Pre Christmas

   Well I have finally finished sanding and then (yes Danno I taped before I varnished) taping  and have since put one coat of varnish on the bathroom (port side).  I have also put 2 coats on all the doors.  It has taken me a while cause it takes a bit longer to dry
and I am still attempting to master the "floating a coat" thing.
It is looking pretty good however.
  While I was varnishing Sergio came by with my new ladder.
This is a safety thing (as well as a beautiful piece of art) so if I fall off the boat and no one else is on board I can deploy this ladder from the water!!! It is a thing of beauty
and piece of mind.
   All that took a couple of days and then I struck out
on foot to get cash and see a bit more of La
Paz.  I walked and walked and decided I was hungry so I stopped at the "Kiwi" place and sat by the
water and had a Bloody Mary and Eggs
Benedict ala Mexican Style. It was really pretty

A view of Marina Palmyra from the Kiwi place 

 tasty.  There was the poached eggs, the sauce,
the ham but it was all on a very delicious
toasted bagel.  I am still trying to find the
bread store and the bagel store early enough
in the day so that they are still opened.
  It is very peculiar how everyone tells you
where someplace is by landmarks with
an occasional street name interspersed.
Like "the restaurant has a pink awning and
if you are standing facing the "flying cow" (that is another story all by itself) take a
left for three streets then right 1/2 block and
it will be on your right between a fettatarria (hardware) and the Modelerama".  I guess it is

My New Ladder

partly because there are no street signs. Being someone who just wants the address with no landmarks it has quite the adjustment for me.
   There is another thing.  The Kiwi place for example. I don't now it's real name but I think it is owned by some Australians so hence the name.
Takes a bit of getting used to.

Sunrise

  


   So here is a photo of a beautiful Sunrise
lest you all think I only watch it set.  I am
up early quite frequently.  It is a time for the
internet.  It is hard to be inside when the
Sun is shining so while it is still dark and cool
it is a great time to attempt to catch up. The sunrises seem equally as beautiful as the
Sunsets.

   Jasdip's Christmas Tree has a new addition
this year.  The Pancho Villa Topper.He was a gift from Doug and Carla.  It is
actually a bell and it has a dual purpose.
After the holidays I will be using it to
summon "the help" aboard Jasdip. (Don't
I wish!)
   Then there was the Christmas Party at Casa
Ana.  Wow!  That was the BEST!!!

Jasdip's Christmas Tree

I have never seen such a feast!  There were
millions of homemade tamales, chili, dips,
homemade bread, cheeses, rice and countless
other delights.  Then there were the desserts!
So many tastes.....so little room.
  A good time was had by all and everyone
finally left Casa Ana so they could get some rest.
   It has been a wonderful Christmas.  This year
was a FRIEND Christmas or at least some FRIENDS.  Hopefully the next holidays will be
spent with other FRIENDS and FAMILY!
 

 Missing all of
you guys that
weren't here
but wishing you
a Very Merry and Prosperous
New Year!!!

MMMmmmmmmmmm!

sunsets.

Settling In A Bit

  Yesterday I had to recharge my
Banda Ancha.  This is an internet
access device like my sprint device at
home but it is in Mexico.  I have a 30 day
program and since there is no mail
to speak of here everyone goes to the
offices and pays their bill.  It was an excuse
to get out, walk, see the town on foot and
practice my Spanish.  Got to the Telcel
(wish I had some stock in that Co.)
store but they weren't open yet.  I just
happened to walk by the electronic
store where I had left my remote mike for
my VHF radio to be fixed. I thought I would
check on that.Went in and wound up talking
to the repair person for close to an hour in English
and Spanish.  Apparently it is ready for testing so
I need to go and pick it up.  It was great  talking to
Victor.  I hope I can show him that I learned
something since I talked to him last.
   The architecture and the streets I have been
walking down are beautiful.  I don't think my camera
catches the beauty.  This sidewalk 10 yards from
Ana and Steve's house has birds carved into the
cement before it set and they are beautiful.

I guess I need to enlarge the picture and zoom in
so you can see the birds. I will work on that.
   I just love the houses with the verandas up high for the evening breezes and to watch the world go by from above.

This sidewalk outside the house also has beautiful rocks placed sort of like a zig zag stitch on a sewing machine all along the front of their property.
    I think it is beautiful.

