Odds and Ends

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Have settled into our lazy lives here sans problemas. Every day is a miracle: that we get to wake up here. This is a picture of the entrance road to Dos Palmas, our neighborhood "On The Hill", with the turquoise Sea of Cortez at the bottom. First picture is The Arch, with it's two palms:

Our gated community. Turned out that gate/arch was too small for the RV's that go there. They had to make another entrance next to it. Kinda funny.

Our too-hot weather is over. It's absolutely perfect now: 80 max at 4 PM, and a good breeze. Those horrid  Jejenes (gnats, NoSeeUms) are gone. The bees are back, though, but so are the finches. They mob the birdbath every morning after I fill it, and within 1/2 hour, I have to refill it. Poor things, the only fresh water anywhere is when people water plants. Nobody has birdbaths.

Wednesday we spent a few hours on the beach doing my favorite thing: I walk along and pick through the trash washed up after the hurricanes, looking for treasure, while Ron follows me in the truck. He stops periodically to load firewood, and then catches up to me. I found another coyote skull, lots of cool shells (for wind chimes) and a tattered turquoise gill net. Don't know the final dispensation for that yet: maybe decor on the wall of the garage?

The pelicans were out in force, an apparent feeding frenzy of baitfish.

Yesterday I unpacked my year-old-but-brand-new sewing machine. I found a length of batiked fabric in a Segunda (thrift shop) that has coyotes, cacti, cowboy boots etc. all in my casita colors. I needed a moveable curtain: for the east window mornings and the west window evenings. It turned out great. It's on a tension rod for easy transfer. The views are too amazing to have curtains, but the sun through the windows makes computer/TV glares a pain. I'll bet that fabric was originally $50/yard. I paid about 40 cents. I just LOVE when that happens! Also found a Dunlop sheepskin golf club head cover that I used to make new insoles for my sheepskin slippers. Perfect!

 Glare

 No glare!

Also could not pass up the humongous DELICIOUS cantaloupe. Guy in a battered pickup at the gas station sold me this PLUS a medium watermelon for $2.

Had lunch at my favorite place: San Isidro's, great homemade (of course) food and clean bathrooms with TP and soap, a rarity. Wednesdays they make Albondigas soup (meatball). Sorry, left the camera in the truck.

And I already posted this on Facebook: Ron's rattler. He was walking over to the RV in the dark to come to bed, with the cat on his leash. Rocky suddenly balked, refused to continue. Then Ron heard the rattle. There was a coiled rattler on the RV pad, right in the pathway to the door. He might have walked right into it if not for Rocky. Ron dispatched it with his new Hula Hoe.

Today we had lunch in the village with Jose and Delfie, and Ron's playing poker here at 6 PM with the other 4 men that are in the park. I don't play because I'm too good. Not fair to them. I might work on my tan instead. Wild life we lead, yes, but we knew that going in. This is Jose and Delfie, the early years, followed by Delfie and I a few years ago, and Jose today at the restaurant. Check out that Fro, man! And the miniskirt and THE CAR!!!

I love the little birds at the restaurant today that clean up what we drop. These preferred our rice, but tortilla chips were OK, too. Here's Ron trying to get one to take a rice-topped tortilla chip from his fingers. The bird wasn't having it. But check out this incredible view! I had bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cream cheese. OMG! And 3, count'em, THREE gin and tonics.

Another perfect day in Paradise.