Life on B dock.....



Meet Jenny - at least I think that is her name.  Robert yelled that there was a seal on the dock, so we all raced out to see it.  As we didn't have any fish, she ignored us, but looked hopeful.  We have had a mullet run in the harbor,  and she would flip on and off the dock looking even more hopeful, but her trainer would throw a fish and she was back on the dock scooting up the ramp.  We have no idea what she and her trainer were doing but it was entertainment.  The dogs wanted fish, too.....

MS Haganes was built in 1907 in Norway and named after a town, and supposedly was sunk during WWII so that it would not be taken by the "enemy".  That is the story on the dock, as well as the fact that it came across the Pacific from Malaysia and is in need of repairs.  According to a blog I found, it was headed for Manzanillo, but they didn't have enough fuel, so they ended up here at the very end of the dock.  Twice, very elegant modern yachts have been docked alongside and the contrast is wonderful.  Their crew were here without visas, so all went home except the girl cook who looks to be a good friend of the skipper.  Future plans for the owners have led to all sorts of stories.  You can find some of the blog  about their  horrible trip online.

More trip ....

In front of the elegant Las Hadas resort, Manzanillo.  We found a grass area by the fuel dock where they could run around and do their thing....so much better than surf/dinghy landings.

We were in front of the empty restaurants, having pupus - as Mike had graciously offered to take us all to dinner on his last night.  We walked to a restaurant that overlooks the anchorage for the main course, but as we were all so tired, we just had more snacks.  I don't know why we were tired:  Mike and Dave kayaked to shore to swim in the big pool, while we just wandered, took the dogs ashore, wandered, got wet, read, looked at any boating activity....and may have wandered some more.  Really tough day.  We could see that guests are beginning to arrive at the hotel - but perhaps they are Mexicans as all the Americans and Canadians are scared.  They are really missing out.

More photos below

Happy to find Manzanillo...all covered from the sun.

Dave and Robert looking for Manzanillo...actually, we just get about five miles off the coast and look at the ancient charts,  and at the GPS and try to figure out where we are.....as sometimes, because of the ancient charts, the GPS puts us a mile or two on shore.  That is fun.

None of this was in Santiago/Manzanillo when I first came here which is over 30 years ago..  We are turning the corner to find Las Hadas at the right.    We kept going into the bay, seeing huge surf, then saw the crazy/but now, not so crazy architecture, and saw a moored sailboat and figured, this is the place. We anchored outside the harbor in front of the millionaire's beach. This was a pretty calm day.  Dogs were happy, we didn't sink, and we could eat ashore -which makes the cook happy.  Mike made some incredible crepes for breakfast one morning and we had them with lingonberries and whipped cream.  Decadence.  Wonderful.

More photos from the trip......

Dolphins coming up for breath(s) were the only sounds to disturb the peace in Tenacatita - that and strange bird calls.  Morning, after a calm night's rest.....

Trips to shore to "do their thing" are times of tension and excitement for the dogs or high anxiety.  Getting off the boat means guiding them when they jump into the dink - Murray just does it and one time landed on his head. He is not the most graceful dog.  Koa does a lot of whimpering as he thinks there are waves waiting to skunk him.  Getting them back on board means muscling them up the ladder, or in Murray's case, just hauling a limp body by the handle of the life preserver while asking him to, for pete's sake, to work with the ladder.  His expression, is as usual, one of asking if someone is talking to him.

The boat in the foreground is Mind Magic and we asked him for a weather report while in Tenacatita.  He gave us one from Buoy Weather that sounded ok, but I remembered firing them when we came down the coast, so we were on our own.  What was strange was that he said he remembered us from his dock in Long Beach, as he remembered the shepherds.  Never been in Long Beach on I'O. 

Those rocks are all along the coast - and when viewed from the ocean, while underway, are spectacular with breaking surf foaming up the cliffs.  I kept seeing an astonishing slice of pure turquoise color agains the cliffs and finally realized we were seeing  sunlight coming through the giant waves  before they break.   Absolute magic. This view is from the lovely little harbor of Cuestocomate.

