I awoke this a.m. to a light fog drifting in and out of the
bay here in Abreojos. One minute the distant point is visible, the next gone.
Light wisps separate the houses along the beach. It is achingly stunning in its
own way and so different than usual.
We’re getting ready to leave this week, headed to Todos
Santos to move into our new home. Friday is the scheduled departure date – provided that we actually can go into the town’s municipal office
and pay our 2014 taxes. They offer a substantial discount for those willing to
pay in advance and Nov 1st is when they begin taking your money –
but only between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. Short office hours apply. If we can
actually get it done, if they really
are open that day, we’ll pay, finish packing and head south.
The plan is to drive to Bahia Conception on the Sea of
Cortez, almost ½ of the 10 hour drive to TS, spend the night at a gorgeous campground
at the water’s edge, and then finish the drive on Sat. There have been workers
sprucing up our casa in TS readying it for our arrival. And I am very excited!
We’ll be bringing down a trailer full of furniture, kitchen
stuff, clothes and more. Both trucks will be packed to the gills. We won’t be
moving fast. But this is not the first time in the last few years that we’ve
moved; each time gets a little less traumatic. Still there are mixed feelings to be
sure. This summer on the beach in Abreojos has been wonderful, one of my
favorites ever. The opportunity to look out the window, across the garden to
the ever changing water, flocks of birds, dolphins lazily swimming past or
hunting in just a few feet of water right in front of the house, well, it takes
my breath away every time.
Still, I am excited
to be a part of a new community, especially one as magical as Todos Santos, with
its wonderful culture, artist community, fresh foods, great restaurants,
interesting people, new places to explore, and a new home and garden to play
with. Never having started a garden from the bare ground up, it’ll be a
wonderful challenge and exciting canvas for us both! I keep dreaming of the
outcome – someplace that feels nurturing, lush, and magical, has lots of fruits
and vegetables and tons of flowers
growing, secluded alcoves where you can paint or enjoy the bird song with a cup
of tea, places for hidden trysts, and a wonderful patio for dining and
entertaining. But first we’ll be working on getting a garage built, and a bodega (storage house). All the plans
have to include a guest house and a big bright airy art studio with the
adjoining workshop, of course. We are
situated right next door to a mango orchard with massive green leafy trees that
shield us from salt spray, noise and neighbors and when fruiting offer an unlimited
supply of fresh juicy mangos. Our friend Paisley, who adores mangos, would be in heaven there in June! And I’ll be
brushing up on my mango chutney recipe.
Todos Santos hosts many activities throughout the season (Nov-
March). We’ll both be participating in a plein
aire painting workshop this coming Feb. Tango classes were offered last
year; we’re hoping that they are available again this year! La Paz, an easy 50
minute drive from TS, has a great cooking school with day long courses concentrating
on authentic Mexican fare. The menus sound beyond delectable. And of course, I
have already alerted La Palapa Society that I will be returning this year to
assist in the volunteer program. Our charming Spanish teacher, Serena, who we
worked with last spring to get us back on track with our language skills, has
since been hired to head La Palapa and I will get to work alongside her – or at
least under her charge. She is so full of life and fun! We’re both just hoping
that this new, and exciting position for her, doesn’t curtail our Spanish lessons…..
It’s funny how the mind wants so badly to hang onto what is
known, what feels comfortable, even though the possibilities ahead are endless!
It’s been a great summer here at the beach house in Abre. We’ve gotten so much
done on the house here. The garden has new stacked stone walls, the bathroom
has been painted and towel racks created and hung, the whole exterior has been
painted a cheery orange to set off the turquoise and aqua doors. All in all it
is looking quite charming. And now it’s about time to close it up for the year
and move forward to something new. Wow, the gifts of Love keep on giving and
giving!
So we’ll finish packing this week, load up, walk the beach
as much as possible, then close up the house until next summer. When the time
comes to drive out the road I’ll be ready. But until then I will soak up every
morsel of this beauty, every vista of blue-green water, each soar of the
pelicans, the call of the osprey, the crash of the surf, the smiles of my friends
here, and I will let my heart say a prayer of gratitude for each one.
Then I will get in my vehicle and head out, singing loudly
to the music on the stereo, ready to go to new adventures!
