Grey Wolf's Adventures

Quilting Legacy Lives On...

2012-01-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

After Bill's mother died in 2005, we found one finished quilt and four hand-pieced quilt tops amongst her belongings. Alice decided that she would like to preserve these special pieces by quilting and finishing each one. As you can see above, each is unique in its design and color. Once completed, she suggested that they be given to Bill's four daughters. Right after Thanksgiving we made a trip to the Phoenix area with Alice's daughter Margaret and her husband Jeff. While we were there we attended a family gathering in our honor. As you can see, the girls were thrilled with their gifts of love!

Our Fall Foliage Road Trip

2011-12-08T08:01:00.000-08:00

Just after returning home from the reunion, we packed our trusty little Prius and hit the road, eventually traveling 7,000 miles on an Autumn road trip that was a walk down Memory Lane. Stops included Arches National Park in Utah, Omaha, Nebraska, Nauvoo, Illinois, the National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, Alice's Martin Family Reunion in Allegre, KY, a six day visit with Alice's college friend Carol, with red scarf in photo above (lady on left was our Toronto city guide), Niagara Falls, and a four day stay with daughter Margaret and her family in Troy, Ohio. We saw so many gorgeous trees, ablaze in the typical fall colors!
Turning south, we then went to see Alice's sister and her family in Graysville, TN, stopped to do a tour of Elvis' home, Graceland, in Memphis, and then visited with two of Bill's longtime friends in Arkansas. A stay with his cousin Gloria in Ft. Smith, AR and a visit with both Douglas and Dorothy in Oklahoma, his helpers on the trip to Puget Sound, rounded out our travels. We did spend one night in the Phoenix area and were able to see many of Bill's children and some of his grand and great grandchildren there! A month to the day we left we returned home, tired but happy for the safe and pleasant trip... whew... and Bill drove every bit of the trip- what a guy!

Alice's 50th High School Reunion!

2011-12-08T07:48:00.000-08:00

Bill and Alice left GreyWolf in Tacoma and headed south in mid-September so they could attend Alice's 50th high school reunion in Chula Vista, CA. We stayed two nights with Owen and Melinda in San Diego. Hilltop High School combined with Chula Vista High School for this event, which was attended by over 200! We had a great time and Alice was surprised at how many people she remembered!

The World in Our Marina...

2011-08-20T15:05:00.000-07:00

We decided not to buy fishing/ crabbing licenses this year since they are expensive for visitors to the state. We have been fortunate to enjoy crab several times, thanks to others! Our friends Carla and Robert have shared with us and even cooked the crabs... The other day Bill helped a fellow tie down and in turn was given a nice-sized Dungeness crab, at right, which we promptly cooked and Bill cleaned. Robert couldn't believe that Bill didn't know how to clean crab, but now he does!

Gooey duck clams, shown at left, are an expensive Asian delicacy. They are native to coastal Washington state and are a big business in this area. The gooey duck boats dock in our marina and the catch is loaded right into refrigerated trucks which deliver to Seatac airport and within two days these are on dinner plates in Japan and China. These clams must have the world's largest valves, extending far beyond their shells. Both the valve and the clam itself is eaten. These rest in a milk crate, so you can see how large they are!

Hylebos Channel runs right beside Grey Wolf, since she is side- tied at the end of the furthest dock in Chinook Landing Marina. We get the full effect of the commerical traffic which comes by 24/7. Most of the large vessels enter or exit with tugboat power. This day the load was unusual, as it amounted to three large 'flats' of raw logs, headed for either the lumber mill up channel or to simply be loaded onto a freighter and shipped out. This load of logs was about 600 feet long and was shepherded by three smaller tugs. The U.S. flag in the photo is ours...

Another commerical venture in 'our' channel is a huge metal recycling business. We have seen several barges piled high with crushed vehicles pass close by us. There is quite an art to the process used to fill these gigantic barges. It is difficult to see in this photo, but there is always a pile of miscellaneous smaller pieces of scrap metal layered on top of all the vehicles, almost like a layer cake with an icing on top! Hmm, I must be watching way too much Cooking Channel...

We have no idea what this vessel carried, but it was undoubtedly loaded and ready to head out to sea. With a tug towing in front and another at the stern acting as the rudder, it slowly came by our boat and our marina. On a clear day we can see Mt. Rainier to the southeast. It seems so near, but from Tacoma it is probably close to a hundred miles away. Covered with snow earlier in the year, it is still deep in snow for the most part. Our weather is finally beautiful in mid-August, with some days as hot as 80 degrees! If we are ever bored, we can just check out the action in the Hylebos Channel... it won't be long until SOMETHING comes by... Canada geese, seals...

You really 'otter' be here!

2011-08-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

The flora and fauna are definitely different up in these here parts... the river otters posing for Alice just one example. One morning this mother and her twins were foraging under our dock, so out came the camera- with the telephoto lens- and the results were pretty amazing. Mother climbed onto the dock, followed by the two young ones, one of which had a small fish dangling from its mouth! The downside to having otters on your dock is that they use it as a potty... oh, well, WE have intruded into their territory, so that is what we get! The Hylebos Waterway where our marina is located is a manmade extension of the Hylebos River, hence we have river otters here, as opposed to the more well-known sea otters that lie on their backs and crack open shells with rocks.

Our First Raft-Up!

2011-07-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

In late July we decided to head to Gig Harbor for a couple of days with our friends Ted and Carolyn. We were hoping for free space on the Public Dock, but no such luck. So Bill and Ted took the leap and rafted our two boats together. We had already anchored when they arrived, so Ted had to manuever into place so we could walk from boat to boat! Between plenty of fenders and plenty of ties, it worked fine. We always enjoy going to Gig Harbor... with a beading store, a quilting store, a marine store, and lots of other interesting places to shop, it's a good thing we don't live there!!!

The Wonders of Nature Abound

2011-07-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

On a clear day, we can see Mt. Rainier from our boat in Chinook Landing Marina, Tacoma, WA. It is odd to drive down the street and see Volcano Evacuation Route signs, but after the incident with Mt. Saint Helens it is a real concern. With the unusually cold winter and spring this year, this summer is running about 15 degrees cooler than normal.... brrr.

After we left Bellingham we headed west to the San Juan Islands, the American part of the numerous islands between the mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. We anchored out for three nights and then headed back 'home' again, knowing that we would be back to explore some more. While we were anchored off Sucia Island, Alice saw this bald eagle in flight and followed it to the uppermost branches of this evergreen tree... a nest? Who knows, but a rest perch, for sure!

There were NO harbor seals on the breakwater during the 4th of July celebrations (300 boats in the bay plus three full marinas) but when we returned to Poulsbo recently the seals were numerous. There were several babies and this appeared to be the very newest of the bunch. It appears the poor thing is chained down, but, actually, the chains hold huge logs together and this is where they love to lie out in the sun. In some areas they are considered nuisances, since they catch and eat salmon trying to return to spawn.

Water, Water Everywhere...

2011-07-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Bellingham, at the base of snow-covered Mt. Baker, to see Owen and Melinda who had flown in from San Diego for his family's annual reunion. We enjoyed the opportunity of visiting with his parents and his sisters and their families.
Returning from Bellingham, we came across this magnificent sailing vessel, replete with all sails billowing. The crew must have been training, as they were not on a direct course anywhere, but rather crossed our bow and then paralleled the coastline of the island seen behind.

We spent nearly a week in Poulsbo on the Olympic Peninsula during the 4th of July holiday time. Our friends Ted and Carolyn were in the marina there, while we anchored out. One day, as we were sitting on Ted and Carolyn's boat, we noticed this Viking crew rowing around Liberty Bay! Replete with their Viking helmets, they were a fitting display, as Poulsbo was founded by the Norwegians over a hundred years ago. The Sons of Norway Lodge is an impressive building on the waterfront and the local bakeries beckon with their wonderful wares!

Alice noticed one canoe approaching our marina in Tacoma one day. Soon there was another and then another! Eventually there were numerous Indian long canoes converging on our Indian-run marina. The tribal members in the photo above are from the Lummi Indian Tribe of Bellingham. Some of them may be Owen's parents' neighbors since they live on the Lummi Reservation. It turned out that we were witnessing the annual Indian journey- a joint venture by various tribes from western Washington. What a neat way to pass on their heritage to the younger generation.

This shot of Ted and Carolyn's boat 'Coronautus' was taken as they approached the public dock in Gig Harbor. This was the first place we visited after we had settled into the marina in Tacoma. It is a darling little town with many waterfront shops and a lovely ambience. We caught the Gig Harbor fever and will be going there periodically since it is only an
hour by boat from our marina.

Because Puget Sound and the islands directly north are so heavily populated, the ferries run back and forth at a steady pace. Since they move very quickly and we move very slowly we must be careful to avoid getting caught in the path of one of them, as they do not want to stop for anyone. After all, they have a schedule to keep! Notice the identical ends... they do not even turn around during their runs... they don't have to~

... and Alice was traveling, too!

2011-06-21T21:12:00.000-07:00

When it was time to travel north to meet up with Bill in Tacoma, Alice planned a four day trip to break up the 1300 miles she would have to drive. First she stopped in Clovis to visit daughter Alison and her family. Although it was just for an overnight, she was able to see Alison and Rod and all nine of their children. James, now 21, will leave for BYU in August. Blake, now 19, will leave June 22 for a church mission to Peru. The day after Alice left, their family flew to Hawaii for a weeklong family vacation- probably the last for a long time!
Then Alice drove to Central Point, Oregon and stayed the night with her high school friend Shirley. We talked, and ate, and walked, and talked some more, especially about our upcoming 50th high school reunion. The next day she drove on the Eugene, where she had lunch with her college roommate, Susan, who took her to a Naked Lady Party... well, a clothes exchange- what fun!
Driving on the Portland, Alice followed her GPS directions and Stephanie's as well via phone, to find her at her apartment. We spent a fun night of talking, eating, and even the traditional backscratch!
The next day we did some shopping and then drove to the Portland LDS Temple in Lake Oswego. Although it was misty, Alice took quite a few photos, including the above photo of Steplanie. It was so good to see her again, since the last visit was in 2008. By that night she was in Tacoma and back on good old Grey Wolf with her honey hubby! Whew!

This snowy scene is of the Wasatch Mountain Range in central Utah, where Alice traveled for ten days following Bill's departure from San Diego. She saw six different families and even spent an evening with Justin's friend Ruxandra who was in Salt Lake City on business that week! The weather was bad all but one day, actually the day she took this photo... Regardless, it was a wonderful trip down memory lane, visiting families she knew in Fresno and Indio who have relocated to Utah.

It was tulip time in Utah and, in spite of the inclement weather, they were in their full glory. It seemed like everywhere she went, Alice saw tulips! From front yards to shopping centers, to temple grounds, they were outdoing themselves.
Having never stopped to visit Thanksgiving Point, a tourist hotspot just north of Provo, Alice was thrilled to be able to meander around the complex with her good friend Margo who now lives in Lehi, Utah with her family.

THE REST OF THE STORY...

2011-06-21T20:21:00.000-07:00

Part way up the coast of the United States, Douglas had a close encounter of the wicked kind, falling and cutting a pretty good gash on his nose. His Aunt Dorothy was quick to the rescue and applied her nursing skills to fix him up.

Bill also took a bad fall and gored himself in the chest on a sharp corner of the helm. As he lay writhing on the pilot house floor, Dorothy thought he was having a heart attack... No, he just managed to pop a rib. He is still holding his chest when he sneezes, but is mending nicely now that he is here and safe in Tacoma!

Between cooking, washing, cleaning, nursing, and helping stand watch, Dorothy managed to keep a journal of the trip north. Alice asked her for a copy of it and that is how she found out what REALLY happened on the wild ride north.

Even though she was assured that the seas were "not that bad" and "nothing we haven't already be through", she found out that it was way worse than anything she and Bill had experienced in Latin America... Now she knows why her first reaction to traveling north was the right reaction: "What a great idea: I will meet you there!" Regardless of the frightful times, both Douglas and Dorothy have volunteered to take the boat SOUTH if we ever do!

Rub-a-Dub-Dub: Three in a Tub!

2011-06-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

Douglas De Fluter, Dorothy Mathews, and Captain Bill Johnson

On the calm morning of May 10, 2011, Captain Bill and his crew of two, friends Douglas and Dorothy from Oklahoma, set out on an amazing journey to Puget Sound, Washington. Alice waved them off and then rushed to the end of Harbor Island to capture their departure on her camera. Seventeen days later they arrived at Chinook Landing Marina, Tacoma, Washington! The guide book we'd purchased said that it would take a month if one traveled each day and rested each night.... that was certainly not the case for Grey Wolf. She took on three Pacific storms, getting damaged all three times, and the crew sought shelter three times on the way north: Morro Bay, Eureka, and Crescent City. Otherwise, they traveled day and night. Now, Captain Bill does not get seasick, and Dorothy had her home remedy of ginger juice to get her through the rough spots, but poor Douglas really felt the effects of being on the water even when it was SMOOTH.
We had been warned that it would be very cold, and indeed, it was even cold coming north from Cabo to San Diego. What we didn't realize was how cold it would get: 49 degrees in the cabin as they approached the Strait of Juan de Fuca and turned east to meet the waters of Puget Sound! Dorothy was very grateful she had packed thermal underwear and Bill just kept reporting to Alice that he was COLD~ his thin "Mexican" blood will thicken in time... Now it is time for Alice to drive the Prius north and meet up with her awesome husband, Captain Bill, who now has another notch in his belt~ having conquered the wicked Alaska current in the Pacific Ocean. He reported swells way above the height of Grey Wolf and even tried to photograph them, unsuccessfully. That give him another mental memory, as we call it, for those times when one sees something so stunning that there is not time to capture it on camera.

