Kim Tullis

Category Archives: Family

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Where Have We Been?

You may have missed our blog last year, but propably not! My computer was stolen early in the season and I was unable to replace it until I returned to the states. Other than that event, we had a good year, we hope you did too. But let’s move forward and onward to 2023-24. Right now, we are at Valle Del Oro, a fun adult park in Mesa, Arizona.

In the first few weeks, we have enjoyed meeting new people and enjoying music and football on the patio. Bill joins a weekly hiking group, has been doing some woodworking and playing cribbage. I am doing water aerobics and yoga, Mexican train, and playing around with clay in the pottery room. We have both taken pickleball lessons, wander over to the billiards room, and play card games. It is so fun! I think I have died and gone to heaven, except…..everyone here is old!

It took about 2000 miles to hook up with Bill’s Cousins, Gordon and Eric. Such a nice reunion.

Christmas is in full swing here. They kicked off the holidays with a string concert and strolling strings. The entertainment was from a local high school and the kids were so incredible and talented.

Another big event was the Christmas parade with decorated golf carts

Leading up to this new adventure in Arizona, Bill added to his family, with the birth of Avery. Needless to say, he is thrilled!!!!

Bill, Will, Avery, and Sara

We had a wonderful family reunion in Brighton over the 4th of July.

Once again, I went to Canada for a month or so, and really enjoyed my time at Little Bow. We played again in the Annual Town and Farmers Golf tourney, having a great time and placing almost last!

We also had one very scary day, when the grass next to Bill’s place, caught fire. Canada was suffering from a very dry year creating fires everywhere. Not sure how it started, but as soon as we noticed, we drove over with shovels and rakes to help. Thanks to no wind, neighbors and the fire dept., it was put out within a couple of hours.

This fall, I went to Boston to visit Whitney and family. Had a great time, even ending up on stage with The Blue Man Group.

We are looking forward to the New Year and our return to Concepcion Bay on the Baja.

A Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!

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When One Door Closes…..

We finished out our winter in Mexico living in the van. We packed her up with all the things we wanted to keep from the boat and headed north from La Paz. We left Solseeker in La Paz, hoping it would sell soon.

Packed to the gills!

Our first stop was Juncalito, a beach just north of Marina Puerto Escondido. MPE is where we have stored Sol Seeker and have had so many grand times with great people.

George, Barbara, and Flako

One of our best stays was our 4+ weeks on the beach at Santispac in Concepcion Bay. We had a great set-up with a nice palapa to store all the stuff we pulled off the boat. Not sure we could spend a whole winter camping in the van, however this was a good test for that.

Santispac
Right on the beach!
with views of friends’ boats…
and friends right next door and down the beach.

The great thing about this location is the ongoing activities…

reuniting with old friends and making new friends……
Margarita Tuesdays…..
Kayaking in the bay…
Dinners and sharing ….
Same view, different artists – Kim, Bill, and Debbie…
Music at the local restaurants….
art shows in town…
and celebrating birthdays!

The other great thing was all the services we could get right on the beach…water, fresh baked goodies and even propane!

Propane delivery

After leaving Santispac, we continued north and camped on the beach in San Felipe. My sister, Kristin and her husband, Scott, drove across the pennisula and joined us for an afternoon and evening. It was so great to hook up with them and we realized we had not had much adult time together for many. many years!!!!

Then it was Park City bound and I am now sitting here recuperating from a knee replacement. The surgery went really well, in fact, I was very impressed with every aspect of the process from pre-op to post-op to Physical Therapy. In fact, it has gone so well, I plan on golfing and dancing soon!!!

Just before surgery

The best part was that Bill stayed in Park City and went through it with me. He turned out to be a very good caretaker. In fact, he not only took care of Russo and me but also 2 guinea pigs, which he became very fond of.

Feeding Patches and Ruth Bader Ginsberg

Just before my surgery, Bill and I had time to visit and take in a play and pizza with Emma and Abby.

We also got to spend Easter with my family.

Once I could get around on my own (one week), Bill was out of here, rushing back to Alberta to see that grandson of his!!!

Can you tell they are related?

Although, it still feels like winter here in Utah, Spring & Summer should come soon. Now that our sailing door has closed, we will see what happens when we open a new one. Hope everyone has a great summer!

PS: Solseeker just sold!!!!!

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A New Adventure…..

The big news this year, is that we are selling Sol Seeker! The decision was made as we bashed to La Paz from Loreto to do some boat repairs. The wind was on our nose so no sailing and we realized that it is time for a new adventure.

Hanging On!

When we told our kids, my daughter, Whitney reminded me I was getting old. I hate to think that way but later that day as I walking to the tienda, I noticed I had on two different shoes. Yikes! Maybe I am getting old!

