Pic-of-the-Month for December 2020

 Hola Amigos!

Feliz navidad y prospero año nuevo!  What a year, huh?  But when we can enjoy God's creation in this beautiful place, we count ourselves blessed!  

We are healthy, happy, busy, and enjoying our life at home and in our little community.  Healthy is a good thing to be in 2020!  I have been walking 6 days a week, usually between 2.5 miles and 3.5 miles.  I walk through sand on the beach (like in the picture), I walk on roadways, I walk on a few trails through the arroyo, up and down hills.  Sometimes, I walk to the flag monument (when I'm feeling very ambitious!) and when Zoey is not with me.  I feel like I've accomplished a great feat when I get up there!  In the picture below, that point of beach sticking out just to the right of center is the same one above in the picture above...just a different perspective.  Anyhow, that picture pretty much contains our house and where I walk.  Los Barriles is at the next point of beach sticking out across the little bay.

Ben has taken on the garden this year for his project.  We are getting some nice results already, in spite of the mystery creatures who have eaten almost every pepper plant, quite a few corn sprouts, most of the lettuce that has sprouted, and have nibbled on just about everything else!  Our first corn crop is sending out tassels!  I'm picking green beans from our bush bean plants, picking cucumbers and Patty Pan squash, and just about ready to harvest some Beet greens.  Our tomato plants have set on fruit, and most of the squash and cucumber plants are producing.  Ben has put in an irrigation system that is pretty slick (as long as the timers and valves work!) and he's out watering (by turning a dial) most mornings.  

Yesterday Ben decided to remove a huge agave and a large nopal type cactus in the front north-east corner of our yard.  That involved the Jeep and winch and chain!  It worked, and today he is taking wheelbarrow loads of stuff to our pile of garden refuse, that seems to be getting bigger and taller all the time!  When we get that all cleaned up, he's going to extend the water line he put in earlier to water whatever goes there.  I'm hoping for some pretty flowers, but probably not Bougainvillea!  (Pretty, but very thorny!)  

One other major project we worked on is that Ben severely pruned our Mesquite tree; Ben finally got to use his new chain saw, which works very well.  It will eventually come down all the way and we'll encourage the San Juan tree growing right next to it to take over.  Mesquite trees have serious thorns on them, so dealing with them is not fun!  We both ended up scratched up after this!  We hauled all the branches over by our fire pit, Ben cut them up into fire pit sized pieces, and I pitch-forked the little leafy branches in piles.  We have been enjoying fires this fall on non-windy evenings, since we do have a nice sized pile of firewood now!  

Another of Ben's projects is to get the 1956 Willy's Jeep running properly.  Soon, he'll have the right combination of carburetor, clean radiator, properly working fan and whatever else it might take to get it to go uphill on a bumpy road without dying or overheating!  We took a ride with some friends a couple weeks ago in the hills to the west of us, and were kicking ourselves for not getting up there a few years sooner!  What beautiful country!!  

This is a canyon where I wouldn't want to be on a rainy day, but it was cool on this day!

We have also been going out the Los Frailes to visit our friends Katie & Mel and enjoying Taco Tuesday with them at La Palapa Restaurant in Cabo Pulmo.   The road hasn't been too awful, and we heard rumors from a person in the know that the pavement would be done all the way to Cabo Pulmo, but it was going to take 5 years or something like that!!  For 5 miles of road!!!  That will be a major improvement for that area.  Some people in the area have fought the development of that road for years, but it looks like it will finally happen.

We had a guest, our niece Chrys from Sisters was here a short time, and spent hours walking the beach and to and from town.  She also came across some baby turtles hatching on the beach, so that was exciting for her!  She loves it here, and would spend more time except for those 2 boys of hers back home!  

We have a "new" Christmas tree this year.  During our house painting last spring, the old one somehow disappeared.  We got this one from a rancher friend who also sells Farm Cheese.  We did two things on one trip when we got our tree!  For those who don't know, this is an Agave bloom stalk.  They last for years, if you don't abuse them.  

We wish all of you a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Please stay healthy, and count and enjoy your blessings!