Leaving San Diego, with Point Loma in the background.

GREY WOLF RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO!

2011-04-10T23:23:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, March 27, 2011 Grey Wolf left her anchorage near Marina de la Paz and ventured out through the San Lorenzo Channel and south to the anchorages of Los Suenos and Los Frailles in preparation for the journey around Cabo San Lucas and north to San Diego. Just an hour out of La Paz we spotted this large humbpack putting on a show for a whale-watching boat!

Our first stop after rounding Cabo and getting the stuffin's knocked out of us was in calm Bahia Santa Maria, where we anchored for eight hours. We had no more than dropped our anchor when two fishermen approached with lobsters for sale! 50 pesos ($4 and four AA batteries is what we paid for these four beauties. Bill did emergency repairs on a water leak, Alice fixed a good HOT lunch (we were freezing) and then Bill rested before traveling on.

The reason Santa Maria was so calm is this headland pictured above that protects the bay from the ocean currents. As the morning turned into afternoon the fog began to creep up and over the mountain and towards us, much like the fog that invades San Francisco 'on little cat feet'- this, however, was rolling and soon covered the entire headland. Thankfully, it had dissipated by the time we left.

As the sun set over the Pacific Ocean this night, we were digging in for yet another overnighter. Five of the seven days from Los Frailles to San Diego involved all night travel. Alice got plenty of sleep and Bill very little, as the water was rough most of the way and the captain did not want the first mate to get hurt! We were very happy to find Judy, a friend of brother Barry's, waiting for us at the Customs Dock in San Diego. She helped us tie down and got information regarding the Police Dock which has courtesy slips for just such folks as us, arriving from the great beyond~ At $10.50 a day it was a great place to begin our month of repairs and provisioning for the big ride north to Seattle...

NOT ALL IS PLEASANT ON GREY WOLF...

2011-03-18T23:36:00.000-07:00

While we were in Santa Rosalia, Bill discovered our 50 amp power plug had burned and was fused to the outlet at our dock! Try as he could he could not pull it out. After reporting the mishap to the marina office, someone came to disassemble the outlet involved, eventually extricating the damaged plug... This is not the first time we have had power problems in in Mexico. Unfortunately, these big boys are not cheap to replace!

The next pesky problem has been termites! A few years ago Alice noticed droppings that tipped us off to their presence, but it wasn't until this past winter that we had sporadic incidents of the little devils in their winged state... we read about them, we sprayed them, we even found new droppings under the stateroom bed. We cleaned them up and then they would reappear... ugh. Alice grew up in an old frame farmhouse that was infested yet still stands in San Diego County, so we don't anticipate that Grey Wolf will sink any time soon--- well, not at ALL, as it has a fiberglass hull. We just wish we knew where their nest is...

Sunrise~ Sunset~

2011-03-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Our friend Jim on Sun Hunter met up with us while we were on anchor in Bahia Concepcion, off the beach at Posada. Bill snapped this early morning sunrise over Jim's boat and Alice caught the moonrise over Sun Hunter one early evening. We will miss the spectacular shows the sun has provided for us the past 5 1/2 years, as we have never seen the blazing colors of Mexico back in the U.S.. Nevertheless, we are on track to trek north to San Diego in April and on to Seattle by summer! A new adventure awaits us...

THE RUNNING OF THE PIGS!

2011-03-12T07:34:00.000-08:00

The 26th annual Pig Races were held on February 13, 2001 in the little town of Mulege, Baja California South. Although we have been in the area many times before, we had never attended, so it was a first for us! It was a first, and probably only, experience for these little piggies, too.

Since we were anchored out near Playa Santispac we had no transportation. But sailors are resourceful, and a bunch of us hooked up with visiting Canadians camping on shore and rode in with them- the Baja Boys,shown above, are from four different American boats.

The races pitted three little piggies against each other. Each was anchored to a guide wire that ran down the track. #6 was having none of it, as you can see. Some took off like they were pros! Some of the spectators bet on the four races, with profits of this event going to the local Rotary Club's charitable organizations.

SUPER MAN!

2011-02-25T17:43:00.000-08:00

Can he fix it? Yes, he can!
That's why he's my Super Man~
Computer down? Not for long,
Toilet leak? He knows what's wrong!
Generator sat too long?
Now it's singing its old song~
Too much water in the bilge:
Can he fix it? Yes, he will.
Vacuum broke- give it to Bill-
Takes it apart, finds what's ill!
WD40 may
Often help him save the day.
But when it comes down to it,
No matter what he uses,
The reason things get fixed here:
Is SUPER MAN, Bill, my dear!
by Alice, Posada Anchorage

Baja California February 2011

Fun With Friends in Santa Rosalia

2011-01-15T18:36:00.000-08:00

We've had a great time hanging out with friends this past month. The above shot was taken one evening as seven of us headed uptown to have World Famous Hot Dogs! Deb and Dave on Wave Sweeper, Alice (and Bill behind the camera) on Grey Wolf, Alan and Barbara on Native Son, and Jim on Sun Hunter all enjoyed the great hot dogs- 15 pesos each, and then trekked across the street to our favorite Neveria for one or two scoops of ice cream for a mere 12-20 pesos~ (12 pesos to the U.S. dollar these days)

Grey Wolf Gets A New Door!

2011-01-15T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our main door, at right, had become a source of difficulty, with the high rolling track beginning to deteriorate, making the door VERY hold to slide. Bill had taken it apart and lubricated it before, and it had begun acting up again. When he told a boating friend about it, he suggested Bill go to a local glass store and see if they could make a replacement door!

Not only did they make a new door, but it came with a screen and was very skillfully installed on our deck by a couple of young men! No more heavy steel door with a little window in it: now we feel like we are in a fish bowl, so to speak... Actually, it is a lovely door that slides easily and gives us better protection from the cold winter winds that have been whipping around us the last two months! All that for $250 American! Wow!!

Oh, and speaking of WIND, here is a very windy photo of Alice beside the new decals we have applied to each side of the pilot house and even a smaller version in the center of our new door, so no one will accidentally bounce off of it, thinking it is open when it is closed. (Actually, it will be a miracle if Alice can keep it clean enough for that to even happen! ) Some people have a hard time seeing our name written on the stern of the boat. Now it will be easy to identify us...

BAJA--NO BETTER SUNSETS!

2010-12-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

Grey Wolf lay on anchor in Bahia de los Angeles when Alice spied this spectacular sunset developing in the western sky. This is just one of the several shots she got before the sun set.

Winter Solstice Lunar Eclipse~

2010-12-27T16:46:00.000-08:00

Bill took his super-great 5D Canon outside on the night of December 20 to capture the lunar eclipse. We had carted around his tripod for years and hadn't used it, so we took it HOME just this past year! He rose to the challenge of doing handheld shots directly over his head, as that is where the moon was at the point the eclipse began!

It took a while for our naked eyes to see the beginning of the shadow cast by Earth to appear on the surface of the Moon. However, the camera was able to capture it as it began to blot out the brightly lit Moon. This was about 11:45 PM Mountain time in Santa Rosalia, Baja California Sur.

By 12:20 AM, Dec. 21, the Winter Solstice had actually begun and the Moon was slipping slowly away, with only a slice showing at the top. Bill was having more trouble capturing the image, as he had to slow down the shutter speed to increase the visibility of the image. It is remarkable how well he did in steadying the camera since he was pointed it straight up into the night sky!

By 1 AM the eclipse was complete and the red cast of the Moon shone down on us for quite a while. Bill tried several shots from the dock by our boat where he had taken the other ones, but he could not steady the camera enough. So he went up to dock ramp and braced himself against the ramp handrail to get this remarkable shot of the Moon! It would be another 1 1/2 hours for the eclipse to reverse itself- we just went to bed at that point! What a show!

Thoughts of Christmas from the Captain~2010

2010-12-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas fun on Grey Wolf

Alice has been playing with her early Birthday/Christmas gift from Bill:
a new lens for her camera- a fixed 50 mm which allows her to takeclose-up shots with the blurred background you see in this photo! It will take practice, but it will be fun learning a new technique for close shots~

CHRISTMAS?
What comes to your mind when you are reminded that Christmas is almost here?

Most people think about the amount of money that they will HAVE TO spend. There is Mom and Dad, if you are lucky enough to still have them with you, Husband or Wife, and children of all ages. You will do what it takes to make your loved ones happy and that is wonderful that people the world over will stop to show their love to family and friends.

But for the Christian it is a reminder of that joyous occasion when Christ first came to earth to teach and to go to the cross to pay our debt. It was a debt we could not pay ourselves. We now have the great joy of remembering that we are saved by simply faith that Christ CAME and died and we know we are HIS through faith only. It has always been faith!! Those before Christ looked forward with faith that the Messiah would come, and He has. We now look back on the fact that He has and that is the reason we are filled with so much love at Christmastime~ because He first loved us.

Take a moment and read Phil. 2:1-8. What great love that He would leave the place of glory and come to take the form of man! The word HUMBLE is the one word that stands out to me. Then in John 10:1-10 Christ explains Salvation and compares Himself to thieves and robbers. He came to save, while others come as a thief to just get what they can for themselves.

As Christmas comes upon us so rapidly let us examine our Faith. Are we trying to be good enough? We have failed all through the years to be good enough. Isa.64:6 tells us that all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.

What a wonderful season we have now, being able to look back on the birth of our Lord and Saviour, knowing that He came and is still gathering His flock. Let us all have a wonderful Christmas, but let us all take time to thank and Praise the Lord for the season we are celebrating!

Merry Christmas from Captain Bill

GREY WOLF GETS A FACELIFT!

2010-12-02T21:36:00.000-08:00

Grey Wolf, sparkling white with the new paint job Bill did this

summer, moves across the north end of the harbor at Puerto

Penasco on her way to be pulled out for bottom painting...

The haul out here is primitive compared to using a Travel Lift as

we have done before. She will be hauled out on a rail and lifted

just far enough into the boat yard for painting- the first time they

tried, the equipment broke. After a welding job, they got her out!

Here is Grey Wolf in dry dock. You get a good idea of the size of

the boat with the workers standing nearby. Bill put in a new through

hole to install a piece of equipment, while two workers prepped and

painted the bottom~ all done at last! Bill had to do some touchup

work right at the water line once back in our slip... This paint job

should last longer in the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest, where

we are headed next year!

Our Sixth Anniversary! How Time Flies~

2010-10-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

The entry to the Mission Inn in Riverside is laden with old ivy growth, indicative of the many years this entrance has stood welcoming guests.

August 28 marked our sixth wedding anniversary! Bill was home for a brief break from working on Grey Wolf, so we took advantage of the opportunity to get away for a couple of days. First we went to San Diego and then to Riverside. where we spent the night in this hotel that is one of the Historic Hotels of America, having opened over a hundred years ago. Alice had always wanted to stay here; Bill had been here for his brother's wedding years ago. So we lounged and looked and ate and Alice even got in the jacuzzi! We also walked and snooped around the immediate area surrounding the Mission Inn. One of the impressive displays is the gallery of American presidents who have visited here. Bill even sat in the oversized chair made especially for President Taft when he visited... Alice could have sat beside him, but she was taking the photo!

Six years! And what a great time we have had!!

Goodson Family Reunion in Idyllwild, CA

2010-09-30T00:10:00.000-07:00

Bill and Alice, five of her six children and their husbands and children gathered at a lovely log home in the mountains above Palm Springs for a Family Reunion. Five members of son-in-law Jeffrey Robinson's family were in attendance also~

Alison, (Stephanie who did not attend), Justin, Eric, Margaret, Melinda- Alice's Six

We had SO much good food- lasagne, chili, pulled pork, Mexican, etc! Thanks to all the great cooks. The kiddies had ample opportunity to play games and run around. We attended a concert in the local park one evening and went to the Nature Center for Butterfly Daze- the one day each year when people can 'play' with Monarch butterflies before they are released to the wild. Each evening there was a devotional with a spiritual thought- thanks Bill, Jeff, Rod, and Rob! We played games, went for walks, made crafts and even had a 'yard sale' on Saturday morning- no money exchanged, just a time to trade for someone else's goodies.

Nicole, Jacqueline and Andrea show off their painted faces at Butterfly Daze!

And a good time was had by all... what a lovely home we stayed in, made of imported Finnish wood!

