Plantas Y Maderas - Garden Benches

Here we are...es mucho calor verdad!  Ya bastante...waiting for some rain.  The ants are marching profusely, looking for food. the plants have produced seeds and have dropped awaiting the arrival of rain....There comes a point when the humidity agrees with your system and I am actually cooled off  wearing jeans when I go riding or cleaning up the manure, watering and feeding the horses...that' sounds crazy but the sweat from my body actually cools me off. I always wondered when I first moved here how the Mexicans wore jeans or long sleeved shirts when working outside in the heat...hmmm, ..what a concept. There has been little to no breeze until yesterday evening...awe.  Thank you... phew. ..now today back to nil.  We have been sitting on the edge of lands end waiting for the arrival of rain, preferably life giving rains,...but at this point, I hate to say it...so I won't.  Any rain won't do...still holding out for the life giving rains.

The munchkins are back to school, so we are back to the daily coast rides, always a beautiful view.  They both have great teachers and we are so pleased with the community of La Playita/ La Playa.  It is obviously getting darker earlier and light comes later.  Fall for some folks up north must be near.  Down here we are waiting for our hurricane season.  You are celebrating labor day weekend and we are preparing for the big Aniversario de la Independencia on the 16th of September....200 years, should be a big fiesta.

Lastly I would like to share with you our yellow corn maiden we brought home from the Taos Pueblos made by a Hopi relative of one a beautiful woman in the Pueblos.  Her presence is a prayer for corns, she also honors Mother Earth and her continuing ability to feed her children.  She reminds us always to be thankful for the gifts we receive daily from Mother Earth.  On that note, bout time for a rain dance........anyone up for it?  May your lives all be blessed with good seeds, life giving rains and a bountiful crop.  May we always have respect in our hearts and give thanks.

This is my eighth summer living here year round in Zacatitos.....my first summer here we had a little storm,...they called it a hurricane..man I thought..... that's it?  Damn if the winds were't stronger at times on the top of glory after getting off the tram to ski the bowl... 
but believe me, I was set straight from the start, not only by the few locals that lived here year round but by mother nature when she sent hurricane Marty our way shortly thereafter...yep..that rocked my world.  Humbling to say the least and a gentle class 3....wow..I remember laying in bed in the middle of the night holding my husbands hand just waiting for the tin roof to fly off...it sounded like a freight train...but all and all, we survived just fine....

Here we are, having an amazingly cool summer for these parts...thus far..getting a little gift for enduring the heat of last summer, received a little more rain this past week, bringing out the termite hatch, yet it's still undoubtedly dry, in need of a rain dance once again.

Not only is it the anticipation of the weather ...but the random gifts you recieve daily...Above photos the entrance to our casita..with a recent facelift from Gene's favorite CNC tooling; a green lizard... Ellie named princes;, our big iguana living in a hole on top of a cardon, only comes out in the heat of the summer; a dragonfly flies by to greet me, a snake skin left by a rattle snake...hmmm, was that from the one we got last week..or yet another nearby and a chipmunk, now I would of never thought there would be chipmunks out here in the desert, yet these little guys are tough, survivors....those are just a few random moments of this day..oh yes a frog at the other ranch..now that,s a genuine treat.

 The cardon cactus are beautiful desert giants surrounding us on our ranch.  According to the link below...the tiny seed of the cardon cactus has the potential to grow as tall as 70 feet, weigh up to 25 tons, and live for 300 years....wow, right here in the palm of my hand contained as many as 800 tiny black seeds, a potential future giant.  ..what a concept ...this source states "In best of conditions, thousands of seeds must germinate to produce one cactus"  unbelievable...See above right photo where we have our native cardon nursery after 1 year of utilizing an occasional spray with our laundry water increasing the speed of their growth.  Here all this time I believed the seed was surrounding the fruit and just that one in the palm of my hand was it...just goes to show, learning all the time.  Always open for outside expertise.

