Pooks Canyon

Life changes you every day.  Sometimes it happens in little ways and other times it is so big, so sudden, that your “before” life becomes a distant and forever-gone place.  This year I have watched the lives of my family become instantly changed. William Baker was born in 1943 to Al and Helen Baker.  He grew up in San Leandro and went to UC Berkeley where he met his wife, Margaret.  They were married in 1966 and celebrated 50 years together with family and friends in April 2016.  One year and one day later William passed away suddenly at a hot springs near Silver City, New Mexico.  He and his bride had been traveling the Southwest, as they had been often known to do in retirement. Bill and Margaret had just that weekend watched Jon win all five stages of the Tour of the Gila. I received the news of Bill’s death while down in Mexico, where Axel and I were staying while he finished up his fifth grade classes at Instituto Juan de Ugarte.  We lef...

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Easter in Mexico is not all about sugar and brightly colored eggs.  I think it is more about church and family gatherings but since I am neither religious nor Mexican I would have to defer to the experts. What I know for sure is finding coloring for Easter eggs was difficult. Acres of groceries and no food coloring!  In retrospect I could have done all sorts of clever things (turmeric, hibiscus) but instead, at the frazzled end of a long grocery trip to a foreign store, I mistakenly decided Jello packets could work. In addition to coloring substitutions, there was the basket to consider... I made Axel an Easter basket out of a salad spinner and braided grocery bags.  Janine from his school had given him the pink flower which we affixed to the basket with a safety pin. Sprinkling vinegar soaked eggs with powdered Jello makes the ugliest easter eggs. But the resulting deviled eggs were still tasty.  Thankfully none of the sabor de fruta h...

Jon in our back patio hammock. Dinner cats Meow Is the food ready yet? Donde esta la cena? Kitteh Are we getting sick of this yet? Dos mas. Yeah there were people in Buena Vista.  Here's Axel under the last full moon of winter (this was from early March). And there was a resort doggie named Federicka.  Fede for short.  On our first day she followed us out the gate to the playa, rolled in the sand, then went for a 20 minute swim.  You would think such an active dog wouldn't be so fat but then you see all the french fries she gets and realize why.

Here is some of the stuff we eat down in Southern Baja. Condiment platter for my $2.50 burrito at Super Burro (Corner of Abasolo and Manuel Encinas) across from our new digs. Chocolate Caliente from Harker Board on the Malecon Pizza with fruit.  I hate pizza with fruit but that is because I have the sometimes-palette of a five year old. The best plate I have found in all of Baja.  Bar el Minelero, El Triunfo, BCS, Mexico.  It's called the Plato Mixto Quiche at the coffee shop Doce Cuarenta on Calle Francisco Madero. Ensalada course in Buena Vista, BCS, Mexico.  The dark colored spheres are goat cheese rolled in something dark, maybe cocoa? Margarita in Los Barilles. Bacon wrapped shrimp in Los Barilles. Mint water. Topo Chico is a sparkling water from Monterry, Mexico and it is ubiquitous down here.  Axel pours :) Mas Bar el Minelero.  Had to go back for more after that Plato Mixto blew up my tasteb...

El Truinfo is a historic mining town halfway between La Paz and the East Cape of Baja.  Starting in 1850, the mine ran all the way through the late 1890s. The old church. Those colors though. Old archway. Front view. So many goats Traffic jam El Triunfo style. Jon met us there on his bike.  After changing out of his kit, he was thirsty. One of two smelting towers.  I think this one was called Ramona but don't quote me on that. Doggies! I wanted to take this one home. A local showed us where one of the mines were.  A bit of a hike but worth it.  Cool air flowed out of it on a hot day. 1888 Bar el Minelero is just, wow. They grind and case all their own sausage. A week later I was driving through again- the goats are a regular occurence.