Monday, July 11, 2016

Middle of Nowhere, WI: Que Sehra

Leaving Illinois was bittersweet.. bitter because I fell in love with the serene Gibson City, sweet because my journey is young and there is much more to see and experience. The hosts I connected with in Wisconsin sound great and I'm eager to get there. Driving out of the farmland, I was happy. Enormous windmills surrounded me and there are access roads to drive between them. The weather was warm, sunny, and breezy, perfect for riding with my windows down and music blasting. And it turns out that about 30 minutes in the direction opposite of where I drove in to the city was a bigger city with chain restaurants and stores, just in case I needed more civilization. 





Unfortunately for me, when I typed the Wisconsin city into Google Maps, I made an error of some kind because I thought the drive would only take about 4-5 hours and it was more of an 8 hour drive. Thankfully, the kind folks at the farm were accommodating and easy enough to contact. The ride went smoothly; it helps to have family and friends to catch up with to pass the time. When I travel from a new location to another, I tend to leave earlier in the day. This way, in case of emergency or if I get lost or anything should happen, I'm not stranded in a strange place at dark. If I would have known I had a full day of driving ahead of me, I would have left earlier for Wisconsin, but obviously I didn't, so this put my ETA just after sunset. This would not have been a huge problem, except that the beautiful weather that accompanied my travels throughout the day quickly gave way to a nasty storm when I was less than an hour away from my destination. (Side note: I have an incredible fear of tornados. They are involved in a large percent of my nightmares. I've never been in one and I find footage of them fascinating, but people's stories of tornados, the sounds they make, and even the most minuscule threat of them chill me to my core. Never will I understand people who live in Tornado Alley by choice.) Prior to the storm rolling in, I noticed how low and heavy the clouds are and how quickly they are moving. There is lightning in the distance and eventually the thunder and rain roll in. It gets darker, it's raining harder, and I am trying to convince myself that I am not driving through the middle of nowhere with my pup, towing a trailer, about to face my first tornado ever. My eyes vacillate between the GPS directions and the unlit 2 lane road in front of me. Panic really begins to set in as the wind starts whipping around and my cell service is spotty at best. The thought of tornados terrify me from the comfort of a concrete home, now all I can think of is that I have exchanged a solid home for a lightweight camper. Great. Of all places I imagined getting sucked into an angry funnel of destruction- Wisconsin was certainly not at the top of my list.



The unlit paved 2 lane road I drove into town on was still better lit than the dark dirt road with no visible street signs that I was to find my hosts driveway from. I called them no less than 5 times in as many minutes, making sure I was in the right spot and not going to have to try to turn around or back up the camper in dark, wet, dirt road conditions due to missing a turn. Luckily, they were patient with me and I found the driveway. I met Gabe first as he hopped into my car and directed me around the property and showed me where to park. As we walked toward the main home, he told me about the people already there that night and the other dogs running around. I let Neville off the leash and he took off, finding friends to run and play with in no time. I was welcomed onto the porch by a group of people and we all talked about the intense weather and storm that was rolling through. The laid back, friendly, down to earth vibe of everyone helped put me at ease a bit. My stomach was still churning with the thought of tornados, but I was assured they are very rare in this part of the state- but not unheard of. As the night wound down, I found comfort in the fact that I wasn't the only nervous one, and if something happened, just about everyone there was shit out of luck. Is that wrong?  I've also noticed that each time I check the weather forecast that the city name changes each time. It was entertaining as everyone pulled up the weather app and we would see if anyone got the same city. Back in the Drag Queen, I barely slept. Every wind rustle or heavy sheet of rain that came through, I thought must be it. The weather app on my phone got more use in that one night that it had on my whole trip thus far. It didn't help that Neville starts shaking before a storm even starts, so his fury body trying to get as close to mine as he could and his heavy panting helped keep me up. I must've fallen asleep at some point, because next thing you know it was morning. I survived my first night in Wisconsin! 



By morning the storm was gone and I could take in the farm in the light. Que Sehra, a play on the last name of the couple who runs it, was green everywhere. The property is rimmed with trees, crops, a high tunnel, and a green house are placed in a large field. Just outside my front door is my new front yard, an open field of green, sprinkled with multicolored flowers. Neville is happy because he finds something to chew and play with every few yards. There are two campers parked next to mine, one occupied, one empty. Walking up toward the house I pass a chicken coop and storage container on my left, and the crops begin on my right. The crops are fenced off with an electric fence to keep critters out. 






Different styles of homemade shacks that have been made from recycled materials dot the property and serve as guest rooms for visitors. The porch seemed to be the main congregating spot and, aside from sleeping quarters, everything else was located outside. And I do mean everything- the kitchen, the outhouse, the shower and tubs. I dig it.








My Stalker

This is an organic farm (no harmful chemicals used) and everything that can be composted or recycled is. As their website states, they "provide naturally-grown produce & homestead-made preserves, while learning to live off the grid and in the moment." Read more about the farm, the couple, and the land here: http://www.quesehrafarm.com. I mentioned that down by the fields there was a green house, a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown. Next door to the green house is the high tunnel, which is loosely defined for growing fruits and vegetables in greenhouses, although some high tunnels are used for cut flower production. Or both!

High Tunnel



Rain water is collected to be used for the property. Everyone takes turns cooking, cleaning dishes, cleaning up- a group effort is expected. The outdoor shower does have hot water and a beautiful view.   There is privacy on three sides, the fourth side is an unobstructed view of treetops. Using it quickly became a highlight of the day- what better way to connect with nature than being naked in it? The tubs can easily become hot tubs with some lit logs underneath them. I need an outdoor shower in my future. 


Shower


Shower View

I feel I will definitely enjoy my time here. I have felt instantly at easy and like one of the gang. It helps that there are a handful of people here and they are within about 10 years of my age in either direction. It helps the most everyone is a dog-person and the property is dog friendly. More about the people and the animals here next!



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