Last week's trip



We are really in Nuevo Vallarta....and due to the intenet hassles - are posting the trip this way....see prervious post.  Above is I'O in Custocomate.....we get beat up on the ocean and then find the CostaAlegre small inlets and relax.  The strange knob on the stern is the outboard.





When the seas are rough, the dogs get very anxious and try to climb to the cockpit to be with us.  So we have to spend time below, leaving the on watch short handed.  I watched them slip and slide around below and was terrifed they would get hurt, so we made the decision for me to get the car when we got to Perula.  From Tenacatita to Perula/Chamela was very rough and we ducked into Careyes, a place I had wanted to see.  Robert and Dave took the boat upwind of the islands at the entrance and very neatly turned downwind to tuck behind the islands to anchor in what was termed "moderate" holding.  We still rocked and rolled, but were out of the big waves - at another ghost town, although, very colorful.  The morning trip to Perula was a nonevent, and as we were very tired, that was good.





Las Hadas anchorage - peaceful and good - nobody at the hotel due to the American press...more shootings go on in one day in Richmond/Oakland than in a month in the drug areas.  This hotel was developed over 30 years ago and was stand alone elegance until more tourism development occurred here in the bay.  The guys went to town and found they had to create their own excitement as everything seems to work around the beach and the hotels, but they got to use the millionaire's pool at the hotel.

Internet hassles....

We are back in Nuevo at our old slip - taking care of repairs.  I will put more photos on teh blog of the trip once we can sort out the internet here - can't do Skype, and the internet keeps shutting us down.  The harbor master insists that he will get it fixed.
I left the boat in Perula, about 100 miles south - lovely little place with big waves and too exciting beach landings.  David had found a cove where there was a "road" that I could walk to the little town and get a bus...well the road was a path that wandered and I ended up way upstream, having to follow the river down to the mouth and cross.  I kept asking people if they spoke English and found Francisco, my new best friend.  He had lived in Santa Rosa for 8 years and took me the several miles  trip to the highway where I flagged down a bus to Puerto Vallarta.  We had tucked into Perula because of horrible weather forecasted, but I noticed there was no wind all the way up....and in calling Robert, found he had been given a good weather window.  So, race back down with the car to get the dogs.
The trip up was eventful - giant black bull in the road...and and even more giant, gigantic, huge, incredible awful snake on the highway. 
I said ugh and then could only think of my trek throught the wilderness to get to the road to get to the bus....ugh. Again.  And me withouth a machete.  I don't think snakes respond to screaming.

Robert and David arrived after 20 hours of little wind and strange currents, with only a minor rough water around the horrible Cabo Corrientes.

So now, Robert is trying to round up crew  for the trip north and I will take the doggies to Calif.  David went off on another adventure and we will head north to take care of family for a bit.  That is ok.  Very much ok.

Cuestocomate.....



This unpronouncable little place wqas a delightful find - but now even a glimpse of it is available when travelling down the coast.  We had a wonderful night's sleep here, although when we were ashore, David up and ran down the beach, insisting that the boat was dragging anchor.  It might have, but both Robert and David raced out and reset the anchor in 15' of water.  We all were very nervous at our lunch.

Tenacatita Bay

Where the hell is the anchorage?  We found Roca Central and looked left, and were so happy to be able to be in peaceful, calm water that describing us as blobs(previoius post) was not accurate.  We just sat and soaked up the beauty.  The boys and Robert took the dink into Manzanilla, the little town, while I napped on deck and watched the dolphins.  Chippie may or may not have been with them - but their whiffing along side he boat had both dogs peering over the side watching them intently.

A good photo of Dogpoop beach, with the lovely pink trees and cactus. 

Going south, literally......

David joined us on the 14th and immediately went to work on the list of things to be done - bought a surfboard, and Mike joined us a week later, and immediately went to work on the list.  We tried to leave on Thanksgiving, a day I forgot- whoda thunk?  We ran aground in the channel and some great parasail guys pulled us out of the minus tide channel and we returned to our slip.  Good thing, as the people who opened the new taco stand did a dinner for the cuisers here in the harbor, complete with cranberry sauce.  Going aground was meant to be.
We left with the tide in the morning and went to Yelapa where el Bully put us on a mooring close to a power boat that at one point it was two feet away from us.  A famous old raceboat, Sayula II was moored close to shore - great races with Windward Passage, Kialoa, etc. 
Of course we started the trip on a Friday, a superstition that we didn't understand, but we got turkey and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce, when we forgot Thanksgiving.
Sailors get involved in the endless list and things like a major US holiday fall by the wayside - we got covered!

