Off to Mexico again

It looks like we'll go to Mexico earlier than we were figuring. My recent PET scan shows tumor activity, and my oncologist recommends I start chemo again within three months at the outside. We had planned on a March trip to the Sea of Cortez but we have moved it back to ASAP. So of course we had another bummed out Thanksgiving. And it kinda puts a damper on Christmas. But heading to the beach perks me up! Basically, Valdesca is ready to go, except for some modifications I need to make to her new cushions (which I made this fall but goofed up).

Beyond the cushions, there's not much else to get ready. This is kind of push button now. Of course, I need to get our Mexican fishing licenses and Mexican vehicle insurance. And our Mexican entry cards. I have to shop for food and supplies. We'll stop in Tucson and get the outboard tuned up. No bottom paint this time. And no new paint on the deck boards. We gotta get.  Fortunately, we have our super-duper trailering cover. Check it out.

I probably already posted that, but I'm STILL proud of it!

Getting ready for Christmas, I wanted to send out some DVDs of our sailing videos, which made me get back to work on our summer 2011 Maine video. The video is embedded below and here is the youtube link.

I didn't take very many photos at Lake George this summer, meaning I am not going to have much to show from that trip. My sister Jean was the shutterbug so I gave myself a week off.

The idea this year for the Sea of Cortez is to trailer Valdesca to Bahia San Luis Gonzaga and sail from there. We would like to be near a place where access and egress is relatively easy in case we have to head back home in a hurry. There are islands off the coast that we can visit. We can sail both up and down coast depending on what the weather deals us.

Texas

I was reading an article in a geology journal today about rising sea level  and predicted impacts on the coast of Texas. I've been trying to get Tim to sail there with me in Valdesca but he's not interested in the Redneck Riviera. A propos of the article I was reading, I commented, "We'd better sail the coast of Texas before it gets inundated by rising sea level." Without a second's pause, he replied, "You can sail the coast of Texas at ANY sea level." Guess there's no hurry...

Lake George!

Our stay at Lake George has come and gone. Great weather, great winds, great sailing. Here are a few photos. More later.

St Louis!

After 14 hours of driving, we've arrived in St Louis, staying at my sister Anne's house. Weather here is about 100 degrees and 97 percent humidity, quite a change from NM. Mosquito factor about the same.

Panhandle

It's 8:30 Oklahoma time and we're at Denny's. It's a food desert out here. I asked the host what kind of coffee options they had. And he told me, "Coffee. And diet coffee." So here we are.

We drove until 11:30 last night. Made about 350 miles and pulled off I-40 between "Claude" and "Goodnight." Slept by the side of a side road, next to an old shack and some grain hoppers. Crickets chirping. Swallows swooping. Woke up at first light to wind. Oh boy. It's going to be windy again today.

We'll drive as far today as we can, maybe 10 or 12 hours. Should get to St Louis at least.

Last night we pulled off the road at San Jon (curious name) to get gas and eat dinner, which we had brought with us. We sat there in the fading light, watching the LED sign at the San Jon Community Center advertise again and again the 4th of July softball tourney and fireworks. We had the best dinner in San Jon, I am certain: organic butterfly pork chops in a lime and cilantro marinade with zucchini, yams, and russet potatoes, Little Gems lettuce from our garden, fizzy water, and green tea mints. I went into the quick mart after dinner and saw a kid swabbing the decks. He wouldn't make eye contact. There was a low shelf full of big stuffed animals. The lions' paws and tails were laying on the floor. I watched the kid swab the mop right over them. Tim mocked, "I hate this town! I'm gonna get outta here as soon as I can. I'm goin' over to that other town where they at least have bars!"

Baby giiiiiiiiirl!

Tim says, "That'll be a sight for sore eyes in the rear view mirror!"

We're off, in a cloud of fire smoke

Today's the day. We're leaving hot, dry, smokey New Mexico for the East Coast. The Las Conchas fire zapped our ganas a little and slowed up our departure. We have had evacuees from Los Alamos staying here with us. For Tim and I, this is deja vu, having evacuated from Los Alamos ourselves during the Cerro Grande fire in 2000. Despite it all, however, Tim replaced the trailer lights yesterday, we tried on the new boat cover, and now we can load and flee.

We are heading to Lake George New York for a week of sailing and having fun with family. We are all renting a big place at Huletts Landing for my father's 90th birthday. After that, we are taking Valdesca to the coast of Maine for three more weeks of sailing. We are really looking forward to seeing old friends and sailing to places I remember from my 'yut.'

We'll keep you posted on our doings. Those of you on our SPOT tracker list will receive daily SPOTS so you will know right where we are.