NEOS

Friday, January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T06:53:00.001-08:00

0729, Fri, 012712. La Paz. Mother Nature gave us a break last night. The wind has stopped for the time being. How nice.

We didn't venture far from Neos. I straightened things out in the workshop and worked on some small projects here and there. Sue was busy on the computer with the end of the year compiling of pictures. Rock N Roll got the motor started but it still isn't right, so they made it to the docks to tie up and now it sounds like they are going to pull the head. It should be fixed up in a couple of days.

We have been asking around about different boats to take out for fishing trips since Eric is interested in going after one of the big ones. One of the guys called yesterday but it was way too rough for us to travel in the morning. He wants us to come over for a look at his boat. He called in the morning to say he had other business up at Palmira but would be back later in the day. He got stuck up there and called back about three. Now this guy has to be good. He called to say he couldn't make it in the afternoon since his little girl gets home from school and he had to be there to help her with homework. I like this guy already.

Card game was just so so. Sue was hot and I was not. Pay back time I guess. Then came movie time. Last nights feature, the last season of Weeds. Mom is out of jail, no witness protection as promised. Her husband was killed in jail but she was moved to a half way house. Definitely not going straight.more later..

Thursday, January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T07:04:00.001-08:00

0731, Thu, 012612. La Paz. The wind continues as the boats waltz. Keeping my helm over to the side has really seemed to calm Neos down a lot. Now we need to get the word out to the rest of the fleet. We got up during the night to check on the others. There was one monohull next to us that was running wild. Sue said she would stay up for awhile to watch. Things went fine but we have a sleepy head this morning.

I worked on the knobs on our port holes, each window having two little knobs that can be adjusted by screwing them tighter or looser. This ability to adjust them has diminished over time so I removed them and after cleaning the threads with a small pick and adding a drop of antilock oil to help them stay active for the future I think they are in good shape. A few gave up the ghost with the metal pin shearing off so we will replace those. Sue was busy but the books for the grandkids are complete. She finished up Max's book yesterday. I think they will be just as good as the others. I helped with the editing, almost a never ending job. Max has been reading his books (five in all) lately and really enjoys them.

We tried an earlier time on our Skype call making contact at 5:30 our time. For some reason their picture wasn't coming through, always seems to be a hitch. It was fun to talk with them. Eric took Max to the Monster Truck show. That was a big hit.

I took the card game in the afternoon, whew, walked away with it really. Movie time, and we are back to the movies. We watched Cars II. Another Pixar well done. It must have taken a ton of work to put it together. Looking back, I remember when Roger Rabbit came out, they predicted it would be the last of animated cartoons. I think it just bumped up the appetite and new ways were found to produce the products. A must see movie.more later..

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

0750, Wed, 012512. La Paz. The beautiful weather has left us behind for the time being, the wind is here. With gusts to the twenty knot range it wouldn't be much of a big deal, but the tide runs in both directions and when it runs the opposite direction of the wind the boats get to dancing. The boat next to us really started dancing and the guy got rather indignant, like I was the one that decided to swing crazy. Well, he was the first one in so it was my obligation to do something so I kept a close eye on things for the afternoon wondering what the heck the boats were going to do. Finally I had had enough and said to Sue it was time to move. We did a lot of looking around for a better spot, the question being where to go. We finally made our move and like a couple of pros, we managed to get the hook up and back down without too much trouble. It is always exciting in a blow but add the tide and it is really hard to figure. Hopefully we are settled into a much better spot. Now I did learn something through all this. Usually the helm is left pointing straight ahead. The wind fills the back of the boat pushing forward until the boat reaches the end of its tether. Then the boat makes a big sweeping turn and runs with the tide back to the other end of the tether. It can turn into quite a ride when the wind and tides are equal in opposite directions. I got to thinking, boats at sea can "heave too" in heavy weather and simply rock back and forth without making much headway. I gave the helm a crank all the way to windward and we stopped shooting back and forth. Now, why isn't this stuff in the books. I guess some things just have to be figured out, called experience, huh?

During my watch I noticed a boat coming down the channel that wasn't like all the other boats. This one was one of those big day cruiser type boats that usually sport the big engines. It wasn't in the best of shape. Then I noticed the military boat running alongside it with the military guys at the ready with their rifles wearing black hoods. I understand they wore black knit hoods so the bad guys can't ID them and put out a hit. The guys aboard the big boat were all sitting in a row and from what I could see, didn't look too happy. The boat was escorted into the military docks and tied up there. Looked like a bust to me.

Our friends are in the middle of a mechanic's visit, never fun, so we cancelled the card game. I think that was prudent with all the winds. Sue and I had at it though, but I got whipped, oh well.

We watched a DVD that was given us and then headed to bedmore later..

Tuesday, January 23, 2012

2012-01-24T07:21:00.000-08:00

0756, Tue, 012412. La Paz. We had another one of those perfect days here, small breeze, flat seas. We headed into town in the morning for business. The Telcel lady wanted us to drop by, something wrong with the contract. She had put a zero in a spot that didn't apply when it was supposed to be N/A, so she had to recopy the page and have me sign three spots. It is funny because it looks like the attention to detail is so minute they miss the big picture.

We finally found our wood putty. Well, not exactly what we wanted. It is known as resanador in these parts and cannot be found at the local equal to Home Depot (Los Arcos). We dropped in the paint store and found they had some cans of different colored putty. They had a range from beige to very light brown, ha. I told Sue that I don't think they finish anything to a point that they need putty. I want a dark color so Sue came up with the idea of using shoe polish to darken the stuff, so next trip to town we will be looking for some Shinola.

We dropped by the Chedraui grocery for a couple of items and ended up with a couple of bagfuls. The grocery stores are now in competition since the opening of the Mega a couple of blocks down the main street from Chedraui. Ched is now giving away bright orange recyclable bags for your groceries. As we were walking back to the marina we saw three little trucks with big signs on the back for Mega with music blaring and we also noticed the cardboard sign in the front window of the bus telling the destination has been changed out for a nicely made sign with Mega's name in full view. Competition is always a good thing.

Somewhere during our travels we slipped by the club house at the marina. They have a coffee time every morning so I thought it was time we meet some people. We found Russ and Janet but didn't meet too many people. We did pick up a nice new Mexican flag for Neos though. They seem to beat themselves to dust in the wind, time for a new one.

We finished up the day with RNR, the guys were nothing short of HOT. We took the first round so strongly the gals forfeited. We started anew and once again took the first round in similar manner. It wasn't to last long, the ladies made a good win in the third game then us guys won the forth. Not bad, not bad at all.

We finished up Californication. It was a sad ending with the guys never really pulling out of their slumpmore later..

Monday, January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T07:02:00.001-08:00

0731, Mon, 012312. La Paz. We went on a big adventure yesterday, a trip by bus to The Home Depot. We talked with our friends on RNR since they had done the trip already. It was pretty simple really and went slick as a whistle. We headed out of the marina and walked a couple of blocks to where the bus would pass. No sooner did we get there and the next vehicle to pass was our bus. Like a small school bus, nothing fancy but being Sunday, no chickens. The path the bus took must have some reason but we wandered all over town all the while getting closer to THD. It showed up clear on the other end of town, we got off, crossed the main street, and were at the front door. We found some line I needed, changed plans on some hardware, and couldn't find any wood putty. We walked the aisles one by one and never found any putty at all, plenty of caulking but that won't do. We had to go right past Wal-Mart for the bus so we poked in there and they too had the same section of glues and caulking but no wood putty. I don't think the local workers finish anything that well, no need for the stuff. We headed out to the curb finding the shady bench and the bus was along within five minutes. We wandered through town once again and found our way back to a short walk to the marina.

It turned out to be quite windy yesterday, something that wasn't predicted but it calmed some in the evening. We got a call from RNR saying they were ready to leave the docks so we headed in with the dinghy to help be their tug boat as they maneuvered out of their tight spot. It worked out perfectly with just a little nudge on the side of the bow and they were off. Once they dropped the hook they came over for cards where we exchanged one for one which is a big win for us guys since we usually lose, ha.

RNR is having motor problems, unable to get their engine restarted, but such is boating, harrumph (or stink! Our new word for bummers).

While we played, a boat came in and anchored right on top of us. We went out to explain he was too close and he agreed. As he brought up the anchor he got crosswise to the wind and we hurried out as their bow passed real close to ours. No harm, just another part of cruising. They moved to another spot and once again got chased away for being too close. Finally they dropped the hook at the end of the crowd and spent the night. Unfortunately the military will be by to claim their waters and tell them to move on. Why doesn't the military put out a couple of buoys? Guess they keep busy chasing us yachties away.

With the card game complete, the waters nice and calm, our day was over and time for the movie. Those poor slobs just keep sticking their foot in the mess. Oh well, just TV..more later

Sunday, January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T07:09:00.000-08:00

0718, Sun, 012212. La Paz. We had an interesting day, but first off I tackled the leaky water filter. I thought I was going to have to get some new parts but once the filter was removed and all the little fittings around it I found I could remedy the problem with some Teflon tape. It looked like the previous taping job had worn out over the past five or six years and simply needed a redo. I got the equipment all put back together and it is working perfectly. Make my day.

Just after midday we headed into the marina to meet with Bert and Petra. They had invited us to their place in the country for a visit. When Bert arrived he had another couple with him, Jerry and Sky. They were also along for the visit and have known Bert and Petra for some time. Getting to know Jerry and Sky, it turned out they were visiting here from Northern California and once that was narrowed down it became known they live just off Mc Courtney Road in Grass Valley, less than fifty miles from where we used to live in Meadow Vista. Further conversation later lead to finding other similarities, Sky being born a month after two of us, and just south of where I was born in the San Francisco East Bay. It is a small world.

Bert and Petra have a place out of town in a little subdivision. The roads are dirt (not a problem around here where it rarely rains) and are a five minute walk to the shore. It was fun to see another part of the countryside we hadn't ever been too. We had a great talk over a fantastic lunch. Bert and Petra had put together a meal of potatoes and cooked cabbage with a meat roll, we were told was typical German. The meat was sliced very thin and wrapped as if it were a burrito around a filling of rice and other goodies, then the entire dish was covered in a yummy gravy. With a glass of wine and a great (European, meaning strong) coffee after, I was quite happy. Sue had made some brownies that were served along with a scoop of ice cream, something that is always cherished by us cruisers.

Jerry had his camera at his side being a professional photographer. It sounds like he has been all over the world taking photographs. Sky left home early in life and spent some time in the Haight Ashbury district in SF then lived on the beach in Oahu for twelve years. Petra is into self consciousness and Bert has a varied background in computers with his main interest in Physics. A very interesting group with some fun conversations. To top off the guests there was a little schnauzer that was a year old and full of life. Perfect for getting that dog fix.

We spent the afternoon there and enjoyed the beginning of the sunset with a view of the mountains behind La Paz as they lit up from the setting sun.

Bert gave us all a ride back into town and dropped us off at Marina De La Paz. From there we hopped in the dinghy and stopped by Rock N Roll on our way out. Russ and Janet had just finished their week with visitors and had spent the day driving them back down to Cabo San Jose for flights home. They had just gotten back about an hour before we arrived so we spent just enough time to catch up on stories and head out to Neos.

The weather had been perfect all day, no wind and temperature wise quite comfortable, but the overcast skies and lack of wind meant we didn't get our allotment of power from mother nature. It was one of those rare occasions we had to drag out the generator and energize those batteries a bit before calling it a day. I really don't remember the last time we have had to do that. Of course we didn't miss our movie time before snoozing out, but those poor souls aren't any better off. They just keep making things worse. Let's hope for a turn around before the end of the season...more later..

Saturday, January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T06:46:00.000-08:00

0726, Sat, 012112. La Paz. What a perfect day for weather. The wild life seemed to think it was spring. The sea gulls were squawking and the sea lions were groaning. We felt like we were in the middle of a wild life movie.

We had spent the morning puttering around the boat and just after lunch decided it was time to head to La Paz. All the timing, with the tides and all seemed to work out. We raised the sails, I think the first time the main had been up since we got back from our trip north into the upper area of the Sea. All went well and we were sailing in no time to a slight breeze, under ten knots and moving along at just under four knots. The water was flat and we were happy as could be. As we came out of Caleta Lobos, Sue let out a whoop and I turned to see one giant splash, the whales are definitely here. I thought I had seen a spout the other morning as I looked out toward Roca Lobos. This was a huge splash and really awesome since it was only a quarter mile from us. We watched, but that was it. Later, as I walked out on the front deck I heard something splash along the starboard side and called to Sue. We watched as a playful sea lion swam through the water.

I was tempted to sail right down the channel and into the anchorage but decided against it. We dropped the sail and motored in. This turned out to be a good decision with the wind getting real different, changing directions and completely dying out at one point. So much easier to simply motor in. We found a spot on the far side of the docks and so far we haven't gotten close to anyone during the La Paz Waltz.

The card game once again has gotten passed along but was close, Sue took the win. Nothing new with the Californication bunch, just a bunch of losers. Let's see if they can dig themselves out of their hole.

We did try Skype once again. Although a little better than the other night, still far from working correctly. As lousy as the connection is, it is still fun to see the kids. Karissa is a bit puzzled with the whole thing I think..more later..

Friday, January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

0733, Fri, 012012. Caleta Lobos. It wasn't a real successful day. First off I tried to put a coat of varnish on the table top. Even after thinning the varnish, it seems too thick. Maybe the cooler temperatures have something to do with it. More sanding and then I will dilute it until it runs like water. What the heck?

It was time to make water and one of the little plastic fittings that fits between the tubing and the filter has given up. I now get a small leak from it. Not really something that stops us in our tracks, just a drip, drip, drip. We have planned to head into town anyhow today for some other business, so we will be able to pick up some parts and get rid of the drips.

On the good side! The books that Sue compiles for the grand kids are coming along. It looks like Karissa's is complete. Sue is working on a different website from before and it seems to be paying off. The other sight wouldn't save the material and would drop everything once in awhile, real frustrating. This one is very user friendly and working much better. (Mixbooks is the good one; avoid Shutterfly.)

The rest of the day was the usual. I am still spending time with Ben, Franklin that is. Amazing what that guy got accomplished running back and forth from America to England. He retired early with what looked like a reasonable income selling out his interest in the print shop to his partner. This gave him time to tinker with his inventions as well as with his various clubs, eventually winding up deep in politics.

Here on Neos we are currently passing the trophy back and forth. It was my turn to win the card game this time, hurrah, but not a walk away.

Movie time is the same oh, Californication. The playing around is finally catching up with the bums and their true love lives are falling apart. We interrupted the viewing for a poor Skype connection with the Blooms. Max was able to show us all of the Australian animals that FINALLY arrived (our Christmas present to him) and Karissa was clearly displeased with the world..more later..

Thursday, January 19, 2012

2012-01-19T06:55:00.001-08:00

0725, Thu, 011912. Caleta Lobos. A bit overcast this morning with a puff of wind now and then. We had a great day yesterday with the clouds burning off and puffy winds all day long. It was an absolutely beautiful day to sit on the back deck hidden from the wind, basking in the sun with just a pair of shorts on reading a good book. I am about half way through another thick book, this time reading about Benjamin Franklin. He certainly was an interesting person, one of those on the list to go back and talk with for a bit.

Things seem back to normal around here. I woke this morning to find the burros grazing on the hillside. Yesterday I just happened to be outside and heard a big poof and saw a sea lion swimming by. I called to Sue and we watched as the sea lion circled the boat and came up right at our bow, then off he went. He was a big guy, just out lookin' for a meal. We can hear them from the rock just outside the bay, their croaking as something unsettles them.

We are now down to just one other boat next to us and one way across the bay. RnR left after breakfast time as did one of the other boats to beat the forecasted wind. I don't think the wind ever got too high though and it looked like they probably had a pretty good ride back into town.

I'm back to sanding on the table top and now it looks like it might be ready for a coat of varnish. This time I will dilute it and see if that makes it lay down better. Keep those fingers crossed.

Hey Sue (Duda), Sally would be right at home in these parts. The boat next to use has two little Pugs aboard. They look to be perfect size for sailing. They got to go for a ride to the beach yesterday for a long walk.

Cards, humph. Well, I guess I have to let her win once in awhile. It was close, I think anybody's game right up to the last.

Movie time and I think we are close to the end of season three. What do people do in California, nothing but coke and sex? We simply watch.more later..

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T07:09:00.001-08:00

0732, Wed, 011812. Caleta Lobos.

Note: Sue posted December's blog with pictures.

Check it out at lloydjourney-neos.blogspot.com

We had a perfect morning ahead of us with no breeze and flat waters. Before leaving town though, we wanted to make one last trip into the store to pick up some fresh fruit. We popped into the marina and hiked to the Mega, found most of what we were after and then hiked back. Of course we stopped by RNR one last time to see how they were doing and what they were up to. They said they may follow us out later in the day.

We brought up the anchor and followed the tide, making for a real nice exit from La Paz. We took our time heading the short distance up the coast and made our way past Roca Lobos and into our little spot. We joined one other boat and set the hook. It is always nice to be out of town.

On our way out we heard RNR on the radio asking for assistance with line handling and knew they wouldn't be too far behind us. Sure enough, they showed up later in the day. Russ said they could really sail good away from Caleta Lobos but just so so coming here. With just a slight breeze here they have had a great weather window.

Sue and I played cards, I'm on a winning streak, while Sue suffered the loss. Oh well, I must enjoy it now because the door will slam shut one of these days.

The boat next to us called the anchorage for anyone to respond and Sue was nice enough to answer. A small boat named Kashmir, with at least three aboard, asked if we had heard about the weather. They had been further up the line in the islands so hadn't gotten any news on weather in awhile. We gave them what we had.

Movie time, the same old thing and off to sleepmore later..

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T06:11:00.001-08:00

0645, Tue, 011712. La Paz. It was another marathon walk across town. We headed out to get our FM3 status renewed. It was interesting since we had not been in that part of La Paz before, so there were plenty of new things to see. The weather was perfect once again, a little on the cool side, great for a long walk. We stopped in the radio shop one more time along the way and got a part for our radio that he still had, then we made the long trip across town and dropped another radio off at another shop, this one specializing in car radios. We then tried to find the immigration office. We circled an area, asking people along the way, and finally found the small office. We were surprised they didn't have a flag out front. The line was short and the fellow helped us with the paper work in short order, then we had to head down to the bank to pay the fee, $1450 pesos and come back with the receipt. This time the line was much slower but it gave us a chance to relax for awhile for the long walk back. Once done with all the paper work we felt it was time to celebrate and slipped into the Mc Donald's for a McFlurry. On the long trek back we hit the chandleries to check on the price of line and only found one that even carried the stuff, their price being at the higher end of the ball park. One of the guys who didn't have the line quoted a ridiculously low price, I think he quoted something else, and another that didn't have it said it was real expensive. Wouldn't you think that might be a good reason to carry it? Like the people that told us they quit stocking an item because it was too hard to keep on the shelf.

We crashed once we got home, or at least I did, until we were surprised by a visit from the crowd on Rock N Roll. I scurried from my reading to get the lunch dishes washed as Sue went out and greeted them. It was a great day, the water only had a slight chop to it and the sun was shining. They enjoyed seeing another kind of boat and hung around chatting for awhile. It sounds like they are having fun around town but still a bit reluctant to venture out much. Russ's Mom was a little unsure about riding around in the dinghy saying that if she fell in the rest of them would be doing "rock, paper, scissors" to see who rescued her. I told her to keep plenty of pesos in her pocket so everyone would be scrambling to save her.

After the guests left we got in a game of Baja Rummy where I was able to pull off a close win. It looked like I had it in the bag, but never celebrate until it is over. It was close. More Californication, more sex, more coke. You would think that is all that ever happens in Californiamore later..

Monday, January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T07:10:00.001-08:00

0742, Mon, 011612. La Paz. We had perfect weather yesterday, a slight breeze with nice warm sunshine and flat seas.

We headed into the marina for the junk swap flea market for the boaters. We found Russ and Janet as well as their guests enjoying the sunshine. Russ's mom, aunt and his cousin are in town for awhile. R & J had thought they would take their guests out to the islands but it sounds like they will be more comfortable staying right there on the dock. Janet told a great tale of bringing the boat in. They have a slip just inside the opening to the marina with a sharp turn to the right. They were fighting current and wind as they entered the marina trying to make that sharp right. The guy on the dock yelled to Janet to throw him the bow line. She ran to the front of the boat, grabbed the line, gave it a heave, and the entire line went to the dock. Russ had told her everything was ready. Ooops. These things happen. The moment of "What the heck" is always priceless.

We mingled with others as we enjoyed the junk. I pointed out one guy to Sue who was way too organized. He had all his stainless steal parts in little baggies, two or so to a bag. I was impressed. And people ask what you do on a boat all day.

The Rock N Roll gang headed out to breakfast as we headed back to Neos to enjoy the weather. We enjoyed a nice relaxing day on the boat, reading. I have started about three or four books and have finally landed on one that I am trying to finish. You may remember the Outlander books with Jamie and Claire. This is a new book out recently about Jamie while he is paroled to Helwater. In the evening we surprised Michelle's family with a Skype call. We saw their computer was on so we gave it a try. We hooked up, lousy connection as usual but it was fun to see all their smiley faces.

