Strange "Cocoon"!

A few days ago we found this "pod" in our garden, I don't know what else to call it.  We found it the morning after we saw the bright "shooting star".

Today, Ann and I poked it with a stick and it wiggled; we then heard an odd humming noise as if a large swarm of bees was passing overhead (No one is going to believe this, they'll start to doubt everything I've said).

Ann has seemed a little quiet lately and I have a feeling this "larvae" is somehow involved.  If this is my last posting it is because of that..."thing", whatever it is.

Fire at Las Palmas

On Thursday there was a big fire at one of our favorite beaches, Las Palmas, sweeping through the tall grass and palm trees that are in that canyon. 

It isn't known how the fire started; everything is very dry here and it is easy to imagine how a blaze could get out of control.

There is a history of fire among those palm groves as is evident by the blackened trunks, and it is unclear how regular fire is or if fire is used to keep underbrush  cleared out.

The grass will all grow back and the palms are charred but still green on top.

This punctuated the end of a week for me in which two good people died, my dear old uncle, Bill Brant, and an old friend I've known since my college days, Zeb Stewart.

Se Vende

--All of the Todos Santos area, and especially the area near the beach or with a view of the ocean, is divided up into lots.   Everything is for sale, and if already sold, then sprouting a dwelling of some kind, some still in the cement block and rebar stage.  The houses here vary in size and tastefulness, but since there doesn't seem to be any effective form of zoning, there are all manners of eyesores to offend your sensibilities (and also some great houses with beautiful gardens that will have you reaching for your checkbook). My pet peeves are building too close to the beach (where the dunes actually begin is disputable) and  tall houses, which I think people want so they can see farther, but end up looking conspicuous and disrespectful.

--Furthermore, most of the desert lots on the hill (where we are) were bulldozed at the time all the dividing took place, presumably to allure potential buyers (already cleared!), causing all kinds of erosion and destruction of the landscape.   If you drive north past the area of development you can see how beautiful the desert is without houses and all it's vegetation intact.  

--The Mexicans here seem happy about getting some money for their land, but I'm afraid much of the land was sold at giveaway prices (later resold at a profit by crafty gringos) and that the beauty that makes this a great place may be slowly replaced by a dusty, bumpy version of a San Diego suburb.

--Except for a week in February, Ann and I have not caught the "shopping for a lot" bug.  Land and homes are not much cheaper, if at all, than the U.S., and though it is very nice here, one of the things that we find enjoyable is freedom from any worries and hassles that come from home ownership.   

Todos Santos Turtles

Ori at Olive Ridley release.

Baby Leatherback

--As many know, Ann has been involved with the turtle projects here in Todos Santos.  She has helped the group Todos Tortugas with fundraising by publishing an informative brochure to be handed out at turtle releases.  Also she has taken many shifts keeping post at the invernadero (greenhouse), and by helping to collect eggs from nesting turtles.

--The group is patrolling 36km of beach every night on a 4 wheeler  looking for turtle nests (Olive Ridley or Leatherback).  If a nest is found, the eggs are dug out and reburied in the sand inside a greenhouse on the beach north of town.  The sand is too cold for turtle eggs to incubate in the winter, and the greenhouse keeps the sand nice and warm.

--This year was a milestone for the the group.  Not only did they save many Olive Ridley eggs (endangered, but a relatively common turtle), they also rescued eggs from 4 different Leatherbacks (critically endangered), 12 nests for a total of almost a thousand eggs, many of which have already hatched and been released.  Statistically, one hatchling in a thousand survive to make it back in 15 to 20 years to nest.

--The Leatherback, and all sea turtles, have a lot going against them in their struggle to maintain a viable population (fishing practices: nets and longlines, eating plastic garbage, beach habitat degradation) and the efforts these people have made is a small but significant step in the right direction.

--The sea turtle (especially the Leatherback) is an ancient and strange creature, bridging our world with the time of the dinosaurs.  Whether it is instinct or wisdom, they operate with a hundred million years of evolutionary experience, and though we may have leapfrogged past them in some regards (internet, cell phones), there is something basic and steadfast about them that is humbling.

--Click on the link up on my "links of note" section, or go to todostortugueros.org to learn more about the group and the turtles.   These people are all volunteers and operate on a shoestring budget so it would be very helpful to them to make a donation; what is your money for if not to try to do something good in the world?