Welcome to the world of KAYAKING

2010-05-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

We have been talking about buying kayaks for some time, but the new ones were expensive... while in La Cruz, Banderas Bay, we learned of a boat in Nuevo Vallarta with two kayaks for sale! A good buy with seats and paddles included, we decided to take the plunge... well, Alice had already taken the plunge in 2008 when she fell out of Barry's kayak on her maiden voyage... but back to our kayak story. The boater was kind enough to drive his boat over to the marina near our anchorage and deliver the kayaks since we had no vehicle for transport. Getting them onboard was a trick, but in time Bill had stainless steel holders made and now they grace the bow of Grey Wolf nicely. It is a two person job to get them in and out of the water, but we are tough!

Alice and friend Gina took off one morning for an adventure in Bahia Concepcion. She was so very kind to tow her kayak with her dinghy from their anchorage some distance away~ what a gal... she was rewarded with her whale shark sighting that day! We went along the shallows and saw tons of seaweed, some coral, Sargeant fish, and starfish. On the way back we checked out a good-sized rookery island where both seagull and pelican chicks were hopping about under the watchful eye of their parents... a very neat experience~ I'd considered taking a camera but was afraid it would wind up in the drink~~ what a shame...

Catching the Local Critters in Action~

2010-05-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

At the end of our kayaking in Bahia Balandra, Alice began snooping for shells in the shallows near the beach. Then she spotted a school of long, slender silver fish swimming near three Angel fish! A quick trip to the dinghy and she was back in time to take pictures of 3 Angels and one silver fishy- see him?

A feeding frenzy of dolphins on their breakfast run was quite a sight one morning... They were just far enough away that even with her zoom lens Alice did not get a close-up photo. Some of them were really 'feeling their oats', as the farmers might say! Remember, this is a dolphin, NOT a fish...

We have spent time in the Sea of Cortez four different years and this is the first experience we have had with a whale shark! One was sighted in the bay during Loreto Fest and we did see his fins... When we were anchored in Bahia Concepcion, however, this big boy (15-20 feet long) came swimming by our bow!! Our friend Gina happened on him the next day while out in her dinghy and she cut the motor and drifted around him close enough to see into his mouth and she pronounced that he was toothless- wow!

Traveling in the Sea of Cortez- 2010

2010-05-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

It was fun to catch up with sailboat friends Randy and Gina on 'Balena', seen here hauling their dinghy onto the deck in preparation for leaving. We hope to see them in Puerto Penasco in the summertime.

We were anchored at Playa Santispac, Bahia Concepcion for two weeks. While we were there Barry's dinghy went out. The two brothers worked numerous time to see if they could fix it, but their efforts were in vain. They ruled out the battery but it may be the starter or the cables... to be continued. Barry finally had to resort to using his big banana (yellow) kayak to get around to shore and to Grey Wolf!

The morning we left Puerto Escondido there was a mass exodus of Loreto Fest boats. Two trawlers are visible just ahead of us and both a sailboat and Barry on 'Grumpy' followed us out. It was a great day for traveling, as you can see by the calm of the water ahead of us.

Loreto Fest 2010

2010-05-03T12:08:00.000-07:00

April 30-May 2 was the annual Loreto Fest- a Cruisers Party produced by and for the cruising community in the Sea of Cortez and land-based friends, as well. Barry's friend Naomi flew in from Omaha, Nebraska for the event and to travel with us for a few days to the nearby islands. We were able to pick and choose those events and workshops we wanted to attend. We saw some old friends and made some new ones, too!

The Ups and Downs of the Sea of Cortez

2010-05-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Shortly after returning to Grey Wolf from our Copper Canyon trip we decided to head south to catch up with Bill's brother and head on to Loreto Fest. The wind had been blowing out of the south which is not good for us to go south, so we waiting until it turned around. The first day was fine, but about evening the wind decided to blow out of the WEST and knocked the stuffin' out of us. The anchor 'jumped' out of it cradle and smashed through the right front porthole, sending glass and seawater all over our stateroom ~ but we were not aware of it for a while, so a ton of water rushed in as we were in high seas... UGH. Everything that could fall, did. We ducked into Bahia de Los Angeles as soon as we could fight our way south and anchored for several hours while we did damage control and Bill cut a plywood window and glued it in the gamping porthole. Then we traveled on calm seas until the middle of the next night when we were again assaulted by west winds! That time Alice had been sleeping on the salon sofa and awakened to the violent lurching of the boat... only to be tossed across the room and into one of our director's chairs. Fortunately she was only bruised- nothing broken, but she was certainly shaken by the experience. The rest of our trip south was fine and we were blessed by the chain of good boater friends who suggested getting Plexiglas in La Paz, getting the Plexiglas for us, and shipping it to Loreto Fest on a northbound boat! Now we are secure again with a decent-looking porthole!

Copper Canyon Slideshow ~ Click on photo, please!

2010-05-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

BARRANCAS DEL COBRE ~ aka COPPER CANYON

2010-04-29T19:27:00.000-07:00

Barrancas del Cobre, located in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, is actually larger than the Grand Canyon, and consists of a number of canyons. The area was a big silver mining area a century ago. Plans were first made for a train to traverse this rugged area in the mid 1800's, but between changes in management, wars, and other difficulties it took 100 years to finish. Now run by the Mexican government, the Chepe train runs from Los Mochis on the Sea of Cortez to the city of Chihuahua. Bill and Alice, along with friends Ted and Carolyn from Idaho, spent parts of four days on the rails during the week we explored Copper Canyon!

Our first stop was at Paraiso del Oso Lodge near Cerocahui, right at a mile high! There is a rock outcropping above the lodge with a distinct side view of what the owners affecionately call Yogi Bear (see slideshow). This rustic hotel was a fun place to meet the locals who work there and the turistas passing through. It was cold enough to enjoy the wood stove in our room both nights~ We took a tour that included a mission and the overlook to Urique, an old mining town 4,500 feet below us in Urique Canyon. Our next stop was Creel, north of the canyons and the center of this area, at 7,200 feet.. The huge Lodge at Creel is run by Best Western! Another tour took us to several unusual rock formations, two mission churches, a lake and a waterfall. The Tarahumara Indians are the local natives and the women do marvelous work with pine needle and other baskets. Carolyn and Alice went a bit crazy... Alice also bought two lovely pottery bowls made in Chihuahua State. Now to get them home without breaking them! Our last stop was at Mirador Hotel on the rim of Copper Canyon, above. The food throughout the trip was first class, and the chef at Mirador undoubtedly earned the award for great presentation~ The dinner the last night as we returned to El Fuerte and our truck was exquistite as we dined on freshwater lobster, hosted by the hotel owner and his wife.

The highs and lows of Puerto Penasco

2010-02-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Rocky Point, aka Puerto Penasco, northernmost port in the state of Sonora, Mexico. We are only an hour's drive from the international border, with Lukeville, Arizona on the other side! We have come here for several reasons: Bill's brother Barry is here on his boat, the marina is inexpensive, AND we will be able to travel to California in just a few hours~ which we will do on March 1.

Barry has been showing us around the town and made sure we got

to have the chili size and the Sunday breakfast at one of his fave

restaurants- The Pink Cadillac, a cool fifties themed place.

Puerto Penasco 'enjoys' some of the world's most

extreme tides, and with the full moon this weekend,

it was even more extreme! Our depth under the boat

measured less than three feet during this photo...

Au contraire, in THIS photo we were at 25 feet! Pretty crazy, huh?

This wide swing doesn't affect us much, unless you want to walk up

or down a ramp at LOW tide- that means a work-out! The place

featured in these photos is the local boat yard... where we just may

have the boat painted this year- pulling out at high tide, obviously!

What a Two Humpback Whale Show!

2010-02-01T19:03:00.000-08:00

Almost on cue, two huge humpbacks begin to rise from the

sparkling blue water of Bahia de La Paz. We were one hour

north of the city when we noticed a boat making circles ahead

of us. Only when we got closer did we realize why AND that

the boat was a whalewatching vessel! We got a free show!

The two whales came very close to the boat that was allowed

to approach them. We had to stay back, but still got quite a

show. You cannot see the whale in front of the boat, but the

one to port looks like he is waving, "Hey, look over here!"

The La Paz Singlar Marina Mascot Greeted Us...

2010-02-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

This sunning sea lion had staked his claim at the end of the fuel dock

the day we pulled in to fuel up before leaving the La Paz area.

After getting warmed up, it was time for a dip in the

harbor. This pelican seemed totally oblivious to him.

After cooling off, it was time to climb back on the dock!

We are greeted by leapfrogging sea lions in Bahia La Paz!

2010-01-15T21:17:00.000-08:00

At first we thought we were seeing the ever-present dolphins, but at

second glance we realized it was a seal show unfolding... amazing!

...and the winner is..! We had never seen seals showing off like this.

A Different View of Mazatlan

2010-01-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

We were anchored in the old harbor by the ferry and cruise

ship docks. The redstacked vessel is a maritime transport, while the
Baja Ferry runs between Mazatlan and La Paz. Between these two,
the two visiting cruise ships can be spotted. What a busy place!

Isla Creston is attached to the city via a causeway. Even though

this lighthouse is high above the waterline, it appears to be the only

light. We could see no other when we left port at 1 AM for La Paz.

Our favorite restaurant in Mazatlan is called Panama!

Dessert carts are wheeled from table to table to tempt

the customers.... even at breakfast~ too much for even

our sweetooths!!

The first two times we visited Mazatlan we stayed in one of the marinas on the north end of the city. This time we decided to anchor out on the south end! It was a neat experience and we even got a lot of excerise in, since we walked to the city center twice- quite a hike. Alice also walked to church and back on Sunday- another sizable hike. Alice likes to walk for the sake of walking, while Bill will walk willingly for a purpose. She thought it would be cool to walk to the top of Isla Creston, the lighthouse island right next to our anchorage. However, after hiking switchbacks part way up we heard that there are then 300 steps! No thanks!! We did all our walking on relatively flat ground.

Fun with the Felt Family

2009-12-28T20:53:00.000-08:00

Bill, Alice, Stephanie, Brea, Jensen, Tom, and Analisse

Mary, their cook, makes fresh tortillas for each dinner!

The second Sunday Alice attended church in Puerto Vallarta she met the Felt Family of Bucerias. Their Utah home is in Alpine, but they are living in their vacation home in Mexico this year so the children can attend school to acquire Spanish language skills. Tom offered to pick Alice up for church each week, cutting her travel time in half! They have visited us on Grey Wolf and we have enjoyed a lovely dinner at their beautiful Spanish style home on the beach within view of our anchorage. We appreciate their generous hearts and sweet spirits. We hope to visit them again, perhaps in Utah!

Christmas Message from the Captain

2009-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of the year again. I remember when I was a kid that the last two weeks before Christmas seemed like five years. Now it seems like the last five years only took two weeks!
It is at this time of the year when people turn their attention to Christmas that Satan gets busy using people who are afraid of Christmas or anything to do with God to try to persuade people that there is no God. I remember when there was a push to tell everyone that God had died; now they run ads that say "There is no God'. Psalms 14:1: The fool says in his heart 'there is no God'. So this foolishness has been going on for much longer than most might think.
I have oftime wondered what a great faith these people must have to convince themselves that all we see- Sun, Moon, Stars and this beautiful Earth and all life that is on it just happened by accident... If I tried to tell those same people that the automobile came into being by a Big Bang that happened some time ago, they would think me crazy and they would be right, if I really believed that. When you think about it, isn't a car much simpler than mankind and the animals? We all know that the car was created by a higher being than the car. Does it not stand to reason, then, that everything was created by a being much higher than the thing created and that something so complex as the animal and man had to be created by a much higher being? Genesis says 'In the beginning God created...'. Simple faith and logic tells you this must be true. I have always wondered why anyone would spend so much time and energy fighting something they 'don't believe in', or do they? I have a theory that they fight God so hard because they don't want Him to be there, because if He does exist then all that goes with Him is true also. Down deep they worry about the judgment day that is coming and they well should. Numbers 32 tells us that God punishes His people when they ignore Him and seek their own glory. Remember, God is the same yesterday, today, tomorrow and forever!
Now as we look to Christmas, and reflect on the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, we see the great LOVE that God has for His creation. In Philippians 2: 5-8, (read please), we are told that Christ, in His great love, came to provide the only way back to our Father in Heaven.
We can all retell the Christmas story of Jesus' birth in a stable with people and animals at His side, the wise men coming from afar bringing gifts, but what we so often miss is the great love God has for us. He has provided everything we need to be close to Him. Some complain about how commercial Christmas has become, but it has long been that way. When I consider God's great gift of love for us in the coming of Christ, is it wrong for us to show our love to others by giving gifts as well? I think it is the thing to do, and I think it pleases God that we show our love. But don't forget to give a return gift back to God to show our love for Him. He is what it is all about, after all.
I am so thankful that we can look back and remember that Christ has already come. Before that time God's people looked forward to His coming with the same faith we use to look back to that wonderful day~ Christmas!!!
My hope and prayer is that you will celebrate Christmas by praising, singing, and giving a gift to God. Also, show your love with gifts to your family and loved ones.
Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year!
With love to all from Bill and Alice

El Dia de los Muertos

2009-11-21T19:29:00.000-08:00

The Day of the Dead is celebrated on November 2. It is a really major holiday here in Mexico, complete with decorations, as shown above. Graves are decorated and some families bring food to the cemetery to share a meal with deceased family members, as in Costa Rica where all burial plots are above ground. The cemetery shown above was in readiness for El Dia de los Muertos when we left. In El Salvador, Alice found special bread in the bakery to commemorate the day (see El Salvador 2 slideshow). One government office we were in had a display of photos of dead relatives, flowers, food, and candles. Roadside memorials were decked out with orange and black Halloween decorations, too!

