Horror Movies from Loreto to La Paz

Another Fine Spring Day

Tried to do some printing today but everything came out blotchy and striated. A waste of ink and paper. I'll try and clean it tomorrow, but I suspect I shall have to have my prints done in town. still in two minds about buying a new A3+ Printer (Probably an Epson R2880).

Managed to sit in the sun for an hour this afternoon reading.

This Time Last year

It's a transfer day today as I travel from Mexico to Texas.

I'm up at 4am for a taxi to the La Paz airport. It's an easy check-in and I arrive in Mexico City after a two hour flight. Howevere here I have a bit of difficulty as I can't find the the piece of paper I filled in on my arrival flight. This oversight means it costs me 40$ to leave Mexico and I have to cock about filling in new forms and going down to the bank to pay. I nice extortion racket from Mexico and leaves me with a good impression as I leave the country!

It's another two hour flight to Austin, Texas, but the flight is transferred to San Antonio where we sit on the tarmac for an hour before finally getting to Austin. Apparently it was raining in Austin! No doubt this is a rare occurence in Texas!

My sisters Suzanne and Deborah meet me at the airport after an easy ride through Homelan security.

We have a raucaus evening catching up and I end up sleeping on the sofa with the dog. My new pal, Sacha. Debs doesn't have such a good night though!

This Time A Year Ago Yesterday

I'm up early for a walk down the beach to tale some shots of the Arch in the sunrise. I just manage to get a few shots in before my batteries go. I've been unable to charge for 10 days so that's pretty good.



Back at the tent I break down and get everything ready for leaving. We are all abouard by 9.30am. We will do no kajaking today as the sea is too rough and so it's just a matter of enjoying the bouncy ride to Loreto on the Frogfish.

It's very windy too and I spend most of the trip huddled down trying to keep warm It falls to me to collect the tips for JJ and the rest of the crew and to make the presentation. Cheers all around.

After disembarking we have a short ride into town where we dump everybody at the hotel. Me, Emily and Deb are travelling to La Paz so we are dumped on the bus. It's a long five hour trip through a landscape of scrub and cactus. I read and try to avoid the succession of horror movies being shown on the TV. One involves baby dolls committing murder. It still gives me the creeps!

After checking into the hotel I have a steak dinner with E and D, before crashing out.

Sand Sculptures and Kite Fklying

In the Garden

Did a few jobs in the garden today. Turned over the large compost heap and planted a few summer bulbs.

Saw my first butterfly of the season but it was so fast and in and out of the garden that I couldn't catch what it was. Probably a Vanessid as these hibernate as adults. Very likely a Peacock or Red Admiral.

I also delivered my application for a spot at the garden sales at Hof ter Saksen where I shall be selling prints. Gave the the office a calendar of Hof ter Saksen shots too.

This Time Last Year



I was up at 5.30am for another walk up to the ridge overlooking the bay and campsite. The sunrise was spectacular and well worth the effort.

Came down for breakfast after which we broke camp. We leave on our kajaks by 8.30am but after an hour we'd reached the open ocean and were facing a strong headwind and white-caps. We had some fun trying to get back aboard the Frogfish particularly as we had to be rescued by JJ when our rudder broke! Emily and Deb, and also Dan and Lyn decided to try and continue, accompanied by JJ of course.



After another mile or so Emily and Deb decided to abandon too. We rendezvous with the last kayaks later for lunch and after that it's too choppy even for them to continue. We ride the bouncy sea to the next camp site which is also on the mainland coast.



Doug and I set up our tent at one end of the beach and monkey about making sculptures in the sand.

Later on Emily and I try flying a kite which is fun. This is our last nights camping so we make sure we enjoy the Happy Hour!

The Pearl

In the Garden

Did a few more jobs in the garden today as it was by far the warmest day of the year so far. I sowed some of the seeds collected from last year. Poppies, Iberis and some Blue Thistles. I also sowed some wild-flower seeds. I'm trying to emulate a meadow in the new back garden.



I also cleaned some pots left over from the winter. Most of last years pots were packed away clean last year!

I also rebuilt the cold-frame which I use every year. I've put the cuttings in there which were previously upstairs on the window-sill. Some geraniums seem to have taken and some haven't. Also some of the hardwood cuttings seem to have taken and others look a bit moribund. I'll persevere and se how they go.

Later Kristine and I went for a walk up to Hof ter Saksen. Only a few Rhododendrons were in flower. I did take a few shots. I'd also taken a few earlier in the garden too. The crocus mainly ... before they finish.

This Time Last Year

Wake up early and walk around the point for some pink and orange early morning shots.



After breakfast me and Doug jump into the kajak but have to hang around for everyone else as they phaff about. As soon as we get goping we spot a pod of dolphine and me and Doug attempt to chase them down. They don't really play ball and as soon as we get close they disappear and then re-appear miles away! It's fun though and we keep it going for a while, until eventually they move off.

