The best schools

This is the inside of Allison's fourth grade classroom. The desks are probably circa-1960, all 33 of them. Heck, maybe one of them could be mine that somehow found it's way down here via divine flea market destiny. The kids are pretty packed in there, but somehow they manage. God bless their patient maestra.

Alllison is actually doing pretty well. Her Spanish is improving so she feels more confident. Her grades are good. She came home with an A in math this week, and it was the hard stuff--triple digit multiplication and fractions. She has plenty of friends, and a boy with a crush on her. Lunch continues to be a problem. There is no cafeteria, no hot lunches, no milk cart. I am burdened with the daily task of preparing something nutritious and interesting. I hate that.

The curriculum can't compare to what we'd get back home, but we're not there for that. For all that is lacking in resources and amenities there is so much on the side of good will. The children are so sweet and accepting, respectful and helpful. The don't have attitudes. I feel good about her being there.

Before we returned here I visited and pre-enrolled her in a private school in Kansas City where her cousins attend. The school has a Harry Potter aura to me as far as it's campus setting. It was founded at the turn of the 20th century and has the look of an ivy-league school that exudes prestige and good taste. I think I just like it for the architecture. My thinking was that we'd put her there this fall, you know, finally be serious parents and get her in a serious school. Yet, when I think about really settling down to it, I hesitate. As wonderful an education it will offer, there is much to be said about the one she's getting here at Colegio Calafia. Even with it's third world disadvantages, it is something uniquely special.

I hope she looks back on these days with fondness and gratitude. If nothing else, she will return to American schools with an appreciation, I hope, for all the abundance and high standards that money can buy. But then, even the poorest of U.S. schools has soap and paper towels in the bathrooms. Heck, any school in the U.S. will seem rich to her after this.

Little colt lost

Allowing livestock to roam freely is regular practice here. So it is no surprise when something becomes road kill. It is just so sad to see this sweet colt go down.

We were growing accustomed to his presence as he followed his mother grazing alongside the highway. We'd usually only see them early in the morning on our way to take Allison to school. We looked forward to spotting him. Today when I saw him lying alongside the road I hoped that maybe he was just sleeping, but on the way back I checked him, actually touched him. His flesh was still soft so the accident must have happened early this morning. What else I could do I did not know. I'm sure the owner will discover him soon enough. So sad.

It made me recall a story I read about this horse that lived on the Silverado Trail near Calistoga, California. Everyone was familiar with this old horse. He became a living landmark to the people who drove past him every day on their way to work or school year after year. When he died the whole community mourned; they laid wreaths and notes along the barbed wire fence where he lived. The people felt they had lost something communally important, a shared treasure.

I thought a lot about this story at the time. I'd driven along the Silverado Trail so I knew how pastoral and beautiful it was. I could imagine what a lovely sight this horse in this setting was to the commuters passing by. But more than a pretty sight, he was surely a reassuring one. And more than that, a representative of a simplier, slower way of life in the past. I understood completely why he was beloved.

Our little colt didn't hang around long enough to become an icon. Still, the feeling of loss is similar to that of the people in my story.

Boating Fun

We took the Allen family boating today. We made a stop at Puerto Escondido for gasoline and then over to Danzante Island for some beach time.






Our favorite little Allen guy, Clayton, found these crab legs.









Bruce, from Dolphin Dive was there instructing a couple in diving. He found some gigantic clams.




Robert was gracefully busy finding something that needed fixing on his boat.

What's good

The neighborhood was a little busier than usual this weekend as it was Homeowners Weekend. I hope too many of them aren't disappointed with the progress. As we await news on who has bought our development we watch as some projects proceed and others are at a standstill. The sidewalks along the west side of the Paseo are almost completed, but work on the road itself has ceased.
There is a crew working diligently on the community pool (I hear it is just weeks away from completion.) There are some crews that continue the work on the rock walls of the estuaries and some building in Agua Viva. Work on the Pasadas is non-existent.

Of course, we hope this all changes as a new owner comes on board. Nobody seems to know anything much. We just keep asking each other the same questions. However, we ourselves, aren't worried. Robert and I know things will sort themselves out eventually. Momentum is slow now, but it still feels to me that things are moving forward. We have faith.