Almost forgot, we got a sprinkle last night. We were going to roll over and head back to sleep but the rain started to become a little harder getting Sue up to check things on the back deck. No sooner did she get up and the rain quit. No thunder and lightning as well as no wind, a restful nightmore later..

Sunday, January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T06:55:00.000-08:00

0737, Sun, 011512. La Paz. Once again it is like a mill pond in Bahia De La Paz. After all the bouncing around yesterday it is back to flat calm. Perfect timing for our friends on Rock N Roll. They just picked up some guests that have a tendency to get motion distress. This should help them ease into it.

In the middle of the choppy seas and bouncing around we had our own guests. There is a couple that lives here in La Paz that would like to exchange their house for the boat.

We spent the morning readying the boat and just straightening things. Always good to get stuff put away.

I picked them up at the new docks and shuttled them out to Neos with only minor splashing along the way. We enjoyed their company, giving them the royal tour of Neos, and they seemed to like the boat. They are from Germany and moved here about the same time we started cruising. Ready for another change, they would like to sail Neos to some island near the Mediterranean in Portugal near the Azores. We had a great chat getting to know them and then headed back into land. It was a better ride in since it followed the waves rather than bucking them so we made it without getting wet.

Once the guests were gone the computer came out and we checked out some RVs that were mentioned during our conversation. Westfalia seems to be an after market maker of RVs and are the company that does a lot of the VW vans. It was interesting to check them out. We were amazed by the diesel VW busses boasting a 25 to 30 MPG, but they are quite small.

It was time for the movies so we retired to more Californication.more later..

Saturday, January 14, 2012

2012-01-14T07:07:00.001-08:00

0726, Sat, 011412. La Paz. All survived the unlucky day I hope. We did just fine here in paradise. We were on a mission. It is time for us to renew our FM3 status, or whatever they call it now. If we check in once a year we can stay in the country as long as we want. It also gives us preferred check in at the immigration stop as we enter the country since all the tourist have to line up in their line. We simply go to the line with the locals, maybe one or two others, and zip right through that part of check in. Along with our efforts is the availability of health insurance which we will check into next week. The hard part is the run around. They have updated the entire process but I think we have it figured out after talking with the other cruisers who have gone through the process. We had to walk about four or five miles to get the process started. No, this isn't a requirement, we just chose to get the exercise.

We stopped in at the radio shop to see how the guy is doing with our radio. He is a great guy and speaks very little English. He was apologizing for not having the radio finished and was saying something about water. We finally figured out that a water pipe broke in his home, not the radio, and he had been trying to get it fixed. We told him we would check on our way back and see if any progress had been made, on the radio, not the water pipe.

We were off for the long walk that would have been impossible in the heat of summer but was quite pleasant with the cooler weather. We found the office, right were we thought it was to be, went in the door, got in line and were back out within fifteen minutes. Really unbelievably efficient.

We hiked back to the radio shop where the radio man took a break from working on his water pipe and put our radio back together. We were on our way after a nice rest.

I forgot to mention, our first stop was Telcel for the banda acha internet service. Nope, not ready. We now had to wait for the ID numbers to be registered, come back at four.

We headed back to Neos for a rest up after the long hike and wait for four. We headed back into the Telcel as designated and the original paperwork had been lost. Sue came out to the dinghy with a handful of papers that I needed to sign since it is in my name. I signed a dozen or more papers and sent Sue back. One more trip with one spot missed. Sue mentioned that in my hurry the lady was scrutinizing my signature, comparing it with my passport. A little difficult trying to sign something while sitting in a dink, writing on the rough boards of the dock, ha. We got the tool that should get us linked up with the internet, but couldn't use it for another hour.

The La Paz waltz, tide heading one direction with the wind the other making for boats wandering all around, was over by six and we headed in for an adventure with Janet and Russ. They heard about free salsa dancing at the park. We headed out in search. It turned into another long walk but the evening was beautiful and we enjoyed the stroll through neighborhoods we had never been to. We found the park but no salsa. The Chedraui grocery we go to had another store right next to the park so we went for a look through in there. After, we found a group forming in the park. Once the music got started we discovered it wasn't a dance class but an exercise class to salsa music. Kind of a jazzercise class, Mexican style. We bailed after a short time and headed down to the malecon for a banana split. Hey we earned it!

Back on board I was exhausted and left Sue to play with her new tool, the internet. I no sooner got in the sack and it started to pitter patter on deck. We actually got a bit of rain last night. The wind generator worked overtime all night long and this morning we are in the middle of the La Paz Waltz.more later..

Friday, January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

0752, Fri, 011312. La Paz. Hey looky there, its Friday the 13th. Good luck to you all.
We broke free! The water was like a mill pond. Not a ripple. So nice to maneuver in such tight spots without the hindrance of the wind. We slipped out of our spot and headed to the main channel, down the line to find a great spot to drop the hook. Apparently the military didn't agree. They came by and said we were too close to their docks, so we raised the hook and moved on. It was still calm by the time we dropped the hook and completed breakfast. We dropped the dinghy so I could give Sue a ride into the Telcel office to check on getting our Bonda Acha. This device will give us internet access any time we are in sight of a tower, which should work good in the local area. The lady handling our account wasn't in so it was a no go.
On our way over to the dock we passed a fender that was bobbing right at the surface of the water and then noticed a big shadow lurking just below the surface. At first I thought it might be a whale shark, kind of strange to see in such shallow water. We watched for awhile and saw that it didn't move. We checked it on our way back to the boat and it hadn't moved at all. We heard later that a boat had sunk while we were gone. Someone put a call to the fleet saying the boat looked in trouble but no one responded. Apparently, one of those boats that was left without anyone knowing what went on. It now sits on the bottom.
We also got a big wind just after we left the area. Russ said it blew about fifty knots. That explains why the hatch window over the helm ended up on top of the salon. No big damage, a little scratch, and the window was retrieved.
Russ and Janet were awakened in the early morning to a big bang during the same wind event. A derelict boat decided to cut loose and made contact with Rock N Roll. Luckily the dinghy was alongside acting like a giant fender but the noses collided. Russ pushed as the boat slid by and finally had to cut the line and free the boat. It ended up on the beach. Russ said the local fishermen got the boat off the beach and were going to put one of their little rebar anchors on it and put the boat out to float once again. Russ is fluent in Spanish and was able to explain their anchor was not adequate and they would be held responsible for any damage. They found a bigger anchor and took the boat across the channel to the other side.
Russ and Janet came by for cards and catch up. There was plenty to catch up on and the cards were both hot and cold all around. We retired after the visit to the movies and enjoyed some more Californication……more later..

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Monday, December 12, 2011

2012-01-12T11:42:00.001-08:00

0710, Mon, 121211. Caleta Lobos. It was a real calm night last night without a whisper of wind. We have overcast skies once again although yesterday's skies cleared for a few hours in the afternoon giving us some really nice weather. We have changed directions, now facing the south. That should figure into the program since we head into town today. This puts any breeze right on the nose, ha.
Sue would like one last coat of varnish on the table top so I did some sanding getting it all ready. We used up all the shiny varnish so we will have to pick up some more while we are in town. The plan is to put on the one last coat just before we leave so it will have plenty of time to get set before we use it. We cranked up the water maker so the water tank is full for the stay in the marina and we are getting anxious to head to the States.
Not a lot more going on around here. We are down to one other boat in the anchorage and the local fishermen were walking the shallows during low tide. Other than a few birds here and there that's about all……more later..

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T11:42:00.000-08:00

0736, Thu, 011212. La Paz. Today is the day. Sue is in the office doing the final check out as I write. Once again, Neos will be set free.

The big deal yesterday was the local bagel lady was here. Where else can you get fresh bagels delivered to your front door? The really big deal yesterday was washing down the outside of the boat. There was a thin film of dust over the entire boat that left dirty foot prints everywhere we walked. Neos is nice and clean once again.

I think we have been here too long. The other day, as we walked to the store, someone tooted their horn and waved to us. No idea who that was. Then we ran into Sergio, the welding guy. Yesterday a couple came by as we were washing the boat that we spent some time with in our travels last year in the Sea of Cortez as well as another gentleman we had talked to while in Costabaja Marina, small world.

We ran short on time for the card game so played a quick round of 64. I was hot this time coming from behind to take the win, yes! Movie time is showing a new series, Californication. Wow, TV has really changed. Lots of naked people, whew.

Time to go, we are heading out to the anchorage……more later..

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Wrdnesday, January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

0820, Wed, 011112. La Paz. Today the wind is to subside maybe making for a little warmer weather. They say we actually got below fifty degrees last night. Thank goodness for those comforters.

We made another trip to town. The shuttle, if it can be considered that, is simply a mini van with very little room. I was last one in so I got the hard spot between the back seats after crawling in the back with no head room. Oh well, there goes the back once again.

We did some hiking after being dropped off at Marina De La Paz and headed down the main road to the new Mega grocery store. It looks like a few new businesses have opened their doors in the small shopping center with the theater getting ready to make its debut. I don't know how some of the shops are going to manage to stay open, there are about eight or ten eating establishments. We did our shopping, packed our back packs, and hit the road back toward the Marina. We were told to be up at the old Papas and Beer sign at the corner at 1:30 giving us plenty of time to hang around. We stopped in to the Hungry Burro for a bite to eat and then headed into the marina area to talk with Mike and Shelly about charter fishing, something Eric is interested in when they come down at the end of next month. Then we went over to the yacht club and hung out there trying to soak in the warmth of the sun. We headed over to the rendezvous with plenty of time for our shuttle but after waiting for about an hour he never turned up. We decided to get the exercise and walk the malecon back to Marina Palmira, a hike of at least four miles. It was a nice hike, we can use the exercise, but man was I pooped when we got back to the boat.

I almost came through in the last round to win the card game but no deal. Sue is hot, on a winning streak. We finished up our evening series at the movie, wow, they ended with a bang. We think that is the end of the series, funny they would stop short like this, but if anyone out there knows, is Big Love still running?

Last night, the highlight of our entertainment was our Skype call back to the kids. The connection was awful as usual, kind of like watching an old time movie with the stop action and black and white, but we managed to say hi to everyone and got a peak at the grand kids making our day.more later..

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T07:22:00.000-08:00

0750, Tue, 011012. La Paz. It has cooled a bit here. We start out the day with our long pants and long sleeve shirts. The sun is still very warm but the wind has a real bite to it. The wind is up yesterday and today but we are just fine here in the confines of the marina.

Sue worked out the problems with our stay here in the marina. In fact they had it all figured out by the time she went in to the office. We are paid in full until noon on Thursday. This should work out good with the weather so we won't have to fight the wind as we move through the narrow channels of the marina.

I'm still sanding. The table is looking good. One more day and it will be ready for varnish. Sue has been writing books. She makes a small book for our visits with the grandkids. She used to make a book for every visit but that has gotten too pricey, especially with Karissa getting a book. So the new idea is to do put together a book at the end of the year for each.

We headed out for a walk yesterday. We thought we were going for a walk out to the end of the levy but found a locked gate. Instead we headed into the hotel area and found a cage with about fifty little parakeets. There was an Australian lady checking out the birds while we were there. She was quite knowledgeable about the little guys. Calling them Australian bungees she explained all about them. They have become a pest in Australia traveling in great numbers and wiping out the crops. This collection was quite colorful with bright yellows to chartreuse into the greens and a brilliant blue. There were a few finches and canaries as well, quite the collection.

It was a slaughter at the card table. It took us a few moments to get rolling but Sue had no problems. With plenty of covers on during the night we were nice and toasty although it makes it hard to crawl out of bed in the morningmore later..

Monday, January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T06:59:00.001-08:00

0734, Mon, 010912. La Paz. We survived our first day back. Just before leaving for the States, I made a horrible attempt to resurface our table. The paint was too thick and left a rippled finish. So today I spent some time sanding. Half of the top is now smooth once again and with a little more sanding will be ready for a redo. Hopefully I will find time to tackle the other half today.

We made a trip to town to stock up on groceries. The shuttle left the marina around 1330 and dropped us off at Marina De La Paz. It was a good walk to the store, something we both need after the goodies we consumed in CA. We did our shopping and then caught a taxi back to the marina. No bargains in La Paz, the taxi charged us ten bucks for the ride back home. Oh well, we arrived in good shape, found a cart waiting right at our stop and packed the food back to Neos.

In my organizing I put Patito Dos into the water for his first voyage. I purposely put him on the side of the boat away from the dock and watched as one of the locals took a close look and was checking out the shoreline. We heard others mention our new rubber ducky with their expressions of glee. Always fun to put a smile on a stranger's face.

We have internet although our billing with the office is all mixed up. We tried to straighten things out but it was the weekend help so we will have to head in today and figure out what went wrong. Sue had a hard time checking in with a new girl, so here we go. The internet made it available to us for a round of boggle in the afternoon, actually getting into the single digits in our standings. Of course we checked out the movie scene in the evening and once again pick up on Big Love where we left off. They are still in one heap of a mess and seem to make it worse with every step along the way.more later..

Sunday, January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T09:02:00.001-08:00

0822, Sun, 010812. Back in La Paz. Wow, look at that date. A new year has begun. First off I would like to say good morning to all of you regular readers, I hope you have your morning coffee in hand.

It was another whirlwind tour of the Sacramento area, Rocklin / Auburn area really. We had fun driving through town checking out the things that have changed since we have left, a Home Depot here a Bev Mo there. We spent loads of time with the little ones. Our Grandson, Max, is about to turn six and is quick as a whip along with his little sister who will turn two this August as she toddles all over the place. Of course we joined the throngs of people doing their Christmas shopping while we were there, and only managed to get stuck leaving one parking lot where we decided it was too crowded to shop and tried to sneak out to the street. The line getting out was at a standstill. The traveling went without a hitch, no delays in flights, all connections met on time. Pretty amazing considering we traveled by shuttle to the bus station, shuttle for three hours to Cabo San Jose, flight to San Francisco, Bart to East Bay, picked up by the Duda's for an overnight, dropped off at the train to Sacramento, bus to Rocklin, and met by Michelle and Karissa for a ride to their place.

Coming back we have found a great deal on a rental car which cuts out the bus to Sac, train to the East Bay, and Bart to San Francisco in the middle of the night. The car works out great. We drive into the Budget parking lot at SFO, the workers take over as we grab our bags and we are off to the gates.

We were greeted with some great news on this trip. Our son has found the love of his life. They are planning a small wedding this August. We are so excited for both Ryan and Beth, they make a perfect couple.

The grand kids were loads of fun. We took Max on the Polar Express (thank you George for the connection on getting us tickets). The volunteers of the RR museum in Old Town Sacramento put on a great time as they replicate the story book to a "T". Max had a lot of fun, as did we, and even got to see Santa. We each got a special jingle bell right off of Santa's sleigh for a keepsake.

We really whooped it up for New Year's Eve. I think we were all in the sack by nine or ten o'clock and woke for a brief moment hearing the fireworks go off in the neighborhood and the poor dog getting excited.

Getting back to Neos is great, always nice to be home, but not without mixed emotions. Our hearts are left back in the states with all the family and friends. It is nice to be back in the land of T shirts and shorts with only a couple of blankets on the bed and all the windows left open for the night. We just don't miss all the cold..more later..

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

2011-12-14T06:06:00.000-08:00

0645, Wed, 121411. La Paz. It was a busy day for our last full day in Mexico. We had made reservations for the shuttle into town but I'm not sure why. The shuttle, a seven seater mini, minivan pulled up and eight people and a dog piled in. No asked if anyone had a reservation. Sue ended up sitting on my lap in the front seat with her head on the dashboard, crazy. We headed into town and found Russ and Janet at Marina La Paz. We offered to put their air conditioner in our storage locker for them. It fit in the locker without a hitch since Russ had it packed up in a big plastic tub with a lid. While Russ and I were busy at the locker, Sue and Janet ran down to the Telcel place and found that our phone connection was all ready to pick up. Sue told her to put a hold on it until we get back from the States. The four of us then headed down the main street and checked a few places for the nut Russ needs for his outboard, dropped off our radio, and checked out the supply shops for varnish. It is really hard to find satin finish varnish here. Russ and Janet were heading down to the hospital to check on a friend so we said our good-byes for now and headed in our separate directions. We had an hour to kill before the shuttle came back to pick us up so we had lunch at the Super Burro. We tried to remember afterwards what my meal was called but of course forgot right away. It was super delicious, a pork with spices and grilled on a taco. The shuttle got us back to Marina Palmira about two so we had plenty of time to get chores done closing up the boat. Kevin and Terry came by and our time turned into one last card game before saying good-bye to them. We tried to put one last coat of varnish on the table but it was getting dark and in the rush it turned out very poorly. Looks like a lot of sanding when I get back. I think the varnish was too thick so it didn't spread well and left a bumpy surface. Oh well, so much for letting it set up while we are away.

The family is really in crisis on Big Love with everyone trying to go their separate ways. The just go from one jam to the next. Crazymore later.. much later! We leave in two hours for a day of traveling. We will return to the cruising life in 3 weeks.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T06:46:00.000-08:00

0726, Tue, 121311. La Paz. We got up and started the coffee and figured it was time to head into town. There was just a slight breeze with flat water so that added up to moving on. It was quite uneventful heading into town. Once we got to the mouth of the channel Sue called the Marina on the radio. Good thing she had sent an e mail the other day. They finally got the idea that we were a catamaran needing the extra width. Adriana at the marina explained that the slip we were told would be ours was indeed not ours, but they had another spot for us. No matter, without any wind we would be able to get into just about any slip. On the way in we noticed there were two boats in the slip we were told was ours, so it didn't look like they had any intention of putting us there. Typical. We found our spot and swung in without a hitch. They had a line guy there to help out and the neighbor was right there as well. We met Bill and later his wife, Dana. They have just come down from Seattle and have no real plans from here. I said good, stick to it.

On the way in I noticed Alex II was right across the channel from us. He came over for a chat and mentioned he was leaving on Wednesday, eventually heading to La Cruz.

I finished tying up the boat and cleaning the bridle while Sue ran into the office to check in. She was gone for an hour and a half, a new girl in the office, and was exhausted once back on board.

We did get in a card game, humph. And a few episodes of Big Love. Same old thing.more later..

Sunday, December 11, 2011

2011-12-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

0800, Sun, 121111. Caleta Lobos. The weather is still overcast with a breeze.
We had a very different looking catamaran come in. It had two masts, one on each side. I think the rigging is called a wishbone, kinda like a wind surfer with the two bars that come back on either side of the sail. He raised his anchor in the morning and headed into the beach. He was almost there, well beyond where I start to wonder if I am going to hit bottom in the dinghy. The boat must not have any draft at all. He stayed there for several hours and then left the area. We were all alone for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon until card time when we got another couple of boats.
We split the card games one and one. Now that is a very diplomatic way to do things.
After cards, Sue plugged in the battery to the computer. It hasn't worked in ages. Once in, it worked just fine. I like things that fix themselves, what an age. Oops, now the radio quit. The XM radio works with a cassette that plugs in and the radio keeps ejecting the cassette. Darn thing.
Nothing new at the movies. Same old crazy stuff. The family just keeps getting into more jams…..more later..

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Saturday, December 10, 2011

2011-12-10T10:41:00.000-08:00

0723, Sat, 121011. Caleta Lobos. The skies are overcast this morning but there is a warmth to the air, but with a breeze keeping it on the cool side. We are pretty much alone in our little corner of the bay as boats come and go. Presently there is a boat across the bay and then one at the far corner near the mouth of the bay. The seagulls are always vigilant for a hand out. Any little thing that goes overboard and they are right there to check it out with all their complaining amongst one another.
Other than getting more varnishing done it is pretty quiet around these parts. Sue finished up knitting one sweater and is busy starting another. We are getting a lot of reading done and are anxiously waiting for the trip back to the states. Of course we played cards in the afternoon and ended up with one win apiece, that's always fun. We are now into season three in the wild episodes of our Morman family. They certainly live a complex life…..more later..

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Friday, December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T11:39:00.000-08:00

0725, Fri, 120911. Caleta Lobos. We woke this morning to absolute calm, then we could hear the tell tale sound of the rising anchor. Rock N Roll was headed out. They need to get to town for some business and I am sure some provisioning. This will be the last day of work for the Mexican people as most take the next few weeks off for the holidays. We plan to cross paths with RnR when we get into town in a few days before we head back to the States.
It was a nice day yesterday as Sue suited up in her wetsuit for a quick scrubbing of the water line. Neos is all pretty once more. The water is cold when you first get in, but with a wetsuit on and working, it isn't bad staying in. Of course there is the getting out. Unfortunately for Sue the clouds kept the sun from shining so I put on some hot water to make tea. I am still in the varnish business. I sanded the stair toes leading down to the master suite and got the first coat of varnish on those. This should leave just the right number of days to get a few coats on before we leave finishing up most of the needed varnish projects for awhile.
RnR came over for the evening card game and we feasted on tacos. We played Russ and Sue against Janet and myself. Janet and I took those games, but when we split up later and played singles, Russ and I were fighting to see who could be the best loser. I thought I might have gotten the title at the end of the game being stuck with my pile of cards that are counted against me, included in the bunch two five hundred pointers, but Russ took the crown beating me out of last place.
We said our good-byes, made our plans to meet up in town Tuesday, and they were off. It was a very quiet night, I don't think there was a ripple. I can hear the birds this morning as they wake up to call to one another. The water is like glass and the needle fish are hanging all around the back of the boat. It is so calm I can see the rings in the water where the fish are touching the surface. It should be a nice day……more later..