Tus amigos de Baja,

Harriet & Ben, Sam & Zoey

Here's the link to 2020 December pictures!

Pic-of-the-Month for November 12, 2020

 Hola Amigos!

I have been remiss in updating you for a whole month plus some.  I will try to be brief (haha....Harriet brief?), and hit the high points!  

We are back home in Baja.  Hooray!

We left Oregon October 6, and arrived at our home in Baja on October 12.  The trip went well.  We traveled with friends Katie and Mel, Ben drove our pickup, and I drove the new Escape to Reno.  The rest of the way, our friends Mike & Mary drove the Escape and I rode with Ben.  The picture below is east of LA on the way to Palm Springs.  There were miles of these wind turbines.  

We had no troubles crossing the border, and enjoyed our favorite hotels and restaurants on the way south.  

Our house and yard was in good shape when we arrived, and it is always great to get here, let the dogs out unleashed to run around, and to sleep in our own bed!  And it is so BIG, after living in the trailer for 3 months.  We always appreciate getting back.  And we can expect a couple of months of meals on the veranda enjoying the fresh air, and watching the birds and the ocean.  

We are still careful when we go out to the stores and banks.  Masks are required; all of the service people wear them all the time.  Covid cases in this area (La Paz and Cabo Counties) and pretty well contained, but cases are still popping up, and we all need to be cautious.  We don't go to larger gatherings of people (including church) and try to stay a good distance from folks.  A year ago at this time, we were working hard, getting ready for our Feeding the Hungry Fashion Show.  This year, (2020) we changed it to March, but it was one of the first things cancelled due to Covid.  We expect we won't be having one in March 2021, either.  We will probably send out some news soon on how we want to continue helping the poorest of the poor here in the area.  Our fund raising efforts last spring were very successful (and easier than organizing and running fashion show, I've got to tell you!!)  We believe we have sufficient funds to keep helping 20 to 30 families for 4 to 5 more months.  

So, what have we been doing?  Ben doesn't have an "old car" project, so he's "helping" with the gardening this year.  If you know him, you know he doesn't do anything half-way!  He's ordered the right kind of dirt (limo, pronounced leemo), he's gotten two orders of compost / mulch from a fellow in Santiago who creates some gorgeous stuff, he's put in a sprinkler - drip system in the little garden, he's tilled until the tiller wouldn't start, then managed to fix the tiller while waiting for parts to arrive from Oregon!  He's dug holes outside of the garden in our awful clay/rock soil and filled it with a mix of the limo and compost and planted squash and cucumbers.  (He used the Jeep to pull a very big rock from one hole, then drug it all the way to our gate.) 

 He has started tomatoes and squash and onions in starter trays.  He has built shade structures for several of our raised beds.  He keeps records of when he planted things, and has done lots of research on what kind of soil and water and fertilizer and sunlight each plant needs.   Phew!  We'll probably need another fridge to hold all of our produce before this gardening season is over!  

What do I do in the garden?  I get to plant what I want (beans, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, radishes, spinach, sunflowers and zinnias) and make sure it's watered.  I can make recommendations based on my vast gardening experience, and then watch Ben do it his way!!  😂  It has been fun watching the garden grow this year, and having more help than I've had in years.  

While he's doing his watering rounds in the mornings, Zoey and I go out for our walks.  I make sure all the burros are still around, count cactus flowers, check out the changes on the new construction in the neighborhood, find stuff (I found a workable iPhone 12 on the beach the other day...no claims on it yet.  Anyone know what the chances are to unlock and use it with one of my sim cards?)  

The other day, I noticed a committee of buzzards on some Cardon cactus, then I noticed the odor.  Something had died, and the committee was waiting to become a wake of buzzards.  (Go ahead....Google it!  "A group of vultures is called a kettle, committee or wake. The term kettle refers to vultures in flight, while committee refers to vultures resting on the ground or in trees. Wake is reserved for a group of vultures that are feeding.")  The next day, I saw the youngest baby burro (about 6 months old) without her Momma near that same spot.  Her Momma was one of the oldest of the burros, so alas, baby is without Momma.  She did join the group of other burros in a few days.  

