Working in the yard in guaymas

Pictures are of (top to bottom) Sunset in the boatyard, Eric and Sherrell from Sarana, view of San Carlos Bay and LoonIII going back into the water.
We arrived in Guaymas during a very hot fall--temps soared in the 90,s which made it very hard to work much longer than 4-5 hours a day. We learned the value of siesta very well. Shortly after we arrived, acquaintences but soon to be friends Aly and Iain from LoonIII arrived and we spent fun times driving around town getting food and water as well as getting to know them. We had first encountered them in an anchorage in the Bunsbys on the west coast of Vancouver Island, then in Sausalito and then in Baja. Also arriving shortly after were Monica and Jack of BellaVia, soon to be our mentors in this project to give Batwing a facelift. Days became work time in morning and early afternoon, then off to internet and possibly water and food shopping, trips to the ferreteria or hardware store then back home to early to bed on the boat. Throw in a weekend day to goof off exploring the coast north and south of Guaymas, trips to San Carlos to visit other cruiser friends, and you have our routine. Wait till we show you pictures of Batwing!

Back in Mexico

Weather has finally started to cool off to high 80,s and we are getting more work done. Stay tuned to the changes we are making on Batwing!
Great to be in the land of papayas and avocados. Avos are about a quarter apiece and papayas 2-3 $$ depending on the size. Guac rules!

On the way out of Colorado

As we left Colorado, we visited Brian Sperry for a couple days on his river property. Very beautiful place and a fun time visiting and working with Brian. Then on to Grand Junction where we hiked near the National Monument area with Ron's sister jan and her husband Dan.

Ron visits his mom

We spent 10 days in Blair Nebraska sharing time with Ron's mom, then back to Hastings where we caught another concert, this time the Cathedral Brass, a quintet made up of Dan and Susan Schmidt and 3 other excellent musicians. We really enjoyed the touch of culture in our Midwest visit, compliments of the musical Schmidts!

Hastings Nebraska, more than corn

This is a storm that sent down loads of hail here in Hastings Nebraska in May of this year 2005! Wow, imagine having this spinning overhead!

We are enjoying our visit with Ron's Brother Dan and his wife Susan. Lots of wonderful vegetables from their incredible garden every night! And music and entertainment due to their involvement in the community as musicians and professor/teacher.

Thank you Dan and Susan for a wonderful visit!

Camping with Erica,Picking up Internet on the street in front of a bank in Saratoga, Hot Springs and Snowy Mountains of Wyoming

Erica arrived home to Colorado after a summer studying invasive wetlands plants in Mississippi. We were excited to be spending 8 days of camping in the Snowies of Wyoming with her, since we hadn' t seen her since she and Benjamin visited us in Sausalito about a year ago (while we were traveling down the coast in Batwing). First stop was Rob Roy Reservoir for 2 nites, and thanks to Howard G. we found a secluded dispersed campsite in a very prime spot.
While we were gone we had to monitor email as she was expecting word on an apartment that she and her friend Summer were hoping to obtain for their school year which starts in September in Bellingham WA.
Finding internet access in small Wyoming towns was going to be a challenge. We found that the library in Centennial had wrless access(deliberately mispelling to stop spiders from sending ads) and two very nice computers for public access (even though the library was about the size of a one car garage!) No word of the apartment--yet. So on to the next campsite just over Snowy Mountain Pass. Cool nights, warm/cool days. Just what we were looking for. After a few days of hiking and campfires, we desperately needed showers, so on to the Saratoga hotsprings we went and enjoyed 2 days of soaking and showering. Yes! Clean again!
It was also time to check email and after discovering that the library in Saratoga did not have wrless, we cruised town with the computer on, monitoring the software to see if we could find a hotspot. There it was, out in front of the bank, a weak but usable signal. So we crept up next to the curb in front of the bank, car running, stealing wireless internet access for at least 10 minutes. Mission accomplished, we made a quick getaway and headed up into the mountains once more to enjoy a 7 mile hike to some of the beautiful mountain lakes of the Snowies.

These pictures show our camps, hotsprings, hike

Di's family trip to Michigan

A whirlwind, never a dull moment trip to Michigan to visit Di's Brother, Gary, sis inlaw Dee Dee and the four boys Bradlee, age 10, Scottie and Eric, age 8, and Willie, age 4. Whew what energy!
It was wonderful to see these guys after 4 years! They are changing rapidly. Thank you Gary and Dee Dee for a wonderful visit!

