Lowell's Blog
Updates from the road

Spring is our favorite time of year spending lots of time in our Cholla Bay Mexico home. For me, time on Gato Loco sailing the Sea of Cortez is definitely the highlight and represents one extreme  in our spring scenery. We love the transition we make from the Sea to my roots in Missouri and our summer Gallatin home. We call this the fruits of our retirement and definitely feel blessed having this opportunity.

This update will take you on our journey from the Sea to the mid-west farmland of Missouri. If you’re wondering how a Missouri farm boy ended up in the southwest, Mexico and sailing the Sea of Cortez, check-out an update from our sailing blog I wrote early this spring “The Love of the Sea of Cortez”. Above, the photo was taken at our last anchorage of the 2012 cruise on a small island near Gonzaga Bay in northern Baja (Isleta Pomo) before making a night passage back to Cholla Bay.

The contrast between the Sea and the farm are stark but very similar in many ways. Above the shrimp boats are the tractors of the Sea. They harvest the crop of shrimp instead of wheat and corn  of the mid-west. Both are large mechanical wonders specialized for the harvest.

The transition has many “Lasts” of the season. Above, Dave, Kelley, Brad & Kim join us on the last sail on Gato Loco until we return in the fall. Dave and Kelley were crews during our 2011 season and enjoy spending time on Gato Loco. We had a perfect day with wind to sail from Penasco to  Cholla Bay and back with good speed and sail only, a very nice way to end the season.

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Our last days in Cholla were with good weather and beautiful sunsets and good friends. Closing down the house for the summer means checking out our water system and adding another water tank this year to make sure everything gets watered through the summer. Most of Frankie’s plants are gathered near water emitters since she won’t be around for the TLC.

Frankie shows her new kitchen cabinets we had made this spring as she cleans them out for the summer. The local pigs and donkeys enjoy our visits as we clean out refrigerators and pantries bring everything to them to munch on. Frankie, Neely and our favorite local dog Cholla make the trip to their pin in the desert near Cholla

Last Meals

And of course there’s trips to our favorite dining spots for our last meals. This photo was taken at Blue Marlin. The dining list is long but Xochitl’s Cafe, El Capitan and our Friday night pork taco spot were a must.

 

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Back to Phoenix

June 18 we headed back to Phoenix to do the same there. Frankie finished with her customers while I got things in order to be gone for the summer. Last dinners with family and friends and finally we loaded in Diesel the truck with Homie the 5th wheel and headed out for the summer.

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Pre 4th of July in Prescott

Our first stop was planned for some time. The Brits, our Cholla neighbors, bought a house in the pines of Prescott and while enjoying sunsets under their palapa with the Hood we planned a last get together for the summer so we could see their new home.

Prescott has one of the oldest rodeos in the country staged during the 4th. With a Wednesday 4th activities are on for both weekends. Tom and Marilyn, Bob and Chris joined us at Mike and Gill’s as well as other friends who were in town.

The Palace Bar is one of the oldest bars on Whiskey Row and is very historic. Of course we have to make an appearance.

Below a group shot of the Hoodlums and Gill & Mike with a welcome shot of tequila.

Remember you can click on these photos to enlarge them. Hanging at what we now call Big Mountain Fun.

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Thank You.. Mike & Gill

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Darrel & Anita’s Prescott hide away

Cholla friends Darrel & Anita have a very cool home deep in the pines off the grid.

Sunday July 1st is Frankie and my last super with the hood for the summer at Darrel & Anita’s. A perfect place for it.

Sunset in the pines looks like it’s on fire while Gill tries to quiet our inner spirit with a Navajo flute.  Good bye Arizona.

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Durango with the Wilson’s

On the road to Durango. Prescott’s Granite Dells, Howling Rock near Monument Valley, Green as we approach Colorado.

Dave & Brenda’s home is south of Durango just 7 miles north of the New Mexico border. They’re friends from our 1st Hood just out of college. Dave’s work brought him to Durango after college and we’ve stayed connected over the years. After all, Durango is a great place to visit and is on way travelling east. Arriving late afternoon we found Brenda in orthopedic boot. She fractured her foot that morning. Ouch!  She’s much like Frankie and a broken foot is not going to slow her down. They live on 35 acres with their house on a hillside surrounded by alligator juniper pines overlooking their river bottom pasture.

Dave setting the irrigation for the pasture. They pump water from the river. Their courtyard is very lush.

Dinner at the Seasons restaurant in Durango.

4th of July morning walk before we head east mid-day.

Thank you Dave & Brenda

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Off to Gallatin

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There’s  a heat wave in the mid-west and we’re heading right for it.. BUT, first we have to climb over Wolf Creek Pass on our way to the Colorado Springs area. HW 160 east is a beautiful drive and we had rain at higher elevations and these great temperatures.

 

 

July 5th, we’re off to Oz land Kansas. It’s hot and mid-day we found a big water tower to have lunch under. Neely loved the break with grass.

East Kansas has lots of wind power. We know we’re getting close when we see them.

We found a nice shady RV park with power near Topeka for the AC for our last night on the road.

Homie and Diesel (our land yacht) behind Frankie & Neely.

 

 

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Landing in Gallatin Mid-day Friday

Mom Greets us as we arrive. Our scenery change is complete.

The local horticulture club awards Gallatin “Yard of the Month” and the McCulley Casa was awarded the honor for July.

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Before leaving last season we built an area for a small garden and Mom has it planted with good stuff.

The pasture is overgrown since we don’t have horses this year. Soon after we arrive a deer shows up near my man cave,

It’s hot so after we unpack we head to the Rex & Phyllis’s lake house to cool down. Yes the scenery is a changing.

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Saturday Fireworks

In Missouri you can add crawdads to the shrimp boil. AND cool weather is blowing in. Temps dropped 15 degrees as we eat.

Frankie’s ready to eat this red dude. A true Mexico feast.

Special 4th of July shoes. Little Brooklyn loved hers.

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It’s Day lite saving here.. 9:15 we head out on the lake to watch fireworks.

We have 4 boats to hold all the gang. There’s boat’s everywhere on the lake for the show.

After the show and in total darkness all these boats head back to their docks. I think almost every home had a boat out to watch the show.

Back on the dock the show continues with live music on the dock thanks to

Jeff

 

I guess that completes the change of scenery.

We’re getting pretty settled in.

More on our progress soon.

Until the next Update.

Stay cool.