Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Progress is coming to Bahia
We are starting the month with going to Ensenada to provision. Today is All Saints Day and the Mexican people celebrate the passing of children. There is lots of candy, balloons and flowers. Tomorrow the 2nd is the Day of the Dead and the adults are celebrated. Shops close and you see flower and grave decoration booths all up and down the road. I think it is a good celebration to have. They honor the dead with lots of food, flowers, balloons, fancy grave markers and much more. We had a great ride to Ensenada and on the way we saw the farmers plowing fields and planting new crops for the winter. Some time I think it would be fun on one of our trips north, to stop and do a little wine tasting!! There are quite a few wineries here in Mexico. When we arrived in Ensenada we decided to get money and get my shopping at Walmart done. Then all we have to do tomorrow is stop at Home Depot and Costco. After I had finished at Walmart we went and checked into the hotel ‘Santo Tomas’. Once checked in we headed to Tonas’ office to get our boat insurance papers and pay. We had to wait a little bit but eventually we got the paperwork, paid Tona and sat and visited with him for a few minutes. He races his sailboat and so it is fun to listen to his stories. We thanked him for his service and said goodbye. We headed back to the hotel and relaxed. We went to dinner at Mc Donald’s which is our meal of choice on a budget. We decided to do that as we will have a big dinner at Jardine’s hotel on Friday.
The next morning we ate breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Then we were off to Home Depot. I needed to get some Min-Wax polyurethane for the critters I make and a couple other things. Costco doesn’t open until 9:00 o’clock so we had some time to kill. We looked at refrigerators and washing machines. Then I browsed through all the isles just to see what they had and dream a little of what I want in my house, whether it is this one or another. When it was 9:00 o’clock we paid for our stuff and left Home Depot for Costco. It only took us an hour to get what we needed and then we headed south. We will spend the night in San Quintin at a wonderful hotel called Jardines. They have many beautiful flowers and chirping birds and cactus and behind the hotel is a garden filled with orange and lemon trees and a lot of other plants. After we checked in we relaxed. Dave was on the computer and I went outside to read. It was a beautiful day and the sun felt good. There was a little breeze which kept it cool. San Quintin is not far from the Pacific Ocean so they have cooler weather and more wind. That evening we walked over to the restaurant and had a couple margaritas then dinner. We celebrated Dave’s 65th birthday!! After dinner we went back to our room and watched some T.V. before going to bed.
We left Jardines around 8:00 o’clock in the morning and stopped in town to get more money and then headed for home. It was a good trip.
Our gate guard is celebrating his 27th birthday on the 8th so I made him chocolate chip cookies. He was thrilled to get them so he could have milk and cookies.
Our youngest grandson, David, just turned 3 today, the 13th. Happy, happy birthday grandson!!!! It is also my friend Creela’s birthday. Creela, Mary and I walked a little bit this morning and then in the afternoon I went and played Hand and Foot with the gals. My partner Wendy and I won the pot. We each got $2. Awesome!! Then it was off to dinner in town to celebrate Creela’s birthday. Larry and Lois were there also and it was a fun night. Next year Creela wants a big celebration since it will be her 75th.
I have volunteered to be in the Art and Craft show in March. So I am busy making things not only to sell to adults but children as well.
I have been working madly on a baby Afghan for Jon Jr. Jon and Susannah’s first child. So when I’m not creating something from rock, shells and things, I am crocheting. I am also making a birthday gift for my girlfriend Penny which is in December. I keep busy doing things I love to do.
The Baja 1000 race is coming through town on the 15th. The motorcycles start from Ensenada in the morning and get to Bahia around 1 or 2 in the afternoon. Then the trucks/cars come after that but unfortunately it is dark when they come through so we don’t get to see them. They race on the road behind our house and create a lot of dust so I’m putting off my cleaning until it is over.
We have heard rumors that the money; survey and paperwork have been done for a paved road starting from town to past our housing complex. The rumor is they will start in January 2013 and be finished in a year. We will finally have a paved road instead of a rocky lumpy bumpy dusty road. The pre-runners for the race have been loosening rocks and tearing the road up even more than it was and now with over 400 motorcycles and cars coming here the road is really going to be fun to drive on. NOT!!!!! We all are looking forward to the road. There is a copper mine reopening south of us so it will bring people to the town and good business. So Bahia is changing. You can’t stop process. It was just a matter of time before someone wanted to develop this area. The town will definitely benefit from it and maybe we will have more shops and a bank!!!! The bank would definitely be a convience!!!
Dave inflated our dinghy from off the boat and we went for a little ride in the bay looking for whale sharks. About the middle of the bay we saw a small one and it came close to the boat. Then it went away so we moved on. Dave happened to look back behind us and saw a whale shark come toward the boat. He was so close to the rear of the boat that we turned off the motor so we wouldn’t hurt it. Its tail hit the dinghy! It was really awesome and what a beautiful creature!!!! Then it swam away and we didn’t see any more. It was a beautiful day to be on the water and we enjoyed it! I wanted to walk the beach so I had Dave drop me off on the beach and he went out to continue looking for whale sharks. I had a nice walk back to the house and Dave made it in before I got home.
The race is finished and the road is terrible!!!! It is worse than ever!!!!! Everyone hates to drive on it any more. Our truck bounces all over the place so I have to go slow and the Jeep has better suspension, but with all the washboard ruts in the road it too is a rough ride. We have been told that from the back of whatever we are driving we look like bobble heads. A quad is much better, so I’ve been told, but we don’t have one. We now have our water and propane delivered to keep from driving so much on that road. I do go in every Saturday to get groceries and gas when needed, but not any other time. We are sooooo looking forward to a paved road.
Our wonderful friends, Phil and Creela arranged to have a turkey brought down with Phil’s nephew and wife, so we will have a 20 lb turkey for Thanksgiving. We have invited Penny and her husband Murrey and our gate guard, Ramon for dinner. I am looking forward to making the pies and cooking the meal.
I’m sorry to say that Creela is having a lot of back pain and is uncomfortable so they don’t know how long they will be here. She has stenosis(sp?) of the spine. It affects the very lower part of the back and it is like calcium or something like that which is closing in around the spinal cord and putting pressure on the nerves. She had a cortisone shot shortly before they came down to Bahia, but unfortunately it didn’t last long. Nothing seems to help. I really feel sorry for her.
Well today is pie making day. I made 2 pumpkin and 2 apple pies. Then I prepped the turkey and boiled the giblets for broth. Cut the celery, onion, and garlic, putting it in a container and placed it in the refrigerator. So everything is done and I can relax. Oooh!!! I over did the standing today, which was all day in the kitchen and now my back is complaining. Well it’s time for a pain killer!
Happy Thanksgiving!!!!! It is a beautiful day in Bahia. The sun is out and it is about 75 degrees. Wonderful!!! The bird has been stuffed and is in the oven. We should eat about 4:00 this afternoon. Penny, Murrey and Ramon are coming over about 3:30pm.
We had a wonderful dinner and sat around and talked. Ramon is learning English so we help him and he helps us with our Spanish. He is a funny guy and we thoroughly enjoy his company. Dave and I were supposed to go to Lois and Larry’s house for dessert around 6:00 but they had just finished dinner about that time so we ended up going around 7:00. Penny and Murrey left with leftovers and pie and so did Ramon. He was a happy camper. Once they were gone we hopped in the truck and drove to Lois and Larry’s bringing Penny’s pecan pie and my apple pie. Some of the people had left but there were still some other friends there we could chat with. Larry and Lois had invited us over for Thanksgiving dinner, but we had already made plans to have Penny and Murrey over. But at least we got together for dessert. Ummmm!!!! I’ll have to walk the beach twice tomorrow!!!! Ha!
Dave and Phil are going fishing this morning so we decided we would have pie and coffee for breakfast. I made coffee and took the pecan and apple pie over to Phil and Creela’s around 6:00 am and had a wonderful breakfast. Then the guys were off to fish. That was fun!!!