I like to joke that we are happy in our own little world, living in our little chica. We ride our bikes avoiding the potholes and pitfalls like we own the place. We say to each other that these might be the good old days--when everything was fresh and uncertain and we dug right in. Still, we do like to dream. Wouldn't it be nice to have a convenience market in Nopolo? When will the tennis center be manned again and the bathrooms unlocked? Will we ever get a beach club? Meanwhile we accentuate the positive.

We have found one wonderful, marvelous bright spot in dining: La Mision on the Malecon. We've eaten there four times now, each time a perfect experience. I never rave about restaurant; I am not a foodie, but when we eat at La Mision we end up talking about it all the next day. Last night we went with the Browns to celebrate Valentines Day. The chef, Rodrigo, had a special menu for the evening. When everyone in the restaurant was seated with their champagne he came to the floor and explained the courses and his decisions behind his selections. Then he returned to the kitchen where he proceeded to prepare course after course of delicious and interesting food all presented beautifully. For a couple of hours we were completely transported to another reality of white tablecloths and rolls with herbed butter and lamb chops in cherry reduction sauce with crispy fried yam chips: the spell broken only when we stepped outside the door to the noisy Malecon and the Saturday cruisers and the wafting scent of the stinky pelican-infested marina.

Keeping it real...here in beautiful Loreto.

Vultures

Driving to Loreto this morning I saw a flock of turkey vultures pecking on what looked like a dead dog. Actually, it was a colony, not flock (I looked it up.) When I pulled over some of the birds flew off, but these undaunted big boys stayed firm on their perches.





I imagine the spreading of the wings is supposed to signify "back-off, intruder." I think they were more afraid I'd take their lunch. Yuck.

I've written about these guys before--in our early days in Loreto Bay. And they still creep me out.

Our own Mayberry

We are humming right along. There is a nice, if simple, rhythm to our lives here in Loreto. I get up early to get Allison off to school, then Robert and I either work-out at the hotel gym or play tennis. We try to get out on our boat at least once a week. We take a long walk every other afternoon before sunset. Sometimes we follow the golf course to the tennis center, sometimes we walk closer to the ocean.

We visit with friends, work on little projects around the house. I read, surf the web, take naps on the terrace, think about what to make for dinner. Twice a week I take Spanish lessons in town. There is no stress whatsoever in our lives and we are grateful. I watch the news from the U.S. and it seems our country is falling apart. It makes me anxious and angry. I feel helpless to fix it. The problems are so big. The one thing I can do is create a sweet life here. Here, in Loreto Bay, everything is on a small scale and fresh. From here, we feel removed and protected. Are we escapists, I wonder? Should I feel bad about feeling so relaxed? Naaaaahhh.

All this will come to an end eventually. Eventually, I'll want Allison to go to school in the States, to get a better education than she could get here. And I want her to grow up feeling like an American. I love America for better or worse. But for the time being, this is a wonderful way to live. It's small town living with an exotic twist. Every day presents something for me to marvel over, do a double-take over, or just shake my head in astonished amusement. I do worry though, that my sense of wonderment will give way to complacency. How surprised can one be at the sight of cows and horses and burros on the highway every morning?

Allison's Spanish is improving. We and another family hired a local teacher, Natalia, to work with our children every day after school. She comes to our houses and helps with homework. Today they gathered around our table on the terrace--not a bad setting for school.

We parents work together to enrich the children's education by holding after-school classes. Doug Brown teaches world history or geography; I'm doing arts/crafts. All of us pitch in one way or another. And of course, the outdoor environment holds endless possibilities for exploration and adventure. The kids get to fish, go clamming, build sandcastles, ride their bikes all through the neighborhood. And they do something else, which rarely, if ever, happens at home in the suburbs: They stop and visit with adults. Most homeowners are here for leisure, so they have the time and the inclination to chat with our kids. It is not uncommon for Allison to drop in to say hello to Sherry and Tom. She'll visit with their dog, Chewy, and the parrots. Earlier, when Dee's dog had puppies, Allison and other children in the neighborhood regularly stopped in to cuddle them and chat with Dee. Ariel has invited children to her house to paint with watercolors.

There are just as many working adults, too. Allison is familiar with a great deal of the Loreto Bay staff and the other independent professionals by name. Daily, she gets little glimpses into the world of landscapers, maintenance men, architects, hotel staff. She gets to see Peter draw design plans in his office adjacent to our house. She watches workers laying pavers or setting water lines. She watches people at work every day all around her. So when I fret about the quality of her education I remember that I need to factor these elements in. Whatever is lacking in formal learning, is certainly balanced by the bounty of offerings right outside our door.

