Pinon Pickin’ Part I: Where the Sling Shot comes out and I Don’t get to Pick Pinons.
I have mentioned before that a writer takes every opportunity for a new expereince that could lead to material. So when I got a text message inviting me to go pinon picking, I texted back “sure, when?” (My texting abilities are limited and I actually said sur, wen?)
After several texts, it was determined we would meet on Monday morning at the Little White House Canyon and I would follow my Navajo friends to the Pinon picking place.
A little back story(or info dump) to be used sparingly by writers: Pinions are the seeds of pinion trees an evergreen tree that is prevelant in the southwest:
For more than for at least 2,000 years Pinyon nuts have been used by
Native American peoples of the Southwest, including Pueblo, Navajo,
Ute, Shoshone, Cahuilla and Paiute. The fall harvest of these nuts was
an occasion for great festivity. Surpluses were stored for winter food
supply. The seeds were also used for cosmetic and medicinal
purposes. It is still a common for many Native Americans of the
Southwest to supplement their diet with the traditional Pinon nut by
gathering them in the time-honored tradition passed from generation
to generation.
Ute, Shoshone, Cahuilla and Paiute. The fall harvest of these nuts was
an occasion for great festivity. Surpluses were stored for winter food
supply. The seeds were also used for cosmetic and medicinal
purposes. It is still a common for many Native Americans of the
Southwest to supplement their diet with the traditional Pinon nut by
gathering them in the time-honored tradition passed from generation
to generation.
Here on the Navajo reservation signs go up everywhere around this time of year. “Pinons for Sale” or “We buy Pinions.” They are used for oil, salted and roasted, eaten like nuts. They bring a heftey price…$5 for a tiny bag full.
Late Sunday night I got a message. “Problem with horses our land.”
The short story:
The neighbor’s horses had crossed the line(actually bits of blue plastic twine strung around the property) into my friend’s yard to graze one too many times.
She shot pebbles at them with a sling shot. (This is where I live now.)
The neighbor didn’t like that.
She told him her mind about horses grazing where her sheep should be.
He had back up….more guys came over.
She called for back up…Her sister called the police who came rapidly.
The guys left with horses.
The last text I got was “Can’t go tomorrow. Need stay this week. Make sure they don’t come back.” ( The horses or the guys? …or both?)
Back to plan A…I stay home and write…NOT about picking Pinons. OR about NOT picking Pinons.
Stay tuned for more.
Late Sunday night I got a message. “Problem with horses our land.”
The short story:
The neighbor’s horses had crossed the line(actually bits of blue plastic twine strung around the property) into my friend’s yard to graze one too many times.
She shot pebbles at them with a sling shot. (This is where I live now.)
The neighbor didn’t like that.
She told him her mind about horses grazing where her sheep should be.
He had back up….more guys came over.
She called for back up…Her sister called the police who came rapidly.
The guys left with horses.
The last text I got was “Can’t go tomorrow. Need stay this week. Make sure they don’t come back.” ( The horses or the guys? …or both?)
Back to plan A…I stay home and write…NOT about picking Pinons. OR about NOT picking Pinons.
Stay tuned for more.