Going south around  Cape Corrientes  was a challenge and the seas got bigger and bigger - and we were on a three reefed main I came on deck at one point at night and found that the boom vang had given up the ghost, with the boom tied to the rail, still heading down wind.  I'O's crew handled it well.  There was a great discussion about the Real Tenacatita .David was right and I was wrong with no more excuse than three hours of sleep.
We anchored where we were with Molly J in the spring and were blobs.

A day off.............

David, our crew, was able to get a surfboard off  the net for 800 coconuts, which is about $60.  We decided to quit working for the day and go to Sayulita which is a famous surf town so he could surf and we could vegetate.  We found parking under a tree, had a great mahi mahi sandwich, and watched the surfing ---small waves, but fun for everyone.  When we had cleaned out the boat last spring to leave, Robert and I were so exhausted that we drove to Sayulita (not even an hour away from Nuevo) and spent three days there, loving the beach and the town- so this was a fun return for us.  Dogs run free, Canada has invaded and real estate has skyrocketed .  We were there "when" about ten years ago when it was discovered as a great surf spot - giant waves in Sept and Jan.  Now, the fact of finding parking under a tree on the beach was pretty miraculous. 

Here at Nuevo, a new tacos restaurant has opened where there was an empty space in the building facing us - wonderful food and cheap, but the chef, and I use that term correctly wants to do wonderful food.  He does, but all us gringos want his tacos.

That is my new weedwhacker haircut resting with my new BF who is a cool dude of a dog.  The haircut was named by Jean who got one for the Hawaii crossing, but who managed to look put toghether, no matter what was going on the boat.

We are taking a break from trying to find places for all the stuff that was on the dock and the deck, so we could look like reasonable people for Mike, who joined us yesterday.  Turns out he loves Hawaiian music, plays the Uke, and does dishes.  God has an interesting sense of humor with the crew we have found.  They are pretty special people and it seems that we have connections.  Finding crew from the Latitude crew list is always an adventure, but we have been blessed with great friends from that list.  It is like a blind date getting people you don't know on a small space of  a sailboat.  We have really lucked out.

Getting there.....slowly

Robert and Murray having a conversation:  Robert:  "Murray, is there anythng you would like to be doing?"

Murray:  "You talking to me?"

The List.....

People ask what we do all day - an example for the last week, getting ready to cruise is not typical, but should be of interest:
Clean off mildew with Fabuloso...miracle worker- but took a week
Round up a diver
Round up a sailmaker
Clear the stern of the boat and find out what all that rusty stuff is
Install the main and find the area to patch...took 2 hours with wimpy muscles
Install the jib - I guided up the track while Robert hauled
Hook up the anchor
Install new autohelm thingy
Commission the nav system..not done yet
Fix the head
Clear stuck bilge hose
Paint deck....done - three day job
Paint cockpit- tomorrow
Change out batteries - tbd
Connect new anchor chain...laters
Wire up new fans
Fix wind vane
Install new nav lights
Put the dinghy together and hang on the davits
Install all sorts of filters...Saturday, maybe
Cut, shape and install new forpeak hatch.....underway, now.
Install new deck cleats at the windlass
Unclog bilge pump hose
Sew the new bimini and new dodger...will have to do that in Zihuat as Shelley found the
    fabric at Eileen's and is sending via a new crew guy
Change out batteries....later
Check zincs
Connect the anchor chain
Reorganize under the bunks
Install more filters....
Visit misc. little shops to buy strange things to connect other strange things.
Check radio........and
on and on...
plus my job of sewing projects.
The catchword about all this glamour is, oh, this is I'O....fageddaboutit and get to work.

Are we having fun yet?

Slacker blog.....

