Category Archives: Loreto

Water drop kisses

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Afternoon Rainbow

An afternoon storm swept in quietly without much wind or fanfare.  The sky had been cloud filled, but toward four o’clock, light grey turned to dark, and heavy drops fell intermittently.

There is such magic in the desert when there is rain, especially when it passes through without floods or washed roads.  The afternoon shower was brief, but delightful.  Buster and I walked north toward the distant point, laughing at the drops, watching the birds fluff the feathers.

Vulture & Osprey Holding Court

On the branches of a tall cardon, a vulture and an osprey seemed to be holding court.  Their watchful eyes searching for food, even at some distance for the osprey from the water.

As the storm passed through, the droplets became heavier, but still felt like kisses.  All of a sudden, a rainbow – that magical golden arc of light – crossed the sky in front of me.  What a perfectly delightful way to celebrate Friday.

High Flying Politics

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It’s election time in Mexico, and that means banners and posters plaster near every empty bit of wall and building.  Smiling faces of candidates hang from telephone and electrical posts, and in the middle of intersections.  Cars appear to be wallpapered with placards, which increase as the days to election day shorten.

Foreigners are forbidden by Mexican law from participating or interfering in the local political process.  So for the most part, I ignore the signs, except to muse on who has the most handsome photograph.

Apart from the signs, there are the automobiles, the uniquely Mexican form of advertisement that consists of a canned speech or slogan blared from loudspeakers mounted to the top of moving vehicles.  For the most part, the volume is so high and the speakers of such poor quality, that whatever message is being relayed sounds garbled to my ears.  I admit, I’ve finally figured out on Wednesday that the message is for 1/2 off the price of bottled water, but beyond that, I usually don’t have a clue what is being sold or touted.

This afternoon, the speaker volume seemed to grow louder in my neighborhood, and circle round and round.  What road could they possibly be on to create such an echo?  When I walked outside to take a look, I had a surprise!

Overhead, a small above-wing aircraft, not unlike those used in crop-dusting, was flying in low circles over the city, arcing ever wider to cover all the residences and businesses.   It wasn’t insecticides spewing from this aircraft, but political slogans for one of the political contenders, which consisted of  some unintelligible message.

A first for me – a political-spraying aircraft.  Only in Mexico!

Buster & the Burro

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Buster & the Burro

The horses and burros have made themselves at home in the neighborhood.  Sometimes they are beyond the fenced perimeter; sometimes the just walk through the gate.  The search for green and edible is ceaseless, especially after a very dry ‘rainy’ season.  The desert can be a harsh place for range animals.

On our morning walk, Buster and I encountered the burro in on one of the large undeveloped lots.  He was chewing on some tree leaves, but when he saw us, he hurried in our direction.

“This is one big animal,” Buster whispered under his doggy breath.

Buster alternately went close and pulled back, not quite sure what to think of being so close to the large long legged, tall ears, fuzzy tailed mammal.

The burro is hobbled – his front legs are tied together – and so he can only take tiny steps or hop.  While I understand that this supposedly keeps him from running away – clearly he already has run from wherever he started – it pained me to watch him struggle to walk.  His buddies, the other burro and the three horses plus new pony, could be heard braying and naying  in the distance near the dry arroyo.

When Buster realized that the Burro was not likely to charge him, he stepped closer for a better scent.  I advised that he not stand toooo close to those hind feet, which I know can still wallop a kick.  After a few sniffs at the adjacent ground, and a few ‘good-morning-to-you-burro’ barks, we continued on our early walk.

Day Two 2011

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Will I ever tire of the sunrise?

Sometimes I think, “enough.”  But no, I  grab the camera, capture the light.  There is always something different.  Clouds shifted, glassy seas or wind swept, the sky a range of color fields.

In the stillness, the air gathers in on itself and slowly exhales in rhythm with the sea.  It is a song that musicians cannote capture, no matter the longing.

The gathering of seabirds, in search of their first meal.  The flap of wings, the throaty call of the heron, the high pitched whistle of the tern.  The splash of fish, slap of wave, rustle of palm branches.

In the distance, a rooster reminds his brood that it is once again day.  Dogs echo and their woofs and howls call to one another, an ancient language replayed in the debut of another dawn.

Bananas Domingo

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Domingo Bananas

Shopping at Yargoza, a small local market with fabulous produce, I picked up a bunch of  the smallest bananas I’d ever seen.