We padle south for a couple of hours hugging the coastline. Instead of going right arounf the headlands though we follow JJ through the rocks. Doug has to be on top of his steering!



We then race across the last bay for a good workout. after pulling up on a beach we visit an old village and a ruined Hacienda. Apprently it was built on pearl money in the early part of the 20th C. Reminiscent of Steinbecks story, which was based on a local legend anyway. JJ has brought the local families some clothes that he has collected in La Paz. It must be pretty tough making a living out here.



After our visit we go out to the Frogfish for lunch and then it's back into the kajaks for a paddle back to camp.

Usual procedure for the evening. Happy hour cocktails, dinner and then bed!

Puerto Gatto

Spring in the Garden

Finally time to do some work in the garden. Planted the borders with Delphiniums, Lupins, Foxgloves and Gladioli. Planted borders with seed-mats which I'm trying for the first time.

I also build the frames for the roses to clamber over and put out some of those bricks with holes. I'm hoping the bees will use these for nesting.

Still a few jobs to do, so hopefully the weather will be fine tomorrow.

ManU humiliated by Liverpool; 1-4. How glad I am that I didn't go to Brighton to watch this with Fin. I didn't go to the pub either. MOTD highlights will be bad enough.

This Time Last year

Break camp this morning as we will be leaving for another camp later today.

After breakfast we go for a walk into the interior. It's very dry and dusty. We climb onto a ridge and get views all around. I decide to climb higher for some shots and get left behind. But the way back to the boats is pretty obvious so I catch up with everyone fairly easily.



We embark on the Frogfish for another sail northwards. This time we will be camping on the mainland of Baja California at a place called Puerto Gatto. It has no access by road ans no habitation anywhere near.

Along the way we see a couple of Blue Whales and although we don't get that close and they don't breach we can actually see how blue they really are.

Further along the way we stop for a snorkel.



After arriving and setting up camp I go for a walk along the rocky shoreline and take a few shots before returning for cocktails and dinner.

Catching Up

At Home

Start work on the Ireland photographs and catch up with email and flickr etc.

This Time Last Year



I was up early to get everything packed before breakfast. Our real boat has turned up in the night from La Paz. She is the Frogfish!

Today we sail for San Jose Island, but after 45 minutes we stop off at a small island at the end of Isla Espiritu to swim with the Sea-Lions. Amazingly they are very friendly and swim very close to you.



After this we have a four hour cruise on the ship. We see very large Manta Rays and towards the end a Fin Whale.

We arrive and set up camp along a stretch of empty beach. We are alone here. The island has a stark barren beauty.

After cocktails and dinner I take a few sunset shots before crashing out at about 9pm.

Kick-Off

Gallery



Finally got around to sending pdf portfolios to Copper Canyon and Baja today. These were both places I visited in Mexico last year. I had a reply from Doug at Paraiso del Oso These were the outfitters who organised out 10 day trek around the Copper Canyon and the small towns of Batopilas and Urique. Highly recommended. They do Horse Treks too.

Doug told me that times were hard as people weren't travelling. The economic slide was one factor but a certain amount of political turmoil in Mexico was dissuading many too.

Two books arrived today. This one The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers and this one The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers

As you can see they are both by Scott Kelby. He has a wittering and irritating style, but he tells you the business. I am a member of NAPP and as such am entitled to a discount on these books. But it's no cheaper as they wack a huge shipping cost to post them to Europe. Looks like I'll only be a member for a year at this rate.

I shall be moving my photographic workflow to a Lightroom basis instead of Bridge. I'm using CS4 now and a bit miffed that some functionality has been lost. For example I used to be able to upload to Flickr and Smugmug directly from Bridge. Now I can't. That's called progress and, of course, you don't get told whats missing ... only whats new. Great. I shall start this Lightroom thing when I can get a new external hard-drive. Can't get enough of these.

Also a CD arrived (how old-fashioned). Vampire Weekend - an outfit from New York. Liked it straight off the bat. Light jangly guitars with a West African sound.

This Time Last Year




I was in Nicaragua, staying at Daniels and Marie's place on San Fernando Island in the Solentiname Archipelago.

I got up early to walk down the trail, past the petroglyphs, and up to the overlook. They've built some new stuff since I was here last year. the petroglyphs used to be in the middle of a field and hard to find. Now they have a new trail to them and a shelter over them and a bench. The outlook also has a shelter and bench. very nice.

Family

Heard yesterday that I am a Great-Uncle. My niece Jodanna has a baby Henry Graham. I had a mail from my mother with photos ... except the photos were missing! Also had some photos of snow in the village at home. Our snow came and went yesterday!