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Thursday, December 8, 2011

2011-12-08T12:14:00.000-08:00

0721, Thu, 120811. Caleta Lobos. The swell has finally settled and we are laying at rest. Oh, it is so much nicer. The breeze is still there but not enough to rough the surface of the sea. It is a little chilly in the morning and evening, sometimes enough to force one to put on long pants, but heck, it is winter.
We are getting used to this lazing around all day. I sure am getting a lot of reading done, nothing great, just the usual junk books that we pick up for free at the marina book exchanges. Sue has been busy knitting. She is almost done with an entire sweater, I think it is going to look real sharp.
Alex II hit the road, almost with a mishap. Apparently Kevin started up the boat and didn't realize it was in gear, then headed downstairs to attend to something. The boat was headed right at Rock N Roll where Russ happened to be out on deck. He looked up to see the bow of Alex II coming right at him. Letting out a yell it took a bit for Terry to realize what was going on. She ran to the helm and put the boat in reverse just in time to avoid a collision. This was about the time Sue and I came on deck to wave good-bye. We were a little puzzled why Kevin would swing by RnR to say good-bye with the anchor still down. Kevin called back once out in the mess and said it was great sailing as long as he was headed with the seas.
The card game went on as usual with the four of us. Russ and I were able to take two out of three games. I got stuck on the third game and the girls were able to close out early on me. Oh well, two for three is better than nothin'.
We headed straight to bed after our guests left since we had watched out TV show in the afternoon. What a crazy bunch, all back stabbing each other, playing politics, and oh the lies. I wonder what the Mormon Church thinks of this show?.....more later..

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

2011-12-07T13:40:00.000-08:00

0748, Wed, 1250711. Caleta Lobos. Slow for a moment today to remember those people who gave their lives in Pearl Harbor seventy years ago.
It blew pretty good yesterday. We bounced around quite a bit, but felt good about being in our cove. Outside you could see waves like buffaloes as they passed by the mouth to our bay. There were a couple of sailors who went by during the day, crazies, but the traffic was a lot less than usual. The wind is still blowing but the seas seem to have calmed a lot. The poor sea lions out on Isla Lobos that were getting pummeled yesterday are now enjoying the sun and calmer waters. The point that was all foam and crashing waves is back to blue water this morning. We are still rolling a little but most of the white caps have left.
The ugly water didn't slow down the card players. Nor did it slow down the feast. Full-on tacos were on the menu complete with guacamole and refried beans and then it was all topped off with peach cobbler. The guys suck, what more can I say. We lost both games once again. After the game we said our goodbyes with special goodbyes to Alex II. If the weather cooperates they will be heading into town and staying at Palmira Marina for a bit while they visit with friends. We may cross paths as we head into the same marina next week for our trek to the states. They plan on heading out to Mazatlan the day we come in.
There was no midnight movie showing last night since there was a matinee in the afternoon. We took in a few episodes of Big Love midday so we could get a good night's rest. Even with the rocking motion, and maybe helped by it, we had a great night….more later..

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

0750, Tue, 120611. Caleta Lobos. It is still windy around here. We are rocking back and forth quite a bit. In this kind of weather there isn't a whole lot you can do but hang out, so we decided to concede, making it into a lie around day with some reading, some watching the birds maneuver through the wind, and a little chance to catch up on sleep with a nap here and there.
The weather didn't stop the die hard card players. It was fun but the guys got swamped. I'd like to say we are playing smart, letting the girls take the win, but that isn't the case. We made a few mistakes but nothing that would have changed the outcome, just simply put, the ladies beat us, can't win if you don't get the cards. Oh well, it's still a lot of fun to get together.
We are still eating like Kings. Sue made up a fresh loaf of bread hot out of the oven while Terry brought a frittata. Then the counter top was filled with all sorts of little goodies to go along with the specials. We won't starve.
It looks like this should be the big day for the wind peaking this afternoon close to thirty knots of wind. That just might hamper the game a little so we shall see.
We thought we would change things up a little at movie time last night. We had a copy of A Fish Called Wanda. We got started with that but didn't last long before the old eye lids were drooping……more later..

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Monday, December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T12:18:00.000-08:00

0807, Mon, 120511. Caleta Lobos. I was able to get into the water in the morning with the idea I would clean up the other prop and rudder. As I finished up with those I just kept going and ended up with a marathon cleaning job of the entire boat. She's in ok shape now, there are a few barnacles here and there that were missed, but the bulk of the job is finished. None too soon. The wind was starting to pick up and the seas were starting to get a little rough. We ended up getting gusts of wind into the twenties but we are in a fairly protected anchorage for these north winds. We get a little bit of wave action as the smaller waves wrap around the corner, but not so big we need to put everything away. Even the aloes are staying put for now.
The card game went on as usual. Can't keep this group down over a little foul weather. We had a feast last night. Sue put together some pizza dough and some toppings while Janet brought some more toppings. The pizza was delicious, pepperoni, mushrooms, jalapeños, then covered with cheese. MMMMM yummy! Then came dessert. Terry put together a delicious crepe filled with mandarin oranges with a sweet tequila sauce. Wow, they too were awesome. Oh, and then we played cards. Guys lost three for three.
Of course we stayed up after sending our neighbors off in the rough seas and bouncy waves. We figured we would only watch two episodes since three gets us clear to midnight, much too late for these old folks. After two episodes we started shutting the computer down and I noticed it was midnight once again. We just aren't used to these late hours. Oh well, no wonder there is a siesta after lunch……more later..

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Sunday, December 4, 2011

2011-12-04T11:54:00.000-08:00

0817, Sun, 120411. Caleta Lobos. We had an absolutely beautiful day yesterday, unfortunately it looks like it will be our last until the end of the week. That big wind storm that hit Southern California is about to strike here. Right now, other than one big black bottom cloud hanging around, it is pretty nice. The predictions are that it will hit sometime this afternoon, so we are hanging on.
I actually got in the water yesterday, although very crisp (several gasps as the water snuck into my wetsuit) it was ok once you got past that first part. I was in to do work since the last trip into La Paz really brought back the barnacles. I worked for an hour and got about ten feet up the aft end of the starboard hull. That doesn't sound like much but it includes a lot of tedious work around the rudder and prop. I hope to get that much done today on the other side in case we need to make some moves during the blow. The rest of the bottom isn't quite as important so it will probably just have to wait until the blow is over.
Terry, crewing with Kevin, thought she was going to head into town and find a flight back to England. Rock N Roll on Alex II were planning to head to town for a quick turn around to drop her off. Terry checked the availability and decided the Christmas prices were already in effect so she is going to stay put on Alex II. This works out great for Kevin, since he needs to get over to Mazatlan and then down to Puerto Vallarta by January 15th. Terry has decided to head home from PV, so Kevin will have crew with him for the long trek. So we get to enjoy her presence for cards.
In the meantime the card games continue. It was a grudge match and now the girls have evened the score, we are now two and two. If the rough waters don't keep us from getting together, the card games will continue.
Our TV show also continues. With such a large family I can't imagine how hard it would be for the family to try to live in a normal setting without getting caught. I would find it so hard to live the lie…..more later..

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Saturday, December 3, 2011

2011-12-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

0810, Sat, 120311. Caleta Lobos. First project of the day was to converge on Russ's dinghy. Kevin and I brought whatever we could, nuts, bolts, cotter pins, but Russ was already under way. He had the pin solved and the propeller back in place, but the missing nut was a problem. As we all went through our back stock we found a couple of nuts that were the right size but none with the right thread. Then Kevin came up with the idea to check Russ's other outboard to see if that nut would fit. Ah, a perfect fit. We got him up and running.
Back on Neos I got busy with redoing the lines that hold the dinghy on the davits. The old ones were getting a few wear spots where they get tied up on the cleats. It would be awful to lose the dink while underway. I used some line that I had around but it is a slight bit bigger diameter making it slide through all the fittings with a little difficulty. It will work for the time being until I can get something better on one of our trips into town.
We all gathered on Neos for the evening card game that is turning into quite the feast. Janet brought a big pot of spaghetti and meat balls, Sue made cookies and then there were lots of other little dips and such. We played two teams this time, boys against girls. It was our night. We took both games although I must say they were close. I was on a hot streak so having a great time. The two teams worked good and made for a great change to the game.
We got a little wind out of the west during the evening so we did a little rocking throughout the evening, but that seemed to calm throughout the night and we are all settled down this morning. We had cloudy skies yesterday but looks like it should be a nice clear day today.
We settled in after the crowd headed home and enjoyed several more episodes of Big Love. What a crazy life…..more later..

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Friday, December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T12:52:00.000-08:00

0724, Fri, 120211. Caleta Lobos. A slight misfortune.
It was a great day. The breeze was enough to keep things cool and the sun was warm enough to keep things warm. We buzzed around Neos getting our chores done. I have moved on from the sink touch up to touching up the varnish on the tips of the stairs.
Kevin dropped by to say they were going for a hike up the mountain around midday. Sue wasn't quite up to that but it sounded like fun to me so I decided to tag along. About this time a guy dropped by who was on one of the small sailboats that was in the bay. He seemed a bit nervous and looking back on the entire picture, he was a bit strange. When we introduced ourselves, he didn't reciprocate. Oh well, some people are shy I guess. He said he was having trouble with his outboard and said the prop was spinning whenever he revved the engine. It sounded just like the trouble Russ was having last week so I recommended he talk to him. It was then that the group came by in Kevin's dink to pick me up for the hike. Russ explained to the guy what to do and where to go for the parts and all was well. I hopped in the dink and was off. We went for our hike, returned, and made arrangements to all meet on Neos for cards. When Russ got in his dinghy he couldn't go anywhere, his prop was spinning. Kevin swung by and gave him a lift.
Once on Neos we started thinking about the whole story. I think it was Sue who came up with the idea that this guy might have taken the parts. That got us talking as Russ explained about the missing part. The bolt and cotter pin were gone as well as a pin. The cotter pin was brand new, Russ just replaced it. Ok maybe something could have happened to the cotter pin, remote but possible. But the pin could only be removed if the prop was taken off. The prop was still there. Russ was lucky he didn't lose that as well. It was definitely stolen with a 99 % chance it was this guy.
While the group of us were gone, this guy went by Neos with his girl friend and enjoyed a talk with Sue. He told her he had sold the boat and was delivering it to a guy in La Paz. Unfortunately, I doubt there is any way to find this guy now, but you are out there, and we are on to you. The guy is about five and a half feet tall, a white, short cropped beard and about 170 pounds. So, if any of you cruisers happened to read this and come across a boat with the name China Girl, a small thirtyish feet long, keep an eye on this guy who calls himself Shawn and another eye on your stuff. He was with a younger gal from Alaska called Jessica.
Now for more fun things. The walk was great. We hiked up an old washed out road to the saddle between two hills and could look down the other side to the main highway. We saw our donkey friends off in the distance and could see around the hill just enough to catch the tip of Balandra, the next bay over. I enjoyed the hike.
The card game went as usual, I lost. It was fun though. We were teaching poor Terry Baja Rummy as everyone gave her info from all sides. She was quick to pick up the rules that seem rather complicated at first, but once into the game aren't so bad. Unfortunately for her she was on my team where we found ourselves in trouble on the second round. As the game came into the third and final round it looked like we were pulling up quite well, but too little too late.
After the crowd left we retired to the theater and stayed up to a crazy midnight watching Big Love. Oh well, I'll just have to make it up during siesta…….more later..

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Thursday, December 1, 2011

2011-12-01T08:21:00.000-08:00

0707, Thu, 120111. Caleta Lobos. We finally made the break. The weather was pretty kind and the tides were at our back, it was time to go. Oh we did make one last run to town to see of our internet was ready. No deal. We told the lady we would be gone and won't be back for some time.
As we got about halfway out of the channel we could hear Alex II and Rock N Roll say something on the radio that made it sound like they were also under way. Sure enough, we could see them in the distance. We got to the end of the channel when a cruiser came scooting out of Costa Baja Marina and shoved his way into the channel right next to us. He must have been in a real hurry I guess. Thanks a lot "Mi Casa". After pushing his way in he finally gave a little look over and gave a small wave while his lady friend sat with her back to us. Friendly couple. Tranquilla.
We made it past the fish farm and into Caleta Lobos with only one other boat. We were able to get into the perfect spot. The fish farm at the entrance looks like it has been expanding. I think there is another new fish enclosure and lots more buoys in their area.
Alex and R n R both made it in and dropped their anchor next to us. Eventually we were to be joined by several other boats. Kevin has a new lady joining him so he dropped the dink and came over to introduce her. She seems like a nice lady who calls England her home. I told her she didn't need to talk funny just because Kevin does. Terry flew to Florida to join a crew delivering a catamaran through the canal and up here to Mexico. Kevin invited the gang over to his boat for steaks on the Barbie, so we spent a great evening on Alex II. Weather was nice and calm for the evening with a little wind expected to pick up throughout today and tomorrow. We are so glad to be out of the channel. It is so much more comfortable. Good thing since we will be here for some time.
More Big Love and more trouble. The little squabbles between family members as they vie for control as well as the problems trying to hide from the rest of the world…..more later..

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

2011-11-30T12:31:00.000-08:00

0729, Wed, 113011. La Paz. We thought the winds were to calm yesterday but not so. Therefore we are still in La Paz. We had some business in town and ended up making several trips back and forth. We bought our bus tickets for the shuttle to Cabo San Jose for the Christmas trip home. We are traveling on Alaska Airlines for the trip home so we should be able to get there. I used American for the first leg of the trip back to La Paz, but Sue wasn't sure if she did the same for the next trip or not. The news mentioned American is filing for bankruptcy but that probably means the CEO gets a nice early retirement package and American doesn't have to pay any of their bills. It baffles me why our President doesn't want to get into the airline business. As owner of auto manufacturing I guess owning an airline is a bit much.
Our trip to town was mainly to get the internet connect from Telcel. They do a check on your references by calling the numbers you give. No one has said they have gotten a call as of yet, so I guess Telcel isn't that interested in getting our money. We dropped off one more phone number for them to check in case they can't get a hold of someone. We will check today and if it isn't ready we may just have to tell them to keep their internet for now. We plan to head out to the islands for the next week or so until it is time to head back to the States. Then we will be gone for awhile, so it wouldn't be worth paying for a month we won't use.
While we were in town we walked up to the fruit and veggie market to get some fresh fruit and stopped by the locker to get some supplies from there.
The rest of the day was just a matter of hanging out on Neos through the blow as we bounced around in the afternoon. It did settle for the night and is absolutely calm this morning. Let's hope it stays that way.
We started in on a new TV series, Big Love. This one takes place in Utah and is based around a polygamist Morman family. If anyone ever thought it would be a good idea to have several wives I think this show will turn you around. There is lots of drama between the women and their families. What a mess, and only the first episode….more later..

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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

2011-11-29T12:11:00.000-08:00

0741, Tue, 112911. La Paz. Well, you never know. It blew like stink all day yesterday. We bounced around as the waves came through. One boat reported that he had tried to leave the area and found four foot waves at the head of the channel so he turned around and came back. It finally started to calm after dark and is now almost flat calm. Our anchor alarm decided it had had enough and went off just after we got up this morning. It can give erroneous warnings at times but how strange to wait until it is calm out to do that. I am so glad it didn't go off during the height of the blow. It is real hard to tell if you are dragging or just going back and forth on the anchor line. So, all is well this morning.
Kevin, Russ, and Janet came by for a round of cards last evening. We had a table full of munchies and lots of cards everywhere. We switched things up with another way to play Baja Rummy. Instead of teams we each played our own hand. With a few other changes in the rules it made for an all new strategy. I played a pretty clean game but the cards just weren't there. I finished up with a miserable last place, the gracious host.
Hey Kate, we were just passed by a couple of rowers. I know there is another name for the sport but it escapes me at the moment. A couple of guys went by, my guess they came from the military base, in those long slender rowing boats. They make it look so effortless.
I tinkered with some of our solar lights yesterday. We have a handful of those slim garden lights to help light the boat at night so the panga drivers don't run in to us. Some of them had gone out of commission so I did what I could. One was easy, simply a battery. The other was a bit more complicated but I got it going but noticed last night that it is not very bright. The other was history, something wrong in the little solar panel. Checking out the circuitry it was all hidden inside a big blob of hot glue, no access.
The kitchen sink counter is looking better and better. One more coat of varnish now covers it.
We tried to get started on the last season of DHW but something is dramatically wrong with the picture, so we put that aside and checked out one of the movies, Animal Kingdom. It was very slow going but had a surprise ending. Strange flick…..more later...

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Monday, November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T11:57:00.000-08:00

0722, Mon, 112811. La Paz. It turned into another day of wind and waves. Just the same old thing. I think we have some more wind today and then maybe it is over for awhile. I, for one, would like to move on. The anchorage has really thinned out and once this wind is gone I am sure it will thin out even more.
I did some touch up on the wood counter top around the sink, sanding the old varnish and blending in the new. Wow, what a difference. It really looks great. Another half dozen coats and she'll be complete.
With the wind and waves we find it not worth the hassle of fighting the elements to head to town, not to mention, we like to stay close to the boat to make sure she doesn't decide to take a walk. It is common for anchors to get fouled as the boats change directions in the tide changes so not only is it prudent to watch your own boat, but an eye must be kept out for the others that may come our way.
On my last trip home I picked up an interesting book on how to build robots. It is a great book but a hobby more suited to land. I was able to add a lot to my knowledge about the electronics and was quite surprised to see they still use the old computer language I learned many years ago, Cobol. I thought all the old languages were obsolete.
Sue came through for another win in Baja Rummy. It was touch and go but the cards just weren't there for me. The evening movie, DHW, was playing again so we decided we would take in one extra episode. It turned into yet another episode because of a "to be continued" ending. They are really bumping off the old characters. Susan and Mike are moving out of the neighborhood. Orsan has left the roost and of course Edie was bumped off a while ago. Oh, and Katherine is leaving with her new girlfriend…..so don't worry, I will try to keep you up on the gossip……more later..

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

2011-11-27T13:31:00.000-08:00

0705, Sun, 112711. La Paz. It was quite windy all day. It wasn't a big problem except when the wind was blowing one way and the tide was running the other. Then the boats go crazy. The guy next to us came by to see if all was well. We were keeping an eye on things but so far there wasn't anything to worry about. We only had one boat break loose from its anchor, it was just outside the marina. Unfortunately the owner was out of the area leaving a lady aboard who didn't have any knowledge of the boat. The boat collided with another before help arrived. Several dinghies came from inside the marina to save the day. The boats were separated and reanchored. In all the communications on the radio one nut case said he knew the owner and was going to call him in the States. I could see calling after everything was settled, but in the middle of the action, what the heck is he going to do? The wind continued to blow through most of the night until early morning. Although it was predicted to blow all day, right now it is simply a strong breeze. All the clouds are gone and the skies are blue. Let's hope they got it wrong.
We stayed aboard all day, just taking it easy. Kind of hard to get much done in all the rocking and a rolling. Sue gave up the computer to me, so I was banging away at the key board most the day. Of course we had our card game, humph. It didn't go so good. It was a close game though. The DHWs are still at it. Remember me mentioning how they brought in a few new characters? Now they are eliminating them. Who will be next?.....more later..

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Saturday, November 26, 2011

2011-11-26T14:43:00.000-08:00

0709, Sat, 112611. La Paz. Our morning morphed from liquid sunshine into a windy afternoon. It was raining when we woke up so we decided to stay put in the anchorage. We took one last run to town taking advantage of a break in the weather. The rain had stopped and the cold front winds were due in a couple of hours. We are checking into a system that would give us access to the internet from the boat any time we are in sight of a tower. There are a couple of different plans and we are trying to figure which one would be best for our situation. They require you have a phone number and three references. This was a challenge. We found that the boaters are using the phone number of the marina and we headed over to the yachts sales office where they were willing to be our references. We were ready with two bank references but they never asked for that. The sales lady helped us through the application and said we should get all set up by next Tuesday.
Rock N Roll was set to come over for cards but with the choppy seas it just wasn't worth the hassle. They had gone to town and purchased a small water heater so Russ was in the middle of installation. Sue and I broke out the cards to a rousing game of Baja Rummy with a run away winner. That would be me.
It was predicted to blow throughout the weekend peaking mid afternoon, so we will wait until it all settles before we leave the area. The boat that was close behind us has left leaving plenty of room around us so we are happy campers here.
We took in our usual DHW at the theater last night. They are getting real serious and eliminating some of the older characters with new ones moving into the neighborhood. Susan befriended a stripper who she convinced to quit her job. The stripper had no place to go and no job so Susan was trying to convince Mike to let the stripper move into their place. Mike was trying to say it didn't seem like a good idea. As they quibbled back and forth he said it felt like a trick question……more later..

