“… blogging about life, travel, books, food and the outdoors”
Vintage piano collection in Baja Sur a relic from 1800s
If only all that ivory could tell stories. What sweet music did they once play? Was it mostly love songs, classics, jazz or something edgy? Whose fingers caressed them? It takes a bit of imagination to think of these relics as something more than dusty pianos in a...
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Book Review: Serena Williams’ 10-Year-Old Book A Good Read
Tennis is just a game like any other sport. Those who play it at the professional level are just people like other athletes. Sometimes all of that can be lost on the public. Everyone has a story beyond their fame as well as what led to it. While so much has been...
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Reliable local repairman outshines corporate yahoos
When I called to see why the serviceman didn’t show up the previous day I was told he had and that the refrigerator was fixed. Not only that, my claim was closed. I was home all day. No call, no repairman, and still dealing with a refrigerator that wanted to be...
read more Vintage piano collection in Baja Sur a relic from 1800s
If only all that ivory could tell stories. What sweet music did they once play? Was it mostly love songs, classics, jazz or something edgy? Whose fingers caressed them? It takes a bit of imagination to think of these relics as something more than dusty pianos in a...
read more
El Triunfo embraces the riches of its mining history
Note: This story has been updated since it was first published on Jan. 4, 2019. Driving through El Triunfo it’s hard to believe this was once the largest town in Baja California Sur. Today there are about 300 residents. In its heyday in the late 1800s there were more...
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Sharing my bed Baja style
A gentle rustling woke me up the other night. I heard it again, this time conscious enough to know it wasn’t a dream, wasn’t the dog and whatever it was had not been invited. I flung myself over AJ, then turned on the light. Next to her, within striking distance was...
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Book Review: ‘Educated’ a raw look at overcoming disturbing childhood
In the 21st century it seems like a given that in the United States parents will ensure their children are educated. The problem is that education varies dramatically. Tara Westover in her memoir “Educated” (Random House, 2018) clearly illustrates the various ways one...
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El Faro a beacon for those seeking relaxation in Baja
Traditional chaise lounge? Chair resembling a bird cage for two or for one to stretch out in? Swinging cabana on the beach comfy enough to nap away the afternoon? Secluded chairs in the corners? Dining area? Float in the pool? Cement chair in the water in front of the...
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Thanksgiving is more than a meal
Thanks and giving – two words that together should mean more than turkey. While I have not eaten turkey for years, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. I’ve never gone hungry – all those wonderful sides, and then dessert. It is a feast whenever I’ve been with...
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Military checkpoints the norm when driving in Baja
Mexican drug cartels seem to make the headlines on almost a weekly basis. While marijuana is the only drug I’ve seen in Todos Santos, I’m sure there are stronger substances being used. (Pot is illegal here.) It’s mostly the mainland where the cartel is fighting with...
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Swimming with whale sharks — the world’s largest fish
“They won’t swallow you.” But will they nibble on me? Could one dismember me? “No and no.” Whale sharks, while they are the largest fish in the world, are also docile. They are sharks, though their size is more whale like. They are often more than 30 feet long and...
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Neighbors often respond before officers in Todos Santos
Armed with flashlights, we were determined to find the intruders. The incessant screech of the alarm would have made it hard to hear anyone rustling in the brush or running away. Wearing flip flops, I wasn’t going to be running fast toward or away from anyone I...
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Downgraded tropical storm delivers more anxiety than rain or wind
Don’t go into the mountains. Flash flood warnings. Hunker down. Secure outdoor furniture so it doesn’t become a projectile weapon. All of these warnings came while I was 2½ hours away from my Baja home. I was in Cabo Pulmo, on the East Cape, playing in a tennis...
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Mexico in the news: BCS tourism tax, fires, and papayas
The government of Baja California Sur this month is starting to charge tourists a tax of $18.50 at the airport in San Jose del Cabo, according to the Associated Press. California isn’t the only place on fire. Fires in Baja Norte were raging at the same time, forcing...
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The perfect gift for that person who is hard to buy for
It’s the gift giving season. A copy of “The Dirt Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Hikes” is perfect for all the December holidays, as a unique hostess gift, a thank you, for anyone who travels to the greater Lake Tahoe region, and for those with a guest bedroom in...
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Mexico wine country rivals anything California can offer
When it comes to Mexico libations the choices are usually tequila or beer, seldom is it wine. But it should be. Mexico wine doesn’t register high on the list of international wines because most of what is bottled stays in the country. The main wine region is the Valle...
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Time to rethink pledging allegiance to a flag
Pledging allegiance to a flag seems so absurd. And yet I do it when the occasion arises. I’ve thought about sitting, but was afraid people would think I was making a political statement that had more to do with who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue than it being the...
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Baja beach massage a blissful experience
At a cost of $20 for an hour massage, my expectations were not great. I knew there was the chance I could be in more pain when it ended. I have had massages outside of the United States before with mostly a good outcome. In Whistler, British Columbia, there was the...
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Resilience of Paradise fire victims evident a year later
It took 17 days to fully contain what became the deadliest and most destructive fire in California’s history. This was the Camp Fire that started Nov. 8, 2018. It decimated most of Paradise and forever changed the lives of tens of thousands of people. My mother was...
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Questioning whether Day of the Dead should be a tourist spectacle
Even though Day of the Dead (Dia de Muertos) has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years, it became a mainstream event in large part because of Hollywood. This is an Aztec tradition rooted in what is now Mexico. When the Spanish conquered Mexico they brought...
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Book Review: ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ an important story
The Osage murders is another chapter in U.S. history that isn’t part of the education system. We have author David Grann to thank for bringing this disturbing history to light in his book “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI”...
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Trump abused his power by coercing a foreign nation into helping him cheat in the next election. He betrayed his oath of office.
Congress also swore an oath — to uphold the Constitution.
Today, the Judiciary Committee honored this oath by approving two articles of impeachment.