Creela stopped by in the afternoon and invited us to dinner. All I had to bring was something to drink and my pumpkin pie. I figured the guys would be home around 3:00pm so I decided to go for a walk on the beach and maybe meet them on my way back to the house. Lysel, the land landlord, was standing in her front yard watching her dog on the beach when she called to me. I was a little concerned about the guys not being home yet so I didn’t hear her at first. We said hi and she invited me to come and pick out the persimmons, pears and avocados that she brought down with her from her home in San Diego. She had a lot and wanted to get rid of them so I took some of each and thanked her and headed to Creela’s. I asked if she had heard from the guys and she said no. I told her I was a little concerned because I thought they would be back by now. I asked if she could give them a call. Before she did she looked through her binoculars and saw they were coming back and were almost to my house. So that was a good thing. Neither one of them knew dinner had been planned at Phil’s place. I went home and after the guys got the boat tied on the float and headed to shore, Creela gave Phil the good news of having company for dinner. Creela had a bunch of steaks and food she wanted to get rid of so she thought to invite her neighbors. So Lysel, Mary and George, Joann and us were coming to dinner. The guys barely had enough time to change clothes. They did catch some yellowtail and Dave will clean that up tomorrow and then it goes in the freezer. Yum! It was a good day for the fishermen and the women too!!!! Unfortunately Dave loses his fishing partner the 2nd of December as Creela has made an appointment to get another cortisone shot. I sure hope it lasts a lot longer than just a few weeks.
We all gathered at Phil and Creela’s and had a wonderful steak dinner and great conversation. It was fun to get together like that.
I have to tell you this story!!! I actually grossed all the ladies out. We were sitting at the table before dinner just waiting for Phil to finish cooking the steaks and Creela to finish the broccoli, and I kept feeling something tickle my toes. I was wearing sandals. I picked up my foot and moved it. It happened 2 more times and each time I lifted my foot and moved it. Then I wondered if it was a spider or something crossing over my toes so I looked under the table and there was a white little mouse I had accidently stepped on and crushed its head. I didn’t do it on purpose!!!!!! I looked up at the ladies and said they weren’t going to like what I had to tell them and proceeded to say I had killed a mouse. They didn’t believe me so I picked it up by the tail and showed them. No one screamed, but they made some funny faces. The guys asked if it was a white mouse and I said yes, and George said where there is one there are more!!! Then I tossed it out into the sand. Creela missed all that because she was inside cooking. She didn’t believe I actually killed a mouse so she wanted proof and told me to get it. I told her she’ll have to go find it herself. The gals vouched that it was true and I got a paper towel to clean up the blood. The gals couldn’t believe I was so calm about everything, and Dave told them that is how I am. Things like that don’t bother me. Hmmm! I guess it is all my time with my boys and how they use to bring in snakes and stuff to hopefully scare mom, but it didn’t work. Oh well! Needless to say we did enjoy our meal and had a good time.
For the first time in years I boiled the turkey carcass for soup. The weather was cool enough and it just sounded like a good idea. I really hate to waste anything. I would have given some soup to Ramon, but I had put green beans and zucchini in it and he doesn’t like green vegetables. So instead I gave some to my neighbor Joann and some to Penny and Murrey. There was still some left over after we had a meal of it, so I froze the rest.
Remember me telling you of a man named Kevin coming down to look at the house and took a lot of pictures to show his wife when he got back home. Larry and Lois have known him for a long time. He worked with Larry as a fireman. Anyway, Lois told us Kevin and his wife were coming down around Thanksgiving to look at the house. So I made sure the house was kept really clean and tidy. Thanksgiving came and went and no Kevin. Then we heard from Lois a couple days later that Kevin and his wife bought a house in Gonzoga Bay which is south of San Felipe in Mexico. It is close to the boarder. So we don’t have to worry about the house getting sold for a while. We did mention to Larry if the house didn’t sell by the time we sold the boat that maybe we could work out a rent to own and have the house paid off in 3 years. We haven’t talked seriously yet because the boat isn’t sold, but at least now we have some time to see what happens. So it looks like things are looking better. Time will tell. Oh and speaking of the boat, the gentleman that has been inquiring about our boat seems to still be interested. He thought he would be back in Baja by Christmas but won’t be so we have made plans to meet in Santa Rosalia after the 1st of January. We have to go back then anyway since our FM3’s have to be renewed. So we shall see. He has been reading my blog and it has helped him to know how we did things to get ready to cruise and the care the boat has had. All good stuff!
It has been interesting as Dave has been spending a lot of time drawing up plans for our new house which will be built in front of the one we are living in now. We hope that everything works out to where we can fulfill that dream. He is having fun and I have to say I am too as it is always exciting to plan. The nice thing about planning a house is no matter where we end up, we can build it.
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with friends and family. We miss our friends back home in Washington, but I really miss my family this time of year. To drive up in winter is not good, and flying is a madhouse. Plus the good thing is they are doing their own thing and creating their own memories and traditions!!! Maybe one day they can come and spend a Thanksgiving and maybe a Christmas with us in the sun and warmth!!!!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Still Summer in October
Our neighbors George and Mary, John and Smiley returned from their vacation on the Pacific coast. The hurricane Marian was heading to Abreojos where they stay in their trailer at a camp ground. They wanted to be safe rather than sorry. As it turned out the hurricane fizzled out but it did bring rain to the coast. Mary had gathered up some dried seaweed, sand dollars and shells while she was there and gave some of them to me. It was awesome. I will have fun creating something out of them. I have already started making creatures since I have been back. Let’s see----I made another lizard, 2 fish, a hermit crab, a stingray and some others. I’m on a roll. I need to seal them with polyurethane and then they will be ready to sell. The gals want to have a small gathering before Christmas to sell some of their craft items for gifts. So I will have my creatures and some other things there also.
Just after Marian went away another hurricane was building south of Cabo San Lucas. It actually turned right and started heading up the Sea of Cortez. All the cruisers and us too were concerned. Dave kept a close eye on it and even gave reports to the cruisers that were anchored in the Bay of L.A. (Bahia de Los Angeles). Norman never traveled up the Sea and made landfall north of Mazatlan. Then it turned around and headed back the way it came and died out in the Pacific. We did have a little rain but nothing serious. The cruisers are getting ready to make their voyage south so they are very interested in keeping tabs on what the weather is doing. The cruisers that have been around while we were cruising know that Dave worked for Noah (Oops----I meant NOAA) and trust what he has to share. Dave looks at several different weather forecasts and goes with the ones that are known to be reliable. Hurricane season isn’t over until November and since it has been so hot the water is very warm and feeds the storms. Luckily the season is winding down.
We are in Santa Rosalia checking on the boat. Actually she looks pretty good. The red danger tape I put on the spreaders are gone. The wind and heat probably got to them but it looks like they served the purpose of keeping the cormorants off the spreaders. It is hot and humid here and we are enjoying our air conditioner!!!! There are some cruisers here and some we have met before so it was good to talk to them. We arrived on Monday, and then Tuesday the cockpit got cleaned. The tarp we had covering our small solar panel for the start battery had been shredded and needed to be taken off. Dave did that and said it was really yucky underneath. There was a lot of dirt and some fish remains. He was going to power wash it. A quick job right? Well guess what!!!! It didn’t work! Dave ended up taking it apart and since he didn’t have the right tools with us this trip he will have to take it home to work on it. Hopefully he can get it to work. We hadn’t planned on spending $200 to buy a new one. That isn’t in the budget. The pressure washer does make light work of washing the boat, but we can still scrub it like we use to. Matter of fact that is what I did while Dave was taking the pressure washer apart. Now the boat is clean and we will buy another tarp to replace the one we took off.
Because of the rain we have had plants are popping up all over the place. There is this one plant that has long white flowers. I have never seen it here before. It opens in the daytime and closes at night. It is nice to see flowers in this dry, for the most part, barren land.
It has been like summer this month. We aren’t complaining but it is warm. I can remember last year it turning cold around the middle of the month. Comforters are too heavy and even sheets are too warm!!!! I know----those of you who are into the cold season wish you had such a problem eh?!!!!! The weather has changed all over so it is hard to predict what any given day or month is going to be like. That is alright. Just give me warm days, sunshine, and cool nights and I’m good!!! The water here is still warm and my neighbors have been swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding.
I am back playing games with the girls. I played train for half a day and played Hand and Foot another day and won the money pot of $5 but of course that was with my dollar in there.
We heard from our landlords, the man that came to look at the house is coming back next month and bringing his wife. Apparently she liked the pictures he took and how he described it. Dave and I are ready for it to be sold, but if not, we will talk to Larry and Lois about long term renting to own. When the boat sells we will be braking even so we won’t be getting any money from the sale, however we will be saving a bunch so things will be much better.
