The Season Begins (Again)

Arizona - Sonora Desert Museum has cool stuff

Well, well, well… Here we are, ready to jump across the southern border again. This is the third season and I, for one, am intrigued by what we will find this time! We have included plans for a different experience in several ways this season. First, we will have Sandy’s (and by inference, mine as well) grandson joining us in or around Puerto Vallarta. That is likely to be too much fun in so many ways. This would be the first person younger than 20 years of age to stay on the boat with us! We have also planned a stop in Topolobampo for a detour into Copper Canyon via train. Naturally, there will be a variety of people popping in and out as we move around in Mexico so I am certain that there will be adventures derived from that alone.

Some items of curiosity are: Will we have hassles about anything that we are bringing over the line? Is there a real issue (as we have heard recently) with rock throwers in Hermosillo? Is the highway still in good shape? Have we remembered everything we need for projects once we get there? Will the composting marine head fit and work as we have envisioned? There are just too many things swinging in the wind for us to be sure right now. There is sooo much work to do when we get there. Only time and effort will tell if we have planned well enough. With the new dog aboard there will be challenges there as well, I am just sure of it.

I did find out this afternoon that Abby (the dog) is a Democrat. I had finished up my ballot to send it back to Washington before we leave tomorrow and she must have suspected that I might have put in one or two votes for Republicans (she will likely vote a straight ticket) so she ate the envelope while I was out on a last minute gathering of list items. I know that sounds suspiciously like, “the dog ate my homework,” BUT since I rarely vote a “straight” ticket she may discerned my direction and decided immediate action was required. In any event, the mauled ballot was patched up and will be sent off to be recorded.

We understand, too, that raccoons are invading the docks at Marina Real in San Carlos. They have become quite brazen apparently and have boarded boats in search of food or shelter. That’s a giant, “Yikes!!!” if I think too hard about it. I mean, I can see waking up to the face of a raccoon string at me from the hatch over our bunk and hoping I can close the hatch before Sandy wakes up!!! Too much of a problem!! I have, in the past, seen them (raccoons) in the garbage cans in San Carlos Marina devastating the refuse. They are quite nasty if they feel threatened. Anyway, this is something to ponder as we drive south. The possible images are terrifying!!

Infrastructure

Sorry, there are just no pictures adequate to add to this post...

As a non-political statement I have found that the roads in California have been allowed to deteriorate substantially. What I mean here is that our twice a year contact with I-5 going to or from Mexico and Washington state has a bouncy component in the middle of California. The infrastructure has been let fly by the governing mob of the state under the cry of, “Budget Crisis” which, I am sure, is in an acute state of fiscal reality in most states these days.

The road bed on much of I-5 has been beaten senseless by the too many vehicles traversing the long north/south corridor. There has been little or no repair in long stretches of the road and neglect is the main component of its current state. There are some perfectly pleasant sections but they are incredibly brief. It seems that there will be some serious prices to pay to fix the problem at some as yet undermined time in the future. While I am not at all clear on how the funding mechanism works in terms of federal versus state amounts but it seems that Some Money is surely available… just not now for that purpose.

If this road is in this condition (barely functional in places) it begs the question, “What other designated infrastructure is in so deep a trouble?” What has become of the funding for schools? Why has the crisis of the moment been extended for so long? Are dams and bridges in as much trouble? There is serious money in the government of California and from observation of the workings of the taxman in that state (one in which I would never choose to live with the possible exception of San Diego) there is a very active taxing authority there as well. If the legislative and executive branches do not solve these problems there is very little need for them. On a state level they exist to cooperatively deal with these infrastructure matters. If they cannot execute that responsibility then why have them around? For all the wrangling I have seen on TV as we travel down the state in this election cycle it is clear only that the politicos exist in some fairly rarified air and have just as clearly lost touch with clarity of thought. “Magical Thinking” is all I can think of to describe this idiocy of blame and stupidity. Pointing fingers at each other has absolutely no place in this debate.

The commercial interests of the state will suffer from the lack of infrastructure. The public at large is suffering from the under maintained roads. The number of trucks plying the roadway tells you that without decent roads the costs of maintaining the trucks will increase and we will all pay for that in the marketplace. The underlying fabric of our national life is displayed in these ways and it should make you concerned for the future. This problem is NOT a matter of politics; it is a matter of loss of focus. It is a matter of a system going toward irrelevancy. It is a matter of an unsustainable system being picked apart by idiots.