The second week of chores and getting ready, with the dock partially clearing of "stuff".  My word was crap.  As in what is all that crap out there and why can't we put it away.  The answer was pretty unprintable.  The bimini poles are stacked on deck, the tape is still not removed from the deck painting in the photo...proves we did something in this heat.  We are both probably losing weight with the work we are doing, and thankful that David showed up to help out.  We did give him the option of waiting a week before he came down.  And boy, are we glad he  came when he did.  Murray and Koa are in their usual position, waiting for something to happen, like a hose down or a beach trip.

David, who is a forest service firefighter, graduate of the University  of Alaska, and general adventurer, looks pretty happy.  At the end of the day, after reinstalling freezer equipment, cleaning crap (there's that word again) out of a bilge hose, going to Punta de Mita to buy surf board, shopping with Robert, swimming with the new boogie board (the guy is into toys), and other misc. stuff - fell into bed almost right after us.  He has plans of climbing volcanoes in different Central American countries.  Ok.  We will watch.

This spinnaker got wet - we tried to do a float test on it.  We call it the snail slime and it has, in the past been a secret weapon-in the Runga Kutta race:  we were stalled out at the South Tower in the fog, SFO bay, with the foghorn reverberating through our bodies, frustrated at not moving against the flood.  All the other boats were crowded around us, and when we hauled out the snail slime, pulled it up and started moving, we heard awe.  We could move.  One startled voice, as we slid by, yelled, "What is THAT?"
We have been trying to dry it for days from the float test - flying it as shown above did not work - wind came up.  Robert almost got pulled off the deck.  I tried to dry it on the lawn near the harbormaster's office and some gardener said I was on private property and no amount of "no entiende" could convice him to let me stay.  So we fly it and dry it another day.  That is manana  for here.
I labeled this the Slacker Blog, as I am below, in front of the fan while the guys are on deck working.  Us journalistas gots to stay on top of life.  Right.

Home in Nuevo....

Color, lots of color - and so typical.  In the spring, Jon, on MollyJ and I were wondering why the hills were so brown.  Coming down the highway, with the incredible lush greeness of the hills and trees, we figured out that the vines that cover the trees all through the tropics lost leaves in the winter.  There was so much summer rain, as well as a hurricane, that the jungle has taken over.  Fields that were empty this past winter are full of sky high weeds and flowers are thick, throughout this muggy humid time.  Not our house, but the marina where we kept the boat.
The trip down was fairly easy as the highway is wonderful and we found our favorite rv parks - but the heat has been intense. The toll came to about $100 but it is worth it as the highway is safe and fairly new.  When we were here in November, last year, the weather  was perfect....am not complaining, too much, but we spent four days washing the interior of the boat to get rid of the mildew.  So much for hiring someone to open the boat to air it out all the time.  But we are getting better organized and getting rid of stuff.

This is a .85 and we are having a local sailmaker cut it down into a cruising spinnaker.  We got a bid from a fellow who waved his arms a lot, asked for money for  the estimate, and then called Noe.  Noe was actually born in Phoenix, and is Mexican, but an illegal Mexican.  We took him and his helper to lunch to hear his story - but he is able to pass between the US, legal there, and here fairly easily.  He knew what to do for hardly any money and we will have the stress and terror, well, perhaps not much, of flying a cruising spinnaker.  We thought it was great fun flying it at the dock and several people raced down to ask if we needed help dumping it.  Nope.  But nice neighbors and good to be "home".

The new guy, Captain Jack Murray - who knows his last name and that he has a great new home, although he is a bit of a klutz.  Watching him run in the grass areas here in the marina is watching greased lightning, but jumping around on the boat, he hasn't got it down yet.  We rescued him, altrhough the girl fostering him was uspset about letting him go, but he already has had adventures in swimming in the surf and learning the ropes from Koa.
The drawback is the heat caused both of them to shed like mad every day.  We are back to square one, sweeping up the boat.  He learns fast - and will the dinghy adventure tomorrow. 
We just saw one of those stand-up paddlers going though the marina.  I wonder if she knows about the crocodiles.

Then there were two...