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Friday, November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

0717, Fri, 112511. La Paz. We had a wonderful day yesterday. To start out, we had sunshine with a cool breeze and calm waters. It couldn't have been better. Janet and Russ came over to Neos to do some baking for the big dinner. Brownies and pies were coming out of the oven. Then we all sat down to a great game of Baja Rummy, Russ and I walking away with a big win. It was time to head over to the dinner at Marina Palmira. We found a taxi van and filled it up with seven adults and a couple of small kids.
Marina Palmira was packed with cruisers. They had shade set up but the only spots left were right in the sun. Although really hot when we arrived, we figured we would be in the shade about when dinner started.
We took a little walk around the place to see what things looked like as well as check out the slip we would be coming into next month for our trip to the States. Wow, we couldn't have asked for an easier slip to get in and out of. It is in the first row with all sorts of room to maneuver. That was great to find out.
For the dinner, they were so organized. To control the herd as they lined up, they had given each person a playing card. The volunteers and special people got Aces and then it went Kings and on down the line. We were Jacks. As we got into line, other Jacks were trying to make it to the back of the line, not an easy task with the crowded conditions, so I let a few in front of us. What a neat way to meet people. One couple we let in weren't even cruisers. I'm not real sure how they found out about the meal. He was from San Francisco and she was from England. This was their second time to the area, they had met here. They drove down from Seattle and are here until April.
Another family were the ones on the taxi with us. They came down with the Baja Ha Ha but had some projects along the way. They said they missed most of the parties. Their plan is to head clear around the world on a circumnavigation.
There looked to be plenty of food for all, the turkey was done perfectly, and I think everyone there had a great time. In order to work off all the food, Russ, Janet, and Kevin joined us in a long walk of the Malecon. It was a good three or four mile hike on a perfect evening. The sunset was glorious. It was a nice calm ride back to the boats.
Sue and I got in a couple of DHW before enjoying a great night's sleep.
We were woken by rain coming through the hatch, so we got up for a quick run around the boat water proofing everything. The breeze came up after we were back in bed but nothing too strong yet, but the rain continues as I write. I wouldn't call it a strong rain but rather just a light sprinkle. It should help the local conditions…..more later..

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Thursday, November 24, 2011

2011-11-24T09:27:00.000-08:00

0711, Thu, 112411. La Paz. Happy Turkey Day. It is the big day around here for the gringos, at least those of us from the states. We made a run to the store yesterday, something that would be totally crazy back home because of the crowds. There weren't a lot of people there, certainly not a crowd, but a lot of gringos doing their shopping. I even ran across the lady who was on the shuttle the other day from the airport and said hi. While we were out and about we dropped into the Telcel store to ask about their Banda Acha. I believe that translates to wide band. This system would give us internet anywhere within sight of one of the cell towers. Around here it would be pretty much anywhere we go. The gentleman was real nice, spoke very good English, and was very helpful. He said he learned his English while working at Costco in Cabo San Lucas just by talking to the customers. We first heard of this internet system through our friend Naomi some time back, but we are just now getting around to signing up.
We decided to splurge in the afternoon and head into the marina for a shower. At fifteen pesos a piece (1.50) it is a real bargain. There was a notice to keep showers to no more than five minutes. The notice went on to say that many people only get water two or three times a week and only at night. Wow, this is a first. Just watch the locals as they come back from the fishing charters, washing down their entire boat every day. That is a lot of water. You'd never know there was a water shortage there. After showers we headed over to Rock N Roll for an evening of cards. Russ and I were in the lead right up to the last minute when the girls went zipping by, oh well.
The slight breeze we had all day calmed to absolutely nothing for our ride back to Neos as we commented about the calm before the storm. We were running late but still snuck in a little DHWs before slipping off to slumber land for an ending to a great day…...more later..

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Wednesday, November 23, 2011

2011-11-23T13:18:00.000-08:00

0700, Wed, 112311. La Paz. There was a little wind yesterday and all of the boats were doing the La Paz waltz. The current fights the wind and the poor boats don't know which way to lay. At one point we were 180 degrees opposite of all the boats around us, then, a minute later we were back in line only to go through the same routine all over again. We all seem to have plenty of room but the guy behind us decided to up his anchor in the middle of all this and redo in the same spot. It looks like, after a long battle with the wind and the current, his anchor is down once again and all is well.
We simply hung around Neos for most of the day, putting things away. I brought back some new toys for Neos and installed them. We now have a brand new GPS. For some reason the viewing screen was getting lines across it and wouldn't you know, the lines went right through the numbers making it difficult to read. Wow, the new screen is simply great. It was the same model GPS, so all I had to do was remove and replace. Nice when they don't change things over the years. I did take the opportunity to re-route some of the wiring so there was also a little improvement there.
While visiting friends I was given a catalog of toys, everything from pneumatic tools to car lifts with everything in between. So lots of time was spent window shopping through the catalog, always a fun way to while the time away.
Around 3:30, we got a call for a four o'clock card game so we ran around the boat, threw together a few nibbles to share, and we were off. We joined Russ and Janet on Kevin's boat and had a great game of 64. They play it as "3 to 13" with some different rules so now the game has evolved into some of our good house rules adding to the fun. They like most of the new rules but when we told them of my house rule they thought we were crazy. It goes something like this. If you are the first one to reach a score of one hundred, it has to be right on the nose, you get fifty points off your score. Oh, it also has to be on a Thursday and only one person per game can collect. It has happened twice since I have been playing the rule.
The wind had laid down a little and we were going with the chop on the way back to Neos so it was an easy ride back. A little rough putting the dink on the davits with the current whipping between the hulls of Neos but all went well. Later in the night it calmed completely and we had a great night's sleep.
We managed to get some Desperate Housewives in before calling it a day as I struggled to keep my eye lids open. It looks like I am easily falling back into the La Paz routine…..more later..

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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

2011-11-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

0852, Tue, 112211. La Paz. I'm Back.
It was a whirlwind tour of the old haunts, but loads of fun. The occasion, Jerry's daughter's wedding reception. Jerry and I go back to the first grade. Added to our duo was another close friend from the same era, all the way from Hawaii, Dick Byce. Aside from running around getting things ready for the party we had a chance to spend a day riding around our old haunts and reminiscing about the good ole days, three old fogies enjoying a lot of stories and loads of laughs.
The new bride, Linda, was an absolute pleasure to work with to help set up the party. She was so calm and organized. I have set up a lot of dinners over the years with the Lions Club and none were more organized than hers. We had a lot of fun catching up with friends, once the party got started, friends I haven't seen in twenty or thirty years. Lots of questions went back and forth but old friendships picked up right where they left off. Loads of fun.
The traveling went as usual, my first flight delayed by two hours, but there was one funny story. We have a temporary citizenship card here in Mexico called an FM3. This gives us a little higher status than the usual visa holders, but it requires that we check out of the country with immigration before leaving. I went to the counter to check in for my flight and they held my ticket while I was given a special pass to go to the immigration office. After asking several people along the way I toted my bag around to the back of the building, through a little alley lined with boards for the construction zone and found myself at a little cubbyhole with a guard who took down my name. She then pointed to the door and I entered. I found myself, with my bag, on the inside of the secure zone. No one had checked me or my bag and I was in the middle of customs, smack dab in the middle of all the security stuff. Quite funny. I found immigration, got the proper stamps and made tracks out the door I came in, got my ticket, then headed through the front door with all the other people. So much for security, heh?
Jerry was nice enough to make a quick trip past my daughter's house where I was able to give everyone hugs and see the new game Max had made. He has a box with loads of ideas of what he can do if he gets board. He reaches in and grabs one, giving him something he can do on his own. Great idea Michelle! Oh, and hi there Max. We will be there soon for the holidays.
All went well for the trip home where I was picked up at the docks by our friends Russ and Alex. They toted me to Neos where we joined Sue and Janet finishing off the day by catching up on all the news.
It is nice to be home once again…..more later..

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Monday, November 21, 2011

2011-11-21T13:21:00.000-08:00

0730, Mon, 112111. La Paz. Well the winds have arrived! They are coming from the west and are predicted to clock around to the north this evening. So it will be a "stay on the boat day". I am so thankful that things were calm the last 4 days while Rog was gone.
The music I heard yesterday morning turned out to be the start of a celebration and parade down the malecon, honoring Revolution Day. I turned on Car Talk and Wait, Wait….our usual Sunday morning entertainment. I'm not sure if it made Rog feel closer or further away. The crew picked me up at 9:15 and we were off to the swap meet. Russ had a bunch of treasures from his bilge and there were about 20 others unloading their treasures. There was very little shade, so I headed over to Club Crucero to wait for them to finish selling. I ran into a Haha captain talking to his paid crew, trying to decide what time to leave for Mazatlan. After listening to them go back and forth for about five minutes, I had to warn them about the weather. Last thing I ever want to do is to tell another captain about weather, but he obviously had no idea that there was a front coming in. I encouraged him to go online and check a weather site but he took my word for it and put off his passage until midweek. After another conversation with a fellow cruiser, Jean of Mita Kulu came by. With the swap meet and parade going on, only four people had shown up to their El Salvador Rally meeting. She was out recruiting folks to come and told me to head up for the treats they had spread out for the expected 60 people had not shown up. By this time, Kevin had wandered over so the two of us went up to the Vista Room together. When Rog and I were in the Rally 2 years ago, we had come from the south and never got the "spiel". So I got my bag of goodies and treated myself to a piece of fabulously rich chocolate cake. By this time, the swap meet was over and we met up with Russ and Janet and headed up to the Palapa Restaurant for brunch. When we got to the Abasola (the street that runs along the length of the waterfront), the end of the parade was forming and heading out. This includes the young men with lariats and the horse groups with the riders all in traditional costume. Best part of a Mexican parade as far as I am concerned. The Palapa was packed and we got one of the last 3 tables. Had a fabulous breakfast and Russ helped me with my Spanish. I got back to the boat just after noon and did some email and knitting. I also watched the Rally video that came in my goodie bag. I saw a few shots of Rog in the promotional video! Unfortunately, I was hopelessly wired from the chocolate cake too. So sad to find out that chocolate is starting to affect me now!! How sad. At 4pm, the crew was back for a marathon card game evening. We ended up playing FIVE games of Baja Rummy. We had split the wins 2 guys and 2 gals and did a fifth game to break the tie. Unfortunately, the gals lost the final game so the guys won the tournament. Exhausted, we didn't break up until almost 11:30. Looking forward to Rog's return later tonight!!!!

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Sunday, November 20, 2011

2011-11-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

0730, Sun, 112011. La Paz. Another quiet night but this morning there is an ominous bank of clouds in the north. It could just be a fog bank. It is a little early for the northerly to be showing up. It is due tomorrow evening. A panga with 3 fishermen aboard just went by playing classical music (full volume). Now that's something you don't see every day!
About 9:15, the gang (Russ/Janet and Kevin) picked me up for a trip to town. At the marina, Russ and I headed to Club Crucero to dump garbage and return some DVDs. It was morning coffee and I spotted Bill and Jean from Mita Kulu in the crowd. They are here to give their annual spiel on the El Salvador Rally. Good to see them again. We walked from the dinghy dock at Marina La Paz down to the center of town, one block from the cathedral. Last time Rog and I went to this Saturday market, there were about 4 tables. Now with the season in full swing, there were about 20. We looked around and I picked up a few Christmas present gifts, then we headed down to the bagel shop where Janet found the most heavenly tea. The bagel shop is the closest thing we have in Mexico to a tea house. They are trying to bring the diversity and charm of drinking tea to a country that traditionally has only enjoyed coffee. The tea that Janet bought smelled of strawberries and chocolate and was aptly named "Valentine's Tea". By the time we got back to the boat, it was noon and I relaxed until they returned at 4pm for Baja Rummy. We played 3 games and the gals won all three. I guess we will have to back off or the guys will not want to play anymore. It was about 9pm when they headed home and I hit the sack.

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Saturday, November 19, 2011

2011-11-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

0730, Sat, 111911. La Paz. Flat calm night…beautiful. After a leisurely morning, I did my chores and then cooked. I had bought 2 pollos enteros (whole chickens) and put them in the pressure cooker with seasonings. After they were done and cooled, I shredded the meat and packed my muffins tins and put them in the freezer. Then I returned all of the bones, skins and unused chicken pieces into the pressure cooker again and cooked that up for a broth. When you have very limited freezer space, you don't want to take up space with bones and packaging. Now I have 12 chicken meals ready to use. And the broth makes a delicious soup, then stew. After lunch, I made a batch of bread. Meanwhile, I finished one of the front pieces for my new sweater and started the other side. Also spent a couple of hours on email to both kids and a couple of my sisters. Around 4:30, the card players arrived with snacks and drinks in hand. We played two games of Baja Rummy, splitting the wins. I did get an email from Jerry Duda that Rog arrived safely, although his plane was delayed by 2 hours so he didn't get to the East Bay until 10pm. Long day for him. According to Sue (Jerry's wife) the two guys had hooked up with Dick Byce and were spending the day exploring their old haunts and reminiscing.

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Friday, November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T12:08:00.000-08:00

0739, Fri, 111811. La Paz. With apologies to Rog, I will attempt to maintain the blog in his absence. After a leisurely breakfast, Rog was ready and waiting when Russ came by in his dinghy to pick him up for the ride into town. I could have taken him in and struggled to raise the dinghy solo but I was sure glad that Russ was willing to step in. The wind and waves were up and it would not have been easy! The itinerary has Rog catching the shuttle to the airport down south at Cabo, a three hour trip. His plane leaves Cabo at 4pm and he arrives in SF at 6:17pm. From there, he will take BART to El Cerrito where Jerry will pick him up. Jerry's daughter, Linda, is having her wedding reception Saturday night. An added bonus for Rog, Dick Byce is flying in from Hawaii for the weekend. He should have a blast. As for me, I had mentally planned a number of projects during his absence. I am knitting a sweater, I have a book to write for Max, and I need to start my autobiography. Unfortunately, I could still see Rog in the dinghy heading for shore when I lost all ambition. I managed to get in some knitting and some reading but I sure do miss that guy already! Kevin and Janet and Russ came over after 5pm with drinks and snacks in hand. We taught Baja Rummy to Kevin and he picked it up amazingly fast. It wasn't his lack of skill that Janet and I walked off with the win again. Spending the evening with them helped me immensely and I had a good night's sleep. This morning I was able to connect with the Picante and even heard Jim call in from California.

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Thursday, November 19, 2011

2011-11-17T07:58:00.000-08:00

0655, Thu, 111711. La Paz. We headed into town to get some groceries first thing. We left right after the weather report on the net in order to beat some of the crowd to the dinghy dock and get a spot for little TT. Our plan worked like a charm. We took the long walk to our usual grocery store and found signs saying the new Mega grocery store was just open, only another half dozen blocks down the road. Just another big grocery, I don't think it was worth the extra effort of the half dozen blocks, but it was nice and new. All the workers were brand new, so there was a little uneasiness in the check stands. The baggers were a bunch of young kids so you ended up with three of them bagging as they giggle and poke each other. Our kids put all the can goods into one of those plastic bags, about fifteen cans, then put two small boxes of brownie mix in another. I'm sure they will get it figured out in no time. We found everything except eggs. The egg section was empty, I guess they forgot to notify the hens.
They did have a great foreign foods section. That is, an aisle with foods, mostly Kirkland brand, that were for the gringo. Kinda funny.
As we entered the new plaza going into the store we walked past a group of kids at the fast food place. They saw us and started in with their English with their Hallows, and How are yous. One of the kids ran up and handed us a brochure that said they were from a linguistics school.
We got back to Neos, everything put away and decided to go through my itinerary for the trip back to California. That is when we noticed the bus ticket that we got early, oh so organized, was for last month. Sue had written the date on a piece of paper and handed to the guy and he screwed it up. The dinghy was dropped back in the water, we squeezed into a parking spot at the docks, and walked to the bus depot only to find they would not honor the mistake. I guess this is how they stay in business. Luckily the ticket only costs about thirty bucks, we bought a new one. I'm all packed and ready for my trip.
I will be gone for a few days while Sue holds down the fort here in La Paz. I am flying back to the States. Jerry and I have been friends since first grade and his daughter is celebrating her wedding day. I thought it would be fun to be there for the big event.
Yesterday eve, Russ and Janet came by for a visit. We ended up playing Baja Rummy. The game is completely different with partners. The girls really walked away with the points so it was just a ho hum game. It was a lot of fun spending the eve with great friends.
The anchorage is getting more and more crowded as the military won't let boats stay out front of their docks and we woke this morning to find a boat right in the middle of the channel. We haven't had any problems with the strange dance of the boats as the wind and current do their thing but we keep a close eye on that. The nights have been real calm and the days nice and cool, we couldn't ask for better……more later..

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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

2011-11-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

0703, Wed, 001611. La Paz. It was a perfect morning to go into town. The wind had calmed to almost nothing throughout the night and the tide would reach its apex around quarter to ten. An eight o'clock departure would be perfect. As we came out of our little bay our first obstacle was a big fishing boat from the fish hatchery that lies at the mouth of Caleta Lobos. He was dragging a big net and who knows how far it lead out the back of his boat. I slowed for awhile, figured out where he was headed, then put Sue on the bow to keep an eye out, and headed out. Just then the huge ferry boat was coming in. You do have to stay out of their way but there looked to be plenty of room. He went right past us and with plenty of room made his big left turn in front of us into Pichilingue.
No sooner did we get past the mouth to Pichilingue and we were boarded by the local military, once again checking paper work. They must not have anything else to do. I have never seen so much boarding in all our travels. We are getting to know the guy pretty well. This time he told us to keep going while his boat pulled up alongside while he made a jump for it. He made it safely back and we were almost to the channel into La Paz. There is an oil supply depot on the point and many times there will be a big ship unloading that docks there, stern to. This leaves his bow sticking out into the mouth of the channel. Not a problem, just hard to find the mouth of the channel the first time it happens. This time the ship had finished its chores and was raising its anchor. This really blocks the channel. Lucky for me there was a boat in front of us so he had to figure out the obstacle. I saw the ship start to move and the cruiser in front of me kept heading like he was going around the bow. He finally realized what was happening and all turned out just fine.
We hit the channel right on time, hearing on the radio that one of the buoys was gone. This could lead a lot of boats into the shallows if they weren't used to where the channel was. It was slack tide so our entry was a piece of cake. We found the anchorage real crowded, it is full of the Baja Ha Haers. Boats were anchored everywhere. We know what a mess it can be when the wind goes one way and the current runs the other, so plenty of room needs to be left for the crazy dance the boats do. We found a spot but ended up with the possibility of blocking the municipal dock. The only one that uses the dock is the military once in awhile, but heck, who wants to disturb them. We tried another spot but now we were getting way far from the marina, a long dinghy ride in choppy waters, and we found there was no holding there. Up came the anchor once more and we headed on our way. We found Alex II and Rock N Roll in our usual spot but it looked too crowded there as well. We finally settled in a spot the other side of the Marina and just a real short hop by dink in. A fantastic spot.
We made a run into town, hit the coffee shop/internet, the storage unit, and dropped off the garbage as well as picked up ice. The seas and wind were zero last night making for an absolutely perfect night, ah life is good…..more later..

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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

0649, Tue, 111511. Caleta Lobos. We are finally back to normal. Whew, that was a ride. With the full moon, the tides are bigger than normal, add on top of that all the wind out of the west and we were riding the breaking waves. Neos takes it real well, but the boat next to us was really bucking. Over in the corner was a small fishing boat that had anchored right at the surf zone and they were really going for a ride. They finally raised the anchor, as I watched the guy ride the bow up and down, and got out of here. At one point a boat came in bucking through the waves and proceeded to drop the hook. They must not have liked it much since the anchor was back up just as fast and they were gone. Where they went is the big question. There is really no place of protection around here from the west. We could hear over the radio, some boats were having trouble in the next cove over, Balandra, but I think they got out ok. We simply rode things out and it is absolutely calm this morning. With all of the filled rain barrels, Sue went to town and got the bed linens washed.
We were going to head in to La Paz yesterday morning but that was cancelled. It will be a perfect run this morning. The tide reaches its Flood about 10:00 so we should be able to leave here about 8:00 to scoot in without the strong currents or any wind.
I mentioned listening to the Formula One race the other day. It was a lot of fun. The guys that do the announcing are a couple of Brits. It just seems so fitting with their accents and funny sayings. There was a tight moment on the track and this is what one of the guys had to say with all the excitement of the moment. "It was a crackin' tussle as the two cars came screaming through the chicane side by side touching tires." I got a kick out of the crackin' tussle part.
To finish up a nice day, we sat on the bow of the boat for the sunset with our glass of wine in hand, enjoying the beauty of the colors as the sky turned a bright orange and the mountains turned to purple……more later..

