Dennis and Rainy's Pizza party was fun and delicious. We are glad we went and put off going to Ensenada for another day.
Dave was having a hard time deciding which way to go to Ensenada as Mex 1 is being repaired and we had heard it took 10 hours to get from here to Ensenada. Mex 1 has been a terrible road to travel due to all the potholes. Also it is a slow go through all the little towns. He had talked to others who had gone Mex 5 toward San Felipe and then cut across to Ensenada. They say it is a pretty drive but it is twisty turny. Well he finally decided we would go Mex 1 and see how it is. We left the house around 6:30am and arrived in Ensenada around 2-2:30pm. So that wasn't bad. We had a couple detours but nothing too drastic. The paving has a long way to go and Dave managed to by pass most of the potholes. Our first stop was at the bank and then Walmart. Then we went to the hotel to check in. It was a little chilly in Ensenada but we were prepared for it. We had our usual dinner at Mc D's and then returned to the room and watched TV until bedtime. There was only one channel that was English speaking. Ha!!
The next morning we were up early and off to Home Depot to see if we could get paint for the deck at the house and also a sealant for cement as we just had the bottom layer of the house, and electrical room re-cemented. Water had seeped up from the ground into the cement and it was cracking and the paint was peeling off. Well needless to say Home Depot didn't have what we were looking for and couldn't match the color of the house, but I was able to get the colors I wanted for the bathroom so it was a success. Then it was back to Walmart to look for the color we painted the house. Another success. We got a gallon of the paint and we will be painting the plywood (when we get that) before putting it on the deck. Then it was off to Costco to get the needed items we can't buy in bulk in Bahia. We had a Costco hot dog for lunch and then we were headed south to spend the night at Jardine's motel in San Quintin. Because of day light savings we wouldn't have made it home before dark and we don't drive after dark in Mexico. So we really like this place and haven't stayed there in a long time so off we went. We met neighbors from Rincon there as they were also heading back to Bahia. We had a relaxing night and it was so good to walk around the gardens, listen to the birds chirping and see all the lovely plants they have decorated the grounds with. It is a tropical paradise.
Well we are heading home with all of our treasures. We arrived home in the early afternoon and started unloading the truck. We didn't have a lot of stuff so it didn't take long. We did manage to buy a turkey for Christmas dinner and not have it be very expensive.
We are home and got everything unloaded and put away. Tomorrow, Sunday we are supposed to go over to Vittorio and Bianca's, in Rincon but when we called them on the radio to see when it would be convenient for us to come they told us people were coming in and out buying the items they had for sale so they told us it would be better to come tomorrow, Monday. So with that it freed up our Sunday and we just relaxed.
Monday is here and we went to Vittorio and Bianca's and had a cup of espresso coffee with them and visited a bit. It had rained heavy here while we were in Ensenada so the desert flats were muddy. Going to their place was a little slippery and did have some big mud puddles but we got there just fine. They had a Mexican family come while we were there to buy some dishes and such. Then it was time to leave so Vittorio and Dave loaded what we bought in the back of the truck and hooked up the boat. We wrote out the check and they will cash it when they return to the states. They aren't coming back to Bahia so we said goodbye and we told them we would see them in May when we head north to Seattle. On the way back across the flats we took a higher road which took us out of the way just a little but it wasn't damp or muddy. We got the boat home safe and sound. We spent most of the afternoon messing with the boat. Dave was checking out all the systems and finding out what was what. I helped direct him when he was parking the boat under our covering in front of the house. Now Dave will be itching to go fishing but the tides are too low in the morning and the wind comes up in the afternoon which makes it kind of rough. In a small boat it makes a big difference with waves. So he will just watch and see when he can launch the boat.
Sunday the 11th came and Dave and our gate guard, Tito, took the boat out and went fishing. Dave had invited Tito to go fishing with him so I just road down to the ramp in the truck, but stopped to tell Tito to get ready. When Tito saw me his face kind of dropped and he asked if Dave and I were going and Dave told him no. I was just going to help. So Tito was a happy camper and got his polls and a bucket with his fishing box. It was a little difficult launching the boat, but the more we do it the easier it will get. The boat sits high on the trailer and we think the trailer isn't the one that is meant for this boat. You have to get the boat almost fully in the water before releasing it from the trailer. We are going to look into getting the right trailer so it sits down more and is easier to launch.
