Another market day

I got to the market early enough to buy dates from my favorite date vendor. He usually sells out early and leaves. Didn't go to market last week as I still had plenty of fruit left from the week before. Didn't realize until I missed a week that market day is an important reminder for my personal calendar to know what day it is. Todays market was much larger than others. About the same amount of produce and meat vendors, but a lot more household furniture and clothes for sale. Don't know why. We think it might have something to do with the 3 day holiday. Or maybe since the end of the month it might be pay day. ????

The full moon rising over Isle Carmen have been gorgeous. No pictures for you tho. Just the ones in my mind showing the huge moon, island silouette and moon beams chasing across the water.

The pelicans are sooooo much fun to watch. Hundreds and hundreds at a time circling the marina and diving in large groups. A lot of boats coming in with catches of yellow tail.

Brother and I wandered in his jeep thru the countryside. Followed another riverbed today and played with a handheld GPS monitor setting way points along our path. The upturned ground along the river bed is filled with sea shells from an ancient sea bottom. Yesterday, we found a pretty waterfall.

My brother says the Birthday Fiesta thrown for him by friends in Loreto was muchas grande.

People are coming in to Loreto from the North now. Bridges are still washed out from the recent rains, but temporary detour roads are being built to get traffic through.

Tortuga people are in town for meetings, touring and saving turtles. There is a 3 day camping, kayak trip available to the islands to survey the sea turtle population. It is probably too late for you to go this year, but maybe you want to attend in the future and here is a copy of information about the trip:
You can be part of the sea turtle monitoring at Bahía Magdalena while also enjoying sand dune hikes and exquisite food.
RED SUSTAINABLE is offering a one of a kind trip on February 3-5 where you can take part in a project recognized around the world as a model for community based sea turtle conservation. Grab a pair of waders and boots and climb aboard the panga to help monitor green turtle populations with local fishermen. From your island base in our tent camp, you will collect data and release turtles - maybe you'll get to name one! In your down time, tour the dunes and mangrove canals by kayak to view migratory and local bird species, or visit with local fishermen to learn traditional fishing techniques. The trip cost is $650 dollars
For more information click on the link www.redtravelmexico .com/Sea% 20Turtle% 20Monitoring% 20in%20Magdalena %20Bay.html

Have begun weaving a pair of leggings to complete the set of Regalia I have been making. This RV park has a nice "great room" where people can gather. I do my weaving there when it is too windy to weave outside (and most afternoons in the winter here are breezy).

On Thursdays, we can learn Line Dancing. We were taught 3 dances last session. Several of those attending have done line dancing before and are a delight to watch. My brain doesn't seem to remember what my feet are supposed to be doing.......................Oh well. With practice, I reckon I'll figure out how to move my feet. Same thing happens whenever I learn a new Tai Chi move.

Road Runners and Agua Verde

We drove to Agua Verde today. A 25 mile trip on a narrow dirt track off the main highway. The road takes you thru mountains and canyons to the beach and fishing camp at Aqua Verde. Although the road is much better than two years ago there are still narrow rough spots and washouts when descending the winding road to the beach. I could not take my RV down there. We went in my brother's jeep and that was fine. Some places could drive 20 mph and other spots could not go over 5 mph. Met two other groups who left their trucks at the turnoff beside the highway and went down on 4-wheelers.

Road Runners. Saw my first road runners today. We saw six in all. Two singles and two doubles. They really do look like the one in the cartoon.

Am still getting reports about road closures going north. Some people are getting thru on the riverbeds where the bridges have been washed out. And until the roads are fixed there may be gas shortages. Don't expect any problems for us in Loreto as supplies can still come in from the south and road should be repaired before we head north. Estimates are 4-5 days to make repairs after the water recedes.

More North wind

The surf was up in Loreto today. Had big waves and strong north wind. Word is coming in to Loreto about road closures going North from here. Sounds like best thing to do is just wait for water to subside and roads to be fixed.

Watched SuperBowl playoffs today. 'twas exciting having a close game that went in to overtime. So, with the Colts playing the Saints in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 I will have to decide which team to root for. Am leaning toward the Saints.

I will be heading North from Loreto March 16.