From the words of Barbara Bash author of the Desert Giant  "Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk.  Long-nosed bats and fluttering doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers."  The saguaro is a different species than the cardon...but closely resemble one another.   I am also thinking it may be an elf owl that was our visitor, makes sense.  Never a dull moment around here, the Internet is an amazing tool.

 http://www.loscabosrestaurantguide.com/cardon_cactus.htm

One thing I still remember as if yesterday when I first came to the Baja pennensula October 2002..... Steve Crow asked me if I realized that these cactus as well as others have a wood structure inside..since his son Saul, who introduced me to this area and I were log builders he knew that I was intrigued.."really?"  Yes inside the plant is wood, when they die you will see it.  Yes...wow who would of thought and so it is..I was so green to this region...I also didn't know what an arroyo was.....classic

Here we have a potentially 300 year old cardon on our property, just this past year she has gone down...the end of her life cycle.   She was magnificent.  The end of her life cycle and the beginning of another...the circle of life goes on. 
Like the Tohono O'odham Indians we leave our fruit facing up towards the sky as an offering for rain...... 

 

In my youth I remember one of my grandfathers....Wallis Tractor Campbell, yep...that is what his parents named him, so I have been asked to confirm over the years...a true cowboy.  From the days of the 60's and then some at the Wagner Ranch just south of the Red River border between Oklahoma and Texas  100 head of horses and ten times as many cattle, he even journed into the Tetons, Jackson Wy country before I was born with his work.  He and my Grandmother lived just to the north in Oklahoma, on an old ranch house that generations before him lived, a soulful place for our family gatherings, the priceless memories of my childhood.  My grandmother Clarabell, was couragous and strong, living in a place somewhat like here...with pioneering spirit, a tough Woman and the heart of our family back in the day...it was there I continue to find many soulfulness memories of my youth with my cousins, aunts and uncles.  Wallis had a lot to say, but one thing he would bring up ...was.. the weather.  I just assumed that was what old folks do if they had nothing else to say when I was younger...must be aging myself, because I find the weather is a topic worth discussing...beyond numerous other potentials floating out there.  Always a good way to start out a conversation if you have nothing else to say "How's the weather"  it's amazing where that phrase can lead you.

This 4th of July weekend started with 97 in the shade to 77 within hours and winds unusual to say the least this time of year.  Waking to 60 degrees wearing jackets here in baja in July....nothing like most folks are accustomed to.  Just days ago the water was turning blue, then came the south winds and a Big southern swell turning the water a cool green.......Happy 4th to the USA....no fireworks here, just sending out to friends a family all our best and enjoy the celebrations.

"Nature is a volume of which God is the Author"  Moses Harvey


I am so very thankful the oil is not hitting our coastline as BP continues to fill the gulf of Mexico just off the US and now we have another recent similar problem elsewhere, imagine that...... and my heart goes out to the folks that are directly affected...yet it is all connected ...like the web of life..

"A moment's insight is sometimes worh a life's experience"  Holmes


http://www.whitehouse.gov/deepwater-bp-oil-spill/



At times like these it is easier for most to talk about the weather......

"The truth was knocking at the door, I said go away I am looking for the truth and it did"  Pirsig  author of Zen and the Art of Motor Cycle Maintenance.


After all ....Life is what we make of it

"See each morning a world made anew as if it were the morning of the very first day,...treasure and use it, as if it were the final hour of the very last day"
Fay H. Arnold

With a thin crescent moon, the stars are out in full force at night.  Here at the tip of Baja, we are living off the grid with no other lights filtering our view.  Here Mother Nature is raw, unharnessed and as beautiful as it gets...

Depending on which way the wind blows and/or the intensity of the swells, you can hear the pounding of the surf, or the lapping of the water onto the shores edge. Even though these days it's as dry as a bone, you can hear the singing of the crickets and always around our place a random rooster's crow....  They somehow can make a song anytime throughout the 24 hours, but guaranteed before daybreak they sing in unison almost a conversation of their own... 

