Pic-of-the-Week for February 16, 2016

Hola, Amigos,

A couple more weeks have passed, and we just continue to have adventures with guests, and adventures (and challenges) with living here!  

I finished the baby quilt for my friend who lives in Guadalajara.  And I thought that making the quilt would be the hard part!  Ha!!!  Getting it to her is proving to be an interesting challenge.  

We were in Cabo San Lucas the other day, where they have various delivery companies like Fed Ex.  So, I took it to one called Estafata, and I said "I need to send it to Guadalajara" and they told me I first had to go to Aduana, which they said is a "normal" procedure.  Aduana is Mexican Customs.  Sigh.  I went next door to Fed Ex, and they said the same thing (but he did give me a free box!) "Go to Aduana."  Why?  Baja California is "frontier", and we have special rules and advantages to living here.  So, to send things to the mainland, everyone has to go through Customs!  We didn't have time that day to try and find Aduana, so I gave up.  Yesterday, I tried it at our local post office, and she said the same thing.  Take it to Aduana (where they value it, and maybe charge you duty), and then take it on to whomever you want to send it for you.  I finally gave it to a friend of Ryan's who lives in Cabo San Lucas, who said "of course I can do it for you".  Thank goodness, but "Sigh......" You'll get it one of these days, Michelle!  

On the other hand, we found a fantastic deal on juice oranges recently.  Our Mexican friend Claudia said her son's school in Santiago sold oranges...30 kilos for $100 pesos!  Unbelievable.  She said anyone could go there and get some, so we tried it out last week (after checking how many of our friends would like 30 kilos (about 60 pounds) of oranges!)  We bought 3 bags, and while there, noticed they had avocados as well.  Yum!  We bought 3 kilos of avocados for 30 pesos.  Everyone was very helpful.  They even recruited a few of the high school boys to haul the orange sacks to our truck.  I didn't do too bad with my Spanish!  We think the school was built in an old orchard, and they reap the benefits of the fruit by selling it to the public!  By the way, the juice is delicious! Another fact:  with today's exchange rate, that was about $5.30 US dollars per 30 kilo bag.

Last week my cousin Tom and his wife Karan arrived, ready for some sunshine and relaxation.  Walks on the beach are now daily activities for them, and they especially like to visit the Round Bar at Rancho Buena Vista, and take siestas afterwards!  

They also visit the burros regularly, as they hang out near where they walk.

Where are our treats, Karan?  They just came right up to her.

We plan on trying whale watching again the end of this week, and then back to Cabo San Lucas for our two night stay at the fancy resort.  Hopefully, we'll all stay healthy and we'll get to see some whales at Magdalena Bay.  AND, the good news is that our favorite musicians are in town for a week or so; Miguel de Hoyos and Alex DePue!  Hooray!  We have two evenings booked to listen to them.

Ben has our other camera this morning while he and Tom are out and about, so I'm a bit short on photos today!  Here are a few photos I took from around our garden.  My beans are ready to string!  

Ben saw this gardening idea on Facebook the other day, so we're trying it out.  I transplanted some lettuce and spinach, and planted some cucumber seeds which produce lovely cukes, according to neighbor Marsha who had better luck with the first planting than I did!  We're anxious to  see how this works.  

More photos are in my 2016 February Picasa album, and I will add more when Ben brings back the other camera!  (I just found out today that Picasa will be going away soon, and I'll have to learn a new place to put my photos. "Planned obsolescence"  Ugh!)

Hasta la proxima vez!

Tus amigos de Baja

Harriet, Ben, Ryan, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Week for February 2, 2016

Hola Amigos,

Happy February, and Groundhog Day.  We don't have any Groundhogs here...we just look out the window and see that the sun is still shining and there is no snow on the ground, and we're happy.  And yes, the flowers are still blooming!!  (Happy 8th Anniversary to our daughter Rebecca and husband Tim!)

This is one of my very favorite Hibiscus plants.  The flowers are dinner plate size, and bright orange with some yellow highlights.  It's too bad that they usually face to the east, and the sun, away from our entry sidewalk.  We just have to detour over through the garden paths to enjoy them.  

