To the very kind person…

...who rekindled my faith in human nature.  

A few days ago I left for town with my list in hand, which included going to the bank to withdraw some cash.  It was first on my list so that's where I headed.  Having  parked the truck (in a lot a block away as there was nothing closer), I trudged through the rain to the bank and got in line for the automatic teller (I prefer the human kind but that line was almost out the door, so I chose the automated version instead).  I wanted $200 and I wanted it in 20's but the machine wouldn't cooperate and shoved four 50's at me instead. With all the goings on, I thrust my bits of paper wherever I could (purse, briefcase, pockets) and headed back to my truck. I then carried on with the rest of my list which included several stops, some shopping, and getting home in time to go out again :-)  which I did.

Later that afternoon I went to my wallet to take out my four 50's for safe storage and, to my astonishment and horror, I was met with an empty black space…no bills at all; nothing resembling four 50's, nor 3, nor 2, not even 1.... empty.

I'm sure you can understand when I tell you my heart sank to my knees and my dwindling self-esteem hit the floor. How could I be so stupid?  I searched everywhere, every pocket in my pants, both side pockets of my vests, my purse, my  truck - several times... even with a flashlight; and I went to bed feeling like the stupidest person I knew or would ever meet. Overnight I dreamt of all the possibilities and when I awoke the next morning I acted on the only unsearched place I could think of.... the Bank.

I drove to the Bank, arriving  shortly after it opened and there I spoke with a woman and explained my plight. I knew (and I could tell she knew) this was a lost cause. In these times of poverty and folks in need... who could blame any one for picking up and moving on with four crisp new $50 bills... left at the machine with no owner in sight.  But, just to humour me I'm sure, she kindly went to the main teller to ask if anyone had turned in the bills.  I heard, indeed the whole bank heard, the resounding "YES !" from the teller and, to my astonishment, moments later I was handed a sealed envelope with my lost bills inside.  Humbled?  YES!; surprised? ABSOLUTELY! ; did this kind and honest person leave their name?  NO.

So, to whomever you are, thankyou from the bottom of my heart for the return of my $200.  Your act of kindness has rekindled my faith in the human spirit and the basic goodness in most of us. Also know I will be delivering one of those $50's to the Food Bank so that others may also benefit from your generosity.

That's my story... I just had to share.    CJ

Ahhh, the beauty of a warm sunrise…

And the thrill of BBQ steak from the depths of the garage.  

Long live Canada!  It's good to be home.

May you always enjoy a good sunrise and your steaks come out medium rare.  CJ

Home sweet home…


…even if it snowed. Yes, we are home; safe and sound. Our fond memories of these past weeks are many; made even more special by the wonderful folks we met in La Penita. The restaurants were many, the food was great and the beer and margueritas were cold. The scenery never failed to impress and the music was…well…loud :-) The wildlife included dogs, cats, roosters and chickens. It also included a tarantula in our bathroom (we named him Alphie) and a gecko who liked our kitchen (his name was Arturo). The flight home was full but everyone was pleasant and our friends collected us from the airport and brought us home. They'd even shovelled our driveway. How's that for being spoiled. Suffice to say, we must rest now… but it won't be long before we're in full swing and moving forward with summer plans 😃. Hope your homes are warm and your days are bright… Adios for now. CJ

2nd to last afternoon…


On our beach. You can't see it but there's a mama whale and calf out there, and a sailboat rising up into sight, between the swells and heading, ever so slowly south. And you can't hear it but the swells are breaking on the beach not far from our feet while they keep up a steady, rolling rhythm.

It doesn't take much to open memories in our minds eye of similar swells and similar scenes, never to be forgotten. 😔

Wanna play ??

Photo courtesy of Julie Davidson

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We’re not the only ones on vacation…

Maddie's having a great time at camp with all her buddies! 