Whether it's a crescent moon under an unbelievable starlit sky or a full moon, you might hear an occasional owl, gecko, slapping of a whales tale on the water's surface or coyote nearby, ...awe, no doubt a dog barking at the cows, burros or coyotes to protect their territory.  After a while these sounds become all too familiar and some more comforting and soothing than others..but no sound of the humming of traffic on a nearby highway, or loud music until dawn....silence surrounds us...the comforting sounds of mother nature in the tropical desert at her best.

Before day  break, the birds begin to chirp one by one awaking after hours of rest.... Doves, Cactus Wren, blue jays, cardinals, the list goes on, many I have yet to identify but the symphony is unsurpassed. 

....As I wrote these words, I was sitting on a bench with a cup of joe long before the sun reached over the horizon.  The thin crescent moon hanging above to my right, scattered clouds quickly changing colors as the natural lighting adjusts...this video above was taken the following morning..

Living here year round where most folks escape from the heat...this time of year begins to be one of my favorite times of all.   Everyday is just another day...regardless of how, who, where we are, when we awake, or what we choose to do with our hours....these things in nature remain steady, strong and on course.  ..with less folks around, the sounds of mother nature become so much more obvious, we are just a drop of water, a part of the whole...Simple Pleasures is where it's at.

"These Pics were taken at the Sand dune between Yuma and El Centro California, during and after the recent earthquake in Baja Ca.
1st one is of the sand dunes during earthquake" 
These shots were sent to my husband Gene, found on the internet by long time friend Johnny Warren  on the 8th of April, I received 12 April 2010. 
See http://rocknfish.com for just some of his incredible accomplishments.

So they say we will be an island some day...hmmm  According to these photos looks like we are on our way.  It is my understanding that the  Aztec calender predicts the end of the world as we know it is coming 2012....hmm, could be.  This year they say is the El Nino, hmm....everything is a little off kilter, imagine that.  Are we experiencing global warming?  Is the island of plastic in the Northern Pacific a direct result of the human race's actions as a whole on the planet?  As Pirsig quotes in so many words "The truth is knocking at the door, I said, go away I am looking for the truth...and so it did" I guess anything is possible.  Guess we better prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  We still have just shy of 2 years to wake up....and do some good.  My question is "What are we waiting for?"

 Seems to me spring has arrived... although there is still little to no surf, you can find fields of purple lupin along the shoreline, just now our native christmas trees are ready to harvest (the agave flowering stock) perhaps mother natures timing is off kilter, but obviously I just understand what happens in this tropical desert on a small scale of the big picture.  One thing I am thankful to see is the shrimp boats have departed, perhaps the fishing will get good again.

No spring is definitely here.  The oriels and hummingbirds are sucking the sweet nectar of our aloes in bloom.  After the abundance of rains we have thankfully received since Christmas the flourishing yellow flowers have reached incredible heights, the stalks are providing a new beautiful fenceline for our property.  Here we have just one more example of our creative landscaping methods, utilizing what we have and making the most of it.

The cardinals are back, the combination of their brilliant red feathers against the clear desert blue sky is outlandish.  This year for the first time we have spotted a black cardinal nearby, no doubt once I retrieve my camera it flies away after sitting in one spot singing for minutes on end.  It just one of the countless photo opportunities I have let pass me by, words by no means compare.  "A picture is worth a thousand words"  so they say.

This past Sunday I took an unusual day off, went for an afternoon swim and a walk along the shoreline with a good friend.  We both confirmed that was the most amazing whale show either one of us had seen this year.  It was phenominal, a mother whale was teaching her young, splashing her tail numerous times in close to shore, the baby would attempt 1 to her 10...all I could say was "Thank you Great Spirit"  No doubt they are preparing for their journey back towards Alaska, like my good friend.  I will look forward to their return. 

Just days ago Ellie Fort and I went for a little venture thru the desert to the shoreline, no doubt Fort is barefoot...maybe one day he too will figure out that shoes aren't so bad.  We saw a school of dolphins just along the shore while we were playing in the field of Lupin...Truely, Simple Pleasures is Where It's At.