Sailors Meet in Steamboat

Well, land travel is starting to seem like cruising. We met cruisers Terry and Tammy from SECRET OF LIFE, another cruising sailboat that happens to be stored in the same dry marina, MarinaSeca Guaymas, as BATWING! Our friend Sam, long time friend of Diane, who lives in Steamboat(we took care of her house and dog), met them through her friends, Rick and Susie Bear, and thought we all ought to get together and meet! the pictures that follow are that meeting. the couple with the guy in the baseball shirt is Sam and her friend Marv, the couple above them is Terry and Tammy, Rick and Susie Bear are at the top. See you guys in Guaymas in October! Thank you Sam for your thoughtfulness and generosity.

More friends and interesting houses here in the "Boat"

Bobbie's house near the Airport
And Mimi and Gary and Diane on a bike ride

And this is what happened later

What? Work! Arrrrrrgh

There is much resting going on here (left, Kiira, right Hawk, Sam's dog)

Well look at Ron.........Coming out of "retirement" to paint Sam's roof while we take care of her house plants, lawn and animal for a couple weeks. Beautiful weather, great downtown location, maybe we will make it to the concert at the botanical gardens today........

Steamboat Housesittingand Mountain Report

Our first stint as housesitters just finished and we can honestly say we enjoyed taking care of plants and animals immensely. I am just relieved that nothing bad happened like an animal getting sick, peeing and pooping on the carpet (the cats or dogs--I know what you were thinking!) or dead plants due to too much heat and sun.

Thank goodness the "monsoons" have started and each day it clouds up and rains a bit in the afternoon. Finally a respite from the summer heat. Thank you Vickie and Marty for the opportunity to continue a resume of dedicated housesitting. Our kitty found and eliminated her first two mice from their house. She is finally earning her keep!

Currently we are moved into Sam's house in Steamboat in a somewhat quiet neighborhood not far from Downtown. Instead of Deer, coyotes and cows, we have the possibility of the local bear rummaging in our alleyway. All garbage stays indoors till collection day. We have plants indoor and out and sweet Hawk (an older English Setter) to care for, as well as minor household chores to complete.

Dennis Taliafero came up for a 24 hour visit. He couldn't stop talking about the wonderful view from Marty and Vickie's deck and hot tub. He was truly impressed with the remote feel of their home.

Kathy W. (formerly of falafel King, currently unemployed--yahoo! and Happy Birthday on the 25th!) came up last Thursday and she and I (Diane) and Linda (formerly of Boulder Allegro coffee roasting fame, currently the roaster at Steamboat Coffee Roasters) headed to Mica Lake for three wonderful days of nature and wilderness enjoyment. With backpacks on our backs, a border collie named Murphy and bearded collie named Duncan, we set up camp in a prime location near the lake. From there we blazed trails up to three different ridges surrounding the lake, each trip about a mile as the crow flies, but 800 to 1000 feet in elevation gain. Lots of rapidly melting snow fields and incredible vistas. A herd of elk majestically silhouetted against the sky, looked down upon our campsite each night just before our nightly campfires. Thunder and rainclouds barely dampened the grass two nights, while it rained more in town. This experience was a wonderful contrast from being a sailor. Yes I must admit I did miss the mountains of Colorado and feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportuity to have experienced them once again!

Steamboat, HIkes, Friends and Hummingbirds

We visited Aunt Elda, Kenny, Diane, and Don and Valera in Loveland area on our way out of Boulder. After being seriously burned, Valera is healing very well. We were impressed with her progress and hope she continues with her positive attitude.
Cameron Pass was still very beautiful and especially scenic with the Moose grazing nonchalantly alongside the highway at the peak of the pass.

We were told that three inmates from a prison in Nebraska had escaped and abandoned a stolen car in the vicinity of Gould (just over the pass) and that we ought to be aware. So that information influenced our choice of camping spots and we agreed on a scenic turnoff just before Rabbit Ears pass on Highway 40, far enough from the scene of the abandoned car to make Diane comfortable. All night we were bombasted with angry mosquitoes buzzing at our screened windows on the van. By the next morning they were mostly gone and we were able to enjoy a hike to the famous "Rabbit Ears".

