OK, kids, I'm reportin' back!

Spent four days in a very remote area of the Navajo reservation, as invited guests of an extended Navajo family. Traveled with my father and 4 others. I had asked for ideas to make a dinner with completely unknown (possibly very minimal) cooking facilities and no refridgeration. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=236x20430

The house was very old and primitive (no shower), but the location was amazingly lovely. The kitchen was good, with a gas stove... once our neighbor turned on the well and gas for us.

I took dried spinach fetuccini, bottled alfredo sauce and foil pouches of salmon. Voila. I took several cans of 'Italian style' stewed tomatoes, drained em and marinated in a bit of bottled Italian dressing. Found some rather nice thin-sliced italian garlic-parmasan toast.

We were so busy driving out on dusty, bumpy dirt roads all day, taking goods and gifts to the people in need, that I was sure glad to have a simple meal to make at the end of the day. We hosted the priest who drove an hour and a half to meet us and several of our local native friends, so a dozen.

Everyone enjoyed the meal, and we had enough left over to feed the local cat for a coupla days. We finally named the cat 'Fetuccini'.

Here are a coupla pictures. One is my friend, Libby, who is 94, speaks no English, but we laughed a lot anyway!

Second is the view of our 'yard' from the house.







THANKS all for the support and insipiration!!!

What a beautiful woman your friend is. The sunburst bracelet she is wearing is to die for. I am so glad it all worked out so well!

and cut and polish stones, in much the style of her larger stone pieces. Nowhwere near as elaborate as her starburst bracelet, so that piece particularly amazed me!

Her top brooch was very appealing... it is an old silver dollar. Her children gave it to her as a Mothers Day present some years ago.

Yes, it was a wonderful adventure, and we have been invited to come back, so we are planning a trip next year agian.

I have a great deal of fondness for them because they're the first folks out here who understood my very Irish sense of humor.

That jewelry is all one of a kind, sand cast. Old folks from the rez are usually wearing quite a lot of it. I've come to the conclusion it looks glorious on them but silly on me. I hate seeing it in pawn shops, there's usually a tragic story featuring alcohol, hunger and despair behind it.

were just wonderful! So generous and friendly! Everyone who heard we were there went out of their way to come to meet us.

The first evening, three very tiny little girls came to our house to show us their pets... a chihuahua puppy, and another puppy, wrapped in blankets. And a CAT (who brings their cat visiting??!!). Then three teenagers came to welcome us. Then carloads and carloads of adults... we spent a fun evening talking and hearing great stories.

We had dinner one evening at the home of Libby's daughter. She made "Navajo tacos" (for 25 people!), which are chili beans & fixings on Navajo fry-bread. The fry bread is just delicious! Perhaps on our next visit I can see how she makes it.

This is Libby & me, first evening:



This is our resort hotel! (only the windows on one side were boarded up).

I miss Arizona, but I don't miss living in Phoenix. Your pictures make me homesick for the amazing geographic and cultural diversity of my home state.

Did politics come up in your conversations at all? I'm curious how the Navajo Nation feels about current events.

I was in a home looking at the wall of flags and many, many photos of family veterans and those young people currently serving. One man said, "This war is wrong. No good. Wrong." The Navajo are very patriotic and many serve in the military.... partly because of poverty and educational opportunity, along with patriotism.

There was much talk about the current and future economy. They are not at all happy about it and feel it already, and believe it is only going to get much worse for them soon.

The price of gas is a great hardship. They must travel verrrry long distances over dirt roads. Some that live very far out even must travel to haul water for daily use.

They are in a drought, which is badly effecting their small crops and the feed and water for their sheep. The issues of drought, gas and the economy are very hard on these people who live so close to the edge.

Our party took three vehicles stuffed with donated food, coffee, cooking oil, linens, boxes of fresh fruit, toiletries, canned milk, etc. These items were much needed and accepted with grace. The culture has a tradition of generosity and of giving and accepting, so it was pleasant for all.

94 year old Libby enjoyed an orange as soon as she saw them! Fresh fruit is somewhat hard for them to get.

Two of our party will return in Sept. to bring what they can carry. Next year, we will all go back. I will tell my father to leave his freakin' telescope at home so we can fit more stuff. (The telescope viewing was great, as the air is so clean and clear and elev. 6,000)

I live in Prescott, a mile high, so it is much cooler here. I do get herds of Javalinas through my yard at night, so have to choose unappetizing things to plant in the garden.

