We had another successful video chat with Gabriellas class and the entire Primeria escuela here in Colimilla. This time I went easy on the treats...Root Beer floats. All but 2 or 3 kids liked them. I happened to ask Mr. Joyce (Gabriellas teacher) if he could ask the 8th grade teacher if they would like to have a video chat with the 8th grade class here at the secondary school. She excepted right away and a few days later we had the video chat. Now let me tell you that there is a BIG difference between Gabriellas class and the 8th graders. I really wasn't prepared for this. The teacher here in Colimilla agreed to the chat and then the day of the chat only six kids showed up at Yoanas house. They were having a test that morning and the ones that showed up finished the testing. Anyway, the boys here kept asking who the blond was sitting in the back and they wanted her to move down front so they could have a better look at her...embarrassing. They also kept drooling over Lilly, who by the way was the most interesting in the chat because of all the questions she kept coming up with. And of course the questions were a little different than what I'm accustomed to. I think I was really relieved when that video chat was over with.
Yoanas' sister from Modesto came down for a ten day visit so her baby daughter Abby could meet her grandparents. At the Puerto Vallarta airport, Maria, (Yoana and Mayras' mom) walked right past Mayra and straight to little Abby. Then after awhile she acknowledged her daughter Mayra. Enrique and Maria (grandparents) have been taking their first grandchild all around the area to show off their nieta to all the relatives. I postponed taking my car north for a few days so I can take Mayra and Abby back to the airport in PV. It's a long winding road (about 4 hours one way) so it's easier for me to do it since I wil drive right by the airport on my way north to Guaymas. The photo above is of Tom and Barbaras' boat 'Hooligan' in the Barra lagoon. They departed today for points north and I won't see them again until next year. That's their boat cat laid out on top of the dodger.

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I had a wonderful 6 hour ride down from Santiago/Manzanillo with a few sprinkles and very little wind. After dodging a hundred-plus pelicans I dropped the hook in my favorite spot at the Isla. Lot's of pelicans have migrated to the area because of dying fish after days of rain. The lagoon is the recipient of farmland runoff with whatever that will translate into bad stuff for the fish. So a lot of them can't breath and they start choking off slowly and the birds are having full meals....nice description, eh? I've changed my mind as to coming home early this year because of the visa/car import permit thing. I will drive to the border and turn in my import permit and make a uturn and stop and get another visa and then continue on to Guaymas and store my car with my good friend Horacio. Then jump the bus northward to Barra while trying to enjoy an overnite bus ride with a thousand stops. Nothing exciting is happening around the Barra/Melaque area except 'Carnaval'. It's not exactly Rio or New Orleans but is quite a bit of fun for everyone. They have a parade from Melaque to Barra and trust me when I say 'these parades in Mexico would never be able to happen in the USA. I'm going to town this afternoon and try to stay late for the festivities as I don't like to be off my boat after dark. The pic above is of the sea mines..oops..pelicans as I was entering the lagoon.

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After a few days in Zihuatanejo and the day after the Super Bowl I weighed anchor and set out for points north. I did a 35 mile run over to Lazaro Cardenas, which is a stinky commercial port but has a nice flat anchorage in a cul de sac right off the ocean. After a very flat and calm night I pulled out of there for the next anchorage (Caleta De Campos) about 40 miles up the coast. I pulled into the anchorage that afternoon and was not happy with the huge ocean swells making their way into the anchorage. So, instead of rockin'n'rolling all night, I decided to keep on trucking up the coast and do an overnighter into Santiago. About 6 in the morning, the wind picked up offshore and I had a glorious sailing trip the rest of the way into Santiago. Dropped the hook in a nice peaceful spot and did my bus trip into Salagua, which is a suburb of Manzanillo. Did some banking , shopping, and of course the obligatory Burger King stop. The next day my friends on Hooligan, Barbara and Tom made it into the anchorage from Barra. THEN THE RAIN STARTED. It has rained for the last 2 days and will continue today and end tomorrow night. I got the soap out and scrubbed down the decks so now I have very clean decks for the first time since I left Guaymas. This afternoon I will dive on Hooligan to clean the bottom in the rain.....I hope I don't get wet. Tomorrow in the rain I think I will sail to Barra. I'm running low on gasoline and water. It's wierd being stuck on the boat at anchor. Still enjoying this fabulous retirement....Thank You God! The photo is Mannasea getting fuel in Acapulco.

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