My youngest son just got married on the 27th!!!!! Hooray!!! Susannah is a wonderful lady and they seem so very happy! They are expecting their first child (a boy) in January. I am very excited!!!! That will make 8 grandsons. I guess we weren’t meant to have any granddaughters. That’s o.k.!! Jon and Susannah went to the court house to get married and then this summer will have a reception or remarry in the church. Dave and I should be there for that!!!
Here is some good news about the boat. Dave got an email from a man who lives in Loreto, south of Santa Rosalia where we moor the boat. He was heading north to the states and stopped at the marina to see if there were any boats for sale. He saw ours and liked it. He called the broker, but no one was there. It was about 4 o’clock in the afternoon and no one was there. He somehow got Dave’s email address and contacted him saying he is interested in seeing the boat. He was heading to Oregon for family business and wasn’t sure how long he would be but he would keep in touch. He asked Dave some questions which he answered and we shall see what happens. It sounds promising but we aren’t going to get too excited yet!!!! Things are starting to happen and I can see good coming to a long and frustrating wait!!!! God has a plan and I know it will be great when it comes together. It’s hard to wait though. In the meantime we have a great place to live and a beautiful view of the bay and mountains and the people are nice!!!! We definitely want to stay here in this area if we can but we shall see.
Dave turned 65 today, Halloween!!!! Happy, Happy Day!!! May there be many more happy ones to come! Our friends Creela and Phil arrived from San Diego so we had them over for a pork roast dinner. It is good to have them back in the neighborhood!!!! Both guys are anxious to go fishing.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Return to Bahia
I forgot to add about 3 things to last month so I will include them here.
August was a busy month. We went to visit our friends Brent and Bre that live in Anacortes, Washington. We lucked out because their daughter Jessica was home from college. We’ve known her since she was 4 years old. The weather was beautiful and warm and unbeknown to us, the day we arrived, was their 25th wedding anniversary. We got to help them celebrate at Anthony’s restaurant and the next day we took their cutty cab fishing boat to Fisherman Bay in the San Juan Islands. It was fun going back there as we have been a couple times in our boat on vacation. It is a resort and they have a pool and hot tub. Bre, Jessica and her friend and I went swimming at the pool. Then we hung out and just enjoyed the day. We spent the night and left the next day. It was good to see them again. Here are pictures of Fisherman Bay and Brent and Bre's boat.
E.J. had a Soccer championship tournament and his team won. E.J. is playing a year up and he did well. He was tired but happy. Here are pictures of his team and the trophy!! Look at that shirt too!!!!! Pretty proud. The picture that has E.J. facing the camera with his shirt, you can see his brother Eian behind him holding a soccer ball and making faces. HA!!! Such a goof ball!!!
I had a chance to watch Jon coach his soccer team. Since the games were on Bainbridge Island, which isn’t far from where I was, he asked me to come and watch. They had 4 games scheduled. Two were in the morning and then again later that afternoon. I could stay for the morning games but not the late afternoon ones. Jon is an assistant coach with a soccer buddy that goes back to high school days. They played on the same soccer team. The guys have 2 teams. One is eight year old boys and the other is 10 year olds. The 8 year olds won their game but the 10 year olds didn’t. 
While Jon was coaching the games I got a chance to visit with Susannah, Jon’s future wife. We had a great visit and when the 2 morning games were over we went to Poulsbo for lunch. It was a very nice and special visit.
We are heading to Everett for the Labor Day weekend on Ron and Noreen’s boat (m/v Seareen). The weekend promises nice weather so we are looking forward to a good time. Once we arrived we came into our assigned slip and the other yacht club members that arrived before us helped grab our lines.
After getting settled, we went to cocktail time on the party dock and visited with those who were there. There was a Pub within walking distance so that is where we went for dinner. The four of us, Ron, Noreen, Dave and I sat together but we could see some of the other yacht club members dispersed throughout the place. We had a wonderful meal and conversation then went back to the boat to relax.
We awoke to blue skies the next day and it was nice but there is a hint of fall in the air. The conversation for the day was what to do. Paul and Laurie said they were going to go up the river in their dinghy. Dave and I had never been to Everett in our boat travels when we lived in the Pacific Northwest so we were looking forward to some sightseeing. Ron, Noreen, Dave and I donned our life jackets and climbed into the dinghy. Noreen was going to take the pugs, Jack and Calypso (Cali for short) but decided against it.
It turned out to be a very good thing they didn’t come along. The six of us headed out after lunch. What a lovely ride up. We saw some old boats and just interesting things. Here are some pictures. 
After we explored all we could, we headed back to the marina. The wind had come up and it was blowing from the west which we were heading into. It was a pleasant ride heading up the river but a nasty one coming back. Noreen and I were sitting at the bow of the dinghy with our backs facing the bow, Ron was steering and Dave was sitting on the opposite side of Ron. As we traveled towards the marina the waves were splashing all of us constantly. It was a ride from hell. Not only did the wind create waves but the boats that were zipping up the river were making them bigger. Needless to say by the time we got back to the boat we were soaked through and through and late for a potluck. At this point all we wanted to do was shed our wet clothes and get warm. We all showered, got dressed and decided we were not going to go to the party dock to sit in the wind and cold. So we had dinner on the boat and later we had company. It was an interesting day to say the least. We would not have any stories otherwise. Noreen was glad she decided to leave the dogs home.
The next day there was a large farmers market within walking distance of the marina so we went to check it out. There were a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, a few craft items and food booths. We stopped for lunch at a Mexican booth. Everything we got was really good. We never get tired of good Mexican food!!! After lunch we headed back toward the boat. We walked to a marine store that was just past the marina and we looked around at all the stuff. Next to the marine store was a little grocery store so we went in looking for hamburger buns. They didn’t have any. The nearest grocery store was about 4 blocks away and no one wanted to walk that far. So we decided we would use the bread we had on board. There is a BBQ tonight on the party dock and we are cooking hamburgers. After returning to the boat there was a bubble blowing contest on the party dock. You know----the kind you give to kids to make bubbles. Well I won first prize with my boobie bubble. It was a double bubble which looked like a pair of boobs so I yelled out I had made a boobie bubble and I guess they liked it. I won first place and the prize was a scratch ticket, a couple smiley face maze games and a bubble blower. Didn’t win anything on the scratch ticket but I had a lot of fun!!!! We gathered after that for dinner and everyone brought what meat they wanted to grill and a side dish to share and sat, ate and talked. The weather co-operated as it wasn’t really cold and windy and the sunset was absolutely beautiful. 
The next day was Labor Day, Monday the 3rd and we headed back to the Brownsville Marina. We had a fun and interesting weekend. We found out that Everett gets windy in the afternoon which makes it chilly. The trip home was uneventful and it was a beautiful day to be on the water. After getting into the slip and getting everything tied up and hooked up, Michael (my step son) his wife Dani and their son David came for a visit. Michael and David had been down to see us a few weeks ago without Dani because she had to work so this was a real treat to see them all together. 
Unfortunately we had plans for dinner which were made before we left for Everett. We didn’t know we would be seeing them until we got a call saying they were coming down. Dinner was scheduled for around 6:00pm or so and Carolyn, J.T., their son Christian, came down just before Michael, Dani and David got there. Noreen had been doing laundry at their condo and she hadn’t gotten back yet so we were just waiting. It was a little crazy with everyone there but at least I got a chance to talk to Dani and interact with David. He loves fish and wants to look in the water all the time. There were a lot of jelly fish floating and some small fish. All he could say was “fish, fish, jelly fish”.
Noreen got home so it was time to go to dinner. We are going to Famous Dave’s BBQ restaurant in Silverdale. We had to say goodbye to family. It was a shame it was such a short visit, but it happens. It was good to see the three of them. David is getting so big. He is a stubborn little man too!!! His parents have their hands full!!!!
What you are seeing is David having a temper tantrum!!!
We had a wonderful dinner and it was fun. Before leaving, we asked the waitress to take our picture. One was a goofy one and the other not so goofy. They are a little on the dark side but I think you will be able to make us all out. That was Dave and my final meal with our friends as we leave tomorrow afternoon. 
