Feathering the Nest

Pictures are: 1) sunset from the back deck; 2) the view from our bedroom; 3)the kitchen; 4) cheap labor; 5)relaxing in the reading rocker!
The living - dining room area still has the ambiance of an operating room, what with no furniture and a couple of can lights in the ceiling, but the bed is comfortable and appliances have been delivered. Ahhhh! Ice cubes for the Mojitos! Thank you Arthur, Shannon and Flash for sharing the pleasures of that refreshing drink! Water filtration system is being installed as I write this, so Larry won't have to lug the 5 gallon "garafon" jugs up to the condo! Drinking water right out of the kitchen tap! FIVE separate filters! A filter was installed yesterday that filters our entire water supply as it enters the condo, so we're set! WATER - the NEXT world-wide treasure and commodity!
We are zeroing in on furniture now . . .ordered a round glass-topped dining table and four chairs, 3 bar stools, 2 deck chairs and a wonderful oversized rocking chair for the deck just for ME! Sofa and chair for the living room are also ordered - ....delivery takes about 1-2 weeks, so we should have the basic furnishings before we depart.
We are now doing the post-construction detail work - like scrubbing floor on hands and knees, preparing walls for painting, etc.

Also taking time to "play". Carnaval is going to be in full swing for the next few weeks - I guess it's on a par with Rio de Janiero and New Orleans Mardi Gras. I'm not sure how I feel about being jostled by the crowds to watch the parades - but we've arranged to join friends Rick, Cranda, Kathy and Lonnie for dinner at a restaurant on February 4th to watch the fireworks. It gets pretty wild and crazy here!

We are awaiting word on the Kirk Road sale status. One way or the other, we're happy! If the sale closes, we'll scramble home and pack up. If not, we'll stay in Mazatlan until April and move ahead with furniture purchases, painting, deck tile work and interior decorating.

Though we're maintaining a busy pace still, the "knots" are loosening and we're adjusting to the Mexican way of life. We're continuing to meet some great people!

Nest Building in Mazatlan

Wow - this is kind of like giving birth!
Paperwork, legal documents, keys and finally possession!
We enter into an empty space with plain white walls and immediately begin to visualize our winter home in Mexico.
We are welcomed by neighbors who share their knowledge and experience and make the settling in process a lot easier.
First, the mundane stuff - utilities that give us lights, hot showers and food preparation capabilities.
Then the bed and appliances - ahhh! It's easy to take for granted a comfortable bed and clean clothes when you don't have them!
No window coverings up yet, so it's sort of like living in a fish bowl.
Ah! Someone is out on his deck across in the other tower looking our way! We wave.

Across the Border!

Tired of freeway and railroad noise that's so often part of the "charm" of RV parks conveniently located close to heavily-traveled routes, we chose to take a few days of R and R at a campground west of Tucson about 10 miles, the Desert Trails RV Park, positioned next to the Sajuaro Wildlife Refuge. Owls hooted back and forth at twilight and daybreak to clearly identify their territory and hunting turf. Saturday morning, we were greeted by a pastel sunrise as we rose at dawn to beat the weekend crowds to the USA/Mexican border. The lines looked ominous as we approached the crossing, but we were able to wade through the paperwork and queues in just over an hour. Next, we held our breath as we approached the critical and unpredictable customs checkpoint. As the light randomly flashed green, the signal to proceed without inspection, we exhaled a sigh of relief and headed down the road...the camper groaning under the weight of ALL the items for the Maz condo packed tight into every nook and cranny.
The day was spent motoring down through the state of SONORA (one of the thirty-one states of Mexico) to the coastal resort town of San Carlos, near Guaymas. Road construction on the periferico (bypass road) around the state capitol of Hermosillo had been completed, so our city driving was relatively painless....not always the case!
Road-weary, we gladly settled in at Totonaka RV Park in San Carlos, sipped some red wine and looked forward to a restful night's sleep. Alas, we forgot that it was Saturday night in Mexico! The "bump-bump" tunes began at the nearby watering hole about the time we were ready for bed, and continued non-stop until the early morning hours. At 2:45 AM, this "of-a-certain-age" gringa was plotting some very specific, not-so-nice acts of vengeance from her pillow, against the young, nocturnal participants in the rites common to resort life in Mexico.

The next day, we moved on to a much more peaceful site just 45 miles north of Mazatlan, inhabited by an enclave of like-minded baby-boomers . Our arrival at the Celestino RV Park was just in time for "Happy Hour"....another Mexican rite reserved for those of us who have survived the unbridled experiences of youth and have mellowed just a bit over time. We shared some wine and good travel talk with a very friendly gathering of folks from all points of the US and Canada from the patio above the surf that provided a panoramic view of a glorious Pacific Ocean sunset.

Reconnecting with Friends

We had great visits with Jim and Joyce Weathers during our stay in Yuma - over dinner the evening of January 2, and then at breakfast the next morning! Lots of fun reminiscing and catching up took place between the three Independence Central High School alums and Bonnie learned a LOT! We look forward to a future visit to the Weathers' Idaho home! After breakfast, we set out on Interstate 8, bound for Tucson....our last stop before heading over the USA/Mexico border.

Across the Desert

On our early morning drive east of Tehachapi, we encountered hillsides dotted with countless windmills, which created for us the eerie image of an army of invading aliens coming over the ridges from the Mojave Desert. Their blades, twirling in the brisk Southern California wind, had an almost hypnotic effect as we drove past, into the sweeping desert terrain.
Hills in the distance stacked up in parallel ridges; the Earth's crust folded like a wrinkled tablecloth. Surrounding lava beds emphasized the dynamic and unpredictable nature of the area's geology.
Caravans of big trucks and RVs of all shapes and sizes joined us in our race South, like birds frantically migrating to their winter homes.

On the Road Again!

Heigh Ho, Heigh Ho, it's off to Mexico!
We made a relaxed departure from Kirk Road New Years Eve morning. With sunshine warming the road ahead of us, our climb over the Siskyou Pass was successfully behind us by mid-afternoon - Ahhhh! Rolling ranch land and all shapes and sizes of barns kept the long I-5 drive interesting. We were seranaded by Jimmy Buffet (Cheeseburger in Paradise), Van Morrison (Have I Told You Lately That I Love You?) and other favorite artists and sang our way to Corning where we celebrated New Years Eve at the Rolling Hills Casino and RV Park.. We "boon-docked" along side the big rigs, with their engines growling through the night to save a few pennies. HAH! The casino proprietors (sneaky devils) got us at the buffet line (read: feed lot!).
Fueled by McDonald's java, we were on the road at daybreak, headed down through the Sacramento Valley. Rosey sky over the hills to the West; the rising Sun punched up the volume on the vapor trails of early flights in the brightening sky to the East.....clouds of geese circling over the rice fields darkened the sky.....
Orange Grove RV Park just east of Bakersfield is our resting spot for this evening...... Do you have any idea how SWEET a fresh-picked orange tastes?!? Heaven!!!
AND it's 72 degrees! We're looking forward to some fresh-squeezed juice in the morning brfore we take off.
Tomorrow, we have our sites set on Yuma, Arizona...then to Tucson. Over the border on January 4 and then two serious days of driving to get to Mazatlan on January 6. We will update our travel journal as WiFi availability along the way permits.
Keep those candles lit, por favor!
Hasta luego!