Pretty scary!

This certainly wasn’t our intention as we started our sailing season. We had a wonderful drive down, stopping in Leeds, Utah to driveway camp with Kris and Kathy! Bill got a chance to see some of the beautiful surrounding red rocks of southern Utah.

Then it was on to Lake Havasu and Karen’s driveway. We spent a couple of nights here and got a chance to go out on the lake in Cliff’s pontoon boat.

Getting our sea legs back

After crossing the border near Yuma, we traveled down to Sa Felipe. We decided to stay there as it was getting dark. I picked the RV park, which wasn’t a great choice, Kiki’s. It was noisy and right in town.

(We were unable to get Mexican auto insurance at the border, which is a no-no when traveling in Mexico. We thought we could get it in San Felipe, but no!!!! It was a holiday! So we drove carefully all the way to Loreto, where we were able to get it.)

Our final stop before Marina Puerto Escondido was at Serenidad in Mulege. We have stayed there several times and this time they let us camp there. We know we are close when we are there.

And finally….after two summers away, we made it!!! Beautiful Marina Puerto Escondido!

We were so happy to be back, see old friends, and Sol Seeker!!! Within a couple of days, she was ready to ‘splash’ and we were thrilled that she started right up and didn’t seem any worse for wear by sitting on the ‘hard’ for so long!!!!

In she goes!!!!!

We stayed busy in Puerto Escondido, cleaning and readying Sol Seeker for the winter. We also visited my favorite Clam Shack, a couple times going to and from Loreto. If you like clams, this is a must!!!!

Our mooring ball allowed us to sit in the cockpit and listen to the live music from the restaurant and enjoy our fun mood lights.

So for much of the month of December, we enjoyed the area and had a lovely visit with Jim and Shannon, who are neighbors at Little Bow.

Then I was off to Park City for Christmas. How fun to return to my own home and share it with family!!!

different weather than the sea,
how they have grown in 2 years, Abby, Stevie, Emma, Kennedy
Christmas Eve with my brother, Jim, Robin, Grace, Claire, and Dottie. So much fun!!!!!
Christmas Morning

Then, it was back to Loreto, barely making my connection at LAX! I was able to give Bill his Xmas presents from the Cardosis’, Boomba socks. He loves them!!!

Love the grippy stuff!

After the first of the year, we headed south to La Paz. That trip down was tough with the wind and were really happy when we arrived. We quickly got into the La Paz routine,

Playing cards and Mexican Train with Sharon, Cheryl, and Diane
celebrating birthdays,
dinners with friends (Jimmy and Diane)
attending monthly swap meets,
and just hanging at the marina.

As we drive away from Sol Seeker, Marina Palmira, and La Paz, we know there are a few things we won’t miss…

Doing repairs in awkward places,
always checking the bilge,
the ups and downs of the tides,
as well as the ongoing maintenance
(Love the new ladder!)

However, there are a lot more wonderful, beautiful things we will miss…

The sunrises and sunsets…
Hiking and climbing on the beaches and hills….
Dinghy rides…
the color of the water..,
the hillside buildings…
and the beautiful bays, Agua Verde,
San Juanico,
Los Gatos….
and finally, beach firesides!

Until next blog, we are on the road in our land Sol Seeker!

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And On It Goes…..

A little Covid humor!?!?!

We all thought that by the end of this summer, life would be back to normal. How naive we are! Granted, we have been able to resume some activities and gatherings with those that have been vaccinated. There is the fear, however, for those under 12 and others who are not vaccinated. Who knew that we would get so excited to get vaccinated!!

Our big news this year is Bill’s grandson’s arrival!!! Also, the fact that his daughter, Sara and son-in-law, Tommy moved to Calgary, much closer than Edmonton, has made him sooooo happy!!!!

Welcome William George Fleming!
Tommy, you made the blog again!!!

Also, I am no longer homeless. I bought a condo in Park City and now have a home base! And all my stuff is out of storage!

Sadly, Bill was still unable to drive across the border to help us celebrate the 4th of July. We did however, carry on without him. The best part of the holiday was having both my kids and all my siblings and their families here!!

We are all in the picture except Drew and Castle.

Of course, the holiday was spent at the cabin in Brighton and the annual parade was held. However, Utah being Utah, the celebration was held on Saturday July 3rd, instead of on Sunday, July 4th.

To get ready, we tie-dyed t-shirts…

played some frisbee golf….

My girls, Emma, Abby, Kennedy, & Stevie

And took lots of pictures….

My sibs – Krissy, Jimmy, Ricky, and Kimmy

All of Nanny’s great-grandchildren except Castle
Stevie finally warmed up to Andy.

