February ‘01
*Additional notes may appear in italics after my mom’s initial journal entries.
A ladybug means you should check the comments at the bottom of the page to see what Mom has chimed in on after reading these!
February 1, Thursday
Escondido
Mostly calm and sunny – until it was 3 pm and at 4 all were due to head over to Storm Haven for Happy Hour - then 15-20k.
John went into Loreto with Darryl, Princess Erika, to fill 3 jerry jugs with deisel and go to the bank.
After 6 years of having the dinghy board on the starboard side where the engine and gen-set exhaust is – we finally figure out that we should board on the port side. One of those DUH’s that takes forever to dawn on you.
*I noticed we did this the previous season, in May when Peggy and Caleb were visiting. In one video where we return to the boat, we do approach the left side. As Mom mentioned, the generator and engine exhaust were on the starboard side and it would make bubbles and spray just below the waterline, which was just inconvenient if you went to get in or out of the dinghy while either were running. I think we tended to enter in on the right side partly because it was easier to step into the cockpit. The hallway to the aft cabin was on the left side and made for a wider section that you had to step over to get in. The starboard side seemed easier for this reason, especially when coming in with groceries from the dink.
February 3, Saturday
Escondido
Yesterday the wind HOWLED 20-30k all day and most of the night.
Today was much nicer 10-12k for the most part. FLAT tonight.
John helped Jim, Priority, fix his electric windlass. Bob and Cynthia came over. Maggie and Seager sure are cute together.
Days are starting to warm up – when there are no clouds.
February 4, Sunday
We took laundry into the Tripui, real cheap here still. They do it at the store. Seager is pooped by the time we walk from the dinghy dock to the store and back.
Only 5-10k today, nice and warm too. With the ¾ moon shining down on the flat water, it looks like we’re sitting on a glass mirror. Beautiful.
*Tripui was about a 15-minute walk from the dinghy dock.
The calm in Escondido made for the most beautiful, serene nights. 😍 I’ll revisit one of my paintings below, Hiraeth, which I also shared in an earlier season. This painting was inspired by these incredible nights in Escondido. The stars shone down on the water which was so calm, it looked as though you were suspended in outer space. Sometimes, a dinghy would go by and it’s engine would stir up the phosphorescence in a way that made us tease that it was a comet, shooting through our little spot in the universe. ✨
February 6, Tuesday
Happy Birthday, Mom.
Drayden is 1 month old.
I tried to do a phone patch to talk to Mom – but Bob, the radio guy in Scottsdale was not on today – oh well, I did mail her a letter.
Everyone got together at Storm Haven tonight. A short one.
*Not certain when this happened, but we’ll add it here. I wasn’t climbing the mast for any particular reason that I can think of besides just wanting to climb it! I would have gone to the top, but Mom would only let me go the the bottom spreader. Too bad I didn’t know how to fix stuff on the mast, I could have been Dad’s little helper up there!
February 7, Wednesday
Escondido
We were planning on leaving this morning for the southeast side of Isla Carmen – but there is a front going through – so we stayed put. Not much wind in here – warm clouds.
We visited at Bob and Cynthia’s today.
Peggy and Caleb mailed pictures and a video of Drayden to Mac and Carole in SLC for them to bring down to San Carlos. Now let’s hope they get out of Marina Real and over here so we get the photos.
*We were always grateful for the folks who were helping deliver our mail - albeit, maybe a teeny bit impatient here and there. 😆 I had my fair share of “I wish they’d hurry up and get here with our mail” comments in my journals.
February 13, Tuesday
Escondido
Well, once again, as we planned to leave, the weather is not favorable. Another front passing by. Few sprinkles last night. Only light winds, but they turned us in circles more than once.
Angie sent me an email:
Why men aren’t secretaries – a husband’s note to his wife.
“Doctor’s office called – said Pabst Beer is normal.”
February 15, Thursday
Clear skies today – but of course WIND, 15-25k north.
John went over to put out a second anchor on Rosinante, Alec’s boat, was dragging down on Bert, Island Woman.
John is just about out of projects to keep him busy on the boat. It needs to calm down and warm up so he can dive.
I’ve had enough of this weather too – migraines once a week for quite a while now.
Oh – heard on the net that 4 men escaped from the Tres Marias Islands near San Blas and P.V.
*This was undoubtedly the worst year for Mom and her migraines. I think they got to be so frequent that she stopped bothering to mention them. 😩 A lot of it was the weather and the barometer fluctuating, which was more frequent in Baja. I tried my best to help her out if I could, thankfully I was older and she didn’t need to take care of me; I could manage school on my own and leave her be in her room. Sometimes massaging her temples, neck and shoulders would help, but mostly she was at their mercy for as long as it took for them to pass - it was so hard to see her in so much pain and to be so helpless. 😭 I am so grateful that she was able to eventually find some medicine that knocks them out so that she no longer has to experience them like this.