Guatemala did not want to be forgotten!

2009-11-18T09:33:00.000-08:00

We had spent time in Guatemala in January and about went broke in the process, so we knew we had no plans to stop in transit unless we had an emergency, just thought we would enjoy the volcano landscape as we cruised by. However, the Guatemalan Navy decided they would stop us! We left El Salvador at 1 PM on October 31. The next morning we noticed a fair-sized Navy ship approaching from the west. They moved past us and then launched a small craft replete with men in full combat gear and black masks, toting automatic weapons, which pulled up beside us. Bill stepped out and spoke to them in English. It was apparent they wanted to board us, so we waited while they manuevered to allow one man to jump onto our swim step (above). Lt. Cordoba, a handsome young man who was fluent in English, examined our papers and spoke to us briefly about the reason why they stop boats- drugs, of course. He did not really inspect the boat, our honest faces allaying any fears that we were drugrunners!! Just another one of those 'interesting experiences' that have contributed to our adventure...

Back to Bahia del Sol~ One Last Visit in El Salvador

2009-11-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

As it turned out, the hardest place to enter was the one place we wanted to revisit! The breaking bar outside of the estuary where Marina Bahia del Sol is located was calm the morning we were escorted safely in (above). Our number one priority was to pick up some tourist brochures and other supplies for our friends Bill and Jean who are busy promoting tourism to El Salvador. They will be coordinating a boat rally south from Puerto Vallarta next spring. Two big boxes later we had accomplished that task. We enjoyed visiting with local gringos we had met in January, among them Jan Turner, a Canadian who has built her home on Isla Cordoncillo, near the marina. Alice brought her a shoebox of school supplies for her English/Computer classes she teaches the island youngsters. She also hustled and made three new baby quilts for Jan to give to families in need (above).

We also contacted Elizabeth Scoville (sister-in-law to a friend of Alice's in Indio) and her family in the capital city. We enjoyed getting to know them in January and wanted to invite them to the boat. Her husband was working in the U.S., but she came with her mother, son and daughter. Bill took them out for a cool dinghy ride- above. After dinner, Alice rode back to San Salvador with them. We went shopping the next day and ate a delicious lunch mom Dora had prepared. Then we all rode the 1 1/2 hours back to the boat, after which they went to the beach. They even came down one more time before we left~ dear, dear people!

The day of our departure the bar was NOT nice to us, greeting us with a few 6-8 foot waves that made it feel like we were 'surfing the big ones'. Just one week after we left a terrible Pacific storm inundated tiny El Salvador, causing massive mudslides and flooding which took the lives of some 200 people...

Out and About in Costa Rica

2009-10-17T05:31:00.000-07:00

Two day trips took Alice and Paddy two different directions: the first across Golfo Dulce by ferry to Puerto Jimenez, where we searched for the scarlet macaws famous in that area. We saw bright red dragonflies, birds and a crocodile in a mangrove swamp, and lots of butterflies- too fast to photograph. Another day we rode a bus into the interior in search of new sights. We were in Rio Claro, Palma Norte, Palma Sur, and Sierpe, where we ate lunch on the edge of the Rio Sierpe. By the time we got to the restaurant it was pouring rain- see it running off the tin roof, above. We visited with two American women who had just returned from a three hour river trip, where they saw crocs, and THREE species of monkeys- howler, white-face, and squirrel. In all the time we have been here we have never seen a monkey!!

Pavones, Costa Rica ~ a Neat Getaway

2009-10-11T16:45:00.000-07:00

Paddy Landrum, one of our friends in Golfito, and Alice took off early one morning for a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to Pavones, world-known by surfers. This is NOT the high season, but we just wanted to get away. A city-type bus took us TO the river, shown above. We then rode a ferry to the other side and boarded a big old school bus for the rest of the trip! We even got to ride with the school children as they headed home- very early. Schools run double sessions so students either attend in the morning or the afternoon. Upon arriving, we looked around for a cabina, not wanting to spend the cost of a hotel. Many homes either have cabins for rent or, in this case, rooms had been added to the family home: check out all the surf decals on the fridge for patron use that was right outside our room ($30 a night). Although the town was very quiet and so was the sea, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable break.

WAHOO!

2009-10-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

We'd been told that wahoo was a great catch, but we had never caught one. We lost three lures in Panama to unknown critters and we were suspicious they were wahoo strikes, so when we put out our lines the last time Bill made sure he used steel leaders. A while later, this fellow struck. Unable to bite through the leader, Bill reeled him in. But he got his revenge, biting a nice hole in our net as we hauled him aboard! You can see his head protuding in the above photo. Then we could see the rows of sharp, triangular teeth... later the same day Bill went to check the lines and found one with the lure AND the steel leader gone... somewhere there is a huge fish swimming about with a hook and leader in his mouth! Alice broiled a nice pan of wahoo steaks to share with our friends here. (FYI Wahoo is ONO in Hawaii.)

Up close with a Humpback!

2009-10-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Much of this latest trip found us on long rolling seas, with swells up to five or six feet- easily enough to 'hide' a small fishing boat from our view. We had seen so many logs amongst the ever-present flotsam and jetsam that Alice didn't think too much of it when she thought she saw a huge log off in the distance, appearing and disappearing... by the time she pointed it out to Bill the log had become a whale! She grabbed her camera, but never saw that one again. A couple of hours later, however, a whale surfaced just off our port bow and only a couple of hundred feet ahead of us~ it seemed to be having a feeding feast as it repeatedly dove straight down in the water. Bill stopped the boat, afraid of hitting it, and we then watched as it surfaced and glided across our bow, diving one last time and disappearing. As usual, the best shot is the mental photo we have when we first saw the big boy rolling in the water. By the time you pick up a camera, even though it is sitting right next to you, the moment is often gone!

One Scary Night...

2009-10-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Bill says he wasn't scared, and Alice wasn't ringing her hands, but the prospects of being adrift in open water for four hours (2 AM to 6 AM) without our engine was no fun. We had planned an overnighter from Islas Las Perlas to Bahia Honda in Western Panama. Rounding the point on the western edge of the Azuero Peninsula, Bill made sure he had the autopilot set and then turned the watch time over to Alice so he could get some sleep. At about 2 AM, she caught an odd odor and began to scan the helm controls, soon spotting the engine totally overheated! So she ran to wake up Bill, who upon opening the engine room hatch was met with billowing steam: turn off the engine! It turned out to be the culprit above: the belt for the raw water pump (a good one is on the left). Nearly all the salt water that normally cools the engine was gone, so it took about 20 gallons to get that refilled; then Bill put a fan in the engine room, gathered his tools, and went to work in a small, awkward, steamy space to take off the shredded belt and put a new one on. Meanwhile, Alice sat at the helm watching the GPS, depth finder, and radar to make sure that we were not drifting into shallow water. We did drift 3-4 miles BACKWARDS but remained in 220 feet of water, thankfully. Time for lots of prayers... we are so grateful for our Father in Heaven's constant care over us as we travel!

Panama's Beautiful Islands

2009-09-30T21:26:00.000-07:00

When we left Panama City we headed 30 miles south to Islas Las Perlas, a 200 island archipelago. We stayed first at Isla Contadora where we had anchored before. Then we toured the eastern edge of the islands, ending at Isla San Jose for anchoring. The bay was large and a bit rolly, but okay for one night. Bill pulled out before light, and headed west on an overnighter. Upon our arrival at Bahia Honda the next afternoon, we were tickled with a super calm anchorage and lovely surroundings. This is where we were visited by not just one, but two small boats with family members onboard as it was Sunday. They were hawking their produce for either gasoline, money, or food items. So we wound up with bananas, oranges, a gigantic papaya, spinach, and peppers; they with money, cookies, boxed milk and canned goods, with some pens and pencils thrown in! Bill's brother Barry had enountered frequent opportunities to barter with locals in the early 1990's, but this was a rare occasion for us. The next day found us on our way to Isla Parida, high in the Gulf of Chiriqui in western Panama. This last anchorage was fairly calm and treated us to a beautiful sunset as we spent our last night in Panama on anchor. After four months there, it was bittersweet to know we would never see these gorgeous tropical anchorages again.

MILDEW- With apologies to Dr. Seuss

2009-09-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

Mildew, mildew everywhere!
Is that mildew in my hair?
Mildew growing on my suitcase,
Mildew growing on my shoes -
Mildew growing on Bill's hat:
Now that is some bad news!
Mildew on the ceiling,
Mildew on the walls -
Mildew on the cupboards,
Mildew down the halls...
Go away gray mildew.
Don't ever come ye back!
Our lives are best without you -
And that is just a fact!

The latest in the long collection of poems Alice has written since leaving San Diego on 2 November 2005. We will be SO glad when we return to a drier climate!

The Panama City Temple ~ Dedicated in 2008

2009-09-04T11:34:00.000-07:00

2009-09-04T11:32:00.000-07:00

One can see the Panama Canal from the temple grounds.

Miraflores Locks ~ Pacific Panama Canal

2009-09-04T11:07:00.000-07:00

Bill and Alice toured the facility at the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal, arriving just in time to see the last vessel of the morning transit from the lower lock to the higher lock and then out into the open channel leading to Gatun Lake. Bill took video and Alice took still photos of the amazing process!

Then we enjoyed a stroll through the museum and watched a movie presentation regarding the current expansion project which will allow the world's supertankers to transit the Panama Canal. Currently, the locks will not accommodate the largest tankers.

Following our visit to the Canal we drove to the Panama City Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which sits on a hill above the right bank of the canal. It is a beautiful building in a beautiful setting. Corozal American Cemetery lies at the base of the temple site and is the resting place for American military and their dependents, one of 24 American cemeteries on foreign soil around the world.

The Panama City Skyline from Grey Wolf

2009-08-31T11:58:00.000-07:00

We have moved a little closer to the city and have actually had clearer days lately for picture-taking. She is still "The Gray Lady" most days, with the steady stream of storms that pass through here in the summertime. There are more skyscrapers to the east, but these two shots show the bulk of the skyline of this city of 2 million!

Alice Visits Atlanta!

2009-08-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

On her way from Indio to Panama City Alice deliberately picked an 11 hour layover in Atlanta so she could visit with her sister's family who live there. Sister Ann and her husband and granddaughter also drove down from Chattanooga so they had a grand day together. The family continues to grow, mainly in girls, as shown in the photo above. Left to right- Ann's daughter Darla, her great granddaughter Anna beside her mother Carissa who is expecting another daughter Ella, Ann's granddaughter Kayla, and Ann, Alice's older sister.

Fresno Update~

2009-08-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

Now that it is time for Alice to return to Panama City, Panama she finally got in to see an orthopedic specialist! He diagnosed her shoulder problem as a bruised and possibly slightly torn rotator cuff, but with no time to obtain an MRI he simply gave her a cortisone shot- oh, and another in her arthritic knee, then told her not to strain the arm at all for a week... hmm, a fifty lb. duffle bag of boating supplies to take with her... well, all ablebodied men will be recruited to help out.

Alice spent last week in Clovis, CA, a suburb of Fresno, with daughter Alison and son-in-law Rod and the eight children at home. It was a busy but happy time. She got to take Jacqueline and Andrea to gymnastics and FIVE of them to piano lessons. She also helped with a bridal shower for Rod's cousin and tried to keep the kids on track with their jobs around the yard, as the wedding reception was held at their home last Saturday! The shots above show 17 year old Blake and Grant, 10 with John, 2.

And now she bids adieu to all the challenges she has had with house and car repairs and the concerns for her brood, even though they are all grown. A mother's heart is always tender when it comes to her children and grandchildren. There will be lots of prayers for their welfare while she enjoys being back on Grey Wolf with her Honey!

A Sailboat on the Rocks...

2009-08-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday August 7, 2009 a terrible storm hit Panama City. Bill was alone on Grey Wolf and had to battle the wind and the waves for quite a while, trying to raise the anchor that had begun to slip. When he finally got it up it was tangled in a cable, a fish net, and a flotation device!! The next time Bill was on shore he spotted the remnants of a sailboat someone had left on a mooring. The above photo shows what happened to it when it slipped in the storm and blew onto the rocks... devastation like we have never seen before. We have seen boats beached, but never destroyed like this one...SCARY!

Happy Birthday, Justin!

2009-08-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Since Alice was home in July, she decided to have a little birthday party for Justin, who turned 28 on July 11. Owen and Melinda came to the desert for the weekend and Eric and daughter Kaeli came over to help celebrate. Arlene had to work, unfortunately. Justin's friend Sandy Montez joined us, too! Football season is gearing up at Palm Desert High where Justin will again be one of the coaches, keeping a hectic schedule between there and Big Horn Country Club where he now works.