Let’s back up a little. After coming home from Canmore, Alberta and spending the winter with Bill, I took advantage of the warmer weather and headed to Southern Utah. I joined a couple of friends for hikes in slot canyons, bike rides, a little golf, and great food.

Near Bryce Canyon
Washington, Utah

I was home to celebrate Abby’s 8th birthday,

and Andy’s 44th birthday. Remember, I had him when I was 12!

I also was able to attend Emma’s promotion from 5th grade. Off to Middle School next year!

The best part was having Whitney and Jason here. Besides staying at the cabin, we swam at my place and spent a day at Echo Reservoir. It was really fun having good friends, Vince and Gail, who are from Encinitas, CA join us.

and Blue too!
Sadly, lake is very low, but mud baths were fun.

Since the border driving either way is still closed, I packed the van and headed north again. I am still able to go into Canada on a special ‘Significant Dating Relationship’ visa again. I decided to take a a different route and headed up through Boise, Idaho and on to Loon Lake, near Spokane, Washington. I spent a few days there visiting Karen. It was very smokey all the way up but we enjoyed the lake anyway.

Then it was on to Canada. I had to show a negative Covid test, my double vaccination card and still had to quarantine for 14 days. It was also very smokey driving through British Columbia and into Alberta. It remained that way for about a month.

Canmore, Alberta (just outside Banff)

Even with the smoke we kept busy. We went out to Little Bow, and boy, could you tell I hadn’t been there for a year. Bill really got his 2 hours a day out of me. Repainting and touch up….

As well as cleaning….

Bill also put in his time trying to start the motor and refilling water tanks.

We also found time to entertain, which is the best part of Little Bow!

Bill’s Goddaughter, Darren, her husband, Adam and son, Alexander
Adams’ dad, Lazlo, visited from Hungary.
Robert Clarke
Brenda Clarke

Bill really is in his happy place out at Little Bow and we love just sitting on the raft in the lake.

Aron and Alexander

We were pleasantly surprised when Doug Grant dropped by. Bill and Doug grew up together and have great boyhood tales to tell. No angels there! (Sorry Eric and Grace, we didn’t take any photos of your visit. 🙁 )

Back in Canmore, we rode our bikes, with slight detours when we would see these signs,

Liquor store run

had a week long visit with Tommy and Daisy….

Tommy and his brother, Alex.

found a great Zumba water class at the Elevation Place…

and made it to Banff to watch Bill’s neighbor, Heather, play the banjo.

A couple of highlights this summer, the road trips we took. One to Marysville and Creston, BC and Pincher Creek, AB. We visited close friends of Bills.

Bill and Fred
Bill and Bruce
Bill and John

Another trip we took was to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Bill’s friend Bill was turning 70 and we wanted to celebrate. (Again no pictures). We did stay in a couple of beautiful campgrounds to and from.

But most importantly, we went into Calgary several times to help Sara and Tommy get their new house ready for their new baby.

Now, with Fall in the air, we wait to hear if the borders open and we can head to the boat in Mexico.

Guardsman Pass

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“For there is always light…

If only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.”

Amanda Gordon, Inaugural Poet

As I waited to get approval to go to Canada, Bill and I Facetimed daily, talking to each other more than in person. (Well, maybe not.)

Zooming was the thing that kept everyone connected.

2020 was a year that very few of us will forget. We were confined, scared, and frustrated.

There was a learning curve, that at times was funny.
Weekly dates with my So. Cal friends
The Thanksgiving Pageant, featuring Chief Hamsammy.

For the first time in 38 years, I spent the whole Spring, Summer, and Fall in Park City. Can’t complain as it is a wonderful place to be, near friends, family, and Brighton. (Our Spring and Summer events are all shown in the previous post)

We had a lovely fall in Park City. I was able to attend Abby’s soccer games,

Abby is in the front on her knees.

met Andy and family for great bike rides. I was able to do circles around them with my beloved e-bike,

In front of the famous white barn

and do a totally different but fun Shotski in Brighton!

Although it doesn’t look like social distancing, we were all very careful except for that moment!

As I think back over the year and look at my posts, I realize that actually many good times happened too. That in many ways, we have gotten closer to the ones in “our bubble” and communicated more with those far away.

In October, 2020, Canada finally changed the requirements for who could enter. I qualified under the “significant dating relationship” and quickly applied. It was a somewhat complicated process but was finally granted permission at the end of November. So after Thanksgiving, I did a few last activities,

My brothers, Rick and Jim, and my niece, Grace
Cross-country Skiing with Andy, Jana, Emma, and Abby

packed up the van and headed north (instead of south).

My passenger, an Abby created snowman!