Finishing Touches

--I've been busy putting all the final glimmers on lichens and getting the expressions of the sparrows in the branches just so (puzzled, surprised, maybe completely oblivious,each one different), and the light, I want to make sure the angles from the setting sun are all correct and working their hardest to create the mood I want in order to express all my feelings (not to mention my ideas) about what it's like to grow up in this (that) country, the excitement, the confusion, the dreams, the disillusionment.    

Catch a Wave!

--Ann has been taking surfing lessons from Mario at Cerritos Beach.  She has been doing great since she decided to be a goofy footer (right foot forward). 

--Mario is a very good teacher and thinks Ann is almost ready to start going out on her own.

--Ori and I are happy remaining on shore to provide moral support, towels...

--Note shorty wetsuit: the water temperature has gone down recently as some Northern Pacific current has come in, typical for this time of year.  Perhaps coincidentally, the whales are all gone now, migrating back to Alaska.  It's a little lonely here without them.

Pelican Mystery!

There is a distressing mystery that has been bothering us ever since we arrived in Todos Santos.  A visit to the beach always involves the sight of dead or dying pelicans.  Reports of hundreds of dead pelicans near the lagoon sent a buzz through the community: what was going on with the pelicans?!  Nobody knows for sure what is causing this problem, but there are a few theories floating out there.   Here are a few that I have heard:

--Fishermen catch them and break their necks when they come around the boats because they are competing for the same fish.

--It is juveniles who are dying because they are inexperienced and dive into water that is too shallow and break their necks.

--Cold weather earlier this year in Washington and Oregon (do the pelicans here migrate from up there?) caused frostbite on their feet and bills, weakening their resistance to disease, impairing their ability to catch food.

Any ideas?

Painting Polly Pockets

I've been making brush and ink drawings of Ori's Polly Pocket girls as another of my side projects.  They have good hand gestures and slightly oversized heads.  I can imagine groups of girls meeting and gossiping, sometimes in a little environment (trees).  What are they talking about?  Me?

Millions of People Happy?!

"You've got talent kid!  You get your tongue fixed... and you can make millions of people happy!"

At Ori's request, The Muppet Movie has been viewed in our house enough times in the past couple of months that all of that movie's charm, wit, silliness, and muppet wisdom has begun to soak into my skin.  If Kermit the Frog can have the belief in his own talents necessary to get out of that swamp and travel across the country with a bear (and others) and make the big time in Hollywood, then maybe I can do it too.  This thought process is the result of the kind of softening effects being in Mexico for a few months can have on your judgement, your reasoning faculties.  

In any event, I've taken pencil to paper and finally started work on that  screenplay I've always meant to write.  When I'm finished with it I'll take it to World Wide Studios and they will prepare the standard rich and famous contract.

You'll Never Believe This!

One evening a few weeks ago while Barbequeing, a spark flew up and burned a small hole in my shirt (top photo).  About a week later, I was out at the beach and realized the pen in the pocket of my favorite shirt (Ben Sherman) had leaked!   Despite the efforts from the folks at Neptuno Laundry, a spot still remains, and a faint bluish stain as well (bottom photo).  The strange thing is both shirts are pink, checked, and both damages occurred in almost the same place, in the lower left corner of the pocket.  Coincidence?!

Sierra de la Laguna

The Sierra de la Laguna mountain range provides a jagged mountain backdrop to the town of Todos Santos, but most visitors and residents never explore this region due to its ruggedness and inaccessibility.  The natural history of this range is fascinating, separated from mainland Mexico millions of years ago as the San Andreas fault began shifting, many creatures were stranded on a veritable ecological island.  The mountains have a wetter, cooler climate than the surrounding desert, adding to the diversity and unusualness of the plants and animals living there.

Here our hosts Cuco and Pilar get directions from Felix before we set out.  Felix told us the trail was easy to follow (maybe for him).  Cuco and Pilar both hiked in sandals made from old tires that Cuco makes.

