Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Pic-of-the-Week for February 27, 2018

Hola Amigos!

It has been a busy 2 weeks since the last post, and it has turned "wintery" for Baja.  Wind, cool temperatures, and lots of cloudy days.  We're looking forward to warmer temps next week, and more sunshine!  (Low temps have been in the 50's, and that's really cold here near the tropics!  Highs have been low 70's.) 




We had our sofa reupholstered by a little shop in a garage in La Paz, and I am quite happy with the fabric I picked out in Oregon last summer!  They did a great job with it.  It cost $1,500MX, which equals $80US.  Not bad!



We closed on our property, and the corn crop planted on that piece of ground is doing great!  The first crop is about a foot tall, and the second crop (you can see it through the wire, is about 4" tall.    Not quite "knee high" yet!  It is doing quite well in spite of the cooler weather.



The bean crop is keeping me busy every day picking what's ripe.  We've been enjoying fresh beans very much.  

Our 2006 Ford truck decided to not start the other day.  😬  Of course, Ben had just washed it and we were ready to go to Cabo San Lucas to have lunch with friends who arrived on a cruise ship.  Fortunately, the 2001 truck still runs, so we did our day trip in that one, and met Patti & Tom at Solomon's Landing at the Marina.  


We arranged for a tow truck from La Paz to haul the truck to our diesel mechanic in La Paz.  When he came on Saturday morning, we decided we needed to pull it out of it's parking spot in the carport in order to load it on the hauler.  We hooked it up to the white truck, and when Ben turned the key to put it in neutral so we could tow it, he decided to go ahead and turn the key further "just in case"...... and it started!!!  Well... we still didn't know why it didn't start all day the day before, so we loaded it up and sent it off anyhow.  Here's a little tidbit for you on the price of things in Mexico.  Diesel is currently about $3.72 US per gallon.  Labor, to work on our pickup for two days, is $45 US!!!!  That's the total cost.  Really!  Hopefully, the truck will be ready by tomorrow.  Ben will take the bus up to La Paz to get it.  


On Monday, we used the white truck (old reliable!) to haul the 1930 Model A body and various parts to a body shop in La Paz.  They promise that they can have it done in 2 months, and we're hoping they're correct!  They are doing some nice work in that shop, and they're excited to work on the "A".  By the way, it took Ben and I 3 or 4 hours to get it loaded on the trailer.  It took 4 hombres at the shop less than 1 minute to get it from the trailer to the setup in their shop!  Sigh.... only so much muscle...but lots of time (at home!)  


FYI, there is a minimal amount of work being done on the 56 Jeep.  It seems like the Model A has taken precedence, and maybe NEXT year, we can get the Jeep done and start using it.  Sigh.... only so much time and money!

We had a solid day of rain a few weeks ago, so the Ocotillo is blooming.  Here's a couple blooms from my morning walk today.  Most of the time, the plant looks dead, but it almost always sends out blooms after a rain.  It makes a striking red splash in the desert! 


I have added a few more photos to the
2018 February album.  Take a peek.  



Ben is off today paying our property taxes in Santiago.  I'm hoping it doesn't rain because I'm doing some laundry!  (No dryer here...only my eco-friendly clothes line!).  I'm also waiting for the propane truck to show up.  Soon I hope, since we're very low right now.  

Hasta la proxima vez,
Tus amigos en Baja
Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Pic-of-the-Week for February 13, 2018

Hola Amigos!

Feliz dia del Amor y Amistad!  (Manaña!)  

Image result for valentine images

We are still remembering our 50 year anniversary celebration with fond memories!  Thank you for all your good wishes sent our way!  

Sad news.... Cousins Tom & Karan Malpass are leaving the neighborhood tomorrow.  The time has come to return to the duties at the farm in Oregon.  Sigh.... of course they are planning to return next winter, and we look forward to that!  We've enjoyed having them here for dinners and exciting games of Mexican Train.  Last night, we even had some fresh strawberry pie (and we all thought of Ryan and his love for Mom's homemade pie), so we took and sent him a picture.  😁  The good news about this.... I won the Mexican Train battle last night, after starting off with a horrible score!  Oh....and I haven't lost my ability to make a delicious pie.  




Good news ... the closing for our new property purchase is happening tomorrow here in Los Barriles.   And more good news; our corn crop is doing well on our new property.  I even planted the second crop, now that the first one is 6" high!  We put a fence around the little plot, since it looked like something (probably some local Jack Rabbits) had been nibbling on the tender little plants.  



Tom checks on the corn every day he comes over.  He's very pleased with the results so far!   He's just sorry he won't be here for harvest!  



I'm sure I will be picking beans in a few days as they are blooming and growing little beans quite nicely. and I've planted the second crop a few days ago; they are also ready to be strung today or tomorrow.  (Good thing I don't have to bend all the way to the ground to string these things!)

I have been continuing my daily walks with the dogs (except Sam didn't want to go today).  I get great opportunity to take pictures early in the morning with my i-phone (which also tracks how far I've walked).  Here are a few examples:



There are some BIG old cactus to the southwest of our casa (you can see our casa in the middle of this picture, behind that other cactus).  This is a gradual slope up as I hike towards Highway 1, and I've had to take a leash to PULL Sam up!  He looks at me like "you've got to be kidding!"  Today, he opted to not go with us on the hike!  He stayed home with Ben.



I don't seem to get up and at 'em quite soon enough for the early sunrise, but when there are clouds, I still get some good colors.  



And some days, when we have bigger waves, I can get shots like this!  Whoosh!  Of course, Zoey barks when I'm walking next to the water, or when I stop to pick up some glass or a shell, or when I stop to take a picture!  She only barks when I'm going south.  When I turn around and head back home, she quits barking!  Silly dog!!  



Friends Katie and Mel headed north a few days ago, too.  They are going to another fishing hole (the Umpqua River in Oregon), and were anxious to head out.  We went out and visited them at their camp last week before they left, and admired what they had done with the "Purkey Fish Gate" that we donated to the cause.  They are doing something that we dream about, but never accomplish...they're taking their time going north, visiting lots of friends along the way.  Someday!  

And finally, Rebecca sent a drawing that our grandson David had done of a dachshund, and in one look, I decided it was Zoey!  Great job, David!  (I especially liked the caption "Do not wash", as Zoey does NOT like water!)



Don't you think it looks just like her?  



I have started a 2018 February album.  

Hasta la proxima vez,

Tus amigos de Baja
Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey