Back to journalistic roots at a New York high school graduation

CORNING, New York, USA - The assignment was a slam-dunk, plus it helped out the Elmira Star-Gazette newspaper for which I do occasional bits of writing. Already this spring I wrote about a Titanic anniversary festival, a hiking trail cleanup, a new farm-animal hospital, and a wine festival.

So it was I found myself on a gorgeous Friday afternoon - a perfect Seneca Lake Appreciation Day - loading cameras and notebooks to head to the Corning-Painted Post West High School Graduation about 40 minutes from the lake cottage.

Getting the caps on straight

It was, as Yogi Berra intoned once, 'Deja vu all over again.'

When I started my writing career in the summer of 1973, I wrote every obituary the Napa Register published that season and covered everything. Everything was generally defined as what the veteran journalists didn't want to touch.

And so I found myself doing all kinds of stories that are not on the top of my list of clippings, but certainly important to the people about whom I was writing.

Friday night's story was no different.

The place was packed with parents so excited they were vibrating even more than their sons, daughters, grandchildren and nieces and nephews. And the students had a great mix of excitement, awe and trepidation about what the next step meant for them, once they threw their mortarboards in the air..

For some, the next step was heading off universities in the fall. But one young fellow told me he would never set foot in classroom again in his life. If his attitude stays the same as what he evidenced Friday night, I hope he doesn't - for the sake of any teacher or professor.

Administrators and teachers first, please

I was surprised to be asked to write the graduation story until I opened up Saturday's newspaper and realized that most of the high schools in Central New York had all had their ceremonies Friday night. And in the Elmira Star-Gazette's circulation area, well, they had a lot more bases to cover than staff and photographers.

It was kind of sweet event to go to and Admiral Fox gamely agree to attend, too. She proved invaluable (again!) in chatting up the students to get them to talk and setting some of the stock photos I knew I needed.

It brought back so many memories that I had dreams of my first newspaper job - writing sports.

One winter I had the unenviable assignment of writing about junior high school boys basketball. Watching one of those games makes spectating at a golf match look exciting.

They pretty much went like this:

Dribble, pass, dribble, shoot - MISS, 

Dribble, pass, dribble, shoot - MISS, 

Dribble, pass, dribble, shoot - MISS, 

Dribble, pass, dribble,shoot - MISS, 

Dribble, pass, dribble, shoot - MISS, 

 Dribble, pass, dribble, shoot - MISS...

The final score would usually be something like 17-12.

I get sleepy just thinking about it.

Stands were full of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts and amigos...

Winestock 2012 gets a break with fabulous summer weather

THREE BROTHERS WINERY, Seneca County, New York - If the third time is a charm (and I believe it is...) then it worked for the 3rd annual Winestock NY, a festival held this Saturday to celebrate good wine, good food and good music.

The procession in to Winestock 2012

About 15 wineries participated in the event under almost cloudless skies with temperatures in the low 80s.

Last year it rained so hard I thought I had mistakenly returned to coastal Mexico in mid-June. (Not a good place, unless you like 100 percent humidity and temperatures in the 90s...)_

There was lots of competition for people's attention this weekend besides Winestock. In Watkins Glen, the hugely popular Cardboard Boat Races drew a thousand people.

Still, Winestock might have set some attendance records.

By the time Admiral Fox and I arrived - just a half hour after the gate opened - so many people had already showed up that they were using  overflow parking out in the vineyard. It was actually quite cool to walk in via row Reisling 115. No grapes showing much yet, but the vines certainly looked healthy.

Limos at the ready

Winestock 2012 also had a number of limos and tour buses arrive (part of the reason smaller vehicles had to park outside the compound).

There was even a bridal party or two making its way around to wine tastings.

The music was excellent with a favorite blues guy, Delta Mike Shaw, performing on the center stage with several amigos. (See video of Mike on stage, below).

Lots of other familiar faces were there, too: Tina Hazlitt (who helps organize this each year, Jason Hazlitt and Rose (from the Hector Wine Company), Cindi and Lisa (representing Atwater) and probably a dozen other people from Red Newt Winery and Hazlitt's who I know, but didn't see.

It's still going on as I write this.

Hmm ... perhaps I should go back for just a couple of more tastings to track down any other amigos who I might have missed.

Jason Hazlitt, co-owner of the Hector Wine Company, pours for Winestock 2012 guests

Picking out the wedding wines

And it is off-we-go as Admiral Fox starts up her RoadTrip Zumba

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - Admiral Fox talks about her latest leap-off-the-precipice idea in her new blog, RoadTrip Zumba (LINK:Take a Zumba trip here...). She is far more able to explain at that website exactly what she is up to.

Rolf Potts with friends

But I know this: Whenever we take trips (or plan trips), there will likely be a Zumba factor involved. And chances are good that I will be traveling along, roadie-style, with my video and still cameras in hand.

The idea sprang in part from a columnist/traveler/writer/blogger I have been following for several years named Rolf Potts: (LINK: The Rolf Potts website). He came to my attention via a student who thought what Potts did was, well, cool.

The student was right.

Potts travels with a camera man a lot of the time, filming Pott's adventures, sort of a 21st Century Boswell. Some of that film gets translated in often hilarious videos. And Potts also writes about where he has been in addition.

Can you see where this is all going?

The sign makes it official

The Admiral decided that she would launch RoadTrip Zumba this spring and summer, continuing it on in the fall. The only place I know we are going this fall (before we head to Mexico) is Nova Scotia. Do you think there is Zumba there?

Yup. It's already been checked out.

And the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta will see some Zumba this fall and winter, too.

The first RoadTrip Zumba session Monday was at the Hector Wine Company (LINK: HWC website), just up the road - with lots of smiling faces for the group shot.

When the weather gets better (read: Warmer), there is talk of Zumba on the Hazlitt's Beach.

Zumba group at the Hector Wine Company

First kayak expedition of the season a success - and no splash

GLEN CREEK, Watkins Glen, NY - Getting into my kayak is never a problem. Getting out? Well...

But today's first-of-the-season trip from the launch area at Clute Park, up Glen Creek and then past the rustic Watkins Glen Yacht Club ended without the customary splashing I am used to.

End of the line, without walking

And because I couldn't find my water shoes this morning, it was especially complicated climbing out of the kayak, even at the low docks. But I made it.

My shoulders are a little sore, but I was rewarded with calm water to paddle on, even if the wind was stiff out of the south. Next trip, besides water shoes, my binoculars and cooler (for hydration beverages) I need to remember an umbella.

An umbrella?

Si, the umbrella makes a great sail when heading downwind.

Up Glen Creek, I paddled as far as I could, running aground probably just 300 yards of so from the main channel.  I wasn't interested in any portaging in case there were some pools farther up where the kayak might have floated.

Unlikely eagle

Still, I saw lots of birds, a few fish, but not a single crocodile as I probably would have in Mexico. They make kayaking there quite interesting.

Two of the birds seemed at first like they might be eagles. But on closer inspection, I believe they are actually vultures. I made sure I kept moving so they didn't get any ideas. They did not like having their pictures taken, either.

My kayak and the Admiral's are safely (we hope) locked in the new rack at the Watkins boat ramp, barely a five-minute drive from our house. When the Admiral gets back from Zumba this morning, I'll see if she's up for a tour of Glen Creek.

Maybe she'll be able tell what kind of birds those vulture-eagles are.

The new kayak racks

Video 'Saving Perro Morro' finally up on YouTube

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - After some struggles, I was finally able to post the documentary, Saving Perro Morro up on YouTube.

It's a film about Adm. Fox and Barbara Cook's trip to Mezcales, Jalisco, Mexico last November to help with a spay and neuter clinic. The three of us were there for a week, with Barb and Sylvia working in the clinic while I ran around filming and trying to be a one-man movie crew.

Cats in the recovery room

Back in Watkins Glen, I did the editing and production work here at North Glen Avenue Studios.