After that cheery news, it's time for some pretty pictures!  

Here's what we ordered at La Playa the other night.  Tacos for 2?  I think more like 4!  Delicious!

Barrel cactus blooms in our yard, and a rare walk on the beach to the north towards Los Barriles.  

We have made several trips out to Cabo Pulmo to visit with Katie and Mel and enjoy Taco Tuesdays at La Palma restaurant there.  Other than the nasty road (unpaved for over 6 miles that feels like 12) it is a fun trip.  

Nice view from the restaurant, and yummy mango margaritas!

I have created two new albums.  October 2020 and November 2020, if you'd like to take a peek.  

We do have some company coming down soon.  Flights are available; just not as many.  If you want to come isolate and quarantine with us, you're welcome to come (bring your masks!)

BTW, dogs are doing fine.  Sam had some growths removed yesterday and did great on his "spa day".  The doctor was able to use just local anesthesia on him, and she said he was perfect.  She did say he might have Cushing disease, so we'll probably have more tests done on him.  He is 13 and 1/2 years old, so not doing too bad for an old guy.  Nine-year-old Zoey has been taking shorter walks.  In the hotter weather, she was really wilting, and I am NOT wanting to carry her, since she's over 20 pounds!  Ugh.  She might be able to go farther when it gets cooler...we'll see!  

Drop us a line and tell us if you still want to receive this, or just say "hi!  Good to hear from you!"  Let us know how you're doing, since we didn't get to visit with many of you this last summer.  

Hasta la proxima vez,

Tus amigos en Baja

Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey 

Pic-of-the-Month for September 2020

 Hello Friends,

Yes, we are still in Oregon, but as it starts to get cooler and damper, we're leaning to the south!  We plan to leave here (Bend-Sisters area) on October 6, traveling with our friends Mel & Katie.  When we get to Reno, we will be joined by friends Mike and Mary, who will help us drive down my new 2018 Ford Escape!  I managed to convince Ben that I need a "drive-around-town" car in Baja, and this is what we found!  Its peppy, 4x4 and a beautiful red color, which I am partial to.  If you come visit someday, I'll most likely pick you up at the airport in this beauty (if you don't have too much luggage!)  

This picture was taken east of Salem during the horrendous fires that happened in early September here in Oregon.  We were in Bend when they started, and had planned to go over to the Willamette Valley to visit friends again.  All of the mountain passes from Bend to Salem & Eugene were closed, except Highway 58 to the south, which we took.  Everywhere we went during that week and a half was extremely smoky and hazardous breathing.  Many people lost their homes and businesses to the fires, and there was also loss of life.  Our daughter pointed out the news articles about the 13 year of son of Chris Tofte, Wyatt, who died with his dog and grandmother trying to escape the flames.  Chris was Rebecca's classmate in school where she attended in Salem. Oregon forests will take years and years to recover as the fires were huge and intense, and still burning.  The picture below is typical of the atmosphere during that time.  This was between Salem and Portland on I-5.  

And this is a photo of the Lion's head fire near Mt. Jefferson, shortly after it started.  This is from Sisters.

We took a day trip with Ben's brother Ken and sister-in-law Bea to Hood River to the Western Antique Aeoroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM).  We were met by John Hirons, who flew in with his restored Piper Cub.  (Handy to have an airport next to this museum!)  They have many, many cars and airplanes.  We were impressed, and although we only spent a few hours, it's a place you could spend a LOT of time!  Well worth the visit.  The car below is a Martin Parry body on a Ford Model T chassis. (Ben has the newer version with a 1928 Martin Parry / Model A.  

We also took a trip to western Oregon in August, before all the fires.  We visited family and friends in Eugene, Salem, North Bend, Medford and Cathlamet, Washington.  While in Salem at friends George and Carolyn, Ben and George replaced awnings on both of our trailers, theirs and ours.  That was an interesting job, prefaced by watching YouTube how-to videos!  

At Ben's brother John and sister-in-law Sirkka's, we took a drive down the coast to Bandon and Port Orford.  Bandon has some really neat sculptures made out of "stuff" found on the beaches.  Amazingly, they turned out beautiful!  Here's one example.

