360 degree video taken near the Lydon house.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Sunrise, January 1, 2011
Not only did I wake up to this beautiful sunrise (note the crescent moon), I also saw whales (the first of the season for me). This is the third year that I saw whales for the first time on January 1. What a beautiful day to start off a new year.
We rang it in right this year!
,OK, we rang in the new year at 9pm, with a mini shot glass of champagne. However, that was after a huge potluck dinner, a spectacular firework show, and homemade desserts all with a great group of folks.
Happy New Year La Bocana! Hope to see you all in 2011!
Thanks to Cy for the photos.
The Eve of New Years Eve
Menu of the evening
Emily and Susan
Dallas and Jerry shucking oysters - brought up that day from San Quintin!
Carrie in the kitchen
There could not have been a better way to celebrate the eve of New Year's Eve than at the home of Carrie and Dan. We had a tremendous time eating gourmet food and enjoying each other's company.
Thank you Carrie and Dan!!
PS. That giant tree became part of the firework show the next day
Monday, August 02, 2010
Monday, March 01, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
The beach has been reconfigured
Dallas says that at high tide, the waves wash all the way back to where the bridge used to be (yes, the foot bridge was washed out)
Take the High Road
Photo: view of the where the low road used to be taken from the new road.This rainy season pretty much erased the low road out of existence so if you go to La Bocana anytime soon, take the high road. At the cow gate, veer right instead of left. It's beautiful now (it is so green) so it is well worth the trip!
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Here's to another great year!
I think we got everyone in the photo this year. Let me know if any of the names are wrong or misspelled. Click on the photo to make it larger.Thanks to Art and Jen for hosting the party and fireworks.
Happy New Year, everyone. It was great seeing you.
Orcas in Puerto Santa Tomas!
On the afternoon of New Year's Eve, we jumped with excitement when we saw whale spouts from our front porch. My brother ran and got his camera and took pictures.
Imagine our surprise when he zoomed in on the photos and saw dorsal fins on the whales! These were not California Grey Whales but they were Orcas, also known as Killer Whales.
I remembered that the news in San Diego had recently talked of a pod of Orcas in the waters of San Diego so this must be the same group.
Click on the photo to enlarge and see the fin.
Read the article: http://www.10news.com/news/
Photo by Tom Kennedy
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Romulo the Patriarch
Here are some photos of Romulo Gomez, the patriarch of La Bocana. I never met him but I wish I did. I only hear good things about the man and he's the one that brought us all together on this piece of paradise. Enjoy:
If you have photos or stories about Mr. Gomez, send them and I'll post them.
Happy New Year to all!
If you have photos or stories about Mr. Gomez, send them and I'll post them.
Happy New Year to all!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I've been thinking about the Great Egret
A little while ago, a few of us decided that the Pelican was the Official Bird of La Bocana. It was a unanimous vote and seemed like the obvious choice. The pelicans are spectacular and I remember one awesome afternoon when somewhere near 1,000 pelicans flew by in 30 minutes. My jaw was open the whole while I tired to keep count. Even if I never saw another pelican again in La Bocana, that one incident would have led me to give the pelicans the vote.
However, I am now older and perhaps wiser, or maybe not wiser though I am definitely older, and I've been thinking about that beautiful white long necked creature that stalks the lagoon and flies so gracefully through the valley. I sometimes see one on the kelp just off shore - standing very still while waiting for an opportunity to grab something to eat.
A few weekends ago, I watched one walk awkwardly yet beautifully through the lagoon, contorting its long neck for the best view into the shallow water and every so often jabbing its beak into the water and coming up with a little fish to eat. I could have watched it for hours. And that is when I thought that I, and all of us, should take a good look at the Great Egret.
Here is some information from the book Birds of North America:
The Great Egret has white plumage, a yellow bill, and black feet and legs. Adults birds stand up to 41 inches with a 55 inch wingspan and incredibly, weigh about 2 pounds. They prefer to feed in open areas from salt marshes to freshwater habitats and fly to communal nests in trees at night. They feed on a wide variety of small aqautic animals and other animals found in wetlands including fish, frogs, snakes, crayfish, and large insects. They are monogamous and live in colonies, usually with other species of herons, egrets, and similar species.
The incubation period is 23 to 26 days and the young stay in the nest for 21 days. Both Ma and Pa feed the young. Only one brood per year and they have 1 to 6 pale blue-green eggs per brood. The nests are in trees or shrubs, usally 10 to 40 feet above ground.
In the US, they are a protected species. In the late 1800s, they were decimated as they were hunted for their plumage. The book says that they should "winter" in northern Baja but I seemed to see them year round.
Let's look at some photos:
However, I am now older and perhaps wiser, or maybe not wiser though I am definitely older, and I've been thinking about that beautiful white long necked creature that stalks the lagoon and flies so gracefully through the valley. I sometimes see one on the kelp just off shore - standing very still while waiting for an opportunity to grab something to eat.
A few weekends ago, I watched one walk awkwardly yet beautifully through the lagoon, contorting its long neck for the best view into the shallow water and every so often jabbing its beak into the water and coming up with a little fish to eat. I could have watched it for hours. And that is when I thought that I, and all of us, should take a good look at the Great Egret.