Noreen had to go to work so we had said our goodbyes to her before we went to bed. We had a wonderful stay with them and enjoyed our time together.
We had a few things to do in the morning before we left but were finally ready to leave after lunch. Dave said he would be satisfied if we just got as far as Portland for the night. We gave Ron a big hug and told him we would call him once we got to a hotel. We stopped at a hotel just outside of Portland and enjoyed a really nice room for a great price. We relaxed and then the next morning headed out around 8:00am with Dave driving until he got tired.
I called my sister, Colleen, in Ukiah to see if they were up to company but they weren’t. Hig is still having problems and is heavily medicated. I am so glad we stopped on the way to Washington. I pray all goes well with them.
We stopped in Red Bluff for the night and continued on journey to San Diego the next day. We stopped to see our good friends Phil and Creela and had a nice very visit. Before leaving the next morning they gave us some lemons and tangerines from their garden as a farewell gift. They will be in Bahia sometime in October.
After leaving Phil and Creela’s house, we crossed the border and headed for hotel, Santo Tomas, in Ensenada. Once checked in we went to Walmart and Costco to do some shopping. We couldn’t get a lot of stuff because the jeep was packed but we managed to get some items we can’t get in Bahia. We had a lovely dinner at McDonalds (cheap and tasty) then went back to the hotel and relaxed. The next day we were headed home.
The weather was good for the most part. We saw clouds to the south but it didn’t look too bad. When we got to Rosario to fill the gas tank we noticed the gas station lot was full of mud. The people were scrambling to clean it up with brooms and backhoes. What a mess! Dave found out that a torrential rain squall came through just about an hour ago and dumped a lot of rain for 4 hours. After filling the tank we got through the town and all seemed well until we saw a huge band of black clouds ahead and knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. We were heading toward the storm that dumped all that rain back in Rosario. We finally caught up with it and it rained so hard we couldn’t see the road ahead of us but just a few feet. Luckily there were a couple of semi trucks in front of us so we just stayed behind them. It reminded me of driving in Sacramento through the ground fog and only having a semi for a guide. It took a while but we finally made it through the storm to clearing skies. Thank goodness that was over. We finally turned to go to Bahia de Los Angeles with blue skies and nice temperatures. There were several places along the way before we turned for Bahia that had water running over the road. If we had waited another day we would have been in trouble with the road. Everything was going well and we could see the Sea of Cortez in front of us which means it wasn’t far before we would be home. Without warning, Dave saw too late a chunk of road missing due to a washout. He tried to slow down but couldn’t enough to cross over it at a decent speed. We hit it hard to where both of us grimaced going over it. We were concerned about the tires but everything seemed to be o.k. until Dave said the jeep was pulling to the right. NOT GOOD!!!! To me it would have meant the tires were out of alignment. To Dave, because he has had experience with flat tires, said it was a flat. Sure enough the passenger side front tire was really flat. We must have hit a sharp rock and it sliced the tire. Well this wasn’t good because the jack was buried under everything we packed. So this meant we had to unload a bunch of stuff out of the back of the jeep to get to the jack. Then Dave proceeded to find the spot to jack up the jeep. Because we have never had a flat tire on the jeep we didn’t know for sure where to place the jack. So we got the manual out and Dave was in business. Once the jeep was jacked up, he took the spare tire off the rack and rolled it over next to the flat tire. Dave proceeded to take the flat tire off and put the spare on. Luckily the sun was shining, we had no threat of rain and it wasn’t really hot. It was only in the 80’s which is cool for this time of year. Thank the good Lord for that. We put the flat tire on the mount where the spare tire was and secured it, put the jack back where it belonged and repacked the jeep. Then we were on our way again. Whew!!!! I found out I could not change those tires as they were too heavy for me. I did help jack the jeep up though. Luckily Dave was there. We stopped in town and filled the gas tank and then headed to the store to buy bread and milk. Then it was on the bumpy lumpy road to the house. Town is only about 10 minutes away from the house but with the road it takes us about 30 to 45 minutes. All is well with the spare tire and we made it home. Our gate guard came over to the house and helped us unpack. All this time clouds had been building overhead and we knew the storm we went through was catching up to us. We just got the jeep unloaded when the sky opened and it poured with thunder and lightning. The jeep got washed and so did my windows. We had heard it had rained a lot the month of August and in proof of that the desert was very green. It was absolutely beautiful!!!! We had a couple washouts on the road just past our house in our little compound but Ramon shoveled some dirt to fill them in.
It rained again the next day and night and we could see that the flats heading to Rincon was filled with water. Rincon is across the bay from us. This is not a good thing for those who live in there because they have to cross the flats in order to get to town. Also no one can get to them either to deliver water or propane. They end up stranded until the flats dry out. Sometimes it takes a month or more. The propane truck came out that Monday after we got home but was stopped by Ramon telling them the road was not travelable. We and the people in town were able to get propane which was good. We hadn’t seen the propane truck for months. They are trying to get back on a schedule again because the people in Rincon have the large stationary propane tanks and the truck is the only way to get them filled. They will be happy to get propane in October.
Everything is pretty much back to normal now. It has been hot and humid but we can feel coolness in the breeze so we know the weather is going to change here pretty soon. About another week and I think it will start cooling considerably. Then the north winds start to blow and it does get cold.
Dave has been out trying to catch fish but so far has only caught one Sierra. It is a white meat fish and very good!!! Creela and Phil, our Bahia neighbors are heading down shortly so Dave will have a fishing partner. Yea!!!!!
The gringos that have places in Bahia are starting to come down for the fall and will only stay until just before the holidays. All who come down in October will be gone after Thanksgiving if not before. They come back either in January or spring and stay until it gets too hot for them which is usually no later than the 1st of July. Actually the hottest months are August and September. The rest are bearable. Well we think so anyway. Everyone has their heat tolerance!
Larry and Lois, our landlords are coming down soon and they have a man that is interested in seeing the house. So it will be interesting to see what he thinks and whether or not he wants to buy. No worries!!!! Everything works out the way it is suppose to and we are not worried about it.
The Lady Washington leaving Brownsville Marina.
E.J. had a Soccer championship tournament and his team won. E.J. is playing a year up and he did well. He was tired but happy. Here are pictures of his team and the trophy!! Look at that shirt too!!!!! Pretty proud. The picture that has E.J. facing the camera with his shirt, you can see his brother Eian behind him holding a soccer ball and making faces. HA!!! Such a goof ball!!!
I had a chance to watch Jon coach his soccer team. Since the games were on Bainbridge Island, which isn’t far from where I was, he asked me to come and watch. They had 4 games scheduled. Two were in the morning and then again later that afternoon. I could stay for the morning games but not the late afternoon ones. Jon is an assistant coach with a soccer buddy that goes back to high school days. They played on the same soccer team. The guys have 2 teams. One is eight year old boys and the other is 10 year olds. The 8 year olds won their game but the 10 year olds didn’t. 
While Jon was coaching the games I got a chance to visit with Susannah, Jon’s future wife. We had a great visit and when the 2 morning games were over we went to Poulsbo for lunch. It was a very nice and special visit.
We are heading to Everett for the Labor Day weekend on Ron and Noreen’s boat (m/v Seareen). The weekend promises nice weather so we are looking forward to a good time. Once we arrived we came into our assigned slip and the other yacht club members that arrived before us helped grab our lines.
After getting settled, we went to cocktail time on the party dock and visited with those who were there. There was a Pub within walking distance so that is where we went for dinner. The four of us, Ron, Noreen, Dave and I sat together but we could see some of the other yacht club members dispersed throughout the place. We had a wonderful meal and conversation then went back to the boat to relax.
We awoke to blue skies the next day and it was nice but there is a hint of fall in the air. The conversation for the day was what to do. Paul and Laurie said they were going to go up the river in their dinghy. Dave and I had never been to Everett in our boat travels when we lived in the Pacific Northwest so we were looking forward to some sightseeing. Ron, Noreen, Dave and I donned our life jackets and climbed into the dinghy. Noreen was going to take the pugs, Jack and Calypso (Cali for short) but decided against it.
It turned out to be a very good thing they didn’t come along. The six of us headed out after lunch. What a lovely ride up. We saw some old boats and just interesting things. Here are some pictures. 