Kiva = Microfinance; Next...

As those watching this space for any time know I decided awhile ago to support Kiva and the micro-finance movement. Well, here is one of the founders of Kiva talking about an extension of that movement that may have the power of the original in a better way. Yes, the economy may suck at the moment but this idea has the power to do for the economy what the, now non-lending, banks fail to do when they are too large for regular people. You see, at this point anyway, I have far more than the average loans in the Kiva system but I see that more is needed here (in the U.S.A.) to promote the businesses that are trying hard to go forward in adverse conditions. It will still take "BIG" ideas to create new businesses but it can be done if the traditional bank is not in the picture.

I do not know what the future holds but I can applaud the good idea when I see it. This is a little over 18 minutes in length so you have to stick with it to get the point.

Ok, A Bit Off on Tangent

A bit off of the usual path; We found a dog on-line but when we got to the shelter it was clear that this was not the right dog for us... However we did find a pup that was exactly the right one at the same place. We had been secretly looking for quite awhile.




We decided to call her Abby... no special reason, it just seems to fit!! What can I say? When the right dog comes along you are powerless.



No doubt this will change the adventure at times but that's okay by me. I mean, it was resisted for as long as I could hold out!

Southerly Direction

Haystack Rock at Pacific City

We have started the trek south again and are making a whopping 60 or so miles per day! Well, we have our reasons, I suppose. First stop was Seaside, Oregon because there are friends there. The RV park was a pleasant place and we stayed for three days, checking in with Rod and Debo to have dinner and then shop a bit. Then on to Pacific City, Oregon where we found a great RV park across the street from the beach and the Pelican Brew Pub. Here is where we were surprised by the food served as much as enjoying the excellent beer. That was a two day stop. From there we landed in Florence, Oregon to visit family and ended up staying two days as well. From here we are going to Sutherlin, Oregon to visit more family. Then there will be a stop at Crater Lake followed by Ashland. Then the days will get a little longer as we get to the Redwoods and Sonoma Valley. After all the small distances we need to get much further south and expect to be in San Diego before the 22nd of October. That should put some hustle in the bustle!!

Just trees at Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park, Oregon

The thing that I have discovered about these short days is that I am much less exhausted when setting up or tearing down camp each time. It is a lot easier on me to be going through the motions when I am not tired from driving all day and a leisurely time while stationary makes for a simpler pack up as well. If we stay someplace for a couple of days it usually means we get comfortable but do not get too spread out! When we roost for more than three days we start setting things up more completely and it takes a bunch longer to put it all away again.

Our pattern this summer has been leaps of no more than 350 miles per day which normally is a full day since we do not get up to higher speeds most of the time. It is an art to travel at these slower speeds but it is very rewarding. It used to be that I was all about the destination and 600 mile days were not out of the question. Now, however, we can stop for the least excuse and read plaques or take pictures at will. If we do not quite make it as far as we thought we would there is almost always an RV park wherever we find ourselves. Oh well, it makes for a great day to be less concerned with how far we need to go.

Crater Lake

What we are shooting for now, in the longer run that is, is to get to San Carlos before the end of the month. It will take a good effort to have the boat ready to go before the end of November if we get there by late October. I am hoping for a two week “get ready” this season but that is probably just wishful thinking on my part. After all I have to finish finishing the galley floor (a re-varnish job), install the new composting head, run lines everywhere, reinstall the BBQ (after a thorough cleaning), varnish the board that we attach the extra fuel cans to, install the new bow light, install the dinghy wheels on the new dinghy, fix some of the interior lights, put the dodger and bimini back on and, oh, whatever else I am not thinking of right now. There is always a bunch to do getting ready for the season again. We still have things (like the dinghy wheels and water filters) to purchase in San Diego not to mention the fishing licenses and… what am I forgetting? It will take us some time to have everything put together but who can say how fast it will come together? Last season I incorrectly thought that it would be two or three days to install the new windlass but, did I mention it took the better part of a week to finish that job? So, who knows how long all this will take!?!?

For now I am organizing the list and getting mentally prepared to go back to work!!