The Farm and back to cruising

Location:  Isla San Francisco, Baja, Mexico

We spent about three weeks on the farm in Alabama and did lots of fun things and of course, some farm chores.  My friend from college, Jennie, came to visit for Super Bowl weekend.  She thought she might like to try hunting, so when we got to the farm from the airport, Dave had set up a shooting range so she could get a feel for the rifle.  She took a couple of shots and hit the target, so we headed off into the woods to wait for the deer to come out.  We stayed out until just before dark, didn’t see anything and headed back to the cabin for supper.  It was scheduled to rain on Sunday so we took a walk through the woods and around the green fields in the morning and then settled in for snacks, cards and the big game.  Very good game until the very end – what was Seattle thinking?  

Sunrise on the farm (photo taken from the cabin front porch)

Moving old tractor tires

Monday was project day.  We made a run into town to pick up some drainage pipe for the road project we are going to do later in the year.  Then Jennie and I gathered the stuff we needed to make two coat racks for the mud room.  Dave showed us how to set-up and use the router and we got to work while he headed into the woods to hunt.  Tuesday was Jennie’s last day on the farm, so we mounted the coat racks to the wall and got to work fixing the kitchen faucet then headed to Amazing Grace, the local restaurant, for some lunch – good southern down home cooking.  We stopped at the hardware store and bought a maul so Dave could split wood and then Jennie and I headed to the airport in Pensacola.

B and Jennie working on the coat racks

Jennie and B in front of the Sweet Pea Farm sign

Dave suited up to go into the woods

Our next project was to take down the old rotted oak tree next to the house.  Dave did the climbing and chain sawing and I used the tractor to pull the limbs away from the cabin roof.  Friends Tom and Sandy from Maryland came to visit for the weekend.  They recently purchased a house in Pensacola so are only about two hours away from the farm.  They arrived Friday afternoon.  We went for a walk in the woods and then headed back to the cabin to cook up the fresh shrimp they had brought with them.  Saturday morning we went on another trek through the woods and then headed to Amazing Grace for lunch.  Neighbors Donnie and Judy came over to visit so we had a good story telling session on the porch.

Taking down the oak tree near the cabin

Driving Big Red around in the woods

Tuesday my mom, Louise, flew in for a visit.  We put her straight to work cleaning the inside of the RV trailer, burning the pines on the east side of the property and then cleaning the outside of the trailer. We did our final chores and left the farm on Sunday, February 15^th.  First stop Biloxi to try and win our money back from the trip over.  Dave had a great night playing pai gow poker.  The next morning we went over to the IP casino – where we had good luck playing three card poker and then tried the Palace casino – where we had good luck playing craps.  We hit the road and headed for our next stop Casino Coushatta.  We did good at the craps table before heading to Houston for trips to the vet, doctor appointments, hair cuts and a meeting with our financial advisors.  We took Mom to the airport Wednesday morning for her flight to Tucson to visit her sister (my Aunt Margaret).  Wednesday afternoon we headed to Austin for one last visit with the grandkids before heading back to the boat. 

Bubby (Benjamin) and Maggie eating supper

B and Maggie coloring

Friday morning we drove from Austin to Las Cruces, NM.  Saturday we drove to Tucson and had dinner with my aunt and uncle, cousins and Mom.  Sunday we took Mom to the Tucson airport for her trip home and then visited the Tucson casinos.  Not much action on a Sunday morning so we did some last chance shopping and called it a day. 

Monday morning we loaded up the car and the cats for the drive into Mexico and back to the boat.  No problems crossing the border.  They do a red light (stop) / green light (go) system for inspection.  We got the red light, but the inspector did a cursory inspection and waved us through.  All visitors to Mexico have to stop at Kilometer21.  They issue tourist cards, vehicle permits, Mexico liability insurance and everything else you will need while visiting Mexico.  Since we had a Mexico rental car, all we needed were new tourist cards so we were in and out fairly quickly.  We stopped in Hermosillo for gas and lunch at a taco stand and then continued the drive to Topolobampo.  We arrived just after sunset.  The boat was still floating and all looked good aboard.  We unloaded the car and walked into town for supper.  The next morning we drove into Los Mochis to get groceries, then returned the rental car and rode the bus back to Topolobampo. 

Osprey nest near the marina in Topolobampo

Dave doing boat chores - changing a Separ fuel filter

Wednesday we went into town and bought 6 kilograms (12 pounds) of large fresh shrimp and worked on boat chores so that we could leave the marina on Thursday.  We got underway Thursday about noon and cruised out the channel to Isla Santa Maria for the night.  Friday morning we got under way early for our cruise across the Sea of Cortez to the Baja side.  We are now anchored in a cove near Isla San Francisco, about 45 miles north of La Paz.

Looking at Topolobampo through our rear view mirror

Blue-footed boobie flying with us on the way out of the harbor