The guys went out and I went back to the house to do some things and kept by the radio in case Dave called, telling me he was heading back. I did call him and report that the tide was low at 10:00am so he would be able to gauge the water level at the ramp. He stayed out a little longer than he should have and almost didn't have enough water to get the boat back on the ramp and trailer. But it worked and the guys caught some fish which made the trip worthwhile. Tito caught a small grouper, a couple of trigger fish and another kind. Dave caught a bigger grouper. So when we got the boat home we rinsed it out and off, flushed the motor and put it back in its spot. It took about an hour to get it cleaned. Then Dave filleted the fish and bagged it. I took the carcass from the fish and the bloody salt water in the bucket to the beach and dumped the contents into the water. The seagulls were having a heyday after that. Dave washed off the table we used to fillet the fish and rinsed out the bucket and we were done. So in a couple days we will have fresh fish. The next day I washed off the fish and then vacuum sealed it.
Most of the American people that were here have gone back to the states so it is pretty quiet. Dave painted the sealer on the bottom of the house and electrical room and when all that dries he will paint it the color of the house which is a tan like color. So one project has been done that we have been waiting to do for some time now. Next is the deck. We are still waiting for some good plywood to be delivered to our 'home depot'.
Well remember I mentioned we must have a leak in the hot water pipe to the house???? Well after Dave did all the detective work checking things out and trying this and that, we discovered the leak has to be in the copper pipe which is under the foundation of the house. Yep!!!! Where we can't dig it up. Tito and Dave dug up from one of the pipes outside to the edge of the cement patio in front of the house which continues on under the house, so they couldn't go any further. Dave had to cap off the hot water line to the house but leave the hot water pipe going from where the water heater is in a shed to the trailer and bathroom connected. So we can take hot showers in the bathroom by the trailer, just not in the house.
We will eventually remedy that but for now we will have to wait. So one thought was the water heater was leaking but we found that to be false. So now the only time the water pump cycles is when water is being run. Yahoo!!! It might be a little inconvenient now for showers, but in the long run we will have a hot water heater in the garage instead of outside in a shed and the pipes will be redone to the house. We still are thinking about building a one level house in front of the existing one. We just don't know when that will happen. While Dave and Tito were digging the trench to get to the copper pipe, I went out to the driveway and started digging up rocks that had uncovered, leaving them exposed to drive over. I took out quite a few and now driving on it it is much better.
The weather has been wonderful with calm seas. Dave is waiting for the tide to turn so it will be high tide in the morning so he can launch the boat. I want to go out with him next time. Dave said the water was clear when he and Tito went out. The whale sharks are gone. There were a couple hanging out but by the end of last week they had packed their bags and moved on to warmer waters. It was cold here for a while and so we thought winter was here. But to our amazement, it has turned warm again. I was all ready for it to get really cold at night so I put flannel sheets on the bed. Well it was alright for a while but we have been throwing the covers off because it is too warm. So today, the 16th, I stripped the bed and put regular sheets on. Monday I will take the sheets and larger towels and heavier clothes into town and have Yolanda wash them. Then when it really gets cold-----matter of speaking for us living in a warmer climate, I can put the flannel sheets back on. Usually January is the coldest where we don hats and gloves and heavier coats. We shall see what happens this year as the weather has definitely been different.
It stayed nice enough for Dave to paint the bottom part of the house and electrical room to seal the cement and protect it. So that job is done. We are still trying to get plywood but no one has it and it is expensive right now. We may have to wait until next year to do that project.
I went into town to pick up my laundry from Yolanda. She wasn't quite ready yet as the clothes were still drying. So in the meantime, her daughter filled a small propane take for me and I waited around for a little while until she was done folding the clothes. I paid her and headed home.