Was told today that pelicans dive from their left shoulder. Watched some and that seems to be what they do. Will have to study more. At least 30 pelicans were diving together today. Diving, then rising a bit off the water and all doing it again together........over and over. Question: Where do pelicans go after dark? They are not sitting on the boats in the marina.

comings and goings

My friends from Juneau have come and gone. We were able to take them around to see many sites within a couple hours drive. South to Puerto Escondido and Ensenada Blanca and Nopolo. North to Bay of Concepcion with lunch at Bertha's on Burro Beach, Mulege and La Picazon and a drive on a river bed. West into the mountains to San Javier Mission and Cave paintings. Many thanks to my brother for being such a good tour guide with his jeep.

Baja Winters Caravan with 17 rigs have come and gone. The Caravaners had quite an adventure getting into and out of this RV park. Many will find it just part of the Mexican Baja Adventure and will have stories to tell when they return home. Turns out the new street across the river was still not open when they arrived and it was difficult to cross the river at the point where they found the road closed. They all left Sunday. The road opened Monday. The topes on the new street have been placed across the pavement at a diagonal that makes cars shift more from side to side as they cross the tope. To cross and minimize the tilting we cross perpendicular to the line of the tope and that seems to work best.

hermano arrived

Yay! My brother arrived in town last night. He drove from the border crossing to Loreto in one long day............about 15 -16 hours.

Tomorrow we will take my Juneau friends north to the Bay of Concepcion and Mulege stopping for lunch at Burro or Santispac Beaches. Should be fun and very scenic. The Bay of Concepcion is gorgeous and the beaches are beautiful and sandy. Mulege is a fun town to visit with its old buildings and narrow winding streets that remind me of cow paths.

Stopped by Augie's for free Monday night tacos tonight for dinner.

Am ready to relax and read my book. I am reading the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and it is quite fascinating. A historical romantic novel with time travel. A woman from current day 1945 steps thru a cleft in a rock and finds herself in Scotland in 1743 and has a life there. The books are huge...............800 -1000 pages, but a fast read. I am reading #3 "The Voyager" now and am headed to relax and read some more.

Wednesday Baked Clams

Ahhhhhhh. Delicious!! Free baked clams with butter and garlic served on Wednesdays at Augie's. Augie's is a local gringo hangout and sports bar. Definitely to place to be for superbowl playoffs and the Superbowl if you don't have your own tv. Augie's has free appetizers at 5pm Monday thru Friday. One night is tacos, another pizza, clams, ceviche and I don't remember the 5th item. Very crowded, loud buzz and roar of conversations and warm with all the bodies. But, well worth it to enjoy those clams.

Tomorrow, my friends from Juneau arrive. Well, hopefully they will arrive. They fly standby and may or may not get on tomorrow's flight. Alaska Airlines flys into Loreto Sunday, Tues, Thursday and Friday. The plane gets here from LA at 2:05pm mst and departs for LA at 2:50pm.

Oh, my feet are tired. Walked into town twice today and another long walk here in Colonia Zaragosa, the village on south side of the dry river.

Chet and I sat on the beach for awhile to night looking at the stars. It is a calm evening. Orion is on his side out over the sea.

Time to put my feet up and read my book.

Dance apron

Rode my bicycle to town today to do errands and visit. Left Chet in the RV where he was comfortable in his nest. I keep the fan on in the RV so air circulates and it may get to 80-85 and Chet is comfortable at those temperatures. Surprised me as he is an Alaskan dog, but he seems to feel better down here and moves more easily with his arthritic joints than he has for months.

Finished my dance apron Sunday night. Stayed up until 1:30 am doing hand sewing to tie up loose ends from the weaving. Muchas gracias to my cousin M for all her help with the machine sewing needed to attach the backing. This apron is a companion piece for my Inspiration Point Robe and is named:...............you guessed it! Inspiration Point Apron. The black thingies hanging from the bottom are deer hooves. This apron has a delightful sound when it is moved and hopefully my friend DG will be wearing it at Celebration 2010 in June in Juneau.

This picture was taken from my beach on the first day of the new year. I missed taking a picture of December's Blue Moon the night before.

Juneau friends L/H are arriving Thursday. It will be fun seeing them and showing them around. A fun day trip from here is San Javier mission located several miles up in the Sierra de la Gigante with stops for waterfalls and cave paintings along the way. Another possible outing would be to go to Magdelena Bay to see whales with their babies, but as of today it is still too early. Whales are still north of here and can be seen now in Guerrero Negro. Perhaps before L/H leave there will be whales in Magdelena Bay