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Monday, November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T14:07:00.000-08:00

0715, Mon, 111411. Caleta Lobos. I apologize for missing yesterday, I really don't have any excuse. I was listening to the Formula One race from 6am to 8am and got out of synch for the morning. Not much happened but it has been much more exciting in the last 24 hours.
First off, our friends on Rock n Roll and their buddy boat, Alex II, have left for La Paz. We had loaned RnR our microphone to the SSB. He is having some problems getting out on his radio so we thought he could eliminate some of the questionable parts by using our microphone. It turned out, although the same make radio, there was a problem with the plug not matching. Oh well, all you can do is try. He paddled over in his dinghy, no motor on it yet, and handed off the part and then it was time for the two boats to head out.
Later in the day the fellow on the trimaran came by for a look at our boat. We gave him a tour and he said he was going to get in so much trouble for seeing the boat without his wife. We told him to go get her, so we had a great little get together with them. Richard and Rebecca bought the boat right here in La Paz and have spent the last year trying to get it together so they could go cruising. The time has finally come. They are off to adventure around the Sea.
The weather reports looked like we would get some eleven knot winds out of the west. Although the west winds are impossible to hide from around here eleven knots looked like no problem. We got our first sprinkles just after sunset and figured that would be it. Around midnight the west winds hit with gusts around twenty knots creating a rocking horse ride for our life. We were holding just fine, just a rough road. We got up to look around and Sue found the giant aloe tried to take a dive and was saved and then we found the floor wet on the starboard side. We should have made sure the hatch was closed, but didn't expect so much rain. Our XM radio antennae runs through the window so we don't usually close it. Hey, it has been a long time since we have seen any rain, what do you expect? We had enough of the wet stuff to fill our rain barrels….that's more than we have had in the last 12 months combined. Other than a bunch of mopping nothing got too wet. My tool bag got wet on the bottom but most of the tools were dry. It just made for a little excitement in the dark hours of the morning. We then headed back to our nice warm bed to wait out the rest of the night.
We are still bouncing all around so plans have been changed. No longer are we going to head to town today, we will put that off until tomorrow when it is supposed to calm down around here.
So that's it for our neck of the woods….more later..

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

2011-11-12T12:55:00.000-08:00

0650, Sat, 111211. Caleta Lobos. We have been busy around here with all the visits. With nine boats in the anchorage Sue decided to put out an invite in the morning to come over to Neos in the afternoon. One boat called back saying they were sorry, but real anxious to get into town and get the prop fixed on their dink. Then one by one they all left, sociable bunch. All except Rock 'n Roll, our old friends, and their buddy boat Alex II. We were joined by our good friends and Alex for the afternoon and evening of great catching up. Alex is a character, originally from England and now from New Zealand. They picked one of the worst days to make their trip from Los Muertos to La Paz, so plenty of stories were told of rough passages, all with great laughs. They listened to one of the weather gurus on the SSB and he definitely got it wrong. He said it was supposed to calm right down and be pleasant, it was just the opposite. I happened to mention, late in the eve, that not one minute had been spent telling of that beautiful passage, so we came up with a few of those stories and went right back to the others, much more exciting to talk about. It sounds like they plan on hanging out in the area until they have tired of it and then call it quits. Russ said he was done with overnighters, can't blame him there.
We still got a chance for our movie time, more DHW. They go from one pickle to the next, all with a touch of humor in there…..more later..

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Friday, November 11, 2011

2011-11-11T11:40:00.000-08:00

0647, Fri, 111111. Caleta Lobos. Happy Veteran's Day.
Things are really hopping around here. Reno rowed over for a visit from his boat, Star. He heads to town soon to pick up his wife. Quite the character, he sounds like he has gotten to know the locals pretty good. I think he said he and his wife have been cruising for 20 years. They spent time in the South Pacific in a little 34 foot boat, now that is small for traveling the seas. He told lots of stories of spending time with the small villages that live along the coast of this area. It was fun listening to his tales.
Then, as we chatted, boats started to arrive. It is the influx of people from the Baja Ha Ha, a group that is put together every year by Latitude 38, a publication in the San Francisco Bay Area, to get people started on their cruising life. Officially it is from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas, but after that they have to go someplace and for some of them, that someplace is La Paz. We now have nine boats in Caleta Lobos. I kept checking to see if one of the boats could be our friends on Rock and Roll. Russ and Janet were the managers of Marina Tortugal way back when we were on the other side, Caribbean, and we stayed in the Rio Dulce for the hurricane season. We had heard a call over the VHF to them but could not pick up their signal as they came through the San Lorenzo Channel just around the corner from here. We could hear the guy warning them to watch out for the big ferry boat headed their way. Just as the sun was setting and I was out returning the boom to the center position, I saw the last boat coming in and wondered if that was them. Sure enough, I got a shout from them dropping the hook right behind us, "Hey Rog". We yelled greetings and it being so late, and I am sure they were pooped, we left it at that for the eve. Hopefully we will get together today, we have lots of catching up to do.
Oh, just for your info, I put the boom off to the side of the boat to keep it from shadowing the solar panels. This is part of the daily routine and with the steady winds only needs to be done in the morning and at night. It can be a pain if the winds are shifting a lot but beats running the engine to charge up the batteries.
One more addition to the new visitors, our burros are back on the hillside this morning. I took a head count and all five of the white burros were there but I didn't see the little brown guy, then he crossed in front of the white burro. He absolutely disappears in the brown landscape…..more later..

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Thursday, November 10, 2011

2011-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

0636, Thu, 111011. Caleta Lobos. I think the winds are starting to settle. We are going through long stretches of no wind and then suddenly it will pick up for a few moments, then die back down to nothing. Now all we need is for the waves to diminish and all will live happily ever after.
There isn't a lot of news around Neos. I guess this is a good thing. I've got about three coats of varnish on the rail around the sink counter and it is looking a lot better.
I also finished one of the Jason Bourne books, book three in the series. Wow, beat up, thrashed around, but still in one piece. Now he can go off and live with his family in peace. Ha. Starting the next book, I think I am going to be disappointed. I really don't like it when the famous authors turn the series over to sub authors, it really loses something. The way this one is starting out it looks like it is going to get sorta Sci Fi on me. They skipped through time and now Jason's wife is dead. Well, you can tell it is going down hill already. With all the great battle scenes that have been portrayed in the other books, get this one. The bad guy gets picked up by a Hummer so JB runs into the street, grabbing a chain on the back of an eighteen wheeler and flings himself up to the flat bed in back. In the dark he manages to find the hidden key to the Harley Davidson, successfully jumps the bike off the truck bed to the ground, happens to reach in the custom leather saddle bags on the back while being bumped off the road by the hummer, finds a wrench which he throws just right. It hits the ground in front of the back tire and gets flung under the Hummer, breaking the axle. My gosh, he has turned into some sort of superman. Maybe this new author should stick with the comic books.
We met the guy on the other boat that has been hanging out here at Caleta Lobos. He was out spear fishing and brought us a nice big Grunt. His name is Reno, on Star, waiting for his wife to come down from Montana. They live six months on the boat here and six months in Montana.
I got slaughtered at the card table, whew. She really did it to me this time. Oh well, I won't feel so bad when luck comes back my way. The Movie: More DHW. Crazy story. They're all crazy……more later..

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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

2011-11-09T13:16:00.000-08:00

0711, Wed, 110911. Caleta Lobos. We had some pretty stiff winds blow through here yesterday, nothing we haven't seen before. It has gotten a little cooler too. No longer do we sweat all day. In fact, the mornings call for a shirt and we close all the forward facing hatches as well. I guess winter is coming, ha.
We had a visitor yesterday. The old man with the cowboy hat with the young kid, our fishermen, came by and asked if we had any powder coffee. Sue said ours was "Frijoles". He said that was fine so we gave a small bag of coffee beans and he was happy. Instant coffee seems to be the order of the day for the entire Central American/Caribbean area. If he can get any flavor out of those beans I'm not sure what he will think of French Roasted coffee.
I think I forgot to mention our visitor the other day. Every once in awhile the local navy comes out and checks paper work. It was time once again. All seemed to be fine with them so they filled out the paper work and were gone. All that paper. I have this imprint on my memory of going into the office in Panama. Piles of paper were stacked everywhere. There is no way anyone would have been able to find anything in that office, bureaucrats.
Boats come and go around here. We have had an older guy across our tiny bay since soon after we arrived. He seems to be staying put. I see him get into his dinghy and row off every morning to a different part of the shore. Then he disappears for most of the day only to be seen rowing back in the late afternoon. He must go hiking around the area.
One of the big rent-a-yachts dropped the hook right next to us during all the wind. They were out for the party of it all since it was obvious they weren't going to let a little bad weather slow them down. Some of them jumped in the water but didn't stay in for long while others dinked to shore and hung out on the beach for awhile. They tried their hand at fishing off the back of the boat and then hung out in the sun in spots that were shadowed from the wind aboard their big boat. They were successful in catching a fish. Sue saw the guy pull in a good six incher. As evening rolled around they were gone.
We had a miserable game of cards yesterday. I really tried my best but those cards just weren't coming to me. Oh well, no good luck wasted there.
We decided to get into Desperate Housewives last night. We remembered the final episode we saw last and it looked as though they jumped ahead about five years. That's exactly where they picked up. All the old characters are still there, maybe not in the same situation, and other characters have been added. Wow, how strange…..more later..

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T13:59:00.001-08:00

0650, Tue, 110811. Caleta Lobos. The Grib files said the wind would come in during the middle of the night with speeds in the fifteen knot range. Right on schedule. It is expected to be like this for the next couple of days. The good news, it is coming out of the north so we are pretty protected from the big waves that can sneak into our cove if the winds are out of the west. We get a little rocking motion but nothing to knock the dishes off the table.
I've been interested in changing out the light fixtures on Neos to LED bulbs. This would involve twelve lights just in the salon and cockpit area. We bought a nice little fixture years ago but found that the light it emits is so centralized that it doesn't do much for lighting a bigger area. It fit in the fixture perfect but at $35 bucks a pop it would be a lot more than I would like to shell out. It just isn't that important at this point. LEDs are pretty cheap and readily available, but the fixture, a very important part of dispersing the light is impossible to find in kit form. With interest, I got out my trusty books on electricity yesterday and spent the day brushing up on the info. The books are of interest in the way they go into the history of how all this stuff came about, lots of famous names, famous because the names were used as the components of electricity, Watt and Ohm just to mention a couple. Also interesting is that neither book even mentions Edison although they both go into the guy who developed the vacuum bulb making light bulbs possible. He was a glass blower by trade. Tesla is mentioned but only in name. Nothing is said of the man himself or his contribution to electricity. Maybe all that stuff came later.
Sue is busy getting back into her Spanish and doing some crocheting creating some cute stuff. She got trounced once again at cards, just hard to beat that guy.
Movie time presented American Beauty, Kevin Spacek. I know I don't have that name just right. Kind of a crazy movie about a guy who goes through his mid life crisis. Good entertainment…..more later..

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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

2011-11-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

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Monday, November 7, 2011

2011-11-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

0649, Mon, 110711. Caleta Lobos. We had wind again last night, but again, nothing to frighten us.
Sue was busy doing what? Scrubbing the boat. This time she had the mop over the side washing the sides. She does such a good job of keeping Neos clean. I was not liking the looks of the wood edge around the sink area so it was time to do something with it. Out came the sand paper and varnish. I got it sanded down and the first coat of varnish is in place. It looks a whole lot better. I'll just keep adding a coat a day. That should keep it in good shape for a time to come.
It never got very hot yesterday so swimming was out for the day but that didn't stop the card game. I continued with my hot streak trouncing my poor opponent one more time. As luck goes, it could all turn around in a second. Jason Bourne is still running through the pages his book, almost trapping the Jackal, almost being trapped by the Jackal, so life goes on in the stories. At movie time we started watching the recap of 12 O'clock High. Some was interesting but as usual, they start to get monotonous so we moved on to the next movie. Playing last night was 127 Hours. It is the story of the crazy guy that was hiking through the desert and got his arm trapped by a falling boulder. He made plenty of mistakes. First and foremost was not leaving a plan with anyone back home. Second, he was crazy, all alone doing the crazy stuff he did. He was crashing his bicycle, jumping down into narrow slits in the rocks, just running around a bit on the loose for being all alone, on the edge. He left behind the good knife, the extra Gatorade, and no back up should he get stuck for a cold overnight. In his defense, he was having a great time and had a lot of equipment with him and apparently did this quite often. He knew a lot about survival and ultimately did the only thing he could have. He made it home, just barely, and went on to marry his old girlfriend and is now a father. His wife has made him leave a plan before leaving on one of his wild trips……more later..

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Sunday, November 6, 2011

2011-11-06T13:29:00.000-08:00

0701, Sun, 110611. Caleta Lobos. We woke once again from a blustery night with a nice rocking motion to the boat. Once I was up I headed outside for my morning look around, it is so peaceful in the morning. As I sat there I was entertained by watching the early bird local fishermen. There is a little village around the corner with a couple of boats and a meandering shack. Last night I watched as the panga with the father at the helm wearing his cowboy hat and his son on the bow checking for the perfect spot. It was found right along the bank across from where we are anchored. The son gave a mighty fling off the bow of the boat as he sent the first section of their fishing net to its destination. The man at the helm gave it a little gas and I watched as the net paid out of the boat for a good hundred feet. This morning it was time to pick up the catch. I watched as they picked up the end and laid the net back into the floor of the boat. I couldn't tell if the catch was good or not, but quite surprised at their early rise on a Sunday morning.
Our clock in the salon is run on batteries and last week was Mexico's switch to daylight savings. The clock must not know where it is since it turned another hour last night on its own and is now an hour off. Even the little machines are confused.
The little gizmo that watches the state of the batteries, the Links, was still on the fritz and getting worse. I figured that I could apply a lesson taught to me by an old friend who retired from working the oil rigs out in the ocean. He said that if they couldn't fix it, they would fix it so nobody could fix it. Sue wasn't wild about the idea but she gave the consent to go at it. I fiddled with the wiring. On the back they managed to make a tiny plug that is simply impossible to get all the little wires into. I pulled the wires one by one and redid the connections being careful not to switch the wires around. Bingo, it seems to be working quite well now. I simply amaze me sometimes.
Boats come and go in the anchorage giving us some beautiful moments alone here. The donkeys were on the hillside again, eating away at nothing but dry brush. One of you readers (no names given here) replied after I said all the boats had left the anchorage. She reminded us about the story told by one of our old cruiser friends that they simply shower on the bow of the boat, that seems to get rid of most people. No we didn't shower on the bow. If you remember from your visits, the shower hose is on the stern step, ha.
Our card game went a little rough the first round. I trounced my humble opponent and in the melee she forgot to count her cards. She said to continue but I said we needed a restart. Restart we did. I then went on to win, really hot.
Movie time consisted of an old classic, 12 O'clock High, Gregory Peck. They just don't make them like that anymore……more later..

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Saturday, November 5, 2011

2011-11-05T15:46:00.000-07:00

0650, Sat, 110511. Caleta Lobos. Wow, what a crowd. There are five boats in the anchorage. To top that off, our donkeys are on the hillside as well. What a difference a night makes.
Slight wind yesterday morning that calmed down by mid day, making for a beautiful day. Not a whisper until evening, and then wind through the night again. This is pretty nice weather. It is cooler. Instead of no covers at night we are up to one cover and sometimes the spread for that last hour before sunrise. Pretty nice.
It was so nice we jumped in the water at mid day. With all the waves coming through the anchorage I didn't expect the water to be clear at all. Visibility was incredible. We are in about ten feet of water and the bottom is crystal clear. I could see a little skate just below the ladder of the boat trying to look inconspicuous, a couple of fish hanging out with one another, one was a big puffer and the other looked like a real pale parrot fish. Then there were other schools of fish in their various sizes right down to a couple little specks that on real close look were tiny sergeant majors with their yellow and black vertical stripes. Sue was giving the water line a scrub while I was busy doing some detail work around the rudder and props. Gotta stay ahead of those barnacles, ha.
I beat Sue at cards yesterday, but she sure made me work for it. She almost got me. Our movie last night was simply a documentary, the side disc to Departed. It really was more Martin Sorcese on Martin Sorcese. Interesting for a bit, but then they started to repeat a lot in the other sections so that was enough of that…….more later..

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Friday, November 4, 2011

2011-11-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

0639, Fri, 110411. Caleta Lobos. We have a pretty good breeze today. It started during the night sometime. We have good holding as we ride the waves coming in off the larger bay. The poor little monohull near us is bouncing around like a cork, umph.
We were also joined sometime during the night by a catamaran. It looks like a privately owned boat. Unusual to see a cat around here not owned by Moorings.
I worked on the little handles that open the hatches from the outside of the boat. They are made to snap on, but over the years, they seem to lose some of their snap. None have come off in the wind but I may have lost them to storage. I can't find a few of them, hopefully in the locker, but they are so small and storage is so big. I went around and made a small hole, inserting a screw in the center of the handle. This worked well, a solution I had been looking at doing for some time now. I was finally convinced when I saw it done on the same type of hatches on another boat. I happened to have just the right size screws so it was a project that was just meant to be.
I have been working my way through the Jason Bourne series, currently on book three of the four book series. It is quite a twisted plot, adding to the enjoyment of the whole experience, but Jason is still alive and kicking. I don't need to say too much about the card game since it will only encourage Sue to win more. The movie of the night was a sleeper too. There Will Be Blood with Daniel Day Lewis. They could have cut a good hour out of the movie and lost nothing. The acting was slow, the dialogue was slow, it simply put you to sleep. Unfortunately I stayed awake for the entire thing. It is the story of how one guy discovered oil at the turn of the century and made a lot of money. Unfortunately he was a lousy person and held true to my theory, give people a lot of money and it doesn't change them, it simply accentuates what they already are……more later..

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

2011-11-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

0707, Thu, 110311. Caleta Lobos. That's it for holidays this week. We have been getting good weather with a cool breeze helping that wind generator keep those batteries going just fine. With the wind comes waves, so we roll a little. I had decided to stay out of the motor compartment and put off working on the water pump. Periodically the little rubber paddle wheel inside the water pump, as well as two little seals, need changing. I think the last time I changed these were back when we were in El Salvador. As the day went along the winds calmed and the water was running nice and flat, so I headed in. There is a nice little plate on the front of the water pump giving access to all that needs changing, but unfortunately the motor is mounted with that little plate facing the wrong way. I have found it much easier to simply remove the entire water pump and rebuild it. I actually have a couple of extra pumps ready to go, so it didn't take any time at all to switch out the old and put in the new. Helping out greatly is a new tool on the scene, one of those allen wrenches with a ball shape on the end. This helps turn the allen screws at a slight angle where the regular allen wrench won't do the job. I used to fight with this stage with lots of frustration. It went so smooth with the right tool, I was out of there in about a half hour.
We are back to being the only boat in the anchorage. Not sure just what we do to get rid of the others, honest, we don't play the radio loud or anything, but they are all gone and so we moved the boat back into our favorite spot. We did play a game of cards with nothing to report there. Well actually, Sue took the win.
Movie time! An actual movie. "Departed" with Matt Damon and Leonardo De Caprio and many more. They had a good half dozen or more famous people in this one. It was one of those very complicated story lines. We had a real hard time trying to figure what was going on at the beginning but finally caught up with the action and then real surprised at the end. This was a good one……more later..

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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

2011-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

0637, Wed, 110211. Caleta Lobos. Happy Day of the Dead. They do like to stretch out their holidays here. We were busy. Right after breakfast and the morning routine, we headed into the docks and met with Sergio to pick up the windlass. It was ready to be reinstalled. We thought about going for a walk along the Malecon but decided against it in favor of getting the windlass installed and heading out.
The installation went perfect, but for one little wire. It was being a problem, but after fiddling with it for awhile, everything ran just as it should. Timing was perfect, the tide was ebbing (going out) and there were no winds. We have left as the tide is coming in and it is pretty strong. So it was great to have a favorable tide. We were ready to haul the anchor and scoot.
We found one other boat in Caleta Lobos and joined them in our favorite spot. We were hot and ready for a swim. The water has cooled off and is now on the chilly side of comfortable. The card game (back to Baja Rummy) went well. I took a big lead in the first round and then almost lost it, just squeaking through with the win. Hey, is there a pattern here? Ah, but I did win.
The wind is blowing pretty good this morning, which it has been doing all night long. Nothing frightening, just a good stiff wind, great for keeping the batteries charged at night. There is a coolness in the air that we haven't had before. Maybe winter is here?
A little reading and a movie. No, no movie yet. More Remington Steele. Their romance is steaming up…..more later..

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Tuesday, Nov 1, 2011

2011-11-01T13:38:00.000-07:00

0622, Tue, 110111. La Paz.
NOTE: Sue has posted the October monthly summary with pictures.
Check it out at lloydjourney-neos.blogspot.com
Happy All Saints Day. It was quiet in town last night. I hope the munchkins had a good T or T.
We actually took a day off, well sort of. Sue scrubbed the boat inside and out finding a hose that needed replacing in the guest bath, so I headed in there with my tool bag and removed it in no time at all. I would have had the new one in place but all the junk is in storage now. It will be fixed by the end of the day I am sure. I just need a quick trip into the storage locker.
Sergio is done with the new part on the windlass, so another excuse for taking a trip into land. We met with him the other day and found the part needed a little adjustment. He does good work, always shows up on time, but wow, the prices the boat guys charge for labor, you'd think you were in the states. Oh well.
Naomi and Andrew had a great weather window to head back to their place in Puerto Vallarta, so we never got to play out at anchor with our friends, they will be missed. But weather dictates everything to a cruiser, time to move on.
We took time out in the afternoon from our hectic schedule and played a couple of rounds of Spite and Malice. It had been awhile and I remember why now. Sue whooped me bad, twice, stealing away a good lead both times. Is there no compassion in that girl? As the evening rolled around it was time for Remington Steele. They put in another little round of interviews by the makers of the show, always of interest. They mentioned that Pierce asked them what they would do now, once year one had ended. He couldn't believe that they continued on with the same show, same plot, same actors. Guess that's not how it was done back home in Britain/Ireland. ……more later..

