Thigh-spun another couple yards Chilkat warp today. Little by little I am on my way to getting the 20 yards I need. Relaxed in the pool with laps and floating. More food reports. Walked into town for dinner at Orlando's tonight. It was a nice cool walk. There were a few things I needed to buy from the Government store : ISSSTE while I was in town. The walk from my place across the dry river to Orlando's is at least a mile. My dinner was Malinche Chicken Breast. It was a chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms and cheese and served with a tasty green sauce made from sour cream and peppers. Rice, tortillas and steamed vegetables on the side. Read more of "Into a Desert Place" by Graham Mackintosh today and will settle into my bed to read some more of this book. Buenas Noche.

Today I thigh-spun about 2.5 yards of Chilkat warp. I need 20 yards or so for a new project. Yesterday I walked in search of a jar of instant espresso coffee. Not to be found in town. Will request some from friends arriving this winter. Did not wear my pedometer yesterday, but know I walked 5-6 miles. Had lunch with a friend at the little cafe that is part of Rivera del Mar RV park. "Mama" is the cook and took last year off to reopen this month. She is a good cook. I had chicken fajitas. My brother and I would go there for a breakfast of oatmeal and o-j. No long walks today. Just walked around Loreto Shores and limbered up in the pool.

Doing laundry this morning. Checking my email and drinking coffee while I wait for the clothes to finish. Looks like a good day for swimming in the pool. Friends stopped by yesterday and my CB antenna is on the way to California so I will have a replacement spare. They will be coming back down to Loreto after Christmas and bring me a new antenna then. I do not need to have one until I begin my return north with a group. We all travel with CB's to keep in touch along the road. That's all for now....laundry is ready for the dryer and I am ready for some breakfast.

Another fun time at the Sunday Outdoor Market. Just as at home you meet friends while shopping and stop to visit. Bought squash, romaine, broccoli, apples, kiwis, avocados, shrimp and scallops. Shrimp were from LaPaz and the scallops from Lopez Mateos on the Pacific side. Or maybe it was the scallops from LaPaz. Washed the fruit and vegies in a fruit and vegie wash and put away in fridge. Put shrimp into 3 bags and into freezer along with the scallops. Now have plenty of food for the week, especially since I eat out a few times a week. Having a lazy day reading another Clive Cussler: "Crescent Dawn".

Pancake breakfast today sponsored by the Optomist organization. This was a fund raiser to help feed and clothe families in need. Children ate free. Bicycles were door prizes, teddy bears were auctioned, Santa and Elves were present. I wanted to watch the Oregon State vs Oregon football game today, but it could not be found on TV. Augie tried to find it for me and did get it on the radio so I could listen. I am not surprised my favorite Beavers lost, but to hear them play so poorly was disappointing. I quit listening and walked back to my little home away from home during the last 10 minutes when the score was 48 to 17. Final score: Oregon 48 Oregon State 24. We had a beautiful sunset tonight. There were feathery clouds in the west and the clouds looked like flames in the sky over the pointy mountain to the west. Did a bit of shopping today. Bought a hammer and some nails. Tomorrow is Market Day and I am ready and in need of fresh vegies. Tried another new place to eat yesterday. It is called Mezzaluna. I had a delicious mushroom and spinach omelette and sampled some of the Uruguayan empanadas. New cafes/restaurants are popping up and I will have to share my time between them: Orlandos, Mandilles, PanquePan, Mezzaluna, Brunos and the pie place: Ette's.

Pizza in Loreto

Yes, my foodie friends, you can get a real and really good pizza in Loreto these days. Also calzones and lasagna. Brunos and PanquePan are the places. Each restaurant has tables outside so you can people watch while you eat. PanquePan also serves breakfast and bakes specialty breads. My Mexican phone is now activated. Was simple to do........paid 200 pesos and have 200 pesos worth of time on my phone. How many minutes is that? I don't know. When my minutes are used up I'll go buy some more. My CB antenna got broken.......assume it was from parking under a low tree. Anyway, going around town to find a replacement has been fun. I went to the place on Benito Juarez near the roundybout.........place closed. A local sitting outside the market suggested I try _____ el Mar on same street, but closer to the sea. Nope, they don't have CB antennas and suggested Chuco's Hardware. Ahhhhhh, I know how to find Chucos, but no antennas there either. Chuco's suggested a tiny shop next to Pemex and back on Benito Juarez. Went to the tiny shop....you guessed it...no CB antennas and was told to look at Deportes Blazer. Struck out there too, but....the suggestion this time was to go next door and talk to the man who lives there and is a Ham Radio operator and just loves to fiddle with electronics. I found him at home, met his wife and son and a group of americans who came by and got my antenna repaired. As he said: it will either work or it won't. If it works: good. If not: Basura. He put charcoal on the grill getting ready for dinner and I walked on home for mine. Walked over 8000 steps today. My feet get tired. Perhaps it will get easier.

