We had to travel North for work stuff last month, trade shows in Orlando and Las Vegas.

It was good to get up there, we needed a break from here and it was time for a new visa for me. But- it is even better getting back to the boat, back home, as it were.

One of the immediate impressions we both had was the rather frenetic pace stateside. All of the dashing about seems to create a touch of mania, and the results are easy to predict, lots of quick starts and stops on the highways (creating even more angst), lack of civility when competing for space at the stores, and just a general tension. And the nightly news- holy smoke! No wonder that everyone feels so tense!

Now Mexico has some tensions as well, just not the ones most expect- not really an issue with the fears of the cartel stuff. Not really an issue with the fears of food and water being poisonous. The general angst of chaos is about the heaviest thing we have to deal with, that, and getting the boat back in shape after being gone for a month.

One thing came to light as we opened our hatch- something had gone seriously wrong with refrigeration- nope, not an issue with our built in fridge, but a power failure to the Engel. Month old Chicken and sausage really have a distinct aroma.

It turns out that we have some battery issues. The four L-16 batteries have truly given up and the Engel was drawing from them. So a battery hunt is in order.

These are very specific, very unique types of batteries and if I wanted to wait a month or two it would be no problem, expensive, but no problem.

A month or two is not going to work for us so there is a bit of re-engineering ahead of me as I will have to configure the battery space for another size of battery that is available here- and available now. Expensive still, but necessary for the operation of our windlass- and that is very important indeed.

Life is interesting here after our return as compared to before we left. Most of the folks we know are either south or north by now. Some have left their boats here, others will be. It seems very quiet and just a little unnerving. We hope to see some of the clan as we cross paths heading south.