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Monday, October 31, 2011

2011-10-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

0654, Mon, 103111. La Paz. Happy Halloween. We are in our first day of daylight's saving time. Yep, they are still on the same schedule as we used to be in the US. Am I right? You are now on a different schedule up there? The whole thing is so archaic. I was told as a child it was all about the farmer, so he could have an extra hour of daylight in the morning to get chores done. I really don't know why he needed to change the clock, just get up at what ever hour worked? Sue says it has to do with the kids, so they aren't walking to school in the dark. What hour do they travel to school that they would be in the dark? Who came up with this crazy idea? I heard of an idea the other day that would have us changing the clock twice a day so you got the extra hour of light in the morning, enjoyed the extra hour at night, and gave everyone an extra hour of sleep every night. Now there is an idea we should check out. Back in the early seventies we stayed on daylight savings year 'round. It was to save oil. Hey, that must have worked. Why don't we do that all the time? Saving oil, at least, seems to make some sense.
Halloween seems to be bringing out the late night goblins around here. We could hear the music and strange noises once again from town last night. It will probably go on for a couple more days, or should I say nights. November 1st is All Saints Day, a minor recognition here, but then comes Nov 2nd, Day of the Dead. This is a day to respect our ancestors who have passed on. The symbol is a bit bizarre. They dress up a couple of skeletons in fancy clothes. A little comical/strange. Oh well, happy day!
We headed to town while Sue did a few touch ups on the website so all should be good to go now. While there we checked out Face Book. A number of our aquaintances have been to Disneyland lately. I am jealous. There was a lot of talk about the Jumping Fish of Disneyland. If you are a nut for detail this is something you should not pass up. They have little fake fish, on a wheel of some sort, that jump out of the water about once a minute. It gets moved around the park. First place I saw them was in a hidden pond across the walk from Thunder Mountain. Next time back it was gone. Sue remembers it being in the water at the entrance to the castle and I remember it being on the back side of Tom Sawyer Island, only visible from the Mark Twain or one of the other rides that circles the island. They were jumping in the rapids. Ryan saw them back at Thunder Mountain during his visit earlier this month. So, next time to Disneyland, keep an eye out for these little guys……more later..

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Sunday, October 30, 2011

2011-10-30T14:00:00.001-07:00

0629, Sun, 103011. La Paz. We had a busy day. We loaded the dink and headed to shore. We met Sergio at the docks and handed off the windlass then, after paying for our parking spot and dumping off the garbage, we headed into town. To the solar store, where we bought the batteries the other day. Its a good walk downtown, but the cooler weather made it easy. We were interested in a new Links that monitors the batteries. The lady there made a phone call and said she could get the model that watched one battery bank, not the dual watch which we need. Oh well.
So off to the next stop. Groceries. Another good walk and we were there, Chedraui. This is a nice store with about everything we needed. Packed up and out the door we found a taxi right at the curb side. He delivered us to the docks and we were on our way home. Groceries were unpacked with just a little time to kill before we were to meet Sergio back at the docks. He was a no show but heck, this is Mexico and we don't have a phone. E-mail says he should be there this morning. Hope he remembers daylight savings time.
Back on Neos I did a little maintenance on the shelf that holds the windlass and we were done for the day. I was hot at cards, look out. I trounced poor Sue. When I am hot I am really hot. We retired later in the evening for the usual few episodes of Steele and that is when the music started up again. This time it didn't sound like professionals, in fact Sue said it sounded like karaoke. I thought it was like listening to the gong show without the gong. It wasn't overly loud so I think we both got a good night's sleep. Ah, life in the big city…..more later..

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Saturday, October 29, 2011

2011-10-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

0709, Sat, 102911. La Paz.
If you have about 30 minutes to kill, check out our You Tubes;
1-Neos Catamaran Plays with Dolphins
2-Neos Catamaran Tour (of the boat itself)
3-Neos Catamaran and the Cruising Life, done in 2 parts
If you search You Tube for "Neos Catamaran", not only will these 4 videos show up, but also 2 done by the previous owner on the construction and launching of Neos back in 2004. Any feedback to the author of our videos would be appreciated!
And check out the updated website neosforsale.com ENJOY!

It was a nice morning. We didn't have to meet anyone in particular at the docks so we could go at our own pace through our morning routine. With still a strong breeze, but down from the winds the day before, it wasn't bad getting to the docks in the dink.
Sue wanted to finish up with the uploads on the website. Our new website, neosforsale.com, is now updated and running. Go check it out for us and let us know if it is working. Then tell everyone you know to check it out as well. The more hits it gets the higher on the choice menu it gets. This is a good thing. Besides, after watching this website, someone is going to connect and want Neos.
Not knowing that uploading movies (as opposed to slide shows) takes a long, long time, we were at the coffee shop all day. We spent some time enjoying the internet and playing internet Boggle. There was a really tough board of letters, we scored ten points, came in number one, and got every word possible. Now that is a first.
We got out of there around four o'clock and I still had my chore to do. I needed to remove the windlass so the guy could fit the new little bracket on it. With only a few hitches it came out pretty easy. The anchor chain is not held by the windlass, it is held by a harness that leads off both bows, made of rope with a buckle that slips over the chain holding everything in place, so all the windlass does is raise and lower the entire kit 'n kabootle.
We got done about time for movies and headed down to a couple of rounds with Remington Steele. Interesting little inserts here and there with the writers, actors, and creators of the show. Those are always fun to listen too. Pierce Brosnan sounded like he hawked everything in Ireland and came to America to become an actor. Pretty brave of the family.
Once asleep, the town woke up. It sounded like they had a big parade and then loud music to the wee hours of the night. It wasn't bad, at least it was some kind of pop music…..more later..

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Friday, October 30, 2011

2011-10-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

0752, Fri, 102811. La Paz. We headed in to the docks right after breakfast. Sue headed off to the coffee shop while I met up with Sergio once again. He brought a piece out to the boat for the first fitting and all looks like it is on track. Now I have to remove the windlass so he can take it into his shop making the final installation. This will be no small chore, but quite doable. Back in town, I headed up to the coffee shop and hung out while Sue was busy with the new website. Progress is being made on the new site but as anything like this goes, there are little glitches to be worked out. I hear a little "woohoo" now and then which tells me she is making good progress.

The morning was absolutely great with flat waters getting in and out of the docks with Sergio but that all changed by the time we headed back out. The predicted wind had kicked up. We made slow progress into the wind and waves making it safely back home. As the day went on the tide current was in direct conflict to the wind. This not only made for some choppy water but the boats don't know if they should slip along with the current or try and face into the wind. The wind won out as Neos made it to the end of her anchor chain facing completely backwards. Instead of trailing out front the chain disappears under the boat, really strange.

Dominoes were the game of the day. Not much fun though, Sue whooped me in both games. We are finishing up with the first season of Remington Steele. Maybe a shopping trip soon to pick up fruit for the smoothiesmore later..

Thursday, October 27, 2011

2011-10-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

0725, Thu, 102711. La Paz. We got going right after breakfast. We hit the docks, Sue ran up to the office and paid our fifteen pesos for the day use of the dinghy dock and I found Lupe, the propane guy, waiting patiently at the head of the dock for anyone who needed propane. I dropped off two bottles, paid him, and all we had to do with him would be to pick up the bottles, there at the dock, at one. Next stop, garbage. We had accumulated a fair size bag of garbage, but some of that was junk being thrown out like the old pump I tried to revive, etc. So we really didn't have too much in the way of daily garbage, trying to keep that to a minimum. Sue headed directly up town, a couple of blocks, to our little knock off Starbucks, Fifth Ave. Coffee Shop to do several hours of downloads getting started on the neosforsale sight. Hang on, I'll let you know when it is all done so don't check it out until it is time. I have a guy making a neat little bracket for my windlass that will help knock the chain loose from the gypsy (pulley) the chain rolls over before dropping into the locker. So I was busy with him back on the boat getting measurements and all. Then I headed back into town and met up with Sue at the coffee shop. After diddling around there, waiting for the downloads on the computer, we finished up and headed out. To the storage locker, picked up a few items needed on the boat, then to the docks where our propane bottles were waiting. We dinked past Naomi and Andrew's just to check with them to see if we were still on for dinner and then spent a leisurely afternoon on the boat.
Evening rolled around and we headed into Naomi/Andrew's boat for dinner and conversation. We had a great discussion about politics and enjoyed the entire evening with good friends. Andrew is an excellent cook so need I say, we enjoyed the meal as well.
The waters were real calm getting back to Neos so we finished up the evening with a nice ride on the water back to home…..more later..

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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

2011-10-26T14:18:00.001-07:00

0651, Wed, 102611. La Paz. We were greeted to another fine day in Caleta Lobos. We had the usual morning breezes, very nice and refreshing. Mid day the breeze came to a stand still and so it was time for a dip before heading into town.
But I get ahead of myself. There were more pictures and more editing for the neosforsale site so Sue was once again hard at it. I was busy puttering around, getting fuel mixed for the dinghy, etc. I thought I would tackle making a diagram for the little box of wires located in the anchor locker. This little junction box is mainly for the wires coming out of the cabin and connecting to the lights and equipment on the mast. Traveling up the mast there is a Bridge Light, simply a spot light to light up the front area of the boat, a Steaming Light, this is a light about half way up the mast that is required when running under power at night, then we reach the top. There is a wire for the antennae that supplies the VHF radio, an anemometer that tells us which direction the wind is blowing as well as how strong. Then the mast light that is all white lights when at anchor and becomes red, green, and white while underway. The wires used for supplying power to the mast are grouped into three main wires, unfortunately each group has the identical color codes. This doesn't help a lot for tracing wires. The little box is placed inside the anchor locker but tucked up in the corner making it a little difficult to see it, but after making a preliminary diagram it only took several hundred trips back out to confirm connections but I think I now have an accurate diagram of what is what. I'm not sure I accomplished much but it certainly kept me busy all morning…..
Morning was past, so was lunch, so we went for our final dip before leaving our favorite little spot, fired up the engines and headed in to town. We had a slight breeze at our backs and had a pleasant trip in. We aren't right in our old anchoring spot but close to it with plenty of room around us. The marina closest to us has been working on putting in brand new docks. Until now they only had moorings. Progress looked like it had come to a standstill on our former stays, but now it seems to be going at high speed. It will be an awakening to the few boats that were left on moorings and come back to find a dock within a few feet of their boat.
With the big housing project going at Costa Baja (they have started breaking ground for another section on the other side of the marina), new marina docks going in, and I am sure other projects going on around town, you would never know by looking that there is a slump in the economy.
We had a nice evening out on the deck, checking out the sights of town, then retired for our movie fix before sluffing off into sleep. Just another nice day in paradise……more later..

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

2011-10-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

0726, Tue, 102511. Caleta Lobos. We woke to just a slight cloud cover that was soon gone. A few boats came but they all left by late afternoon. Once again we were alone in our little anchorage.
I tinkered with a little water pump that had been sitting on the work bench for some time now. It is an older pump that went on the fritz due to the salty air, not critical to the working of the boat. The motor wasn't turning over so I followed the electrical line. The negative was working just fine but the positive wasn't. I went along the positive line until it disappeared into a little black box that was filled with silicon. No way was I going to get inside that stuff. I was just about to give up when a spring let loose and several parts went flying off the work bench to who knows where. That settled it. This project had come to an end. I scavenged the extra parts that were good and the rest will be thrown away when we get to land. Oh well.
Sue is busy on the computer still, working over the presentation. It is a lot of work, but the results are looking good. Stay tuned.
A leisurely swim cooled us off in the afternoon and a good round of cards rounded out the day. We play Baja Rummy lately. It is played to 20,000 points usually taking four rounds to get there. Amazingly enough we came within ten points of each other by the end of the game. I demanded a recount but had to settle for second place, bummer.
More Remington Steele and another visit from our little friends in the night. The stingrays were hard at it once again. The videos we took with the spot light came out much better. Not quite like being there but close.
We got word from Laura that the earthquake in Berkeley area was a 4.0, almost twenty years to the day from the big Loma Prieda earthquake that destroyed the area with freeways falling, bay bridge collapsing and buildings toppling. They had just gotten done with an emergency trial run for earthquakes when it hit. I didn't hear of any destruction but with a 4.0 it shouldn't have done much. Hang on up there……more later..

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Monday, October 24, 2011

2011-10-24T13:12:00.000-07:00

0732, Mon, 102411. Caleta Lobos. Back to beautiful weather, not too hot, not too cool. We lost our neighbors one by one. It seemed they stayed for breakfast and then hit the road. Once again we had the entire anchorage to ourselves.
I decided the weather was nice enough to go diving on the underside of the boat and finish up the barnacle sweeping. It is now entirely complete and I have the stiff muscles to show for it. It was a perfect day for cleaning, the water was calm and clear as well as the air temp being nice. The fish were loving it as well. I would look down once in awhile and watch as about a hundred fish swam around scooping up the goodies that I was scraping off the boat.
Sue was hard at the computer. She is in editing mode now. It looks like that will take quite a bit of work.
By sundown we got three more neighbors, all spread out around the bay. A couple were Moorings and one a charter motor yacht. Getting crowded again, ha.
Another great visit once again from our little stingray friends. This time we got out the big spotlight and shined that in the water. We will check the results of our picture taking sometime today. It is really fun to watch as these little critters circle around in groups, scooping up dinner. With the spot in the water we could see little red dots swimming around, this must be what the stingrays and fish are after. I think the light attracts the little dots to an extent so the rays are attracted as well. We sat on the bottom step of the stern and watched within inches as these guys passed by with only a slight flip of the tip of their wing, an awesome sight.
TV time, same ole thing, Remington Steele. As I talked about some of the changes in equipment and fight scenes it went right by me that the name Remington came from a typewriter. What the heck is a typewriter, ha. Remington was one of the most popular brands in its day, but no more……more later..

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Sunday, October 23, 2011

2011-10-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

0729, Sun, 102311. Caleta Lobos. We actually got some rain yesterday evening. Not a lot but enough to wet the deck and close all the windows for a short time. It all started when we could hear the thunder in the distance, probably in La Paz. I got out the cable we use for a lightning rod and attached it to the mast letting the other end dangle in the water just in case. All was well by the time we hit the sack. We never got any really close lightning, ahhhh.
This has become a busy place. The boat count is now up to five. Getting crowded. Must be time to move on. Good timing, we have some business in town. We are close to out on propane, so that will be our main reason to return. It would be nice to pick up some fresh fruit as well.
The propane gave us a little scare. We should have filled up while at the docks but somehow we forgot that little chore. Back a bit, our last fill up was in Mazatlan. One of the tanks was over filled and with the heat at the time it started to open the relief valve and kick out the extra pressure. I switched over to that tank so we could use up some of the propane instead of losing it. That worked fine but that meant the tank I switched off of was partially full. That is what we have left now. It is hard to tell how much is left but I know it isn't full, time to go for a refill on all the tanks.
More picture taking. Sue did a full cleaning in the forward hatches. I don't think the walls had ever been scrubbed down in the work room. Wow, really good looking. Pictures continue to turn out great.
No smoothie or a movie. We are out of fresh fruit as I said and we are watching the old Remington Steele series also. Funny to watch. It was before martial arts made it to Hollywood, so the fight scenes are a riot. No cell phones, so all calls are placed on land lines, at least they are the push buttons, not rotary dialers. They showed one computer in the office. Nothing at the secretary's desk, just a big thing on the desk of Laura Holt. The screen was black with green letters, no color. Times have changed….more later..

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Saturday, October 22, 2011

2011-10-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

0728, Sat, 102211. Caleta Lobos. Overcast skies this morning and all is quiet. We are now one of five boats in our lonely little anchorage. It all happened late in the day. One large motor yacht was here, just for the night, and is gone already this morning. Behind us is a trimaran with a couple of monohulls in front. We have yet to meet any of them.
We had a human malfunction of the equipment yesterday. We thought maybe the wind generator wasn't working, so we went through all the tests (checking out just fine), cleaned all of the terminals (looking a little dirty but fine), and could check no further. Without a stiff wind it is hard to tell what is coming in from the six solar panels and what is coming in from the wind generator, so we decided to wait until the sun went down, eliminating the solar panels all together. All was fine, in fact the batteries look much better this morning. With the shorter days and cloud cover, well let's just say we have been spoiled. The sun doesn't even make it over the mountain top next to us until eight or eight-thirty. Then the wind turned throughout the day putting the mast shadow across the panels. It doesn't happen too often but it all makes a difference. With our cloud cover it may be a day to put some extra energy in the batteries from the generator, the first for the season.
More pictures of Neos. Sue concentrated on the solon/kitchen area. It is turning out great. We got in a card game, and a great game it was, ha. Can you guess who won? Then we had a wonderful swim.
Smoothie and a movie: Remington Steele. Remember that series? It goes way back. Wow, is Pierce Brosnan ever young. Laura Holt, who plays opposite Pierce (Stephanie Zimbalist) is a private investigator. She opens her own firm but gets no business. Remember, this was at the forefront of the feminist movement. So, she makes up a ghost boss by the name of Remington Steele, a combo of a typewriter and a football team, and does fantastic. Pierce is a con man and ends up being misrepresented as Steele. Oh well, you probably remember.
We heard there was an earthquake in my old home town of Berkeley California yesterday. That is all the news we heard. I hope our good friend Lempi Duda is OK…..more later..

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Friday, October 21, 2011

2011-10-21T14:02:00.000-07:00

0722, Fri, 102111. Caleta Lobos. It is a little blustery here. Nothing too much, enough to keep us cool and run the wind generator. More cleaning and picture taking. Sue has really done a great job getting ready to show the boat off. Keep your eyes open for the big debut of neosforsale.com. We will let you know when. She was putting some narration in yesterday. It runs for over 13 minutes, a long time to talk without making any mistakes. She had a terrible time with a hum in the background but did a lot of playing with the set up and I think she got it out. Then she would get going and an airplane would fly over. Wouldn't you just know it? I think she got a good run finally.
I finished up the last touch on the carpet at our feet around the table. Sue trimmed the ends and I tucked them under the lip inserting screws to hold it in place. It looks real finished, just as I had imagined it oh so long ago when I first pictured this project. Nice to have that one done. Kind of funny how those final touches take so long to get up to the top of that priority "todo" list.
No visit last night from our sting rays. With the wind stirring things up maybe whatever attracts them just wasn't there.
In the afternoons I have gotten into the Jason Bourne series, book two. It is real exciting. I smartened up this time and have a running who's who list with all the characters names and who they are. It has been very helpful as the players fall in and out of the story line. These books can be hard to read, or should I say, easy to get lost with all of the change ups of characters. One moment you have someone figured out only to find that isn't really who that character is. A good read.
On the game front. Sue had been dominating the card circuit so yesterday we switched it up a bit with Boggle. Not the internet variety, just the old fashioned version. It is lots of fun. We make our word lists and then compare them, but don't keep a total of the score Lucky for me. Sue's vocabulary is much better than mine. But I hang in there ok.
Smoothie and a movie: probably our last smoothie as we have run out of fresh fruit. We watched "Take the Lead" with Antonio Banderas. Based on a true story about a guy who took over supervising kids in the hood during their detention period. He taught them ballroom dancing of all things. They finally came around and it helped a lot of them straighten their life out. The credits at the end said there were now a bunch of teachers and schools that have followed suit. Great success story…..more later..

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

2011-10-20T13:49:00.000-07:00

0754, Thu, 102011. Caleta Lobos. Busy as ever around here. It was such a nice morning I hopped in the water and cleaned one hull of barnacles. It isn't looking too bad considering we sat for so long without any attention. Most of the mess was concentrated on the sail drives and props. The fish loved it. They were gathering below me having a feast on the falling barnacles.
Sue was at it again, taking great pictures of Neos. The boat didn't look this good when it was brand new, ha. We dropped the dink and (knowing there was not a lot of gas in the tank) we putted around the boat snapping pictures. Sue had finished up the last picture and we were just arriving at the back step when the engine made its last sputter, out of fuel. Now that is timing. Oh, we have more on board but we didn't even have to get out the paddles, amazing.
We got another awesome visit from our little stingray friends again last night. Making a ruckus on the outside of the hull we were drawn out for a look. They really liked something in the water right at our back step. We got out the flashlights and watched, only a foot away, as a hundred little rays circled, diving under the edge of the boat. There were also a group of fish all around the boat, about six or eight inches long, also having a feast. For the most part the fish stayed just below the rays since the rays were layered thick on each other. We were mesmerized by the entire scene.
Last night's smoothie and a movie: Sweeney Todd with Johnny Depp. Interesting to see him in a musical. Strange movie, a little over the edge with gore, but aside from that it was well done. Sweeney comes back from exile with a lot of revenge at hand and more than settles the score…..more later..