Sunday is still Market Day in the arroyo. Bought some vegies and walked around town for some other shopping. Want to activate my Mexican phone, but that store closed today. Will try again Tuesday after the holiday. Monday is a holiday for the November 20th Revolution (in 1910 I think). The Revolution is celebrated on Monday to have a 3 day weekend. Dec 1-3 is the annual pilgrimage to San Javier mission up in the mountains. I purchased a ticket so will be able to go up there on a special tour to support Living Roots. Living Roots is an organization to help ranch people sell their hand made objects and have a source of income. The leather saddles are beautiful. Put on my pedometer today to get back into walking after sitting so much on the drive down. My goal for today was to walk 6000 steps and I did 7500+ then swam in the pool to relax my feet.

Dry camped at one of the pit stops for the Baja1000 last night. Motorcycles came thru Loreto area sometime after 10pm and the cars in early morning. I watched some of the cars at 4:30am from my bed in the RV and then went back to sleep. A lot of people spent the night out there. We had food and bonfires and fun. Being there made me realize how difficult the race can be. Those drivers have to be able to find the route in the dark with just light range of headlights and they are traveling fast. The race this year went back and forth over the Baja so several communities were able to watch. Had a nice swim this afternoon at Loreto Shores RV park where I am staying.

Have arrived in Loreto and plugged in at Loreto Shores. My friends from Crestline, CA are here. They are replacing roof on their house. Had dinner with Baja Winters people who led us down the road. We ate at Orlando's and the food was as good as always. When I come to Loreto I want to eat first at Orlando's. When I return to Juneau, I want to eat first at the El Sombrero. Orlando has made more improvements to his little restaurant: this time with a new palapa roof. Several places had road damage between Mulege and Loreto, but are being fixed and passable. The damage was caused by Hurricane Paul. I have not been over to see my property yet and what damage there may be from the storm. The new road that goes across the arroyo lost light poles and a large section of the concrete slab is broken into pieces and scattered on the river bed. The gap has been filled with gravel and this road is now driveable. The Baja 1000 race begins tomorrow, November 14, in Ensenada. The route goes back and forth across the peninsula and will come to Loreto, probably sometime Thursday. The race finishes in LaPaz and with all the back and forth across the peninsula it is more than 1000 miles. I want to go watch. The city has been working a couple years on improvements to the Malecon (the street and walkway along the shore) and have finished half. The new street and walkway are beautiful. Haven't heard when the other half will be completed. Tomorrow will go check in with friends at La Damiana Inn.

Am in Guerrero Negro at the Malarrimo Hotel and RV park. Drove out to see the wetlands, birds and old abandoned light house. Tomorrow will drive to Loreto with stops in San Ignacio and Santispac Beach. My traveling companions will drop off at the beach while I go on to Loreto.

Am at KOA in Chula Vista. Met my traveling companions. We drive to El Pabellon beach at San Quintin Sat, the 10th. Arrive Loreto 13Nov.

1500 Trick or Treaters!

There were at least 1500 Trick or Treaters here where I am visiting. The candy ran out a couple hundred earlier. Count was kept with a clicker as T and T's came by. The street here was blocked off and costumers were able to wander without fear of being run over. Parents with them appreciated that. Saw and heard several people on cells calling to say "come on over ". Neighborhood houses and yards were decorated. Some quite gruesome, but interesting. Skeletons coming out of the ground, body parts hanging from trees, a grave digger in motion to dig a grave, skeletons lounging in beach chairs drinking margaritas, lots of spiders and webs, spooky music and a Michael Jackson pumpkin with white gloves watching from a window.