You may ask what Bill was doing all Fall. He was getting in a lot of walks with Russo, social distancing with the neighbors, painting up a storm,

talking on FaceTime to his daughter and son-in-law, Sara and Tommy, as well as me, and playing with the Stock Market.

I finally made it to Canada, safe and sound.

Had the Covid test, was negative and was able to carry on. For the most part, Bill and I stayed very close to home, playing cards to see who would walk Russo and doing jigsaw puzzles.

We play Skipbo and I usually lose, even though I taught Bill

We celebrated Christmas in Canmore. I even added a little Christmas decor, much to Bill’s humbug attitude about Christmas. I also introduced him to some of the Whitney/Tullis traditions.

Using Nanny’s recipes, I made caramels,
Nana-great’s cinnamon rolls,
and introduced Bill to the Whitney scones!!!

And, thank you Bill Horne for the Christmas present, cleats!!! I’m sure they saved my life more than once.

New Years was spent in front of the outdoor fire and heater, celebrating with neighbors, Doug and Heather.

There were several very cold weeks with a lot of snow but once it warmed up a little, we started to get out more.

Canmore and Alberta are really beautiful in the winter.

Canadians kn ow how to take advantage of the weather!
Elk in the yard
Sheep licking the salt on the road

We cross-country skied at the Nordic center. Our skies were so dull, we couldn’t even coast downhill. Once waxed, we were in a better position.

At the Canmore Nordic Center

We were also able to get season passes at a small resort about 30 minutes away near Banff. The passes were $90 for the whole season, as we are in that certain age bracket. It was great, we could ski for an hour or two and then head home.

Bill still has it!!!!

Bill still tries to maintain his 2 hour a day work code. So, stacking wood filled that quota and provided us with lovely fires on cold days.

The big excitement of the winter was Bill finding out he is going to be a grandpa in October!!! Congratulations Sara and Tommy!!!

By the end of March, I knew I needed to get home to get vaccinated (my visa would also run out). Canada is taking a little longer to vaccinate but Bill has one down, waiting to hear when he can get his second shot. I am now totally vaccinated, and sighing a big breath of relief.

Postscript: My daughter Whitney and her whole family contracted Covid-19. They all weathered it well except Whitney. She was in the hospital for about a week, with breathing and lung issues, but is home now and on the mend. Please spread the word the importance of vaccines, no matter your age or how healthy you are. With these new variances, it is affecting everyone. You don’t want anyone you love to go through the scare of Covid!

Happy girls with their mommy home!
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Let Me In!!!

Not feeling the love

Bill and I are spending a very different summer this year…..apart! I have been waiting to write this, hoping for something to change. It is now September, Canada has just extended closure through November, and I am still in Utah while Bill is in Canada. Oh well, we have had a pretty good summer anyway, except for Bill’s broken foot. Watch out for uneven ground!!!!!

Note the painting he did of his grand dog, Daisy!!

Just before we left the marina, we were in the process of trying to help some locals, thinking of an Easter treat. We were not able to do it, but the marina’s beloved Lucio took over for us. He and his wife shopped and delivered the goodies for us. Thank you sooooo much Lucio!!

One of the recipients and Lucio and his wonderful family

We hope to continue this upon our return.

So what has been happening these last 5 1/2 months?

We have learned how to zoom, actually talking to friends and family more than we used to.
held socially distanced birthdays, like this one for Abby, when the sheriffs dropped by.

I took a trip down south near St. George, Utah to play golf…

Kathy, Zibber, and me

and went camping with Andy and family at Flaming Gorge.

In the meantime, Bill has added onto his dock with the help of Dennis and Donna

oh, and Russo

painted, painted, and painted some more…

2020 was a milestone year for Bill, he turned 70!!!!! What a great celebration he had at Little Bow! He also celebrated Canada Day with the best of friends!!!

or float to Cananda

I also got to celebrate the 4th of July at our cabin in Brighton, Utah. No pancake breakfast or parade but still had a great day…

My son, Andy, Mr. 4th!
Emma, Claire, Abby, and Grace
a crazy round of Pickle Ball, the younger family members against the older members. The youngsters won!

Spending the whole summer in Park City, although away from Bill and dealing with the pandemic, has been fun…

Floating the Weber River, practicing for my float into Canada

Of course ladies golf on Tuesdays!

Riding my new E-bike all over town
socially distanced Happy Hours on the golf course, avoiding being hit by golf balls
keeping an eye on the Sand Hill Crane family
and doing a virtual wine tasting with Karen, Jim and Robin

I spent a lot of time at our cabin in Brighton this summer with family. We have been busy repairing and replacing the pantry. It all came together with a lot of help from friends like Tommy L. and Brian R.

