Just Another Day in Paradise

Our rig, third from the left....

The other end of the beach....famous palm trees!

It’s morning at Playa el Coyote.  Coffee, get me coffee.  Well, yes, Steve’s own roasted, freshly ground, sugar free vanilla latte!  Then off on the morning walk…3,500 steps on the pedometer for Nan.  Steve does 2 mile walk including a section of Mex #1 and downhill on rocky trail old Baja Road.  Sweep the sand in our “courtyard” or dog pen…as it seems to be. 

Welcome to the Dog Pen...or...People Pen...however you see it.

Feed the perros.  Vendors begin to arrive…water?  Fresh veggies from the organic farm up the valley?  Homemade tamales?  Empanadas?  Fresh fish or shrimp?  Uh oh…looks like Paulio made a sale of a new bedspread to Steve and Nan.  Lupe was successful in pizza sales, twice…but, I ask you…Hawaiian pizza means maraschino cherries?????

Farm truck arrives Tuesday and Saturday

Produce is weighed and recorded

Look who is enjoying the new bedspread!

Ham and cherries???

Strawberry delivery on Saturdays...sometimes.

Steve begins and finishes the blueboy chore…emptying the black water tank into the wagon on wheels, using the new macerator pump.  This pump allows the load of…umm, black water, to be pumped “up” into the wagon placed in the Jeep…no lifting involved!  Then the drive to the next beach down to the “dump station.”  Steve says it’s a strange business operation.  There’s a shack marked “Officina” with a closed door, no deposit slot and a barking dog with barred teeth.  If someone happens to be in the vicinity of the dump hole or road…they are always happy to pocket the 50 peso note…not always the same person…so, basically, who knows!  End result, sometimes you pay, sometimes you don’t.  At least money goes into the “local economy” in some way, sometimes!

Boy and his toys....macerrator pump addition.

The "Wagon" awaits....

The GasPasa truck pays a surprise visit!  Yay!  We fill the main propane tank for $23.00.  This is random luck, as sometimes the big truck delivering to houses will take mercy on the beach campers and turn off the highway, come down the beach road, and a cheer goes up from those lucky enough to be “home.” 

Sparky figures his way out of the dog pen area, digs two little holes, I rescue Steve’s sandals and Deb’s clogs from his chewing mission, he plays run around the table and chairs “I’m the fastest dog in the whole wide world” game, Skipper rolls his eyes.  I exchange the forbidden chew objects from Sparky’s mouth with his stuffed duck, stuffed/tug fox, big rawhide chew bone, small rawhide chew bone, and rope tug toy.  All hold momentary attention and it’s back to searching for forbidden objects.  Like the 50 peso note….snagged right off the table!  Dang!  Time to play Rabbit, Rabbit with the toy tied to a stick.  Then some tug games.  Then another long walk.  Maybe supervise a beach run.  There are many things for him to get into here….like the dead puffer fish that wash up on shore….or a dash in front of an unsuspecting car speeding along the road.  We watch him carefully.

Game of Rabbit, Rabbit...swinging on a cactus spine stick!

Game of "Swimming is Fun"....sort of.

How about a little internet time….because we can.  FaceTime call from Jessica!  Great way to stay “connected.”  Then try to fix a few Blog snafus…like black type on black background.  Not so good.  We discover we can Message chat on WiFi too.  More time is spent problem solving the internet equipment.  We continue to learn just how each part of the system works, as something is not working right.  An intermittent problem…means it’s hard to solve and each time it “works” we feel lucky.

Techno student Steve

Monday and Thursday nights are “Dinner and a Show” events at a local restaurant.  Three years ago these movies were shown on the beach on the side of a trailer with the awning pulled down.  Now the showings are at a local restaurant and include many films nominated for an Oscar.  So far we missed Arco, but we’ve enjoyed Lincoln, Sky Fall and The Impossible.  Tonight, Zero Dark Thirty.  Cost?  Nada….unless you appreciate the offering…and you are free to donate some pesos.

How about a uke jam?  Down at Patty's under the palm trees....music afternoons!

Nan, Patty and Steve uke away in the afternoon sunshine!

Captive...appreciative? audience!

Another week on the beach slips by.  Yoga group on the sand on Wednesday.  Art creations on Thursday.  Spanish class under a palapa roof on Friday.  Movies on Monday and Thursdays.  DJ dancing on Wednesday nights.  Dog games, uke jams, start another book, finish another book, roast some coffee, drink some coffee.....so many choices…I wonder what's next?

Feliz Ano Nuevo... 2013 Arrives!

The boys are ready to zig and zag!

Feliz Ano Nuevo! 2013 Arrives!

We hike the Zig Zag Trail in the closing days of 2012.  No particular reason, except it’s a Sunday and cloudy, cool and breezy.  Someone says “Let’s hike the Zig Zag.  Meet up at 10 a.m. in the parking lot.”  That’s how 10 Coyote campers decide to trek to the top of hill.  Well, some of it was a hike.  A lot of it was what I call, “rock scrambling.”  A lot of that was straight up.  The zig and zag part was a relief as the trail traverses the steep hill and there is more trail than rock jumble.  Someone remarks that this was originally a burro trail used to transport supplies for building the road.  I wonder…hum…the original old Baja Road?  

Coyote hikers reach the tippy top!

My first big hike in a long time!

Steve begins to ring in the coming year....with rocks!

At the top, where the trail seems to end, there are huge boulders.  These are known as “the ringing rocks.”  Steve picks up a rock for a hammer, and begins to play the rocks. Many different tones ring out…or ring in the coming year! 

Three years ago Norm and Jerri set a geo-cache up here.  They unearth it, and retrieve the disposable camera. 8 photos have been taken. Eventually they will get it developed, but there is some speculation that the summer heat, times three summers, might have damaged the film.

I am one tired puppy when finally reaching the bottom, three hours after the start.  No, there wasn’t much time resting!  I realize, I have now officially kick started Nan’s Health Plan 2013. 

Limonada with mineral water!  A hiker's reward! (I work for gold stars too.)

New Year’s Eve there is a party down the beach in a house with an awesome patio overlooking the bay.  About 30 of us gather for barb-b-que and potluck at 4 p.m.  Everything happens here with a nod to the fact there is no electricity in this section of the Baja. (or cell reception)  No electricity means, not much for lighting and most of the Coyote beach campers follow the guideline the sun provides.  Up early with the sunrise…to bed early with the sunset. “Baja Midnight arrives at 9:00 p.m. 

What a feast!  Another Coyote incredible meal.

Barb-b-que with a tray that lowers to the coals.

What to do to welcome a brand new year?  Appreciate the sunrise!  Walk the morning walk down the beach and back.  Kayak a giant loop around the bay before the wind line appears to bring whitecaps and rolling waves rushing up the sandy beach. 

New Year's Day 2013!  

We begin the new year with a kayak around the bay.

Pancakes for breakfast on the grill in the palapa.

I think about this new year that surrounds us.  Finding these words in print weeks ago…saving them to consider…I decide to post them where my eyes will fall upon them often.  It seems like a wise way to live:

“Live with intention ~Walk to the edge ~ Listen hard ~ Practice wellness ~ Play with abandon ~ Laugh ~ Choose with no regret ~ Continue to learn ~ Appreciate your friends ~ Do what you love~ Live as if this is all there is."

Yo intendo.....