Hola Amigos
Another month has passed, and I am just as slow as usual! I guess that's what retirement does for you...hones your procrastination skills!
This has been a very interesting gardening year for us. Some successes, and some failures. Gardening in Baja just isn't the same as in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, and you'd think we'd have figured that out by now, after spending 21 years here! We do have plenty of tomatoes. Believe it or not, some of those pictured above are Beef Steak. Yeah, right!! They just don't get as big as in Oregon. They are still delicious, and we are enjoying them a lot. We had some corn, but it was about the shortest cobs we've ever had. Tasted good, what there was of it! And my poor green bean crop!!! Since the black cow got in and grazed on my bean leaves up to 5 times, they have been suffering. We've eaten a batch or two, and there is one or two more bunches to eat, and they are still blooming. I know I won't get enough to can, unfortunately. We'll be missing those lovely jars of canned beans next winter. Ben canned several batches of pickled beets. The bugs got into those, too; ate a bunch of the leaves and were working on the beets, too. He dug all the rest up a few days ago and processed them. They sure turn out pretty!
Easter was this month, and for the first time in two years Mexican families were allowed to camp on the beaches here, and elsewhere in Mexico. COVID-19 had shut them down for 2 seasons. It wasn't quite as crowded as I've seen it in the past, but there were still plenty of people enjoying their vacation for Santa Semana.
This is the first week since we got here in mid-October that there is no loud construction activity going on next door, nor the accompanying music! It appears that the two identical houses built there are mostly done, other than a little finishing and cosmetic work. They say they're going to build another one, or at least upgrade the little casa right next to us, but they haven't started yet! We've seen and talked to our new neighbor. He is spending some time in the new house on weekends.
Photo below is the BIG truck removing some of the construction forms and materials from next door. He went very slowly out over the cattle guard. I'm sure he knew I was watching him, and we sure didn't want him to take out our "new, improved" fencing!!
You may remember when I had my wallet stolen last October, then returned by a nice young Mexican lady whose mother had found it alongside the road. We have been in contact with Maria since that time, and have recently found out she is in a tough situation. She is a single mother with three daughters, age 8, 7 and 5. She has Lupus, which was undiagnosed for several years. She is on medication, and since her kidneys are not functioning properly, has to use a catheter every 3 hours. Due to these problems, she can't work a regular job. She helps her mother (who also lives with them) at her Hot Dog stand, which is open every evening. She also bakes desserts which she sells via Facebook when she feels well enough. Anyhow, we've added her to our Feeding the Hungry program for food vouchers, and after an appeal by Ben, others are helping her with medical issues. The local East Cape Health Clinic interviewed her and is willing to help with many of her expenses, including the catheter probes (free) and doctor visits and referrals to other medical experts. The other day, we treated her and her three daughters and a niece to a ride in the Woody, and some ice cream in Los Barriles. A good time was had by all! If you have any desire to help with ongoing living costs, such as house rental, you can give a donation to paypal.me/bhpurkey Just mention "Maria E" in the comments. Please contact us if you want more information (purkeybh@gmail.com).
We have two more months to enjoy ourselves here in Baja before we migrate north. May is my favorite month here. It's not windy, it's warmer, and it's just lovely! In the meantime, I continue to walk every morning. I am adding up the miles (270 so far this year), and seeing some pretty cool things on my walks. Ben, of course, is busy with all kinds of projects in the shop and yard and garden and with cars and woodworking and helping other folks, and also fixing what just broke....again!