The Sierra de la Laguna range extends south almost to Cabo San Lucas (50 miles?), we hiked into the northern region, which at 6500 feet forms a plateau 2 miles wide and 6 miles long and contains the 2 mile long meadow (laguna) for which the whole region is named.  The meadow is surrounded by forests of pine, oaks (one species with only 20 trees), palms, palmitas, cacti, madrone (firewood of choice), and many other trees we didn't know. It is also home to many interesting birds, many of which do not migrate and though not officially considered separate species, have evolved significant differences.  These include a Yellow Eyed Junco (Bairds), Acorn Woodpecker (with dark eyes), Oak TItmouse, Nuthatch (didn't see), San Lucas Robin (like ours but light buffy breast), Band Tailed Pigeon.  Other birds are wintering there including many warblers (Black Throated Gray, Hermit, Townsends,Wilson's...), Vireos.  There are also some birds whose status I don't know, they may go up and down the mountain depending on available resources: Xantus Hummingbird, Scotts Oriole, Western Tanager, Black Headed Grosbeak, Prairie Falcon, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Spotted and California Towhee.

A view of the variety of vegetation on top of the plateau.

The terrain up the mountain is rugged, steep, and thick with thorny vegetation.  A guide is necessary for such an expedition, for trails are unmarked and criss-crossed with cow paths, causing utter confusion.  Our guide was Cuco Moiron, a local artist, knowledgeable about flora and fauna and all things pertaining to the Sierra de la Laguna, speaker of English.  He and his wife, Pilar Ojeda, speaker of a little English, planned the trip, supplied all the camping gear, and saw to the hundreds of tiny details that go into such an expedition.  Horses (two) were needed to carry the gear and supplies, and naturally a horseman was necessary to pack and lead the horses.

Felix with his two horses, Bouganvillo, and Manchato.

Our ranchero horseman, Felix Salvatierra, was a tall elegant man, both rustic and suave.  Though he spoke no English, he delivered his Spanish with a big smile, and I perceived an ironic sense of humor (when asked whether he does much cooking at home he said "Oh, yes, guests leave my table licking their fingers").  With a rifle slung over his shoulder and the horse rope coiled loosely in his hand, he walked up the steepest mountain trail like he was strolling through a garden.  We never once saw him perspire or take a drink of water, even when everyone else was huffing and puffing to catch up.  It was decided after we set out (for several reasons) that Felix would spend the whole time with us, rather than bringing the horses back down and coming back a few days later.  His camping gear consisted of a neatly folded bandana in his back pocket, and his rifle.  He borrowed a sleeping bag from Cuco (Pilar and Cuco shared one) and stretched out next to the fire.  

On the hike up we stopped at a stream crossing to swim in some deep pools.  It was here that Cuco suddenly motioned to Felix to come quickly with his gun: two wild pigs (feral) were taking a drink below us.  Felix came excitedly over and took aim and fired, but missed.  The pigs quickly trotted off, no pork tonight!

Even with a guide, many times we had to bushwack and backtrack, searching for the right trail.  Felix had no such trouble, but was too rapido for anyone to follow closely.  He also had an uncanny ability to know (good ears) when we had stopped to take a break.  "Get up you lazy __ __, I'm hungry!!" he would shout from the trail high above us as soon as we sat down under a tree.  Cuco would shout back some equally friendly obscenities.

Pilar provided delicious and interesting meals for the trip, all of which were expertly cooked over a fire.  The way she reached into the fire to toast tortillas, and balanced pots and pans on rocks was amazing to us.  Many things were cooked by placing them directly in coals: heads of garlic, onions, potatoes.  Breakfasts were large and surprising for their variety.  One morning oatmeal was served but also dried (reconstituted) Manta Ray burritos with tomatillo salsa.  When Pilar was cooking you never knew what would happen next!

Five star cowboy camping!

One evening Felix brought a branch of some tree into camp and we made a delicious cherry flavored tea by boiling the leaves.

Climbing up to the mountain meadow took a day and a half of hiking, we spent two full days up there exploring, and one full day to walk all the way back down.  The entire trip was four nights and four and a half days.  One day on the mountain we climbed the high peak there, Picacho (peak). From that point we could see forever in every direction and watched ravens circling around the steep cliffs, Xantus Hummingbirds were also there.  Our other day at La Laguna was spent exploring a creek which wound its way through high granite boulders.  Hanging ferns and cacti, madrones, and palm trees made a picturesque and unusual combination of colors and textures.  We saw many birds in this canyon including Canyon Wren, Broad Winged Hawk, warblers...

Cuco with the endemic Sotol.  Pilar roasted the flowers over the fire and we ate them for breakfast.