Panama - Part Two

2009-08-05T21:19:00.000-07:00

After we left Costa Rica we took our time going to Panama the second time. Alice misunderstood the writeup on Coiba National Park, located on and around Isla Coiba. She thought the place we anchored was free- NOT. We had pulled in and dropped anchor at 3 AM, only to wake up and find a patrol boat bearing down on us, informing us that we must go to park headquarters and pay! (See photo above.) So Bill put the dinghy in the water and we took off to pay up- only to learn they wanted $60 a day for the boat, PLUS $20 a person! We didn't even have that much money on us, so we paid them what we had and promised to leave immediately~ We made sure the next anchorage was free!

An overnighter then took us on to Panama City, where we decided to anchor on the city side of Isla Flamenco rather than the canal side. It is calmer there, even if it is dirtier. We hooked back up with our faithful cabbie, Roosevelt, and managed to get checked in and do some provisioning before it was time for Alice to fly home, as she had fallen on the pilot house steps and wrenched her right shoulder. Poor Bill~ alone for two whole months.

Just before Alice left, we went to Punta Culebra, a lovely nature park within walking distance of our anchorage. It is run by the Smithsonian and was loaded with interesting flora and fauna, as well as educational displays. As we were viewing the shark exhibit the skies opened up and it POURED rain for about 40 minutes. We got to know the sharks and the park guide really well while waiting for the rain to stop! The starfish shown above was one of many breathtaking displays we saw there.

Costa Rica: Part Three

2009-06-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

We arrived back in Costa Rica after a five day adventure traveling westward and stopping three places to anchor and rest along the Panamanian coast. We were able to visit with our friends Ray and Paddy before she flew to England for three weeks. In the time we spent here at their dock we were keeping a watchful eye on Ray and their place. Bill assembled and tried out our new, lightweight dinghy complete with beach wheels. He also painted the top of the boat and all the decks, so Grey Wolf looks mighty spiffy again! The salt air is a killer on anything on the boat's exterior, including paint. Rain is now a daily event here, if not two or three times in one day! The air temperature is rather moderate now and life would be wonderful here if not for the humidity. It could be worse, though!

Before Paddy left, she and Alice had the opportunity of visiting Bob Beatham's Finca (farm) in the highlands about an hour from Golfito. What a beautiful collection of plants he has and what a delight to listen to him describe their uses, both culinary and medicinal! The pink torch ginger shown above was photographed there. The birds turned out nicely and provided a marvelous opportunity for photos, too. One of the workers tried to direct our eyes to a long-tailed fowl in the top of the trees, but we missed it. Another day Alice saw a red-beaked toucan but she was without camera- darn...

By the time we were ready to head back to Panama Alice had developed some strange malady that affected her joints, especially in her shoulders and hands. In spite of the fact that she really did not want to leave Bill alone again, Bill insisted she book a flight home to get medical care. She will fly home from Panama City on June 24 and will be home two months. Bill will get to enjoy Islas Las Perlas without her, unfortunately. He will have to take lots of cool photos~

Between the Americas ~ Panama Pt One

2009-05-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

We left Golfito the end of May, headed for Panama City non-stop. Fifty-one hours later we dropped anchor at La Playita, the bay in front of Isla Flamenco where the Flamenco Signal Station is located. ALL vessels approaching from the south or west must check in with the Signal Station to let them know they are coming into the Panama Canal Zone. Dozens of commercial ships lay on anchor west and east of the lighted buoys which lead a constant parade of vessels to the beginning of the Pacific canal entrance at the Miraflores Locks, past the Bridge of the Americas, shown above. For the next ten days we watched the comings and goings of freighters, tankers, cruise ships, and the occasional pleasure craft, dwarfed by the huge vessels! Years ago we really wanted to traverse the canal, but at this point we are happy just to observe.

We had been told that the port authority would contact us regarding checking in, but after two days of listening to the radio Bill took off in our dinghy, determined to get the skinny on what we were supposed to do. We were supposed to take our documents and go into the city to get checked in! Okay, we can do that, so after friends on a sailboat recommended an Engish speaking cabbie we called him and did the paperwork Cha Cha, as it is called... five stops later we were checked in!

There is a marina not far from our anchorage, so we were able to take the dinghy ashore and walk to where there were marine stores, restaurants, and an ATM. By Wednesday, May 6, we had checked it all out in preparation for meeting up with our daughter Margaret's in-laws, Rob and Mary Robinson. They were arriving on the Coral Princess cruise ship for the day! What a small world~ we scurried over to the terminal that morning and contacted an officer who confirmed they were still onboard. We visited and ate lunch. We pointed out Grey Wolf on anchor but did not have time to take them out as they had a city tour to take. Alice wound up going with them on the city tour, which was very enjoyable and went places most tourists would never go, even into the heart of the slums! Although Alice had purchased several molas earlier, she found some real steals on this trip and now she has a LOT to play with... these colorful fabric and thread pictures were originally made for clothing by the San Blas Indians but today are used to decorate many items. See above photo.

We are now anchored near an island in Islas Las Perlas, 30 miles south of the canal. We will spend about a week here before returning to Costa Rica for a month. Stay tuned for more from Panama in the summertime!

Golfito, Costa Rica~ Part Two

2009-04-16T15:45:00.000-07:00

Bill had moved the boat to Golfito the week Alice flew home in March. Finally, on April 7, she returned via a rental car and three flights! Needless to say, she was dog-tired and slept a LOT the first few days. Needless to say, Bill was just happy to have her home! The area here truly is rainforest and there has been enough rain to prove it~ it is still the dry season, they say... We have met many nice people, mostly landlubbers and mostly Americans. Our friends Paddy and Ray have lived here since 1994, so they know a LOT of people. We have been to a party on the Isla de Golfito across from their home, and to several homes on the mainland where we have seen everything from toucans to crocodiles to orchids and waterfalls. We had hoped to meet a troop of 50 monkeys one afternoon, but they stood us up! The fruit is ripe in the forest, so they don't need the human handouts right now... We have been shopping more than once and Alice's feet are tired from the cobblestone sidewalks. A new pair of sandals is in order. We will make a short day trip to the Panama border this week and then will decide when we pull out for Panama on Grey Wolf. The above photos show our afternoon on the island at Larry's lovely palapa home!

Alice's Busyness!

2009-04-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

While home, Alice took advantage of the opportunity to have Kaeli over each week while her mom and dad were at work. Grandma Rowland usually watches her, but she and Grandma Johnson had fun and she became very comfortable being there. The above photo shows Kaeli helping Grandma wash dishes. Her little blue apron from Costa Rica is barely visible. She became so used to wearing it that she reminded Alice one day that she did NOT have hers on!

Since the long arm quilting machine was just sitting there, waiting for use, Margaret called to ask her mom if she would be able to finish a quilt top and two pillow shams that she had just finished in Ohio. No promises were made, but when the box arrived and Alice saw the size of the quilt top, she despaired of ever getting done with it! The machine did not cooperate, the batting did not cooperate, but after an entire week of struggling with it, the project was done... not perfectly, mind you, but done nonetheless. Alice does not want to ever do a top that big again- 100 inches square! Not a great photo of Kaeli, but the Pioneer Braid pattern shows up well.

Little Miss Kaeli grows UP

2009-03-30T22:47:00.000-07:00

Alice has had several opportunities to watch Kaeli while her parents had to work or run errands. At 28 months, she is very talkative and very mature. She is not at all shy and will strike up a conversation with a stranger, not unlike her Aunt Melinda. She does an amazing job of entertaining herself, playing with dolls or toys for extended periods of time. She and Grandma Johnson had fun in the kitchen, too! We colored and crafted and read and cooked and played and napped- whew! She made her first big car trip, going to Clovis for two of her cousins' birthdays. Dad Eric went along, too, and enjoyed seeing sister Alison and her family. He and Arlene will have to run FAST to catch up with this kid!! Family photo above.

Alice Takes Care of Busyness at Home!

2009-03-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

Alice has been VERY busy this past month. She flew home from Costa Rica on March 4 and will return on April 7. Between doing taxes, seeing doctors, family and friends, as well as opening a zillion pieces of mail and processing the important ones, she is closing in on being ready to catch up with Capt. Bill in Golfito, C.R., were he took the boat shortly after she left. We have friends there and it will be nice to get together with them, as well as take in some more of the land before we head on to Panama in May.

Above you will see a couple of interesting family photos. Margaret and Jeff flew from Ohio to Fresno for her birthday. Alice drove up and brought Jeff's parents, too. We all met at Alison and Rod's home. We had a whirlwind weekend, but a fun one as well. Son-in-law Rod had just had double knee surgery, so he was NOT having fun. The above picture shows Jeff, Margaret, Rob and Mary. The other unusual photo is at the Shoot-out in Indio Hills! Melinda and Owen (center) came to the desert one weekend with friends of theirs. It worked out for them to go shooting with both of Alice's sons, Justin and Eric, on left. They were surprised that Alice went along, doing most of her shooting with her camera, but they insisted she take a turn with the guns, too. She shot a round with a pistol and one shot with the SKS! Why not??? That is her mantra these days~

Tourist Heaven~ Costa Rica Part One

2009-03-13T17:28:00.000-07:00

After a week in Nicaragua and making all the needed repairs, we headed for Costa Rica. Two sailboats we knew had taken off the day before, so we were not surprised to find them on anchor in Bahia Santa Elena when we pulled in from a 24 hour overnighter. The weather looked pretty good the next morning so we took off ahead of them to travel to Playa del Coco- our point of entry for Costa Rica. We did encounter our share of wind and waves, but nothing compared to what we have been in. We arrived mid-afternoon and anchored in the large bay where at least fifty other boats were anchored, some sailboats, some power boats, many fishing boats and ONE gigantic commercial sailboat, complete with shore tenders and four huge sails- See above. She is a unique version of a cruise ship!

The next day found us ashore and working to get all the needed paperwork filled out with the port captain, immigration and customs. It took most of the day, since customs is NOT located in Coco, but rather at the airport in Liberia, some 20 miles inland. Bill made the trip there while Alice kept an eye on our dinghy, ate lunch, and did some gawking and shopping. This town is VERY touristy, with more tourists on the streets than locals! Most prices in stores were in U.S. dollars, not colones.

We then headed south around the Nicoyan Peninsula and into the Gulf of Nicoya. There were good anchorages on both the east and west coasts, and we decided to head to the eastern anchorage of Bahia Herredura where Los Suenos Marina is located. We knew from reading that it was pricey, but nearly fell over when we called to see how much it would be to take our dinghy to the dock there: $40 U.S. dollars per day!!! The next day we pulled anchor and left.

Traveling north to Puntarenas, we experienced the shallow water that surrounds this peninsula. The "Backside" is where the marina is and our guide book indicated very shallow water there at low tide. By the time we were into 13 feet of water and still quite a distance from shore Bill thought better of it and hung a U and headed south again, skirting the numerous islands in this gulf. See above photo Alice took when she flew to the capital.

We wound up anchoring in Bahia Ballena, on the west coast, for a week, going ashore numerous times and locating a place to buy a puddlejumper ticket so Alice could travel to San Jose and on home on March 4. We met an expat New Yorker who runs a small restaurant. He was very helpful and even took us to the airstrip (no airport) when March 4 rolled around. While in Bahia Ballena we had the pleasure of visiting with people on three sailboats we had met earlier. We also got to know a couple from Vancouver, B.C. who have been circum- navigating the world for the past six years. They expect to be home again in 2010! Amazing~ After Alice left, Bill got word that our friends Ray and Paddy were home from the U.S., so he did an overnighter, arriving in Golfito on March 7. He reports it is beautiful there~ Alice will return April 7.

Nicaragua ~ A Hidden Paradise

2009-02-12T17:52:00.000-08:00

We are usually anxious to relax after a trip on the water, but this time there was no rest. On top of the water in bilges, two of the three pumps were not working, so that required bailing and hand pumping LOTS of water. Bill also discovered a drain hole that was clogged... and later the cause of the pump failures- burned out wires! Electricity and water REALLY do not go together. After two days of hard, hard work on Bill's part and Alice doing wet bedding and clothes from a porthole leak and helping Bill as she could, we finally began to have time to relax and enjoy our beautfiul surroundings! The marina is adjacent to a lovely hotel (above) and has a spectacular view of Volcan Viejo, still active (top). We visited some with the boaters we had followed in and wound up making a day trip together to Chinandega, the nearest city 20 miles away, half on dirt road that is full of detours as the road will soon be paved. The marina has a once a week van trip, not free, to help boaters get provisions. Of course, Bill was looking for repair items for his list of problems! Although the countryside seems a bit greener and the animals a bit fatter, some of the homes are the poorest we have seen, including a cardboard 'city' just off the main road. We are told some workers only earn a dollar or two a day.
Alice had envisioned us being able to go on an inland road trip, but the repair situation and upcoming windy weather shelved that idea for this time. February is one of the windiest months, so we will have to plan our transit to Costa Rica around the upcoming weather window.