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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

2011-10-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

0736, Wed, 101911. Caleta Lobos. It is so quiet this morning, not a whisper of wind, the water looks like glass. Even the birds have slept in this morning.
While we were in La Paz last week, buzzing around in our little truck, we made a Home Depot run and picked up a small carpet square. We have now cut it down to fit the half circle under the table, the platform I built long ago to support our feet. It looks so much better. We then took the scraps and lined the shelves alongside the master cabin. It really dresses it up nicely.
I finally got the dinghy in the water. After sitting on the davits for over two months it was quite grumpy about starting but start it finally did. We took her for a ride around the bay, our first ever if that can be believed. We have spent more time here than any place else in the area I think, but never have explored. Tide was in so we were able to zip right up to the beach. There were lots of doggy prints along with their human counter part but I did find some raccoon tracks as well. Behind the beach, as so many of these beaches have, was a bog. The ocean builds up the sand on the beach forming a lip along the shore where water can get trapped behind. This supports the mangroves which are a very important part to the ecology of the entire ocean system. Back on the water we rode along the shore, checking out the clear water and all the neat sights below. We discovered some beautiful angel fish, black with an orange and white stripe, sergeant majors with their black and yellow stripes, and some little blue guys hanging around in their schools. It was a nice ride.
The wind picked up in the afternoon, nothing big mind you, just a good stiff breeze to whirl the wind generator and pump more power into those batteries. We debated whether we would go for a dip and decided to go. Knowing it will be getting cooler soon I think that may have influenced the decision, get in as much as possible while the getting is good.
Smoothie and a Movie: The Rock, with Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage. Great movie. Of course it hit close to home. Growing up in Berkeley the movie took place in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz. Sean Connery was great, Cage was as always, Nicholas Cage. Amazing how some actors get away with simply playing themselves…..more later..

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

2011-10-18T11:20:00.001-07:00

0731, Tue, 101811. Caleta Lobos. After a slow watch on animal lookout we hit the jackpot. This morning, for the first time, we have a half dozen or so burros grazing along the waterfront. At first I couldn't tell what they were, the distance mind you, all in white with their heads down. Donning my glasses didn't help to distinguish what the were either. Cows didn't make sense, there was nothing for them to eat in the dry tundra. Finally we grabbed the binoculars, we could see they were burros. I didn't expect to see them all in white, but there was one black sheep in the family, he was the typical chocolate brown with a ring of black around his nose and a touch of white offsetting the black.
The real highlight came to us last night. As we took in our smoothie and a movie we kept hearing a slapping on the side of the boat. It didn't quite sound like the usual fish splashing or even the occasional boat wake. Sue peeked out the window at one point and could see nothing. We crossed it off to wind waves rippling along the side of the boat. As I made the last rounds about the deck before turning in, it was absolutely calm. The night sky was incredible with the milky way streaming overhead joined by lots of gorgeous stars twinkling in the sky. Then I heard it. The splashing again. I couldn't see what was doing it in the dark water. All I could see was movement. I retrieved a flash light and to my delight I could see hundreds of little sting rays. They were the little guys we heard earlier in our travels that would fly into the air and make a pop on the surface as they re-entered their world. Gray in color and shaped like a manta ray, they were about a foot across. Hundreds, swarming alongside the boat joined by hundreds of fish. They really seemed to like the boat as they would circle out and then come back in formation, hitting the side of the boat and sliding along its edge from stern to bow. It was quite fascinating watching the lot of them, so many, as they followed one another around and around, a beautiful sight, I couldn't get enough. I watched until my batteries wore out....more later..

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Monday, October 17, 2011

2011-10-17T11:54:00.000-07:00

0728, Mon, 101711. Caleta Lobos. I don't know if it's just that we are out of that hot hole in the marina or the temperatures have cooled a bit. I think a little of both, but for sure, the boat ventilates much better while on the hook as we swing into the wind.
Chore time; I did a bit of tidy-ing and found new homes for a lot of stuff. Then I got busy making the posts I needed for hanging the neosforsale.com signs. I have figured a way to hang the signs from the lifelines with only a couple of foot long, half inch, PVC to keep the signs stiff. They are looking good.
We went for our afternoon swim. The water is cooling off nicely. Right now it is on the cool end of comfortable. This is a good thing since water temperature has everything to do with hurricanes. With the last set of hurricanes finally coming to their end it is good for us the water is cooling. The poor people down south must have gotten thumped. The news said more than a couple of dozen people have perished from floods, mud slides, and just plain lousy construction. Guatemala seems to get drenched every year with these same results.
We settled in for our smoothie and a movie, yep that's right. I had needed the generator to work on the PVC and left it on deck so we could use it to run the blender, so we enjoyed Sue's favorite one more time, smoothies. Glee continues on with great song and dance, but some of the story lines are getting stretched. It must be hard for writers to come up with new issues all the time……more later..

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Sunday, October 16, 2011

2011-10-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

0723, Sun, 101611. Caleta Lobos, Wolf Cut. Right, we have broken free once more, of those lines that tie us to land. We woke at the usual time and scurried around with the last few chores before shoving off. Then it was time. A call to the office over the VHF and the dock worker was over to retrieve our last line and take the keys to the gate. We were off. The weather was perfect, just the ever so slight breeze, making it easy to maneuver the boat in tight quarters. Once out of the lagoon we got a great breeze on our back all the six miles to Bahia Lobos.
There was only one other boat in the little bay so we dropped the hook and spent a leisurely day aboard Neos. Nice to be back on the hook. One day out and we have seen some boobies flying by, a lone seagull making its call to all his buddies, a herd of fish jumping out of the water being chased by someone bigger, and a giant turtle at our back step, so big I thought he was a sea lion the first time he poked his head up for air. The world is beautiful.
It's a funny thing, human nature. We get into our little routines and when it comes time to move on it is hard. Some of us never move on, understandably staying in that comfort zone. We had fallen into our land routine, working in the morning and hanging out in the lounge for the afternoon, playing cards and watching TV. I was a little melancholy that last day as it came time to move on maybe just a little more aware of human nature….more later..

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Saturday, October 15, 2011

2011-10-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

0727, Sat, 101511. Our last full day in Costa Baja. Yes, it is our last full day hooked to land. Of course there were a lot of last minute chores before leaving. The main project was to try and equalize the batteries. This involves giving the batteries a big jolt of electricity in order to get the acids in the water off the plates and back into solution. It needs to be done now and then in order to get an efficient charge into the batteries. We have little gizmos called Nano Pulsers that do the trick, so we hadn't equalized in years. With the advantage of constant shore power, this was an opportunity. We started first thing in the morning and the process finally finished about six in the evening. In the mean time I got the anchor out of the locker and onto the bow where it belongs, raised the lightning rod, a heavy duty cable that runs from the base of the mast into the water, and hauled the jib out of storage and put it back in its proper place on the roller furler. When I hauled the cable up I found a bush growing on it. This got me thinking of what the props must look like. One last task on my list, dive on the props. Good thing I did, they too were like one big bush. So I got them cleaned up and headed to the showers.

Sue was hard at it all day, swabbing the deck and giving the boat one last wash down with the shore water.

Being time to leave, as I had predicted when we first got here, the project on the hill has just about completed the first stage. They are building high end housing all over the hill overlooking the marina and beyond. Although it was troublesome with the ratta tat tat breaking up all the rock it was fun to watch all the little trucks and tractors running around doing different things. They are almost done as they enter the final step on the underground work, paving the roads.

We didn't get in a final card game as we couldn't leave the battery charger running on its own. We took turns over at the Crew Lounge. Just not the same without my partner. We did get in our last smoothie while watching the movie, more Gleemore later..

Friday, October 14, 2011

2011-10-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

0739, Fri, 101411. La Paz. What a day, but we got it done. We literally moved a ton of stuff off the boat. We started with the first shuttle to town. We had reserved a car at Thrifty auto rental, the only place that would give us a discount for a one day, no overnight, deal. We were to pick up our mid size car and be off to our job. About half way through the paper work the girl explained she had some bad news, the car had been in an accident the night before and was no longer available. Was this a bait and switch? We checked our options and finally arrived at renting a small Toyota pickup truck, trying to look disappointed as we bickered over the price, we were jumping for joy for getting an actual pick up truck. I'm not sure what we were thinking getting a car other than it was cheaper.

Once in the truck and on our way, the first stop was the battery store. That went beautifully, just as planned, and we were off to Neos to lighten her load.
Back at the docks we found a little dirt trail, meant for the local worker on his golf cart, and snuck the truck right down to the gate. The only problem we had was a left rear tire that was a little low on air. I think we could have squeezed the stuff into one load, but with that tire we decided to make a two trip deal. By this time we were hot and tired so the long ride into town with the air conditioning blasting in our face was quite delightful. Town was hopping. We haven't been able to figure where all the gringos have come from, but they were all over town. The locals were ready for them lining the sidewalks with little booths selling all the little trinkets that look the same from vender to vender. It was fun to drive along the Malecon as the traffic went at a snail's pace, watching the people and cooling down in the AC.

We made it to the storage place and as I got started, Sue ran across the street to see if she could find a helper at the boat docks. She came back with a kid who did most of the up and down the stairs hauling as I stacked and Sue stayed below sorting. It went great if one ignored the heat and sweat.

One more trip and we were done, a lot sooner than either of us imagined it would go. Now we had the rest of the day to goof off with the truck. We headed over to VIPS for lunch and a stop at the Home Depot at the southern edge of town. We decided to head over to Wal-Mart to do our grocery shopping. Finding most everything we were after, enjoying the liberty of casual shopping, I felt funny without my back pack, we loaded the truck and headed back to Neos. Once groceries were done we took a quick shower and went back to town to drop the truck off. Cutting it a bit short we had to scoot over to the bus depot and hook up with the last shuttle back home. We were both pretty beat but still headed to our theater for a smoothie and a movie. Enjoying all the great singing and dancing it was finally the end of a long day.whew, more later..

Thursday, October 13, 2011

2011-10-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

0718, Thu, 101311. Costa Baja. Hurricane Watch is over for the time being. Jova went to the land side of Puerto Vallarta and diminished to a storm. I think they got a lot of rain probably. We haven't gotten the final outcome from our friends in that area.

The other hurricane, Irwin looks like it is on track to get close to land once again just south of PV still but then it makes an abrupt U turn to the south and backtracks out to sea where it came from. The third storm looks to be falling apart. So all of the tracks that showed storms coming through La Paz are now gone and we are happy campers for the time being.

Our project for the morning was to go through our stuff and determine what is headed into the new storage room on land. Most of the tools are going and it is like saying good bye to old friends. Hard to sort through a lot of this stuff, but nonattachment will prevail, ha. Our friends showed up about 11:30, Naomi and Andrew, for lunch and a great chat. We got into talking about good books and movies and had a great time talking about how hearing aids have gotten smaller yet telephones are now huge things of status you hang on your ear, how radios were real small, went to huge boom boxes you had to carry on your shoulder, then back to the little Ipod and now the Iphone with oodles of memory that you fill up in nothing flat. They had things to do in town so we walked them over to the office area and said our good byes.

Crew lounge time. We were enjoying just sitting around, I with a book, Sue on the computer while the TV managed to break the concentration when things got exciting. Then back on Neos we sat on the back deck and enjoyed the beautiful weather before retiring to the smoothie and a movie. We are back into Glee, lots of great music and songsmore later..

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

2011-10-12T06:45:00.000-07:00

0713, Wed, 101211. La Paz. Hurricane Watch: We have a slight cloud cover this morning but that is it. It is too early for us to get the news from Puerto Vallarta but the hurricane should have hit land last night. Let's hope all is well.

We headed to town, trying to get on the first shuttle of the morning. It is supposed to arrive just after eight but was a no show until about half past or later. He must have slept in. The new guy doesn't speak English so we couldn't ask. When he picked us up we headed to town but who knows what schedule that would put him on. Good thing we didn't have an appointment. We were headed in to check out the batteries. Sue was sure she had seen Trojan Batteries on one of our previous walks. She had one of those visions of seeing them in the front window as we passed by one of the shops. She thought it was at a chandlery we had been to, so that's where we headed. It was way down at the south end of town, but if you recall, the last time we made the walk it was blistering hot out. Things have been cooling off nicely around here, so the walk not only was cooler but seemed a lot shorter. Finding the chandlery we headed in and chatted with the owner (gringo, ahhhh). He was kind of a funny fellow, said he carried LTH batteries. A much better battery at a lot less money. He said the guy next door carried Trojan Batteries, if you could afford them. I had a decision to make. I really didn't like mixing brands, so we headed up the street to the other guy. There were the batteries, right in the front window just like Sue had pictured, just in a different store. Yes, the batteries were a little more expensive but they would match the brand we have already. Funny thing, when I first decided to go with these batteries. They were "THE" battery used in golf carts in the states and throughout the Bahamas/Caribbean. Very popular, easy to find anywhere. Now that I needed to replace one I could hardly find them here in Mexico. I guess you just need to know where to look.

We plan on renting a car in a day or so and will be able to pick up the battery then. I think I mentioned, we got a storage area to remove some of the clutter on the boat so we checked out all the car rental places in town for the best deal. A couple of trips to the storage place, a grocery run and now a battery pick up and I think we will be able to call it a day. Stay tuned.

Back at Neos and our afternoon at the Crew Lounge, nothing new. We boggled instead of cards so we were a team against all of those others people on the internet. We didn't break into the single digits like last time but placed in the low twenties, a most distinguished score.

Smoothie and a movie is back to Glee. Last night we were catching up on a couple of old episodes just to get up to speed once againmore later..

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

2011-10-11T06:23:00.000-07:00

0659, Tue, 101111. Costa Baja. Hurricane Watch: Jova should be touching ground about now but we have no news of the area. It isn't happening here thank goodness but our friends in Puerto Vallarta are hanging on I bet. Looks like we should miss the entire other two events. There is still a slight chance, but very slight, that we might see anything from them. Channel surfing at the crew lounge yesterday I came across a local news station (unfortunately in Spanish) but they were broadcasting from the Puerto Vallarta area getting ready for the big event.

One of our batteries went on the blink yesterday so that turned into the project for the day. Heck, some of the batteries are seven years old and finally giving up. I switched out the bad one, did some shuffling around, and it looks like we are back on track with power.

Sue is busy cleaning more lockers. She tackled the lockers around the cockpit, no small task. There are eight plus the big one under the helm, getting more pictures for the neosforsale sight.

Sue won the card game yesterday, what can I say? I finished my book, Empire. A very interesting look at what happened to the Indians. It seemed to be a very honest look at both sides of the situation. It could have been handled better from both sides. Good book. It tied in well with the previous book, 1491.more later..

Monday, October 10, 2011

2011-10-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

0720, Mon, 101011. Costa Baja. Not a lot of excitement around here. We are keeping an eye on the weather, Jova, Irwin, and #1. Jova is a first level hurricane right now and looks like it will hit land in Barra Navidad, south of Puerto Vallarta. It then is to turn north, but usually once they hit land they really die out. Unfortunately for PV, Jova is predicted to pass just to the inland side of them. Then there are some predictions of it coming our way but that is so far out and with the crossing of land I doubt we should see much from that one. Irwin is just west of Jova and heading east. They claim there is no way any of these storms will join up but keep the fingers crossed on that prediction. Irwin is supposed to hit land as a storm about the same place and pass over PV, then head clear across the land and touch the Caribbean, then come back across land with a one track out of a dozen showing a hit here. That might just be a first. Then there is
#1, not named yet, just south and brewing. They gave it a 70 percent chance of becoming a hurricane. It lies just off the coast of the Tehuantepec at the south end of Mexico. It too will be watched.

I got a chance to watch the Formula 1 race on TV yesterday. Fun to watch but they broadcast in Spanish and all of the names on the screen were shortened to three letters. I only know about five of the drivers from seven years ago so it is a little hard to keep up with what is going on. There was great TV coverage of the race and some great racing. Drivers vying for the same corner, interlocking tires with a puff of smoke as they decelerate from two hundred miles per hour down to fifty, and keep control of the vehicle, these guys were amazing. Some of the TV shots were taken from just above the head of the driver and takes in the cockpit of the car. It is fun to watch all the gauges on the driver's wheel as the lights flash and the numbers on the speedometer zip up and down. I got back to the boat and Sue asked who won. Heck I don't know, some guy I never heard of.more later..

Sunday, October 9, 2011

2011-10-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

0816, Sun, 100911. La Paz. We headed into town on the first shuttle of the day. On the way in we saw a bunch of energetic people on some sort of run down the main street along the malecon (water front). It was the beginning of a big weekend where they were to close off the main street and have a bunch of activities based on families to celebrate Family Day. The main event was to happen today but we have decided to avoid the crowds. We had other things to do while in town. First off was our Doctor's appointment, yep, on a Saturday. All the information was finally in from all our tests so it was time to get the news. He went through the info and suggested a little of this and a little of that, but in his words, our health is "Like a Swiss watch". We asked how he had learned his English and were treated to a colorful story. At age 15, he was driving home one night and had a blow out wrecking the car. When his parents found out he had been drinking they were upset and sent him to military school in the states. The must have been real upset since the school was in Tennessee. He said the people there didn't like Mexicans and he didn't speak a word of English. He learned quickly and within six months was able to talk to people and was starting to get some friends. A hard six months. He ended up staying there several years.

After all the doctoring we were off to our next stop, the local Farmer's Market. We had planned to meet Naomi there. We found her along the way and we ended up at this tiny corner park with about five booths and only one had home grown vegetables. We did find some nice mangos and enjoyed the art work of the other venders. One was the local potter who guided us to their store down the block. We enjoyed the store as well and had a great time. The three of us headed across town, stopping at a corner grocery to get a couple of pictures with some wild looking piñatas and ended up at the large Farmer's Market. Naomi headed on her way as we were looking for an herb store recommended by the doctor. We found everything needed and even stopped at a local hardware store on our way back. It was like stepping back in time, before Home Depot. This place had everything, piled everywhere. The kid behind the counter spoke a little English and helped us out. We found a buffer for the waxer and then I asked if he had any half inch PVC. He asked how long a piece I needed. I told him about a meter and he grabbed the end of the pipe to pull it out of the rack hanging from the ceiling and out came a piece about three feet long. He said it was just a little shorter and I had him measure it. Perfect, we took it. We struck out on the stainless steel bolt, but I think if we could have conversed better I bet he would have come up with that as well.

We had time to kill before catching the shuttle and stopped off at Burger King for lunch, then headed over to the bus station.

Back at Costa Baja, cards, TV, showers, the usual afternoon. (Lousy card game) The evening was a little cooler than usual with a nice breeze. We spent some time on the deck out back and then retired to the theater. We caught up on the skipped ending of Prison Break, it all made much more sense, but sad, so we found a light movie to finish up with, Toy Story 3. It turned out the toys were being held captive and had to break out of a nursery. What was this? The cartoon version of Prison Break? With a much happier ending we went to sleep on a good notemore later..

Saturday, October 8, 2011

2011-10-08T06:23:00.000-07:00

0708, Sat, 100811. Costa Baja. The waxing of the sides of the boat is done! Of course we were right down to the last foot when the pad, once again, jumped off the waxer and into the sea, rats. I did the best I could by hand for the last little bit. Good thing we have the machine. There is no comparison doing it by hand.

Hurricane watch: We now have three of those little devils to keep an eye on. They are all lined up side by side down south. There isn't any prediction of them joining forces yet but that could be a real problem if they do. Predictions still have them heading just south of Puerto Vallarta. Keep your fingers crossed.

I don't know what has happened. The showers next to the crew lounge have been like a hot house in the afternoon feeling real good to hang out under the cool water but all of a sudden someone got the AC going in there and it is like an ice box. Not conducive to shower taking. Oh my.

The card game was really a good game yesterday. (I won) TV was ok. We have found a little button on the remote that when pushed it will give you the option for Englishsometimes. Now we get the Discovery and History channels in English, that's pretty kewl.

Sad ending to the nightly show. I think we missed a few episodes. The computer has been known to bounce around at times. Somehow the girlfriend ends up in jail and Michael has to go in to help her escape. I won't let on anymore than that..more later..

Friday, October 7, 2011

2011-10-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

0724, Fri, 100711. La Paz. It looks like I lost a day as well as skipped a day on the log. You didn't miss much as days blend one into another around here, but yesterday was a little different. We caught the early shuttle to town and met up with Naomi at the bus station. She had recommended we try a new bagel shop in town called what else, but The Bagel Shop. It was only a few blocks from the bus station, a small coffee shop with thirty different kinds of teas and of course bagels. They have about half a dozen different kinds, onion, sesame seed, poppy seed, and the likes with all sorts of toppings. Choice of toppings ran anywhere from just butter or a little jam to full on breakfast bagels with eggs and cheese. We placed our order and then sat at a table out on the front sidewalk for our chat. There was a nice gentleman there, one of the customers, who was very friendly. He introduced himself and we chatted with him a bit as well, then he was off to catch up with his friend who was parking just down the block. When they came back, the friend turned out to be the doctor we are seeing for our physicals, just a small world. What are the chances of that?

We enjoyed a great get together with Naomi and then we headed our separate ways. We stopped by the doctor's office to pick up prescriptions for what we needed for our physicals, then headed to the chandlery across the street from Marina De La Paz. We have taken a unit there in their storage section, renting a 4x4 space so we can get some of our stuff off the boat. From there we headed off to fill the prescriptions. The first pharmacy we hit did not have either of the two we needed. They directed us down the street to another pharmacy and we hit the jackpot. Got both. We hit a few shops on the way back to the bus station looking unsuccessfully for new buffing pads and some dental floss threaders. We caught the 11:30 shuttle back to Costa Baja for the usual afternoon.