It wasn’t all work, however. There was a lot of visiting, hiking, and frisbee golf…

matching hats with Abby
Peak of Mt. Millicent, 10,500 above sea level.
A view from the top.
teaching kids to climb ‘the man made rock’!

Bill also spent more time having parties at his cabin at Little Bow.

Happy 70th Brenda!!!!

He also had a a great week with his daughter and son-in-law, Sara and Tommy and their dog Daisy…

Sorry, only a picture of Daisy, none of Sara and Tommy

I hadn’t seen my daughter and her family since Christmas, so I bit the bullet and flew to Boston the end of August. The flight on Delta was actually good and it was nice to arrive in a state that had successfully locked down at the beginning and now things were returning to a little more normal. Because I was coming from Utah, I had to provide a negative Covid-19 test result. If you have not had a test, they are no fun!

Stevie’s 2nd Birthday!
Growing up too fast!!!
Kennedy – 5 years old
Outdoor movie theater!

One day we want to West Beach in Beverly, MA and joined a few of Whitney’s friends…

Another day, Kennedy and I snuck out a put eyelashes on Jason’s cherished Jeep….

Jason was sure happy that we hadn’t glued or taped them on!

We also headed up to North Conway, New Hampshire. What a charming town!

Overlooking the golf course
rode on an old train…
and hiked to Diana’s Bath
A really fun trip!!!!!

Bill has also taken a couple of excursions, but somehow no pictures were taken.

Finally, the annual Ladies Frisbee Golf tournament occurred.

The ladies and their caddies
Trish, in the orange hat, won this year!!!
Emma won the Junior and I won the Senior categories. It was easy, we had on competition!

Well it has now been 6 months since Bill and I have been apart. We are talking of going back to the boat around December 1st and watching Loreto Covid-19 cases down there. So far they are much fewer than in Utah.

In the meantime, we hope you all stay safe and if you are in the states, we hope you survive this election season.

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Social Distancing….

We are now about 13 days into quarantine, each of us on our own. Bill is in Canmore, Alberta and I am in Park City, Utah. We pulled Sol Seeker out of the water earlier than we had planned and quickly put her to bed.

We then jumped in the van and headed north. We only saw one license plate that was not Mexican, usually there are a lot of motorhomes and cars heading home this time of year. As a result, we were able to make good time and made it to Gonzaga Bay the first night.

We pretty much had the whole beach to ourselves, a little spooky. The next day we crossed the border at Yuma after about a 15 minute wait. Not typical, believe me. We made it to a Smith’s parking lot in Bullhead City were we camped with several others heading home. Carefully spaced apart.

We were back in Park City by mid-day on the third day. Fastest trip we have made to or from Mexico. Welcome to winter!

When we first heard about the Coronavirus and the term ‘social-distancing’ we decided to social distance ourselves and go out on the boat and hang in some bays for awhile and see how this was all going to play out. We stayed a few nights in Ballandra, Juanico, and the south side of Isla Corondos. We had some very beautiful and peaceful days pretty much by ourselves.

San Juanico

When we returned to the marina, there was a lot more talk and concern. We did do some social distancing at our Circle of Knowledge and actually started to become more concerned.

First attempts at Social distancing
Tried things on hand to prevent passing the virus

After talking to our kids, who were much more concerned than we were at that point, we made plans to head north.

Before our world changed, however, we were quite social with no distancing…

New Year’s Day celebration on the dock!
Dinner with Brenda, Robert, Dennis and Donna in Loreto Bay
We also tried feeding the Hummingbirds!
Another Dock Party, thanks to David and Carol Ann for organizing these!
Pizza dinner with our great guests, Marie and Randy from Calgary

Marie and Bill used to work together. We had a great visit with them, taking them out on the boat and visiting Loreto sites.

Celebrating Diane’s 70th birthday in Santispac.

We spent two different weekends in Santispac. We were really glad to have the van so it only took 2 hours to drive up rather than 2 days to sail.

I also took part in an Art Show, selling my baskets, while in Santispac.

We helped Brenda and Robert celebrate their 50th Anniversary..

Thank you to Pepeginas for the beautiful cake!!!

We also had our annual visit from Darren and Adam, Aron, and Alexander. they are becoming good little sailors, or boat kids.

We didn’t get to sail as much as we like, we tended to motor more. Partly because of the damage to our forestay (which still may need to be remedied) and weather. Bill and I are lucky, that no matter the weather or waves, we don’t tend to get sea sick but poor Russo does. He is not a happy sailor if it is bumpy. We have found if we wrap him in a blanket and hold him, he does better.

Boy, is he a happy camper when we are on shore and he runs into things like these goats, whom he desperately wanted to herd.