Tough Transit: El Salvador to Nicaragua

2009-02-12T17:29:00.000-08:00

We left Bahia del Sol with high hopes for a safe trip to Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua. Our friends Bill and Jean crossed the bar just ahead of us (above) and then headed north toward Mexico. We turned southeast, planning to anchor in Golfo de Fonseca the first night out. The early part of the day was nice, but then the seas picked up. It was 4 PM when Bill noticed that the engine had overheated... it took seven gallons of water to fill up the heat exchanger! At that point we could not travel on to the islands in the gulf, so headed straight for shore. The sun set shortly before we reached the shallow water we were seeking, but we could sure see the surf on the beach as we finally anchored in 30 ft. of water. The night passed uneventfully even though we were in open roadstead (no protection). The next morning Bill was up early to patch the heat exchanger hole with epoxy and good old duct tape! The wind was really blowing, so we headed on to Isla Meanguera where we anchored in Guerrero Cove and found three sailboats and an El Salvadoran Navy boat already there! We wound up staying three nights, meeting the other boaters, and even taking a hike on the island. (You can just see Grey Wolf in the center of the top photo) Once the winds had calmed down we all decided to beat it to Nicaragua. The sailboats left before we did but we figured we would catch up with them... wrong. When Bill went to pull the anchor he found that the bridle had gotten wrapped around our bow thruster and nearly pulled it off. He had to dive into the water to secure lines around the broken thruster and then we took off, listening to the thing bang the front of the boat incessantly. We almost caught up with the sailboats, as they were hanging out waiting for the pilot to guide them in. About that time Bill noticed the engine overheating AGAIN, so we added eight gallons of water and then found that the entire bilge was awash in water that had poured in through the bolt holes of the thruster... later we were able to move into the estuary and finally reach Marina Puesta del Sol!!! We are so grateful for Heavenly Father's watchful care over us~

El Salvador ~ The Savior !

2009-01-27T14:33:00.000-08:00

As we continued east along the Central American coast, we were accompanied by the ever-present Ring of Fire. The twin peaks of San Vicente are shown in the photo above, as viewed from our dock in Bahia del Sol. We traveled overnight from Guatemala, arriving early afternoon and just in time to WAIT four hours for the tide to turn so we could enter the estuary! Rogelio from the marina and our friend Bill from sailboat Mita Kuuluu came out to guide us in and take photos, too! (top photo) After checking into the country and paying our dues, we decided to stay in a slip instead of on the hook so we could more freely run our A/C. The humidity is relatively low this time of year but still high for us desert rats...

The whole atmosphere of El Salvador seems friendly and welcoming. Prices are reasonable and the money is the U.S. dollar! It is funny to walk through an open air market and hear the hawkers calling "Diez por 2 quarters~" One of Alice's first ventures for shopping was to Zacatecaluca by local bus with friend Jean. By the time we got there on two different buses, walked through the huge marketplace, ate lunch and returned to the marina it took six hours- a good day's work...

Bill and Jean needed to go to the capital for dental appointments, so the four of us rode the bus to the city and got rooms at Myer's House B & B. Between appointments we were able to make a day trip to two smaller communities with Jorge, who runs a tourism service and has become Bill and Jean's friend. First we drove east through the huge city where half of the country's population lives. We stopped in Ilopango to visit a factory where clay figurines and plaques are manufactured. Dozens of shops lined the street as we drove into town, displaying a variety of souvenirs, many made from the local clay. Alice got a little carried away, but by buying only the miniature figurines she hopes to get them all home safely in March.

The next town was Suchitoto, a community of classic colonial architecture and one of the first areas where the war took its toll, with some buildings still showing bullet holes. We ate lunch at a lovely French restaurant and looked around the beautiful hacienda-style hotel adjacent to it. Then we did a bit of shopping, ending on the plaza where La Iglesia de Santa Lucia is under renovation. Jorge is a walking encyclopedia and gave us many insights into the history and culture of El Salvador. One of the causes of the war in the 80's-90's was injustice to the indigenous people. Many moved away and those who stayed do not wear native dress or practice native customs, as they have tried to blend into the modern culture. In fact, he called Salvadorans imitators of other cultures. Western dress, food, and music is very apparent.

Our third day in the city found the two couples going separate ways- Bill and Jean on a hunt for two guitars and Bill and Alice to spend the day with a 'new' friend, the sister-in-law of friends in Indio! Elizabeth and daughter Mariel came to pick us up at the B & B and then took us on a tour of the western part of the city. We stopped at the Guzman Museo and enjoyed seeing the interesting archeological displays there. We also went to Las Galerias, one of the many huge malls in the city. This one was actually built around a lovely old home which today is divided into several shops! After picking up her son at school we went to their home for a very traditional lunch: bean and cheese pupusas and vinaigrette coleslaw~ yummy. We had planned to ride the bus home, but failing to find the terminal, Elizabeth insisted on driving us all the way to the marina ~ what a dear!

Our SKY Mexico TV has been put to good use lately, what with pro football playoff games and the presidential inauguration where our salon was full of spectators. The same will happen for Super Bowl, complete with a potluck dinner. There are numerous sailboats here, occupied by Americans. The lovely sportfishing boats in the marina are either owned by locals or sit here idly waiting for owners to fly in for the occasional fishing trip to locate dorado or sailfish (catch and release).

As our two weeks here stretch into three, we continue to enjoy the boat, our friends, the marina and beach within walking distance. This is a place we will definitely visit again.

GUATEMALA ~ Land of the Quetzal Bird

2009-01-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

Our first impression of Guatemala was that we were getting ripped off with high prices... The marina was $425 for a week, the paperwork for entry was $165, the fellow who took us on our one day tour wanted $300 (paid $250). Most cruisers bypass Guatemala, but Alice really wanted to stop since her son-in-law Rod had service his two year mission for the LDS Church here. Also, we were HERE, so why not see the country?

We were pleasantly surprised to find that our driver, Noe Urias, had brought a friend along for our excursion who spoke excellent English. Elias had studied in Belize and had lived in the U.S. for ten years, so he was extremely helpful. We left the marina at 6 AM for a LONG day of sightseeing. The hardest part of the entire trip was the miles we spent traversing a portion of the Pan American Highway. Where it is finished it is a nice four lane road, but every so often there were portions that were either in disrepair or under construction. It took about 3 1/2 hours to drive to the furthest destination- Chichicastenango, high in the mountains to the northwest. Here we saw the most colorful native market in the country. The children hawk their wares with dogged persistence, knowing enough English to press a hard bargain! La Iglesia de Santo Tomas has stood for hundreds of years, blending Catholicism with Mayan beliefs.

Working our way over to Lake Atitlan and the town of Panajachel, we were amazed at the farming being conducted on every available piece of land- small individual plots of every color of green created a pathwork quilt effect on the countryside. As we neared the lake we stopped for a photo op. Sadly, the sky was gray and overcast. Then we worked our way down to the shore and the town which turned out to be horridly commercialized. The natives were well-prepared for all the tourist traffic, of course. It would have been neat to go out on the lake, but then, we LIVE on the water... As we looked for a place to park, a gaggle of LDS missionaries spilled out a gate and onto the street!

Noe had agreed to take us three places for our price. Then Alice got on the internet and found the Mayan ruins of Iximche only a few miles off the Pan American Highway. So she begged to go there, too, even agreeing to skip Antigua if it took too much time. Interestingly, neither Noe nor Elias had ever been there! Still on the altiplano, the highlands, the area is covered with evergreen trees and is very cool this time of year. Some of the buildings have been excavated and are in fairly good shape. We were surprised to find people climbing and walking all over them. There was also a simple museum with a few artifacts and an interesting scale model of the entire community. This settlement has been dated at 1470 AD, not long before the Spaniards arrived.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Antigua, a beautiful city reflecting the colonial period. It was awarded the rare title of a World Heritage city by UNESCO. We walked the lovely city park and took as many photos as possible in the fading light. Most everyone looked like turistas, save the people working the shops and cafes. Curiously, the photo of the ladies in their long aprons was shot here- not the typical Antigua dress which is western.

In the early light of morning we had seen several volcanoes, one spewing smoke. Our hope was to get photos going back, but by then it was dark. We did take some shots from the roof of the boat later, which are shown above. Guatemala is an interesting mixture of old and new, traditional and modern, rich and very poor. Please view the slideshow on the side bar by right clicking on the photo. You will want to slow down the slides to 8-10 seconds depending on how fast you read! Enjoy Guatemala!

Goodbye to Mexico...

2009-01-11T11:45:00.001-08:00

As we drew ever nearer to the Mexican border, we could see the landscape changing. Everything was greener and food a bit different. We did not linger long in Huatulco when we learned that the weather was good for crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec. There are terrible winds that blow from Texas across the isthmus of Mexico and into this gulf that can make passage impossible for a week at a time. We had such good luck with calm seas, plus a current pushing us along, that we decided to stop for six hours and just float in the middle of the gulf to insure a morning arrival at our last port, Puerto Chiapas! Once we entered the port we were surprised to find that we were the only small cruising vessel anchored there, among sophisticated tuna boats complete with their own helicopters (top), a Naval base, a fishing fleet, and a cruise ship center (bottom)! It took three trips to get all the paperwork done for our exit papers. The day we needed to pay for our anchorage we could not find a way to access the east dock... a security guard, complete with gun, told us to tie up to a panga that was tied to a tugboat, that was tied to the cruise ship dock! We scrambled out of our dinghy, over the panga and tug and onto the dock where we met David, the chief of security for the port who personally drove us to the payment office, then gave us a tour of the new cruise ship facility.(middle) This is a place we'd like to visit again! However, they are in the process of building a marina, so our reception next time may be very different.

WARNING: DO NOT GO TO ACAPULCO IN DECEMBER!!

2009-01-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

It was a little too late to change plans when we read that December is the busiest month of the year in Acapulco. We had timed our travel to arrive in the afternoon, in time to anchor before dark. The current slowed us down, but we did arrive in this huge bay while the sun was dropping quickly in the west. Our guidebook is now several years old, and the area designated for anchoring has become rows of mooring balls controlled by the two local marinas. SO, we made a dash across the three mile wide bay and around the corner to Puerto Marques, a much smaller bay just southeast of the city. By the time we got there it was pitch black... another night anchoring, which we hate, and in a strange port. Just to be safe, we anchored in about 60 feet of water. The next day we called for fuel and a mooring ball, drove over to the far end of Bahia de Acapulco, and found a line-up of vessels in the very congested fuel dock area. Frustrated, we returned to the relative safety of P. Marques. With it still being Christmas vacation, the bay was full of pleasure boats, jet skis, kayaks, speed boats with skiers, etc. making circles around us!
The next day we started earlier, and did not call until we got to the marina, and then were told "Take a place in line- we have many boats wanting fuel." It was nerve-wracking for both of us, but we did finally get the fuel and a mooring ball (too expensive). We only stayed one night- long enough to go to shore for supplies and to check out the city. We walked to an auto parts store for engine oil and they were kind enough to take us back to the marina by car with two 5 gallon buckets! Then we rode the bus downtown, past dozens of huge hotels and restaurants- from Planet Hollywood to McDonalds, finally getting off at... Walmart! Once we had all supplies on board we ditched the mooring ball and went back to the circus in Puerto Marques for one more night. We know we will attempt to bypass this port on our way north in a year or so. The above photo, taking at 6:30 AM, is a poor example of the reason why this bay is called the Bowl of Diamonds~ very beautiful at night! The other photo is a shot of a very busy sailboat~ most boats in Acapulco are owned by Mexicans and they do love to party on their boats...

Zihuatanejo: Hard to Say~ Easy to Love

2008-12-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

When we first arrived in Zihua we thought we'd stay a couple of days and push on to Acapulco for Christmas. The more we read about Acapulco in December, the less likely we felt that we would enjoy ourselves there. On the other hand, it was easy to anchor and go ashore in Zihua. Alice was able to attend church services on Christmas Sunday. We made one BIG provisioning trip to Mega Commercial, a huge supermarket/ variety store not unlike a Super Walmart, but affiliated with Costco! We walked the old downtown streets over and over and had a couple of delightful lunches at beach cafes. Bill's brother Barry warned us that the food would change the farther south we go, and we have experienced that already. What we think we're ordering from the menu and what is served has been two different things... We met nice people on two different sailboats and shared our HOMEMADE vanilla ice cream (Bill did that) and brownies (Alice did those) with Chris and Tamara from Camarillo one day and on Christmas Day with the McConnells- mom, dad and two children who just returned from Ecuador- we picked their brains. The days went by and we actually pulled out on our eleventh day there! Above photos: Grey Wolf all by herself at Caleta de Campos, just prior to Zihua, and the lovely buildings that line the east shore of the harbor in Zihua.

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!

2008-12-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from Bill and Alice Johnson on the motor vessel "Grey Wolf"

At the time of this writing we are anchored in the harbor at Zihuatanejo. Some call it Z-what and others call it Z-town. When you look at the spelling you understand why I just call it Z-town.

Every day we are so thankful that we are able to travel south and see the beauty of God's creation. As I looked out the window this morning I saw banana trees and coconut trees with a variety of shades that surround this bay. We are taking some pictures but they will not do this place justice as there is always a bit of haze. (The common way to get rid of trash in Mexico is just BURN it.)

But even with these great gifts that God has given we are now coming to the time when we celebrate the greatest gift of all: the birth of Christ and His coming into the world to provide our Salvation.