The wax job goes on. We are limited to a small section at a time. Our pads are the major factor here. The night before we had gotten one section done, about six feet along the port side, when the pad decided to get traction and fling itself into the water. That ended any progress for that night. At least the pad waited until we had just finished the polishing and not right after we had put the wax on. One more section to go and the sides will be done.

Hurricane Watch is back on. There are a couple of storms, Irwin and Jova, brewing down south. One doesn't look like it will amount to much but the other has a little potential. The estimated track so far is to hit land just south of where we were last year so we will be keeping an eye on that one.

No card game, we played Boggle on the computer and had great results. Ranking with all of the other players on the internet, we got a few scores putting us in the the low twenties with our high score coming in at number 6. Hoorah for us. That is definitely an all time highmore later..

Wednesday, October 5, 3011

2011-10-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

0717, Tue, 100411. Costa Baja.

NOTE: Sue has posted the September blog with pictures.

Check it out at: lloydjourney-neos.blogspot.com

No trips to town today. We stuck around the boat. The plan, as it played out, was to diddle around the boat in the morning and work in the shade of the boat in the evening, waxing the port side which faces east. I'm not a big fan of putting off the work until late in the day but the only other choice would be to turn the boat around in the slip, no easy task.

Having the time, I am starting to undue some of the work done to put the boat in storm mode. I spent the morning hours taking the lines off the boom that were wrapped around the sail and sail bag. The boom had been swung off to the starboard side and dropped down alongside the supports to the bimini. I had tied the boom to the bimini to keep it from moving around as well as letting it rest on top the salon. Then the lines were wrapped tightly around the entire kit-n-kabootle holding everything tight. It is a lot easier than taking the entire sail down and crawling over it while stored inside the boat all that time. It worked good the first year, back in the Bahamas when we went through the winds of Hurricane Wilma so I figure that was good enough test. By the time I finished that little chore I was already getting hot and sweaty.

Sue had been busy cleaning and taking more pictures of the boat but we were both ready for a cool down by noon. Oh yeah, we took the old scuba tanks over to the dive shop to see if they could be filled. They wouldn't fill my old tank, just too old. It was on the boat when we bought it and was twenty years old. It becomes unsafe with any rust on the inside of these steel tanks making the walls thin. Not worth the chance to have it blow up. Sue's tank will be checked and filled if it isn't too old.

At the crew lounge we played cards. The game is played to 20,000 points. The score ended up within 35 points, a real close game. My luck is getting worn out and it was all I could do to keep up.

Back at the boat the shade had cooperated just as planned so we got to it. The little pads we use on the waxing machine are getting quite old so we are down to two. We got about a third done and the pads got too full of wax residue. Oh well, time to quit anyhow. It just may take a few evening to get it done. That should make it easier on the old bod anyhow..more later..

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

2011-10-04T07:01:00.000-07:00

0732, Mon, 100311. Costa Baja. A trip to town. We caught the first shuttle to the big city, got off a couple of blocks early and were headed back to the medical lab to see what happened to our reports. We couldn't understand all of the Spanish but ended up with our reports in hand by the time we were ready to leave. From there we headed over to the Doctor's office and delivered the reports. Mission complete.

Next stop was Marina La Paz for a visit with Naomi. She hadn't been feeling real well so we visited at her boat rather than go out for a breakfast. She looked fine and said she was much better. We had a great visit with her, compared future schedules, and figured we might get together again later in the month.

On our way back to the bus depot to catch the shuttle to the grocery store we passed three gringos. They were all excited as they peered in at the stairs leading up to a restaurant. One said it looked like a small iguana. It turned out to be a lizard. These tourists need to get out of the big city more often, ha.

We hopped on the shuttle and made the trip out to Soriana, the grocery store, and did our shopping. That all went very smoothly as we fit in lunch and a Mc Flurry before leaving. We were back at the boat and groceries put away in a couple of hours.

We headed over to the crew lounge ready for a good cool down and a game of cards. Sue came through for another win, but it was close. Smoothie and a movie is about the same, what did I expect. The bad guys finally reached their goal only to turn over the secret info to their leader, a bad FBI agent. So they don't get their expected reprieve from all their crimes and are right back where they weremore later..

Monday, October 3, 2011

2011-10-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

0708, Sun, 100211. Costa Baja. In the news. I was asked about the major city being shut down in the states by gang rioting so I will elaborate. According to the coconut telegraph, the town of Reno and Sparks was having some sort of motor cycle convention and a shoot out erupted between the Hells Angels and another motor cycle gang right downtown. One guy ended up dead. The other story the same day was about three people found dead, I think it was in Iowa, with a fourth guy found dead across the street. The police were not giving out any information on how they died but they were on the lookout for the shooter. Dangerous country.

Not much new around the old homestead. Sue is cleaning still, in order to get great pictures of all the cabinets and drawers for the neosforsale.com sight. I changed out the old sump pump in the shower bilge. I finally got tired of fighting with the old pump that has been over come by hair. New one should work great now.

There was a great documentary on the making of a movie on TV the other day. It was about the gangster era, in the 20s and 30s. It went on to tell about how the gangsters were able to hang on so long. They were able to use the latest things to come down the invention trail, the new faster V-8 engines, the newer guns, etc. J. Edgar Hoover came along as a young man and was put in charge of a fledgling group called the FBI. He turned it into a group that could get the job done teaching the men how to shoot and actually running them through training exercises. He then asked for more money and I guess the rest is history.

Being in Mexico, with the gang trouble they have here, it seems about the same story. The bad guys are able to stay one step ahead of the police. It sounds like they need a Hoover to clean up the mess.

Elsewhere around the marina, Sue squeaked by a small margin to win the card game. Well, I guess you have to let them have one now and then. Oh, the guys are still running from the cops, chasing the "Company" and are now looking for Syllis, what ever that is. One of the computer nerds, helping the good guys, has a gizmo that looks just like a cell phone, convenient enough, but it is supposed to have the capabilities of picking up info from any electronic device within ten feet of it. I bet that isn't far offmore later..

Sunday, October 2, 2011

2011-10-02T06:45:00.000-07:00

0711, Sat, 100111. Costa Baja. One side is done, whew. We started waxing first thing in the morning which is why there was no blog yesterday. Well, not first thing. Coffee comes first, but soon after coffee was made we were out there waxing. We got about half the side done and took a much needed break for breakfast. Tough work, even with the help of a whirly tool to help put the wax on and buff it out. The tool could be a lot lighter and it wouldn't bother me a bit. It is a lot easier working from the dock though. In the past I have worked from the dinghy which won't stay put no matter what you try to do. Also, we are well protected from any wind chop so it was a lot easier getting that bottom line done without the water splashing, getting the surface wet and smudging the wax.

Waxing always brings back those memories of washing the cars when we were teenagers and taking them up to the shade in Tilden Park, enjoying an afternoon getting our cars all shiny.

We have decided to take a day off, which will turn into a couple of days off, from waxing since we head to town tomorrow. We got a call from Naomi. Andrew is now in Canada visiting family and she is on the boat in Palmira Marina, down town La Paz. We are trying to get together with her in the next couple of days.

We got an email from our friends on Second Wind. They are enjoying getting settled in to the house in South Carolina. It sounds like they are getting down to the finishing touches remodeling the place and enjoying grand kids. They have gotten together with another couple they met while cruising who sold their boat and live close by. Crazy small world.

The card game was no big deal. I simply won again. When you're hot you're hot, what can I say.more later..

Friday, September 30, 2011

2011-09-30T06:54:00.000-07:00

0718, Fri, 093011. Costa Baja. Just another ho hum day in paradise. It certainly is nice to have Hurricane Hillary behind us. Latest predictions say that she won't even make landfall. And all that worry for naught, ha.

It was a busy morning on Neos. Spay paint day. The equipment and materials were all out so there wasn't much to do but get to work. I hauled all the cushions inside, then Sue and I went over the plan. Nothing left then but to do the work. Sue mixed up the paint, a two part solution, and I started spraying. I got just a little done and then no paint would come out. Back to the cockpit to take the gun apart, then reassemble, then take it apart, and reassemble. It wasn't going good and the paint will chemically harden in the bottle if we don't get it on the boat soon. What a mess. It finally got going, I don't know how, but it was spraying fine and I was on my way. The weather helped out a lot, very little wind if any, so we didn't have to concern ourselves with that issue. All went well for the rest of the job with enough paint left in the spray bottle to take a little brush around and do the final touch up. Whew, all done.

Over at the crew lounge, Sue has been working hard on the Neos website, soon to debut. We will let you know when that happens so you can try it out for us and see if it is user friendly. It is real kewl.

I took the win with a shortened game. We went outside to check the weather and found a few black clouds around so we decided to head back to Neos early for the afternoon so we could close up if it started to rain. It never did rain but once back at the boat we both decided we needed to use the bathroom which is right next door to the crew lounge, so much for getting back early.

I almost forgot our visitor the other day. Well, not exactly our visitor, but a visitor to Costa Baja resort. The security at the front gate was all beefed up with guys looking under the shuttle van with mirrors. We got a visit by the first lady of Mexico. Security is always funny. As much as they check all the cars, no one checks each boat as it comes in off the sea, thank goodness. Other than a little extra security at the front gate nothing else looked any different. We never saw any guys running around in dark suits and shiny sunglasses.

That's about it in Costa, oh yeah, the guys are finally free of prison but with their records they are joining forces to fight the "Company". They will have to work as an alliance but each have their issues. Oh and Sara is back. They faked the beheading and she is just fine. (She must have tried to renegotiate her salary, ha.)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

2011-09-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

0743, Thu, 092911. Costa Baja. It looks like a beautiful day in La Paz.

The project is under way now. I am going to take my new little (Artistic) spray paint gun around the boat and do touch up on little spots that are starting to show wear. It was preparation day so it was a matter of mapping out the bad spots and sanding them. After getting it all prepped I had to get all the equipment and materials together. I think we are ready to go today.

I cleaned up at the card game one more time as we cooled off in the crew lounge.
Hurricane Watch: Hillary is now a tropical storm soon to be a tropical depression. We are off the hook, whew!

The smoothie and a movie was about the same..more later..

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

2011-09-28T07:07:00.000-07:00

0720, Wed, 092811. Costa Baja. We woke to a thin cloud cover sent to us by Hillary. This made it the opportune day to wash Neos from stem to stern. As we swabbed the decks you could see the dirt being washed away in rivers. Although she didn't show the dirt too bad, she sure looks a lot more sparkly now. It wore us both out so we were quite ready for a cool down in the crew lounge.

We have been waking to a big moth inside the boat lately. He is solid black and about four inches across. We shoo him out every morning but somehow he comes back every night. It always startles you when he pops out from nowhere as we stumble around with our eyes half open first thing in the morning. Oh well, at least he doesn't bite.

My card game was hot yesterday, but Sue hung in there to the end. The rest of the afternoon was spent with a little mindless television, some reading and some computer work, it was a restful afternoon.

Hurricane Watch: Late yesterday afternoon the report showed the likely route to be due north as it passes us well out to sea, then making landfall in the upper Baja. It should slow down in intensity before hitting land dumping some much needed rain on the people up there. J

Smoothie and a movie, the same ole thing. They're in prison, they're out of prison. One brother gets the other out of one mess, only to help the other brother out of the another. The mess goes onmore later..

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

2011-09-27T12:13:00.000-07:00

0727, Tue, 092711. La Paz. Sorry I missed Sunday's log but you didn't miss a lot. It was one of those usual days, but yesterday was different. We headed into town, but first off, the news. Four people murdered up north and a gang shuts down an entire major city for a long weekend killing each other as the tourists are told to stay in their hotel rooms. I don't know about you but I would stay out of the States. It sounds real dangerous up there.

We were up early, catching the first shuttle into town without breakfast or even a cup of Joe. Wow, what a struggle. We were headed to the lab for a blood draw and then over to the diagnostic office for Sue's work. The doctor had set up a lab within walking distance of the bus terminal so after a dozen blocks passed we didn't find anything even resembling a lab. Sue said, let's go up one more block and sure enough we found a lab but it didn't match the paper work we had. We decided to head inside to see if they knew where the lab was that matched our paperwork. Voila, we were in the right place. The Doc must have used a different form, but oh well. After some additional paperwork we were in the office getting our blood drawn. The office had one person. He did the whole deal. Paperwork, draw, and collect the money. I had to get a kick out of all the sterility. He wiped Sue's arm with the cotton swab and then took his dirty finger and felt around for the perfect vein. So much for sterile, huh? We got done and were not impressed with the price. It was about a hundred fifty bucks for the two of us. It seemed a little steep but now I wonder how much it would have cost in the states. Off to the next place.

We got hungry (no duh, no breakfast) so we stopped at the local 7/11 (Oxxo). Funny thing, the guy behind the counter looked like he was from the Middle East. We grabbed a muffin and a cup of Joe, oops, no coffee. We settled for a bottle of OJ and filled a couple of voids in our tummies. After another dozen blocks we were early to our next stop by about an hour so we headed down the street to the local Starbucks. No Starbucks in La Paz, the logo looks the same, the color scheme looks the same and the inside looks just like a Starbucks, but it is a small chain in town called 5^th Ave. Coffee. We, or I should say I, Sue doesn't enjoy coffee, enjoyed my morning cup and was ready to go after that. Back up the street and into the diagnostic lab. The place was empty of clients. We could have shown up at any time. Sue was in there for about a half hour, forty five minutes with X-rays and reports in hand, we were done for the day. In these countries, you are in charge of your own reports and X-rays. I don't think I have ever seen a file room in any of the doctor's offices in Central America or Mexico. Sure cuts down on the security of information, huh?

With our obligations out of the way, we headed uptown a block to a museum I had seen on the map. I have been reading a book lately, 1491, about the indigenous people of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus. This fit in nicely with the info at the museum making it much more interesting. Too bad everything was written in Spanish. The exhibits were fun to look at though.

Done for the day we headed back to Costa Baja. I came through for a great win on the card game, we watched the poor suckers in the prisons of Panama, and headed to la la land.

Hurricane Watch: Predictions now show Hillary will make land fall north of us dropping a lot of rain. It is a force 3 hurricane (1 being the one you don't want to experience) at the moment heading north and west. It is expected to turn to land later, cross the Baja above us and head into the States. Anything could happen. Keep those fingers crossed.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

2011-09-25T07:14:00.000-07:00

0718, Sun, 092511. Costa Baja. Hurricane watch: The latest predictions have changed. The path is no longer going through La Paz. It just shows that they really don't know what is going to happen. In the mean time, keep those fingers crossed. It looks like the critical day will be around Thursday, give or take.

When we first arrived at Costa Baja, one of the first projects we got done was getting the helm chair fixed. Before removing the chair I took down the holder that hangs just behind the seat. Let me explain a little better. There are a couple of poles, one on each back corner of the helm seat. We strung a line across between the poles and Sue made up a cloth that hangs there with little specific holders for the tools needed while at the helm. It holds a couple of winch grinders (handles to turn the winch), compasses, small pocket knife, sun screen, and more. Once we took it off we squirreled it away someplace. We have been searching the boat high and low for this item ever since we got back from the States. Finally, the holder appeared this morning. Sue found it in a compartment we never go into. She had put it with another item that she wanted to clean. Since the holder needed cleaning it only made sense to put the two together. Voila, there was the holder waiting to be cleaned, mystery solved.

Yesterday was our excursion to the doctor for our annual physical. We headed into town via the shuttle and only had to walk a half dozen blocks finding the office with ease. It was air conditioned so we were in no hurry. Finally it was our turn and the girl behind the desk pointed to us and rattled off something in Spanish. We headed down the hall and into a maze of a building. At the end of the hall we headed up the curved stairs, around a corner or two ending up in a hall with only three doors. Right, choose one. No names, just blank doors. Sue tried the one at the top of three little steps, locked, then looked in the one at the head of the stairs, a mop room, so that left us with only one choice. Bingo. We headed in and sat amongst the others waiting. Looking around, the pictures looked like this was a dental office. Mug shops all over the wall with big white smiles and a toothbrush here and there. Were we in the right spot? The doctor finally showed up and directed us through an office with several dental chairs in a row and into his office. This was quite a maze to get to this point. He had nice relaxing music playing in the background, a little rock waterfall trickling in the corner and everything was bright white. Sue said how nice the office looked and he said they try to make it look less like an office. Once again, no nurse, just the doctor. He sat and chatted with us for a bit while going over our history (Sue has organized it in a print out) finding what it was we wanted. He scheduled us for the lab work (even made the phone call for the appointment for us) then sent us on our way. That was it. Maybe more will happen when we return after the lab work??? We were checking out his credentials all over the wall and it turned out he specializes in faces (a surgeon). He doesn't do breast enlargements, butt enlargements or tummy tucks, as he put it. We were done in no time and heading to the restaurant along the malecon.

We enjoyed another big breakfast at Applebee's and then headed back for the usual afternoon on Neos. I did a great job on 64, squeaking out a win. Later on Prison Break, they are still on the run. They have made it to Panama, landed the boat at Miraflores docks (in reality this dock is along the canal route, impossible to get to without entering the canal.) Big brother has been exonerated by one of the FBI secret guys who has been chasing him, but that hasn't seemed to help much. Little brother took the wrap for a shooting (self defense, one of the other lousy cops) to keep his girlfriend out of jail, so he now sits in Panamanian prison, a place no one wants to experience. In the meantime the crooked FBI guy took the boat and was about to head into the Panama Canal when the authorities find the cocaine planted by little brother, busted more later..

Saturday, September 24, 2011

2011-09-24T06:53:00.000-07:00

0724, Sat, 092411. Costa Baja. Hurricane watch: There is good news and then there is bad news, the bad news first. Looking at the predictions for the path of Hurricane Hillary it looks like some of the predictions are changing the direction from heading west out to sea to heading across the Baja peninsula, through the opening in the mountains and heading straight to La Paz. The Sea of Cortez is a hot spot this time of year and somehow the hurricanes are drawn to the hot spots. They really haven't said when yet but maybe toward the end of this week. The Good News! It looks like it should reach its peak today and start to diminish after that, giving it plenty of time to calm down before hitting this area. So, we will keep an eye on Hillary.

Sue has been busy working on the boat getting started on the pictures for the neosforsale.com video. It is a lot of work. Of course there is the general cleaning but pictures taken of all of the compartments means cleaning every cupboard all to get some good pictures. She has taken two rounds of pictures on the starboard side so far.

The card game was put off in favor of Boggle online. We had some fun playing against the about 100 internet players ranking in the thirties and a couple of times in the twenties. While at the Crew Lounge we met up with Boomer. He has been in these parts for years but I'm not sure why he was here at Costa Baja. He said his boat is at the marina in town and that he doesn't like Costa Baja. Quite a character but a nice guy.

Prison Break almost solved their problem with a blackmail against the crooked president. Then she stepped up to the podium and resigned. They made it to Mexico and of all things waiting for them was a sail boat, but the girlfriend is now in jail from all this mess. What to do? more later..

Friday, September 23, 2011

2011-09-23T06:50:00.000-07:00

0709, Fri, 092311. Costa Baja. We have been unable to get internet on board the boat as well as a few questions about the billing so it was time to head over to the business office and have a chat. Now, you would think the business office would be right next door someplace. Nope, it is a good twenty minute walk down a dirt road. If you recall, when they built Costa Baja they blasted a channel out of the rock to form a lagoon in the back, that's where Neos lives. The office is out front where the other half of the marina is, next to the gas docks. It is also on the opposite side of the channel from the hotel complex, so the road for us is a dirt road used by the workers.

Anyhow, the lady(Guadalupe, Lupita for short) was real nice. She remembered right away who we were (probably never forget us, ha). She was very pleasant and explained the billing as well as put the workers onto the problem with the internet right away. It turns out the entire dock is out, still out this morning, oh well.

On our way back we found some really kewl footprints in the dirt. I will send the picture to my animal expert back in the states, Professor Max (my five year old grandson).

More puttering around the boat, getting pretty much caught up with the "todo" list. Sue is giving the boat a thorough cleaning for the video. We are going to make a walk through video of Neos to post on neosforsale.com with lots of kewl pictures.

I worked on the Links for a bit and think I might have it figured out. The Links is a device that measures the batteries, the flow of electricity in and out tracking how much power is left in terms of Amp Hours. Quite a neat little gismo. Well, every once in awhile it shows bank two going haywire. It really worried me the first time, I thought I had lost the entire bank of batteries. I have fiddled with it for awhile on and off and finally played with one of the wires on the back. This seems to have done the trick. It has worked well for a couple of days now.

We had a card game, humph, then in the evening we took a long walk around the marina over to the lobby of the hotel. Sue had never been there before, I had been there briefly a long time ago. It was fun to look out at the view since the hotel sits up on a hill top. The lobby was fun to see with its high ceilings and leisurely sitting areas. There was a group enjoying their evening there, looked like some sort of meeting. Later, much later, they were partying on the patio overlooking our boat. I am getting used to the hustle and bustle of life around the big city. I was soon in a deep sleep.more later..