Circle Closure

This week in Pescadero has been our first time here since Gary passed and we attended his memorial down here a year ago in March.  On our first full day here we found ourselves walking back from the beach in a rather circuitous way that led us past Gary's place.  Seeing cars parked outside, we thought maybe his kids were around and we would stop in and say hello.  Instead some people we'd never seen before greeted us.  We told them what we were doing and they said, "Come on in and we'll tell you the story.  Would you drink a Pacifico?"  Funny how the story telling tradition lives on in that place, even with new owners!

Yesterday while walking back from town we commented on how we really hadn't been passed by anyone going our way that could even offer us a ride.  About then, two cars approached going the oppposite direction, one right behind the other.  We gave the habitual wave as the first car went by, but wait......that jack-o-lantern grin......yes!  It was Lupe Gary's former handy man, driving what used to be Gary's car!  As he drove by we could hear his excited voice exclaiming, "Oh, mis amigos!" He immediately pulled over, jumped out of his car and ran back to hug and greet us.  He even had to tell the driver of the car behind him that we were his friends.  Turns out, the woman in the car behind him had Chica in the car with her!  After Lupe told us that was Chica in the way back of the car that had passed, we asked him what had happened to Einstein, Gary's "talking" donkey.  Again that big smile, "He's with me!  I have him up in the mountains."  Einstein was a favorite of all the gringoes who walked past his pasture there at Gary's, so he was used to plenty of human attention.  When I asked Lupe if Einstein was happy there, Lupe said, "Oh yes!  He is with my horses."

And so now the circle of Gary is closed and we continue to hold his memory in our hearts as we search out new adventures, meet new friends and form more relationships down here.

This is where Einstein lived when Gary owned him.  The sign  says E=MCsquared

"All Good Things Must End," They Say

And so out departure date nears and we must once again say adios to Baja. Tuesday is our last full day here. I intend to spend it on the beach, sunbathing, swimming and basking in the many wonderful experiences we have had down here. These yurts at Buena Vista have proved to be a good choice for our last resting spot. We have been here before, everytime we've come down, so much was known about it before coming in. That allowed us to plan a little better and to spend our days kicking back and reflecting on our trip.

Cindy and Vince helped us out immensely by driving us here with a week's supply of groceries. Bruce insisted we hang on to our snorkel gear and that has been great. We are one block from the beach, so everyday we head down to the sea. On the one day it has been too windy to be much of a beach day, we entertained ourselves watching the fishermen come in and taking note of the types of fish caught. We were pleased to see that none brought in as many fish as we did on our one day excursion. After the fishermen, we filled our hot tub directly from the spring and enjoyed a warm soak despite the howling wind. Since that day, our weather has been perfect.

While on an exploratory walk north along the beach, we noticed what looked like a rocky bottom off shore. Our experiences snorkeling have taught us that rocky bottoms mean clear water and possibly some hiding places for some interesting fish. We made plans to pack a lunch and spend a day snorkeling in the rocky area. My second trip out into the water paid off. I was just heading back to shore, having seen nothing very impressive when I spotted a school of small fish nearby. I stopped swimming to watch them pass and soon they were replaced by larger fish. Like a dream, these larger fish kept coming and coming! I waited for the line of them to pass, and waited some more and still there was no end. I was beginning to wonder if a nearby boat was dumping tubs and tubs full of fish into the ocean...there must have been a thousand of them. Maybe they were just circling me and I was seeing the same bunch over and over again, but as far as my eye could see in the clear water, they were just swimming away from shore in a solid band. Finally I got tired of waiting and decided to swim through them and they still just kept coming. I'd never seen such an amazing thing. On a later swim that same day, I got to see several dark blue rays resting on the ocean floor. They were covered with white dots. I got to see six in a bunch and later saw one swimming by himself. What a sight they were!

Since then I've not seen anything quite that spectacular. Instead I've enjoyed swimming in and out of the same warm currents that fill our hot tub. I don't think I will ever tire if the beautiful aquamarine color of the water (makes me feel like I am in an ad for some tropical paradise). I do get to see lots of pelicans here. Cindy corrected me saying that they are not Mexican frigates, but rather are nicknamed the Mexican Air Force as they always seem to be flying in formation.

As we enter our last days here, I find myself developing a mental catalog of the things I will miss about Baja, hoping that will enable me to better appreciate them while I have them. My list includes things like the small birds whose sweet songs accompany every sunrise, taking my coffee outdoors every morning, the lilt of Spanish spoken by natives, handmade tortillas, desert, the ocean's presence, warm sea breezes, searing midday heat contrasted with cooling dips in the sea, simplicity, the way the Mexicans can carve comfort out of what is handed to them, thw wonderful food.

At the same time I remind myself of things to look forward to back in Montana. What comes to the top of the list always is family and friends. I also look forward to seeing our mountains transform under Spring's handiwork. A smell arising from a patch of goldenrod near where ourhottub drains makes me think of the Missouri River and the vegetation on its shores. This spring we will have to do a float.

But right now I must go revel in this fine day. Tomorrow, right after an early bite of yogurt, we will walk to the highway and wait for a bus or a ride, whichever comes first. Our hopes are to go as far as a little town north of the airport, Santa Anita. Here we hope to enjoy a hearty Mexican breakfast before subjecting the rest of our day to the whims of the airlines.