Pic-of-the-Week for July 19, 2018

Hello friends,

As you know, I (Harriet) traveled up to Oregon for routine doctor visits and time to visit some friends in the Central Oregon area.  The first appointment on Monday last week was to a new dermatologist in Bend.  They looked me over carefully, froze off some pre-cancerous spots here and there, and looked at and took a big slice off of a mole on my right shoulder that I was concerned about.  On Tuesday, they called back and told me that it was melanoma!  Oh my.  On Wednesday I saw a surgeon, and we scheduled surgery for last Friday, the 13th.  Surgery went well on Friday, and they also removed a lymph node under my right arm (that incision is more painful than the one on my back!)  Today I finally got the results, and it is benign.  Hallelujah!  Thanks so much to those of you who knew about it and were praying for me.  Of course, I need to be extra careful of sun exposure (and I live in Baja??) and watch moles very carefully.  Probably need to see the dermatologist more than once a year.  Anyhow, I'm feeling blessed and very satisfied with the timing and the results.  God is definitely in control!

Panorama of a sunset on Sunday night, with the end of the rainbow to the southeast, the Three Sisters to the southwest (?) and the sun going down in the west.  

In the meantime, I visited the Sisters Quilt Show for the first time ever on Saturday (I had a driver, so didn't have to walk too far when I was supposed to be resting  24 hours after surgery!)  This is just one sample of some of the beautiful quilts we saw.  It's the Virgin of Guadalupe, a very important figure in Mexico.  More pictures of quilts are in our July 2018 album.

I've visited and helped out at my friend Janet's Gypsy Winds clothing shop.  And of course, I had to buy some of her beautiful clothing.  Every time I go in the shop, it seems like I see something new.... to buy!!!  

This jacket is beautiful inside and out... yes, it's reversible!  

Our friends the Telecks came over from the Willamette Valley for a few days, and I was able to go out with them to dinner several times.  Also got re-acquainted with their cute dachshunds.  (Marilyn also discovered Janet's shop, and thinks it's wonderful!)  




I have been shopping for baby things, ordering parts for the smoker and our solar water heater pump, ordering things with Ryan and Charlotte for the baby, ordering things for me and eagerly awaiting delivery.  There is no way my one suitcase is going to work for the trip back, so I'm borrowing a big one from Ken and Bea and return it when we come back in August.  I'm also leaving most of my clothing here (most of it is too hot for Baja right now, anyhow).  

The weather here in the Bend / Sisters area is as hot as it is in Baja, but it is NOT humid (and the house is air conditioned!).  Ryan said that it rained at our house the other day, and those summer rains do help it cool down for a bit, as well as green up the desert.  

Ben is still monitoring the restoration of the Model A in La Paz.  They said he could bring the chassis in this next week and they'd start putting it together.  He pointed out to them (again) that the running boards and fenders need to go on first and the body sets on top of them.  The fenders are done, but the running boards?  Not done!  He said they looked just a bit panicked when they heard that!  We'll see how it goes!  

I'm scheduled to return to Baja on July 25th (I have a 5AM flight from Portland to Phoenix!!  Check in at 3AM???  Yikes!)  We will be in Baja until the baby arrives, and help Ryan and Charlotte out for a couple weeks before we head north, driving as usual.  This is one "different" summer for us, but we are adjusting.  I'm betting we'll have some great baby pictures to share in the next P-O-T-W!!  

Until then,
Your friend in Oregon, Harriet
and the Baja contingent, Ben, Ryan, Charlotte, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Week for July 3, 2018

Hola Amigos!

Happy 4th of July and Independence Day to you!  Tell me, is it a 5 day weekend, taking off Monday and Tuesday, or is it a 5 day weekend, taking of Thursday and Friday?  

Photo from my morning walk at low tide: Rancho Buena Vista

I (Harriet) will be coming to Oregon July 5th, so I'll miss the parades and fireworks this year.  Yes, my list of things to take and bring back is made, bags are getting packed, and "to do" lists are getting ready to be posted for the gang remaining here.  I will be "almost" footloose and fancy-free.  No husband, no dogs, and not too many responsibilities.  I will be house and dog sitting for my in-laws where I'm staying for a few days, but Duke is an easy guy to take care of.  I hope he likes walks!  

I am ready to get out of town... it is getting plenty HOT!  This is the longest we've stayed since the summer we built the house (2002).  I checked the temperatures in Bend for this week, and lows are in the 40's, compared to lows in the high 70's or low 80's here!  

Ben will be busy, busy as soon as he gets the Model A Roadster back from the body shop in La Paz.  He keeps saying "2 more weeks", so we'll see.  They are making great progress; unfortunately, it was in worse shape than anticipated as far as rust was concerned.

  
Here the body is upside down as they work on sanding the bottom.  The man in the blue shirt is the owner of the body shop; the man next to him speaks English and is our interpreter (he works at this shop).  The older man behind Ben was hired specifically to work on the Model A, as he has lots of Model A experience!  They have since hired one more man to work exclusively on it, so it should get done even faster!  I hope to see pictures with the final coat of paint on it very soon!  

I mentioned the dump fire and the noxious smoke in my last letter.  Ryan took matters in hand and contacted the proper authorities, developed a web site and we have seen a caterpillar at the dump to put out the fires!  Good job, Ryan!  There are still a few residual fires, but we're hoping they're out soon.  Here is a link to Ryan's web site.  Check it out!  Los Barriles Dump 

My morning walks with Zoey are still a highlight of my day.  After the rain so many things are blooming in the desert, especially the cactus.  Here are a few things I've seen:

 This shrub is blooming like crazy everywhere right now.  I love the color of the flowers.  

This last picture is an example of the Pitahaya bloom, and the fruit!  A small bird flew away as I was snapping the photo.  I think it had been eating the fruit, since it's pretty "holey"!  






I've finished another year of one-student piano lessons.   When Paloma likes a song, she excels!  We work hard at finding songs she likes!!  This was her 3rd year of lessons, and at 13, in spite of all her other interests, she still wants to do piano lessons!  Good for her!  It's my pleasure to teach her. 

Charlotte and Ryan have been to the baby doctor several times, and brought back some cute ultrasound pictures the other day.  I'm going to make you wait until we have the real baby in hand before I start sending pictures (so be prepared!  I'm a Grandma, after all!!)  Baby and Mama are doing well, and they still have the same anticipated due date of late July.  Yes, I will be back!  

I was rewarded for my beach cleaning diligence this morning.  As I was picking up empty beer cans, plastic bags and cups, and drink holder rings, I came across one can of beer they'd missed!  Wow.  Too bad I don't like beer!  I ended up with two plastic bags of trash and a gallon plastic jug!  I think they're going to miss me when I'm gone for a couple weeks....the beach could get messy!  














My other reward is beach glass.  This is what I've picked up since I started my daily walks in early January this year.  I just moved it to a gallon jar, because I'd filled up a quart jar and a 1/2 quart jar.  Don't ask me what I'm going to do with it... other than line it up on a shelf with the rest of my collection! 






I have created a July 2018 album with some more photos in it.  



























Not sure when we'll get the next issue out.  Will Ben write it?  Will I?  Who will have time?   Until then.....

Tus amigos de Baja,
Harriet, Ben, Ryan & Charlotte, Sam & Zoey