The saga of the truck continues. We still haven’t been able to contain the leak in the radiator so there is no driving it to town. Dave talked with Jay, next door, and he said that Philipe is a good mechanic and is located by where we get water in town. Jay suggested we talk to him. So Dave went into town and did that. When he got back he said that Philipe will come out to the house to take a look at it tomorrow. Well tomorrow came and went and Philipe didn’t show. Maryann and Ruth were going into town so Dave asked if they could stop by Philipe’s shop and find out when he would be out. He finally came out mid afternoon to take a look at it. He had to wait to get a ride as his car doesn’t run right now. He is waiting for a part which is coming from Ensenada. So Francisco drove him out and they ended up taking the radiator out of the truck, drained a lot of gunk out of it. No wonder it leaked. They said they would take it to the shop and have Samalito flush it and then see what needs to be done after that. Here is a picture of Philipe, Francisco, Dave and our guard Nasario, looking under the hood.
On Sunday, Maryann picked me up and we went to Ruth’s to enjoy the water and play Train and have lunch. By the time we got home it was already around 5:00pm. We had no idea it was that late. We had a great day and Dave was able to get Larry’s dinghy that was rolled up on the shelf, down, inflate it to see if there were any leaks. He is planning on using that to get to the fishing boat Maryann is letting us borrow. His plan is to moor the boat on the buoy in front of the house.
Monday-Sunday, September 6-12.
Last night we had a visit from a herd of cows, in the wee hours of the morning. They were looking for water. We scared them off, and then they were back around 6:00am. There was a lot of mooing going on. I think Jay and Jan will tell the rancher that brings water for the horses and cows, when they go into town, that they are out of water and coming by our homes looking for some.
Philipe is suppose to come out today with the radiator, but because we have no communication with him we don’t know when he is coming. We want to leave on Wednesday for Ensenada, but it all depends on what happens with the radiator project. I have to go into town and get a few things so I will stop and talk to him. When I got there I asked to see him but Francisco said he was in Ensenada. So I asked Francisco when we could expect the radiator and he said that Samalito was waiting for water to flush the radiator and then they would bring it to us tomorrow. So that was good news. I did my shopping and went back home and told Dave the news. So we will see.
Jay and Jan are having their Net Controller party today, Tuesday. All the cruisers who were net controllers were invited. We got to see some cruisers we haven’t seen since last year, and then our favorite cruisers, Marni, Pete, Sandy and John. We were able to catch up with many of them to see where they were headed next. Most of them are still planning on staying in Mexico so there is hope we will be able to see them next year when they come up the Sea. That will be nice. We had a fun day and had our eye out for when we would get our radiator. I played darts with most of the cruisers while Dave visited with some of the guys and then he ended up watching us play. I didn’t even make it to the next round. All I could do was hit small numbers and for that game you had to hit the bull’s eye, #’s 20, 19, 15, 16, 17, and 18. Well for not being a dart player I can only say I hit the board more times than not so I was doing really well. We showed the house to people who wanted to see it and Jay grilled hot dogs wrapped in bacon for lunch, and then there was a variety of food to choose from so no one went hungry. We were still full when it came to dinner so we just had snacks like cheese, crackers, celery filled with peanut butter, and apple slices. Needless to say the radiator never showed. So we can’t go to Ensenada tomorrow. We will wait to see if they show today and if not we will go into town and talk to them about when we will have it back. We may be off for Ensenada tomorrow morning or we will wait until next week. First things first.
I am almost finished with the tote bag I have been crocheting. I sewed the lining and fitted it inside the bag last night. Now all I have to do is stitch around the top to secure the lining to the bag. That is today’s project, and then I will do some cross stitching. I am making good progress on the dragon and castle.
The last couple of nights have been cool for sleeping. It is nice. We have had south winds and Dave’s head actually got cold early morning Tuesday. I had to pull up the comforter as we got chilled. I’m not complaining, it just tells us the weather is cooling off. It is suppose to be cooler for about 10 days then go back to low 90’s then after that it will start cooling more. So it has been pleasant not to be sweating so much.