The weather turned cloudy and we had rain, so much as to warrant pulling the truck out of the garage to have the mud rinsed off from our trip across the flats. The mud is hard to get off and takes some scrubbing or water pressure. Dave did go out in the rain and use the hose to help the mud drop off around the wheel base, mud flaps and lower part of the truck. Then it was up to mother nature to do the rest. It rained all day. I at least got the back windows of the house washed off. Those are the ones I can't reach. The ground got saturated and there were some soft spots in our yard. The arroyo on the north side of our house got so wet that you couldn't walk on it as you would slip and slide. It will take a few days for it to dry out.
We have been getting clouds almost everyday. That is unusual for December. We have had to use our generator more times recently than we ever did at this time last year, to keep our batteries charged. Oh well. We know it isn't going to last long.
Our grandson, E.J., who is stationed at McGuire’s AFB in New Jersey said no snow yet but it is really getting cold. He wants snow so bad but by the time his tour of duty is up he will not be so happy to see it. He gets to come home for Christmas. Everyone knows he is coming except his brothers, Eian, Brody and Conor. That should be a great surprise. He is supposed to arrive in Seattle on the 21st. I wish we could see him, but it is good for him to have this time with his family and brothers. He can't wait to see Conor now that he is walking and talking. It should be a fun and happy Christmas for all.
We got word from Brooke today that E.J. is flying in late into SeaTac on the 23rd. Brooke's Uncle will pick him up at the airport and take E.J. to the family cabin. Then E.J. would arrive at the house the next day. It has been raining and snowing and really cold in Seattle and surrounding areas. So the cold won't bother E.J. too much.
Merry Christmas everyone. We called and talked to Ernie, Brooke, Eian, E.J. and Conor. Well we just talked to Conor and he was babbling in the background. It was good to hear everyone's voice. Then we called Jonathan but all I could do was leave a message. Then we called my stepson Michael and talked to him. David wasn't with him. So we were happy to talk to all we could in the family. We had a good and quiet Christmas. The turkey is in the oven and we are having a dinner guest tonight. I had asked around to our friends before Christmas to see if they had a place to go for dinner on Christmas and they all said yes. So that was good. I asked our neighbor who lives alone and she said she had an invite. So everyone was taken care of. Our neighbors George and Mary invited those of us who are in the neighborhood, Joanne, who lives alone, and us for eggnog on Christmas Eve. As we were leaving Joanne was in front of us going down the stairs and I asked her if she still had the invite to her friends. She said no. They decided to go to San Ignacio Christmas Day. They asked if she wanted to go but she said no. She said she would just stay home and watch movies. Well I couldn't have her do that so I asked her to join us for dinner. She excepted and now she won't be alone all day. So it worked out perfectly. I made a cheesecake for desert and most of the fixings that go with Turkey. Joanne came over about 3:30pm and we had a lovely dinner. After desert she went home. Our Christmas was quiet but a nice one and shared which is good.
Christopher, the son of Ruth who died about 3 years ago of cancer, came down to his house to fix it up. His mom left him the house and he loves coming down to fish and also to put things right in the house. The wiring was all messed up, there was only an outside shower, no stove in the kitchen as Ruth always cooked on the BBQ grill. So now Christopher wants to get the house done so it is a house with a full kitchen, a shower in the bathroom and the wiring done right. His mom and dad were outdoors people and didn't fret much about things. They jury rigged most of the stuff in the house. Well it was all getting broken down as it had been like that for 25 some years. But it wasn't safe so Christopher, being a carpenter started work on it and replaced the roof and got rid of a lot of junk. It is good to see him enjoy fixing it up. He lives in San Diego and comes down here to the house when he can get time off work. He arrived the day after Christmas and he always calls us when he gets to the house to let us know he is there. He also emails us to let us know he is coming. We had him over for dinner after he was here a couple days. It was good to have him back. He is in his early 40's and still a bachelor. He loves fishing and sometimes he can go while he is here and sometimes not depending on weather and his house projects. The last couple of times he has come down he has brought us a pork loin roast. He refuses to let us pay him so to thank him we will have him over for dinner on New Years Day and serve it.