After we explored all we could, we headed back to the marina. The wind had come up and it was blowing from the west which we were heading into. It was a pleasant ride heading up the river but a nasty one coming back. Noreen and I were sitting at the bow of the dinghy with our backs facing the bow, Ron was steering and Dave was sitting on the opposite side of Ron. As we traveled towards the marina the waves were splashing all of us constantly. It was a ride from hell. Not only did the wind create waves but the boats that were zipping up the river were making them bigger. Needless to say by the time we got back to the boat we were soaked through and through and late for a potluck. At this point all we wanted to do was shed our wet clothes and get warm. We all showered, got dressed and decided we were not going to go to the party dock to sit in the wind and cold. So we had dinner on the boat and later we had company. It was an interesting day to say the least. We would not have any stories otherwise. Noreen was glad she decided to leave the dogs home.
The next day there was a large farmers market within walking distance of the marina so we went to check it out. There were a lot of fresh fruits, vegetables, a few craft items and food booths. We stopped for lunch at a Mexican booth. Everything we got was really good. We never get tired of good Mexican food!!! After lunch we headed back toward the boat. We walked to a marine store that was just past the marina and we looked around at all the stuff. Next to the marine store was a little grocery store so we went in looking for hamburger buns. They didn’t have any. The nearest grocery store was about 4 blocks away and no one wanted to walk that far. So we decided we would use the bread we had on board. There is a BBQ tonight on the party dock and we are cooking hamburgers. After returning to the boat there was a bubble blowing contest on the party dock. You know----the kind you give to kids to make bubbles. Well I won first prize with my boobie bubble. It was a double bubble which looked like a pair of boobs so I yelled out I had made a boobie bubble and I guess they liked it. I won first place and the prize was a scratch ticket, a couple smiley face maze games and a bubble blower. Didn’t win anything on the scratch ticket but I had a lot of fun!!!! We gathered after that for dinner and everyone brought what meat they wanted to grill and a side dish to share and sat, ate and talked. The weather co-operated as it wasn’t really cold and windy and the sunset was absolutely beautiful. 
The next day was Labor Day, Monday the 3rd and we headed back to the Brownsville Marina. We had a fun and interesting weekend. We found out that Everett gets windy in the afternoon which makes it chilly. The trip home was uneventful and it was a beautiful day to be on the water. After getting into the slip and getting everything tied up and hooked up, Michael (my step son) his wife Dani and their son David came for a visit. Michael and David had been down to see us a few weeks ago without Dani because she had to work so this was a real treat to see them all together. 
Unfortunately we had plans for dinner which were made before we left for Everett. We didn’t know we would be seeing them until we got a call saying they were coming down. Dinner was scheduled for around 6:00pm or so and Carolyn, J.T., their son Christian, came down just before Michael, Dani and David got there. Noreen had been doing laundry at their condo and she hadn’t gotten back yet so we were just waiting. It was a little crazy with everyone there but at least I got a chance to talk to Dani and interact with David. He loves fish and wants to look in the water all the time. There were a lot of jelly fish floating and some small fish. All he could say was “fish, fish, jelly fish”.
Noreen got home so it was time to go to dinner. We are going to Famous Dave’s BBQ restaurant in Silverdale. We had to say goodbye to family. It was a shame it was such a short visit, but it happens. It was good to see the three of them. David is getting so big. He is a stubborn little man too!!! His parents have their hands full!!!!
What you are seeing is David having a temper tantrum!!!
We had a wonderful dinner and it was fun. Before leaving, we asked the waitress to take our picture. One was a goofy one and the other not so goofy. They are a little on the dark side but I think you will be able to make us all out. That was Dave and my final meal with our friends as we leave tomorrow afternoon. 
Noreen had to go to work so we had said our goodbyes to her before we went to bed. We had a wonderful stay with them and enjoyed our time together.
We had a few things to do in the morning before we left but were finally ready to leave after lunch. Dave said he would be satisfied if we just got as far as Portland for the night. We gave Ron a big hug and told him we would call him once we got to a hotel. We stopped at a hotel just outside of Portland and enjoyed a really nice room for a great price. We relaxed and then the next morning headed out around 8:00am with Dave driving until he got tired.
I called my sister, Colleen, in Ukiah to see if they were up to company but they weren’t. Hig is still having problems and is heavily medicated. I am so glad we stopped on the way to Washington. I pray all goes well with them.
We stopped in Red Bluff for the night and continued on journey to San Diego the next day. We stopped to see our good friends Phil and Creela and had a nice very visit. Before leaving the next morning they gave us some lemons and tangerines from their garden as a farewell gift. They will be in Bahia sometime in October.
After leaving Phil and Creela’s house, we crossed the border and headed for hotel, Santo Tomas, in Ensenada. Once checked in we went to Walmart and Costco to do some shopping. We couldn’t get a lot of stuff because the jeep was packed but we managed to get some items we can’t get in Bahia. We had a lovely dinner at McDonalds (cheap and tasty) then went back to the hotel and relaxed. The next day we were headed home.
The weather was good for the most part. We saw clouds to the south but it didn’t look too bad. When we got to Rosario to fill the gas tank we noticed the gas station lot was full of mud. The people were scrambling to clean it up with brooms and backhoes. What a mess! Dave found out that a torrential rain squall came through just about an hour ago and dumped a lot of rain for 4 hours. After filling the tank we got through the town and all seemed well until we saw a huge band of black clouds ahead and knew it wasn’t going to be pretty. We were heading toward the storm that dumped all that rain back in Rosario. We finally caught up with it and it rained so hard we couldn’t see the road ahead of us but just a few feet. Luckily there were a couple of semi trucks in front of us so we just stayed behind them. It reminded me of driving in Sacramento through the ground fog and only having a semi for a guide. It took a while but we finally made it through the storm to clearing skies. Thank goodness that was over. We finally turned to go to Bahia de Los Angeles with blue skies and nice temperatures. There were several places along the way before we turned for Bahia that had water running over the road. If we had waited another day we would have been in trouble with the road. Everything was going well and we could see the Sea of Cortez in front of us which means it wasn’t far before we would be home. Without warning, Dave saw too late a chunk of road missing due to a washout. He tried to slow down but couldn’t enough to cross over it at a decent speed. We hit it hard to where both of us grimaced going over it. We were concerned about the tires but everything seemed to be o.k. until Dave said the jeep was pulling to the right. NOT GOOD!!!! To me it would have meant the tires were out of alignment. To Dave, because he has had experience with flat tires, said it was a flat. Sure enough the passenger side front tire was really flat. We must have hit a sharp rock and it sliced the tire. Well this wasn’t good because the jack was buried under everything we packed. So this meant we had to unload a bunch of stuff out of the back of the jeep to get to the jack. Then Dave proceeded to find the spot to jack up the jeep. Because we have never had a flat tire on the jeep we didn’t know for sure where to place the jack. So we got the manual out and Dave was in business. Once the jeep was jacked up, he took the spare tire off the rack and rolled it over next to the flat tire. Dave proceeded to take the flat tire off and put the spare on. Luckily the sun was shining, we had no threat of rain and it wasn’t really hot. It was only in the 80’s which is cool for this time of year. Thank the good Lord for that. We put the flat tire on the mount where the spare tire was and secured it, put the jack back where it belonged and repacked the jeep. Then we were on our way again. Whew!!!! I found out I could not change those tires as they were too heavy for me. I did help jack the jeep up though. Luckily Dave was there. We stopped in town and filled the gas tank and then headed to the store to buy bread and milk. Then it was on the bumpy lumpy road to the house. Town is only about 10 minutes away from the house but with the road it takes us about 30 to 45 minutes. All is well with the spare tire and we made it home. Our gate guard came over to the house and helped us unpack. All this time clouds had been building overhead and we knew the storm we went through was catching up to us. We just got the jeep unloaded when the sky opened and it poured with thunder and lightning. The jeep got washed and so did my windows. We had heard it had rained a lot the month of August and in proof of that the desert was very green. It was absolutely beautiful!!!! We had a couple washouts on the road just past our house in our little compound but Ramon shoveled some dirt to fill them in.
