Category Archives: Baja Living

The Thing About Dogs …..

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Buster Love

Buster Love

The thing about dogs .. is that they turn your life around.  Before you meet them, well, they’re just dogs.  But let them get close … let those dark brown/green eyes lock onto yours with a couple of doggy kisses .. and man, it’s an instant hook for life.

So it has been with Buster – one of Blondie’s 5 puppies – who had not only won me over, but in some sense, taken me over.

In the past week he has hunted for grebe, sheep’s foot, errant stick, dead fish carcuss, bone remnants, and pairs of my socks.  All with unabandoned glee… a big doggy smile on his face.  This dog’s love of life is contagious .. and I am one lucky dog-person to have him in my life.

Holiday Fun

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Mark Burgess and his girlfriend, Chris Galloway, came all the way to Loreto from Cape Code, Massachusets .. via Cabo, which is not exactly the most direct route.  After futzing with car rentals that went kapoof, they ended up on a 6 + hour bus ride north, arriving in Loreto around 3 AM .. Nice folks that we are, we let them sleep until at least 10 AM 🙂

dsc_00011 They were the best imaginable company.  Fun, helpful – along with self-sufficient.  We were lucky to share New Year’s Eve .. along with the inaugural run of “Vida Suerte” – our new to us sportsfishing boat.

Michael, Steve, Mark & Chris

Michael, Steve, Mark & Chris

A Very Special Day ……….

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As I sit next to the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez, thankfulness washes over me. .. For the great goodness of my family and friends …  For the ability to continue to dream …  For the challenges that both shape me and provide the opportunity for emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth ..  On this morning of soft colored sunrise,  I wish you a very special day …. 🙂

It’s a Dogs Life :-)

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dscn1567

Skippy & Buster

Buster speaks his mind.

Buster speaks his mind.

Diego

Diego

Buster & Blondie

Buster & Blondie

It’s a dogs life!  We’ve had more than our share come through Casa de Catalina’s doors in the last two years.  Sadly, some of our very favorites have since departed.  We laugh (not really) about having a pet cemetary on the second lot. Seems that while the freedom to run – which makes the dogs oh-so-happy – is also potentially life threatening .. especially when drivers of automobiles are stupid.

The ‘pack’ we have now includes Diego & Skippy – who are the anchors and the property guardians.  Skippy is the newest .. being dumped in our nieghborhood about six months ago.  He’s a short little black dog with white paws and a white tuxedo shirt.  We call him Skippy because – well, he skips.  Next door neighbor, Jeanne, calls him Shorty – ’cause he’s kind of a prankster.  And Jim & Cindy call him Pepe.  He doesn’t seem to have any trouble at all with his mulitple personalities .. In fact, he’s one happy dog!

Diego is tall, brown and a statesman that can’t get enough of simply touching you.  He likes to rest his head on any part of your body he can access, and while he used to live down the street, he was a lonely dog, so moved ‘south’ to our part of the hood, where he’s got a gang of playmates.

And then there’s Buster & Blondie.  Blondie was thrown in the hood a couple of years ago .. ended up pregnant by Buster Sr (since passed away) and Buster Jr came to stay.  He got so lucky that he got to move to California .. his mom followed .. so they are now bi-coastal as well as bi-lingual.  Not bad for street dogs.  And of course, when folks ask me what kind of dog they are, I say with a totally straight face : Bajanese.  In fact, I wrote a story about them .. but that’s another post.

Thanksgiving – 2008

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Loreto_ThanksgivingBack in Loreto .. After wild drive down.  Work held us in the states until Thanksgiving morning.  We packed the car the night before, so we were all go.  Only the going was SLOW!  Pouring rain to the border and beyond.

Got pulled over at crossing, but Mexican police only wanted to look briefly in the back, then sent us forward.  Rain kept pouring.  By the time we got to Guerro Negro, we were pooped and the sun was setting.  Decided to call it for the night.

Rose early, drove straight to Loreto, jumped out of the car with the turkey and stuffing prep and started to create a dinner for 14.  Mid-way through cleaning the turkey and the water pump went off.  I threw a few obscenities .. tired and cranky and how can this be?  Then put on my ‘okay, think of it as camping hat’ and parried on.

Steve got the water pump to work.  The turkey was delicious, stuffing, corn pudding, fresh cranberries, asparagus, salad and rolls.  YUM!

Guests included Jaymi, Don, Ariela & Liana Garvett, Bob Lahodny, Dolores and her daughter Paola, Rigo, Leslie & Aram, & Alexander Ogilvie.