We had a three day break between company; enough time to clean up the guest room for the next guests and get a few things done around here.  Gary and Debbie haven't visited us before this, so it was great to spend some time with them.  

We took them on some back roads, visited our friends Mel and Kate out at Frailes, had lunch at Cabo Pulmo.  We also took them to our favorite hot springs, which was as wonderful as usual.  Too bad the road to them was miserable!  I don't think there's been a grader there since some of our heavy rains earlier this winter.  

We had the best intentions to take them whale watching at Magdalena Bay, and traveled all the way to San Carlos and spent the night to be ready to go early the next morning, but both Ben and Debbie ended up with food poisoning from the restaurant where we ate that night.  Ugh.  Double ugh!!!  We cancelled the whale watching, and they both spent the day in their beds trying to keep down some water and 7-up.  Probricitos!  Gary and I lounged around because the sickies wanted us close by in case they needed anything.  At least I had my Kindle with me so I could read a book.  So, no whale pictures......yet!  We might go back in a couple weeks to try it again.

Last Saturday, when Ben took Gary and Debbie to their vacation condo in Cabo San Lucas, I had the opportunity to attend a cooking class at Buen Provecho  cooking school in San Bartolo.  What fun!!  The head chef, Denise,sings in our community choir, so it was great to see her in her "element".  We had a class in appetizers, using things commonly found here.  Several of the items needed pie crust, and she taught a new recipe to us that I think will be fantastic for me to use with my pies, using cream cheese, butter and flour.  Here are some of the things we made:

This table has Fried Cheese with San Bartolo Fruit Ate (on the skewers), Roasted vegetables and Ham Quiche, Marinated Olives and Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers over Feta or Queso Fresco, Sweet Potato Rounds, and Mini Chipotle Chicken Tacos.

The middle photo is Sweet Potato Rounds topped with Bacon and Pecans, and the bottom photo is Rustic Dijon, Potato and Vegetable tart (using the pastry recipe).  

Of course we sampled everything.  I think it was about a 4 course afternoon, making and then stuffing ourselves with our cooking efforts.  YUM!!!  

One of the things I really liked about this class is the Mexican gals in the background of the first cooking photo who washed ALL our dirty dishes.  I told her I needed her at my house, because how many of you like to cook, but hate the clean-up???  

We have another week before cousins Tom and wife Karan show up.  Being from Oregon's Willamette Valley (think RAIN and COLD), they are looking forward to sunshine, which we promise they'll have in abundance.  We have had some fantastic calm days lately, but today and the next few days are windy.  Very windy!  

I'll leave you with the church in San Antonio so you can appreciate the blue-blue sky, and then a  photo of a whimsical sculpture of Jacques Cousteau in La Paz.  

More photos are in our 2016 January album (because all of the photos were taken in January!) 

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

PIc-of-the-Week for January 19, 2016

Hola Amigos,

The last two weeks has just zoomed by as we've been busy visiting with friends here from Oregon.  George and Carolyn came last Monday, and we've made an overnight trip to La Paz, enjoyed the Lord of the Winds competition here in Los Barriles, made some road trips to see the local sights, and eaten some wonderful meals.

This is a shot Ben took at the Lord of the Winds meet.  They saw some very impressive maneuvers!  

We've got a few more things to do today, and they are reluctantly heading back to rainy Oregon manana.  When we visited La Paz, they went out in the bay on a panga to swim with the whale sharks, which was a very exciting experience for them (they are certified divers, but you just need snorkel gear for this trip). I stole a couple of their photos to show you...

Ben & I, who are wimps, decided to do errands around La Paz while they had their fun!  

We had a special dinner at El Barrilito the night they arrived, and invited lots of friends (there were about 25 of us)....because, "sob", our favorite restaurant will be closing any day now.  The owner, Francisco, has some serious eye problems and will be moving to the states for some surgery, and hopes to start a restaurant up there.  We will certainly miss him!  Best seafood around, bar none!!  (That's Francisco in the background fixing us a delicious appetizer.)