When you have time, read Phillipians 2- the whole chapter, but concentrate on verses 6 through 8. This gives us insight into the great love that God has for us. We think of the wise men who came and brought gifts to the Savior, and it is still the wise man or woman that sees Christmas as a time to bring our thanks to Him.

We truly hope that you will take time and Praise Him and Thank Him that we have Christmas! And, remember that as we share our gifts, we have received the greatest gift ever. BNJ

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Scarier than a Disneyland Ride!

2008-12-11T17:52:00.000-08:00

The idyllic scene above, complete with an egret in flight, in NO WAY shows you the beginning or the end of our Jungle River Trip in Tenacatita! Alice had read about this little adventure in our Mexico Travel Guide, and did note that the 'best time' to enter the mouth of this little river is when the tide is coming in and the river is rising. However, by the time we got up, had breakfast, took the dinghy down, and drove to the Boca del Rio Iguana the tide had turned and was going out... We thought we might have to pull the dinghy over the entrance bar, but did not count on: 1) getting drenched by a rogue wave that filled the dinghy with several inches of sea water and got both camera cases wet, 2) that the entrance was so shallow that the motor was useless, 3) that Bill could NOT pull the dinghy past the mouth because of the tide going against him, 4) that Alice would have to relinquish the already wet camera cases and get out and help push and pull until we finally found the channel!
Once we succeeded in getting into the channel the ride became enjoyable, in spite of our both being soaking wet and hoping the cameras were okay (which they were as wintessed by the accompanying photos). We saw/heard numerous water fowl, spotted one lazy iguana sunning on a mangrove branch, and were amazed at the overgrowth of the huge mangrove trees which shot new roots downward above our heads! Eventually we arrived at the lagoon which marks the source of the 2 mile river where we rested, enjoyed drinks we'd packed, and actually succeeded in bailing out most of the water using... Alice's Croc shoes, even though they are very holey! The trip back out was quicker, except for the point when Alice decided to shift side on her perch in the bow of the dinghy, blocking Bill's view and sending us sliding into a snarl of mangrove roots. We both worried about what would greet us at the mouth of the little river, and it surely looked shallow. Bill raised the motor when it hit sand and we sat in the surf for a minute or two and then a pretty good wave just carried us out into the edge of the bay where we could again employ our trusty motor. Needless to say, a hot shower and a load of laundry were our first two items of business once back on Grey Wolf! Should we still be doing this stuff? Of course!

Our day trip to La Noria

2008-12-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

Before we left Mazatlan we made a day tour with a group of ten to the small town of La Noria, an hour into the foothills east of the city. There were several interesting points of note for the day, not to mention a pleasant ride, a delicious lunch and a well-mannered young guide who was very fluent in English. Our first stop was at the blue agave plantation and distillery of Los Osuna, which has been in business for over 100 years. In the above photo you can see Alice standing by a blue agave that is still not ready for harvest. When ready for harvest, the plant is at least seven years old and the core, called the pineapple, weighs about 300 lbs. That is chopped up and then cooked and pressed to begin the fermentation process. You will see the vat of agave juice with yeast in it in the photo column to the right of this article. Between the sweet juice of the agave and the bountiful bouganvillas, the plantation was alive with butterflies. We both took tons of photos! Then we drove on to La Noria itself where we toured a leather factory where men were making everything from belts and purses to shoes and saddles, the old fashioned way! We also saw the barn where they were tanning cowhide, the old-fashioned way... the stench was almost more than one could handle! The above photos show one of the huge old sewing machines and also a table covered with white-tailed deer legs, waiting to be made into whip handles! Hopefully, we can do more shore excursions as interesting as this one.

We Came, We Saw, We Left~

2008-12-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Last year there were too many boats on anchor for us to tuck in and go ashore at Isla Isabela, the frigate bird observatory and rookery. After traveling all night, we arrived to find only two sailboats anchored, but in the very best spots... Bill cogitated a while and then decided to chance anchoring outside of them in 40+ feet of water. We ate breakfast and watched the waves break on a rock outcropping some 200 feet away, then decided to make a quick run to the island! There is a small fishing village there, but we did not see families- only men and boys, so it is probably a seasonal camp. We anchored the dinghy and walked over to the area where a grove of trees stood and hundreds of birds were either courting, resting, nesting, or flying about. These are NOT small birds: their wingspan is 6-7 feet! They seemed amazingly oblivious to us as we nosed around and took photos. The males have a bright red 'waddle' they can inflate, apparently to impress the females! Some were building nests, fighting over available material, while others sat on nests already formed at 5-6 feet above ground in the lush green trees. Frigate birds are often seen flying high above the water, but they rarely come down to rest on the water or on the boat, so this was a real treat, looking eyeball to eyeball with these gorgeous creatures!! AFTER the battery died we saw two small iguanas. Unfortunately, we were unaware that the blue-footed booby lives on the other side of the island... in too much of a hurry.

What a Beautiful Sunset!

2008-11-25T12:25:00.001-08:00

This sunset was caught by Alice from the top of our boat in Marina Mazatlan. The colors kept changing and this was the final result! One for the calendar she hopes to print and share someday...

On Our Way South At Last!

2008-11-23T11:31:00.000-08:00

As the sun began to rise in the east, Grey Wolf was gliding over smooth seas as she navigated the southern crossing of the Sea of Cortez on November 22, 2008. The sky had been a bit brighter before the sun actually came peeking over the horizon, marking the end of Alice's watch and the beginning of another turn at the helm for Bill. It took a total of 32 hours to travel from La Paz, BCS to Mazatlan, Sinaloa, some 240 miles. Later in the morning some small sea birds decided to hitch a ride with us! Bill was not too thrilled with that, since they leave less than fond memories behind... so once I had snapped the above photo, I wrapped a black length of line around the railing and, voila~ no more bird landings! They flew over, but never touched down again... did they think it was a snake? Hmm We plan to be in Mazatlan for about a week and take in Thanksgiving while we are here.

Kaeli is Two Years Old Now!

2008-11-05T22:17:00.001-08:00

On November 2 Kaeli Goodson turned two years old. Her grandparents Jerry and Theresa gave her a lovely "Dora" party which was well attended by members of Arlene's family as well as Bill and Alice. She got so many gifts that she was overwhelmed. She just wanted to stop and play with her new toys, but the gifts just kept coming. Her parents had to rearrange her bedroom to make room for a new wooden child's kitchen she was given. She is set for quite a while now!

We made a fast trip to Phoenix!

2008-11-03T11:22:00.001-08:00

It was time to make our annual trip to Arizona to visit with Bill's daughters and their families. Until this year, three of the four girls lived in Mesa and Gilbert. The fourth has joined them so now they are enjoying a new closeness~ We saw all the girls, two sons-in-law, 6 grandchildren, and 3 of the great grandchildren! What a great weekend~

A Very Early Christmas~

2008-11-03T11:12:00.001-08:00

We have been determined to leave for Mexico for over a week now and it has not happened yet. However, we did have a fun evening a few days ago when we celebrated an early Christmas with Justin, Melinda, and Eric and his family. These are Alice's three youngest children. We had dinner and then opened gifts. It was a little hard to imagine that we were celebrating Christmas, since the weather was still in the nineties in Indio!

Alice Visits Ohio and Kentucky

2008-10-27T21:29:00.000-07:00

When Alice found out that her daughter Margaret and her family were planning on attending the annual Martin Family Reunion in Western Kentucky she decided to fly back and join them! She arrived in time to help celebrate Jeff's birthday, shown above with wife Margaret and son Andrew. Alice's father's family continue to live and prosper in KY. The photo above shows Alice and daughter Margaret with sister Ann and her daughter Paula from Tennessee. It was great to see and catch up with the one living aunt and many of the cousins from around the area. The leaves were turning color and the weather was warm, so the reunion was very enjoyable.

Alaska, At Lasta!!

2008-10-20T13:51:00.000-07:00

Alice has always wanted to go to Alaska and was disappointed when Bill said that they would probably never take their boat that far north. True, it IS far north and at the rate of 10 miles an hour it would take a long time to get there! When she saw an ad for a cruise up the Inside Passage of Alaska Alice approached Bill about making the trip in 2008, since they were already planning on being in Washington State. August 3 found us cruising out of Vancouver B.C. on the Zaandam, one of the smaller Holland America Line vessels. The weather was glorious as we headed north. Our first stop was Ketchikan, where it rains 12 FEET a year. It was a bright, sunny day for us as we took in a Logger Show and toured a Totem park. Then it was on to Juneau, the capital, where one must either fly in or float in: no roads in or out! We enjoyed a day of snooping around the town and seeing the capitol. By the time we reached Skagway the weather was gray, though not cold. We took the famous Yukon and White Pass Railway ride to the border of Canada and back, returning disappointed since the cloud cover ruined good photo opps. Bill's favorite part of the entire trip was Glacier Bay! It was a beautiful day and since our ship was 'small' the captain was able to get quite close to Margerie Glacier, which dwarfed us at 250' tall- as in photo above. The other picture above shows how dirty glaciers actually are since they carve out their pathways through the rock and dirt of the mountainsides. We can't even count all the glaciers we saw, but it was both amazing and saddening to see them gradually melting away. Our cruise ended in Seward where we toured the Sealife Center and then rode a bus to Anchorage. As we passed Turnagin Arm we spotted an entire pod of Beluga whales, now endangered! We stayed at a bed and breakfast in Anchorage and checked out the city for three days- one misty day and two more beautiful ones to top off the trip north~ and what we saw of the great state of Alaska was well worth seeing!

Visiting Friends and Family Everywhere!

2008-09-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

As we traveled the Pacific Northwest we were able to see so many old friends and some family members, too. There is a problem entering some of our photos, since the blog program is turning them sideways. The above photo shows Bill with his aunt, Ruth Johnson, who lives in Sequim, WA. It was a gorgeous day on the Olympic Peninsula, with the lavendar fields in full bloom. As we returned to her home from dinner out, deer were grazing in her neighbors' yards! We also visited Bill's cousin Mildred and her family in Lynnwood, WA, where they have retired. We stayed with our son-in-law Owen's parents Owen and Janet Walker in Bellingham, WA. It was special getting to know them better! In Portland, OR we saw Alice's daughter Stephanie. We had lunch with Alice's foster son, Chris Woody, in Medford, OR.

Friends ranged from Pat and Rod in Lake Tahoe, whom we met on their sailboat in La Paz to friends from when Alice and her family lived in Eureka, CA in the 1970's. Several are pictured on the right of this page. Others were our boating friends Ted and Carolyn in Moscow, ID who were proud to show us their new 52' trawler in Tacoma, WA, their daughter and son-in-law, Lisa and Mike and their family in Burien, WA. It was fun to 'catch up' with Jan and Larry in Wilder, ID, friends from the desert who have retired to a cooler clime. Alice's high school friend Shirley and her husband Warren have retired from Chula Vista to Central Point, OR where her mother lives. We enjoyed seeing all three of them.

Our last visit was with Jim and Marilyn, teacher friends in Eureka. It was interesting to see the changes around the town Alice called home from 1970-77. The first night was misty but the following morning cleared to a beautiful sunny sky and a great photo opportunity around town. Bill enjoyed driving through the beautiful redwoods where he remembers vacationing years ago. Then it was on to Sacramento where we spent a weekend getting acquainted with our lovely state capital.

Alice's daughter and son-in-law, Alison and Rod, put us up both leaving and returning. It was great to visit with them and their nine children and say goodbye to grandson James, who was packing to leave for BYU as we headed home- whew! We'll talk about Alaska another time!!!

Summer 2008

2008-09-14T20:38:00.001-07:00

Summer 2008 found us putting 5000 road miles on our little Prius~ what a gem she is, at 47 mpg!! Alice has been slaving over a large sized scrap/album for the entire eight weeks, while Bill was collecting supplies and parts for Grey Wolf. He left on Friday, Sept. 12 for Santa Rosalia and some very intense days of work. Alice has managed to sign up for Medicare, begin some dental work, get her battery of doctor appointments booked, and has touched base with quite a few friends. She has been procrastinating on doing this blog, as she doesn't know where to begin! She has saved some photos to the laptop hooked to the printer, but that one does not have internet, so now she will have to regroup and access those photos. Suffice it to say that the summer was great and the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones was priceless, even though our Mastercard DID pay for it!! Don't give up on us; there is more to come- MUCH more.

Alice's #One Grandson Graduates

2008-07-01T12:33:00.000-07:00

Alice was on hand for her oldest granchild's high school graduation in early June in Clovis, California. James Michael Kellogg graduated with honors as a President's Academic Excellence recipient, member of the National Honor Society, and a Life Member of the California Scholarship Federation. He will attend Brigham Young University this coming fall.
Alice found herself VERY busy the two weeks she was with Alison and Rod and their 9 busy children, since everyone had 'an agenda' with the closing of the school year. She did laundry, cooked, babysat, and ran errands... no wonder Alison is so slim and trim. She hardly has time to EAT!