It rained again the next day and night and we could see that the flats heading to Rincon was filled with water. Rincon is across the bay from us. This is not a good thing for those who live in there because they have to cross the flats in order to get to town. Also no one can get to them either to deliver water or propane. They end up stranded until the flats dry out. Sometimes it takes a month or more. The propane truck came out that Monday after we got home but was stopped by Ramon telling them the road was not travelable. We and the people in town were able to get propane which was good. We hadn’t seen the propane truck for months. They are trying to get back on a schedule again because the people in Rincon have the large stationary propane tanks and the truck is the only way to get them filled. They will be happy to get propane in October.
Everything is pretty much back to normal now. It has been hot and humid but we can feel coolness in the breeze so we know the weather is going to change here pretty soon. About another week and I think it will start cooling considerably. Then the north winds start to blow and it does get cold.
Dave has been out trying to catch fish but so far has only caught one Sierra. It is a white meat fish and very good!!! Creela and Phil, our Bahia neighbors are heading down shortly so Dave will have a fishing partner. Yea!!!!!
The gringos that have places in Bahia are starting to come down for the fall and will only stay until just before the holidays. All who come down in October will be gone after Thanksgiving if not before. They come back either in January or spring and stay until it gets too hot for them which is usually no later than the 1st of July. Actually the hottest months are August and September. The rest are bearable. Well we think so anyway. Everyone has their heat tolerance!
Larry and Lois, our landlords are coming down soon and they have a man that is interested in seeing the house. So it will be interesting to see what he thinks and whether or not he wants to buy. No worries!!!! Everything works out the way it is suppose to and we are not worried about it.
The Lady Washington leaving Brownsville Marina.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Summer of 2012
Summing up a three month vacation is going to be a challenge but I will do my best.
On June 4th we packed up and headed north. Our first stop, other than gas, was in La Mesa, San Diego. After getting settled in the hotel, we contacted both my Bahia friends, Penny and Ruth. Penny had been in San Diego with Ruth while Ruth is going through chemo treatments. Long story short, we got to see both of them and had a nice visit. Ruth looked really well for just having treatment that day. Next morning bright and early we headed out ahead of traffic and stopped for the night at Kettlemen City which is north of Los Angeles. Next stop was Ukiah where my sister Colleen and Hig live. We had a wonderful visit and little did we know it would be the only one of the summer. We then traveled to Crescent City and stopped for the night. Then it was on to Newport, Oregon. Since it didn’t take the whole day to get from Crescent City to Newport, we were able to stop early enough to enjoy the view, have lunch and walk on the beach. 
Shortly after we had lunch I took a walk on the beach while Dave just chilled from driving. Walking north on the beach away from the hotel, I saw a bunch of people standing around a huge object on the beach. As I got closer I found it was part of the dock that washed ashore from the Japanese tsunami. It was awesome to see it in person. Of course I didn’t have my camera with me so I didn’t get pictures. Due to the coverage of it on the news, you know what it looks like. There was a beautiful sunset to be enjoyed that night and we were looking forward to our last leg of the trip, ending it in Brownsville, Washington on the 12th. It has been a good trip and lots of sunshine, but I can see it won’t last all the way to Washington as the clouds are beginning to gather.
We have arrived at the Brownsville Marina where we will be staying with our really good friends, Ron and Noreen, on their 45 foot Bayliner. Being it is a Tuesday, Ron was there to greet us but Noreen was working.
Now starts the fun stuff. Doctor visits and Dave’s eye surgery.
Friday the 15th, Dave went to see his physician to get a well checkup. It is required now before eye surgery. All was good. Clean bill of health.
I got a clean bill of health when I saw my doctor on the 18th. Yippee!!!!
On the16th Ernie, his girlfriend Brooke, and E.J. invited me to a Mariners game. I got to meet Brooke for the first time and she is a lovely lady!!!!! 
She does talk more than Ernie I have to admit, but she is fun!!!! Good choice Son!!! E.J. of course had grown quite a bit and now is just a hair taller than I am. Of course he is growing and I am shrinking!!! What is up with that???? Somehow that doesn’t seem fair! I got the biggest hug from all three of them. That was really nice. We had a ball at the game. No pun intended. Fun! Fun!
Dave and I had dinner at his daughter, Kristen’s house. We had a great meal and good conversation and after dinner we taught them how to play the cruiser Mexican Train. Fun was had by all and it was good to spend some time with our oldest grandsons and get to know them a little more. They certainly are growing up!!
Dave had an appointment on the 25th with the eye doctor that will perform the surgery, to discuss things and check the cataract eye one more time. All looks good for surgery.
We had dinner with Jon and his girlfriend Susannah at Tommy C’s in Port Orchard. The restaurant is owned and run by Tom Cash and his wife. Tom was a Star of the Sea school classmate of Jon’s and also one of the boys in my Cub Scout den. We had a great dinner and I enjoyed visiting with Susannah. Tom and Jon hadn’t seen each other for a long time so they were catching up. Jon is very serious about Susannah and I think they will end up getting married. It was really good to see Jon and meet the love of his life. She is a very pretty lady!
Dave had his pre-op check-up on July 2nd and now he has to start eye drops to prepare the eye for surgery.
Jon sent Dave and I Sounder tickets for the game on Saturday, July 7th, which will be fun as Dave has never been to a Sounder game.
The Brownsville Yacht club had a cruise to Bremerton Yacht club. The park they had been working on is finished and it is very nice. We enjoyed good food, music and games. Dave and I had to leave early on Saturday to take the ferry to Seattle for the Sounder game. The game was awesome and Dave and I had a lot of fun. The sounders won of course so it was an added plus to the day. When we got back to the Bremerton Yacht club, there was a party on Ron and Noreen’s boat so we joined in. It ended up being a late night, but fun. Nice way to celebrate the win of the Sounders and be with our friends.
Monday, July 9th Dave had his surgery. All went well and now he has a routine of putting drops in his eyes for a few weeks. Then he gets another check up and he is done!!!
I have been cross stitching a soccer boy for E.J. I want to give it to him before we go home. I will make one for Eian too, but not enough time to do another one. It takes about a month or so to do.
Spent a couple days at Ernie and Brookes and enjoyed seeing Dominick, Brody, and E.J. Brody is our new grandson, since Brooke and Ernie have been together. So I had fun with them all.
Before Ernie, Brooke, E.J. and Eian went on vacation; we got to spend another time with E.J. and Eian. 
Brody was with his dad. We played corn hole which is a fun game. Here is a picture of the finished corn hole box that Ernie and E.J. worked on. 
The object of the game is to throw bean bags and make it into the hole. Needless to say I never won. The boys have a big advantage over Dave and me. They play it a lot. It was fun to have this special time with everyone and get to know Brooke better. I really enjoyed spending time with Eian too!!!! Because he lives with his mother, we never know when we will get to see him.
On the 28th Dave, me, Noreen and Ron went to the Mariners game to see Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson inducted into the baseball hall of fame. It was an awesome ceremony and game. The mariners won!!!!! Each of us received a Dan and Randy bobble head.
We gave them to Eian and E.J. They were stoked!!!! This was the weekend I was suppose to travel down with Jon to California, having Ernie, Brooke, Eian and E.J. come a day later. E.J. had a soccer tournament that Friday and Saturday. Well as it turns out, Hig had knee surgery and he wasn’t doing so well and he wasn’t feeling good enough to have company so he asked that we not come. So we canceled the trip. Hig developed a rapid heart rate which couldn’t be lowered for a while, which scared everyone. He was seeing the doctor a lot and trying different medications that put him out of commission. It just wasn’t a good time for a visit. Hopefully next year. That is why I said earlier I was glad we had a great visit with my sis and Hig on our way to Washington. The boys and grandboys were bummed but that is the way it goes sometimes. As it turned out, Jon took Susannah to the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon for the weekend and Ernie, Brooke, Eian and E.J. went to the Cor d lane theme park for the week. They had a really good time. The weather was absolutely beautiful, hot inland and warm on the coast.
We had dinner with Gary, Laurie, and Ruth on August 3rd. Also Gary and Laurie’s daughter and son-in-law were at the table right next to us. We had a great visit. It is a new restaurant in Silverdale, named Hop Jacks which use to be the old Sandpiper restaurant on the Silverdale waterfront. Nice place and good food.