Most of the boats that were anchored off the beach have moved on, either to the village or further north to explore. The cruisers are having another full moon party soon and that will be over in La Mona at the estuary. We won’t be going to that one. After that party is over, most of the boats start to prepare to go south again and back to the mainland. Most of them leave around the middle of October. It has been nice to see the sailboats moving around out in the Bay. Next month is when the San Diego people come back down as it is cooler. Most of them will be here until December, go home for a while and be back in the spring. The VHF radio will be buzzing soon with all the chit chat of the ladies being back. Oh I can hardly wait!!!!! NOT!!!
Francisco arrived after 1:00pm with the radiator. He said that Philipe would be in Ensenada for a couple more days. The radiator has been put back in and now the truck is running to check for leaks. Dave put some stop leak in it along with antifreeze and water, so now all we have to do is run it and see what happens. So it looks like we will be going to Ensenada tomorrow and be back on Saturday. Life is good. Well life has a snag in it. The radiator is leaking in a new spot now. We won’t be leaving for Ensenada tomorrow. Looks like Thursday now. The radiator will have to wait until we get back. We need to get to Ensenada before next week as it is Mexico’s Independence Day and a lot of people will be drinking and all just like what happens on our 4th of July. So we want to avoid being on the road and in Ensenada.
Thursday has arrived and we are on our way to Ensenada. We decided to stop and see Francisco before we left town to let him know about the radiator. He offered to come to the house and pick it up while we were gone and take it to Samalito’s to see if he can repair the leak. We told him we were heading for Ensenada and be back on Saturday. So we will settle money matters when we get back. Nasario, the guard, knows Francisco so there won’t be a problem with him getting in to get the radiator.
It was a long drive to Ensenada. We ran into road construction as it is being resurfaced, so it was slow going. We had a lot of big trucks going north too. We made it to Ensenada around 3:00pm and went straight to the hotel, checked in then went to Home Depot and Wal-Mart. I got a few things there while Dave went looking for replacement parts for the pressure washer. He didn’t buy anything as we needed to talk about whether we should replace parts or buy a new unit. We decided to go back to Home Depot tomorrow and price it all out to see what to do. In the meantime we went back to the hotel and relaxed.
We decided last night that it might be cheaper to buy a new pressure washer if the parts are going to be expensive. We really can’t afford the new one, but we need to have a pressure washer for the boat. We are going to Santa Rosalia in a week and want to be able to use it then. Besides the pressure washer we bought in Santa Rosalia wasn’t an expensive one and isn’t rated very good so we are looking into getting a Kracher. So we shall see.
We got up early, had some breakfast and went to Auto Zone to get some antifreeze and a radiator cap for the truck as it is cheaper here than in Bahia de Los Angeles. Then we went to Home Depot and compared prices and ended up buying the Kracher. In was more economical to do that. I had fun looking around in the garden department, and looking at tile, rugs, blinds, wash machines, refrigerators and much more. I love going into hardware stores. Anyway, when we got finished there we went to Costco and got what we needed this trip and got out of town. We are going to try and make it home today. If all goes well we should be home around 5:30pm.
Wow!!! Not many cars or big trucks on the road today. We managed to zip through the road construction and made it home around 5:30pm. Much better trip going home than going to Ensenada. We will have to make another trip back there to get more food at Costco, but that won’t be for another month.
Our neighbors, Mary and George have returned from the states and will unload their truck, load up their Toy Hauler and then depart for the Pacific coast. Then they will be back around the first of November or so.
While we were gone to Ensenada, Francisco came and got the radiator as promised and we should be getting it back, if not Saturday, then Monday. We will see what he has to say. We know we will have to buy a new one, but if we can get a little more driving time out of this radiator long enough to where we can better afford getting a new one, that would be perfect.
Saturday came and went and we didn’t get the radiator back so we figure it will be Monday as they don’t work on Sundays.