Even with three people and two horses helping us, the trip was not without challenges.  The trail was mostly steep ups and downs, exposed to hot sun, and the nights up there were a little cold for our thin sleeping bags. The lack of camping pads was a mite too cowboy for us soft gringos (me anyway).  All in all it was a fantastic trip with interesting people to a beautiful part of the Cape Region of Baja. 

We made it back!  See Picacho in the distance. 

10 Sunsets

--I finished a series of paintings (10) on 8x10 inch prestretched jobs of the sunset view from our driveway.  My goal was to be fairly objective, and not borrow too much from other areas of the sky.  All maintain a similar format, small dark horizon at the bottom.

-- Each session only lasted  about 20 minutes, the light changed so fast and darkness came quickly, mosquitos too.

--Felt the need for florescent paint or some enhancement of color and light.  I would mix up a bright orange then put it down and it would look a little dull.

Mystery Fruit

--Does anybody know what this fruit is?

--It looks like an avocado with spikes; this one fell out of a tree in our garden and split open so it must be ripe.

--Smells like lemon custard inside.

Critters

--Here is a sample of some of the more interesting creatures that we have in and around our house.  (not including birds, that's later)

--Grasshoppers:  Ori is looking at one of these giant brown hoppers; once one jumped and went down Ann's shirt.

  
--Praying Mantis:  A strange and wonderful bug.  The way it turns it's head to look at you is eerie.

Centipedes:  This one gives me the creeps, fast and ugly.  Our "caretaker" claims that this one will bite you and not let go (unreliable witness).

Crickets:  Big and black, one bit me when I naively picked it up with bare hands.

Scorpions:  We've found 6 or 7 so far of these little brown devils (the most poisonous kind), crawling on the floor, up on the wall, under towels, under Ori's bed...

Daddy Longlegs:  Where do they come from?  Often there is one trying to get out of the tub.

Ants:  Tiny and ubiquitous, these little fellas are everywhere! 

Geckos:  Make a chirping noise at night.  They start out small and extremely fragile, when large leave mouse-like poops.

Stick Bugs:  Brown and sticky.

Butterflies:  Often one or two fluttering around.  My favorites are the large chartreuse one and the brown one with a pink spot on each wing.

Mosquitos:  Come out at dusk, fast,  hard to catch.

Iguanas:  There are a few, one a couple feet long, of the brown desert variety, that are usually on the roof sunning.  Sometimes you can hear them scuffling up there.

Spiders:  Oh, yes!

Moths:  Some big brown ones, they seem to be attracted to the lights at night.

There are a couple bugs we've been warned about, their actual existence and dangerousness is not known.  One called the Deer-killer, Camel Spider, Assassin bug, or in Spanish, Matevenados,  looks like a Potato bug with pincers, can move incredibly fast (will charge you), but I'm pretty sure it isn't poisonous, and the threat is exaggerated.

Leviathans of the Sea

--All along the coast here Grey Whales can be seen swimming very close to shore, sometimes several at once, bobbing their backs out of the water and spouting.  It is rare to go to the beach and not see at least one whale.  Once in awhile one will poke it's nose up in the air as if to get a better look around.  Are they looking at us?  "Hello whale!"

--See two whales just beyond the waves in this unbelievable photograph. 

--Another mystery is whether one could listen to the whales if you were out swimming with them, reports differ on this point.

--Soon, probably now, the pregnant females will be giving birth in lagoons north of here, their meanderings father south and into the Sea of Cortez are extra swimming (just males and juveniles?).  

--Mating occurs at this time too (gestation is one year).  One male holds the female up while another male gets it on.  We haven't seen this but there are explicit postcards in the bookstore.

--Farther out, almost to the horizon, the larger Humpback Whales can occasionally be seen leaping high out of the water, over and over, coming down with great splashes.  There are many theories about this breaching behavior: removal of barnacles, exercising of flippers, just for fun...nobody knows.  Binoculars help with this one.

No Lifeguard on Duty!

--We are on the Pacific Ocean side of the Baja peninsula just at the Tropic of Cancer, 23 1/2 degrees north latitude.  The water here is warm enough for swimming but dangerous except for one or two places.  The surf is rough and there is a rip tide.   In some places the beaches are steep and the waves crash right on the sand.  Ann's brother, J, and I went out at Las Palmas on a fairly calm day (see photo, Ann took this thinking this is the last she would see of us), and we got out a little ways we realized the waves were big and crashing right in front of us, pummeling us with white water.   We were glad to make it back to shore.  A couple of weeks later a man drowned at that same beach, he was pulled out past where the waves were breaking and couldn't get back in, the rip tide then pulled him over onto the rocks.

