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COWEETA HERITAGE CENTER








OUR CABIN (DOWN IN FRONT I CAN'T SEE!)







It may have gone unmentioned so far, but our cabin, which is located in the mountains, is up a steep hill from Paul and Lara's cabin. Which means every time we walk downhill, we try to smooch and then immediately realize we should pay attention to where we are stepping. And every time we return to our cabin and walk uphill, we breath very, very heavily. We are either out of shape city folk, or are in shape city folk used to living at sea level. The altitude here is hard to pinpoint exactly, but according to the topographical map of the nearby area, and based on surround peaks, we are between 4,000 feet and 6,000 feet above sea level. This may be the reason we find ourselves a bit short of breath, or maybe it's because it's cold. This morning seemed to be the coldest morning yet, and we want to know what's the deal? We thought this was the south. But the radio said Miami was 40 degrees so I guess we can't expect summer temperatures in the first week of January. Paul and Lara are not used to the cold, and so they seem to be looking forward to the warmer weather with as much anticipation as we are.

We watched Paul make pocohicara this morning, a milk crafted from hickory nuts*. It tasted vaguely like hot chocolate, but much better. To make the beverage, you first have to crack open hickory nuts. Unlike some other nuts, the nut doesn't really come out of the shell very easily. When you split it with a nut cracker, only a tiny bit of the nut becomes loose, and most of the nut stays stuck in the shell. You then have to smash the cracked nut with a hammer on a big rock, which separates maybe half of the nut from the shell. This process takes 10-15 seconds per nut, and to get a decent amount of the milk, one must break at least 200 nuts. Anyone who has cracked nuts knows this is a arduous task. We have a box of hickory nuts that were collected this past fall and we are trying to muster up the energy to sit down for an hour or two and just split them open. Once you have cracked them all and smashed them, you soak them in water and boil them for a few hours, then bring the nutty water mixture to a simmer. Then you strain it over and over again using a fine sieve, and each time you strain it, more nuts become separated from their shells. You then take the pure nuts, and put it into a blender with some of the liquid you've just created. You blend that until smooth, and the finished product sort of resembles the look of chopped liver. You add more water to that very thick "milk" to thin it out and give you more quantity, and boil it a little more. Lastly you add some maple syrup, and wahlah, a delicious beverage. Pretty amazing taste and the aroma really blew our minds. From start to finish, gathering to smashing to boiling to straining, the entire process probably takes 15-20 hours. Not exactly like adding instant hot water and a package of Nestlé hot chocolate.

Today was the first day since we began our trip that we weren't together the entire time. Jen had to paint a pole with primer that will serve as the base for a solar panel device, while Aaron helped load a malfunctioning refrigerator onto Paul's truck, which presumably will be exchanged for a new more energy efficient model. The hour seemed much longer, and we were awfully glad to cross paths on the trail up to the cabin. Jen then split wood like a rock star, which is keeping us warm right now while Aaron was briefed on the water system that's currently in place. He has to make a user manual so if there is problem, WWOOFers can repair it without asking Paul or Lara for help. Since he is neither plumber nor electrician, this job will pose challenges yet prove quite educational. The likelihood of completing the manual...50%.

Now onto the food we prepared for ourselves today. Simple tea, toast and citrus for breakfast, lunch was quinoa, plantains, and another smokingly delicious salad. This being an alcohol free environment, we cannot have booze on the premise. Surprisingly, we aren't really jonesing for it, but eliminating wine from our diet is making cooking more challenging. We cooked up an Italian inspired dish for dinner: pasta and eggplant in a tomato sauce. The tomato sauce was just too sweet without the wine to cut it, and we feared adding too many hot peppers to cut the flavor because you know, we're wusses when it comes to the spicy stuff. So the meal was okay, but not our best work. We did discover biscotti that we brought with us today and it was a very pleasant surprise.

Jen took a shower today, but the hot water heater did not cooperate, and Aaron could not be persuaded to join her. But he doesn't smell...Jen insists. Paul and Lara get first dibs on the hot water, and only when their hot water heater tank is full does our cabin get hot water. Alas, there are worse things in life. But a cold shower in the winter when you are trying to warm up isn't so great.


*This was the nut Aaron found at High Mountain Golf Club and could not identify. This lack of identification didn't hinder him or his mother from sampling the unknown, possibly deadly poisonous food.