It's Getting TIme to Leave!

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 1^st 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!