--There is a 6 mile or so stretch of beach between La Poza in Todos Santos and the surfer beach La Pastora where we go running or to watch the sunset/whales, and sometimes the water is very cam and inviting.  Some of the locals call this "killer Beach" so we have resisted the temptation to go in.  A year ago a long time resident and strong swimmer  drowned while swimming along this beach.  It would be interesting to see statistics on drownings in this area.

--There is one beach with a point break, Cerritos, which is good for surfing and swimming.

--Ann wants to go swimming with the whales when they come close to shore and has the idea of tying a rope to her waist, and I would be holding the end of the rope back on shore, so that if she drowns at least we would be able to recover her body!

Honey and Spiders

--This Locally produced honey ("where are the bees?","In the mountains") is sold at various mini-supers around town.  It comes in a large unlabeled plastic jar and is the color of reddish mahogany.  Ann thinks it has molasses or something added to it (she's not a fan), because it has a strong flavor and the consistency is runnier than regular honey.  It costs about 4 dollars for a quart sized jar, which seems pretty cheap, so maybe it is thinned with something cheap.

--Last night we had the BIGGEST spider either of us had ever seen (outside of a pet store or zoo), in our kitchen!   Ann let out a hearty scream.  We agree that it was 4 inches toe to toe. You can see it's eyes reflecting in the flash.   Catching it was out of the question.  Not knowing what kind of spider it was, we decided it couldn't live with us in the kitchen.  Poison in the form of a can of Raid was the weapon of choice; it was too big to hit with something or step on.

I gave it a good shot of Raid and it ran!  It scurried like a mouse behind the microwave then across the counter and I sprayed again, determined to make a quick end to it. I inadvertently sprayed the honey jar too.

After more scurrying and more spraying the beast was done in, but unfortunately so was the honey, all covered with oily poison.

The experience left us sad for the spider and what we did.  Looking at pictures of spiders later, it is hard to tell that it wasn't a brown recluse, though I don't know if they get that big.  That spider's bite causes a flesh melting wound and is especially serious for small children.

I will devote a future post to the critters we live with here, but I would like to say that most of our bugs are escorted peacefully outside with a few exceptions:  scorpions, large and fast centipedes, and now  overly large and scary looking spiders.

By the way, on our way back from baby turtle release the other night we came across a fat 5 foot long rattlesnake in the road (no photo, it moved quickly into the brush).  Everyone was impressed and stayed in the car!

Family Time

--Here we are at La Poza beach watching whales at sunset, a typical evening activity.

--We are starting the second half of our three month stay, and it seems like it has been a long time.  

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Deep Woods

--This is a still in process, the final stages.  The first panel in my proposed 5 panel group of paintings.  In photographing and posting this picture I have been able to see some things I want to go back into and work on.  

Leatherback Turtle

--Ann woke up in the middle of the night to go see this big Leatherback turtle come up onto the beach and lay eggs.  There is a team here that digs up the eggs and keeps them warm by burying them in the sand under a greenhouse.  The eggs they laid back in November will be hatching soon.  I will make it there for the launching of those little turtles.

--Studio work has progressed slowly but it feels good.  I'm trying to keep everything unresolved as long as possible.

First week Todos Santos

--We came upon  a release of turtle hatchlings, these are Olive Ridley Turtles, that are part of a turtle rescue program here.  They collected eggs and buried them in a safe spot (poachers) then when they are ready, they dig them up and release them into the ocean.  This is a newly hatched turtle in Ori's hand, still damp from the egg and covered with sand.  We were worried about being too rough with them, but when they go into the surf they get pummeled by big waves.

--Ann is excited because she volunteered to help collect Leatherback Turtle (extreemly endangered) eggs tonight when the adult turtles come up to lay eggs, though it sounds like it means staying up all night.

--Today I got my studio set up and found odorless mineral spirits.  I had bought "turpentine" at a hardware store but it smelled like gasoline so I couldn't use it.  I am used to Gamsol.  I found a small art supply/surf shop in a small town about 6 miles south of here, Pescadero.