Kathy & Eric's travels: This and that.

Friday January 21, 2011

The weather has been a little better here over the last few days with a bit less fog although it was pretty thick on Wednesday. That was the day we had the fish fry and I was wondering if it would ever lift and luckily it did shortly after lunch.

Eric hasn’t been able to swim much this winter as the weather has been cold as well as the water so he has resorted to walking on the beach with me. I usually walk in the morning but it has been so cold and foggy so I have been walking in the afternoon instead. We walk north up to Cerritos (about 4 miles there and back) and it takes just over an hour depending on how fast we walk. I am usually looking for something on the beach so I have to keep running after Eric to keep up. I was collecting shells for Sandi but she is overloaded so now I’m picking up sea glass. Pat said she would like to have sea glass so that is my new mission. It is just broken glass that has been softened by the sand and sea and started out as Mexican garbage. They are not careful with glass bottles on the beach and this is how they end up although they are not the only culture to have glass on their beaches! We do too. I’m not sure what Pat will do with it but it is something to look for as I walk . I did Google sea glass and it is very collectable for making jewelry. Just another way to use our garbage. I’ll take a picture and show you when I have more collected.

The other day when Eric and I were walking I brought my camera and took a few pictures. Sand, sea and birds ….. a beautiful sight.

There is a guy on the beach that fishes with his dog, a German short hair and it is something to see. The dog swims non stop and the guy goes out into the surf to fish. Most people think it’s a bit dopey. He has caught a few fish but he throws them back and then the dog retrieves them. Lets just say that the catch and release isn’t working too well.

Do you see that little head out there, that’s the fisherman.

This one didn’t make it.

Lots of seagulls.

This is the beach we walk on looking back towards Mazatlan ….south.

This is the beach at Cerritos where the surfers and boogie boarders hang out. There are only a couple of guys in the water because…..”the surf isn’t up!”

This bird found himself a crab under the sand and dug it up.

Got it!

Mine, mine, mine.

That’s Eric heading for home…. it’s time for happy hour. That big building on the left is the one they are still working on across the street from our trailer park.

Waves coming in.

Almost a full moon.

I haven’t mentioned anything about Eric’s personal ride in the blog. He bought a bicycle in Quartzite last year on our way south at the edge of the road next to a grocery store. He had some trouble with shifting of gears and ended up shimming it with a filed American penny. It worked last year but this year when he got it home the axle actually broke while he was out riding with grand daughter Holly. A new axle and now it is all good.

Here’s Eric ready to ride. The rig behind him with his Star Choice receiver invention behind him. He welded up a bracket to mount it on the 5th wheel pin and now it can’t blow over. Well, unless the 5th wheel blows over!

This picture reminds us that there are Scorpions in the park. Pepe (park manager) scooped this guy up and put him in alcohol. Since then Eric found one under the bike cover and since it was folded up hiding he thought it was a beetle. He flicked it off and then told Pepe who again scooped it up into his jar. Where Pepe used to live they had lots of Scorpions and he shows these to his little son to show him what not ……to poke at! He also said that the smaller the pinschers the higher the venom when they sting you. Don’t walk outside in bare feet in the dark when they are out and about! Pepe also told us that we have anti venom for Scorpions in the office if it is needed. Good to know.

Here is one picture of the ongoing Satellite installations in the park. The Americans have a horrible time getting the TV they want without bringing huge dishes with them because their footprint for the satellite signal is so small. They are always trying to buddy up on the same dish and every year something changes. They could probably get Star choice but then they would start to talk Canadian eh! and besides most of the men don’t want to watch hockey, they’d rather watch football. Oh well, at least it gives them a project.

Here is Pepe and Eric looking at “Pepe’s personal ride” Pepe bought a bicycle to cruise the park and ride back and forth to work but he’s been having problems with it shifting. Déjà vu….just like Eric!

Now Hal joins in to help.

So, what do you think is wrong?

Eric and Hal looked it over but in the end although they could get it to shift up with adjustment they couldn’t get it to shift down properly. In the end Sam took to the bicycle shop and for 20 pesos ($1.70) it was fixed! They cut the shifter cable and shortened and now all is well. Pretty expensive eh!