Sunday, Maryann came and picked me up and we went to Ruth’s house to play train and visit. We had a nice time. We didn’t go swimming this time as the sting rays are laying their eggs so it won’t be safe to even shuffle out to deeper water. Actually it was a nice day, not too hot so we didn’t mind not getting wet. As Maryann drove up to Ruth’s we noticed smoke coming from under the hood. She turned it off and it was so hot we couldn’t open the hood to see what was going on. So we decided to look at it before we left. We did do that, but she wasn’t sure where water was supposed to go as there were two reservoirs. She didn’t have a book on the jeep, so I suggested we fill one of the reservoirs as it looked like the place to put water. After doing that Maryann started the jeep and decided to make a run for home. She thought we should have put water in the other reservoir, but I told her if she didn’t know if water was suppose to go there we shouldn’t do it as it could cause damage. So off we went with Maryann driving FAST trying to get to my house before it overheated again. Too late!!! We were maybe a ½ mile from Ruth’s and the gauge was already above the red. She wondered what to do. She wondered if she should try and get home or go back to Ruth’s. I told her we should go back to Ruth’s. We didn’t make it. It was already smoking so she stopped between the road to Ruth’s and the main road that goes between where we live and La Mona. We were able to call Ruth on the VHF and explain what happened, Ruth called Dave and asked if he would come out and take a look at it. So Maryann and I waited by the jeep while Dave was on his way and so was Ruth.
Ruth got to us first, of course, and we were trying to figure out how we could tow her back to Ruth’s. Unfortunately, Maryann’s jeep didn’t have anything we could hook too. So that plan was out. Dave arrived and he looked under the hood and said we needed to add water to the reservoir that is the one Maryann thought needed water but wasn’t sure. Ruth went back to her house twice to get enough water to fill the reservoir and get water to the block. After that Maryann started the jeep up and ran it for a few minutes while watching the gauge. It was reading normal now. Ruth went back home, Dave and I followed Maryann to make sure she didn’t get stuck again. We called her after enough time had lapsed to see if she make it home o.k. She had. She said when Philipe came out to put our radiator in, could we ask him to take a look at her jeep. So we said we would do that.
Monday-Sunday, September 13-19.
Just when we thought we weren’t getting the radiator, Philipe and Francisco showed up with it. They said it is really old and we will need to get a new one before too long. We knew that, but if we can get some more out of this one, to buy us time to get more money in the bank, that would be good. They put the radiator back in and ran the truck. The radiator didn’t leak but now the transmission is leaking more than it was, so that has to be repaired. Dave asked if it could be fixed and Philipe said yes. So Dave will drive the truck to town tomorrow, get the transmission leak fixed, then get the tires that Larry brought down, off the rims and put on the truck. Hopefully after that we can drive it back and forth to town and I can go to the dump as I have lots of trash. We’ll see.
Dave told Philipe about Maryann’s jeep and he said he would pick it up and drive it to his shop.
Dave left this morning for town and actually made it all the way to Philipe’s shop. I stayed home and fixed a leaky faucet, and other necessary things. Dave called me on the VHF around 11:20am to tell me everything was done and he was on his way home. Yahoo!!! I hope it all stays together for a while.
The weather has turned warm again and we are back to sweating and carrying sweat towels with us wherever we go. It won’t last long. The nights are still cool, except for last night as it was a little humid. You could smell it in the air.
We are planning on leaving next Monday, the 21st, for Santa Rosalia, and be there for a few days. That will be a nice change. No bites on the boat yet. No worries!!! Oh speaking of no worries, Mary gave me a shirt and key chain that said No Worries on it for watching her plants. That was really cool.
So far the truck hasn’t leaked anything!!!! That is GREAT!! Dave drove it to Maryann’s to put a shelf up that fell down and to see if he could launch the boat. Maryann is a widow, living by herself in a house next to Larry and Lois. She doesn’t know anything about tools, parts, or how to fix things. Her husband didn’t want her to do any of that. Her job was taking care of the kids and cooking. So now she needs help from the guys or gals who have that knowledge. Thank goodness she asks for help.
While Dave was at Maryann’s I washed out a few items and finished one crochet washcloth and starting on another. They are pretty cool. When Dave got home he was hot and tired. He put Maryann’s shelf up then took the boat out of her garage to look it over and discovered the plug in the boat was gone. Oh!!! Not a good thing!!! So Maryann is going to email her son to see what he did with it the last time he used it. In the meantime Dave is checking out making a plug from a wine cork. He will see. If that works or if Maryann finds the plug, then Dave can put the boat in the water and see if it runs.
Mary and George left this morning for the coast. They took their toy hauler and will be going to Abreojos for a month. They are really looking forward to the cool weather.