As strange as this year is turning out to be, Bill and I ended 2019 with a delightful dinner at Tripui, which is the motel down the road from the marina. We had the whole restaurant to ourselves because we like to eat early and were there before the reservations started.

It’s a Small World After All…..On our drive down to Mexico, we stopped in Guerrero Negro for lunch. In walked a couple, who looked a little lost so we invited them to sit with us. Turns out, Tim, was from Vulcan, Alberta just like Bill and they knew many of the same people. It also turned out that Susan and Tim were going to be staying at a condo at the same marina that we stay at when in La Paz. So we reconnected in La Paz and they invited us to dinner. We hope to see them back in Vulcan this summer (if I can get into Canada).

Fresh tuna caught by Tim

Well, time to run as I have a Zoom date with my 5 year-old granddaughter, Kennedy, to play Guess Who. I wonder if there will be more sailing next year or if this is the new norm. Hope everyone is safe and healthy. Please stay that way!

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Van a Go Go….

Now that I have my new Neenamobile, Bill and I drove it to Mexico. Because it has lower clearance than his truck, we decided to head down through Tijuana and Highway 1. This was new for us and smooth sailing all the way! We stopped at one of my long-time favorite restaurants south of Rosarita, La Fonda. Lunch did not fail!

On the advice of others who travel south each winter, we camped our first night in San Quentin at El Papellon. Beautiful beach and lots of room to run! What a blessing in disguise!

From there we headed to San Ignacio and stayed at Rice and Beans, another recommendation. How great to sleep in our own bed every night!

And then we were at Marina Puerto Escondido, our winter home! So glad to be back!!

However, while we were gone this summer, the marina’s lift, which lifts boats in and out of the water, accidentally hit our forestay. The forestay is what holds on the front sail. They promised they would fix it but it put a delay on putting Sol Seeker back in the water. Thank goodness for the Neenamobile, which became our home for about 10 days. We didn’t have any trouble keeping busy, however, like attending the Circle of Knowledge,

which included extra participants,

playing a little Pickle Ball,

and playing cards.

I held a basketmaking class,

we worked on getting Sol Seeker ready for the water,

attended more Circle of Knowledges,

and enjoyed music.

We did have to weather some wind and some rain, but the van kept us dry.

Finally, we were in the water, a little more work had to be done, but it was nice to sleep on the boat again.

Once the work was completed, we moved out to a mooring ball, while we waited for some good weather.

A few days before Thanksgiving (American), we headed up to Concepcion Bay and Playa Santispac. We really enjoy that area and had never been there this time of year. The area is made up of homes and motorhomes on the beaches and boats in the bays. They all come together to create a very fun community and we get to be part of it for a short time.

Posada

The first time we went there, we were going to stay two nights. Twenty-one days later, we were still there. There is so much to do there.

There is yoga with Debbie,

all kinds of celebrations like this birthday for Greg,

hiking with good friends, Ron and Diane,

Mexican train with the girls,

and music, music, music…

Russo also loves it, he gets to be off the leash and run,

but he was very unnerved by these floating creatures. He would bark and bark at them!

As you can see, we are not doing much, if any sailing. A small voice in the back of our minds told us to hold off on using the sails just yet so we motored all the way to Concepcion Bay and back. We then decided to take Sol Seeker to La Paz, to have some riggers we have used, to check out the rigging. (More to come in the next blog).

Before I close, I just want to share a few Christmas pictures. Bill stayed at Marina Puerto Escondido and had a great Christmas with friends and Russo.

I spent the holidays in Park City with family.

Abby, Stevie, Emma, and Kennedy
The Fabulous Four!!!
Brother Jim, Andy, Stevie, and Emma
Christmas Eve
Stevie, Whitney, and Cousin Claire
Cousins!
Time for jokes with brother Rick

Christmas Day did not fail! Some of us never got dressed!!

Traditional Abbie fizzes!
Thank you Mr. Bill!!!
My favorite Santa family!!!!
Abby, Jana, Emma, and Andy

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and that the New Year has started out great!!!!

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A New Mode of Transportation….

After having stayed in a few less desirable places now that we have a dog, I decided to get us the type of transportation that would allow us to sleep wherever we like. We love it!

I bought the Neenamobile in Las Vegas and drove her back to Park City, stopping for a few days to visit friends, Kris and Kathy in Leeds, Utah. I found the Neenamobile was easy to drive, park, and camp in.

Kathy and I hiked….
shopped and ate at Kayenta…
and played golfed in a hurricane at Hurricane, Utah.

Once back in Park City, I busied myself with watching the biggest steam engine go by at the Golden Spike 150th celebration.

Emma, Abby, and I continued our tradition by seeing the play, The Wizard of Oz,

and I supported Andy, Jana, and Emma in the annual Running for Ed.