There are more examples posted in our 2020-09-September album. 

John led us on a fun hike at Port Orford with beautiful views...at least in one direction.  The view to the south was fogged in!  But the view to the north was gorgeous.  

Next we traveled over to the Medford area to visit our friend Pat.  On the way there, we happened to visit 3 or four vineyards to sample some wines, and buy a few bottles of our favorites.  We stopped at three in the Roseburg area, and one near Jacksonville.  

We had a lovely time visiting with Pat (and sampling some of our new wine).  She took us shopping at Harry and David in Medford (evidently the only retail outlet open any more) so we could buy cheese and (more) wine and all kinds of goodies that they sell there.  Then we went to Central Point to the Rogue Creamery, which sells world famous Blue Cheese.  See -  https://roguecreamery.com/rogue-river-blue-2020/   I'm not a big fan of Blue Cheese, but this one is so good and creamy!  This is the building where it's made and sold.  Don't blink, you'll miss it! 

After we got back to Salem (where George and Carolyn had graciously kept our little trouble-maker doggies and let us park our trailer), we took off again sans trailer to visit Sandy and Debi on Puget Island in the Columbia River.  They have done extensive remodeling, and allowed our little doggies in.  We had some more great eating, boating, and exploring.  They are great hosts, but don't tell anybody...they were so busy with company this year they're probably looking forward to going back to their place in Baja for a forced vacation!  

This is the slew in front of their place...the Columbia River is just right over there!  You can see barges going by.  

I finished my quilt for our daughter Rebecca and got it sent off.

Then we took one final camping trip with friends John and Marilyn.  She had bought a used Tango trailer that is ultra light, and several years old.  They had made some modifications (improvements) to it, and wanted to go on a "shakedown" trip out of the smoke. (They live in Stayton, which was in the thick of it during the fires.  In fact, they were in an area that was "be ready" to evacuate).  Anyhow, we looked at the smoke map and decided that Lakeview was our best bet.  We spent two days with them first at Ana Reservoir (the north end of Summer Lake), because there was a wedding being held at our favorite Lakeview RV park that weekend!  When we drove into the park at Ana Reservoir, we noticed a red Minnie trailer.  Ben went over and knocked on the door and yes, it was our friends Gary and Debbie, escaping from the smoke in Bend!  So we spent Saturday exploring with them as well.  We went to Christmas Valley, Crack in the Ground, and Fort Rock!  (See the September photo album for more details).

Fort Rock

At the Fort Rock museum.  It wasn't open (closed after Labor Day), but we still got some good pics of the buildings.  

Here's a picture Marilyn took of our camp.  Our trailer is on the right, theirs is on the left, and Gary and Debbie's is the red one across the road.  We also spent 2 nights at the Juniper Reservoir RV park west of Lakeview and did some exploring in that area.

So, now we are again parked in brother Ken's driveway, packing up, waiting for our latest internet orders, and trying to get organized.  We hope to put the trailer away for the winter on October 3, then leave here October 6.  If we missed seeing you this year, we're sorry.  Covid-19 managed to put kinks in many plans, and we'll pray that next year will be better.  

We'd love to hear from you, and hope someday to see you at our casa in Baja!

Your soon to be traveling south amigos,

Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Month for August, 2020 (and July!)

 Hello friends,

I have a bit of time (all day!) to write and let you know what we've been doing this summer.  So far, we've enjoyed ourselves very much, although we're not visiting many restaurants this year, which is a favorite summertime activity we are missing.  However, we are saving a lot of money (and I'm getting dishwater hands!!)  

We have been to all our scheduled doctor appointments, and our doctors have announced that we are both in good health.  The dermatologist didn't need to do any carving this year, and that's always good news.  

In mid-July, after Ben's birthday celebration with some Central Oregon friends we joined our friends George and Carolyn S. to go to Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  If you've known us for any length of time, you already know it is one of our all-time favorite places to go in the summers.  We love it because of the wide open spaces and all the wild life (antelope and deer and cougars(!) and birds of prey).  Also, the hot springs there is a lovely addition.  We can at least be clean some of the time with all the dusty roads around!  We were able to camp for several days in our favorite site.  It was not too crowded there, but it seems like every evening, many folks would drive down that little dead end road looking for a camp site.  Ben said he even heard someone coming in around midnight one night!  

