Danced the night away. Music by Herzon's band just around the corner provided by one of the neighbors. Had a fun time and stayed up past "Baja Midnight" (9pm) dancing until after 11pm. Expecting all night music around town between now and New Year's Day.

Posted a 3rd picture with Christmas Sunrise. Laundry done. Walking over to town this afternoon for groceries. Will probably stay in town for dinner. Reading "Watership Down" (one of my Christmas presents).

It's a laundry and email "catchup" day.

Christmas Sunrise Playa Santispac

Awakened to this sunrise today and then walked to top of little peak beside the bay. Christmas day was spent with friends on the beach. Took a nice walk over to the mangrove lagoon, found the hot spring and sat down to dangle legs in the warm water. After this morning's walk, packed up my RV and came back to Loreto. Picture of my hiking buddy at Santispac on top of the little peak we "summited".

I will be going to Playa Santispac, just south of Mulege, on Bahia de Concepcion Thursday, December 20. Will return to Loreto a day or two after Christmas. Most likely there will be no cell or internet service while at the beach. MERRY CHRISTMAS! to all my friends and family.

80% chance of rain today. Locals don't expect any, but I did remove chairs, table and rug from my screen tent. Have begun to read "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo". Am on page 31 and the story has not grabbed me yet. The book and movie have had fantastic reviews so I will continue reading. Hope the story moves along soon. Have been invited to be a guest for turkey dinner with the Optimists tonight. They are a group who thru fund raisers and volunteers help children in the community. They are always looking for new members. I'll find out more about them before I join. The immigration laws have changed for Mexico effective November 2012. I attended a meeting Tuesday to get an expanation of new rules. Doesn't seem a lot different. It will cost more to be a temporary or a permanent resident and the names have changed. There are no longer any FM2's or FM3's. Just temporary or permanent resident. That is an over-simmplification as the lecturer at the meeting had 100 power point slides and the explanation with question/answer lasted 2 hours.

Spun and swum today. Now have about 11 of the 20 yards of warp needed for my next weaving project.

The Loreto city Christmas tree is up and lighted. There was a lighting ceremony Friday evening with singing and dancing. Afterwards, the crowd did a countdown from ten and the tree lights popped on at zero. The tree is pretty. Completely artificial with no pretense toward fir branches and seems fitting for this desert/sea community. Went to Sunday market this morning for tomatos, apples, avocados, squash, brocolli and eggs. Cost: 85 pesos. Met a young couple from Utah this morning. They will be leaving their camper in Loreto, bussing back to Mulege, kayaking from Mulege vicinity on Bay of Concepcion to Loreto. I should see them again in about a week. It is probably about a 100 mile trip by kayak. We looked up wind reports and they may have to find shelter Monday and Tuesday as stronger northerly winds are expected. It will be fun to hear their adventures when they return. There are local events in town this month that I want to see so am not planning any boondocking trips yet.

San Javier annual festival

Yesterday I went with a group up to San Javier for day 2 of a 3 day Festival. Hundreds of horses and riders arrived at the mission. Coming in from ranches many miles away they were greeted and cheered by the crowd and a local band. Some of the horses danced to the music. The festival is like a Fair. The wide street in front of the mission (about 2 short city blocks) was lined with venders and crowded with people walking, eating, singing, playing music. We saw two "plastic tuba" players. People, cars and tents all along the main street, around the church, along the river and the road out of town. I had heard that many people came for this festival, but wasn't prepared for the masses I saw. We toured the museum. Did not know there was a museum in the church and it is usually closed. They opened it for the Festival. There was a service in the church so we did not tour there. There was a bicycle race from Loreto to the Mission: a distance of about 18 miles and all uphill. Some people walk all the way to the Mission as a pilgramage. It is a fun time for marriages, baptisms, dancing, singing and horse races. Although I saw the horses and riders there were no races to see yesterday. The road has been cleared of debris from Hurricane Paul, but there are still washouts that leave only one lane for driving and detours in other places. My van would not be able to go up the mountain this year without dragging bottom and I was able to drive last year.

Hurricanae Paul video in Loreto

You have heard me talk about walking back and forth to town across the dry river arroyo. Here is a link to a video of the arroyo during Hurricane Paul Oct 2012. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6vtng50RHY I have never seen the arroyo with fresh water flowing. Have just seen the tide go in and out in the estuary at the mouth of the arroyo. The estuary is much different now as the water removed much of the sand and made it deeper. Birds still love to come.