Friday the 30th Dave and I went to town in the old truck. He needed to see a friend that was having some problems with finding parts for his day sailor boat and wanted to stop at the lumber store in town. We stopped at Phil's and Dave took a look at what Phil was talking about and told him he wouldn't be able to get what he needed but to try Clint's lumber store. Phil had already been there and it was closed for the holidays. So that took care of us stopping there. Oh well. Dave needed to see if Clint had a part he was needing. Ramon at our little 'Home Depot' didn't carry it. Well we left Phil's and went into town to get some groceries and gas up the truck. It took more gas than I thought it would so I only filled it half full as I only brought a certain amount with me. The next time I come into town I will fill it up. We had driven the truck here and there close to the house but had no idea it was sucking so much gas. When it rained hard it washed out our road in our little community, so Dave and I took rocks and compression sand and filled it in to the best of our ability. Dave ran over the two spots that were filled with the truck to pack it. It did take a few trips from our yard, hauling the sand and rocks so there went the gas.
Merry Christmas!!!! The sun was shining and it was promising to be a gorgeous day. This year I decorated our sad looking Christmas tree but I felt the spirit of the season. I put a string of LED lights around the post outside our sliding glass door to add a bit of festivity to the home. Last month I bought a wooden hand made bird one of my friends makes and told Dave that was his Christmas gift to me. Then at the Arts and Craft Show I bought another one of her birds, a rooster for Dave. Rainy names all the critters she makes so my bird was named Milinda with a spanish accent, and Dave's was Rudolf 1. I couldn't hide it so I just brought it home and said Merry Christmas. He will have to make a stand for it as the wings twirl in the wind so it has to set off the ground. Eventually Dave got a stand made for it and he put it in the yard close to Milinda. So he flies but doesn't go anywhere.
New Year's Eve is here!!!! We were going to have snacks for dinner and stay home. We didn't want to go into town for dinner or stay in town for the fiesta. We just wanted a quiet evening. We usually go over to our neighbors yard, Tom and Lynn, and sit by the fire until Midnight. Not this year as they are busy with all kinds of appointments in San Diego. So we are on our own. Our neighbors, Joanne and Mary and George are gone so it is just us and the gate guard and his wife. To our surprise we were invited to their home for a bon fire and dinner. Wow! We really felt honored as most Mexican people don't invite Americans to their home. We showed up at 6:00 to ask what we can bring and they said nothing. Christopher was coming too. Brianda told us 7:00pm for dinner but Tito said we could come at any time. So we walked back home to get some cheese and crackers to add to the festivities and what we wanted to drink and a couple of outdoor chairs. We drove the truck to their house so we wouldn't be walking home in the dark. It was a beautiful evening and it wasn't cold. The stars were out and Tito had a wonderful fire going.
We spoke to Christopher before leaving the house and he said he would be at Tito's in an hour and a half. Well dinner was ready at 7:00pm at Tito's so we waited for a little bit and decided that Christopher would have to fend for himself when he arrived. Brianda made a Alfredo dish with chicken and peppers and corn. It was really good. Along with that she served mashed potatoes and macaroni. She put out soda and made hot chocolate Mexican style. She told me how she made it and it is very different from the way we make it. They put lots of milk in it and a round thing of chocolate (sweetened), sugar, cinnamon and milk. It was good but I wouldn't want to have it all the time. It was so nice to just sit and talk to them. Even though we don't speak each others language very well, we still understand each other and have laughs and fun. Christopher arrived and brought wood for the fire that he had on the beach in front of his house. He helped himself to some of the dinner but had already eaten at home. He brought fireworks to shoot later. So we all sat around the fire
and Dave and Christopher were talking about wiring and house projects and I noticed that Brianda and Tito were not understanding what was being said. I felt sorry for them as I know how that feels when I am in the company of Mexican people and don't know what is being talked about. So I told Dave and Christopher to stop talking shop. We went down to the boat ramp and Christopher lit off one of the fireworks. Pretty. Later on we did a couple more.
Then that was it. Tito had a job to go to in the community next to us and he was struggling to stay awake. He is an early riser. So about 10:00pm I told Dave we need to go home and let he and Brianda get some sleep. Christopher picked up on that and left shortly after we did. It was a wonderful New Year's Eve. When we got back to the house we stayed up and Dave had a some scotch and I had some Irish Whiskey. Then around 11:00pm we called it a night. We wished each other a happy New Year. This has been an interesting year and our hope is that the New Year will be good for everyone and bring us new adventures!!!! Another year to live our Dream!!!!!
