Flowers, Flores, Flo

Pretty sure this is Forget Me Not... can't remember...

These were blooming on a Granny Smith apple tree.

Unaltered photo...  This was outside of Melanie's house.  So bright you may need to look away.

I love how only the very middle flower is in focus

These were growing in the greenhouse...such a vibrant color.

Upper garden delight

For all you flower lovers out there!

Flowers, a gift for the eyes, dots of bursting color on an already colorful canvas.  

I love how flowers are different all over the world, distinct to certain regions.  All the flowers are just beginning to bloom all over Patagonia, and I'll go home in a few weeks and the flowers will be wilting away to wait out the cold winter.  That's going to make me more backwards than I already am...I'll be enjoying these while I'm here, watering daily...grow plants!  GROW!

Forgotten but worthy

These photos were passed over during the initial selection process, but I think they are worthy of a second glance.  I like the stories behind these pics...

A new fave!  Julia and I were hiking across the river up the road, and we came upon these two farmers who were herding about 6 young, timid, cows.  The farmers couldn't have looked more statuesque, and the cow's tone said it all..

This was the cutest little kitten ever in the history of the world...from a hostel in El Bolson

This is a tree outside of our cabin.  I walked outside just after the sheep were let out of the pen.  They lazily surrounded this tree, and I loved the symmetry.  This reminds me of a Jack Johnson album cover.

Lauren and I hiked from our little cabin all the way into El Bolson..about a 10 mile hike.  It took us 2 1/2 hours.  We went directly to the facturas tienda upon arrival :)

The sun was setting and I was up at the mirador...looking out at the floating clouds I thought of ufo's, octopi, the Argentine beret haha

Plantlife

Life on the farm has changed so much since the time that it began.  We arrived to a cold, windy end of winter.  Now it's early Spring, the plants are happier, we are happier, its warm and sunny, everything is blooming, baby lambs are popping out everyday...It's a beautiful season shift, and I'm ecstatic to be a part of it.  Wandering around the gardens, these are photos of all the plants that we have been loving on for months, and now they are finally showing their appreciation, and blooming into soft colors and a warm inviting air.

Rasberries

Garlic

Lettuce that needs to be harvested badly...overabundance!

I followed Catherine and Matt around the farm, showing them the ropes...here they are sitting in the upper gardens...one of my favorite places to work because it looks out over the field of sheep and lambs and of course Piltri has to tower over us!  What would the horizon be without Piltri?

many more flowers to come...an entire post devoted to the gorgeous colors of Argentina

Greenhouse in bloom

Work is pleasant.  When I wake up to a beautiful sunrise, I can't wait to get outside to the gardens, dig my hands in some soil, plant new life, water, bring refreshments...music in my earbuds, eyes following the baby lambs as they bounce across the fields.  This is too good to be true...really, when do I wake up?

B-dubs

Sheep Shearing

Adventures of Jorge and Paulina

Valley to Peak

It took us a total of two days to hike the 7 miles up the sloping mountain to the Refugio, getting very steep towards the top.   The hike up the mountain was probably the hardest part.

We left the center of El Bolson around 11:30 am and got up to the refugio around 5.  Along the hike we came to the Bosque Tallado...a carved forest on the side of the mountain about a mile from the refugio. We were so exhausted, but the view is what really took our breath away.  You could see the entire valley and all of El Bolson and the surrounding mountains.  We watched the sunset behind the Andes from the refugio while eating pizza and chatting with the refugio-keeper. We crashed pretty early.  I went to sleep looking out of an upstairs window, El Bolson illuminated in the valley below.Our hike towards the mountain

After the trail curved around, and became more narrow, we made a sharp turn arriba and there was this tiny little cabin surrounded by snow when we got to the Bosque...the carved forest.

 Bosque Tallado

There were all different types of carved sculptures in a dried out forest on the mountainside.  Most of them were made by local artists in the Bolson area...a few from Chile, Peru and Brazil.

We were greeted at the refugio by a dog and cat who started rolling around in the grass outside of the cabin.  We went to an overlook to recuperate and to catch our breaths.  Check out this dog!  haha!

The sun rays were bursting through the clouds shining down on El Bolson in the valley below.  A tranquil energy just bursting through the sky...

In the words of my sister 'It was a sight I'd seen'

We woke up early the next morning to tredge through the snow, scramble the rocks and may our way to the summit!  Glorious!

Piltri Summit

I climbed a mountain...a huge mountain...Piltriquitron, up to the summit at 7,440 feet.  I know why they named it that...it does hang from the clouds....and on Friday morning around noon I was standing on the summit inside of the clouds whizzing by me with the wind.  

The tiny dot in the center of this pic is Peter climbing up the mountain

This is Uma the dog that lives at the refugio..she hiked with us all the way up to the summit.

On the way back down, we slid on our butts down a steep slope along the peak...It was SO fun.  Let me preface by saying wear waterproof pants when you climb a mountain.

SUMMIT

More pics of the entire hike to come..I am just exhilarated about climbing up a huge mountain that I can see from my window every morning...I feel accomplished.  Good feeling.