So far the truck is not leaking. Hope it stays that way. I would like to drive it to the dump on Friday. We shall see. Tomorrow, September 17, is Mexico’s Independence Day so we will probably see a lot of fireworks from town. That would be cool.
We didn’t hear or see the fireworks on Thursday night. Everyone else seemed to see and hear them. We had all our windows open too. Oh well. We slept right through it.
Thursday, Dave and I went over to Maryann’s to see about getting her aluminum boat in the water. After getting there, Dave was checking out the engine and had a question about it. Maryann either couldn’t find the manual or she didn’t have it so Dave went online to get answers. He found what he was looking for and then we filled the portable gas tank and put it in the boat. Dave had to pump up one of the tires on the trailer then he was ready to put it on the hitch and move it to the water. While Dave was searching for his engine information, Ruth had come over to use Maryann’s computer to check email. Us gals talked for a bit and then when Dave was done, we followed him to the water and after the boat was launched, held onto the boat while he backed up the truck and parked it. Dave came back, got into the boat and saw there was some water in the bottom. He had made a plug for the back of the boat and he thought that maybe it wasn’t tight enough. It would work until he got it to the beach by our house. The engine started up and because it is a 4 stroke, ran quiet. Dave was off and I walked back to the truck and said goodbye to Maryann and Ruth and started home.
When I got home Dave had the boat already on the beach. I joined him and helped try and pull the boat further up the beach away from the water. Didn’t make it very far. Dave remembered that Phil had some rollers he used to move his boat, so Dave walked over to Phil’s house and found the rollers and brought them back with him. Nasario was walking behind him as he was coming to help. That was really nice and I was glad another person was helping to move the boat. We got it far enough on the beach that the tide would not come up to it. Dave secured the boat in the sand with the anchor. He now has to figure out where the water is coming in.
Friday he took the boat out for a spin to see if he could detect where the water was coming in. He had adjusted the engine a little as it was having difficulties yesterday. That seemed to work well. So he was out running around and he saw a Dorado and a couple other fish. Didn’t catch anything though.
Marni and Pete anchored out from the house and came in to use the internet. We visited for a while and Pete helped Dave tighten the makeshift plug. After they left they went back to their boat and later pulled the anchor and headed back to the village.
Saturday morning Dave launched the boat and took it for a spin and discovered there was a small leak in the bow of the boat. While he was out running around in the boat, Marni called and asked if we could meet them earlier than noon as there is suppose to be a Norther blowing tomorrow and they have decided to leave Bahia and head south. They have had engine problems and they want to be able to use the wind to get places more times than using the engine. I called Dave on the VHF and asked when he was coming in and told him that Pete and Marni wanted to meet earlier. So we set a time of between 10:30-11:00am. They said that was perfect so we will meet them at Guillermos to take them to the gas station to get fuel.
When Dave got the boat in and secured on shore, he was talking to Jay about the hole and he said he had some stuff that would patch it. That was nice. He would give it to him tomorrow. Dave changed his clothes and I had loaded the back of the truck with garbage and two water bottles to get refilled and we were off. We met Marni and Pete and also another couple, J.C. and Harold, from s/v Sea Bear. Marni asked if we could give them a ride to Yolanda’s so they could drop off their laundry. We said sure. Then it ended up where the guys, Dave, Pete, and Harold rode in the truck and did the errands while us gals went and played. We walked across the street to a gift shop and looked around then went to the craft store. It was fun. Then we walked back to Guillermo’s and waited for the guys. Dave had to find places to dump the garbage as the bin that is normally in town had been moved. When the guys met up with us, we went and had lunch and had a nice visit. Maryann and Ruth came by and joined us for lunch. J.C. and Harold finished their beer and had to get back to their boat so we said goodbye. After lunch Dave and I said goodbye to Marni and Pete and wished them a good trip. We might see them in Santa Rosalia. We said goodbye to Maryann and Ruth too and headed home.
Since we are leaving Monday for Santa Rosalia, we have to figure out what to do with the boat. We had two ideas. One was to get the trailer from Maryann’s and bring it to the launch ramp by the house. The other was to move the boat to the arroyo to where it wasn’t in open sight of everyone. Dave decided he would get the trailer from Maryann’s in the morning, park it at the launch ramp near our house, then drive the truck back to the house.
