 wineries.  

First was Black Mesa.  I think they were my favorite.  Really tasty wines, all the grapes are from New Mexico. Next we hit La Chiripada which was so cute and little.  I felt like I was walking into someone’s living room - and I think I was, actually.  It was a family owned business and the son was serving us wine.  He and his sister actually started a brewery that we were going to hit up today too.  Next was Vivac Winery right on the side of the highway.  I only had their port because I was driving, but they also served specialty chocolates which I enjoyed as well.  This was probably my least favorite just because it felt too popular and too sleek.  But they did have a band playing out front and lots of people were there dancing and having a good time.  We hung out for a bit to let the wine settle to safely embark on our next leg.  Our last alcohol stop for the day was at Blue Heron Brewery.  It was decent beer.  I had the Pilsner, which was good, but the others I tasted were alright.  Doesn’t hold a candle to Asheville beer :)  Well, as you might imagine we were all pretty tipsy and giggly so we stayed at the brewery for a good long while and munched on some cheese and crackers. I really wanted to show them a New Mexico sunset so we obliged Emily’s craving for buffalo wings and took them to-go and watched the sunset.  I wanted to take them all the way to the gorge, but the sun was setting too quick and so we just pulled over and soaked it in.  Another good show by Mother Nature.

We just decided to eat the wings in our tipi along with the snacks we all bought (but forgot to bring with us on our adventures today).  We laughed and had a grand ol’ time.  But then it was time for bed.  I forgot how “city” my sisters are.  Emily brought a huge box of toiletries and can’t stand bugs.  Catherine is doing her best to embrace it, but I know she’s not comfortable.  They said it was too much like camping.  I tried to warn them, but oh well... I hope they still had fun...

Sunday was fairly tame.  We got up and ate leftover oats from another batch of Boyscouts that is staying here.  We head to the gorge and take our tourist pictures and then I convince them to go to The Earthships with me.  I thought it was very interesting.  I really like the idea of a self sustaining house and I hope that some of the technology can make it into mainstream housing soon.  It’s getting hot and we’re all tired so we head back to the hostel for lunch.  I picked us a nice salad and made a dressing and we topped it off with ice cream from the Cow.  It was really delicious and really nice to have them here.  

They scooted out around 1:30 and I took a nap.  It’s exhausting entertaining people!  I’m hoping tonight is a fairly chill night so I can get a good nights rest and work in the garden tomorrow :)