The guys went out and I went back to the house to do some things and kept by the radio in case Dave called, telling me he was heading back. I did call him and report that the tide was low at 10:00am so he would be able to gauge the water level at the ramp. He stayed out a little longer than he should have and almost didn't have enough water to get the boat back on the ramp and trailer. But it worked and the guys caught some fish which made the trip worthwhile. Tito caught a small grouper, a couple of trigger fish and another kind. Dave caught a bigger grouper. So when we got the boat home we rinsed it out and off, flushed the motor and put it back in its spot. It took about an hour to get it cleaned. Then Dave filleted the fish and bagged it. I took the carcass from the fish and the bloody salt water in the bucket to the beach and dumped the contents into the water. The seagulls were having a heyday after that. Dave washed off the table we used to fillet the fish and rinsed out the bucket and we were done. So in a couple days we will have fresh fish. The next day I washed off the fish and then vacuum sealed it.
Most of the American people that were here have gone back to the states so it is pretty quiet. Dave painted the sealer on the bottom of the house and electrical room and when all that dries he will paint it the color of the house which is a tan like color. So one project has been done that we have been waiting to do for some time now. Next is the deck. We are still waiting for some good plywood to be delivered to our 'home depot'.
Well remember I mentioned we must have a leak in the hot water pipe to the house???? Well after Dave did all the detective work checking things out and trying this and that, we discovered the leak has to be in the copper pipe which is under the foundation of the house. Yep!!!! Where we can't dig it up. Tito and Dave dug up from one of the pipes outside to the edge of the cement patio in front of the house which continues on under the house, so they couldn't go any further. Dave had to cap off the hot water line to the house but leave the hot water pipe going from where the water heater is in a shed to the trailer and bathroom connected. So we can take hot showers in the bathroom by the trailer, just not in the house.
We will eventually remedy that but for now we will have to wait. So one thought was the water heater was leaking but we found that to be false. So now the only time the water pump cycles is when water is being run. Yahoo!!! It might be a little inconvenient now for showers, but in the long run we will have a hot water heater in the garage instead of outside in a shed and the pipes will be redone to the house. We still are thinking about building a one level house in front of the existing one. We just don't know when that will happen. While Dave and Tito were digging the trench to get to the copper pipe, I went out to the driveway and started digging up rocks that had uncovered, leaving them exposed to drive over. I took out quite a few and now driving on it it is much better.
The weather has been wonderful with calm seas. Dave is waiting for the tide to turn so it will be high tide in the morning so he can launch the boat. I want to go out with him next time. Dave said the water was clear when he and Tito went out. The whale sharks are gone. There were a couple hanging out but by the end of last week they had packed their bags and moved on to warmer waters. It was cold here for a while and so we thought winter was here. But to our amazement, it has turned warm again. I was all ready for it to get really cold at night so I put flannel sheets on the bed. Well it was alright for a while but we have been throwing the covers off because it is too warm. So today, the 16th, I stripped the bed and put regular sheets on. Monday I will take the sheets and larger towels and heavier clothes into town and have Yolanda wash them. Then when it really gets cold-----matter of speaking for us living in a warmer climate, I can put the flannel sheets back on. Usually January is the coldest where we don hats and gloves and heavier coats. We shall see what happens this year as the weather has definitely been different.
It stayed nice enough for Dave to paint the bottom part of the house and electrical room to seal the cement and protect it. So that job is done. We are still trying to get plywood but no one has it and it is expensive right now. We may have to wait until next year to do that project.
I went into town to pick up my laundry from Yolanda. She wasn't quite ready yet as the clothes were still drying. So in the meantime, her daughter filled a small propane take for me and I waited around for a little while until she was done folding the clothes. I paid her and headed home.
The weather turned cloudy and we had rain, so much as to warrant pulling the truck out of the garage to have the mud rinsed off from our trip across the flats. The mud is hard to get off and takes some scrubbing or water pressure. Dave did go out in the rain and use the hose to help the mud drop off around the wheel base, mud flaps and lower part of the truck. Then it was up to mother nature to do the rest. It rained all day. I at least got the back windows of the house washed off. Those are the ones I can't reach. The ground got saturated and there were some soft spots in our yard. The arroyo on the north side of our house got so wet that you couldn't walk on it as you would slip and slide. It will take a few days for it to dry out.