While staying at Camp Cleveland, we spoke to a couple down on the artist's walk who had a mini aussi that was beyond adorable.  Ever since Jake, who was half aussie, we had considered one - and a mini would work on the boat.  We visited the shelters in Santa Barbara, appalled at the number of pit bulls and chihuahuas - does that say something about our culture?  We almost adopted a mini dobie that was very cute but the idea of that tiny thing at sea didn't seem right.  We also went to an Aussie Shepherd show where there were every types imaginable, all running through hoops, climbing ladders and doing the slalom poles.  Very impressive.  But the sellers wanted a lot of money and we need new batteries on I'O, 

Barbara, in a call from the cold north suggested getting in touch with a friend's cleaning lady's daughter who was fostering a German Shepherd - we did, with several calls from Hawaii from the friend and some mixup from one of the shelters who didn't know if they could let us have the dog".  Hell, we hadn't even seen the dog.  Finally we were able to arrange a meeting, the day we were heading back to Ian's....and there was this mutt, that had some German Shepherd, and a lot of the neighborhood lothario.  He was very sweet, very quiet and careful.  He and Koa liked each other so we took him.

He had been left in the back yard of his former home, and we didn't know how much training he has had - not so much, but he follows us and wants to be close, although the first time into the car was a fight.  After that, Koa showed him what to do.

Now, for the boat.....he is a natural boat dog....isn't afraid of the surf, like that big Koa, and swims like a fish.  He is loving and sweet, but still a bit stubborn and looks at us with those big brown eyes when we ask him to do something - as if, "are you talking to me?"

Koa has a pal, and we do too...so Waterdogs is back to being plural.  We lucked out.  His name is Captain Jack Murray, answering to Murray - Meathead, Lumplumpm, goofus,.....and it was a committee naming at Ian's house, as he was called Trey and Buddie...he answers to Murray, very well as he knows that a dish of food follows.

Camp Cleveland.......

Quite a few years ago, the grandkids and I tried to go camping in the Santa Barbara area  on the ocean- foolish me, as we were told at several places that you had to reserve, sometimes months to a year in advance.  Ian and his then wife were at a conference so it seemed a good time to have some grandkid fun and I drove over from Az..  We ended up at a motel in Lompoc after trying lakes and shoreside areas - all jammed.  We then spent an overnight at Barbara and Dick's house, high in Montecito - against the hills of Santa Barbara - which the kids loved as they had a pool and good food.  We headed out again to more motels, and Barbara graciously suggested we come back and Camp Cleveland was born.  Besides the pool, there were horses at the stable and each kid was given a walk around the paddock wearing huge smiles.  These are city kids, however they used to go to a place called Glacier east of the mountains to catch trout, so they know something about wilderness areas.  But Camp Cleveland, to them, was the best.
We think so, too - we just sit and stare at the islands offshore, listen to the quiet, except there seems to be a huge number of yard people out and about in the daytime, and take small hikes up into the hills.  Indian summer was hot, hot, hot and we thought a walk along the beach  to the art vendors would cool us off.  Fool's Harbor is what this area offshore is named by the locals:  we were here in two Februarys ago and found several large boats swept ashore by the high storm winds and waves.  We arrived again in October of last year, to join the Haha in San Diego and were put in a tiny slip in the marina, and visited Camp Cleveland, nervous and tired and  were refreshed at CC.

There are bouys in a few places,  but given enough pressure from wind and waves, the mooring lines chafe from the rock and roll and trouble starts. 

Koa's introduction to Camp Cleveland was as a puppy.   Barbara and I went somewhere and left Koa, a six month old inside here large horse trailer.  When we returned, Koa was in the middle of the driveway, having climbed the metal wall and jumped about six feet out of the trailer.  Escape artist.  We took him and the terriers for a walk along Padaro -Loon Point beach and Koa's anxiety with waves was developed there as he was dumped by a big one.  He will walk along the shore, one eye on his peeps and one eye on the waves, and try to herd anyone he considers in danger away from the water.

No waves, but steps that dropped off into a deep pool....it is five in the evening and we both needed to cool off.  We didn't remember at any time that Santa Barbara could get that warm - the wind was blowing down from the mountains and surprised us with the heat.

The other part of being in this area is meeting friends for dinner - Harold, who travels alot met us in Ventura for seafood at a great little joint, and joint it is, but the cook is fantastic.  It is a secret we don't tell too many people. 

Friendship, it's all about friendship.......