One of the neatest things this year is that we saw the Neowise Comet right from our campground!  George took a fantastic picture of it with his iPhone!  This picture was taken far from camp, because they didn't think it would be visible in our little canyon camp.  But it was!  Pretty cool.  This is a great example of bright skies in Central and Eastern Oregon at night. Star gazing is a treat!

 

  

The other neat thing is that we saw a Mama antelope with triplets!  They were right in the road in front of us.  Ben crept as close as he could in the truck; they were very curious!  

We spent one night on the way home at a horse camp near Hole in the Ground.  I'd never been there...Ben said he'd been there years and years ago.  It was indeed, a big hole in the ground.  No one is real sure how it was formed; volcano, meteor?  But it was very impressive coming up over a ridge to see it.  

Our next little excursion was west, to the valley, where we spent a couple weeks to visit friends and family.  I also picked up the quilt I'm making for my daughter from the lady in the Brownsville area who quilted it for me.  I'm slowly getting the binding sewn down on it.  Poco a poco!  

We returned to our Bend base for another doctor appointment and another camping trip in Eastern Oregon.  On the way to the doctor, with our trailer hooked up and ready to go, we got a notice on our truck that a tire had low pressure.  Rats!  We managed to get it into a Les Schwab after the doctor appointment, but it did delay the start of our trip a few hours.  We did make it all the way to Leslie Gulch, on the far east side of Oregon.  It is just north of Jordan Valley (if that tells you anything!) on the Owyhee River.  We haven't been there in quite a few years, and Katie and Mel have never been there.  They were duly impressed!  That gulch is amazingly beautiful.  Pictures really don't do it justice... you need to travel up and down it yourself!

I included Katie and Mel's camper in this picture to give you an idea of the size of the pillars.  Awe inspiring!  

It was dang hot there...in the 90's every day, and dry camping.  We did OK, but this is how Zoey got cool one day.  

She who hates water, took a drink, then decided it felt good enough to just lie down in it!  It was several inches deep there where she was.

Mel and Katie spent one day fishing (they took their camper right down to the riverside, sat in the shade, and set their poles up.)  They did just fine!  They caught some Catfish and a few other types of fish.  They do know how to fish!  

After a few hot days in Leslie Gulch, we headed back west to the Steens Mountains.  Katie and Mel had never been there, either!  We stopped at the Pete French Round Barn on our way, and Ben pointed out the two owls perched up high in the rafters.  

We camped at Steens Mountain Resort, and the next day took the Loop Drive.  The wild flowers were amazing!  This must be the earliest we've ever been there... all different kinds were blooming everywhere,  and made waves of color on the hillsides.

 

Of course, the Gorges, and the view from the top are always amazing.  

We took the south part of the loop drive to return to camp, and on the way, saw large herds of wild horses.  They were healthy looking and beautiful.  

The little colt was kind of homely, but he was frisky!  

We are currently back in the Bend/Sisters area for the week, and next week plan to go back to the Valley, then to the coast to visit brother John, and then to Medford to visit another friend.  That's all we've got planned so far.  The Pendleton Roundup was cancelled this year, along with every thing else, so we won't be going there.  

We hope you are all staying healthy and happy.  More pictures are in our July-August 2020 Album.  I'll probably be adding more throughout the month.  

By the way, our Chinese-American-Mexican granddaughter turns 2 tomorrow, August 12!  Hard to believe, but she is chattering in English and Chinese now.  Once in a while, we can figure out what she's saying!  Ryan says she is 93 centimeters tall (about 36"), so she's going to be tall!

Shoot us an email, or give us a call if you'd like to visit us this summer.  It's been a tough year socially for all of us, and my shopping trips have been cut severely.  But meeting with friends in a socially acceptable manner is great with us!    

Until the next time...

Your traveling Baja amigos,

Harriet, Ben, Sam & Zoey