We have been getting clouds almost everyday. That is unusual for December. We have had to use our generator more times recently than we ever did at this time last year, to keep our batteries charged. Oh well. We know it isn't going to last long.
Our grandson, E.J., who is stationed at McGuire’s AFB in New Jersey said no snow yet but it is really getting cold. He wants snow so bad but by the time his tour of duty is up he will not be so happy to see it. He gets to come home for Christmas. Everyone knows he is coming except his brothers, Eian, Brody and Conor. That should be a great surprise. He is supposed to arrive in Seattle on the 21st. I wish we could see him, but it is good for him to have this time with his family and brothers. He can't wait to see Conor now that he is walking and talking. It should be a fun and happy Christmas for all.
We got word from Brooke today that E.J. is flying in late into SeaTac on the 23rd. Brooke's Uncle will pick him up at the airport and take E.J. to the family cabin. Then E.J. would arrive at the house the next day. It has been raining and snowing and really cold in Seattle and surrounding areas. So the cold won't bother E.J. too much.
Merry Christmas everyone. We called and talked to Ernie, Brooke, Eian, E.J. and Conor. Well we just talked to Conor and he was babbling in the background. It was good to hear everyone's voice. Then we called Jonathan but all I could do was leave a message. Then we called my stepson Michael and talked to him. David wasn't with him. So we were happy to talk to all we could in the family. We had a good and quiet Christmas. The turkey is in the oven and we are having a dinner guest tonight. I had asked around to our friends before Christmas to see if they had a place to go for dinner on Christmas and they all said yes. So that was good. I asked our neighbor who lives alone and she said she had an invite. So everyone was taken care of. Our neighbors George and Mary invited those of us who are in the neighborhood, Joanne, who lives alone, and us for eggnog on Christmas Eve. As we were leaving Joanne was in front of us going down the stairs and I asked her if she still had the invite to her friends. She said no. They decided to go to San Ignacio Christmas Day. They asked if she wanted to go but she said no. She said she would just stay home and watch movies. Well I couldn't have her do that so I asked her to join us for dinner. She excepted and now she won't be alone all day. So it worked out perfectly. I made a cheesecake for desert and most of the fixings that go with Turkey. Joanne came over about 3:30pm and we had a lovely dinner. After desert she went home. Our Christmas was quiet but a nice one and shared which is good.
Christopher, the son of Ruth who died about 3 years ago of cancer, came down to his house to fix it up. His mom left him the house and he loves coming down to fish and also to put things right in the house. The wiring was all messed up, there was only an outside shower, no stove in the kitchen as Ruth always cooked on the BBQ grill. So now Christopher wants to get the house done so it is a house with a full kitchen, a shower in the bathroom and the wiring done right. His mom and dad were outdoors people and didn't fret much about things. They jury rigged most of the stuff in the house. Well it was all getting broken down as it had been like that for 25 some years. But it wasn't safe so Christopher, being a carpenter started work on it and replaced the roof and got rid of a lot of junk. It is good to see him enjoy fixing it up. He lives in San Diego and comes down here to the house when he can get time off work. He arrived the day after Christmas and he always calls us when he gets to the house to let us know he is there. He also emails us to let us know he is coming. We had him over for dinner after he was here a couple days. It was good to have him back. He is in his early 40's and still a bachelor. He loves fishing and sometimes he can go while he is here and sometimes not depending on weather and his house projects. The last couple of times he has come down he has brought us a pork loin roast. He refuses to let us pay him so to thank him we will have him over for dinner on New Years Day and serve it.