Upon entering town we called several friends to see if anyone was home, finding no one, we enjoyed a picnic lunch by the river and watched the many "tubers" floating down the river trying to stay cool. Temperatures here have been quite hot, nights cool. After a visit to the forest service office, we looked at a county map and figured out how to find Vickie and Marty's homestead and drove the 13 miles towards Oak Creek on the back roads to their lovely octagonal log home.

This past week we hiked in the Flat Tops past Stillwater Reservoir to Mosquito Lake, up Service Creek, attended the Balloon festival, a wonderful potluck at the Hirschboeck's (organized by Sam Marti) where many of Diane's original Steamboat friends from the 70's (Cooper and Tracey, Bobbie, Sam, Kathy and Jeff, Mimi and Gary), gathered to visit and catch up on each other's lives, a classical music concert at the botanical gardens, and the Big Head Todd concert on Headwall at the ski mountain.

Currently we are enjoying taking care of two dogs and two cats (one is our kitty Kiira) indoor and outdoor plants, hummingbird feeders, finch feeders, mail, vegetable garden, and any emergencies that may crop up. Wow, a bit more complex than our life on Batwing, but a welcome change it is!

Thank you Boulder!

It is time to head north to Loveland to visit Ron's aunt Elda. Then on to Steamboat over Cameron Pass. We had a wonderful time visiting friends in Boulder, going to the Farmer's Market, hiking some Front Range trails, kayaking both Union and Boulder Reservoir in our klepper, attending free concerts on the mall. Between Latin, African, and Beatlemania, we covered a crosssection of the variety of music available here.
Thank you Brad, Kathy, Sperry's, and Howard and Ann for your hospitality.
We will be back in late August.

This is what we were doing last year at this time.

We swallowed the anchor for the summer!

Here we are in Boulder Colorado--quite a stretch from our life afloat! Sorry we have been too busy organizing the change of life from on the hook to on the road, that we haven't been able to organize ourselves for an update till now. It is hard to believe that just a couple weeks ago we were in Mexico getting Batwing ready for the summer of storage on land. To copy our dear friend Monica of Bella Via "were we really there?" It all seems so long ago. It is like being plucked from the water and immediately transfered to our former lives skipping the points in between. 'Tis quite hot here though. We must get up higher in the mountains to truly be comfortable again. After all, the reason we left Mexico was to get out of the heat.
So let us briefly go over the events that led to our being here in Colorado.

After a bit of deliberation, we decided to abandon sweating to death on Batwing in the Sea of Cortez, and head up to the States for the summer. We rationalized it by saying that we had to visit Ron's mom in Nebraska as she is getting up there in age. Then by next summer (2006) we would head to the Northwest and get jobs and re-up the cruising kitty (buying a land yacht was not in the original budget plan) while waiting for Erica to graduate sometime December 2006, or March 2007.

We arrived in San Carlos in mid May, and proceeded to research vans for sale in Tucson, Az., the closest place across the border where we might succeed with little effort in finding an appropriate vehicle. After a fair amount of internet time, Diane felt reasonably certain of what to look for and traveled the 350 miles north with Bert and Debbie, a fellow cruising couple living in San Carlos. Within 3 days she was back in San Carlos with our 1994 Dodge Conversion van and we moved Batwing to Guaymas for her haulout.

The Marina Seca in Guaymas is not as popular as the Marina Seca (dry storage) in San Carlos, but we feel it is better to be in Guaymas where the yard is smaller and less formal, and very close to the Ferreterias (hardware stores) thus easier to do our work. It was also the place chosen and recommended by our Canadian friends who also own Junks Bella Via nd Bu Kwiis. And--- we also love Gabriel, the young man in charge whose family owns the yard. He told us if we ever want to see what Batwing looks like while we are gone, he will take a picture and email it to us. Now that is personal service!

By the end of May we were ready to leave Mexico and the oppressive heat. Accompanying us were Kay and Steve of Kavenga, fellow cruisers who were planning to do the same as us--get a camping van and cruising on land for the summer. We left them at the same Roadrunner Hostel that Diane stayed at during her vehicle search, and proceeded to head to Nevada where we visited Di's nephew Jon and registered the van. Afterwards we crossed Utah and ended up in Grand Junction visiting Ron's sister Janet and family for a few days. We all went to Ouray for an overnight camp and hike and soak in the wonderful hot springs.