Tigger is a three legged cat that lives in a house (Ian's) with a changing bunch of dogs - some visiting, one living there that chases the cat, and a few that show up - including Koa, who likes cats.  Shameful that this fearsome dog (people walk in the streets rather than share a sidewalk with him) likes cats.   He is very sweet and sensitive - shepherds have a bad rap. Tigger carefully walked out the door, across the porch and started eating out of Koa's dish - they shared for a moment until Koa decided the whole thing was beneath his dignity.  Koa rubs noses with Tigger, and would like to play, but the communication between the two is a bit flawed. 

Robert is recovering from food poisoning in this photo, (Eileen's house - Scottsdale) and Sami decided to be the nurse.  Sami lives with three or four other cats and has decided that Koa is her dog.  She brushes up against the big dog who rolls his eyes and acts as if nothing strange is occurring, and wriggles all over.  A cat orgasm is an interesting sight. Koa is not supposed to be on the bed, but felt that if Sami was allowed, then................

The Coles and daughter Kirstin - part of our former desert diners group. Sally Allexan and her husband give great parties and decided that they should host a desert diner's do with the old group as we were in town.  John would usually holler, "there's the redhead" - but it is a sign of the times that he sort of muttered it as we all walked in.  Perhaps it was the sight of changing hair....ahhh, aging.   Wonderful food, great friends and great times together.  Stretch patiently helped us years ago with the framing for the bath addition at the rock ranch.  Harriet, we watched successfully get to her master's degree, and Kirstin, we hope to know better.




Debbie and Eileen enjoying the dessert and the fact that Bill Luke said we would start a new church. I claimed the pope position and that is why Jeanette, perhaps made a face.

aft

John, Donna and Sally, who makes the best corned beef ever. Carolyn had suggested we have a lasagna feast for Robert, and Sally said no way, we are having corn beef.,  And then Carolyn, who had the party idea decided to go flying in her driveway and was in Mayo waiting for the surgeons to put her back together as we had corned beef..  We really missed her. 
Being with friends after being away for 2 1/2 years is interesting as there is an efficient grapevine of sorts that lets the people know where we are and were and  we are able to take up where we left off.  That is a gift beyond price.

More from the road.....

Small town artists have  a hard time getting their work out in public...this person filled a yard with statements, on a major highway through Colorado.  As we are now in Santa Barbara, this serves as a more interesting photo of the road (small town Colorado) than the highway from Az and LA.  Both were parking lots.  We will spend the rest of the week here and then head back to Ian's to wait for ear buds.  Trust me, the VA will deliver - this time with something that will work.

Speaks for itself - fall on the road at 7000'.  Right now in Santa Barbara, we are dealing with temperatures of 80 plus, and hot winds coming from the mountains.  We are able to see all the islands, the shorelines of the islands and islands we haven't seen before.  Photos will show up of this lovely place.

Well, is this positive or not?  He inherited a mess from eight years of strange stories out of Washington, including a war that was not needed.  If people would stop the mean spirited stuff and get on board with what they could do to change the world, then thngs would be better.

Morning has broken

Lake Navajo is on the border of Colorado and stretches into New Mexico  for several miles- and quite a stretch it is.  The northern end is benign and full of farms, and the southern end rocks, sheer cliffs, pines and fir.  It reminded us of Lake Powell only by houseboats moored in the south, but  it doesn't have the same romance and mystique as Powell which is even more beautiful than the Grand Canyon.  We put Koa on my lap, sort of, and kayaked across the lake - and a twitchy, nervous 100 lb shepherd on a tippy kayak at 6,500' in cold water made me a bit twitchy.  It was a workout and when we got to shore, he ripped around in the water  and drenched us.... Robert took pity on me and rowed him back across.  The lovely green area on the shore held the awful surprise of giant stickers that only grow when the water is let out of the dam, and terrifying to walk through. 
We were the only ones at Windsurf beach and were able to regroup after the upper mountains of Colorado.  As we were in the real boonies, there was no place to eat dinner when she who must be obeyed didn't want to cook (name given to me by a Canadian friend, and  I can't tell if it was meant in a good way) so we went to a casino, eighteen miles away.
Robert's pastrami sandwich put him into the  Mayo hospital here in Scottsdale, almost a week later with food poisoning. 
In one way, his upset stomach had him up early taking some of the photos below.  

