“… blogging about life, travel, books, food and the outdoors”
A woman’s best friend at age 17
I know that every day AJ is with me is a gift. Today she turns 17. She’s a different dog than she was even a year ago. Slower, sleeps more often, but is more affectionate. She uses stairs most of the time to get onto the bed. She usually needs a helping hand to...
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Scientist on crusade to save Mexico’s sea turtles
Turtles caught in fishing nets are tossed aside to become food for creatures in the sea. They are byproducts of an industry that can be cruel. Stephanie Rousso, who is a wildlife biologist, marine scientist and spatial ecologist, is one of many who are working to make...
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A mountain of fun despite never finding our destination
Some of the best adventures are misadventures. “I’ve seen this before.” We all said it more than once. We were wrong each time. Another U-turn. Our destination was Marco the pottery guy who lives and works in the mountains near Todos Santos. Two of the four of us had...
read more A woman’s best friend at age 17
I know that every day AJ is with me is a gift. Today she turns 17. She’s a different dog than she was even a year ago. Slower, sleeps more often, but is more affectionate. She uses stairs most of the time to get onto the bed. She usually needs a helping hand to...
read more
Lake Tahoe snowshoe guidebook just published
Snowshoeing Around Lake Tahoe: Must-Do Scenic Treks provides snowshoers with an invaluable guide for adventures in the Lake Tahoe Basin and beyond. Whether it is traipsing through virgin snow or on a worn path, this book contains a route for everyone who likes to play...
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Art walk in San Jose del Cabo like a treasure hunt
Art was in every direction while meandering along the cobblestones of downtown San Jose del Cabo, including inside the stores. Every Thursday during the busy season several streets in the art district are closed to vehicle traffic so people can more easily stroll...
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Bevy of law enforcement keeping watch on Todos Santos
Not even the gang of law enforcement officers could answer whether it’s legal for non-Mexican residents to own a gun. And this was at a presentation in Todos Santos about safety and security. A permit is required. Beyond that, no definitive answer. However, Mexican...
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Mexico in the News: Tourism, Butterflies and Toyota
Forbes says La Paz is the place to visit, not Cabo. The New York Times in this story delves into women in Mexico fighting back against violence. Climate change is taking a toll on monarch butterflies in Mexico, according to this Washington Post. The most dangerous...
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Baja home to world’s largest salt operation
Salt isn’t just for seasoning food. It has about 14,000 industrial uses – including making detergents with chlorine compounds, deicers for roads, soluble cutting oil, latex, and paper products. The 8.5 million tons of salt that comes from the plant in Guerrero Negro,...
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Emergency declared in Todos Santos because of fruit fly
Government officials and agricultural representatives in Baja California Sur are worried about fruit flies that have been found in Todos Santos. They are calling it an emergency. This Mexican state can send produce to the United States and elsewhere because dangerous...
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Book Review: ‘Backlash’ relevant nearly 30 years later
The more I read, the angrier I got. Angry at the media, government, society, men, as well as women. I was also mad at myself for not knowing so much of the information brought forth in this the book, for not having taken the time to be better educated. “Backlash: The...
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Living in the dark because city truck is out of gas
No gas for the truck. That was the answer I was given by the mayor’s office for why the streetlight was not going to get fixed. I didn’t know how to argue with that statement. I didn't know if I should offer to pay for the gas. I didn’t know if it was a line of BS....
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Legality of driving on Mexico’s beaches a bit murky
With miles of sand, the beaches in Mexico look like a four-wheeler’s dream. Many are so wide that if a vehicle were to drive by, it would likely not bother the people using it in some other fashion. The problem is the federal law in Mexico prohibiting driving on the...
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The shame of watching a pirated movie
Not everything is meant to be free. Many people have a hard time grasping that reality. People have been looking for a deal since time began. The internet has taken the free concept even further. People want their news, music, books, movies and most everything for...
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Book Review: ‘Season of the Witch’ delves into San Francisco’s dark side
Analyze any 15-year span and the stories are bound to be endless and interesting. Take the years 1967 to 1982 in San Francisco and your head may spin. David Talbot weaves together the significant events from this time period in “Season of the Witch” (Free Press, 2012)...
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Desert comes alive along Sierra Madre trail
With the rainy season in Todos Santos extending well beyond summer, it means the desert is awash in color in January. Red, yellow, purple and pink stood out against the lush green. On this second day of the new year we were surrounded by lomboy, yucca, jumping cholla,...
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Corn snack found on streets of Mexico a decadent treat
Street food in most countries is an experience in culinary art not found in a restaurant. It can be better, more authentic. One of my favorites in Mexico is esquites. It’s like nachos in a bag, with corn being the dominate ingredient. The name comes from the Aztec...
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It takes teamwork to get out of jury duty when living abroad
Reporting for jury duty can be difficult when you live in another country. Not reporting, though, can mean being fined $1,500 and/or being put behind bars. I am pretty sure officials in El Dorado County, my place of residence in California, would not track me down in...
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Mexico in the news: Dogs, water, fossil fuels and more
Rules for bringing a dog to Mexico from the United States changed in December 2019. Find out more from the USDA website. Baja water supplies are at a critical level, according to this San Diego Union-Tribune article. State and municipal leaders in Mexico are saying no...
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Todos Santos music fest cloaked in controversial vibes
Music has the power to be a unifying force. It can bring people together around a common cause with lyrics that can be persuasive and provocative. Emotions can run the gamut no matter the genre. Peter Buck, former R.E.M. guitarist, in 2012 launched the inaugural Todos...
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Gray water becomes nourishment for plants in Todos Santos
While water should be treated like a precious resource no matter where one lives, it is even more imperative when the supply is scarce. Even though Todos Santos borders the Pacific Ocean, it is a desert community. Rain and storm runoff from the Sierra de la Laguna...
read moreOn Twitter
Warren is crushing this debate. Thus we can expect a new round of hatred aimed her way by Sanders supporters who will accuse her of being fake, or a copycat. Because they think that’s movement building and are more interested in tearing down others on the left than beating Trump