Leaving Grand Junction, we spent a couple nights on the Colorado River, beautiful runoff, green everywhere. the mountains are blessed with plenty of water this year.

Currently we are in Boulder, nursing Ron's cold, visiting friends, housesitting, biking to work (Diane just did that with Kathy) going to the free concerts on Thursdays, and catching up on the 3 past years.

In July we will head to Steamboat to visit more friends, housesit for our friends the Rosensweigs and Sam, and then head back to Boulder in time for Diane to catch a flight to Michigan to visit her brother's family and nephews, then back to Colorado in time for Erica to arrive and join us in some camping and canoeing with the Steckers.

Before heading to Mexico we plan a visit to Nebraska and Ron's family. Whew! Makes me tired just typing this. It will be great to get back to the simple life of cruising!

Whoa! What did we miss? Let's go back to Puerto Vallarta, La Paz and then up the coast to Bahia Conception......

Well, we left Puerto Vallarta in March, escaping the heat and humidity, taking advantage of a weather window of 3 days of calm. We beelined it to the North end of Cerralvo Island quite uneventfully till we approached the north channel around midnight of the third day. Then our peaceful journey turned into victory at sea once more. We struggled for hours against the crazy Southwesterly winds (Corumels) and waves,attempting to get into the lee of the land just north of La Paz. By morning we made it to the point just off Tecolote and radioed in to see if anyone in the harbor could hear us. Since the winds hadn't abated, we were concerned that we would have more of the same as we entered the channel to La Paz. As luck would have it, we were told by our friends on Merry Dolphin that conditions were balmy at 7 knots in the anchorage. Yahoo! We could look forward to a respite.

Again we enjoyed the friendships and the bustle of events in our favorite city in baja, while taking care of Ron's dental needs. Photos show us Participating in Bayfest, an informal race and friends Jay and Jane joined us while taking a break from their kayak trip.

We enjoyed a sail to Isla Partida with Bella Via, and after a day of hiking and then another of snorkeling with the sea lions, we bid them good bye as they sailed northward with Bu Kwiis and all of their kids, and us back to La Paz.


Once we finished the dental appointments, and participated in some of the events of the cruisers', fest including placing third in the fun race, we left La Paz on a fast track to visit friends in Bahia Conception. Of course we visited points on the way such as Agua Verde and the hotsprings north, the waiting room at Puerto Escondido, and Bahia San Juanico. These were incredible places that we want to go back to to spend more time there. As we entered the channel to Bahia Conception we were reminded of how inaccurate the charts of Mexico are. According to our position that we took, we should have been grounded but were safely in the channel. It is wise to travel by day. We were also enjoying recognizing the places where we kayaked the previous year, looking through the binoculars and identifying all of our camping beaches as we sailed northwards.

Once inside Bahia Conception, we reunited with our friend Dennis and hung around with him for a few days, using the Directway internet while on the beach. We drove to Mulege and visited with Kay and Larry, a couple we had met last year while kayaking. We met Leslie and Wayne on Wanderin Star and Diane had an open water swim buddy for a couple days. That was enjoyable, thanks Leslie! Got to do more of that next year.

Time was ticking away and knowing that we had to get Batwing hauled out and ready for storage before the end of May, we left the bay and headed to San Carlos --another overnighter and a bit rolly. After "cheating death once more" (to coin a phrase used by some other cruisers we overheard on the VHF)we arrived in San Carlos Bay to anchor near Bu Kwiis. Steve introduced us to the wireless internet we could subscribe to for a week at anchorage, as well as the cybercosecurity webcam that showed all of the boats at anchorage in the bay live! We had fun watching Steve call his friends in Canada while using Skype (Voice over IP phone) and tell them to get on the computer and go the the website, and watch him as he went to the bow of his boat to wave at them. We heard lots of "Can you see me?" all afternoon until the sun went down and then, of course, no one could see him at that point.

We toured Guaymas and a neighboring town with Wayne on Wanterin Star, and thanks to him we were able to find hardware stores, grocery stores, and a place get our van repaired, not to mention, he acted as a relay of Diane's email message to Ron when she was in Tucson. As a ham, Wayne can easily receive email messages through the black box used in conjunction with his radio. Batwing is not yet equipped of doing that, and we are not yet hams. Perhaps we will make that happen next year.

Lots of discussion went on regarding how to handle the job of getting a van to camp in for the summer and our solution you have read about in the previous blog.