And then we went to El Barrilito another night and found these critters in the back of a pickup parked out front!  Never know what you'll find in a pickup here in the neighborhood! 

We take advantage of George while he's here, because he's our "go to Computer fix-it guy".  He worked on both of our computers (he says I need a new one if I want it faster ;-)  )  and they are both working much better.  Ben isn't grumbling near as much over his PC now!  

On our touring drive yesterday, we went up the San Dionisio Canyon to see the sights.  We like to stop at this spot where we can get down to the stream and see the huge fig trees... and rocks!

Carolyn in front of one of the fig trees.

Then, when we were driving back out of the canyon, I heard a piercing cry, and spotted this guy flying along above us.  He landed in this tree, and I was able to get a few shots of him before he took off again.  We think it's an eagle or maybe a hawk.  Any other guesses?  

More photos are in our January 2016 Picasa album.

Our next guests are arriving this Saturday!  More adventures to follow.

Hasta la proxima vez,
Harriet, Ben, Ryan, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Week for January 5, 2016

Hola Amigos!

Feliz Año,  as they say here in Mexico.  We hope you haven't tossed aside your resolution to come visit us in Baja.  Actually, next Monday we will have our second set of company for the season; our friends George and Carolyn hope to swim with the Whale Sharks in La Paz and enjoy our sunshine.  Then we have three more sets of company coming in January, February and March!  Still "space available", if you'd like to spend some time here.  

Speaking of "space available", Ben got a really sweet deal for displaying his '28 Martin Parry at an upscale resort in Cabo San Lucas.  Check out this link for a short explanation:  New Year's Eve Party  We're hoping to take advantage of the offer in February, since they're full up in January (our anniversary month).  

While our popular car was partying in Cabo San Lucas, Ben and I spent a quiet evening at home, eating smoked ribs with friends who also appreciated a quiet New Year's evening.  

With the start of the new year, it seems like I have lots of things scheduled weekly, mostly to do with music, so I guess that's not a bad thing!  At least it's something I enjoy...playing the piano for choirs and teaching piano to an enthusiastic 10 year old!  I've also FINALLY started sewing on my quilt project again.  When I had bronchitis I just didn't feel like sewing, so I put it off.  Well, the baby was born in Guadalajara in late December, so that urged me on a bit!  It is VERY colorful and as Ben says "busy"!  The pattern is called "Belize", so I felt free to put in a lot of bright colors.  The hardest part about this quilt may be the process of getting it to my friend in Guadalajara!  The mail system isn't the most reliable in Mexico!  

We also have TWO new baby burros (burritos?) in the barrio.  They are so cute, and it is fun having their Moms bring them by to meet us.  They are so clean and fuzzy.  Don't you just want to cuddle up to this sweetie?

I haven't got a decent photo of the other baby yet, but I will!  

On our walk today to the beach I finally got a good picture of the ultra light plane that flies by regularly.  Just gotta be in the right place at the right time!

That looks like a ton of fun!  

The tide was very low this morning, and there was almost no wave action and no wind.  I love days like this, but the kite boarders and wind surfers are praying for lots of wind next week when Los Barriles will be hosting the 6th Annual "Lord of the Winds".  Here's a link if you're interested in it.  There are some pretty amazing photos in there!  Lord of the Winds   In the meantime, I'm enjoying days like this!

This debris on the beach is the remains of a caterpillar that got washed into the ocean during a hurricane, either in the 70's or 80's, I think.  I always look for it when the tides are low.  But look at those waves!  What a great day to snorkel! (Yes, the water temps are just a bit coolish, but comfortable.  I did stick a toe in to test it!)  

A few more pics are in our 2016 January album.

Hasta la proxima vez,

Tus amigos in Baja,

Harriet, Ben, Ryan, Sam & Zoey

They are willing to share the sofa when you feel the need for a siesta!  

New Years Eve Party in Cabo!!

