After the end of ducking and goosing in January, February was pretty much get ready for Mexico month. Lil Annee had one whole guest room set aside to sort out clothes for our month long sojourn to the warmer climes of Mexico.The garage was a collection point for all the assorted gear, liquor, and staples we would be cramming in the car to take with us. Luckily, we got a few days respite from all the trip logistics with a visit from her eldest son Del and his lovely Wendy.

Annee, Del, & Wendy

As it turned out, they drove in from over to a Vail conference just about the time we got hammered with a snow blizzard, but they had come prepared for the weather. Sadly, they only had a few days to visit, but we put that time to good use with daily hikes in the knee deep snow up into the hills behind our hacienda, Annee's good cooking, and plenty of relaxation time. All too quickly time passed as it does, and they headed home out of Montrose. Hopefully they will get back when it's warmer.

Wendy, Sherril, Del, & Annee

Speaking of warmer, our thoughts returned to Mexico, "Margaritas, Beans, & Peppers", and getting away from all this snow! On February 28 we pulled out in convoy with Don & Sherril, busting it down to Four Corners and south thru Arizona all the way to Tucson, where we circled the wagons for the nite. Next AM we were up early and crossing the border by 8, ready for the 5 hr drive south to San Carlos. Arriving just in time for lunch, we hit JJ's Tacos Y Cosas , where JJ his own self greeted us. Annee had brought him an apron that declared, "Many Have eaten Here, But Few Have Died", and he immediately put it on, and I swear for the whole month we were there, I believe he never took it off!

Sherril, JJ, & Annee

After lunch with JJ, we headed out to Bahia Delphin, got checked into our beautiful condo on the beach,and spent the rest of the afternoon hauling all our stuff in and getting organized.

 View from our Condo

Sundown over Tetakawa

From day 1, we settled quickly into a daily routine of early morning beach hikes of at least 2 miles with Annee & Sherril gathering up unsuspecting sea shells "conchas" cast haphazardly on the beach by the tides. All there treasures were sorted out by size on our porch and within a few minutes the live ones were crawling down the steps headed for the ocean.

Tom, Nancy, & Annee @ the Mercado

Montrose frens, Nancy & Tom Grippenthrog were staying at the Pillar condos next to us, so we planned a morning at the San Carlos Mercado for shopping, then a kyack / snorkling trip for 4 hours. We got fitted out with 2 person kyacks & snorkle gear and paddled out 2 miles to a sheltered cove for some fish watching. The wind had picked up making paddling tough and the water was cold, but the snorklers had fun despite chattering teeth and frozen fingers. After turning in all our gear we headed for lunch to warm up.

 Nancy, Tom, Don, Sherril, Annee

Creature from the Lagoon

 Boat People @ Lunch

A couple nites later , we all hit La Palapa, a beach restaurant, that had a band from Tucson playing Rolling Stones music. We took a beach table, margaritas & Tecates, ate a good meal, & danced the nite away
in the sand.

Ready to Party

 Nancy & Tom Boogy

Next up was a hike up Tetakawa for Sherril, Annee , & me while Donny watched us thru binocs. We got up about halfway until the brush got too thick, turned around, hiked down, then up another smaller hill overlooking a pristine bay, where divers were diving for lobster. After those invigorating hikes we were ready for lunch at The Soggy Peso, and an afternoon of soaking up rays.

Matched Climbing Outfits

Annee & Dee on the Brink

Sunning at the Soggy

Dee's a Swinger

After the first week Bruce & Val Watson & Sissy the dawg showed up in their camper from Campbell River, BC for a few days before heading over to the Baja. We had met up with them the previous two years in San Carlos and it was good to reconnect no matter how short their stop.

Annee, Val, Bruce, Don, & Sherril

The second Saturday we attended the Carne Asada festival put on by Rotary for the benefit of the San Carlos schools. Jan & John Gray joined us , along with Gary Browning from here in Montrose. This is a well attended fund raiser, good food, and lots of entertainment, including school dance troupes and always a good Maraichi band.

Annee, Jan, John, Sherril, & Don

Maraichi!!!

Next up was a birthday party for Jan , that was hosted at their house and dinner that was cooked by her. Thats called throwing your own party. Annee arrived bringing a costly Annee Laird painting as a present, and Jan promptly put it in a place of honor over the mantle. After multiple drinks we sat to a scrumptious meal and lots of laughs. By 8 PM it was bedtime for John, so we took our leave.