For those unfamiliar with Javalina, they are pecaries, who maraud gardens in groups at night, rooting for vegetation and lizards. They range roughly 25-80 lbs. They woke me the other night, grunting and snorting and rooting and barking. They are cute/ugly. They are not well behaved at all. They run and crash into one another... they remind me of a gang of 5 year old boys.

but a protected species. Still, when the going gets a lot tougher over the next 3 years of GOP fiscal bungling, it's nice to know.

They're so ugly they're cute.

"Edible". Huh. Well, I rekon if ya dig a pit and roast em real nice & slow underground with coals, they could be OK, otherwise I imagine they'd be kinda stringy & tough. We will hafta ask Husb2Sparkly if he has any hints.

I live a block from a million square miles of prickly pear. The fruits are delicious and make beautiful jam & jelly, the leaves taste like string beans, but the spines are hard on the gums. I probly ought to start pickling that stuff for the upcoming hard times.

Ya know, Javalina jerky might be OK???!!!

But those who hunt them have to get a license and a tag just like for elk & deer & bears, etc. They are classified in AZ as 'big game'.

My understanding is that if ya get one, you need to know what you are doing when cleaning them, as they have a 'scent' or 'musk' gland on their back, and it is not good if you don't know what you're doing. Ugh.

They do go through my yard and rub against only certain bushes to 'mark' their territory. I have not detected the scent, myself. Some people say they can smell them when they are present, and that they stink!

packs of javalinas in her book "High Tide in Tucson." It's a wonderful book.

Thanks for reporting back to us about your adventure. It sounds like an awesome experience. The photos are beautiful, and so are the people in them.

Thanks again.

I had not known of her, but just googled & did some reading.

I hafta say, the money I spent on my trip was too much! Mostly books... nothing as wonderful as books... one was a new copy of an old favorite Navajo biography, then some others. Also a small very beautiful weaving that I could not afford, but my wall claims new affection for me in gratitude for her new beauty. Well, wall deserved it... she has kept me safe and well. (I can go as far as I hafta to justify my money spendin'!)

I may need to get "high Tide" to read about her javalina packs! Thank you.

That city has changed so much since I was a kid. We used to visit a cabin near Goldwater (?) Lake - I may not be remembering the name right. Anyhow, we went up several times a year - it's where I learned how to bait a hook and feed racoons and pee behind a tree. I still have a scar from a winter sledding accident I earned in Prescott. Good times.

My dad and stepmom have retired to Prescott, so I still have opportunity to visit your fair city with regularity. The boomin' burbs blow my mind every time I drive up. But it's still a lovely place. I hope that wildfires don't get too bad there this year. I know they've been more of a threat the last couple of years. If I were to ever live in Arizona again, I'd want to try Prescott, Jerome, or Tucson. (Speaking of Tucson, I second that Kingsolver recommendation.)

The javelina drive my dad NUTS. Every year they find a new way to destroy something he's planted or a new feature of his rock garden.

I am in some clubs & stuff & so is my dad.

Lynx Lake? Watson Lake?

As for the javalina, I am one of the lucky ones to have a tiny small fenced area where I can grow a few little things. Most don't have any fence at all. But if I plant in the little fence area, I figure my Boston terrier will piss em to death, so I can't win either way.

The pictures are great and I liked hearing about your purposeful trip. You're the salt of the earth.

I gotta say, that I am not in any church. The others in my party happen to be. But not affiliated with the church that gave us the house.

So it wasn't any church deal. Just a 'people' deal... one of our party knows the Navajo extended family.

But I gotta say, I am so grateful for the wonderful experience and we's a goin' back, you betcha!

I'm sure you'll treasure the memories.

Thanks for the pictures. Ya done good.

....hankering for Navajo fry-bread.

So yesterday I looked up recipes online, and it was much easier than I had thought.
.........................
2 c. flour
3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. water

Mix, rest a bit, make 1/4" thick 8" rounds, fry in a pan with 1/2" oil.
..........................

I was so EASY! And delicious with a can of chili, onions & so on over top ("Navajo taco").

Basic pioneer bread.

It was so fresh, light and delicious, I served the left over bread with some strawberry jam for desert (honey would be traditional).

I think it would be grand sprinkled with parmasan & minced garlic while hot. People like it with sugar & cinnamon.