Here is some information from the book Birds of North America:
The Great Egret has white plumage, a yellow bill, and black feet and legs. Adults birds stand up to 41 inches with a 55 inch wingspan and incredibly, weigh about 2 pounds. They prefer to feed in open areas from salt marshes to freshwater habitats and fly to communal nests in trees at night. They feed on a wide variety of small aqautic animals and other animals found in wetlands including fish, frogs, snakes, crayfish, and large insects. They are monogamous and live in colonies, usually with other species of herons, egrets, and similar species.
The incubation period is 23 to 26 days and the young stay in the nest for 21 days. Both Ma and Pa feed the young. Only one brood per year and they have 1 to 6 pale blue-green eggs per brood. The nests are in trees or shrubs, usally 10 to 40 feet above ground.
In the US, they are a protected species. In the late 1800s, they were decimated as they were hunted for their plumage. The book says that they should "winter" in northern Baja but I seemed to see them year round.
Let's look at some photos:
Monday, October 12, 2009
Sunday, October 04, 2009
Cathy, this is for you
This is for Cathy and everyone who lives in Northern La Bocana - I drove by the new water tank today and is was nearly full!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
The Lt. Commander's Daughter Reports In
Divina, daughter of Dallas and Emily, visited La Bocana with some friends and she sent this report:
We visited the first week of April and actually arrived on April Fools Day, Ibelieve. It was me and three of my friends ( Mandy Fessler, Brad Fessler,and Carrie Ragland). They are all from Ohio and had never been to the west coast.
Upon arriving in La Bocana we were immediately met by the official greeting committee of Mike,Tank and Rocco (three dogs). They all wanted to know who the four strangers were invading the commanders house.
We had many nights sitting around the fire,watching the sunset while giggling (due to the Berringer that my parents had supplied). We visited many of the beaches, took long walks on the trails, had the pleasure of meeting Canaro, and ate some fresh lobster.
I also had the pleasure of falling in the water while exploring the rocks......my camera took a dive with me and all my dad could do was laugh. That wasn't the only time I fell either.....I also slipped when coming back up the bank with my body board...we just had to laugh and compare myself toBella from the Twilight books....quite clumsy....now if I could only find my Edward shimmering in the sunlight I would be all set!
La Boufadora, shopping, wild horses.....mountains behind and the ocean ahead. I have never seen anything like it. So now I understand why my parents sold the house I grew up in and persued this dream house in this place in the middle of Mexico. We miss it already and are planning to all come back next year.
If Brad and Mandy had their way, they would own the house two down from my parents already.
Here are some photos from our adventure:
We visited the first week of April and actually arrived on April Fools Day, Ibelieve. It was me and three of my friends ( Mandy Fessler, Brad Fessler,and Carrie Ragland). They are all from Ohio and had never been to the west coast.
Upon arriving in La Bocana we were immediately met by the official greeting committee of Mike,Tank and Rocco (three dogs). They all wanted to know who the four strangers were invading the commanders house.
We had many nights sitting around the fire,watching the sunset while giggling (due to the Berringer that my parents had supplied). We visited many of the beaches, took long walks on the trails, had the pleasure of meeting Canaro, and ate some fresh lobster.
I also had the pleasure of falling in the water while exploring the rocks......my camera took a dive with me and all my dad could do was laugh. That wasn't the only time I fell either.....I also slipped when coming back up the bank with my body board...we just had to laugh and compare myself toBella from the Twilight books....quite clumsy....now if I could only find my Edward shimmering in the sunlight I would be all set!
La Boufadora, shopping, wild horses.....mountains behind and the ocean ahead. I have never seen anything like it. So now I understand why my parents sold the house I grew up in and persued this dream house in this place in the middle of Mexico. We miss it already and are planning to all come back next year.
If Brad and Mandy had their way, they would own the house two down from my parents already.
Here are some photos from our adventure:
Friday, July 24, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Agave or Century Plant
Joe's mom would wait for years to see one of the century plants bloom in her garden. So lucky are we to take our morning walk in La Bocana and see literally hundreds of these regal plants in bloom.
The name agave comes from the Greek word agavos, meaning noble or admirable, and this group of plants has lived up to its name. There is archeological evidence that humans have used agaves for at least 9,000 years, baking the leaves in pits for food and using the fibers and stalks to make everything from rope to clothing to weapons.
The Agave americana is often called the century plant because was reputed to bloom only once in 100 years, but that's an exaggeration. It does only bloom once in its lifetime, but usually between 7 and 20 years. The main plant then dies, but most species produce shoots that will take over and grow to maturity. Beautiful flower spikes reach for the sky in many, including the Century Plant Agave americana which can have a bloom spike up to 40 feet (12 meters) high!
Perhaps one of the best known uses for agave is the production of tequila, which has long been a vital industry in Mexico. Tequila is made from the fermented and distilled juices, called aquamiel or "honey water," produced by the agave just before it flowers. In 1999, Mexico exported some 21 million gallons (80 million liters) of tequila to the United States, and the current annual value of these exports is about 200 million dollars. In fact, the agave plants grown on plantations are so valuable that they must be protected from agave rustlers!
Photo taken by Joe Darrough
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