The narrow end of the lake with the evil green meadow of razor stickers

Morning has Broken - one piece of music I love:  in London at Westminster  a few years ago, a priest asked my friends and me to join him for evening prayer at the altar.  I was stunned that we sat behind the altar, staring at the tourists, and thinking about the kings and queens who had been crowned right there below us.  Even more stunned when our evening prayer guy said that we would now sing Morning has Broken.  All that pomp and circumstance and I giggled, but wasn't a total disaster as there were tears of joy, also. 

The weather people call this cloud formation viga - rain that doesn't hit the ground.  We left for the long drive across New Mexico to Az and found viga all the way down, until the last ridge we crossed found us in a dust storm with wild, wild wind.  Welcome home.
I don't think so.  Temporary home, maybe ----we are off the LA before going to our real home late this month.
The search for real wilderness is probably on the ocean.

Colorado Mountain High........

Hiking at 9000' plus feet is not for sissies - and we managed without too much effort - but perhaps we have been acclimatized from our time in the mountains. Everest hikers spend a few days at base camp and then descend for a few days and then climb back higher, to acclimatize.  We drive. The quaking aspens above us were turning gold, but in this small valley in the Wet Mountains (not), along Ophir Creek, we kept trying to find where the creek began.  Small trout were in a few inches of water and darted away when Koa took a drink.  Obviously a favorite fishing spot for lots of people as the trail was very clear well back into the valley. 

What has always struck me as unusual about these mountains was the "groomed" aspect of the treed areas.  Not much underbrush, and the sense that it is one giant garden.  We climb  to 11,000', casually, as if it is an everyday thing, with the van struggling to breath, and drop to a measly 6,000' several times in a couple hours.  The roads are lined with a pure yellow bush, as if planted there, and we see fiery reds, golds and yellows of the aspen, poplars and bushes against the deep green of the firs and pines.  Each new turning, each new valley reveals  a breathtaking vista of what I call God's paintbrush.  We have been taking back roads instead of the major highways as we usually do and it feels luxurious to have the time to soak up this beauty.  We are on a schedule of sorts, but as my friend Debbie says, we change them all the time.  Or circumstances and people do, but we flex and the adventure gives us great surprises.

Back down the trail, these rude rock formations loomed over us.  Rude if you are a European and probably to the natives of history, carrying great mystical import. 

Heading south slowly

This summer has held a visual and emotional feast for us, a bittersweet feast as we are heading south and don't know when we will see any of our lovely friends and relatives again.  While sailing the world has been a dream, making it a reality forced us to understand that dreams have costs, and that is leaving our friends behind.  Some will join us, and others have problems with seasickness and will visit us when we are land based, we hope.  That's why there are drugs for mal de mer....so listen up, folks...life is beautiful down south, but also as these photos show for the past travels, also beautiful with you......Carmel Mission below.

Linda's house in Prunetucky over Labor Day had us wandering Carmel beach and valley, looking for adventure.  We found it at a new middle Eastern restaurant back in the valley, that had openned the day before.  Yum.

The long drive up the crazy road to Edison/Vermilion Valley had us wondering what we would find after two month:  snow or no snow.  Snow, we found, but only with the afternoon thunderstorms, and only discovered high on the mountains.  Our campsite was empty, in fact the whole area was pretty empty and peaceful, although Jim said the Royal navy had sent a crew over for "team building."  We knew the area was rugged, and we puff in the altitude, so those young guys must be planning on  a mountain invasion.  Jim, the owner of the lodge said they were all "very polite"......as opposed to?

Below our favorite campsite - lighting crackling down on the trees in the afternoon did this above, and below the black  storm cloud made for fantastic light into the lake.  Thunder rolled for hours, and we huddled in the tent, asking ourselves where the safest spot would be.  All I could think of was what would we do in the Caribbean, with our tall mast.  Ai yi yi.

Getting ready to leave - we love this site, and were, with this site, committing several Forest Service sins:  visible from other sites, having a red chair, not disappearing into trees, and perhaps cutting the view off for other campers.  As there was only us there, with the exception of another hidden camper, ask us if we cared.