Meanwhile, poor Bill was dealing with horrible renters who really created havoc on his properties in Calgary. He spent all spring evicting the renters and cleaning up the houses to sell.

He also spent time opening his cabin at Little Bow, enjoying Russo and the view.

And he hosted a 70th birthday party at Little Bow for his great friend, Robert Clark.

Can’t believe we have a friend who would wear a MAGA hat!!!

In the meantime, Andy, his girls, and I decided to go try out the van while Jana was in Boston. We had both heard of some interesting places near Wendover, Utah. So we packed up the Neenamobile and his truck, which we loaded with kayaks and a paddleboard and headed west.

Our first stop was the Sun Tunnels, northwest of Wendover. These tunnels consist of four large concrete cylinders, arranged on the desert floor in a cross pattern, that align with the sunrise and sunset on the summer and winter solstices.

In addition to this perfect solar framing, each of the cylinders is pierced with smaller holes representing the stars of four constellations: Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn. Perfect viewing when it gets dark.

After viewing these incredible tunnels and camping nearby,

we rose and headed to Blue Lake, south of Wendover. This is a large geothermal pond. We really enjoyed our day there.

Lewis and Clark

One the way home the next day, we stopped at the Bonneville Salt Flats. How could it be that I had never been there, even though I was born and raised 100 miles away?

The lake is very high this year, so not a lot of exposed salt.

One highlight of my summer was having lunch with several ladies who were dear friends of my mother’s and have always been in my life. They have all been inspirations to me and I cherished that 2-hour luncheon.

Don’t they look fabulous at 90+ (Except K.C. and me, ha-ha)

Just a side note: If you ever get a chance to wander, walk or bike around Park City, you will be lucky enough to see some of the beautiful artwork that is scattered around.

The best part of the summer though, was having my whole family together in Brighton, Utah for the 4th of July!

My 4 sweeties!!!!
Being part of the parade.

The 4th of July was also celebrated with extended family and friends.

My sister-in-law, Robin and Stevie Lou
How many adults does it take to open a stroller?

I was even able to get Bill into the 4th of July spirit!

Throughout the weekend, we wined and dined,

4th generation to sit at this beautiful table painted by my mother

we went fishing, at least some of us fished,

we went hiking to Twin Lakes and to Lake Solitude,

and I introduced everyone to Pickleball.

At the end of that fantastic weekend, Bill and I loaded up the Neenamobile and headed north. Our first stop was Sand Point, Idaho to visit my dear friend Karen and Cliff.

Reintroducing Glazers after 20 years in retirement. They shoot water!

Once back at Canmore, life settled into our normal summer routine, traveling between Canmore and Little Bow. It has been a chilly summer but we have still enjoyed taking Russo to the Canmore Dog Park.

We were invited to a BBB Bonspiel. Don’t know what a Bonspiel is, I didn’t either. It is a curling term for tournament. So we packed up the Neenamobile and headed to Tofield, Alberta to take part in the Bocce Ball, Backgammon and Billards Tournament. Brenda and Robert hosted 44 people for this really fun afternoon.

If your name was Dave, you were team captain. There were 6 Daves.
When your name was drawn, you were given a colored lei to designate which team you were on.
Darren and Treva competing.
Sadly, neither Bill nor I won this glorious trophy

We also had the opportunity to play golf at the beautiful Coal Creek Golf course. It is a reclaimed coal mine owned by good friends. Thank you Dana for a great day!

The sand traps are black from the copper tailings.
Robert, Treva, Dave, Brenda, Dana, me, and Bill

While we were up north, we took the opportunity to see Ron and Bonnie on their farm in Vegreville. Ron and Bill go back 50 years and have been really good friends to each other.

On our way home, we detoured to Forestburg, Alberta to see Dennis and Donna on their farm. We met them sailing and it is so fun to see all our sailing friends off the water.

Earlier this summer, Kirk and Mary from SV Interlude dropped by the cabin in Brighton to say hi,

Lance and Jen braved getting into Little Bow in their motorhome,

and Jim and Diane from SV Prairie Oyster stopped by in Canmore.

Sorry Jimmy for cutting off half your face.

We so cherish all the wonderful people in our lives and hope that you have all had a great summer, if not a little warmer.

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What, Still Winter?

This is what we returned to in Park City, Utah, the middle of March. Snow everywhere and my car had to be dug out, which was tricky, as it doesn’t have snow tires. I finally resorted to AAA and with Bill’s help, they were able to push me out and I was good to go.

But before returning to a ‘Winter Wonderland’, Bill and I continued to enjoy some more great times in Mexico. We had several visitors that we were able to take out sailing, well mostly motoring, but had great visits with them all!