Esperanza

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Ezperanza Resort - Cabo San Lucas

Ezperanza Resort - Cabo San Lucas

Coming off the sailboat, all I could think about was a long hot bath – that, and seeing my husband, Steve.  He was driving down to Cabo while I was sailing into port.  We had planned a reunion and a post-anniversary celebration.
I hadn’t been in Cabo in 30+ years .. and had no real desire to return.  When last in the town, it was still a small quaint fishing village.  Now, a huge community of mostly gringos, with huge hotels, a Costco, Home Depot & Walmart, I know longer sensed it’s charm.

In fact, when I got off LunaSea, I made a mad dash through a plethora of bars and drunken party-goers, straight for a taxi. Guess I’m not much of a party woman .. but I already knew that about myself.

I beat Steve and the dogs to the hotel .. and kind of just dropped my jaw!  The Esperanza is first class all the way.  From the polite and attentive staff to the meticulous upkeep of the expansive grounds, The hotel was about pleasing.

Infinity Jacuzzi

Infinity Jacuzzi

Our room had a jacuzzi that sat on the deck and spilled into space .. Candles on an outside patio table, as well as indoors next to an oversized tub .. all fragrant and designed for creature comfort.

Steve had researched – we needed a dog-friendly hotel, and Esperanza was one of the few.  And dog-friendly hardly says it.  The dogs even had their own room-service menu with dinner selections.  The staff delivered bowls and beds.  Such lucky puppies. By the time we left, everyone knew their names and they had more than their share of head rubs.

We took a yoga class, got a massage .. and never left the grounds.  Steve kept asking me if I didn’t want to see Cabo.  And my answer was .. I saw it 30 years ago and it was beautiful.  Why spoil a good memory?

Baja Haha

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15th Annual Baja Haha .. San Diego to Cabo San Lucas .. 150 boats .. a great and fun way for families/pirates and just salty hands to get in some sail time and find their way south.

I ‘hitchhiked’ – put my name as potential crew on Latitude 38s website .. and got a nice ride on Luna Sea .. a boat owned by Dave Boyles.  Dave Hohman, Don Johnson, Katie & Matt rounded out the crew.  Luna Sea is a Hardin Force 50 .. Built like a Formasa clipper with 2 masts and a full outfit of sails.

We started out in light winds .. which eventually crashed down to no winds.. Landed a tuna – 3 in fact the first afernoon.  Sushi was abundant .. the only worry : would we have enough wasabi?

After two days of party in Bahia Tortuga, the fleet took off again .. this time with winds!  Too fast to catch fish, but fun fun sailing.  Past cruise ships and tankers in the dark of night .. and down to Santa Maria, for another two days of party, surfing, mountain climbing, beach walking and swimming.

Finally — south to Cabo .. and an end to a wonderful journey and experience.

Are you sure we’re on the start list?
Trimming the sails
Yes! It’s a tuna!
Matt cuts sushi
Dave chilling
Don cleaning fresh yellowtail
Captain Dave
Sunset on the Pacific
Storm Clouds
Baja Gold!
Dawn – Bahia de Tortuga
Katie flys to fix the radar
Land’s End

The Road from Cabo

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Shortcut to Loreto

Shortcut to Loreto

Steve decided to take the ‘scenic’ route from Cabo to Loreto .. I just didn’t realize it meant a road like this .. 🙂  All beautiful, actually .. and some new territory around Los Barilles and a very tiny spot called Leonora ..  with a small hotel on the beach that beckoned we weary travelers .. Next trip … Next exploration ..

While I Was Out Sailing …

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Sunrise, Bahia de Tortuga

Sunrise, Bahia de Tortuga

While I was out sailing …

The world changed.  America took back her right to be brilliant.  We elected Obama Barack, a man of humble origins as the 44th President of the United States.

While I was sailing …

from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas …  I learned many things, made great new friends and, as always, found my spirit and my soul renewed by the journey.

It was the 15th Annual Baja Haha, a regatta/race that provides the comfort of numbers to the long off-shore distance.  Pirates, scaliwags, families and hardy partiers made up the mix of 150 boats and 546 sailors who left the San Diego shore.

I had ‘hitchhiked’ a ride, via Latitude 38’s crew list, and was brave in my adventure.  Without ever meeting either the boat owner or the rest of hte crew, I jumped onto Dave Boyle’s Hardin Force 50 and took on whatever duties or tasks were handed me.

Crew included Dave Hohman, the engineer who kept the boat running .. and Don Johnson who kept the electrical functioning, and Matt & Katy, affectionately dubbed ‘the kids’ who kept the sails trimmed and the crew smiling with their infectious excitement about their journey to the unknown.

While I’m not the party girl that was likely expected, I did have a great time learning to sail from mizen to kite …  the ins/outs of electrical/water/LPG conservation .. the joys of buying fresh shrimp from the local pangeras .. and of catching tuna and eating sashimi within minutes of the kill.

I was blessed by my slightly ‘wild’ crew .. and I wouldn’t have changed a thing (okay, not quite true.. but we loved each other all the way) ..