I didn’t remember this detail about the Tres Marias having prisons on them, interesting. I wonder what ever happened to these guys, if they were caught. — Did me some research (who, me?) and found some information on the prison. It mentions there were “at least 76 escapes in the last 25 years of which 29 took place in 1986 alone.” Only 10 were recaptured, and there was no mention on these 4 in 2001.
February 16, Friday
Escondido
Not too windy today – had snacks and Nutty Professor II at Storm Haven tonight for Gail’s birthday (Priority).
Samie and I got a case of the giggles in her room for a couple of hours. Fun.
*Random giggle-fits with Mom are the best! 🥰
February 17, Saturday
Happy 14th Birthday to Samie!
The 3 of us boats all walked into Tripui for lunch – nice. It was 4 pm when we got back, so I’ll fix Samie’s taco dinner tomorrow.
Sam and I watched tapes of Ally McBeal and Friends, we also played Boggle.
Seager wants to play.
*Mom was always sweet about fixing me a birthday dinner of my choice. Most often I remember asking for scalloped potatoes. 🥰 I don’t remember what the main dish would have been - for me, the potatoes were the whole feature. Can’t go wrong with cheesy potatoes! But another favorite has definitely always been our secret family recipe for tacos! If you know, you know! 😊
Also, it was a rare treat, but would happen now and then that I could get either or both my parents to play a game with me. With Mom it was Boggle, with Dad it was Backgammon. We may have played cards here and there, like Gin Rummy or something.
February 19, Monday
Escondido
Venture Forth, Mac and Carole came in to Escondido early this morning – with mail! Peggy sent pictures and a video of Drayden and Danielle sent pictures of Chase, Schyler and Jeremy. What cute kids. Jeremy has changed – so cute, looks like a little man. Schyler is growing, Chase is 26 lbs now and has the happiest smile!
Drayden is also a cute one, we got to see her in the hospital and at home. She says he weighs 10lbs now – he was 1 month when she mailed it. Can’t wait to hold him.
February 21, Wednesday
Happy Birthday, Caleb!
We had dinner at Princess Erika with Darryl, Linda and Amy is here for a week.
February 22, Thursday
Escondido
Not a great morning. John was sharpening his fishing hooks and Seager got curious and ended up with a size 14 (big) j-hook in his nose. It was on a repala. One hook was in his nose and we were afraid he would flip another one in his eye or somewhere else. We taped down the far end and John cut off the other two closest ones – not easy to do. Samie was trying to hold him, but he bit her. We called Jim, Priority, to help. All is well now, John ended up with a big gouge on his arm. Poor Seager, it was awful.
We borrowed Darryl’s truck to spend $90 US at Tripui and stock up so we can head south toward La Paz on Monday or so.
Storm Haven, Bob and Cynthia went out to anchor for a couple of days. I guess it was really rough while on the move.
*Seager certainly had a rough go of things this first couple of months, figuring things out! 😩 He had been sniffing at the lures when one poked him enough that he jerked and it snagged into his nose - not enough to have gone all the way through, but enough that the barb was in there and we couldn’t just back it out - which meant Dad had to push it the rest of the way through his nose so that he could cut off the barb and finally back it out of his nose. 🫣It was terrible! It was also early morning and the sound carries strong over the water that time of day - I remember worrying that people would think we were hurting him! I don’t remember him biting me during this, but I do remember him being right by my ear when he let out a real loud yelp and I almost passed out from the proximity and I had ringing in my ears for a while. Thankfully Jim was able to come over and they got it sorted out. I don’t remember how Seager was the rest of the day, but rest assured - he never got curious about those lures ever again!
February 26, Monday
Escondido – Agua Verde
We left at 8 am for Agua Verde – smooth, calm, whales blowing and sounding, but don’t know what kind. Maybe blues or greys.
Good to move!
February 27, Tuesday
How wonderful to be warm. Baja is cold in the winter and I’m glad spring is at last getting close.
Last night here in Agua Verde the fish were running through the anchorage – giving us a light show – the phosphorescence was incredible!
Caleb’s email said they stopped to see Danielle and Ben on their way home from a week in Mesa. He says Chase looks like a “sumo man.”
Drayden is 10lbs and 23” long now at seven weeks. He’s starting to “talk”.
*I’m not actually sure when Dad and I went hooka-ing, but it seems to me like it was somewhere like Agua Verde, so we will put these photos here. I’m so glad I was getting out and doing so much more this year! I know Dad loved it when I’d join him on this kind of stuff and I had a great time, too!
February 28, Wednesday
Agua Verde
The girls – myself, Gail and Carole – all got together on Cynthia’s Storm Haven to bake bread (sourdough) in her bread maker. Fun afternoon. Black clouds all day, we only have 10-15 sprinkles and no wind in Agua Verde – but from San Francisco to Bara (that I know of) had squalls, heavy rain and 20-40 knots of wind. Two boats in Tenecatita were struck by lightning; 1 of them lost all their electronics.