“¿Que son estos?” I asked the young produce girl.

“Domingo,” she responded, and pointed to a tag where the name was listed.

I love trying new things, so .. bananas went into the basket, along with a kiwi, an asian pear and some yogurt .. to be savored for a late lunch.

The bananas are about three inches long, and very sweet. Their skin is extremely thin, but oddly tougher than that of a more common “Chiquita” banana. The flavor is rich; the texture creamy.

My wandering mind wanted to now know more , and a rather circular google search landed me on a bit of banana history, which of course, is fascinating to my hungry mind :

Origin and history

There is a wide variety of historic references to bananas. They are mentioned in ancient Hindu, Chinese, Greek and Roman texts. It is believed that the earliest written reference to banana is in Sankrist and dates back to around 500 BC. Bananas are suspected to be the first fruit in the earth by some horticulturists.

The origin of bananas is placed in Southeast Asia, in the jungles of Malaysia, Indonesia or Philippines, where so many varieties of wild bananas still grow at present. Bananas have later travelled with human population. The first Europeans to know about bananas were the armies of Alexander the Great, while they were campaigning in India in 327 BC. In the Middle Ages, the banana was thought to be the forbidden fruit of paradise by both Moslems and Christians. The Arabs brought them to Africa. Africans are credited to have given the present name, since the word banana would be derived from the Arab finger. The Portuguese brought them to the Canary Islands. Bananas changed during all these trips, gradually losing its seeds, filling out with flesh and diversifying.

When Spaniards and Portuguese explorers went to the New World, the banana travelled with them. In 1516, when Fiar Tomas de Berlanga sailed to Santo Domingo, he brought banana roots with him. From there, bananas spread to the Caribbean and Latin American countries.

Bananas started to be traded internationally by the end of XIX century. Before that date, Europeans and North Americans could not enjoy them because of the lack of appropriate transport for bananas. The development of railroads and technological advances in regrigerated maritime tranport allowed for bananas to become the most important world traded fruit.

December 31 .. The last day of 2010.

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Sunrise, Sea of Cortez, December 31, 2010

Last day, last sunrise of 2010.

Woke earlier than usual : 4:00 AM and what to do. Sleep filled and nothing left but to meditate and greet the new day in darkness.  Poured hot coffee and savored the quiet.  A crescent moon lingered with Saturn clinging to its sphere.  NASA reporting storms on the ringed planet .. new information on how things in the planetary world are created.

All the dogs come for morning treats, and still it’s dark.  They chew, I sip .. and then I give it over.  The hint of light coming from behind the island beckons me.  I tie the laces on my shoes, grab the camera and off we go, down the long beach toward the distant point.

The air is chilled and the wind still from the WSW as it has been for days.  The sea has been strange with this blow.  The beach houses block the wind right at the waters edge, creating surreal glassy pools, while just beyond the roof lines, ripples fan out toward the island and the open water.

The seabirds have been luxurious. Terns, cormorants, grebes, egrets, herons, an osprey .. pelicans, boobies, gulls, sandpipers, marbled godwits, sanderlings, lesser yellow legs.  As if everyone has come to celebrate the end of the year.  Even the dolphin have moved closer in the shallows, savoring the small bait fish that swim nearer to shore.

Estuary at Dawn

At the edge of the sea, and running westward to the Pacific, lies the gorgeous extremes of the Baja desert.  Dry and subtropical on the eastern shores, the climate and plantlife are part of the Sonoran region, a part of one of the the largest and hottest deserts in North America.  Tall cardon, a relative of the saguaro cactus stand like tall sentries amidst mesquite and paloverde trees.

Estuaries are common on the eastern shores, with wading birds in wild variety and large numbers.  Migratory birds, such as the Arctic Tern, make use of Baja for their winter home.

Buster and I walked into the morning light, solitary figures on the long stretch of beach that spreads north from town.  We walked for over an hour with not a single person in sight, but plenty of heron, egrets, pelicans and cormorants.

Heron gliding northward along the beach.

The squawk of the heron as Buster flushed him from the shallows echoed down the sandy shoreline. He landed again and again, only to pick up his wings again as we grew closer.

Finally, the sun slipped up behind the edge of Isla Carmen in a beautiful – if not momentary – display of color – before tucking behind a bank of clouds. We turned back toward home. I was thinking coffee … Buster was thinking dog treats.

Buster leads the way on our morning walk.

