Weekend Trip Home to Kino Bay

I suddenly got 5 days off in a row, and have been SO homesick for my casita and beach that I decided to run down there. I've been gone 8 months. I arranged for Mary-The-Cat-Lady to come tend to Rocky, who doesn't travel well any more. He pukes the whole way. The drive wasn't as bad as I thought, only 10.5 hours. It's exactly 500 miles from my house to the Dos Palmas gate. That little Nissan definitely wasn't built for comfort, but it sure corners nicely on those mountain curves. Sounds a bit like a sewing machine coming UPhill, though.

No issues at the border going down, they didn't even stop me. There've been reports online that there's a new immigration policy in effect, but I saw nothing new. Huge police presence all the way down, all the Pemex gas stations and Oxxo stores had swarms of them.

I drove through New Kino on Mar de Cortez, as I'd heard there was a new Oxxo going up in La Palapa's parking lot. It's true. The rumor is they'll close the other new one next to the Pemex that they finished last year.

(You can click on the photos to enlarge them, they're pretty good-sized.)

And just seeing the swath of the bay coming down Mar de Cortez is an AH moment! Lots of new potholes on Mar de Cortez, it was a bit like a video game with all the swerving.

It felt good to be home. I timed it right, the hot weather had abated, MOST of the No-See-Ums were gone, and it was quiet and very peaceful. There have been some changes since I left. THAT ROAD is nearly finished. It used to be 10 miles of rubble, soft sand, shredded tires, boulders, and took 2 hours when towing. Smooth as silk, 10 minutes, towing or not. 

This is the end of the finished part, nearly to El Cactus Trailer Park.

That first hill

Most of it is even striped, with glowing center and side markers that make it look like a landing strip at night.

At home, Ron's been busy building a screen porch and cultivating fauna. Here's the work-in-progress, and then some yard shots. Mind you, they've had LOTS of precipitation this summer, everything's a jungle. He spent many days grubbing out the volunteers with his trusty Hula Hoe.

New steps and walk

Before pic

Screen porch

Yes, the palapa roof needs some work. Our neighbor Jack's friend Marisela is our plant guru. She brings the seeds, plants them, advises, and checks back. Here's the "Ivy" Ron wanted to grow up the south side of the porch, to block that strong afternoon sun. It has purple flowers. Currently, it's attached to chicken wire, which will in turn be attached to the outside of the porch structure.

Various plantings around the property.

White acacia, Ron grew it from seed!

Bouganvillea, not growing much

Umpalumpa Tree, thriving!

Grapefruit Tree, not exactly thriving

Dead lime tree. Oh, well...

Center cactus garden.

Cultivated Datura-like bushes, huge blue and white trumpet flowers.

My Desert Rose!

We went on a tour of Old Kino, and saw they completed the little pier. It's terrific!

We ate at Jorge's (no clams yet), went to Happy Hour at Club Deportivo, went ATVing, went fishing pre-dawn at the Christmas Tree, and of course, I beachcombed. The shrimp boats are everywhere, and the shrimp are great. There's 22 pounds of them in the freezer there, and no, you can't have ANY!

It was a wrench to have to come back to Show Low. I left Monday morning at 5. No fears driving THAT ROAD in the dark any more! Saw some strange sights on the way: a truck with no headlights, both the driver and his passenger holding flashlights out their windows as they drove. A starving dog tearing a chunk out of a dead dog. I hit the border at 10, and had my car searched after he asked if I had any shells or animal parts. I admitted to a few shells and a coyote skull... They needed to make sure it wasn't something protected (like whale or dolphin bones), but it only took 10 minutes. I got home at 3:30, and the cat was actually excited to see me. Can you tell?

So this winter when we have 2 feet of snow on the ground, and it's dark most of the time, and I'm missing my beach and casita, I will transport myself to my rooftop chaise in my mind, and try to imagine that soft salt air on my face. I do get to go back in December for 2 weeks. Can't wait!

ADDENDUM!

An anonymous comment asked for photos of the Show Low area. I don't have very many, and they've all been posted in my blogs before, but here's a few. Show Low is located at 6400 feet in the largest stand of Ponderosa Pine forest anywhere. Not hot in the summer, DOES get some snow in the winter, but not cold like Minnesota. Winter population: not many. Summers it's full of all those folks from the hotter parts of Arizona. I only used the swamp cooler in the mobile home for about one week this summer. Fishing and hunting paradise. Very few bugs. And it's next to the Apache Reservation.

Hawley Lake, on the Rez.

My mobile home, last winter, photo courtesy of the previous owners Ed and Liz.

My mobile home, without snow.

ONE LAST UPDATE

This is what I've been doing lately: slipped and fell at work, re-wrecked my already worthless knee. Yes, that's a walker next to me.

Alone again, but OK!

I've had a really great summer all in all. My friend Delfie was parked in her motor home 50 feet away from me, and we spent the summer (after I got off work) eating, drinking, dissecting life, and laughing until the tears ran. I gained some weight back, because she cooked for me. She's truly family to me, and I love her dearly. But they left yesterday, time to go south. They'll be in Kino all winter, but plan on coming back here in the spring. I'll have her on Skype.

Me, Delfie, Jose, and Teriyaki Elk Chops!

Ron comes up to visit sometimes, had to buy screening for the casita porch. Here he is at the grill. Yes, it's mounted on the outside of the deck.

It was intended he take Rocky home to Kino for the winter. He had all his stuff packed, bought a winter's worth of those expensive tiny cans of Fancy Feast. Then the night before he left, Rocky suddenly crawled in my lap and was actually SNUGGLING against my neck and licking me. Normally that cat doesn't like me, but it was like he KNEW I'd be too lonely. I changed my mind. He's here for now.

After Delfie left yesterday, I tried to keep busy to lessen my sadness. I had bought a couple of coleus plants for the deck, and over the summer they got humungous. I want to try to keep them alive this winter, but had to move furniture to accommodate them inside. Ron brought our big trunk home from Minnesota this summer when he cleaned out our storage unit there, and it serves perfectly for those plants.

So here's the way it all looks now. Sorta crowded...

My oil lamps, now with crystal petticoats!

And I still have Buddha, sporting a tiara and binoculars...

During and after I finished moving furniture, I also did 3 loads of laundry, made another batch of Bailey's, made Elk Chili, watched a bunch of stuff saved on the TiVo, and had a bubble bath. I'm off today also, and plan to go to the Segundas. Maybe haul out the holiday decorations and see what's needed.

And let my cat know how much he's appreciated.