Yes, one of us will be spending New Years' Eve at a very upscale resort in Cabo San Lucas....our 1928 Ford / Martin-Parry!!  Zuri Guzman, Esperanza Resort's Sales Coordinator, saw our Woody at the Car Show in Cabo San Lucas several weeks ago, and asked if it could be used for the resort's New Years' Eve party, which has a Roaring 20's theme.  Ben immediately said "no" off the top of his head.  When I heard about the request, I told him to think about it, and maybe negotiate for a bit of compensation.  We negotiated through our friend Hector Manuel Amarillas, and ended up with very nice compensations for the woody spending 3 days there.

And let me assure you, this is the first time ANY of our vehicles has paid a bit for itself!!  They gave us a free lunch (really!) and they're paying us $5000 pesos per day for the three days the Woody will be there, AND two nights for two couples at the resort.  We found out from Zuri that the cost per day at the resort for a room is $1500!  I innocently asked "pesos?"  She said, "No, dollars."  Yikes! I hope we can enjoy it properly when the time comes.  
*Big Grins*  We'll go retrieve the car on Saturday and wipe off all the fingerprints and tell him "good boy!"  

Here are a few more pics of the day...

Hector Manuel Amarillas and his wife Rosa came along to "translate and negotiate" as needed.  

Pic-of-the-Week for December 22, 2015

Hola, Amigos!

Feliz Navidad!  Merry Christmas!  

We hope that our bi-weekly newsletter finds you healthy and happy and ready for the Christmas season!  And please remember the reason for the season....

Isaiah 9:6  
For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given,
    and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

We are getting ready for 12 to 14 of us here at our little casita for Christmas dinner, and some singing afterwards.  Ben will be smoking two turkeys (we hope to have some leftovers!) and our guests are contributing food and goodies for the meal.  I'm also preparing the music and PowerPoint show for our church's Christmas Eve Service on Thursday night, so we've been busy!  Lots to do and remember.   I have also been busy toting my portable keyboard as our Community Choir group (OK Chorale) has been singing at various functions.   I think we get the next week "off"!  

Ben took the 1928 Woody to yet another Car Show on December 13, in Cabo San Lucas this time.  It was the First Annual Car Show there, so we decided to go, and since it was Sunday afternoon from 2 until dark, we spent the night at a hotel there.  There were over 120 cars registered (ours was the oldest) and lots of motorcycles showed up, too.  Surprise, surprise, Ben's car won primero lugar!!!  That's FIRST PLACE for the entire show.  Wow!  He even won a trophy cup; first time for that!  (He says he thinks it's solid gold!)

And of course, when he was awarded the trophy, he was surrounded by pretty girls (he kind of likes that part!) 

The hardest part about accepting his trophy was getting his car moved to the parking spot where they wanted it.  There were traffic jams to the front of us, traffic jams behind us, and no drivers for the "jamming" vehicles in sight!  It probably took 20 minutes or more to get half way across the parking lot where they had a generator with some spot lights.  And by that time it was dark, the parking lot lights weren't working, and neither were the Woody's headlights!  (One was, but Ben thought that wouldn't look good).  

Afterwards, everyone wanted another picture of Ben, the cup and the car.  I even got in a few of the photos (on other folks cameras).  

More photos of the Car Show are on our December 2015 Picasa album.  

We made our way out to Los Frailes where our friends Katie and Mel Crabb dry camp for about 5 months every winter.  They recently acquired a 5th wheel trailer (new to them, and barely used) so are very happy with all the space, compared to the camper they were using (which is now a guest room).  Mel is a great fisherman, and had recently caught Tuna, so we had barbecued tuna for lunch.  Muy delicioso!  We contributed a Strawberry Pie that topped off the meal perfectly.    

The road from our house to La Ribera is fine; La Ribera to Los Frailes is always questionable.  It's paved part way, and dirt part way, and we were half-way lucky this time in that the grader was there that very day working on the dirt road.  Unfortunately, the road crew repairing the paved part of the road is off until after Christmas vacation, so we had quite a few miles of detour on dirt.  We came home pretty dusty.