It is Sunday and we have a bunch to do today to get ready to leave in the morning. Dave went to Maryann’s and got the trailer and parked it like he said he would. Then when he got back to the house, he parked the truck and we both went down to the boat and he turned the bow to the water and we both pushed it in to where it was floating and Dave got in and started paddling out to deeper water so he could start the engine. I picked up the rollers and put them high on the beach then walked to the truck and started heading for the boat ramp. When I got there Nasario was right there to help put the trailer on the hitch and I drove the trailer in the water. Dave was already there so I stayed in the truck while he and Nasario pulled the boat on the trailer. Then I got out of the truck to let Dave back the truck up. He had to do it slowly so the trailer wouldn’t come off the ball and I didn’t want to take a chance of messing it up since I’m not experienced in that area. We got the boat out of the water. We thanked Nasario for his help and I gave him a handshake and a kiss on the cheek. Then I got into the truck and Dave maneuvered the boat to the house. He parked it under the carport and then backed the truck up to it. Perfecto!!!! Oh I forgot. Dave used whatever Jay gave him to mend the hole in the bow of the boat and it worked great. No leaks this time. I packed and got things ready for our trip after that was done.
Monday-Sunday, September 20-26.
We were on our way to Santa Rosalia around 8:30am. Very few vehicles on the road. We were surprised as we thought everyone would be going back home or work from the long weekend. It worked out great though. The wind was blowing and there were white caps on the Sea as we got closer to Santa Rosalia. The wind had switched from the North to the Southeast. We got to the boat and hooked up the power and turned on the air conditioner. It was warm inside and hot and humid outside. After unloading the jeep and taking the stuff to the boat, we walked to the store to pick up a couple of things and came back. We sat and enjoyed the air conditioning. We did stop and talk to a couple from s/v Sea Raven. They had just come down from Bahia. They are heading for La Paz. There was another boat there as well from Bahia, but he was down below enjoying his air conditioning so we would see him probably tomorrow.
After checking emails and looking at weather, we decided to go to our favorite chicken place for dinner. We crossed the street to get to the plaza where the restaurant is across from, and Dave stepped up on the curb and the next thing I see Dave picking himself up off the curb. When he got up his left leg had a gash in it and he was bleeding pretty well. All that was on my mind was getting help for him. I blanked out where the hospital was so I asked one of the ladies just sitting at the plaza and she pointed up the street. We walked a little further and Dave was bleeding more. I wanted to get him to lie down and get his leg up to slow the bleeding but all he wanted to do was get to the hospital. We saw two gentlemen standing in the plaza looking at us. We asked if they had a car. After a few minutes one of the guys asked if we had a car and we said no. He offered his car. We walked a short distance and Dave didn’t want to get in as he was bleeding all over the place. He asked the man if he had something to put on it and the man got a rolled up piece of cloth and gave it to Dave. Dave put it on the gash to help keep blood from getting all over his car. It was a small car and there wasn’t time for me to try and get in the back seat so I said I would meet them at the hospital. I ran up the stairs along the hill that lead to the hospital and when I got to the top, out of breath; I looked to see if the car was heading up the hill. I didn’t see it so I waited a little longer, then finally decided I would walk to the hospital just a few steps away. I still didn’t see the car so I walked around to another side of the building and noticed it was parked out front. I went in but it didn’t look like a typical hospital setting. I finally noticed the blood trail up the stairs so I followed them to a second story where it looked more like hospital rooms. I couldn’t see where he went so I panicked a little and walked up to a man that had been watching me and asked where my husband was. I guess I looked like I was going to cry (but didn’t) so he took me to another flight of stairs and walked with me, and then I saw the blood trail. We got to the room where Dave was lying down and the man that walked with me happened to be the doctor that was going to sew Dave up. As they prepared his leg for stitches, I went outside and found the man that gave Dave a ride and thanked him and told him they were getting ready to sew him up. After some difficulty, I finally understood what he was trying to say. He was telling me he would wait and give us a ride to where we needed to go. I explained we were here on our boat at the marina. So he said o.k. I went back inside and by now I was a little calmer and watched the doctor and assistant clean and sew him up. They had already given him a local. The doctor spoke some English which was great. He did a very good job of explaining things and said Dave would be just fine. The cut wasn’t very deep, but like the head, when there is a cut, it bleeds profusely. Dave ended up getting 25 stitches and after the bleeding had stopped, the doctor wrapped his leg and typed out a prescription of what to get. When that was done we thanked the doctor and everyone else that was there. Get this----we didn’t have to pay for anything!!!!! The Good Samaritan was still waiting outside, ready to take us to the marina. He pulled the seat forward and I got in the back and Dave in the front. What a nice man!!!! He talked to us as he drove us to the marina. Once there, we got out and offered to pay him for gas and his time and he refused!!!! Wow!!! God Bless him. I believe his name is Raoul. So many of the Mexican people we have met are willing to help you and don’t expect anything in return. After Dave was settled on the boat, I walked to town and got all but one of the prescriptions. The antibiotic couldn’t be given out without an official doctor prescription. So I will need to go back tomorrow after we talk to Carlos at the marina, to see what he says that need to be done. After getting the prescriptions, I walked to the chicken place, ordered our dinners and brought them back to the boat. Dave was feeling no pain which was great and he was resting with his leg up. He took the medicine prescribed and went to bed around 11:00pm. The boat rolled a little from the wind wave coming in the marina, but nothing bad. We slept well. Dave got up a couple of times, but not because he couldn’t sleep. He was doing great. Thank goodness for that.