"To live only for some future goal is shallow.  It's the sides of the mountain which sustain life, not the top.  Here's where things grow."  Robert Pirsig

I remember well when my husband Gene asked me to stay a few weeks longer the night before heading back to Jackson after my two week vacation here in the Baja...I couldn't help saying "What's a few weeks gonna do?"  Wow

What can happen in a few weeks can change your life...for us, we decided to get married, and did 5 weeks after we met..."Imagine that"  Love at first site..

In the past few weeks here I have seen a red fox cross my path while coming down from my early morning walk up punta gorda.... A fence and big gate days later separates me as well as many others from our backyard wonder Punta Gorda...meaning Fat Point...it too is up for sale....if I had that extra 4 million I would buy it and preserve it like it is and tear down the gate.  What's that Jonnie Mitchell tune "Pave Paridise and put up a parking lot"...."seems ya don't know what ya got till it's gone" ............... Fort Ellie and I saw a snake I have yet to identity cruise straight up a 4' embankment after crossing the coast road on our way home from school...any input, it looks like a rattle snake without the rattles.  We have had a Tsunami warning. According to NASA the planet has shifted it's orbit after the Earthquake in Chili......ya know the normal stuff, yep...never a dull moment.  Oh, Yes...and a sighting of a semi with recyclables halfway up the Baja Peninsula...Progress in Motion!  This could even be a Miracle in Motion!!!  Thanks for the photo Mario and Michelle! see www.desertsoaps.com As Michelle puts it "Amazing.  Pass it on if some people are in doubt of the recycling program, cuz this is proof!"  Andale...!

This week at the La Playita schools we have been celebrating Dia De La Familia, it is officially celebrated the first Sunday of March....Yesterday we experienced  a 2 1/2 hour seminar to encourage parents to have a healthy family lifestyle....a discussion every family could partake in. On Sunday the Families get together to celebrate one another....Happy Familia Day to you all.  Disfruta/ Enjoy One Another to the fullest.

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family"  Anthony Brandt

We received another beautiful desert winter rain this week, what a treat. Already at ages 4 and 6 Fort and Ellie are pretty savy at how to protect our environment, planting trees provides shade, building material as well as oxygen for us to breathe...it's all connected.  Just before we planted all of our palo de arco seedlings ...nice timing on the munhckins part, now the little trees have a head start in getting their roots established.  While digging and planting they sing their little song "What's it gonna take?  TEAMWORK"  They are so classic together, never a dull moment around here....what a blessing.

During the winter, the rains are all together different than those in the summer.  Although we don't get the intense humidities, bobos, dragon flies, butterflies and velvet colorful desert...we do get happy plants and cooler weather.  The skies are crystal clear the next morning, it's as if a cleansing has occured, the lighting is incredibly intense...it's breath taking and beautiful. 

The next day on our normal daily journey into town, some of the roads are as smoothe as butter, while others have obviously seen better days. The first photo below is just behind our place, after this summer we have nurtured a tree to grow in the center, along with the rugged drainage...the advantage, less traffic!  

Along the coast road we saw a bobcat/lynx cross somewhat slowly in front of our truck.  Although I was so stoked to see him/her, the camera didn't make it for the shot in time....at least Fort and Ellie also got a good glimpse of something beautiful and wild.  We also hear the coyote nearby, get a glimpse of the red fox, and the random rabbit hopping accross the road which our faithful dogs Rubby, Dora and Thunderbolt gladdlly chase after.

In the early mornings we are starting to see tons of whale spray, as they expire their breath at the surface...it's beautiful as the sun is rising behind, the mist is lit up.  Today we caught a mama with it's baby just off the shore (within swimming distance) *staying close to the surface...she must of just had her calf and teaching it how to swim...I'm only guessing...I just am always excited to see the return of the whales...yearly they make an incredible journey from Alaska to Baja......and back again.... Mother Nature at her best.

Simple Pleasures is where it's at.. ..."Some of the best things in life are free"

Ellie took me on a little adventure the other morning, no school...so we decided to have a little field trip.  After the 2" of  unexpected rain we received the end of December, we are seeing once again the desert come to bloom.  It has an evolution of it's own...we want to share the colors with you..To be continued...