Friday the 30th Dave and I went to town in the old truck. He needed to see a friend that was having some problems with finding parts for his day sailor boat and wanted to stop at the lumber store in town. We stopped at Phil's and Dave took a look at what Phil was talking about and told him he wouldn't be able to get what he needed but to try Clint's lumber store. Phil had already been there and it was closed for the holidays. So that took care of us stopping there. Oh well. Dave needed to see if Clint had a part he was needing. Ramon at our little 'Home Depot' didn't carry it. Well we left Phil's and went into town to get some groceries and gas up the truck. It took more gas than I thought it would so I only filled it half full as I only brought a certain amount with me. The next time I come into town I will fill it up. We had driven the truck here and there close to the house but had no idea it was sucking so much gas. When it rained hard it washed out our road in our little community, so Dave and I took rocks and compression sand and filled it in to the best of our ability. Dave ran over the two spots that were filled with the truck to pack it. It did take a few trips from our yard, hauling the sand and rocks so there went the gas.
Merry Christmas!!!! The sun was shining and it was promising to be a gorgeous day. This year I decorated our sad looking Christmas tree but I felt the spirit of the season. I put a string of LED lights around the post outside our sliding glass door to add a bit of festivity to the home. Last month I bought a wooden hand made bird one of my friends makes and told Dave that was his Christmas gift to me. Then at the Arts and Craft Show I bought another one of her birds, a rooster for Dave. Rainy names all the critters she makes so my bird was named Milinda with a spanish accent, and Dave's was Rudolf 1. I couldn't hide it so I just brought it home and said Merry Christmas. He will have to make a stand for it as the wings twirl in the wind so it has to set off the ground. Eventually Dave got a stand made for it and he put it in the yard close to Milinda. So he flies but doesn't go anywhere.
New Year's Eve is here!!!! We were going to have snacks for dinner and stay home. We didn't want to go into town for dinner or stay in town for the fiesta. We just wanted a quiet evening. We usually go over to our neighbors yard, Tom and Lynn, and sit by the fire until Midnight. Not this year as they are busy with all kinds of appointments in San Diego. So we are on our own. Our neighbors, Joanne and Mary and George are gone so it is just us and the gate guard and his wife. To our surprise we were invited to their home for a bon fire and dinner. Wow! We really felt honored as most Mexican people don't invite Americans to their home. We showed up at 6:00 to ask what we can bring and they said nothing. Christopher was coming too. Brianda told us 7:00pm for dinner but Tito said we could come at any time. So we walked back home to get some cheese and crackers to add to the festivities and what we wanted to drink and a couple of outdoor chairs. We drove the truck to their house so we wouldn't be walking home in the dark. It was a beautiful evening and it wasn't cold. The stars were out and Tito had a wonderful fire going.
We spoke to Christopher before leaving the house and he said he would be at Tito's in an hour and a half. Well dinner was ready at 7:00pm at Tito's so we waited for a little bit and decided that Christopher would have to fend for himself when he arrived. Brianda made a Alfredo dish with chicken and peppers and corn. It was really good. Along with that she served mashed potatoes and macaroni. She put out soda and made hot chocolate Mexican style. She told me how she made it and it is very different from the way we make it. They put lots of milk in it and a round thing of chocolate (sweetened), sugar, cinnamon and milk. It was good but I wouldn't want to have it all the time. It was so nice to just sit and talk to them. Even though we don't speak each others language very well, we still understand each other and have laughs and fun. Christopher arrived and brought wood for the fire that he had on the beach in front of his house. He helped himself to some of the dinner but had already eaten at home. He brought fireworks to shoot later. So we all sat around the fire
and Dave and Christopher were talking about wiring and house projects and I noticed that Brianda and Tito were not understanding what was being said. I felt sorry for them as I know how that feels when I am in the company of Mexican people and don't know what is being talked about. So I told Dave and Christopher to stop talking shop. We went down to the boat ramp and Christopher lit off one of the fireworks. Pretty. Later on we did a couple more.
Then that was it. Tito had a job to go to in the community next to us and he was struggling to stay awake. He is an early riser. So about 10:00pm I told Dave we need to go home and let he and Brianda get some sleep. Christopher picked up on that and left shortly after we did. It was a wonderful New Year's Eve. When we got back to the house we stayed up and Dave had a some scotch and I had some Irish Whiskey. Then around 11:00pm we called it a night. We wished each other a happy New Year. This has been an interesting year and our hope is that the New Year will be good for everyone and bring us new adventures!!!! Another year to live our Dream!!!!!
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