Well now that Monday’s excitement is behind us, what is in store for today? Dave took the bandage off and everything looked good. It was still bleeding a little, and we washed it like we were told to do and then Dave put a little hydrocortisone cream on the wound. The doctor said to keep it aired and there were no restrictions. We went to the office to see Carlos and he said he would be able to get the antibiotic we needed. So he took care of that for us. Of course we gave him money to get buy it.
Dave was going to pressure wash the boat today, but when he looked at the weather found that a tropical depression named Georgette was on its way up the Sea. It was due to make landfall at Cabo San Lucas and if it kept moving northeast would come up the middle of the Sea of Cortez. Something we didn’t want to happen.
Pete and Marni had arrived last night after a very rough ride from San Franciscito. They left there at 4:00am and got to the marina around 10:00pm or later. We talked to them briefly and they mentioned their lovely ride with southwest winds and green water over the dodger. It was the trip from hell. I remember our ride last year from there to Santa Rosalia. It wasn’t fun, but we didn’t have a lot of green water over the dodger. We are glad they made it in safely.
It was cleaning day for Pete and Marni and they found a tear in their main sail when they inspected the boat. They cleaned their boat and started preparing for winds that might come from the storm. We talked with the other cruisers and Dave was informing them that if we were to get the brunt of Georgette, we all needed to tie to the pilings and get off the cleats on the dock. We would know more around 5:00pm whether we needed to do that and also if we needed to strip the boat. So in the meantime we just wait and watch the weather. We decided to post pone the cleaning of the boat until after the storm passes. It could stir up a lot of mud and dust. I walked to town to get some grocery items for dinner as we decided to have dinner on the boat just in case we needed to get things ready for Georgette. As it turned out, we didn’t have to strip anything off the boat, or retie the boat as the storm was tracking to the east. We figured the most winds we would see would be no more than 35 knots and we would get rain. So we were confident Georgette was going to move away from us. No Worries. We watched the sky darken but everything was calm.
We woke to clouds and sprinkles and calm conditions. Dave was looking at the top of the mast this morning, Wednesday, and noticed our wind indicator is broken. Another causality of cormorant birds that love high places. He went on line to find a replacement, found it, ordered it and we should get it in a couple weeks when Lois and Larry come back to Bahia. The best part about all this is it was only $30.00 as opposed to $500.
The rain has arrived and our boat and jeep are getting washed. Yahoo!!!! We just made contact with another cruiser we met last year, Jesse on s/v Francis Lee. He spent the summer here in Santa Rosalia so we didn’t get to see him. We had no idea he was here anchored in the bay north of the marina we are in. We are going to get together probably tomorrow along with Pete and Marni. We are going back home Friday. Jesse said he couldn’t make it up to Bahia this year, but plans on doing so next summer. So we told him to call us when he arrives so we can visit.
Looks like we will be indoors for most of the day today. I brought crocheting with me and my book so I’m good.