But up until today, I was unable to share it, unless I gave someone a CD to play on a DVD player or a computer.

Gracias Dios for the upgrades to YouTube that made this possible.

The is the first documentary produced by *subject2change Media made since Adm. Fox and retired from CSU, Sacramento.

More in the works. Woo-hoo!

An old swing set, wood from the scrap pile and voila - kayak rack

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - Adm. Fox and I have had our small kayaks here at the N. Glen Avenue house since last spring but never actually got them out of the storage shed and onto the water all last season.

It just seemed, well, like too much work to haul them out of the shed, load them onto the roof of the Lexus and head to a launch ramp.

This afternoon, our neighbor Billy and took most of the 'too-much-work' complaint right out of it.

The base unit

A friend (who also has kayaks) found an old wooden swing set that looked like it would make a good base for some kayak racks. Then Billy and I rummaged through my old deck boards and came up with the balance of the lumber.

The result? A kayak rack right at the launch ramp in Watkins maybe 50 feet from the water. And it is capable of holding at least eight and maybe 10 kayaks.  It took the two of us about an hour or so of banging the nails in to put it together. We tried to use some screws but the wood is harder than the shale rock around here to drill through...

Both of our kayaks will be set up at the rack and ready to go tomorrow. In fact, if the weather cooperates, perhaps tomorrow will be our first day on the lake for the 2012 season.

Of course the other change this year is that I have my little red Nissan truck ready for hauling, which makes getting kayaks down to the newly constructed racks much easier than fooling with the Lexus' roof racks.

Now if I can just remember where the @^#&#@#$^&#*(* I put the kayak paddles and life jackets.

Ah, I can look manana...

Neighbor Billy swinging the hammer

Almost finished product with Captain's kayak in place

An asparagus-filled afternoon at the 'Asparaganza'

INTERLAKEN, New York, USA - It was a spur-of-the-moment idea - barrel over towards Cayuga Lake to the Good Life Farm for its Asparaganza festival, a fiesta celebrating, well, asparagus, plus lots of other great stuff: music, wine and plenty of non-asparagus treats and activities, too.

With this batter, carp would taste good

We met up with brother-in-law David and his amiga Caryn there. It was a mini-family reunion while we shared a bottle of Red Newt reisling (excellent, by the way) listened to a local band and ate some fantastic deep-fried asparagus.

I think the secret to the asparagus tasting sooo good might have been the batter. But still...

The accordion was a nice touch for the Trumansburg-based group Toivo

The Good Life Farm is one of many places I need to spend more time. They grow all kinds of non-asparagus foods, have their own wood lot and the place just feels, well, like home. I didn't get a chance to meet the folks directly involved in the operation of the place. Maybe next time we cruise through Interlaken.

LINK: The Good Life Farm - check it out...

At the Asparaganza, there were also more children in one place than I have seen anywhere around this part of New York outside of a schoolyard. And lots of the children were very young, running around like, well, kids.

The weather even cooperated with sun, light breezes and temperatures in the 70s.

Life is good it seems, at the Good Life Farm.

Plants starting to pop up while the fog settles on the lake

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - After spending several hours this morning moving flower and vegetable pots around - plus thinking, Why am I doing this when I could be out kayaking? - I was rewarded with the first sprout of the season making its debut out on the big-ass deck in front of the house.

Exactly what kind of plant it is, I can't say. The names I wrote on the outside of the plantable, biodegradable starter pots washed off in the rain.

Plant Zero

It is a tomato plant, an egg plant or cilantro. (No it can't be a weed, I won't allow it...)

Whatever it is, it is now officially named Plant Zero, with all other seedlings to follow in its pioneering path.

That anything sprouted - given that the plants have been in freezing weather on and off for weeks - is just amazing.

Still, if this seed made it, there is hope for the other 100 or so brothers, sisters and cousins planted hither and yon in these containers, regular flower pots, tubs, and two Earthboxes.

