End of October

The last couple weeks have been interesting and busy.  I enjoy reading light mystery books and one of my favorite authors is Sue Grafton.  One of our Canadian campers offered to put what Grafton books that he had onto my Kindle.  Great job and thank you very much!  He also added ‘The Winner’ by David Baldacci.  WELLL, I started reading about noon and had a hard time putting it down!  At 11:30 I figured I better go to bed.  And the next morning friends invited me to go to Sunday Farmers Market.  As soon as I returned, I started reading again until finished my book.  (About 3-4pm)  He is now a favorite author also.

Our temps are in the high 90's and the humidity isn't much better.  Along about Oct 17th I figured it was high time to give the dog a shearing.  She was very glad when the ordeal was over but looks much cooler.  

One day we had a visit from a Loreto City employee who collected our beach rent last year.  He told us our rent would now be $3600 pesos per month.  (Up from $1940 pesos we paid last year.)  We beach people had a renters meeting and decided we would go talk to the boss to see if we could negotiate a better rate.  We asked the owner of our little local tienda (store), Fernando, if he would be our spokes person.  His English is excellent and being Mexican could relay our concerns.  The official was very nice and willing to work with us!  All went well and our rent is now $2400 pesos monthly.  Our current rate of exchange is 13 to 1.  It has slowly declined from about 14 to 1 when we first arrived on the Baja.  How do you like our delegation!?  Fernando is next to the man in uniform (our rent collector).

 

Poor Mike!  After working diligently most of the day, in the heat, putting something or other together for the camp, he was enjoying his beer.  Some kind of wasp was sampling the beer also and didn't take kindly to Mike trying to swallow him!  So he stung him on the lower lip and I had to pull the stinger out.  Talk about a FAT LIP!!  Part of his jaw was swollen as well.  A couple days later, he was good as new.  He now looks before he drinks!

A very nice Mexican couple who live in Liqui, the next village south of here, came and cooked a very delicious clam dinner.  I don't know what it is called but it has bacon, chopped lunch style ham, mild peppers,tomatoes, onions, and garlic.  It is cooked in a flat pan over an open fire.  The rest of us supplied potluck salads and everything was enjoyed by all!

We have a very nice albeit YOUNG (at least to me) dentist.  I emailed him asking for an appointment to clean my teeth.  WELL, the only day he had left before leaving for two weeks to further his dental skills, was on MONDAY!  Which just happened to be my birthday!  How lucky can I get?  This picture was taken a couple years ago.

Mike made up for it by asking several of our friends to join us for dinner at Domingo's (a favorite steak house) that night.  As you can see, we had quite a turnout and Diane & Jay bought a Flan from one of the local bakeries.  (If you are not familiar with Flan it is a traditional Mexican custard type dessert.)

  

On the day of the 6th game of the World Series, we had a potluck. (Imagine that!)   Mike grilled albacore tuna loins he had caught off the Washington coast.  Diane grilled a nice piece of Wahoo their friend, Bill, had caught on the Pacific side of Baja.  The rest of us made salads and chips & dips.  I had been experimenting with baking Apple Crisps in my solar oven.  I'm glad it turned out well.  (You can tell it doesn't take us much of an excuse to have a potluck!!) 

Seems like every two or three days another one of our Canadian or American campers come in.  Always a cause for a celebration!  Funny how we become so close to people we have only met a few months ago, and each season we are so excited to see them again! 

I have made some progress on the quilt for the May raffle.  Some days I work a little bit, and other times most of the day.  I won't bore you with the step by step but will wait til it is finished!  It is actually starting to look like a quilt.

  

Today is Sunday and that means farmers market in Loreto and football on the beach with Mike.  Of course there is also football on Mondays, Thursdays and a few other days when there are Bowls or some kind of tournament!  And in a pinch there are college games on Saturday!  Mike and friends have a great time in the outdoor tent.

 

Tonight is HALLOWEEN!!  When I was in town last, I bought enough chocolate candy to make my visiting goblins sick!  And don't they just love it.  Last year we had about 20 of the young ones plus their parents.  They are all pretty cute!  And scary!  This was from two years ago.

That's all for now folks.  Safe travels and hope to see you down the road!
 

HEADING SOUTH

We left Long Beach Wed Sept 28 about noon.  (So much for an early start!)  This sunrise was taken of Claude & Connie’s new house a day or two before we left.

We stayed the first night at Yreka, CA and then headed out early the next morning.  Three plus hours later, we stopped in Corning for fuel and breakfast.  I got out of the pickup to go into the restaurant and NO PURSE!!!  No credit card or ATM plus other important stuff.  I had a few moments of extreme anxiety before I regained my wits and thinking cap.

I called the motel and the girl at the desk went and retrieved my purse.  I asked her to overnight it to Riverbank CA near Modesto where we were going to stay with friends for a couple nights.  Which she did on her own time.  Talk about above the call of duty!  Boy was I glad to see that package arrive!  And Francis & me immediately left to go shopping!

We arrived safe and sound at Puerto Escondido, BCS Mon 10/3 in the afternoon.  It is pretty warm here.  In the high 95 to 99 degree range and the humidity raises that another 5-10 degrees.  We stayed three nights at the RV park and ran the air conditioner before moving to the beach.

Two weeks later, Mike has camp pretty much set up.  We have water storage, 4 Solar panels, Potluck/TV-Sports tent, 2 Televisions, lights in the outside tent, the Toyota pickup running, VHF radio & antennae, INTERNET (Yeahhh), 13 foot aluminum boat & motor on trailer and 2 trips to go fishing.  I have no idea what else he will be working on!!  Oh yes, He has a nice mexican man who will help him clean up the 21 foot Marathon boat and paint the bottom!  He also has to get the quad running!  I just stay out of the way til he needs a hand with something.

 

Where do we put everything?

Boat waiting for it's trailer.

More or less all together!

Went swimming a few times.  It is like bath water!  The last time I was in the water a few days ago, the little stinging jellyfish were working overtime.  So that’s it for me until they disappear.

So now it’s on to the normal routine of walking the dog, hauling water, Sunday Farmers market, pot luck get togethers, dinners in town.  You know, all the important stuff!!  Having fun and enjoying life’s adventures.