Dolphins

Before we saw the killer whales we came across countless dolphins. Here's some video I captured and posted on Youtube.

Killer Whale Sighting

Today seemed like a good day to get on the water. We took the boat to a beach on the back side of Carmen Island near the old salt mine. The ride was rough as we sped across the channel bumping our backsides the whole way. I clung to a towel for warmth and protection from the wind. I was being a good sport until about 45 minutes in when it seemed like we'd never get there and I suddenly had an urge to to kill Robert when, lucky for him, we spotted dolphins.

I've never seen so many at once; and so many young ones. There must have been a hundred. As usual, many followed our boat jumping and surging all around us. They were marvelous. The beach, when we finally arrived, was a nice stretch of white sand very thick with shells. We spent our time gathering shells and lying in the sun. The weather was just perfect, though the wind was beginning to pick up. We saw seagulls dining on beached Humboldt squid. Strange creatures, those squid.

I was dreading the return trip, but something wonderful happened along the way: We encountered killer whales. At first, I didn't believe Robert when he spotted them. There were two close to us and others at a greater distance. The two turned out to be mother and calf. They were breaching and diving and making quite a show. Incredibly, the two of them came right up to our boat, the baby close enough to touch if we'd been brave enough, but we were pretty jittery about the whole episode. You know, they're killer whales for Pete's sake.

God, they were magnificent. I tried to shoot some video, but between the rocking boat and the excitement and the glare of the sun I did not get the shots I wanted. I did get some of the two chasing down a water fowl, a duck, we thought. They seemed to be tormenting this poor duck. They would rush into it and attempt to toss it. But they never ate it. Amazingly, it managed in its weakened state to fly away eventually.

I posted a video, albeit a shaky one, here and on Youtube. However, the low quality is probably because there's not enough bandwidth here to upload high-quality video.

More of the same, but different

With our daughter in school again I find I'm not posting much. Reason: I have to wake up early now; no more late-nights which is when I prefer to write. I have to haul my behind out of bed by 6:00 to get Allison ready for school. Really, I'm glad for the change. I need need the discipline.

The alley outside our house has been getting a little attention from the developers. It has gone through so many transformations I can't keep count. Once it was leveled and laid over with loose gravel; that was back when the heavy machinery used it as a thoroughfare. One day I awoke to find the gravel being removed. Hurray, landscaping must be coming! Months later it was once again a dust bowl. The gravel was replaced. Then removed.


Stone sidewalks appeared. And much later some plants down the center. Then the plants disappeared and huge holes were dug for trees. Weeks went by; we worried for any wayward pedestrian who might unsuspectingly fall into the abyss. We were relieved to see the holes being filled finally, even if it was with dirt, not trees.

This week a crew appeared and within two days we had this: an uninspiring field of plants, none which bear color, and we have no decorative rocks like the other alleys closer to the Inn.

Not to worry, I am told. This too, is only a temporary fix. Later, crews will remove everything including the sidewalks. We will be treated to a real professional job that includes wavy paved pathways, a fountain, bicycle racks, mesquite trees and, finally, the much needed step up to our doorway.

I don't want to appear to be complaining. I am always happy to see something, anything, happen in my cluster. I guess I find it somewhat amusing how things get done. And things are getting done. The neighborhood is busy with activity, mostly along the lines of landscaping and hardscaping. The paving of the Paseo has not resumed, but the water (or sewer?) pipe along the center of the Paseo has been repaired. Crews are working hard in Agua Viva, and the golf course is looking beautiful. Wish I could say the same for the tennis center, but that is long on the list of priorities for Replay. We play anyway, though the wind-blown dirt on the courts is growing thick as sand dunes.

Did I say I love living here? We are so happy to be here. Any inconvience is tempered with jubilation of waking every day to sunshine and the promises each day holds for outdoor fun. We are constantly on our bikes meandering through the neighborhood or taking long walks at sunset. We're playing tennis, golf, hiking, beachcombing, exploring. The weather is still somewhat cool in the morning and evenings (and in the shade) but, what we have is sun and that is a dear thing in January to us norteamericanos.

Back to School

School began Wednesday. Allison is attending Colegio Calafia, the private Catholic school in Loreto. After the typical back-to-school jitters, she settled in quite well.

Mornings are difficult for us as I am not a morning person, and she is a perfectionist who dissolves into tears if I don't arrange her hair just right. We barely got off on time because I couldn't find her sweater. School begins at 8:00 a.m. and is out at 1:30 p.m.