Last year the one small Earthbox provided us with as much bountry and a two foot by 12 garden patch.

That's why I bought a second one which will be for tomatoes and eggplants.

As I discovered Plant Zero, I saw that the warm temps today (83 degrees and rising) were clashing with the cold water of Seneca Lake to form a really neat bank of rolling fog. Even though the air is very clear, I can't see the east side of the lake.

When I was downtown an hour ago, I thought one of the salt plants was putting out steam.

Wrong! Just Mother Nature letting off a little steam of her own.

Fog on the south end of Seneca Lake

Plant garden, replant garden, repeat as necessary

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - Last night the temperatures here dropped to about 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Twenty degrees. Twenty degrees!

So much for my early planting and all those seed pots.

Still, now that that bit of frost is past (all the cars have a nice crust of ice on them), it appears warmer weather is on the way, complete with some rain. Today it is supposed to hit near 70 degrees with no frost ahead.

I'm heading out to buy more vegetable seeds this morning to see if I can my crops going this time.

The days haven't been quite as cold as the nights, and so Sunday Admiral Fox and I took a walking tour of Watkins Glen, winding down off our hill to the downtown area, past the high school and back past the Village Marina where the bar and restaurant are reopened.

The place was doing a brisk business Sunday when we dropped by, though the wind off the lake was still too cold for anyone to be brave enough to sit outside. The restaurant has a new menu that looks great - much simpler than in other seasons and has added a number of vegetarian and vegan offerings.

And the beer and wine list? Great as ever.

Some boats are in the water already, and when we walked through the dry storage area at least 10 captains were busy taking off the covers and getting ready for launch. There was also a decided smell of fiberglass wax in the air.

The Valois Point Yacht Club is firmly closed for the present. I haven't had the time - or weather been good enough - to even start to clean the path/stairway down to the water. Still, the first warm (and non-raining) day and I will shuffle up the lake to get ready for summer.

Seneca Lake, April 29

From summer to snow and then some more snow...

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - The forecast said there was a chance of snow, but I pushed it aside.

Come on, it's April 23, fer Chrissakes. Even here in Central New York, snow capital of, well, Central New York, snow on April 23 would be downright weird. Last Monday it was 85 degrees, people were boating and I was buying a new outboard for our sailboat, Crimson Tide. Today everyone is sweeping snow off their cars and nervously looking at the latest forecast.

It says we are likely to have several more days of snow. More days.

Kee-rist.

Neighbor's house with damaged tree

Adm. Fox spied the snow out the window in the middle of the night and shortly thereafter - in quick succession - I heard the snowplows out running and then a decided crash. I was pretty sure my hot tub enclosure had taken a tumble in the high winds that were making the trees all sway.

But no! (Gracias Dios!)

The crash was a big branch detaching itself from a tree across the street, landing smack across North Glen Avenue. Lucky for our new neighbors their cars were not parked there. They had been earlier in the day while they were moving furniture and other stuff inside in the cold rain that preceded the snowstorm.

Then an hour later, I heard someone out with a chainsaw clearing the street. From the looks of the tree, it's hollow inside the trunk... Might be some more chainsaw work in the next week or two.

The snow is coming down steady right now, not heavy, but steady. Sure wish I had put up a cover over the hot tub. It would nice to take a little dip in it this morning.

Hot tub needs some dusting off before we jump in

Plans for mowing, raking and doing outdoor work here at up at the Valois cottage are on the shelf until at least mid-week, unless the forecast changes - again - and summer returns.

My in-the-house to-do list has plenty of items to keep me quite occupied until the weather goes back to whatever passes for normal at Latitude 42.

Oh! And I just heard from the Admiral that it has stopped snowing, for the moment... Just time to don some snow boots and walk to the post office. But only if  I can find my snow boots, which I safely tucked away in some box, somewhere in the house about a week ago.

Kee-rist.

