Where has the month gone? Back to Baja
Mrs. and Mr. Wood duck watch us from their tree
What happened to November? Leaving Tucson we spent a night along the highway in Yuma at the Rivers Edge RV resort then the jump to San Diego. Now we are halfway through December and the time has flown. Our week in San Diego stretched a bit more as we scrambled to get a few things done. So much driving, the day is spent on the freeways and us “country mice” find that exhausting. We spent the first few days at a lakeshore spot in Santee Lakes, gorgeous area under a very low oak, nearly took out the front AC unit but got stopped in time, climbed up the ladder and verified that yes, we had to move over an additional 5 feet, good thing spot #44 was very wide:) We could watch the ducks and geese through the back window, the hummingbirds found our feeder and the cats sat open-mouthed, I think Mike told them something about duck a l’orange;) The oak tree was dropping its acorns and the patter on the roof kept the cats wondering what was up there. A flock of Mallards flew up there to eat them:) The trailer was in need of a serious cleaning after that spot, duck poops galore and no rain in sight:)
We were tired, all that travelling was beginning to catch up with us and we just wanted to rest. The lake shore spots are quite popular and as the weekend approached we had to move, the spot we were in was pre-booked for the weekend, the Santee Shuffle they call it, every Friday…we found the last spot available further towards the back of the park #119. A sketchy camper with some pit bulls and what looked like a meth head made it a bit uncomfortable but they left the next day. We usually found more of that up at Lake Jennings County Park but we are in the city. Such is life. It takes all kinds, just hate barking dogs. The campgrounds do have rules but not everyone feels they have to follow them, dogs tied outside that lunge at you as you walk by and barking all day in the trailers and A-classes can be common enough. The weekends bring in the kids and motorized toys, they aren’t a friendly lot I have to admit. If you meet their eye they either look away, or pretend you don’t exist, that is really weird;) The weekend campers are not very amicable here. Cities…necesary evils for us:) At least there are ducks!
I’d hoped to get my sticky 100-400 lens in for repair but Kurt’s Camera was backed up from Thanksgiving so I opted to deal with it until we get back, I think I might go through a bad withdrawal without it;) I do enjoy this campground, its six lakes attract an amazing variety of waterfowl from pelicans to ducks and birds of prey. It seems like a quiet spot to be in the city, but if you need to go to the coast it is a long haul there and back, but we always seem to end up here. We had a wonderful lunch with my cousin in Pacific Beach…Sushi Ota we love you, and my brother at a lovely Thai place down by his office. We made a trip out during the week to La Jolla shores to walk on the beach, the coastal fog was in and it was gloomy but a beautiful walk just the same, love to see the shore birds there and watching the surfers is always amusing….wipe out!!!;)
One afternoon another DRV rolled in, the very first one we had seen actually, back near Mount Shasta, it seems like eons ago, September 2015. Jim and his wife Patti were so nice to give us a tour back then and their words stuck with us, if you want to full-time, this is the 5th wheel to get! Couldn’t agree more, from that time on we started skimming the ads looking for something we could afford. We watched the full moon rise one night with them and Mike’s big binoculars. The weather had not been clear enough to get the telescope out, high clouds were lingering here.
My brother got down for a visit with my niece and we cleared up why the invertor was not happy with the Honda Generator and wasn’t even recognizing it as it has an open ground. I had made up a pigtail with the neutral and ground tied together to fix that, but it had not worked, as I’d wired it wrong, can’t tell I come from a family of electricians;) Problem solved! Our generator now can charge our batteries:) I think I’d best stick to plumbing:)
We made a few grocery runs for the odd and weird that are hard to find in Baja and Monday morning headed South to San Ysidro and Tijuana. It’s our go to border crossing area. We have to stick to the far right lane where the buses go and get scanned by their gigantic x-ray machine, we get out with the cats in their carrier and are behind a protective wall, then we get back in, pull forward and wait for a go, or no go from the Aduana (Customs) oddly enough this trip they did not even ask for our passports, just the vehicle and trailer registration, that is a first:)
We breathe a sigh of relief as we cross over into querido México:) We followed the Toll Road South and off to Ensenada, and finally Chapultepec where Estero Beach is located. When I’d called in November they’d informed me the RV park was closed, but when we arrived and were greeted by one of the friendly faces we know so well she said, no, we are open until the end of the year, Mike and I were doing the Snoopy-Charlie Brown Happ
y Dance!!!♪♫♪♪♫♪♫ Happy Happy Happy!!!! We were so excited to be back in our spot at the end! It’s hard to explain what a delightful place this is, no bad views, a beach for kittens to run on, great Margaritas and friendly wonderful staff! So here we are, all by ourselves, who could ask for a better Christmas present than to spend the month here!
We have a few repairs to do as well. We had the trailer cleaned and waxed, a yearly ritual here, it was in dire need, I still have some sap from the Ontario pines to scape off. We need to get some touch up paint for a nasty mesquite branch in Tucson and for a few other scrapes and small scratches. On the DRV forum a man suggested removing a door, the water door for us, that is the right colour and take it to an Auto repair/painting facility and have them match the paint, great idea! Our water pump is dying so a new one is ordered and we await that and paperwork, lots of paperwork to complete the ranch sale:)
Groot and Gamora are truly in heaven. Twice a day they get to go out, on the leash at first then down to the beach for a run along the tide line and to look for crabs under the rocks, a favorite game of Groot’s. Every morning they beg to go out, sheesh…spoiled kids are they! But when you see them running and leaping, jumping and frolicking it brings joy to your heart, even Beezil the 17-year-old has a small trot about:) We’ve had to watch the air quality, first few days were howling Santa Ana winds with smoke from fires North of Ensenada and the dirt being blown down the the roads to the East made for truly horrible air quality.
Hard to believe a week has passed, all Mike has wanted to do is eat:) Tacos, coctels de pulpo y camaron, more tacos, ceviche, tostados, fresh fish from El Garo, fresh bread from Hogaza Hogaza, free range chicken from El Roble…I’m just convincing him to start cooking again:) There will be many food photos to follow, he is eating too quickly for me to take shots;)
I’ve had a chance to wander the estuary a bit, between walking the cats and running about it is on my list for this week. I did get a chance to catch the Reddish Egret in his own happy dance, or the Monty Python Silly Walk as interpreted by the Reddish Egret;) A friend from the ranch days, Jere stopped by over the weekend as well for a visit and a lovely Sunday brunch at the hotel, she is an adventurous wonderful woman, famous for having driven her Prius to our ranch on the 6 km 4×4 only road…we stood in awe and admiration at her determination, and still do!
and the sunrises…..
and the sunsets!!!!!
Last night took my, and another couples breath away. Two camper trailers hauling utility trailers pulled in to this view last night…Mother Nature was throwing her best at us:)
So here we will be, rough life right? yeah…I know, currently it is snowing and will be -18° celcius at Otty Lake in Ontario. I think I may have to open another window, getting too warm in here;)
Love you my Canadian friends, you should come down and visit;) SOON!
But that will be another story…Stay tuned and saludos amigos!
Once again I was entertained with your stories, wonderful pictures too! I loved the cats playing on the beach, and the birds (I love birds). I take it you have sold your place, what are your plans now? Are we heading off on another adventure?
Wendy 🙂
The adventure continues Wendy! So glad you enjoy the blog! So much fun doing it and taking pictures! We are in Baja until January and then not sure, where the wind blows perhaps;)
^^ Yeah, what Wendy said! lol 🙂
🙂
Great photos and gleeful kitties
Thanks so much! Love to see the kitties gleeful!