Getting out of the U.S. to Mexico, just ahead of the snow season

CAMP CONNELL, Calif., USA - The news from amigo Sanders Lamont this morning was that he already has 3.5 feet of snow on the ground at his house - and more falling all the time.

Welcome to the Northern California mountains, the place where surfboards are replaced by snowboards every fall about this time.

Sander's house in Camp Connell

This whopper of a winter storm dropped plenty of rain on the Sacramento Valley floor over the last few days, brought in gusty winds and generally reminded Adm. Fox and I why we head to Mexico every December.

Brrr.... Donde esta mi flip-flops?

In anticipation of that sojourn south, we spent part of Saturday at our down-sized storage unit, shifting clothes and getting ready for several upcoming trips.

But the storm also suggested that we should not try to drive up into the mountains to the town of Arnold, where a fiesta will be held Monday night for amigos Randy and Karin. They sold their mountain home and are headed to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We will also see them in Mexico this winter - they own a prime lot in Arroyo Seco, two blocks from the Pink Flamingo.

And there will not be any snow on the ground there. Dust? Of course.

California being California, the rain seems to have passed and the sun is out bright this morning, a harbinger of a sunny day perhaps. The thermometer is not having none of that, however. It seems to be stuck at just above 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, that seems damn cold. In Hector, New York, it would close to balmy.

Somewhere else, though (like Mexico) the surf's up and ready.

Me, too.

World's biggest surfboard

A little kayaking, a little boogie boarding, a lot of dogs

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - The day began with a great breakfast at Cafe Risa in La Manzanilla, where the food is always a treat, though the experience is not quite the same since owner Tia Richardson left with her daughter Macy to go back to the states.

And by 2 p.m., I already had gone kayaking with Capt. Sanders Lamont, right in front of his rented casa, then grabbed a boogie board and took a dozen runs in the big surf. Tomorrow we will check out the beach at Tenacatita, where - if the huge ocean swells are still from the south - should be great for boarding.

Sanders wrote about his kayaking adventure on his blog. You should take a look.

Sanders Lamont: Adventures of an aging gringo

When the Admiral and I returned to the Pink Flamingo however , we were off right away on the quad to give injections of medicine to two dogs: Capitan, the pooch with the skin problems who Sylvia has been nursing for nearly two weeks, and Leona, a somewhat feisty 60-pound female who will have an operation this Sunday morning - in our palapa - performed by our amiga veterinarian Rocio.

With neighbor Chon's help, we were able to get the shot of medicine into Leona, though I doubt she will ever come near me again after I had to hold her down tight so she didn't move. Capitan was mellow, of course, and didn't even whimper when Chon gave him his dose.

Capitan has improved soooo dramatically, that he is behaving like a normal pooch now, running up to the quad when we arrive with the food bowls.


El Capitan chows down after his shot


Playa Chica, Arroyo Seco

After giving the shots, I convinced the Admiral we should go down to the beach and check out the sunset and the surf conditions before going in search of tacos in the village. (It didn't take much convincing.) We were rewarded with a fabulous sunset and great pounding surf, still coming from the south.

We also had our latest foster dog, Samba, run all the way from town, right behind the quad driven by Sylvia. Samba has started showing up every morning outside the gate, and as I write this, is camped out by the door of the Grey Goose II, waiting to see what our next adventure will be. Hmm... she might also be waiting to see if I eat all the pizza on my plate.

The video below shows Samba enjoying the beach, the same beach she went to every day this winter with her amigo Julien, who went back to France about a month ago.


Surf's up!

A stomping good time up in the California mountains

MURPHYS, Calif., USA - Adm. Fox and I took a sojourn to Camp Connell over the weekend to visit with Sanders and Pat Lamont (the other two members of The Four Headlamps) as well as amigos Randy and Karin who live at the high altitudes near Sanders and Pat part of the year, but who have bought land in Arroyo Seco close to our property for the winter months.


Randy and Karen in Arroyo Seco last winter

The weather Friday was perfect for being outdoors, slightly overcast and not-too-hot, which let us take a hike around a nearby park that has some magnificent sequoia trees and enough trails to keep you walking for weeks.

We opted for a two-mile walk, followed by a lunch at the Snoeshoe Brewery (excellent pale ale and hamburgers) and, well, some quiet time after the hike and the food.

Although I had my ukulele, the chords and the lyrics along for the band to practice "Chunder," we were too busy to get out the instruments.

But Saturday morning we zipped down the mountain from Camp Connell to Murphys where Sanders and Pat's granddaughter Delaney and her dad, Brian, were competing in the Grape Stomp, the fifteenth such event in as many years. The grape stomp is just a small part of a day-long celebration for which the town closes the main street and sells food, beer, wine and enough jewelry to outfit a chain of jewelry stores.

Some heavy rains probably kept some of the more lightweight tourists from attending. But we watched Delaney and Brian stomp their way to second place in their heat. Not bad when the stomper is 11 years old and with about a size-6 foot.

Here's a video of the action.

Another day, another fiesta, and yes, another parade

BARRA DE NAVIDAD, Jalisco, Mexico - We went to Barra de Navidad Tuesday afternoon to bid bon voyage to cruisers Dan & Lorraine Olsen, soon to depart for ports of call to the south, perhaps venturing as far as Ecuador.

But before we could get through the downtown to the pangas to take us out to their vessel, anchored snugly in the Barra lagoon, we found outselves in the middle of a Constitution Day parade that had as many gringos in it as local folks.


Carnival queens in Barra de Navidad


Even the burros got to parade

The wind was howling on our way out to the lagoon - a reminder of many of Sabbatical's forays in the same waterway. The last time I was in Barra aboard a sailboat (on Sabbatical with Captain Sanders Lamont aboard) we had consistent 40-knot winds for several days, driving many cruisers to put out extra anchors and forcing them to hunker down on their boats in case their anchors let go.

We hung out in the marina, tied safely to a dock, sipping margaritas, pina coladas and a variety of other fruit-based beverages until the wind dropped to an acceptable level.

I'm not sure what caused it, exactly, but on our way in, we saw on 35-40 foot sailboat that might have misjudged the narrow (and unmarked) channel that morning and run aground. And because of the wind and falling tide, he was living a sailor's nightmare, his only hope a good high tide the next day.


Sailboat high and dry in Barra Lagoon

But there was a good-news boating story out of the whole enterprise. Dan Olsen was able to get a part fabricated for his engine, using a spare bit of plumbing obtained here in La Manzanilla from my amigo Tom. He was as proud as a new parent of the piece which he will be keeping in reserve for his exhaust system.


Captain Dan and his new boat part