At The Beach….

At the Beach…..Life slows down….and friends stay longer…..

Found on my palapa one morning! (Thank you Glenna!)

Arrival is always a celebration….and a reunion…but the "mode" is not one of slowing down.  Not at first.  Because, first…there are the projects.  Unloading the essential "stuff" hauled all the way from Washington…to this sunny, sandy, sometimes windy, sometimes amazingly calm spot on the picture perfect beach.

Playa el Coyote

Parking is the easy part.  Then the belly of the beast and the back of the Jeep open up and out flows….stuff.  Lots of stuff.  Bar Bell Boy Steve unviels his plan for getting the heavy, awkward Porte-bote in and out of the water without help.  Well, without much help.  It's the mega wheel plan, hence we have brought two very large, actually, gigantic plastic dock wheels to make into boat "trailer" wheels.  The steel connector bar (axel) is from a locally purchased galvanized fence post.  Many gather around to gawk and talk at this wonder.

Bar bell boy lifts the….boat wheels.

Big wheels replace tiny wheels.

Steve pulls with help of new mega wheels

A pause for the rear wheels to drain water

Many men are gaze with envy at  the new wonder wheels….making an easier job of access to the water…and the beach!



Then there is the assembly of the new white, black water tank.  This will carry our black water from the rig, in the Jeep (after being pumped while tank is already in the Jeep) (on a plastic tarp)…to the dump "station"…ha ha (good laugh here)…at the next beach.  This allows the whole "job" of getting rid of the black water to go much easier….and less often.  Again, a project watched over by many.

Supervisors Norm and Bob join in morning fun!

Amazing new tank with added fittings.

Steve runs liquid test with sea water.

….And does more water testing….until he's SURE it's water tight!!

And, yes, it works perfectly!  I know you don't really care if I document that activity on the Blog!  I'm sure you're just happy to believe me.  It does.

Then it's unload the kayaks and get 'em wet in warm-er salt water.  We take a test paddle up and down the beach.

First paddle of the "winter."

Now, remember how to rig the little sailing Snark….a sorta styrofoam sailing dinghy.  We haven't had this with us for the last several years and decide…better give it one more try.  They are popular for learning to sail in Wisconsin and Minnisota lakes….I'll say no more.  At least the water is warm!

Steve rigs the Snark

With the water toys mostly ready….we await the calmer days for water fun….and focus on a Jeep trip up the slot canyon across Conception Bay.

Steve lets air out of the tires for smoother ride.

Pretty clear and easy road to the other side of Conception Bay.

Open range!

Jeep being a Jeep

Lunch stop at the end of the "box" slot canyon.

Everyone is interested in lunch!

This year the road has some major wash outs from fall rain storms and a few places where it disappears with big holes in the middle….with the water's edge on one side, and the desert on the other side.  We follow Norm and the path he chooses with his Jeep and find our way.  In some of the arroyos I think we will stand Ruby the Jeep on her "nose" and be stuck doing a "front grill stand"….but it's all good.

Rig wash!

One Sunday Dante and his wife and son show up ready to wash and wax rigs and cars.  Our motorhome cost 800 pesos, ($64.00 U.S.D.) for a wash and wax!  The next week he returned and did the same for the Jeep plus interior detailing for 350 pesos ($28).  In town at the local car wash it's only 120 pesos….so for just about $10 you can get your car washed and detailed. The fish tacos served in the adjoining tiny restaurant are excellent…while you wait.

Mario's fish tacos!

Ever want to know what to put on your taco in Baja?  Check out this platter….tomatoes, guacuamole sauce, shredded cabbage, cucumbers (of course!), cilantro and onion and….that hot sauce in the center…is HOT!  Muy, muy picante!  A little dab will do you.

Taco decorations…

The vegetable farmers come to the beach on Tuesdays and Saturdays with a small pick up full of organic and very fresh veggies, some fruits, eggs and some days, hand made tortillas.

Always cheerful this young couple are from the local farm.

Beautiful veggies!

We are happy to hear that Nora is bringing her laundry service to the beach again this year.  She arrives every Monday morning around 9:00 a.m. and collects my bag of laundry and like magic she returns it looking like this on Wednesday morning about the same time.  50 pesos ($4.00) for pick up, wash, air dry and deliver back to us.  This saves us a trip into the laundromat in Mulege each week.  What a luxury!

Freshly delivered laundry!

What a pleasure to have fresh strawberries brought to the beach once a week.  It's 15pesos a basket ($1.20).  We get two and they last through the week.  Spoiled me….strawberries in January.

Pancake breakfast 

Sparky has to check out everything and everybody.  This includes the sand under the water…the shells, the waves….and we wonder…maybe we'll have a swimming Sheltie?  So far he wades only up to his chest.  Skipper will have none of it.

Testing the water

Welcome Committee members Skipper and Sparky 

It's been a busy time…settling into Life At the Beach.   The words on the sign welcoming us back to the beach in December are true, I'm sure.  Somehow, life does slow down…it takes a half a day or more to go to town and have fish tacos at the car wash - restaurant.  I may get up at 08:00, but I'm not finished with listening to the VHF weather, going for a walk, and having breakfast until 10:00!  Unless of course, there is some visiting with neighbors and then give or take another hour or two.  Life slows down, Friends stay longer.  It's all Good!

Now, after marking our one month arrival on January 17th….another Coyote full moon takes us into my birthday celebration!