It's Selle Time!

Brady & Cathy have 8 days with us this year, and we want to make the most of it!  The water is pancake flat the day after they arrive, so Mark and Brady go fishing. Cathy and I are pretty content to just make each other laugh and catch up on one another's lives. Sure enough, the boys come back with a fish, so we feasted on Sierra for dinner!

Mark took them to the Biosphere in hopes of a day of hiking, but the trail proved harder to find than the last time we were up there.  They enjoyed a nice drive and saw some beautiful country. They stopped at the hot springs so the boys could soak a little before returning home.  Another day we took them to one of our favorite snorkel spots and enjoyed the afternoon watching the pelicans. It is so good to see pelicans in the area again! I took them on a big hike up a baby mountain behind our place, and we even enjoyed a nice bonfire one night, while watching the meteor shower.  Good times indeed!

The giant acacia trees of the biosphere

Snorkeling at el Cardonal

1st Saturday Service at Herberts

Fresh seafood cocktails on the way home from meeting on Sunday

A little night music

By the fire

Oh, and we hosted an intimate gathering for 18 during their stay! Steve and Vikki are moving out of our neighborhood at the end of the month, and needed a proper send off.  It felt good to have that much laughter on the roof again!  We even sang a song or two. ;)

Well, of course there was cake! (even if my oven wasn't level, haha)

A perfect ending to a great week of activity!  

Even Service is Great Here

 There are three meetings for service in our neighborhood each week, and there is excellent support.  Some travel up to half an hour (one sister almost an hour), but that doesn't stop them from coming.  Tuesdays it is at the Baileys, and the 1st Tuesday there is a potluck lunch for all, including those who aren't able to go out that day.  Friday is at Grillos, and Gene is the coffeemaster!  While the rest of the world was learning to make sourdough during the pandemic, Gene was learning to roast beans and perfect his barista skills. There is always a yummy dessert to go with it too! Saturday is a big day for service too.  We now have the meeting for service at our place on Saturday until we leave.  Monday is over Zoom, and Wed, Thurs, and Sunday are closer to the Hall.

Service has been good.  Many new studies, and others have decided to resume their study after years. There are 4 locations for the carts, and we have been able to join the fun! All the growth in the area has expanded the territory too. This English group has the biggest territory in all of Baja Sur. This is a busy season for the English group at the meetings too. We are now having almost 40 at the weekend meeting.  Many visitors, and the Hall is lively with chatter.  The visitors bring some great talks too!  

Nitro Iced Coffee today. So smooooooooth

Los Barriles English Welcomes You!

The Yard

 The neighborhood is growing by leaps and bounds, but we are still wide open on the arroyo side. The snowbirds are returning, but so are the songbirds.  Cut oranges feed orioles and gila woodpeckers, and mixed seed attracts the cardinals and finches.  Jack has turned into such a Baja dog, he doesn't even raise an eyebrow over the flock of quail that come in the yard twice a day.

Things are blooming, and the cows and goats look good this year.  There is a mama donkey and her baby in the arroyo, so they serenade us through the night.  Have a look around and see the sights!

Neem trees, palo de arco, oleander and moringa trees line the fence along the arroyo

The winds are coming.  The kiters are happy to see days like this!

Across the street

Settling In

 Coming earlier in the season allows us more calm days for time on the water.  We have had some beautiful days, and  even got a little fishing in. Of course, our fishing skills have not improved over time, but we are not easily discouraged! Let's go get wet!

What a great way to start the day!

We were only on the water a few minutes before we saw whales between here and shore

Jack has his cool sunshade on

Nothing like a good swim after being out on the water

Of course, Jack is always ready for another water day, so we took another spin the next day.

All that fishing wears a dog out

Now that everyone has had their dose of Vitamin Sea, let's get ready for Selle's visit next week!

Service in Cabo Pulmo

 When we heard there was a group going to Cabo Pulmo for service, we said, "Count us in!" This hardy group made plans to go for the day, and work their way in service on the way home. 

We said, "Why go for the day, when we can bring our trailer and play a little too?"

We decide to leave the afternoon before so we will have time to get there and set up.  We camp along the way, and as we are traveling to our arranged meeting spot the next morning, the group passes us on the road.  They had things all planned out for us by the time we got there.

Service was great!  There were 12 of us total, in 3 groups.  We opted for the walking territory, which included some informal, and had  some nice conversations, including one with a man who spent 20 years in Missoula! The water was gorgeous, and it was a little hard to concentrate, haha.  Jack waited patiently in the trailer, in the shade, until we all met back at Tito's restaurant for lunch. The family that owns the restaurant are in the Spanish congregation in Santa Cruz (where the Kingdom Hall is), and made us a delicious lunch!  Mark and I had fresh dorado (mahi mahi).  Everyone shared service experiences while we filled our bellies, and soon it was time to say goodbye to the service group and start the goofing off!

It is so green! That hurricane really brightened things up!

The driving group

The walking group, haha

See why we got a little distracted???

A little beach witnessing, haha

Tito's restaurant, home of the Minjares family

Jack is adjusting to the heat, this one is freezing!

Cory and Janice Grauman, Steve and Vikki Bailey (left), Kenny & Pam Cunningham

Having a little fun at the campsite (see the horses in the distance?)

We set up camp in a little public camp spot right on the water.  Jack really enjoyed swimming and looking for dead fish.  The next morning, we took a walk and Mark did a little snorkeling. 

Sunrise from camp

My morning cup of "instant joe"

We spent a few valuable minutes trying to figure out just how this happened.....

Can't pull it out.  Must be the missing link

The water is calling and I must go

But first we will head back from our lovely hike.  Jack has managed to find a coconut husk that he thinks is worth about a million dog treats.  He carries it for some distance, then decides it would be best to deposit that thing in the bank and let it collect interest.  He desperately searches for the ideal spot.

"No one will ever think of looking here, right by the road...."
He proudly buries his treasure with his nose.

Time to wash off all traces, and test the water temperature for Mark

Giving Mark some last minute instructions

Lifeguard on duty

The pelicans kept a close eye on him, but all too soon it was time to turn the wagons for home.

No shortage of cows along the road

We have more events planned for the weekend, so must get back.  But it was refreshing and so much fun!