Springtime-about-to-be summer in Watkins Glen

WATKINS GLEN, New York, USA - Admiral Fox and I arrived here a week ago, bleary eyed from a red-eye Jet Blue flight from Sacramento but happy to be home after a three-plus month absence that included our Mexico adventures and then a wonderful two weeks in Sacramento visiting daughter Anne and granddaughters Sami and Kami. We stayed with and amigos Pam and Steve, who were kind enough to put us up at their house.

We also got in a short visit with Scott and Jen Noble, who are heading here to NY this summer.

At first here in the northeast, we were greeted with sort-of normal weather (highs in the 50s), but since then, we have had full-on spring that seems to shift to summer for a few hours nearly every day.

Monday, it was 85 degrees and people were out on the lake in their boats.

Boats.

It put the pressure on me to get cracking on gardening sort of stuff, and so Wednesday I rounded up some seeds, fresh soil, and a bunch of those biodegradable pots that you plant right in the garden as soon as the seeds sprout.

So here's a question: I planted cilatro, pear tomatoes, eggplant and squash yesterday afternoon and there's not a single plant sprouted yet.

What's up with that?

Not a sprout in sight - yet

In the meantime, I am struggling to make time to write as I constantly hear the siren's song of the lake calling.

We have a spectacular view of Seneca Lake now - thanks to tree-cutter extraordinaire Paul Mapes of Elmira. He chopped down a street across the street (our neighbor said it was ok) and suddenly we can see the other shore quite nicely.

And then there are our kayaks, patiently waiting for me to put away my iPad or computer keyboard and head down the river south into a swampy area filled with wonderful birds and wildlife. And not a single crocodile like we had in Arroyo Seco.

But for now, perhaps I should either go outside and catch a few rays of sunshine (another gorgeous day it seems) or I can finish a story I started last week that just needs a few touches.

I think outside is going to win.

My comfortable chair for catching some sun

Last days in Sacramento - heading back to NY

SACRAMENTO, Calif., USA - I am not at all sure where the last two weeks went.

We arrived late on a Tuesday and tomorrow night will leave late for NY. The rest in-between is kind of a blur.

Part of that is probably due to my being sick with a stomach flu for four days. One day was the onset of the flu, the others recovery. But it put a kink in what we wanted to do. And my stomach is really just now back to normal.

Even at that, I was able to do one project that daughter Anne really wanted/needed at her Rancho Cordova house - a pergola.

Before she mentioned it, I wasn't really sure what a pergola is, but now I have built a custom version for her house that only needs some bamboo blinds to complete it.





The custom part is that it is probably one foot higher than the plans called for... But because of the way the sun hits the house - and a desire to hang all kinds of flower pots, bamboo shades, hummingbird feeders, bird houses and God-knows-what-else - I opted to boost the roof beams.

Even boosted high, it gives great shade, or at least it did for the Easter soiree that Anne hosted.

But now that I have built one, I can see great possibilities for the lake cottage or even our house in Watkins Glen.

Custom designs, of course.

In between setting posts and banging nails, we did squeeze in visits with Jen and Scott Noble, Sanders and Pat Lamont and our gracious hosts and friends, Pam DiTomasso and Steve Lovotti.

Not enough time to visit with anybody, but we will be back in October on our way to Mexico for the winter...

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Welcome back to the USSA - and a norovirus

SACRAMENTO, California, USSA - Adm. Fox and I had a relatively easy set of flights from Mexico to Sacramento with only the usual speed bumps caused by such travels.

Our checked bags made it through, Adm. Fox's purse (left at a security checkpoint) was retrieved in time to make the plane and after a slight dustup with the rental car, we were on our way.

But somewhere in the last 48-hours, probably here in Sacramento, I managed to contract a stomach flu - a nasty little bastard called a norovirus - which has been almost epidemic in this part of Northern California for months.

Lucky me.



But in a way, it is a lucky me, because we are staying with Dr. Pam, who, along with her amiga MaryJo, knew all about what was going on with me and advised Adm. Fox how to deal with my various symptoms and what she could do to avoid catching this 24-hour bug.