  With all of that walking I worked up a "powerful
thirst and hunger".  Guess I decided to stop and eat.

Wound up at Rancho Viejo for lunch.  The best
Arracchara  in the neighborhood.  I had lunch and then  headed out for the rest of my errands.  Got a seam ripper and some needles then the Marina
shuttle picked me up.  By the time I was home I was pooped. So there goes JASDIP.

hes

These Calle Lillies I thought were beautiful.  I happen to have a love for them since my years living in
Martinez and hanging out with the Linnetts.
It was a lovely day and I came home with better Spanish and several blisters.

Odds and Ends

Jasdip

   If you look real closely you can see the
requisite cross up on the hill above the bay
(Marina).  As usual we are well protected.
There are crosses everywhere and I feel so
safe.

La Paz from Marina Palmyra

Well I took
a dinghy
ride into La
Paz from the
Marina for
the first time.
It sure didn't
take very long
but the waves


were not high and the wind was                           light. I was flying. I love my dinghy and                    motor! I came back
from town with a case of wine in my rolling backpack.  As of today I am very glad it
 made

Just Another Sunset

the cut on the boat.  I think I will venture
farther and farther as I get more confident
and make sure I have everything in the
dinghy for all possible scenarios.

I love these lamp post Dragons

Odd Fishing

 One morning I heard drumming and stepped
out on the deck. At first I thought I was dreaming (or having a nightmare) that I was back in Oakland and the Dragon Boats were out practicing on the estuary. There was a Panga moving along the breakwater outside the marina.  The man in the
red shirt was periodically throwing a "spear" attached to a line out in front of the boat.  It didn't
look like he ever speared anything but then I think there was another man behind him who speared
the fish after they came over to see what that thing
in the water was.  Anyway I will try to find out
but that is the theory so far.

This is the beach along the main drag in La Paz.  I just love the Palapas.  I do hate that I must

have put my grubby fingers on the lens though.  I have since cleaned it.

Dinner Party on Jasdip

So many of my friends are always
hosting things and I figured it was my turn.
I also wanted to introduce some like
like minded folks.  We had a great visit on the dock
while watching the sun go down (seems like I do that a lot lately) and then in for dinner.

Steve and Ana drove down from the other end of town. Luckily Steve
brought himself a few beers.  When he finished those and I gave him of one of mine I could hardly stop laughing. I have those mini corona beers

in the little bottle.  One is about 2 sips for any self respecting beer drinker. For me though they are perfect.

My New Home (for a while)

I went to Subasta on Sunday which is a fair that benefits education for the youths of Mexico.  It was very nice.I ate tamales and had a couple of beers
as well as donated some more money to the local
educational organization. I also met up with
friends who were doing the same thing. It was
a great reunion and then I went home.
  I was beat.  I slept 12 hours and woke up ready to
do projects. Changed fuel filters( my generator
does not like dirty fuel) and got that running smoothly.Then I decided I needed to varnish something.
I always feel better after having varnished
something.
  Before I started to varnish I had to marvel
at the clear water next to my boat.  And at the
vast quantities of fish in them.  That same
afternoon I looked down again and I
could see the bottom.  I am in a Marina
and I can see the bottom!!!!! Who'd a
thunk.

  

I started with galley and then moved to the head.
  It was so rewarding.  I actually felt like
I could rest on my laurels, get out my dock
chair and with cocktail in hand watch
the sun go down. It was a beautiful
pink sunset.  My neighbors
Jeff and Anne joined me on the dock
we all watched the sun go down together

Anne

Well I missed a few days here and there so I wanted to catch up.  This video (if it actually loads) is of a pod of
dolphins that swam with us for over an hour. Ben was hanging off the bow taking videos of them. He actually touched this one right before the dolphin looked up, to the right, smiled and then swam away.
The smile is right at the end.  You will  have to look closely. Ben kept that camera amazingly still for this.
 Speaking of Ben...I was just talking to Don (of the yellow shorts) and he figured out how you got

