Getting our bearings and enjoying what is all around us

So, I know that everything looks easy and smooth sailing now, but we still have no real water system and Luca is beside himself with exhausted laughter because he has just accidentally embraced us with the poop gloves we use when we have to empty the black water into a transport container to heft up many stairs to where the toilet *should* be except someone stole it, so we have to use painstaking precision to access the septic system through the hole in the floor and now our son is touching us with possible remnants of caca.  No one can say we don't know how to roll with a situation.

Rancho beautification day!  We go around to collect garbage, clean out the car, check water stores, trim back spiny plants, and put the plastic baby head back at the gate where she is supposed to greet any random visitors who head our way.  (ha ha ha my accidental puns crack me up.)

Luca and I get to the beach at least once a day.  Maybe more if we get to take the neighbors' sweet pups for a walk!

We enjoy a lot of bird visitors and I kinda love this photo of her in her beach/sand camo.  

Suddenly we heard fast and furious cowbell and looked out to see (not Christopher Walken but) a herd prancing + running + truly looking joyous down in the lagoon area.  

They circled around and butted heads a few times before the whole herd rushed across the land and out across the neighboring arroyo.

I promise to find some of my better shots.  It is hard to remember the camera when watching the whales breach and play out among the waves.

This dude challenged me on the beach and I didn't feel too good about my chances and fled the scene.  

Luca smashed open a fresh coconut for us (after we drank all the water, of course).  We have another one we found still in its husk and Luca doesn't believe how incredibly hard it is to machete through to the nut.  As my Covid mantra has been 'no going to the ER, no going to the ER', I'm not sure I am ready to let him try his hand at hacking.  

Apparently, the burros enjoy the beach as much as the deer.

These dudes make their way up to our place just to bray.  They are like very cranky teddy bears and I just want to hug one no matter how much it complains at me.  

Collecting more scorpions - er - I mean firewood!

We got the driveway graded!  Yay!  I'm not so concerned about using 4 wheel drive to get to the highway :)

While he was here, Max asked if he could bucket out a bigger trench for LZ to turn into a WWI replica.  I will get better photos of it for next time - it has a fire step, sand bags, a periscope and a bunch of other things I am not well versed enough to describe here. 

The sunrise over the mountains in the east created cotton candy clouds over the ocean to our west.  Getting up early is way easier here.  

 

Cactus flowers make me happy.  Cactus flowers with bees in them are even better! 

And here I leave with your sweet Toby moment of zen.






 

Comments

  1. michelle cooke March 2, 2021 at 4:03 PM

    I think I need to be there ❤️

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:14 AM

      We gotta get these kids working on that teleportation device!

      Delete
    2. michelle cooke March 5, 2021 at 10:47 AM

      We absolutely do! they are smart enough to figure it out for us. :)

      Delete
  2. SBBMarch 2, 2021 at 4:53 PM

    I enjoyed every word of it!!!! And beautiful pictures too

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:15 AM

      <3 Thank you!!! It really adds to our adventure to be able to share it all. Who knows - maybe you'll fall so deeply in love that you'll come visit :)

      Delete
  3. KimMarch 2, 2021 at 5:30 PM

    1). If you can't laugh at poop gloves, what can you laugh at?

    2) Baby heads...that's what. Did it come with the place or did you bring it?

    3) I love all the wildlife photos! That whale is just unreal. Do you just pinch yourself a million times a day? I'd be purple.

    4) Can't wait to see what Luca does with his trench. Fill it with scorpions? That's probably not historically accurate, though.

    5) I'm not entirely sure I knew that cactus flowers were a thing. I think you could/should teach a desert ecology class on Outschool!

    6). Speaking of teaching... why are your eyebrows so perfect and why didn't I get you to teach me these secrets while you were still here? And hello Toby, your eyebrows are also perfect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:33 AM

      1) I feel like all the stresses are more tolerable here - it's somehow easier to laugh about black water trials and tribulations mixed in with our scorpion gathering. (I'm not sure Max buys into this, but my knee jerk to extreme disgustingness is to channel it to hysterical laughter + clearly LZ inherited this gene from me.) 2) Max has had a penchant for baby heads and other body parts for as long as I've known him (apparently before I knew him he brought a baby arm to a mass audience at the Vatican and had it blessed by the Pope, much to his mother's horror.) We used to find a fair number of heads on the sides of the road. Once, we had a truly beat up car here and the hood would randomly fly open so we cinched an oversized chain around the whole front, but it was a bit loose - until we added a baby head as a hood ornament and voila! Functional and fashionable lol. 3) The whales remind me to be more in awe of life. I have cried watching them. It truly is breathtaking. 4) I have got to post more pics of the trench. He brought a lot of his WWI + WWII gear and loves detailing everything. (I hope scorpions are not historically accurate!) 4) I had no idea cactus grew flowers nor fruit until we started coming here! Maybe I could put together something fun. The desert is so fascinating! 6) You are too kind! I'm the least educated person on face stuff - I must have to thank my Mom and Dad for at least giving me an easy brow base :) (Though I love that Luca got Max's.) It's funny, the bathroom mirror is too high for me unless I stand tall so I have even more of an excuse to hardly ever stress about appearances. I don't think the whales care much ;)

      Delete
  4. Jay SpicaMarch 2, 2021 at 7:51 PM

    You guys are so thoughtful to have the backhoe operator make a trench for Luca!

    I was wondering if you are planning an outhouse. Especially now that water and
    toilets are at a premium. As I recall back in 2003 we dug one facing north with a
    view of the arroyo.

    I love your mantra. I'm praising that one too! Love and hugs. I'm hanging on you every word!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:39 AM

      Jay, I will post more pics of the trench - he is having so much fun. Yesterday we couldn't go in the trailer for a few hours and it was so hot and Luca rigged a cover over the trench and invited me in for shade.
      We did just install a new toilet, so hurray! Though now we are having the roof replaced so it is hard to use the bathroom with all the workers up there and an outhouse would be perfect! I remember the great one we had with a spectacular view. We must have been changing the hole for the old one in 2003 as we had one starting in about 1998. My Mom has some framed pics of it! lol.
      Maybe you and Jude will get tempted to visit again once more people are vaccinated! In any case, it is nice to have you visit through tech <3

      Delete
  5. SueMarch 2, 2021 at 9:45 PM

    So fun to see and hear what you're up to!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:41 AM

      I've been thinking of you, my friend! I would teleport you down here in a New York minute, if I could! I miss catching up on your days and just chatting together. Thanks for following along on our journey, though. It is very special to get to share.

      Delete
  6. TammyMarch 3, 2021 at 6:35 AM

    Simply beautiful. I am in awe of you, Max and Luca.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lynnaMarch 5, 2021 at 10:43 AM

      Thank you! There are definitely low moments and challenges. But Baja sure helps with perspective and we are mostly just filled with joy. <3

      Delete

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