I won't go into detail, but let's just say, I could give Linda Blair (from the Exorcist) a run for her money in a projectile-vomiting contest.

Gawd that was awful.

Twenty-four hours after the onset of the symptoms, I am on the road to recovering, sipping an anti-viral fruit drink (Xango) downing gallons of tea and ginger ale, and planning which couch I will take my first nap of the day on.

Tomorrow I'll get back on my non-scheduled schedule.
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Heading back to the USSA today

PUERTO VALLARTA, Jalisco, Mexico - Adm. Fox and I are sitting the PV airport waiting for our flight to Phoenix.

After being dropped off by Capt. Bob O'Hara, we did the FM3/Immigration Cha-Cha this morning, a side effect of having our renewable visas as semi-permanent residents. It took longer than usual, but we made it to the gate with plenty of time to pay some airport prices for a quick lunch.


Our trip today will take us eventually to Sacramento where we will be staying with Dr. Pam and Steve for two weeks at their great house on 46th Street - the same place where we spent the fall and our last semester teaching.

No swimming in their salt water pool now, I'm sure... but we got plenty of swimming in during the last few weeks while staying at Bahia del Sol, a condo within walking distance of Paradise Village. The best part, perhaps, is that we were able to walk on the beach every day and visit with Sasha Fox.

Sacramento means visiting with daughter Anne and granddaughters Samantha and Kamryn, too.

We had plenty of fun with granddaughter Sasha the past two weeks - even as late as yesterday when Grandma Sylvia did some art projects.



I am hearing that John Denver song in my head (made famous by Peter, Paul and Mary) so it must be time to head to the gate.

'All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go...'

More from the friendly skies, later.
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Day three of the Banderas Bay Regatta starts soon

PARADISE VILLAGE, Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit - Admiral Fox and I will be heading out to La Cruz in a couple of hours to jump aboard the sailing vessel Lotus to crew in the third and final race of the 20th Banderas Bay Regatta.

Adm. Fox had been benched in the first two races because of her bad cold (which had turned to pneumonia) but says she is up to the task in this last race.

In the first race Thursday, Lotus blew a fitting on the boom vang and we had to retire from the course. The winds were around 25 knots with harder gusts - perfect conditions for the boat, apparently not so perfect for the boom vang.

In Friday's race the winds were light and while we made it around the course in a timely fashion, lighter boats that could point higher whupped us firmly.

The race organizers changed the courses and many other details of how the races are actually run. The jury is out about the changes, but at the finish line yesterday we had about 20 boats all close-tacking right in front of each other trying to end the race.

We had several close calls and there was a lot of shouting in English, Spanish and French.

Below are some photos from the opening day parade before the first race.




















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A non-Sasha Sunday, but the ocean still beckons

NUEVO VALLARTA, Nayarit, Mexico - Granddaughter Sasha Fox spent a good chunk of her Saturday with us, playing in the sand with a new, 18-month-old amigo named Noah and swimming in the pool.

I couldn't get her interested in boogie-boarding, which is understandable. The ocean water is actually pretty cold right now. Really cold if you are not quite four-years-old.

But we had a surprise visitor - Sasha's Tia Cherie, of the couple Cherie and Greg. And Cherie is even better known because of her website, Where's Cherie.

It's kind of like Where's Waldo, but a lot more interesting, given Cherie's world-traveling tendencies.

Cherie documents her travels and Saturday's visit was no different. Sasha posed for a dozen photo before she went back to her mother.




Today has been a much slower day - maybe it's recovering from trying to keep up with Sasha.

Admiral Fox and I went by the Catholic Mass at the new (new to us) Paradise Village Church, then drove to La Cruz to check out the markets there.

What a tourist town La Cruz has turned into. And with a big sailing regatta in town, the marina was packed.

Now back at the condo, it looks like it's time to take up some boogie-boarding again. It's part of my training regimen for Wednesday's Banderas Bay Regatta.






