Veggie Box!!!

Today a wonderful thing happened: the VEGGIE BOX arrived. Yep, there is a weekly veggie box delivery in El Portal (and Yosemite Valley!), driven in from Mariposa, 30 miles west of here. I ordered the regular veggie box plus the special tomato bag plus the special fruit bag.

This is extra exciting here in El Portal. Yes, veggie boxes are always exciting, but here there isn't really a grocery store. In fact, there isn't a restaurant. Or a gas station (there used to be). Or any other kind of shop. No downtown. El Portal isn't an old town, it's an old railroad outpost, the "Gateway" to Yosemite, where people disembarked from a train, and loaded into a wagon for the 16 mile (and 12 hour) trek into Yosemite Valley.

Which isn't to say it's a bad place. There are probably 1000 people living here, maybe more. Most of the housing is owned by the park, and most of the people who live here work in the park. And despite the lack of downtown, there does seem to be things to do (or, at least, when there is something to do, *everyone* shows up, so I hear... looking forward to the magic Taco Truck that comes twice a month.) El Portal has a community hall and a post office. And there IS a small market - about the size of a convenience store, but with much, much better selection then your average Shell station.

Nevertheless, after living near the Berkeley Bowl, the (food) downsize is significant, even for somebody like me who is used to small towns. There's no going out to eat, no takeout, not even for lunch, unless you want to drive 30 minutes (except for a couple of mega-hotels within 5 miles, but there seems to be a disconnect - I don't think any locals ever go over there). So, yea, the veggie box is extra exciting.

The other reason I'm looking forward to the Taco Truck is to meet some more folks. I've met a lot of people, and I'm totally comfortable introducing myself to anyone I see, but I don't have any friends yet. And I'm totally ok with that right now - I'm not lonely, partly because I'm enjoying some "me" time, partly because I talk to people at work, and partly because I've already had visitors! Mike and Phil stopped in last Thursday on their way to the eastside for a climbing and beer-drinking trip (Team OverReach), and mostly were around to see me in my uniform and giggle. So here you go, yes, sometimes I wear a uniform, usually when doing field work... courtesy of Phil and Mike.

Then my friend Kelly hosted his birthday here, like he does every year, and a bunch of fun people showed up to climb and camp at Hardin Flat (an hour away). Kelly's birthday party was my very first trip to Yosemite, or actually, mountain trip of any sort, when I first arrived in Berkeley oh so many years ago. We climbed, partied at Hardin Flat (I camped there), then I hung out with Ann and Xavier on Sunday in the Valley. So no, I'm not lonely :).




Took some pics of El Cap at night, with Phil's camera. Very busy...