The sun managed to make an appearance around 3:00pm. Dave checked the water level in the batteries and we needed some more battery water so I walked to the store and picked up some and when I came by the jeep I got the garden hose out of it so when I get back to the boat I can wash the cockpit. The rain got some of the dirt off, but of course not all. Dave finished with the batteries and I went outside to do my rinsing. When I was done I came inside and took a shower then sat and read for a while. Dave’s leg is healing nicely. We only bandage it at night to keep the covers from rubbing against the stitches and raw skin. Here is a picture of his leg.
The while is medicine in case you were wondering.Incidentally, the leg he cut is the same leg he has his varicose vein problem. The skin on that leg is very thin so it’s no wonder it split like it did. You think he was a walking pharmacy with all the drugs he is taking plus the hydrocortisone cream. As long as it keeps infection out that is the most important thing. Surprisingly enough, his leg doesn’t hurt. That is good. After the rain left it was very humid and hot. We were inside with the air conditioner on of course. Tomorrow Dave will pressure wash the boat, I will do a load of laundry, go to town and get a couple of things and then we will be ready to go home Friday morning. I also am going to have my cholesterol level checked to see if the medicine is working well.
Marni asked us today if we wanted to go for Chinese food tomorrow night with a group of the cruisers here and we said yes. It should be fun. Hopefully Jesse will be able to make it so we can see what he has been up to.
Dave pressure washed the boat and because he wore his waterproof pants, didn’t get his leg wet. We still have spots leftover from the bird crap baking on. I hope that won’t hinder the boat from selling. Next month when it is cooler, we will try Oxy clean on those spots to see if it takes them out. I sure hope so. Then we will need to wax the boat too. So we will be doing all that until the boat sells. It’s a lot of work but it will pay off in the long run. After Dave was finished with the washing, he took it easy and put his leg up. I shined the stainless steel wheel as it was showing a lot of rust. That was a quick job which was nice then I could go down and enjoy the air conditioning.
Here is it Thursday, our last day. Dave is doing well and his leg doesn’t hurt. That is good. He is taking his medication like he is supposed to and being very careful with the leg. I walked into town to pick up my cholesterol results but no one showed. So I ran errands then came back thinking someone might be there, but no one showed. So we will have to stop in the morning before we leave to pay for the test and get my results. No worries.
Ten of us cruisers walked up the malécon to the Chinese restaurant and had a fantastic meal. It was the best Chinese food we have had since we’ve been in Mexico. We all had a fun time and laughed a lot. After dinner we walked back to the marina and stood around and talked a bit and did cormorant bird watch so they didn’t land on the masts. We said goodbye to everyone and told them we were leaving in the morning and wished them all a safe journey.
Friday AM - All things are packed and loaded in the jeep and the boat is secured. We are on our way. We stopped at the clinic to pay for my test and get my results. They remembered me which was nice. My results were the best they have been in years. The medicine is working. It has gone from 289 to 175!!!! Yahoo!!! We left the clinic and headed for home. We stopped in Vizcaino at the super Mercado to get some groceries then the next stop was to a Similars pharmacy to get the last of the medication Dave needs as they were out of it in Santa Rosalia. Next stop home.
George and Mary, our neighbors are supposed to be coming back tomorrow, Saturday, to off load stuff they brought from the states, and rest for a day or two and then leave for the coast for a month.
George and Mary got home and we welcomed them back and they said they would be leaving for the ocean on Wednesday. If the fishing is good they will be at the ocean until first part of November.
We were hoping the propane truck would come today, but it didn’t. We will have to wait another month I guess. Looks like we will have to take one of our tanks in and exchange it. It costs more to do that but we don’t have a choice. I guess there are new guys delivering, so we don’t know their schedule yet. We had a quiet day today.
Monday-Thursday, September 27-30.
Dave is a little concerned about his leg as he isn’t sure what the coloring means. When he fell, several layers of skin came off so that is going to take a while to heal. So in the meantime he is washing it and putting medicine on it and airing it then covering it at night before he goes to bed.
