SEPTEMBER 07 LONG DAY
Long day. Mixing concrete all day long. Dirty and pooped.
SEPTEMBER 15 MORE SHOVELING
More gravel and shoveling today. Hence the sweaty sweat sweat. We prepped the slab, but will pour tomorrow.
SEPTEMBER 27 PIGMENT WORKSHOP
Yesterday Hiroko led a pigment-making workshop which really made my inner child happy to mix and squish mud around. We're going to make watercolors out of soil we collected.
SEPTEMBER 20 WINDY NIGHT
The wind blew like crazy at night up at Muley Point. None of us in tents slept at all. Worth it though. Today, we drove through Valley of the Gods. Rest of the day were sleepy errands, sleepy laundry, and sleepy Zooming with family and friends.
SEPTEMBER 25 NAIL GUN
Been busy framing walls. It's really satisfying, but the nail gun is getting away from me. I can nail straight, but anytime I have to come at it from an angle, the nail goes through the board and have to pull the sucker out.
DUST DEVIL
the wind whipped up / the same wind that carved the first canyons / that whistled for a million years / a different wind than the one that carried us over the ocean / sand thrown
I have blown this / swirled something harsh into his face / blustered / abrasive
the dust devil respects your space / if you ask / yet I will not move / one from the weeds that do not tumble
-Isabelle Ghabash
OCTOBER 12 MOAB TRIP
We were going to back into Arches to see stars that night, but it got scary windy so we stayed inside and caught up.
OCTOBER 23 BLOW-IN INSULATION
Spent all day stuffing insulation places. Into a big machine. Into little cracks. My life is insulation.
SEPTEMBER 20 CAMPING @ MULEY POINT
The moon started to stun. We made a fire and had s'more and some good talk as a group. I love our little crew.
OCTOBER 8 DINNER @ FIRE MESA
We had dinner at Fire Mesa tonight--tacos, baked apples, ice cream, and s'mores. We played charades until it got really dark.
OCTOBER 15 FRY BREAD
On Thursday we had our Topping Off party. The homeowner made fry bread. I told her I will have dreams about it for years to come. After lunch, we got some pointers from the inspector.
OCTOBER 18 HOUSE ON FIRE
Went for what we thought would be an easy hike to House of Fire, but when we got to the turn-off the road was closed. So we tried to take a gravel road. We ended up getting a flat tire! Some UDOT workers happened upon and helped get us on our way. The hike was short but incredible!
OCTOBER 25 MESA VERDA
There was this part of the mesa that had been on fire in 2002, and it just looked spooky with all these black, gnarled trees.
NOVEMBER 15 CAMPING ON SITE
On Saturday we camped in the house. We sat around the fire after dinner. It was cold, but a special night around the campfire. Chad played guitar. The homeowners came to site late and she told us how Coyote scattered the stars. In the morning they came back and made us fry bread, bacon, and camp coffee as we cleaned a bit and engraved the outdoor oven.
Today we came to site and saw the beautiful work the homeowner had down behind the stove! A bunch of us literally screamed when we saw it.
(UNTITLED)
what am I now / but invasive species / reptile / sunning on rock
-Isabelle Ghabash
AUGUST 30 FIRST OFFICIAL DAY
Yesterday: Drove down. Made good time. Went to Recapture Reservoir with the gang. Swam in the water.
Today: orientation in Cedar Hall. Must figure out a way to stay hydrated.
SEPTEMBER 01 FIRST DAY ON SITE
First day on Navajo Nation and it's beautiful. It rained for most of the day. None of us expected to be cold. Homeowners brought us drinks and tarps to cover the little shade structure from leaking. Some of us stayed later to receive a material delivery. We unloaded CMU, rebar, and cement as a double rainbow exploded across the sky.
SEPTEMBER 05 SAN JUAN RIVER
Note to self: they have soft serve at the fort. Went to the river this evening.
SEPTEMBER 18 CONCERT UNDER THE STARS
We hung out in the container house for drinks to pre-game before a bluegrass concert held at a farm down the road. It was so charming and special. Bluff is special. We danced in the rain. I listened to music from a straw bale. I could do small town life someday.
OCTOBER 17 SAND ISLAND
We lit candles under an almost full moon. I needed the water and the trees maybe more than I thought.
NOVEMBER 26 THE END
Back in SLC. Can't believe it's done. Not quite sure what to do with myself...