Colegio is not a school you want to be late to. All the legendary Mexican disregard for promptness doesn't apply here--at least it hasn't in the past. There is a new Directora and she does not have the terse demeanor of the first one. We shall see how tight a ship she runs.

Happy New Year...here's your bus ticket!

Beau and Karly left for home today. Their flight on Continental at 8:00 am left out of San Jose del Cabo. When we made arrangements in late November, all departing flights on Alaska from Loreto were booked. Leaving out of Cabo was the only option. Originally, I'd intended to purchase flights from Loreto to Cabo on Aero Calafia, but I waited too long and, they too, were sold out. Their plane carries only 13 passengers. Our next option was to drive them, but with my mother arriving to Loreto today, it would be too stressful to make a quick round-trip to Cabo. When I go to Cabo I prefer it to be because I really, really, need supplies--and--I need a diversion from the backwoods pace of Loreto.

The next option was the bus. But, God, could I subject them to a monotonous 8-hour ride in a nasty old Mexican bus? I didn't want their last impressions of their Christmas vacation to be tainted by the unpleasantries of public transportation. Robert sat me straight: "They are young--they can endure it. It will give them a story to tell." I know he's right, but...I can remember well the only bus ride I took. Seven hour and several stops in lonely, forgotten towns--and back in the days before cell phones, hand-held gaming devices, and hand sanitizer. I endured it well enough to say, "never again!" Oh, well. They will survive. So I got them on the 8:00 am bus on Saturday, reserved a hotel for them in Cabo, packed them a lunch, and bid them farewell.

I will miss my oldest son, especially since he really, sincerely, truly, loves being with us. Our younger is already squirming to get back to his friends even though it means exchanging swim trunks for thermal underwear. His college break is nearly a month long, but two weeks with your parents is eternity at his age and station. For now, I've got him right where I want him and, lucky him, there is no 8-hour bus ride in his future.


As for Beau and Karly, they have each other, so anything done together is more fun. I enjoyed watching them together. I see my son broaden his focus to include another's welfare. Besides being cute, it gives me a certain sense of pride to see him look after Karly. For Robert, I know he gets pride in seeing Beau develop his business. Me too, but I respond with a sigh of satisfaction when I see scenes like the one in this photo. As a mother I can say, got that part right.

Boat's Afloat

We took Robert's new boat out Wednesday. This was my first time on it. It had some mechanical difficulties earlier in the week that perplexed Robert until finally he managed a fix. He is supercharged about his little boat. ( I think it's little, he thinks it's just right.)


Now we can get out on the water and really enjoy living on the Sea of Cortez. It's true; if you don't get on the water you're missing half of what's special about Loreto Bay--the dolphins, the whales, the seals, the occasional sea turtle, and all the other marine life. We saw a turtle paddling the waters around Coronado Island. The sight surprised Robert as he first thought it was the tip of a rock outcropping and he almost veered away. I tried to photograph it but it dove under as we approached it more closely.

The dolphins are my favorite. When I'm out there I'm looking for them every minute. More than often we find them (or they find us) and they'll tag along for awhile, racing about the boat, bounding out of the water. The motivation for their frolicking could only be pure, playful joy. We can't contain our excitement over the spectacle. And maybe they find our joy just as amusing as we hang over the boat gawking, laughing, pointing. Beau painted a funny, but quite probably accurate, idea of how the dolphins must see us humans: physical manifestations of the expression "WOW." What goofs we must look like to them.

Tomorrow, the guys are going out at sunrise to fish. Word's out that the fish are biting. Allison and are taking a pass, but our friend, Doug, and his little boy were game. They must be pretty excited: Doug phoned me tonight to tell me he's preparing a lunch for the four or them. Does Robert like tuna salad, egg salad, or peanut butter and jelly? As if it matters. He's just giddy to get out on the sea and frolic. Happy happy joy joy.

Tabor Canyon and Tiramisu

We've been so busy with our visiting family; it's hard to sit and write. Saturday was Beau's birthday. We celebrated by hiking Tabor Canyon. (The first photo is of he and Karly.)Not for the feint of heart, this hike requires scrambling over huge boulders and scaling ridges strewn with crumbling rock. Earlier this spring Robert and I took it to the top--a thousand feet I believe. It took us six hours round-trip with a break for lunch. At the higher elevations there are beautiful views to the ocean across Puerto Escondido. It is one of the more memorable experiences a visitor to this area could have. The rain from the hurricane in October has left the region wet and green. There are pools of water where there was none earlier this year.

