Holiday Parties – Dec. 20 – 27, 2011

Our first Christmas Party was Dec. 20^th at Sergio’s Casa, far outside of town in a very nice gated community. We celebrated with a traditional Posadas. This is an enactment of looking for lodging for St. Joseph and the Virgin Mary, going to Bethlehem. The hosts of the home are the innkeepers, and the guests, carrying small lit candles in their hands have to request lodging through singing a simple chant. The guests will ask for lodging three times and be denied. Only the third time will they be allowed in. Then comes the party with a Pinata and a punch called Ponche con Piquete. We also had wonderful tamales.

Our Hosts, Sergio and Lupita

Eric, Rick and Mike singing at the Posada

Rick swinging at the Pinata

The next night was Ana’s Holiday Party at Casa Ana. So many people from Alameda’s Gate 11 were there and also many other friends. The food was even better than last year, if that was possible.

Ana, Rick, Barb, Bill, Patrick and Laura at Casa Ana

The Gang playing Jingle Bells on their IPhones

Thursday we went out to the beach at Tecolote with Bill and Barb. The wind was blowing from the northerner, so we had lunch in the shelter of the Palapa Restaurant. On a calm day, this would be the perfect beach.

Rick and Pam at Tecolote Beach

Barb and Bill with the Ferry in the background

Christmas Eve was spent with friends at Casa Ana’s. We had a wonderful tamale dinner, than played a few games of Rummykub.

Dinner Table at Casa Ana

Pam and Mimi

Christmas Day we had Steve and Marsha and John over and tried to cook a rib roast. The meat was a little tough, but the meal was good??? It was a relaxing Christmas Day. We are now getting ready for the New Year.

Winter in La Paz – Nov. 28 – Dec 20, 2011

So much for quiet time, La Paz is one activity after another. So many friends and places to eat!!! We love it!!

We’ve been shopping at the market

Playing dominos at La Costa with Eric and Marilyn

Racing on Gitano with Pat

The boats behind us in the race

Marilyn and Pam hard at work during the race



Attending a Mexican Rodeo with Bill and Barb



Rick and Pam at the Rodeo

Part of the Rodeo

We’ve had many dinners at the new restaurant call ‘The Shack’. We love their blue cheese burgers!!

The Guys at The Shack

Laura and Pam at The Shack

We also have 2 new favorite fish taco places, Taco Fish La Paz and Estadia Tacos. Shrimp tacos, yummm.  

Estadia Street Tacos

We also had an elegant night of wine tasting in a new restaurant called Mia Amora. The food pairing was delicious.

11 of us wine tasting at Mia Amora

Steve and Marsha arrived in La Paz with their little dog Charlie. What a cuttie!

Marsha and Steve at La Costa

Crit, Steve and Charlie

Rick did get some work done. He installed another solar panel on the bimini. That makes 3 and gives us 405 watts of power.

Rick and Pat installing the new solar panel

Trips back to the States – Oct. 24 – Nov. 28, 2011

It has been awhile, but I am catching up on the blog. This month has been spent flying back and forth to the Bay Area. I left Oct 26 to attend my Dad’s memorial service. It was a sad occasion, but we celebrated his life with many family members and friends. I’ll miss you Dad.

Dean, Sherry, Mom, Dale, Pam and Aunt Mary

Me with my Daughters, Jamie and Jennie

And the Granddaughters, Maddi, Carson, Grace and Bailey

I stayed another week to spend time with my Mom and Aunts and also visit family. All my granddaughters dressed up for Halloween and Jamie wore a cat costume that my Mom had made for herself many years ago. They all looked so cute!



Kodi and Brett

Policewoman Maddi



Fairy Carson



Cowgirl Bailey

Cat Jamie and My Mom

Back in La Paz, Rick has been doing boat projects and visiting with friends. I returned on Saturday Nov 5, the same day my sister, brother and sister-in-laws flew into Cabo. Rick and I rented a car to drive to Cabo to see them for a few days. As we backed out of the marina to start the trip, we crashed into a truck and smashed the rental car.

Not a good start to the trip. But after arriving in Cabo we had a good time in the party town.

Pam, Sherry, Kellie, Helen and Dale in Cabo

Kellie at the Pueblo Bonito Resort

Helen and Dale at Tanga Tanga

Sherry and Kellie

By the middle of Nov. Rick’s Dad needed help around the house and getting to the doctors, so Rick flew home about the 17^th. He spent time helping his parents and had Thanksgiving with them. Gizmo and I stayed on the boat and spent time with friends. After one cancelled flight, Kevin took Rick to Fresno in the fog and he made it back to La Paz Nov. 28. It has been a busy month and we are looking forward to some quiet time.

South to La Paz – Oct. 16 – 24, 2011

We traveled 224 miles between Santa Rosalia and La Paz in 9 days. We traveled every day and stopped at night in 9 different anchorages. After Sweet Pea we stopped at Punta Chivato, then a full day down to San Juanico.

Relaxing on the 57 mile trip to San Juanico

The next day, we were sailing with the wind, but had to turn around to get into Puerto Ballandra to try and get cell phone coverage. We found out Rick’s Dad was doing better, but my Dad wasn’t doing well.

A Calm Anchorage After Some Big Seas

We left the next morning for Bahia Candeleros where we went ashore to the new resort for some pool time, cocktails and dinner with Ed and Connie on ‘Sirena’. This resort is beautiful. Anyone looking for an out of the way resort in the Sea of Cortez check out Villa del Palmar outside Loreto.

The pools shaped like a turtle.

Relaxing by the pool...

with a cocktail!!!

Pam, Rick and Ed enjoying the firepit near the beach

After our nice stop we moved on to Agua Verde, San Everisto and on to Isla San Francisco where Rick cleaned the bottom of the boat before we went into the marina. We were anchored so shallow he could stand on the bottom and reach the keel.

Sunday we traveled down to Calita Partida to spend one last night before heading into La Paz.

The passage between Partida and Espirito Santo

Monday, Oct. 24, 2011   

The next morning, out in the channel we could get cell service and found out we had lost my Father that morning. We went into La Paz to make arrangements for me to fly home on Wednesday.