Plantas Y Maderas - Garden Benches

Yesterday I caught these photos above to share a portion of our daily views.  The morning starts before sunrise, Fort's up early to help feed the horses and clean the stalls. He especially enjoys his solo time our 2 month old colt he named Warrior.  I keep my distance listening to him talk to her...about thangs, life as a 6 1/2 year old boy sees it.  Warrior takes a nice big stretch, then Fort joins in.  The white pitaya opening in the morning bringing an exotic bloom in the midst of the grey landscape.  I notice the lomboys are putting out their green seed pods as well as tiny pink flowers.  The Cardons, oregon pipes, and various other natives are producing seeds, preparing to reproduce during the summer rains.  May we be so fortunate to receive life giving as we did last year....

After morning chores, readings and artwork with the munchkins, a little work in the shop, house, casita, caretaking homes etc... I venture into town for our supplies.  Caught a few photos of the new bridge passing over the arroyo connecting La Playita and San Jose del Cabo, then there's that classic Statue....
I sure do enjoy the simple life, less trips to town now that the munchkins are out of school, stalking up to see how many days can pass without needing anything that we don't have out at Milagro Ranch. On my way home, taking my sweet time.... I have to take a shot of the Osprey in the dead palm, Iguana on the rock, can only see his head.  Then the cardon looking over the Sea of Cortez with a little chipmunk talking to his buddy with his tail on the rock to the lower right.  Then there's the guard shack just around Punta Gorda selling cow skulls.....yep. 

A little more work then the evening chores come.....guess my trip to town was like a siesta, taking it in...instead of the go go go.  Awe summertime.  Back at the ranch there is plenty to be done, Gene always tells me there is not enough hours in the day....so true.  We got to see a king snake between the casita and the shop, they are beautiful and actually are known to eat rattle snakes.... :)  we call this one Harry.  Later while Fort Ellie and I are taking the alfalfa back to the corral we go the long way around and see rattle snake tracks.  "Mom, it's summer time gotta keep our eyes open for rattle snakes right?"  Yes Fort :)  The red cardinals, doves, cactus wren are flying around just before they quiet for the evening and then the sky puts out some amazing colors whenever we have clouds. 

It has been so incredibly quiet..most folks have gone back to where they are going, and less workers, less traffic other than the occasional water truck to come out to the coast to keep the folks plants alive while they are away.  Yes and to keep us that remain in constant supply of that liquid gold.  Just another day.......just another day filled with simple pleasures.

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

Where do I start?...
We got an unexpected rainfall friday ..it was beautiful!  Early morning walk saw the lightning in the clouds from a far, but didn't expect the 1/2 plus inch we received...epic.  The plants are happy, the desert is thriving after the last rains...it's beautiful.

My almost 6 year old son Fort and I had a heart to heart conversation several mornings ago....Mom?  yes Fort..?  Why do Cowboys always want gold?...HMMM

The only thing I could think of is this came from watching old western movies over and over again, since we hadn't had tv/satellite until 6 months ago...John Wayne's  Eldorad, or perhaps Clint Eastwoods's Pale Rider, or Gregory Peck's  Mckennas Gold..yep that must of been it.

Well, Fort.  It's a funny thing...people think that if they have gold it can and will buy them anything they have ever wanted...but it's not necessarily true... He looks at me inquisitively.  Well, just think of us out there fishing...no matter how big of a boat a person has, or what gear they have, you can't make that big fish jump onto your line, right?  He nodds.

Wow...so then he responds, and no matter what you can't make a beautiful sunrise right?

Now we are getting somewhere...life's lessons out here in the middle of no where, that's my boy...making me think.

No matter how much gold/money you have you:

Can't make a sunshine powder day ...if you are skier
Can't make overhead glassy and no one out...if you are a surfer
Can't make the sky rain...if you live in a desert

So onto other topics.  We got some more welcomed rain.  Our bobo's continue to be a nuisance.  The giant moths are still here.  The frogs came out for a day.  The native plants are happy and green and  the rattlesnake tracks keep crossing our path.

What a beautiful place to be, and we are thankful it isn't for everybody...you either like it here...or you don't.  That may be why...only a few live here year round.  :)  Gracias A Dios

If it were documented, perhaps a moving canvas...how would your garden look as time lapses?  It has an evolution all of it's own...from seedling to harvest, it's as if Mother Nature has her paint brush moving in ways we cannot comprehend...to create a beauty we couldn't possibly duplicate.

These unique red flowers above have come and gone. The low lying cactus remains, like us, awaiting for the next rains.  Weeks later, other native plants, see photos below, are beginning to show their blooms.... The humidity and bobos continue to make us realize why most people can't handle being here year round.  Pero para nosotros es muy tranquillo, gracias A Dios.  I'm not complaining...that's the best part of it.  The tough just get tougher.

Oh,...I almost forgot...we got another rattlesnake today.  Andale!

 Living in the desert is never a dull moment.  It has been incredibly dry, we haven't had a good rain in three years.  If we were a tribe of Native Americans we would gather in at a pow wow and do a rain dance.  The lack of rain has been taking it's toll.

Because of the lack of water in the surrounding desert, the ants and snakes would come for a visit.

Two early mornings I saw an army of ants 1" wide crossing from one side of the dirt road to the other...from the deserted desert towards my garden, where our rooster MAMA LuLu presently resides.   After last year losing crops of lettuce seeds to the ants I am more than determined to end this path before the planting begins in the fall.  Even the trusted Diatect Fire Ant Killer couldn't take this one on...open for suggestions, although the rains have helped subside the little warriors.

Two weeks ago we had to kill 4 rattlesnakes, before children (BC ) my husband Gene and I would capture them and take them up to Punta Gorda and set them free.  With munchkins around we can no longer have them here, es muy peligroso.  One was near our outdoor shower where Fort and Ellie bathe, the other three were near the entrance to our casita where they play.  One year we killed 14, it's been a while since we have seen this many.  It is very dangerous, but somehow we have our system down and with a little luck and skill we hope to continue to protect our territory.  Because they are such beautiful creatures, it can be hard to kill them, just say a little prayer and thanks...but it's them or us.  Es la vida aqui para nosotros, la pura vida.

In the first days of September we were faced with a prediction of a strong class 4 hurricane heading our way, with gusts of winds up to 180mph.  The preparation can seem endless.  Plenty of  Water, Food, Fuel, Propane, Beer, TP all the essentials stocked whatever they may be.   If the arroyo floods as it has in the past, it's quite possible that we can't get to town for supplies for weeks.  Then it's batten down the hatches...prepare for the worst and hope for the best.  The big winds may take off our tin roof and the heavy rains may bring flooding.  This time we were fortunate and received rains we so desperately needed, others up the baja pennensula have another story to tell.

We are continually reminded that Mother Nature is Powerful and Beautiful, she deserves our respect wholeheartedly. 

Rattlesnakes are known to be extremely territorial,  unfortunately for them
....so are we.