What a Work Horse, That Bill~

2008-06-17T08:10:00.002-07:00

When we drove home in May Bill had a job awaiting him back on the boat. He picked up a new water maker, along with several other 'boaty' items and then headed south again. Alice stayed home to prepare for her trip to Clovis, CA and her oldest grandson's high school graduation. The Magic Man, aka Bill Johnson, installed the lovely new water maker system and then decided to hie himself and Grey Wolf across the Sea of Cortez to the bustling harbor at Guaymas, Sonora so he could have the boat pulled out, surveyed for new insurance, and then repainted. Being a frugal guy, he decided to do the painting all by himself!! A three day estimate turned into a two week project... First, he waited three days to be pulled out, then found so many barnacles that it took him three days to scrape them all off. Upon getting a good look at the bottom he found numerous paint blisters, which he then scraped off, filled, and sanded. He also sanded the entire bottom, and in his words "You have no idea how big this boat is until you work on the bottom (50 ft. long, 17 ft. wide...)" Trekking back and forth to the city for supplies was a challenge with no vehicle. No black paint was to be had, so Bill settled for blue. The propeller was damaged in the pullout, so he hired a man to repair it. A through hole was leaking, so he had to re-fiberglass it. Since he was "on the hard"- in a boatyard- the A/C did not work, as it is water-cooled. He could hardly sleep at night and drank a gallon or more of water every day to keep himself hydrated! Once the job was done and he was back in the water he had to travel to an anchorage and wait out the wind before crossing back over. He was able to catch up with brother Barry and his friend Cindy before finally crossing back over, and two good dinners with them began his recovery from the ordeal. The icing on the cake was catching a 51" dorado on his way back to Santa Rosalia!! Two days later Alice returned via bus: all's well that ends well, in the words of the Bard!

Her maiden voyage...

2008-05-04T12:55:00.002-07:00

While we were anchored at Balandra on Isla Carmen Barry offered to take their kayaks to shore so we could try there since we have been talking about buying our own. By the time we got around to doing it, though, a pretty strong breeze had come up. Alice was determined to do it anyway, so Barry gave her a brief lesson in paddling and away she went. As long as she was going with the wind all was well. When she decided to turn around and get back to the group on shore the wind kept pushing her back. SO, she decided to dip the paddle a little deeper with a little more energy~ and that was all it took~ into the drink she went, overturning the kayak in the process! The life jacket did its job while she clung to the overturned kayak. Bill and Barry jumped in the dinghy and came out to rescue her. Barry got the kayak turned right again but Alice could not get back in, so she got to get towed all the way back to the shallows! What a show for the bay to watch... She has to try it at least once more to see if she can do it right... her maiden voyage and SHE is the one who got christened!!! (Notice our boats in the bay...)

And A Good Time Was Had By ALL!!

2008-05-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Loreto Fest has drawn to a close. A good time was had by all. There were about 100 boats in the harbor plus various land people- those who live here and those who just came to visit! Alice's chili did not take the prize but did receive a lot of good comments. She made five quarts and all that was left was on the serving spoon! Barry and Cindy did not win the horseshoe tournament but gave it a good shot. We had the chance to visit with a couple who just returned from four years in Australia-too bad we can't make it that far... Alice donated two sets of jewelry for the silent auction, proceeds going to local schools. One sold for $12 and one for $30! Now it is time for Cindy to fly home and for us to take Ted to a few anchorages and let him get a real taste of handling a boat this size.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

2008-05-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

The evening of April 30 found us on brother Barry's boat, along with his girlfriend Cindy, our friend Ted from Idaho, and another couple we made friends with in La Paz. Cindy fixed a MARVELOUS turkey dinner as "The Feast before the Fest". Chocolate cake and ice cream from Grey Wolf topped off the evening and wished Bill well on his upcoming 42nd anniversary of his 29th birthday!!! Today is the beginning of a four day event called Loreto Fest, planned by and for cruisers here in the Sea of Cortez. There will be seminars, craft classes, food, games, contests, food, dancing, a swap meet, food, a silent auction, a chili cook-off, and more food. We look forward to seeing those we've met before and making new friends as well. Alice hopes that her pumpkin-chicken chili will be a winner at the cook-off. She also hopes she can stay on her new eating plan which does seem to be helping her drop some inches... no scales on board and that is just as well.

It Only Took 21 Years...

2008-04-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Alice has made her home in Indio for the last 21 years, but had never visited Joshua Tree National Park, just a short drive east of there. Since it is Springtime and the flowers should be blooming Bill decided to take her there last weekend while we were home. It was a gorgeous day and we found a multitude of photo opps, from rocks, to trees, to wildflowers and some cactus. Unfortunately, we were early for the cholla blooms and late for the Joshua trees, but nonetheless it was a great little one day jaunt into familiar territory for Bill who was BORN in Indio and an eyeopener for Alice, shown standing near a cholla- That is all you want to do, as these cacti are also called jumping cactus, which embed their barbed thorns in flesh that even just brushes them briefly! Bill was dwarfed by one of the rock formations...

Grumpy Arrives~

2008-04-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, April 8 marked two arrivals: we returned to Grey Wolf from California and Barry and Cindy crossed over the Sea of Cortez and arrived at the Santa Rosalia Marina in time to get situated before dark- see above photo. They had smooth water at the beginning and end of the 75+ mile trip, but got rocked and socked out in the middle with 20 knot winds and seas of 3-6 feet! Now that is nothing compared to what one could encounter, but was definitely not to Cindy's liking... she being used to being out on sailboats on lakes! It sure will be neat to have their company for the next four weeks. Once we have provisioned and have calm weather we will head down to Bahia Concepcion and enjoy the anchoring out lifestyle for a while.

A Fast Trip to Fresno

2008-04-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

We took Grey Wolf back to the Santa Rosalia marina the end of March and made a very fast one week turnaround to San Diego, Indio, Fresno, Indio, and San Diego again! We bought boat supplies, saw family, Alice went to the doctor for her aching joints, and the main purpose was to get Bill to the dentist to start an implant since he had lost a crown in February. Our son-in-law Rod began the implant procedure with a marvelously painless first procedure. Coincidentally, the night before was our grandson Blake's Eagle Court of Honor, shown above. We enjoyed a too short visit with Rod and Alison's family and we look forward to seeing them again this summer.On the San Diego front, Eric and Arlene will move this June to Indio where she hopes to get a position with Juvenile Hall so Eric can work on finishing his degree. Owen and Melinda have rented a cute little home not far from the apts. she has been managing so she can concentrate on her career as a hair stylist. Lots of changes this year!

Sealife and Other Interesting Sights

2008-04-01T09:15:00.000-07:00

We spent a wonderful month on anchor in Bahia Concepcion. Some days were clear and windy, others were overcast and calm, and the last week was cranking up to 90 degrees every day with LOW humidity- a miracle by Baja standards. Alice decided it was time to work on her tan and managed to get burned instead... when will she ever learn? We have gone out in our dinghy a few times and have drooled over the many kayaks we saw crisscrossing the bay. We are getting closer to deciding to buy one- a two seater, we think, instead of two singles! That way when Alice gets tired Bill can just bring her on home~ HA. There are numerous areas for snorkeling or diving and that is next on our agenda, once the water warms up! Barry and Cindy are due to join us next week and go anchorage hopping for about a month. Shown above is a small ray Alice shot in shallow water. Also shown above is a bottom cleaner... well, Capt. Bill as he was cleaning the bottom of Grey Wolf one day!

A Close Call for Bill's Brother

2008-03-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Bill's brother Barry lives on his boat in San Carlos- a few hours south of the Arizona border. A few weeks ago he had a restless night, and later wrote Bill that he felt a 'heaviness in his chest'. Bill advised him to go to a local doctor right away. That doctor indicated that he needed to lose weight, eat right, stop depending on Zantac, etc. Wisely, he decided to go to California for a thorough check-up with his regular doctor. A week ago he saw the doctor who told him he was having a heart attack RIGHT THEN... needless to say, they hospitalized him and wound up installing three stents to solve the problem! He is now back on his boat and is looking at some drastic changes in his lifestyle in order to reverse the heart problem. Fortunately, he did not have any permanent damage to the heart itself. It is scary to think of what would have happened if he had not gone to his doctor, living alone like he does. Well, Ace is there, but I don't think his dog training lessons included CPR! Photo shows Barry with girlfriend Cindy on his boat.

Oh Boy, Not Again!

2008-03-02T07:13:00.000-08:00

I am sitting at the breakfast table in Indio! Wednesday morning Bill turned on our water maker on the boat since we were on anchor and needed to replenish our tank. About three hours later he raised the hatch door to turn it off and was greeted with water squirting everywhere! After emptying out all the soggy items we had stored nearby he had me turn it back on- briefly- while he watched for the source of the leak. It turned out that the salt water under pressure had pitted the brass head of the pump and finally a pin point hole had broken through. We returned to Santa Rosalia on Thursday, regrouped, packed a few things and headed north in our truck, carting the broken water maker pump. We arrived in San Diego early Friday morning and took our sick baby in for inspection, only to be told that it was a goner. Fortunately, the store had a used pump in excellent condition for half the money of a new one! We came on home to rest and check on the house and the mail. Now we are getting ready to head south yet again. We should be back on anchor by the end of this coming week, right where I took the photo of a neighbor's sailboat, shown above.

And Away We Go Again!

2008-02-22T21:55:00.000-08:00

After four round trips from Santa Rosalia to California we are ready to leave again- this time to spend Spring on the Sea of Cortez! One of the pieces of new equipment Bill added is featured above (self-portrait of Bill...) - it is a combination of radar, GPS, fish finder and depth finder. He also installed a new auto pilot, so now we have back-ups for all of our electronics. With new deck paint in place we are ready to hang out in all the remote anchorages we love so much. Our first stop will be Bahia Concepcion where there are numerous anchorages. We hope that Bill's brother, Barry, will catch up with us there in about a month. It has been almost a year since we were together. By the time summer arrives we should be well-rested and tanned! Then we will head home to escape the intense heat of summer down here ~

...And a Giant Step Back...

2008-02-09T22:05:00.000-08:00

After waiting and waiting for the depth sounder to be shipped we decided to return to Baja California and head back to San Diego and Indio to regroup. Bill had plenty of time to evaluate our equipment and the potential for major problems as we traveled further south. SO, we retraced our steps all the way to Santa Rosalia in Baja California South. We had some good weather and some irritating weather, but still nothing like the "Ugly Trip"... We stopped in La Paz for three days and anchored out the rest of the time, in spite of the fact that anchoring without the depth sounder was hectic and nerve-wracking. Fortunately, everywhere we anchored we had been at least once before so we had some idea of what to expect. We pulled back into the Singlar Marina and were surprised to find that there were only three boats there including us! A couple of days later we boarded a bus and rode the 15 hour trip to Tijuana. Thanks to Melinda and Arlene we were picked up and then brought to our very doorstep in Indio. Months of mail awaited us and there were bills to pay and tax data to organize, not to mention obtaining the supplies Bill needed to begin our reorganization of the equipment on Grey Wolf. Alice has been home two weeks and poor Bill has made a round trip plus another trip south to the boat where he is now working. It looks like Central America will be on our agenda for the fall of this year, not this spring.

La Paz- Our Home Port?

2008-01-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

We just keep coming back to Marina Costa Baja in La Paz, shown above. When we did not receive the depth sounder in a timely manner, we decided it would be better to return to the Baja and do some other refits as well before taking on the major venture of traveling to Central America. So after 12 days in Manzanillo we turned Grey Wolf north again and retraced our steps to Banderas Bay, then 45 hours across the ocean to Los Frailles and Los Muertos. We arrived in La Paz on January 17 and plan to be here three days before taking about a week to move north to Santa Rosalia where we will leave the boat. We will do our taxes and purchase needed supplies and equipment before returning. Bill's brother, Barry, has decided to pull out of San Carlos on his boat this February and hopes to meet up with us for a while in the Sea of Cortez. We have not seen him for the better part of a year now, so that will be fun.

On Hold In Manzanillo

2008-01-04T10:32:00.000-08:00

This seems to be our time to have problems with our equipment! When we arrived in Puerto Vallarta our depth sounder was acting up. Now it will only stay on for five minutes and then it cuts out. SO, arriving here in Manzanillo we were forced to anchor deep- turned out to be in 41 feet of water. We like 25 feet but did not dare move in toward shore without a working depth sounder. Bill has ordered a new one through a dealer in San Diego and it will arrive some time after January 8, we hope! We have been hanging out on the boat~ watching TV, working on the computer, sewing, and reading. This bay is popular and feels like a mini-Cabo. There are jet skiers, wakeboarders, banana boaters, kayakers, etc. aplenty every afternoon. Of course, this is still vacation time down here, so by next week it will probably quiet down! The above photo shows Playa Miramar- our view from the boat when pointing west... The top photo is Marina Las Hadas and the surrounding community where we went to land our dinghy and catch a bus into town~ so white and so pretty! Note boats in the lower right-hand corner behind the seawall.

Kaeli VS Santa

2007-12-22T12:26:00.000-08:00

Well, the jury is still out on this one! I'd say that Santa has the upper hand, but Kaeli is putting up the fight of her little life~ Arlene and Eric just sent us this classic photo. I am sure it is NOT what they had hoped for, but it is a typical reaction of a one year-old to an old man in a red suit with a white beard!! Where has she ever seen that before?? May next year be better... we think she will still get a stocking full of goodies this Christmas!