South of the Border: La Manzanillo, Mexico

Despite all the tales of south of the border desperadoes, kidnapping, and narcos we bid farewell to Tad and Sevi at  LAX and boarded our Alaska non-stop flight to ZLO/Manzanillo, Mexico,  on Sunday, Dec. 5.  The only scary characters on our plane were sleep deprived Dick and Cathy who had flown down earlier in the morning from SEA. We arrived safely greeted by sea and sun.  The nice thing about flying early December is that the planes are half full.  We had our own rows on both flights, to and from.  The flight from LAX to ZLO passes over the Sea of Cortez and follows coastline.  The flight attendants are upbeat and the airport small enough that usually one flight is going through customs at a time. Much quicker and quieter than Zihua.  The red light/green light baggage check lottery is always amusing.    

Happy to land

Driving toward La Manz

Cihuatlin

We rented a car (the insurance was way more than rental fees) and DB, Dick, Cathy, and I headed north to La Manzanilla via Cihuatlan where we loaded up with provisions.

Mexican Wal-Mart

We arrived at our final destination, the dusty village of La Manzanilla, Jalisco, as the sun dropped into the Pacific.  Casa Dansa del Sol was the same as last year: pink in daylight, perfect for  puesta del sol, pitch black after.

Casa Darko del Sol

Dick net casting in front of the casa

Our home for two weeks

Thanksgiving in the desert 2010

Bebe's gorgeous table

Thanksgiving ala Brrr-key 2010 

Mike and his extra moist bird

While the Seattle area was struggling with snow, more snow, freezing rain and bumper car boogie on the freeways, the temperatures in Desert Center rose into the pleasant 70's during the days and the nights, though close to freezing, brought brilliant star shows. Walks around the big Lake Tamarask were routine after dinner and mandatory after THE BIG THANKSGIVING MEAL.




Per usual, there was the traditional menu: Mike's turkey, Dick's turkey, Chipotle Yams/sweet potatoes, garlic mashed potatoes, Grandma Stamberg's Cranberry Relish, Bebe's ABC Aspic,  rolls, gravy, stuffing, something green, and Cathy's flaming pie.

Dick and his brined bird

Leaving Casa Verde

Arriving Mike & Bebe's

Unlike a previous Thanksgiving, Julienne successfully delivered the infamous foyer dish, and has pictures to prove it.

Tad rocked the garlic mashed and sweet potatoes.
Could have been the best Thanksgiving meal yet!

 Football, food, friends, family-

What more could you want?

The Snow Buzzards have landed!

Sevi, our three year old yellow lab, Boxer, our twenty-two year old cat, DB, my favorite dancing bear and husband of 35 years, 4 months, and 6 days, and I, an ex-middle school wrangler/non-profit programmer, arrived at our four month snow buzzard residence exhausted.  26761 Fountain Cove, Desert Center, California, was named "Casa Verde" by its four new owners (my brother Dick and his wife Cathy, DB and me) when purchased in November of 1998.  That first year we almost burned it down tackling plumbing repairs, planted fruit trees which went from three fruit covered nursery specimens to dried sticks, and spiffed it up for potential renters. Now, twelve years later, we're asking ourselves just how we'll adjust to living where we've only visited for at most two and a half weeks before.  Differently, that's for sure.