those fins on the lifelines and now, (bless my heart),
I  feel pretty stupid.  Anyway every day is always a learning experience around here.
   Last Friday Don, Kathie ( from Wild Rose) and I went in to La Paz to wander and then go to Milano's for
a Friday Special Pasta Treat.  It was a full meal with tastes of as many pasta's as you wanted.  It seemed like a good deal so I tagged along.  We wandered the Malecon and there was a big shindig going on by the
municipal pier.  It was a high school function where 10 teams of kids got together and designed, engineered and built prototypes of something that is useful for the community.  Then each team had a booth where they
explained and were marketing their product.  After visiting each booth we were then asked to vote for 1.
The kids were so enthusiastic,well spoken and bright that is was a wonderful experience.  We wound up
voting for three different teams but they were all great. One example was an amazing water purification system
that really didn't cost the user anything but time.  Another was a portable stove, BBQ and oven all in one...
very light and beautifully built.  Another one was an amazing fold able house frame for emergency housing that
is portable and sturdier than tents and such.  Anyway...you get the idea.
Don and Kathi on the Malecon and
the team with the water purification
method..
  So we finally got to Milanos and the

pasta, wine and company was to die for.
Kathi and Don were also the folks
that I went to see the Whale Sharks
with.
  Then I can't believe Jaye and her turkey missed
the food section of the Thanksgiving Blog.
What was I thinking!!! So better late than never.....
here is Jaye de-stuffing the Yummeeee turkey.
Boy was it tender and delicious. My mouth is watering
just thinking about it.
  So here I am still at Marina Palmyra but now out toward the bay in a 40 ft slip. It is less expensive here
and It seems a great place to spend Christmas.
Steve and Ana are in town so I think I will shower and go find them. Later.

Whale Sharks







Wow!!! What a treat! I know the

pictures won't do this justice. The video

might but I don't have that yet.  There were

5 of us paying customers a videographer

and the boat Captain.  We went out into

the La Paz Bay and there they were.  It

seems that you just drive around slowly

and they can be spotted by their fins

or their white bellies as they feed.  They are

the biggest fish in the world and live on

Krill.  They are very docile as I am not

too sure if they have any enemies other

than man of course.

 <>

The first order of the day was to reconnect my fin straps!



   I finally brought my fins with me as I have



tried and tried to get the strap back on.

Ben "bless his heart" (you are just so strong) used them in Cabo

and nicely rinsed them and hung them on the

lifelines to dry. It took me several days

before I decided to take them off and

realized that I wasn't sure how to do that.

I finally got one off but the other one was

hanging there for weeks. So on the way to

the dive shop and then again at the dive

shop it became a challenge for everybody to

put them back together. These two finally

succeeded but Don (yellow shorts) said

he wanted to meet this Ben fella.

   I was so happy to have my favorite fins

back and I needed theem to keep ip with

these fish. When they are feeding they stay



sort of in the same place but when they

start to move they are fast!.  I had to move

a few times cause they will suddenly turn and they don't care if you are there or not. One is not supposed to

touch them so I was back peddleing

with gusto.  

  We picked a very calm warm day and

were so lucky.  The next day there were

whitecaps in the bay and it was terribly

windy (a Norther is still with us).  How

fortunate can one be.  Our original guide

apparently could not reach the fella that set

it up the evening before so she cancelled

and took someone else but the ladies at

Marina Palmyra found us a company and we

were thrilled and glad that the other

folks cancelled.

   The videographer made a CD of the whole

day and of course I had to buy it. Pricy

but it is really well done  and it is actually all of

us with our whales. 

   Came back to the Marina, sat in the sun

had wine and bacon wrapped camarones

(shrimp) and basked in the sun with

the fresh memories of an incredible

experience!

Well I am moving today to a 40ft slip and I had

best get a move on.



Jasdip in her berth from the resturant

















Pictures?



Art & Jaye



Sarah & Darryl



Me



Brie en Crute(sp?)

 The People.....then the Food ....
then the fun!! the pictures downloaded
but it is hard to put text to
all of that in the proper order! 
Every day is a learning experience
around here.  Feel free to come and join
me any time.  Let me know when and I
will try to tell you where and hopefully
we can meet up. 
  All in all it was a lovely Thanksgiving dinner and I
felt so lucky to be with friends thinking about my family.  Tomorrow I am going to swim with the
whale sharks.  They are the biggest fish in the
ocean and I have always wanted to do
this.  Film at 11pm.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Just for Fun