JD stopped by for a few days, having ridden his mountain bicycle from Tecate, Mexico down the Baja Divide. (The Baja Divide is a rugged 1,700 mile off-pavement bikepacking route down the length of the Baja California peninsula, from San Diego, CA, USA to San José del Cabo, BCS, MX. Life on the Baja Divide is defined by a rhythm of riding, camping, and resupply. Baja California is a mountainous desert and resources are limited, although the route is designed to encounter resupply frequently enough to make a self-supported tour possible. The Baja Divide is a very strenuous ride that requires a high level of fitness). He had done the Continental Divide a couple of years ago. He had ridden 2000 km (1242 miles) when he reached Loreto and had 1000km (621 miles) to go. It is very treacherous, to say the least. He really enjoyed gently rocking on the boat in a bed for a couple of nights and revived himself enough to continue on his way.

We drove him to the San Javier Mission, so he could begin again. So off he went, with us keeping track of him on Facebook. Sadly, as he was closing in on Cabo, he was hit by a truck and fractured his leg. He was not able to complete his trip but is going to be alright. Maybe next year.

Shortly after JD’s departure, Gary and Jean Malone arrived in the area. They stayed at a fancy new resort south of Loreto called Danzante Bay. While they were there to get in plenty of golf, we did find time to go out on the boat one day and do a little kayaking in Honeymoon Cove.

We ended the day with margaritas and pizza at Pepegina’s at the Marina.

The week was capped off with a delicious dinner at Pedro’s. Thanks for the visit, Gary and Jean!

Some of our favorite visitors are little people. Bill has such a wonderful way with them. Aron and Alexander were very excited to see Uncle Bill! They are the sons of his God-daughter Darren and her husband Adam, and grandsons of his best friends, Brenda and Robert. (I must apologize at this point as to the few pictures of the adults).


Alexander also became a huge fan of Russo’s and Russo loved that Alexander would feed him from the table. Instant love both ways!

You can see the rapport Bill has with kiddos!

Learning to tie knots. These kids are easier to teach than I am.

One day we went out on the boat and ended up in a pod of dolphins. We stayed with them for about an hour. There seemed to be hundreds of them. It was such a treat for all of us, Adam especially. (The pictures don’t really show how many dolphins were out there).

Adam tried at one point to swim with them, but thought better of it, thank goodness.

After spending time with the dolphins, we anchored, had lunch with Dennis and Donna on Winding, snorkeled and kayaked. One of our better days, by far!

Brenda giving it a try.

We were sorry to see the kids go, but got in an extra fun week with Robert and Brenda. During that week was the Loreto Art Walk. A couple of very talented friends, who we usually see in Concepcion Bay, came to Loreto to participate.

Diane and her watercolors. We have one on the boat!
Debbie and her fun acrylics.
I bought this painting, 4 Asses with Glasses, to hang in the boat.

Our final visitors were Matt and Paula Jewell and their son Finn. We took them out one gorgeous day, again for snorkling and kayaking. Of course Bill hit it off with Finn, taught him sailing knots and let him be captain and steer the boat.


Once we were finished entertaining, we decided to take advantage of the good weather and went up to San Juanico, one of our favorite bays. We stayed for several days, kayaking, playing Bocce Ball, and walking all around. It was so relaxing and again the bay did not disappoint!

Russo doing a little advertising for Moab Brewery!
San Juanico
An evening campfire with other boaters in the bay.
Russo loved being on the kayaks and generally stayed on board.
Interesting sights on our walks.

Upon returning to Puerto Escondido and putting Sol Seeker to bed for the summer, we were able to join great friends at the rock for a potato bake and just really enjoy the beauty that area has to offer.

We sadly did not make it up to Concepcion Bay this year, but were able to meet up with some of our friends as we drove north. They met us at Burro Bay for Sunday brunch. (Thanks guys for making the effort)!

We took the advice given us in Burro Bay and stopped at at a small town called San Ignacio. It was a perfect way to begin our journey home.

As I described in an earlier blog, the road down from Mexicali was not great. We decided to brave it going home, hearing that they had smoothed out some of the rough spots. What we didn’t bargain for was rain. At this bridge washout, trucks had gotten stuck, but luckily we had 4 wheel drive and eventually got around that. Otherwise the trip north was uneventful…

until we reached Provo Canyon, and snow started appearing! After a few days, Bill got back in his truck and continued north to Canmore, were it seems to have less snow than in Utah.

Thus, ends Year 6, another memorable year. I so appreciate the comments I get from putting out this blog and we love seeing so many wonderful people in our yearly travels. I especially appreciate Bill for prompting me to start this journey and helping me keep it going.