So began the last day of the year .. Filled with gratitude for all that has come to us, all the experiences, all the learning .. the friendships, the adventures, the joys, the challenges and the successes.

 

Christmas at Picazone

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Christmas Day, 2010, Loreto, BCS.

Dawned with north east breezes, clear skies and crisp temperatures.  Shared hot coffee and Christmas cookies with Jeff Kahan who had stopped for a couple of days on his journey south to La Ventana.  We took a long beach walk and let the fresh sea air waken us into the sacred holiday before he took off to meet his friends.

First on my agenda was a Buster bath!  Oatmeal soappy and fresh and soft dog fur.  I combed/brushed/cut out sand knots and ended with a blow dryer that left him looking like a show dog! Then, the jingle bell collar went on and he was ready for our outing.

Alexander & Buster
Jill Jackson
Catharine, Dolores & Jeanne
Dolores & Jeanne
Imelda, Deigo, Alex Junior
Alejandro, Imelda, Alex Junior, Diego

The evening meal had been arranged by Jill Jackson for a private Picazone feast. What a treat! 3o or so family and friends who trekked to the far point on the water overlooking Coronado Island.

We gathered on the couches, sipped cocktails and wine and stories of Christmas past, fishing (there is always a fishing story or two in Mexico), travels, and adventures. We all reflected on how lucky we felt to be in such a special location under the kind and watchful care of Alejandro, Imelda, Alex Jr., and Diego.  They have carved a magical space out of small chunk of seaside desert with their tony restaurant, Picazone.  I would have to say it is a must see/do in any Loreto vacation planning.

Prior to dinner, Rick Jackson had set up his camera on the beach and was doing spontaneous Christmas portraits.  Buster, all fluffy fur, demanded that we have our picture taken.

With a first course of onion soup, the stage was set .. along with the dramatic backdrop of sky colors shifting from blues to sunset hues.  I helped light the beautiful bank of drip candles atop spent wine bottles.  Alejandro eventually used one for each table, the soft light spilling across the colorful clothes and warmly lighting the faces of friends.  Gravy laden turkey plates arrived next .. each with a side wondrous cheese potatoes.   Is there a word for ‘happy mouth’?  My tastebuds were pleased, my heart filled with the warmth of friendship that continues to spread and build in this small community.  Such luck.. such wonder.  Such a special Christmas day.

Winter Solstice

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Winter Solstice Full Moon Eclipse, 21 December 2010

Winter solstice … the shortest day of the year .. and the longest night .. began with a total eclipse of the moon. The simultaneity of events has happened on only one winter solstice since the year 1 (that’s a very long long time ago) in 1638. The next occurrence is more than 200 years in the future. I’ll leave notes for my great-great-great-great grandchildren 🙂

I was lucky enough to be in clear sky perfect location for the event. The evening was cool, a Baja winter setting in for late December. I laid on the beach and watched the moon shift form brilliant white in a black sky to a rusty red color, all the craters and meteor impacts revealed in a softer palette. The black sky opened to star fields that surrounded the red orb, and shooting stars carried trails of shimmering crimson and gold that seemed to linger like spent fireworks.

I could say .. ahhhhhhh .. a few hundred times, and not nearly express the full impact of the evening.

Buster learns to SUP (minus the P)

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Buster and the SUP

Talk about a water dog!  I think sometimes that Buster must be part Spaniel.  It’s now to the point, I can’t take the SUP board near the water without him climbing on board.

These pictures were shot at Coronado Island, where friend Alex had taken us for an afternoon of picnic and water play.  I packed sandwiches .. and between paddles, we ate, drank some beers and just enjoyed being alive amid turquoise waters and friendship.

While paddling the dark lava rocks that ring the island’s shore, Buster and I encountered schools of Cortez Angelfish that numbered in the  hundreds.  Their dark black bodies with white and orange stripes presented a bold contrast to the amazing blue of their watery world.  A stellar day .. or is that a good sea of a day …

Sunset Paddle

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Sunset paddle with Buster on the bow of sit-on kayak.  Sky a soft palette of pale pinks and corals with a hint of light violet.  Wind driven waves of about a foot bounced the boat around. We drifted near a gathering of pelicans and gulls, listening to their ‘conversations’ over the splash of crested water.  Overhead, terns and boobies called to one another and dove for small fish meals.

The sea began to wear the colors of the sky.  Bird songs blended with water songs.  Oh glorious end of day .. oh magical way to live.