Hitch 2

Hitch 2 threw a couple serious challenges at the New Mexico crew, only to teach us just how awesome we are. We knocked out well over two hundred beautiful bouquets of vertical mulch, interspaced with grass transplants along an old road to effectively conceal it to the unknowing passerby. We also not only took down almost a mile of barbed wire fencing, but then hauled every last T post and strand of wire over a mile out to the road. That’s right, two full days living the life of pack mules.

While doing vertical mulch we learned how much good laughs and conversation can help the time pass. With the fence, it was amazing to see how we fell into an efficient routine that saved us from wires tangling into unruly messes. We were like a well-oiled machine, and took the fence down in a little less than 2 days. During the grueling days of “exporting” the fencing materials, it was great watching how everyone worked so hard and encouraged each other through aching backs and sore shoulders.

Weather-wise, the desert was kind to us. We often worked under mercifully clouded skies in the afternoon and only experienced nighttime sprinkles. There were some windy nights as well that whipped sand up beneath our “desert storm” tents, but breathing dust is second nature to us by now. While mornings were brisk, once the sun cleared the mesa, its warmth quickly spread to even the coldest bone.

So, here we are, back home, dishes clean, tools sharp and the smell of stinky feet slowly dwindling as we shed the layers of dirt and grime and begin to look like respectable people again. Its only a front though, because we all know that underneath it all, we’re just waiting for the next hitch to get out in the woods, drop all pretences and have a ball working hard and laughing harder.