Habanero Gold!

We finally visited the Gifford Farmhouse (GiffordFarmhouse) with its crabapple tree in full bloom out front. As you know we can see it from our campsite but had not yet ventured inside. It’s part museum and part country store, and we were a little afraid to go over because they sell homemade pies, breads, scones, jams, and more! The pies and breads are made by the chefs at Café Diablo (http://www.cafediablo.net/) in nearby Torrey (you may remember we’ve raved about their food in the past), and the scones are made by a local Scottish man. All are delivered fresh daily, and we had tasted the blackberry pie when our neighbor, Nancy, shared some with us a couple of weeks ago. These pies are generally considered individual-sized ($5 each) and you’ll see many people with fork in hand eating directly from the little tin all by themselves, but they are definitely big enough for two. When we walked in, we introduced ourselves to Monica behind the counter, and she informed us that as campground hosts we could take our pick of a pie or a loaf of bread as a welcome gift! We chose an apple pie and bought a loaf of sourdough bread for $3.95. There were free samples of some yummy salsa, and we learned that they also sell little individualized cups of Café Diablo’s homemade ice cream….this could definitely be a dangerous place!

The original home was built in 1908 by Calvin Pendleton, who lived there with his family for 8 years. It was then occupied by the Jorgen Jorgenson family from 1916-1928 and was sold to son-in-law Dewey Gifford in 1928. The Gifford family lived in the home for the next 41 years until he sold it and the land to the National Park Service in 1969. The former kitchen was converted into the store run by the Capitol Reef National History Association. Besides all the yummy food items, there are also handmade items by local artisans and craftsmen for sale. The rest of the house displays many of the items that would have been in the home when lived in as well as serving as a backdrop for the sale of some of the craft items. It also serves as a demonstration site for interpretative programs of the early Mormon settlers. Following the link above will give you even more information on the history and everyday life of the Gifford homestead.

Each year a group from the Sierra Club (http://www.sierraclub.org/) spends a week volunteering their time to help with projects around Capitol Reef NP and stay in the group campsite area of the campground. This year projects included but were not limited to building fences in the backcountry, digging ditches for a sprinkler system at the Gifford Farmhouse, and picking up trash along the highway. During this week the Capitol Reef Employee Association holds a silent auction in which the Sierra Club members enjoy participating. On that Fri. a special goodbye reception/ice cream social was held for the 15 members where they received certificates from the Park Superintendent. We had arrived half an hour early to check out the auction items though we didn’t really need anything (and have nowhere to put much of anything!) Most of the items were handmade, and we put bids on two items…a jar of peach butter and an origami turkey. Now I know we didn’t need an origami turkey, but these items made by Ranger Ray (pictured below right) are fascinating and incredibly intricate plus we wanted to do our part to help out the Association. We won both items for a total of $6…woohoo!

Another set of volunteers arrived May 1 and are parked in the site next to us for the month of May. Martin and Barbara Burkhead have been spending a month at Capitol Reef for the past 13 years sharing their expertise and knowledge. Martin is Emeritus Professor of Astronomy from Indiana University and presents night sky programs at the amphitheater several times a week (weather permitting). On other nights Barbara shares Native American stories at their campsite. These stories, such as why the turtle’s back appears cracked, are enjoyed by young and old alike. In fact each night there have been more adults in attendance than kids!

One of the nice things about having a resident astronomer living next door is that he can key you in on happening events. A few nights ago he told us that he would be pointing out the International Space Station flying over during his constellation talk. We didn’t attend that night, but while walking the dogs we saw what we believed to be the Space Station as it moved across the night sky. Martin confirmed it the next day, and we learned that it would be flying over again about 20 min. earlier that night. It was at a lower elevation, but we did see it and I was able to get a photo of it! If you enlarge the photo at left (double click to do so) and look closely, you’ll see a white dot…that’s the International Space Station! Yes, you’ll just have to take our word for it plus there are plenty of other witnesses who can vouch that it is.

The weather has been unseasonably cold and windy since we arrived with only a couple of really nice days but that is expected to change soon. However, it could be worse; we could be at Bryce Canyon National Park. While we got some pea-sized hail here the other day (as seen in the photo) and it snowed a little in nearby Torrey, Bryce has been getting a lot of snow. In fact the other day we had campers arrive who had just come from there and woke to 4 inches of snow! Bryce had been our first choice for campground hosting, but thank goodness Capitol Reef contacted us first. While pretty to look at, we’d hate to be out working in it!

We’ve met so many great people on our travels, as you well know, and being campground hosts has made that even easier. Another such couple are Jinx and Jim from the Benson, AZ area. Though not her given name, she’s been called Jinx since the day she was born even by her parents as she was born on Friday the 13th. Neat lady who can’t stand to be idle, and though she still works fulltime, finds plenty of time to knit, make jewelry, can veggies, and make some incredibly delicious jam! She not only makes the usual varieties but also creates many of her own. She gave us a jar of something she calls Habanero Gold…apricot jam with pieces of habanero pepper mixed in…spicy and oh so yummy!! She says it is great on grilled chicken, cream cheese on a bagel, or even just by itself on a piece of toast…and boy was she right! She had brought several different varieties with her for a friend, but the friend had to cancel at the last minute, and Jinx shared a couple jars with us plus I offered to buy a couple more including another Habanero Gold since that’s something you can’t buy just anywhere. Oh, and Jim's a fun guy, too!

The blooms are nearly gone from the fruit trees, but I was able to get one last shot of the pear trees in the orchard near Loop B. Absolutely beautiful!