Still having fun....AND a side note on the SWINE FLU!

The last couple of days have been pretty busy. On Thursday I went on another ATV adventure to Pescadero on the Road to No Where. The road is washboard dirt and rocks and is long and winding but is right on the ocean! The views are phenomenal! However, I didn't look too many times because I was concentrating on my driving the ATV. Pescadero is a small fishing village about 5 miles (??) from here. There is a lovely hotel that sits on a cliff that overlooks the Sea of Cortez. It is a very peaceful location. Probably the safest way to get (if you do not like TOO much adventure) to Pescadero is by boat or plane--there is even an airstrip there. The nearby beaches are just gorgeous and we had the entire beach to ourselves.

Yesterday a group of us got together to make flowers out of cornhusks. Prior to making them, the cornhusks had to be soaked in boiling water and then dyed. After drying them on the clothesline, they were ready to be fashioned into flowers. It was a lot of fun but a little frustrating too because the first one I tried to make was a bougainvillea which is NOT easy.

Wednesday was a big fishing day. Word spread quickly of a dead whale some 20 miles out. A dead whale means that a LOT of dorado will be around so lots of the fishermen around here headed out to make a big catch. Mike went out with one of the guys here but they didn't go in search of the dead whale so they didn't get a single bite! However, one of the residents here did find the dead whale and came back with 3 dorado each about 30 lbs. He made arrangements to have a restaurant here prepare the fish and then invited anyone from the park here to partake of the catch. The restaurant prepared the fish four different ways: Florentine, Vera Cruz, grilled in garlic or fried. Served with rice, beans and a salad bar, the meal was wonderful.

Last night some friends we met through other friends in the park invited us to their home here in los Barriles. They have been coming here for several years and have built a home not too far from the park here. What a lovely place they have. They also have a condo on the beach and a palapa house on a ranch not too far from here! Lucky bums. Like us, they will be leaving for the state soon.

So, we have not been bored at all this week! I know that i am forgetting other stuff, but I just don't recall what it could be! Tonite I got another night off from cooking as we were invited to yet another dinner at our friends from California who got here on Sunday. We really enjoy their company but they are leaving this upcoming Wednesday! They have been residents here for several years so they have loads of storied to relate about history of the park. The stories they tell amaze me! Loads of laughs too!

As to the SWINE FLU .............there have been no reported cases in the Baja but I am sure that they are forthcoming as it is spreading quickly. Knowing how things "work" here in Mexico, I am sure that much of it is underreported but I did hear on the news tonite (internet TV is great) that this viral thing is spreading quickly around the world. Someone worried (????) that perhaps we might not be able to go home. Mmmmmmmmm, would that be such a bad thing? We feel very fortunate that our little village has a very good clinic here run by a U.S. military trained PA who is top notch and we know that we can get 24 hour care. And YES, there is a MD here too. A new dental clinic just opened too! State of the art equipment too. So, if we get it here, it is the FLU and you will get it too in the US. We are following the news and any alerts so, don't worry. Who knows? Is it bio-terrorism??? Kind of interesting that at the END of the flu season we see an outbreak like this??? Kind odd? I think so but what do I know.....

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