Pic-of-the-Month for February 2024

 Hola Amigos,

Another month is coming to an end, so it's time to let you know what we did and share a few pictures with you.   

We had visitors!  Our friends George and Carolyn Sackinger came from Salem, Oregon, for a return visit, and George's brother Paul joined us from Texas.  We had a great time showing them around, taking them to favorite restaurants and showing them the sites.  One trip we took was out to El Cardonal, with a stop at Hotel Punta Pescadero for a snack and a cold drink.  The view from there is amazing!  This is looking south towards Los Barriles and our casa. 

This is the view to the south from the outdoor bar.  Not bad, huh?  After our refreshments, we stopped at the beach in the above picture.  We can usually find some pretty nice shells there.  I also like the rocks just off shore, and on the edge of the beach.  There are some interesting formations there.  It's a great place to snorkel (which we didn't do!)

 

Mardi Gras is a big thing in Mexico, and one night, La Playa Restaurant featured a group from Tijuana who sang and danced.  It was a very high-energy, entertaining show.  They also dressed up in sparkly outfits, high boots, and short shorts!!  There is a video of them in the February 2024 album in action.  There was no break between songs...they just kept going and going!

We took our guests for a ride in the 1928 Woody to breakfast, played quite a few games of Mexican Train, watched the Super Bowl at our neighbors and had a darn good time with them! 

Shortly after the Sackingers left, Ben's brother Dan and his wife Laura arrived in Cabo San Lucas for a luxury tropical vacation.  We went down to see them one day to show them around a bit and have lunch.  We generally avoid Cabo San Lucas like the plague, but we will do special things for friends and relatives!!  We had a nice time catching up with them, and explaining how things work in Mexico! (You always have to ask for your bill at a restaurant... "la cuenta, por favor" or you will sit there forever waiting.  They want to make you relaxed and happy to be there.  Maybe you'll order something else!)   They said next time, they'd come visit us.  We're not holding our breath, but they might just show up one year! 

This picture is on the edge of the Marina in Cabo.  Dan's entertainment for the next day was to climb that hill behind his head.  Not far up, but something this 80+ year old former mountain climber could do easily.

Here on our rancho, Ben's garden is growing great, as are my green beans, which are just starting to blossom.  No more cows have gotten in, so that's a plus!  We are enjoying radishes, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro.  The squash are getting ripe, the roses have started re-blooming after the cow invasion, and things are looking pretty good.  

Our neighbors Brian and Hope just started another project, and are building a wall on our mutual property line.  That will give them some privacy in their yard (especially since Ben has been severely pruning the trees and bushes on the fence line!  So there is a lot of activity going on here for the next few weeks.  The workers are fast, so I expect it to be done quickly. 

This photo was the end of day progress yesterday.  They dig down deep to put in the foundation, use lots of rebar, and whip out those concrete block walls in quick order.  The rebar on top of this short wall is to strengthen the wall.  That will be about ground level, then they'll build about an 8' wall on that.  There will still be an opening between our two lots with a gate.  It will be different, after that being an open space for so long, but I'm sure we'll get used to it quickly!  

I read some sad news yesterday.  Rosa Maria Ruiz Van Wormer (Cha Cha), owner of Palmas de Cortez Resort here in Los Barriles died yesterday.  She and her husband built and ran that resort, Hotel Playa del Sol and Hotel Punta Colorada (which is now closed) starting in the 1960's.  Her husband Bobby died in 2010, and she and her sons have continued running the resorts.  Two of her sons, Eddie and Carlos (Chaky - or Chucky as we say), are our  neighbors, Chucky right next door, and Eddie around the corner.  We bought our property here in Baja from the Van Wormers in 2002, and have known them since we started vacationing down here in 1985.  It's the end of an era with her passing.  Rest in Peace, Cha Cha.

And, someone else had a birthday!  Zoey is now 13 years old, and we're pretty amazed she's still with us.  She continues to want to go for a (very short and very slow) walk with me in the mornings, and rarely misses it.  She is mostly blind, pretty deaf, sleeps most of the day until her internal clock says it's time to eat (5am, 12 noon and 3pm, which I try to make 4pm or later).  Not sure how she's made it this long with her weak rear end and Cushing's Disease, but she is hanging in there.  

Ben is hoping to sell his boat this spring.  He has spent a lot of time cleaning it up, then going through the garage and finding all the bits and pieces that go with it.  He recently moved it so that it's very visible from the street, and hopefully we can sell it quickly.  

We have more company coming this Sunday.  Our niece Chrys and her two boys will be here for 5 days.  We're looking forward to seeing them!

That's about it from this little corner of the continent.  Hope to hear from any of you who'd like to let us know how you're doing!  And you're always welcome to come visit, since we have 2 guest rooms with amazing views.  

Hasta la proxima vez,

Tus amigos en Baja,

Harriet, Ben & Zoey

PS.  Don't forget to check out the February 2024 album!