The next day, Saturday, I went kayaking with 3 of the Brownsville Babes. Noreen, Fleeta, and Terry. The guys were in the dinghy with refreshment!!! Wine of course!!! Us gals paddled all over the marina and then up the estuary. I had always wanted to go there so I am glad I had a chance this time. It was late afternoon and we were all having fun. The guys left after awhile and I started heading back to Ron and Noreen’s boat to get out of the kayak. I got to the dock and tied the kayak to the cleat and put the paddle on the dock, proceeding to carefully get up and out of the kayak. Well before I knew it I was in the water and the kayak was upside down. Luckily I had the sense to tie it up and put the paddle on the dock. As I am trying to get out of the water, picture me hanging onto a cleat and trying to get some foothold on the slippery dock. It was much too high for me to jump up on. I started to laugh and the gals came by and were scurrying to get me out. There was no ladder to climb out on so Noreen and Fleeta tried to pull me up, but I could see they would be joining me in the water. So I told them forget it. We didn’t know where the guys were so they weren’t there to help. So finally I made my way along the dock to the back of Ron and Noreen’s boat and climbed up the swim ladder to safety!!!!! Fleeta was so worried I was super cold but I was comfortable. It was good it had been a hot day because the water was refreshing. I rinsed off the salt water and changed while Noreen went and righted the kayak. Dave had been onboard preparing dinner and he said he had heard a bunch of laughing, but no cries for help so he just ignored it. All was well and we had a great laugh over it all!!!! I have learned to get in a kayak but still need to work on getting out of one. Ha!!!!!
The Ron, Dave and Fleeta went crabbing quite often and brought back some big guys.
Since we gathered so much crab Noreen decided to make her really good Choppino. Dock party!!!!! 
The soccer boy cross stitch is finished just in time to take it to Brooke and Ernie’s this weekend, August 17-19. Ernie and Brooke left Friday morning early and left E.J. at home. They didn’t want him by himself all weekend so asked if we could come up to Marysville to keep him company. Ernie tried to get a hold of Eian so he could be there too, but it never happened. Friday afternoon we arrived at the house and were greeted by E.J., his dog Diego, and Brookes little bulldog Petie!! We had pizza for dinner and we played corn hole, which of course E.J. won!!! 
Then when it got dark E.J. made a fire in the firepit in the backyard. He did a great job and I was very impressed!!!! We watched Diego chase the sparks. He is a pretty dog, but oh so dumb!!! He stares at shadows and keeps us entertained!!!
Saturday I made breakfast for us and then I soaked the finished soccer boy cross stitch in water to clean it. E.J. asked me what that was so I showed him and said it was going to be his. After it was dry, he helped me stretch it and tape it to the back of a frame I brought with me. We got all done and looked at it and E.J. was very happy. Then he looked at the back and found that the hook to hang it from was upside down!!!! Ooops!!! I wasn’t going to take it out and redo it so I ended up going to the store to get a package of picture hangers. When I got back E.J. put the hook on it and found a nail in the garage to hang it on his bedroom wall. Looks pretty good if I say so myself. Here is a picture with him holding it and then on his bedroom wall.
Sunday we had to leave E.J. and head for Jon’s. Ernie and Brooke were to be home that evening. Ernie had aady soccer tournament in Spokane over the weekend so they combined it with some fun time for the two of them. They were celebrating their 1 year together anniversary which was special.
We got to Jon and Susannah’s that afternoon. We had a very nice visit and dinner. Oh yeah----Dave and I are going to be grandparents again. Another grandson due in January. CONGRATULATIONS to Jon and Susannah. We are very happy for them!!! We thought for sure Jon would have a girl, but no. He will carry on with a boy!!
The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain came to Brownsville Marina. I took Brooke, E.J. and Brody on board the Chieftain. The Lady wasn't giving tours this time. It was a quick look through but I think Brody and Brooke enjoyed it. E.J. was bored!!!! Of course----he is 15!!!!
It was a fun day!!!!
Noreen and Ron threw me a mini birthday party. It was just Carolyn, Fleeta, Ron and Noreen's neighbor, Dave and of course Ron and Noreen. It was a nice surprise!!!! Wooohoo!!!! I'm 60!!!! Life gets better. Well that is the way I'm looking at it now. When I'm 70 I may change my tune! Ha!! I'm still young and full of life!!! The guys BBQ'd oysters on the half shell and Noreen made rice and a salad. It was yummy. Everything was going great until I couldn't breathe and I was choking!!!! No one knew I was choking because I went to get a glass of water and it wouldn't go down. Panic!!!! I started to go out where everybody was but then I felt like throwing up so I went to the galley and did just that. I finally got the oyster up and then I could flush the rest down with water. I could breathe again!!!!! What happened was I had rice and then an oyster after and it got stuck. It happens sometimes when I eat rice and chicken. But I could always wash it down with liquid. Not this time. So I lived to tell about it!!!! I guess God isn't done with me yet!! Ha!!! I am glad it turned out good.
My life is going to get interesting the next few months as we may be bringing the boat back to Seattle to sell. Hopefully it will sell here, but we aren't holding our breath!!! The market for used boats is picking up a little in Mexico, but our boat is going to be for someone who is specifically looking for our type of boat. God has a plan and I am leaving it up to Him!!! No worries!!!!
Time is getting short and we will be leaving on the 4th of September. We are going to Everett on Ron and Noreen’s boat to join the Brownsville yacht club there. Dave and I never have been to Everett by boat so it should be fun. The weather looks as though it will be warm and beautiful.
Shortly after we had lunch I took a walk on the beach while Dave just chilled from driving. Walking north on the beach away from the hotel, I saw a bunch of people standing around a huge object on the beach. As I got closer I found it was part of the dock that washed ashore from the Japanese tsunami. It was awesome to see it in person. Of course I didn’t have my camera with me so I didn’t get pictures. Due to the coverage of it on the news, you know what it looks like. There was a beautiful sunset to be enjoyed that night and we were looking forward to our last leg of the trip, ending it in Brownsville, Washington on the 12th. It has been a good trip and lots of sunshine, but I can see it won’t last all the way to Washington as the clouds are beginning to gather.
We have arrived at the Brownsville Marina where we will be staying with our really good friends, Ron and Noreen, on their 45 foot Bayliner. Being it is a Tuesday, Ron was there to greet us but Noreen was working.
Now starts the fun stuff. Doctor visits and Dave’s eye surgery.
Friday the 15th, Dave went to see his physician to get a well checkup. It is required now before eye surgery. All was good. Clean bill of health.
I got a clean bill of health when I saw my doctor on the 18th. Yippee!!!!
On the16th Ernie, his girlfriend Brooke, and E.J. invited me to a Mariners game. I got to meet Brooke for the first time and she is a lovely lady!!!!! 
She does talk more than Ernie I have to admit, but she is fun!!!! Good choice Son!!! E.J. of course had grown quite a bit and now is just a hair taller than I am. Of course he is growing and I am shrinking!!! What is up with that???? Somehow that doesn’t seem fair! I got the biggest hug from all three of them. That was really nice. We had a ball at the game. No pun intended. Fun! Fun!
Dave and I had dinner at his daughter, Kristen’s house. We had a great meal and good conversation and after dinner we taught them how to play the cruiser Mexican Train. Fun was had by all and it was good to spend some time with our oldest grandsons and get to know them a little more. They certainly are growing up!!
Dave had an appointment on the 25th with the eye doctor that will perform the surgery, to discuss things and check the cataract eye one more time. All looks good for surgery.
We had dinner with Jon and his girlfriend Susannah at Tommy C’s in Port Orchard. The restaurant is owned and run by Tom Cash and his wife. Tom was a Star of the Sea school classmate of Jon’s and also one of the boys in my Cub Scout den. We had a great dinner and I enjoyed visiting with Susannah. Tom and Jon hadn’t seen each other for a long time so they were catching up. Jon is very serious about Susannah and I think they will end up getting married. It was really good to see Jon and meet the love of his life. She is a very pretty lady!
Dave had his pre-op check-up on July 2nd and now he has to start eye drops to prepare the eye for surgery.
Jon sent Dave and I Sounder tickets for the game on Saturday, July 7th, which will be fun as Dave has never been to a Sounder game.
The Brownsville Yacht club had a cruise to Bremerton Yacht club. The park they had been working on is finished and it is very nice. We enjoyed good food, music and games. Dave and I had to leave early on Saturday to take the ferry to Seattle for the Sounder game. The game was awesome and Dave and I had a lot of fun. The sounders won of course so it was an added plus to the day. When we got back to the Bremerton Yacht club, there was a party on Ron and Noreen’s boat so we joined in. It ended up being a late night, but fun. Nice way to celebrate the win of the Sounders and be with our friends.