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Back to the beach for Boogie Board II - the sequel

NUEVO VALLARTA, Nayarit, Mexico - Besides being St. Patrick's Day, today is also kid's day here with Sasha Fox expected to make another appearance at 10 a.m. and a amiga is bringing her lad by to swim in the ocean and pool.

And if the waves cooperate, I will see if I can convince Sasha to join me in the shallow waves for some boogie-boarding.

Two days ago, she declined, preferring to build sand castles and draw in the soft sand at the water's edge.

She did climb on a boogie board in the swimming pool and paddle around - a good first effort.






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An art walk to benefit the turtles takes over the complex

NUEVO VALLARTA, Nayarit, Mexico - The music blaring out of the speakers was vintage Roy Orbison, the Beach Boys, Van Morrison and some melodious sprinklings of Madonna. Oh! And there was some Mexican tunes, too.

It was the annual art walk to benefit the turtle protection program here, held on the grounds of the Bahia del Sol condos where we are spending two weeks.

It was noisy, but fun.

There was even a French baker in residence, selling bread, croissants (of course), and assorted pastries so rich, you gain weight by simply looking at them for too long.






At the same time, out in Banderas Bay, a sailboat race was underway, reminding the Admiral and I that we needed to get back our training regimen.

This afternoon we expect to have Sasha Fox visiting and, if she wants, I will be taking her out to boogie board for the first time.

It is my first time of the season, so we'll see how it goes.



Bahia del Sol has a great sandy beach, but also a very nice (and warm) swimming pool.

If the waves are too intimidating for Senorita Fox to boogie board, we'll spend our time in the pool.

I tried it out yesterday and it's even warm enough for Admiral Fox to swim in.









Time to get back to training.

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In training for the Banderas Bay Regatta next week

NUEVO VALLARTA, Nayarit, Mexico - The Admiral and I started our training regimen today for the Banderas Bay Regatta which begins one week from today (Wednesday).

We took a long walk on the beach, swam in the pool, drank only one beer with lunch and one margarita with dinner.

The sacrifices we make to get into shape.



Of course it could be argued that a week is hardly enough time to get into shape for anything, let alone a major sailboat event like this with probably 50+ boats entered and lots of people who actually know what they are doing.

Well, we have a week and after watching the new movie about Sarah Palin, all things are possible.

Watch the HBO special on Sarah Palin called 'Game Change' to see how she prepped and almost made it to VP of the United States. Um, actually that's not a good example, but watch it anyway. What a piece of work that woman is.

In the meantime, we will do our best to get ready so we can help Captain Clarence and Sharon aboard Lotus to a victory. Rounding out the crew will be three-time BBR Lotus crew Laura and a newcomer to Team Lotus, Rhinehart, Laura's amigo.

By next week we will be tan, fit and rested, just like Richard Nixon was in his election campaign.



Oops, another bad example...

But we will be ready anyway.

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Road-widening project underway near new Costalegre airport

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - Admiral Fox and I rolled out of Arroyo Seco Monday, headed to Puerto Vallarta for a short stay - and to participate in the Banderas Bay Regatta next week.

But before we left Sunday, we quizzed some of the Arroyo Seco folks who seem the most knowledgeable about the road, lagoon and marina projects people are talking about.

On the Arroyo Seco beach, where it abuts the El Tecuan property, there are orange survey stakes in place, possibly indicating the site of a road.

But it was the news about when this supposed project(s) would take place that was the most interesting.

According to one Arroyo Seco village leader, the government is going great guns to get the airport north of Chamela operational. That is supposed to be phase one, he said. Second, the work on the lagoon, possibly linking it to the waterways leading all the way to Tenacatita. Third, the marina project will be done.

That was all spinning through my mind when we came past the airstrip on our way north.

Out in the middle of the wilderness (but within a few kilometers of the new airstrip), earth moving equipment is turning Highway 200 into a four-lane highway.

No, I am not kidding.

The construction zone is several kilometers long and they are working fast. I didn't see any signs of a new mall going in, so I suppose it is to serve the new airport.

My question is, what would they name an airport out there? Costalegre International?

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