(photos courtesy of Julie Davidson)

 

Just had to share

No comment required…

Chacala…

Back in the days when we began to entertain the notion of heading off in our Ontario 32 SV Shannon (and by "heading off" I mean taking on the challenges of sailing in 'blue water' which is found far from shore while taking on the challenge of a lifetime….all stories for another time) we were deeply involved in the preparation of selves and ship. We joined the Bluewater Sailing Association, we took dozens of courses and we renewed almost every important part of our little ship. We also joined a group of members who were training specifically for leaving and 'heading off' within the next year…and, as a result, we took even more courses. The sad truth for us was that we became overwhelmed with information and backed somewhat away from our plans and did not leave. To shorten a long story, suffice to say we joined the next year's 'Fleet in Training' and carried on with our preparations; all the while wondering if we were doing the right thing.

And then… we took a vacation and flew to Mexico for a couple weeks of R 'n R. On a day that became one of the most important days of our life, we had occasion to visit a small village on the shore of a beautiful bay called Chacala. There, as if provided as a message to us, rested at anchor, two sailboats about the same size as ours. Well, our fate was sealed and, when we returned home, we doubled our efforts in preparation, sucked it up as they say, and headed off in September of 2011. The stories about the rest of that adventure are under development now so I will move on today and tell you of our experience in the here and now.

We had the marvellous opportunity to visit two friends who were vacationing in, of all places, Chacala; the bay of our dreams and the source of our courage to leave in 2011.
As you can imagine, the village has changed and grown significantly but the beauty remains. We took a day (and a taxi) and enjoyed walking the beach, having a long overdue visit and a lovely lunch. To sit and think back and reminisce about all that trip meant was truly a gift and we are so grateful for that experience. The photos herein will give you a glimpse of the beach and bay today and, yes, there are two sailboats anchored and awaiting the next leg of their adventure.

May your own memories of adventures past stay with you as long as you wish.
Adios for now… CJ

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On the one hand…

Hola from afar.

Like everyone else, I expect, I shall be glued to the television today as we watch an event that will likely make significant changes across our world as we know it and, sadly, not for the best. 'Nuff said.

Moving back to real time, the here and now, it's been a few days since I've checked in… we've been busy getting familiar with the lay of the land and, yes, catching up on sleep and unfinished planning for next winter. Sounds crazy doesn't it but, if you're an RVer, you understand what I mean. For those who aren't … 'tis true; if one wants a nice site in a State Park, one must do the homework with respect to selection and booking…One year in advance. It's kind of like a game of chance… actually it's very much like a game of chance; sometimes you win and lots of times you lose out and get to start again.

But enough of that. Back to 'here in Mexico' we go 😃. We are well and have spent these last few days learning about where we are; the place, the people, the restaurants and the beach bars. like any small town, there is lots to see and lots to learn.

For instance, we've learned that after a few nights of listening to the local dogs barking at each other all night, your brain can actually block the noise out and allow you to get some sleep. The same can be said about the very loud roosters (who run wild on the streets along with their harems) and who think dawn is somewhere around 0400 hrs.
I'm not complaining mind, it's a small price to pay for the good fortune to be welcome in a small(er) town, close to larger venues if desired.

So far we've nailed down the locations that provide, the best BBQ ribs, the coldest cervesas, the loudest music, the strongest margueritas, the best beach for lounging, the best fish market, the best laundry, the easiest roads to walk on (many are hard to walk on cobblestone) and for me, an easy route for my morning walk (I just walk straight down our road to the very end, turn around and walk straight back). The route
I ve adopted takes about 40 minutes…a great way to start the day.

I'm including a few pics. They show, one of those roosters I mentioned, the reason we don't swim at our beach, a couple of the streets (the quiet one is the morning street at Sophia's; a lovely sidewalk cafe, and the view from our wee balcony.

Well, it's time for me to go and get ready for our day. Hope your days go well and your dogs and roosters are sleeping through the night. Adios amigos. CJ
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Tequila Sunset… oh yeah

'Tis true, there is nothing better than waking up on a gently rocking sailing vessel, securely anchored and nestled into an aquamarine anchorage bathed by warm, brilliantly coloured sunshine… not much anyway :-). That being said, as we no longer have a floating home south of the 49th, we are blessed to still be able to visit such places although it takes long days and uncomfortable airline flights. We have arrived at our temporary digs safely and are enjoying getting acclimatized and exploring nearby eateries and beaches. Tomorrow we're off to visit friends and explore other places… and, mostly, we are going to relax and catch up on our sleep. Wishing you all warm sun and comfortable visits. Adios amigos for now. CJ