Monday, July 9th Dave had his surgery. All went well and now he has a routine of putting drops in his eyes for a few weeks. Then he gets another check up and he is done!!!
I have been cross stitching a soccer boy for E.J. I want to give it to him before we go home. I will make one for Eian too, but not enough time to do another one. It takes about a month or so to do.
Spent a couple days at Ernie and Brookes and enjoyed seeing Dominick, Brody, and E.J. Brody is our new grandson, since Brooke and Ernie have been together. So I had fun with them all.
Before Ernie, Brooke, E.J. and Eian went on vacation; we got to spend another time with E.J. and Eian. 
Brody was with his dad. We played corn hole which is a fun game. Here is a picture of the finished corn hole box that Ernie and E.J. worked on. 
The object of the game is to throw bean bags and make it into the hole. Needless to say I never won. The boys have a big advantage over Dave and me. They play it a lot. It was fun to have this special time with everyone and get to know Brooke better. I really enjoyed spending time with Eian too!!!! Because he lives with his mother, we never know when we will get to see him.
On the 28th Dave, me, Noreen and Ron went to the Mariners game to see Dan Wilson and Randy Johnson inducted into the baseball hall of fame. It was an awesome ceremony and game. The mariners won!!!!! Each of us received a Dan and Randy bobble head.
We gave them to Eian and E.J. They were stoked!!!! This was the weekend I was suppose to travel down with Jon to California, having Ernie, Brooke, Eian and E.J. come a day later. E.J. had a soccer tournament that Friday and Saturday. Well as it turns out, Hig had knee surgery and he wasn’t doing so well and he wasn’t feeling good enough to have company so he asked that we not come. So we canceled the trip. Hig developed a rapid heart rate which couldn’t be lowered for a while, which scared everyone. He was seeing the doctor a lot and trying different medications that put him out of commission. It just wasn’t a good time for a visit. Hopefully next year. That is why I said earlier I was glad we had a great visit with my sis and Hig on our way to Washington. The boys and grandboys were bummed but that is the way it goes sometimes. As it turned out, Jon took Susannah to the beach in Lincoln City, Oregon for the weekend and Ernie, Brooke, Eian and E.J. went to the Cor d lane theme park for the week. They had a really good time. The weather was absolutely beautiful, hot inland and warm on the coast.
We had dinner with Gary, Laurie, and Ruth on August 3rd. Also Gary and Laurie’s daughter and son-in-law were at the table right next to us. We had a great visit. It is a new restaurant in Silverdale, named Hop Jacks which use to be the old Sandpiper restaurant on the Silverdale waterfront. Nice place and good food.
The next day, Saturday, I went kayaking with 3 of the Brownsville Babes. Noreen, Fleeta, and Terry. The guys were in the dinghy with refreshment!!! Wine of course!!! Us gals paddled all over the marina and then up the estuary. I had always wanted to go there so I am glad I had a chance this time. It was late afternoon and we were all having fun. The guys left after awhile and I started heading back to Ron and Noreen’s boat to get out of the kayak. I got to the dock and tied the kayak to the cleat and put the paddle on the dock, proceeding to carefully get up and out of the kayak. Well before I knew it I was in the water and the kayak was upside down. Luckily I had the sense to tie it up and put the paddle on the dock. As I am trying to get out of the water, picture me hanging onto a cleat and trying to get some foothold on the slippery dock. It was much too high for me to jump up on. I started to laugh and the gals came by and were scurrying to get me out. There was no ladder to climb out on so Noreen and Fleeta tried to pull me up, but I could see they would be joining me in the water. So I told them forget it. We didn’t know where the guys were so they weren’t there to help. So finally I made my way along the dock to the back of Ron and Noreen’s boat and climbed up the swim ladder to safety!!!!! Fleeta was so worried I was super cold but I was comfortable. It was good it had been a hot day because the water was refreshing. I rinsed off the salt water and changed while Noreen went and righted the kayak. Dave had been onboard preparing dinner and he said he had heard a bunch of laughing, but no cries for help so he just ignored it. All was well and we had a great laugh over it all!!!! I have learned to get in a kayak but still need to work on getting out of one. Ha!!!!!
The Ron, Dave and Fleeta went crabbing quite often and brought back some big guys.
Since we gathered so much crab Noreen decided to make her really good Choppino. Dock party!!!!! 
The soccer boy cross stitch is finished just in time to take it to Brooke and Ernie’s this weekend, August 17-19. Ernie and Brooke left Friday morning early and left E.J. at home. They didn’t want him by himself all weekend so asked if we could come up to Marysville to keep him company. Ernie tried to get a hold of Eian so he could be there too, but it never happened. Friday afternoon we arrived at the house and were greeted by E.J., his dog Diego, and Brookes little bulldog Petie!! We had pizza for dinner and we played corn hole, which of course E.J. won!!! 
Then when it got dark E.J. made a fire in the firepit in the backyard. He did a great job and I was very impressed!!!! We watched Diego chase the sparks. He is a pretty dog, but oh so dumb!!! He stares at shadows and keeps us entertained!!!
Saturday I made breakfast for us and then I soaked the finished soccer boy cross stitch in water to clean it. E.J. asked me what that was so I showed him and said it was going to be his. After it was dry, he helped me stretch it and tape it to the back of a frame I brought with me. We got all done and looked at it and E.J. was very happy. Then he looked at the back and found that the hook to hang it from was upside down!!!! Ooops!!! I wasn’t going to take it out and redo it so I ended up going to the store to get a package of picture hangers. When I got back E.J. put the hook on it and found a nail in the garage to hang it on his bedroom wall. Looks pretty good if I say so myself. Here is a picture with him holding it and then on his bedroom wall.
Sunday we had to leave E.J. and head for Jon’s. Ernie and Brooke were to be home that evening. Ernie had aady soccer tournament in Spokane over the weekend so they combined it with some fun time for the two of them. They were celebrating their 1 year together anniversary which was special.
We got to Jon and Susannah’s that afternoon. We had a very nice visit and dinner. Oh yeah----Dave and I are going to be grandparents again. Another grandson due in January. CONGRATULATIONS to Jon and Susannah. We are very happy for them!!! We thought for sure Jon would have a girl, but no. He will carry on with a boy!!
The Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain came to Brownsville Marina. I took Brooke, E.J. and Brody on board the Chieftain. The Lady wasn't giving tours this time. It was a quick look through but I think Brody and Brooke enjoyed it. E.J. was bored!!!! Of course----he is 15!!!!
It was a fun day!!!!
Noreen and Ron threw me a mini birthday party. It was just Carolyn, Fleeta, Ron and Noreen's neighbor, Dave and of course Ron and Noreen. It was a nice surprise!!!! Wooohoo!!!! I'm 60!!!! Life gets better. Well that is the way I'm looking at it now. When I'm 70 I may change my tune! Ha!! I'm still young and full of life!!! The guys BBQ'd oysters on the half shell and Noreen made rice and a salad. It was yummy. Everything was going great until I couldn't breathe and I was choking!!!! No one knew I was choking because I went to get a glass of water and it wouldn't go down. Panic!!!! I started to go out where everybody was but then I felt like throwing up so I went to the galley and did just that. I finally got the oyster up and then I could flush the rest down with water. I could breathe again!!!!! What happened was I had rice and then an oyster after and it got stuck. It happens sometimes when I eat rice and chicken. But I could always wash it down with liquid. Not this time. So I lived to tell about it!!!! I guess God isn't done with me yet!! Ha!!! I am glad it turned out good.
My life is going to get interesting the next few months as we may be bringing the boat back to Seattle to sell. Hopefully it will sell here, but we aren't holding our breath!!! The market for used boats is picking up a little in Mexico, but our boat is going to be for someone who is specifically looking for our type of boat. God has a plan and I am leaving it up to Him!!! No worries!!!!
Time is getting short and we will be leaving on the 4th of September. We are going to Everett on Ron and Noreen’s boat to join the Brownsville yacht club there. Dave and I never have been to Everett by boat so it should be fun. The weather looks as though it will be warm and beautiful.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