We needed to get water so today, Monday, is the day. Last night I helped Dave load the tank into the back of the truck and secure it. All we had to do this morning is get up and go. We did that and when we got there, there was a long line. Dave said he will never come on Monday again. We had to wait about an hour, but in that time we talked with a man named Rafeal, that lives near the water place. I had met him in Xitlali shopping one day. He remembered me. We introduced ourselves and then he talked to Dave about a tire. He has the same truck we do and he needs tires and can’t get them. Same problem we have been having. We told him next month we will have a spare that he can buy. He said o.k. and said don’t forget. We finally got water and Dave went across the road and talked to Philipe about the truck. We were suppose to drop it off on our way to Santa Rosalia, but forgot. So after Dave talked to him, he said we could bring the truck in this afternoon. Ruth called this morning inviting me to go into town with her. I told her we were getting water and I would call when we got back. I usually don’t go with Dave to get water because there isn’t anything for me to do, but today I didn’t want him climbing in and out of the back of the truck and taking a chance on hitting his leg. So he handed me the water hose while I stood in the truck and filled the tank. We came home and drained the water tank into our pila and put things away. I called Ruth to see if she still wanted me to go with her and she said yes. I asked if she could pick me up at Philipe’s as I needed to drive the truck in to have him work on it. She said no problem. So I took off for town and she met me at Philipe’s. I guess you know by now he is the mechanic. He does good work. He is the one that had the radiator and our transmission leak fixed. After talking with Philipe and letting him know things that needed repair or replacing, I left with Ruth. When she was done with her chores, we went to Guillermos and Herman, the gold mine man, a sweetheart, bought Ruth and I a margarita. We sat and talked a while, and Ruth and I were going to eat lunch there, but they were not open to serve food. So we had chips and salsa for lunch. Ruth paid for 3 large cylinders of propane and would need to come back with her truck to pick them up so she took me home and left to load up her empty tanks and take them in for exchange. While she was gone, Dave said we should get one too. But we weren’t able to get a hold of Ruth on the radio to ask if she would get us one. So when she got back from getting her tanks, we talked to her and she said that Yolanda only had 3 tanks left. Ruth offered to drive back into town to exchange one of our tanks. We felt bad she had to do that, but we had no choice. The tanks were going fast. So we called Yolanda and said we were coming in. Ruth came by with her Brat Suzuki, and got our tank and I rode with her to town. We got the tank and I paid Yolanda and now it was time to go home and have Ruth relax for the day. She had been running all day. This is what the people down here do for each other. When you need help, there is always someone that will be there. She said we helped her with her trailer, so this was turnaround for that. That was so cool!!! So now we have propane and so does Ruth.
Tuesday, Jan, our neighbor came over to look at Dave’s leg. She suggested getting some saline to wet the gauze pad and then put that on top of the wound and rap it. It should help it heal faster and also help with the oozing. So Wednesday morning I drove the jeep into town, went to the clinic to see if they had saline and some gauze pads. They had the saline but not the pads. We will have to use the ones we have in our medical kit until we can get some. I stopped to see Philipe and ask when the truck would be done and he said today at 4-5:00pm. He wanted to go to Ensenada tomorrow. So I will need to come back into town later. I told Dave about the truck and figured he would want to go in with me to talk to Philipe but he didn’t, so I told him I would ask Ruth if she would take me in. She had offered anyway. Well Dave thought about it and decided he would go in so he could talk to Philipe. We left the house around 3:30pm and when we got to the shop, Philipe was still working on the truck. He said he won’t go to Ensenada until he is finished with it. He asked if we could give him another day. We said sure. He offered to bring the truck out when he gets done, but we still need to drive him back to the garage as he doesn’t have his car working yet. So we will get the truck tomorrow, Thursday. That trip wasn’t a lost one as we stopped at Xitlali’s to get limes and see if they had any gauze pads. They did so I got 12. That should last us for awhile. When we got home, Dave put some Neosporin on the wound then applied a pad soaked in saline and covered it.
Well here it is Thursday, September 30. Summer weather is still hanging on. We have had some thunder storms to the south of us, in the valley. It is cool to watch. We haven’t had much in the way of rain here but we can watch it pour in the valley. Cool!!
Dave’s leg is slowly healing much to his dismay, but with a gash like he has it is going to take a while to close and heal. At least he can walk and get around, just can’t go fishing!! Here is an updated picture of his leg.
I have been busy making things for the bazaar in November. I made 3 purses
and plan on making kitchen towels using material instead of crocheting the tops for hanging. I should have those to show in the next blog.
