Closing week

It is really hard to believe that we close the Vela resort in just a few days. We only have two guests with us until the end. We have already taken down one of the sail tents, cleaned and boxed most of the sails and boards, and have prepped it all for easy dismantling. The bicycles have all been sold, so I don't have to worry about taking them apart. The truck is scheduled to arrive next Tuesday to haul everything back to Hood River. Then that's it for the Winter season...


Made an excursion down to Cabo Pulmo last Friday with Tricia, Debbie, and Marlies. It was a calm day back in Los Barriles, so we were surprised to see white caps on the water as we came over the pass from La Ribera and dropped into the bay. But the wind was from the South and the snorkeling was phenomenal. Sightings included an octopus, a large eel, countless colorful reef dwellers, and something rather large chasing the fish just off the point. Ginger swam for hours and Gijs chased lizards in the rocks.

Saturday evening we were treated to a party at Casa Lowrey in the Buena Vista Arroyo. Rick and Cathy go all out in preparing the festivities, and their house was built for entertaining: the kitchen and living area fully open up to the wide patio, which leads right out to the beach, and two levels of decks accessed by a spiral staircase to look out over it all. We had a huge feast of birria prepared by Veronica. There was plenty of Pacifico on ice. Washed it all down with a couple pieces of flan. Finch and I barely had enough energy left after the long day, but we rallied to go meet the Hood River gals over at Tio Pablo's, where the Skeleton Keys were playing. Now I can't get a certain Grateful Dead cover song out of my head...

Looks like the wind is doing us, and our guests, a favor by returning for our final week. After a few calm days it kicked in again yesterday with some of the strongest gusts of the season. We all sailed until we were sore. I had a great time on the Evo 80 again. It feels and acts like a short snowboard, turning on a dime and slicing through the nasty chop that occurs when El Norte meets a strong South swell. The water here is different every time you sail. That is what is so exciting about the Sea of Cortez, and the forced adjustments help you improve as a sailor with every session. Got to take advantage of these last few opportunities...