This time we had children and other families along, so we didn't get past the first "chimney." I'm calling it that because I heard someone else call this enormous rock obstacle by that name. It requires that you walk through a pool of water and enter the crevice at the bottom of a pile of boulders and pull yourself up to the next elevation. It proved to be too much a challenge this time with kids in tow. So this trip was only about two and a half hours long.

After our hiking excursion we had a special birthday dinner at a new restaurant in Loreto: La Mision. It is at the new hotel on the Malecon. Though the hotel is not yet finished, the restaurant is recently opened. We visited with the chef, Rodrigo, the day before about making our evening a special event. He was to prepare a special menu for us. What we got was unexpected. It was fabulous. We had course after course of wonderful appetizers and entrees. Crab cakes, shrimp, scallops, lamb, duck, tiramisu cake. Rodrigo kept it coming and it was muy rico. The wine list wasn't half bad for Loreto. We had Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley--something you'll not find anywhere in these parts. Dinner was so good we talked about all the next day comparing it to other wonderful dining experiences we've had elsewhere. It ranks high we decided.

Overall, it was one of the best days we've had here as a family.

What I got for Christmas

Allie waits in the open window for her brothers to arrive for Christmas dinner. Robert carves a turkey in the kitchen eating as he goes. It was a really big turkey when I roasted it, but it dwindled before it reached the table. I managed corn bread stuffing, canned yams, mashed potatoes, caramelized onions and two pumpkin pies I purchased from Dali's. I had to do without seasonings I'm accustomed to back home, like sage. The variety of vegetables in Loreto has always been limited. If you're hoping for green peas, green beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts --ha!--think again. You'd better love peppers and calabacitas (Mexican squash) or the occasional cucumber because that's about all the green you can count on here at the mercados. Many folks drive to Constitution or La Paz for better variety and selection. We didn't have the time or interest in that this year.

We feel lucky to be all together for Christmas. With all the weather-related problems with Alaska Air and the travel advisories in the Midwest it was fortunate Allie's brothers got here at all. Many folks headed this way were delayed for days as the airlines worked out their problems. Our sons had a close call on the connection in L.A. when Alaska Air twice changed it's departure time.

Our boys are staying in another house which works out better for all our comfort. Plus, our older brought his fiancee. They just got engaged last week. She thought he was gifting her with a laptop when he asked her to close her eyes and hold out her hands. She stood there palms up while he slyly slipped a ring on her finger. (I hope they don't get annoyed I just told you all that little detail.) They are young, but sure. We're happy for them and, of course, we adore her and feel honored she wants to be part of our family. She may be thinking only of our son, but I know the bigger picture. She's taking on all of us. She's going to be part of us. I think about this every time I look at her across the dinner table. This is a young girl that somebody else lovingly cared for and raised who one December day finds herself at dinner with another family announcing she'll be joining them --indefinitely.

I ruminate on every possible variation of this theme all evening long. That she loves our son is no mystery to me. That she's joining with us, adding to us, enhancing us--all willingly--is what mesmerizes me. How can she know the full extent of her choice? I certainly didn't at her age. I didn't put thought into what import I had to Robert's family. I didn't spend time considering how I impacted them; I was caught up in myself and Robert. Only now, years later, am I seeing the view from the other side. It keeps feeling like an honor. Beau has a found a lovely girl. Maybe they think it's all about them, but somehow I feel like I've been given a beautiful gift.

More Sprucing

It is a particularly beautiful day here in Nopolo with sunny skies and warm temps. Sorry, all you States-stuck folks back home. We are hoping those of you scheduled to fly down this week will finally get through. With the weather-related problems in Seattle, all the Alaska Air flights are grounded, which means even though my sons could get to LAX no problem, the AA plane they need to catch may not be there. Their flights are for Thursday, Christmas Day, so hopefully things may turn for the better by then.

In the meantime, I'm still "sprucing" my house for their arrival. We finally hired landscapers to finish our terrace. Today they brought in large potted ficus trees to set on the southwest side of the patio where we get a lot of afternoon sun. Later, they'll bring bougainvillea and set up trellises for them to climb creating a nice shade barrier. EcoScapes is no longer in business, so it is now Vivero that we deal with. At least I think that is the name.