OFF WE GO

The weather looks as good as it can get, nothing brewing anywhere close to us, so off we go.  Today we will travel north to Behia San Franciscito, then the next day we will complete the trip to Behia de Los Angeles.

We will be out of touch the majority of our stay thru September and October.  We will start south again when the hurricane season is over in November.

MAYBE TONIGHT

We've been waiting for a break in the weather to head north.  Thunder storms along the east coast of the Sea of Cortez have been what are holding us up.  Sometimes the storms rush across the Sea with wind velocities of 50 to 60 knots.  Not something to take a chance on encountering while making the night sail 80 miles to the next bay.

Today most of the build ups are occuring on the Baja side.  There are also winds associated with these, but they last only a fraction of the time winds from the east coast do.  So maybe tonight.....

Check out the weather site that we are watching religiously:

http://www.eebmike.com/

ITS MY PARTY AND I'LL SWEAT IF I WANT TO

I skyped a Seattle friend the other day and he told me summer had arrived.  The temprature got way up into the 80's for a couple days, and people were complaining about the heat.  I remember days like that and I remember complaining too. 

Now, having become acclimatized to Mexican summer, I would probably be like the Mexicans, and wear a jacket and even a ski hat whenever the temprature dropped so low.  No kidding, I have seen them dress like that, especially during those few frigid days when it gets down into the 70's.

Its HOT here.  Not Seattle hot but Bessemer furnace hot.  I would melt down to a pool of molten protoplasm except for sweat.  Not girly Seattle perspiration, but sweat that drenches my clothing and cascades to the ground, leaving a steaming trail behind that evaporates in seconds.  Survival sweat.  Sweat that accompanies me everywhere, even while taking a shower.  Showers here just replace old sweat with new sweat.   Pull on a fresh pair of shorts and a clean shirt afterwards and within a hundred yards they're both drenched and dripping.  I drink oceans of Gatorade daily, pee teaspoons and never really catch up until the sun sets and the boat cools. 

Activity around Santa Rosalia comes to a near halt around 1 o'clock.  People retreat to the shady shelter of front porches hidden behind cooling vines, shrubs and trees, or better yet to the one or two rooms cooled by a window air conditioner.  The unfortunate few who must be about hug the shady side of the street, darting quickly over broiling unshaded pavement.  Its siesta time.  I never could figure why a person would want to break up thier work day with an afternoon nap, but I get it now. 

About seven in the evening the town starts to stir. Street vendors set up for the evening crowd that emerges as the sun sets. By eight things are in high gear. People are lined up at their favorite taco stand, the parks are filled with skateboarders and the ice cream pallor is standing room only.

Life is good again.

We were set to leave Santa Rosalia last night, bound for our hurricane hide a way in the Bay of Los Angeles, but some threatening lightening storms caused us to stay put.  Maybe tonight we will start the overnight run north.

THEN AND NOW

One of my favorite parts of the Seattle Times Newspaper's Sunday edition was the then and now photos of Seattle.  Here are some then and now of Santa Rosalia.  "Then" pictures come from a mural hanging in the local mining museum.  Don't know when it was drawn, but the mine looks to be in full operation.

I HOPE THIS IS TORN DOWN
BEFORE IT FALLS ON SOMEONE

TREES SHADE THE PARK NOW 

 OLD HOUSING HAS SURVIVED

FAIRLY INTACT

One more from the mural.

THERE ARE A LOT OF HOUSES

IN THE BACKGROUND

The houses in Santa Rosalia might have been for workers in the ore refining plant.

HOLA FROM SANTA ROSALIA

I haven't been real good about blogging.  Our life has been a bit prosaic, and I don't want to be a bore.  About the most lively thing we've done lately is take a hike thru the local cemetery.  Kind of proves my point that things have been deadly dull.

CHECKED OUT?

Santa Rosalia is a small copper mining town. It lies at the bottom of a narrow valley.



The hills to the north of town are scared by scores of old mine shafts, piles of mine tailings and abandoned ore refining facilities.

Across the valley cemeteries cover the hills.



UNMARKED GRAVES

.

We heard that in the fifty years the mine was in operation some 20,000 miners died.  I tried to verify this number, but could not find any mention of it on the internet.  It's safe to say, though, many folks crossed the valley from north to south feet first.