The birds are back in force enjoying our offerings of seed and hummingbird nectar.  I caught this cute little guy taking a bath the other day.  

We've seen Cardinals, Grossbeaks, Finches, Jays, Doves, Woodpeckers,.... you name it, they've been here or flying by.  (That includes the Turkey Buzzards who enjoy flying by on the windy days).  

Our garden is producing a few things; zucchini and cucumbers.  They're not very big yet, but I guess that's a good thing.  

Weather wise, we've had a lot of cloudy days, and it even rained a bit yesterday, but today is the kind of day I love; bright sunshine, blue sky, and a bit of a breeze.   Not bad for the first day of winter, hey?  This is taken from our roof. (If you look hard, you'll see some kite boarders there in the distance).  

We all wish you a Blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!

From your Amigos in Baja,

Harriet, Ben, Ryan, Sam & Zoey

Pic-of-the-Week for December 8, 2015

Hola Amigos!

It's Tuesday, and 2 weeks has rapidly passed us by.  Can you believe we're already in the 2nd week of December?  Wow.  Thanksgiving was celebrated, another car show in La Paz was attended, and we are both finally getting healthy.  Life goes on!  We are still occasionally eating dinner on our veranda. This was the evening before Thanksgiving, and you can see by our attire that it was not in the least bit chilly!  It was a very enjoyable evening out there!

Hurricane Sandra did come by a few weeks ago (Thanksgiving weekend), but we didn't get much wind, just a lot of rain!  Things are still very green here, and we had another opportunity to see where our roof, and in Ryan's case, our walls leak!  You get enough rain for enough hours, and it's gonna get wet somewhere inside!  

Ben spent the last weekend in November in La Paz at another car show, and the Quaker State girls were again very happy to pose with him in front of his pickup (you can see the pickup, can't you?)

I went up to the car show on Sunday after church on the bus, and it was a pretty enjoyable trip, although the bus was very full.  They even showed a Disney movie (in Spanish) of Rapunzel.  I got to practice my Spanish again!!  It was a cloudy day in La Paz, and pretty windy when I got there, so we left early and skipped the prize presentation, although Ben did take home a certificate for Oldest Vehicle.  His cars are always quite popular, and he has prepared signs to put on the back to explain their history (he's owned the pickup since he was 13!) and that it was restored here in Baja.

Our garden was progressing pretty nicely; the lettuce leafing out, zucchini starting to produce, and then one morning I noticed the lettuce leaves were non-existent!  Yikes!  Turns out a pretty green lizard had made a home in there and completely stripped it!  This is a week later, and it is TRYING to send out some new leaves, but I imagine the lizard is lurking somewhere nearby waiting for just the right moment... (even though my dogs are trying their hardest to catch him and all his brothers!)

There was an Art Fair here in town this last weekend, and it was a beautiful sunny day, with lots of vendors present.  I found a pretty new skirt and some snack food.  There was also plenty of jewelry and paintings and woodwork.  

I finally got a good picture of what I call the "Fuller Brush Man".  This is the truck of the vendor who goes door to door selling all kinds of brushes and brooms and mops and buckets and chairs and pots and pans and whatever you might need for your casa.  He has a loud speaker on the front, constantly advertising his wares, so you can hear him coming and be out front waiting for him to come by!  After studying the picture, I think he has it decked out quite festively! Notice the white and yellow dusting brushes sticking out at an angle from the back!  And things don't fall off, so he knows how to tie things down.  Hmmmm... I wonder what's buried deep inside there....?

Our spindly Agave stick Christmas tree is up and decorated.  Sigh.... I had to unstring all the lights because one string wasn't working properly, and then re-string what was left!  I went easy on the decorations this year, since I seem to do it all;if the rest of the family isn't happy with it, they can put on their favorites!   More photos are in our December 2015 album.  

Hasta la proxima vez!

Tus amigos de Baja,

Harriet, Ben, Ryan, Sam & Zoey