Jan & Prize Painting

Dinner with the Grays

Since we were in San Carlos last year, a younger type feller named
Francisco Bonafacio had just opened an absolutely beautiful new restaurant called the Cotton Club on Algodones Beach [ Which in Spanish translates to cotton]. Jan & John joined us there for dinner the nite before Sherril & Don were to head back home. The interior furnishings were exquisite and the food was superb, exceeded only by the good company. Sadly, the Roses headed home next day and Annee & I were left to fend for our own selves.

Dinner @ Algodones

Anxious for a hike Annee and I decided to hike Nacapule Canyon to see how much damage was down last September when the hurricane hit San Carlos with 30+ " rain and wipped out roads and bridges. What had been a tropical oasis filled with lush palms and other flora had been devastated. Hiking in a mile + it looked like a giany bulldozer had run down thru the canyon, and in spots the debris in the trees from the flood was 20' high. But, already young seedlings were leafing out. Probably 20 years will restore the original beauty. After hiking out we sat to a nice picnic lunch and cold Tecates.

 Annee in Nacapule

Picnic Time

Gary & Mary Browning , frens of ours from Montrose, spend November thry April in San Carlos and love every minute. Gary brings his Tracker boat down and tries to fish several times a week. While we were there, Gary was kind enough to take us fishingv a few times. Twice we did pretty well botton fishing, then one day he & I trolled 4 hours with narry a nibble. But, any day fishing is better than a day lolling on the beach.

Annee

 Trolling

Another day we met Jan & John for lunch out at the Cotton Club and had just about the best burger we ever had. Service was great as we watched the kite surfers skim the waves at top speed. After an unfurried lunch, the gals went shelling, while John and I just enjoyed the sun and good conversation before heading back to their home.

Lunch at the Cotton Club

A flower among Flowers

One nite we met the Brownings out to the Cotton Club for another great dinner, then had them over to the condo for a teriffic seafod alfredo that Chef Browning his own self cooked up. Following that we all met one nite at La Palapa for another good dinner and music by Lorena Robles, who was only one or two notes shy of making Carnegie Hall.

Gary, Mary, Annee, & Dee

Annee, Gary, & Mary

Dinner at La Palapa

Most of our days were spent on the beach, sea shelling or just hiking.
And, of an evening we would take our drinks out to the beach to watch
the sun set. Fantastically relaxing tom say the least.

Really Kicked Back

Sundown in Paradise

Our last Sunday in San Carlos, we met Jan & john at the Marina Terra restaurant for their Sunday buffet breakfast with all kinds of breakfast delights. Then we headed over top Guaymas to the local nursery [ vivero] to find a planter for Jan. And to wrap up the morning stopped by to visit some really nice folks we had met from Red Deer, Alberta, Trigger and Doug Davies. When we had stayed with Jan & john 2 years ago, Trigger & Doug were building their house and we walked thru it a few times. The now finished product was eye popping!

Annee & Jan with the Pied Piper

Annee & Jan at the Vivero

Doug, Trigger, Annee, & Me

Closing down to the end of our month, we toured Guaymas one day with the Brownings and had lunch at Club Nautica overlooking the Guaymas harbor. Then the day before we left for home, Gary and I went over for the shrimp festival held for a cruise ship that came in and dumped hundreds of tourists on the town. Of course with all those tourists the town was out in fiorce. Gary and I had two orders of shrimp and headed to the Corona tent. Lively music was playing and there was this georgeous young thing in the tightest outfit ever, jiving and boogeying to the music. Seems she was the Corona girl and her job was to attract folks to the beer booth.mn She did her job well!

Lunch at Nautica

Dee with the Corona gal

Early up the next morning, Annee & I hit the trail to the border at 5:30. It took us 5 hours to go the 260 miles to Nogales, then 5 more hours to complete the last 2 miles to the border crossing. We hit Tucson and took off across country up thru the Gila Canyon to Globe for the nite. Up early we headed on to Show Low thru the Salt River Canyon and on thru Gallup, up to Shiprock, on to Cortez, and over Lizzard Head to home. By the time we got unpacked, it took us 2 days to recupe. But, now we've decided a month in Mexico is not enough! Next year we're doing 2 months! Hasta luego!

COMING UP

Lil Annee and I are driving out of here May 8, headed for Dallas and 2 days with the Cahills. Then its on to the Billages in Florida to visit Pat & jerry Houchens a couple days. Then its on to St. Augustine for Lil Annee's 50th high school reunion and a few days in Jacksonville visiting various folks. After that we drive on to Richmond for about 3 weeks, then the long trip back across country. Sure to be another grand adventure, so stay tuned.

LOVE

ANNEE & DEE