mOOners in Mexico

by Kris

The prospect of driving 2,200 miles from Northern California to our winter Mexican "home" of Roca Azul RV Park at Lago de Chapala, while not as daunting as that of our Nova Scotia amigos, is still a fer piece of landscape to travel. We choose to add variety to the miles by driving different routes within the western states to a border crossing in or west of Nogales, Arizona. Heading south on CA-99 we decided to make a left turn before Bakersfield and spend a couple of days exploring Death Valley. For the first leg of our long journey, we initially entertained the prospect of Yosemite with glorious fall colors as a delightful segue to the glorious colors of Mexico but the weather suggested the prevailing color would be white. While beautiful, dealing with snow and the inherent issues was not how we wanted to begin our trip...chains? Not in our vocabulary.

Climbing in the foothills toward the Sequoia National Forest we enjoyed changing tempuratures, varied scenery, and the sight of a stampede of tarantulas across the highway. Why did the tarantula cross the road?

California is one of the most incredible states in a country full of natural beauty. If you don't like the scenery or weather where you are in California mere hours away is a climate and a geographical setting so amazingly different. There's much of the state we know intimately and enjoy regularly and even more we couldn't explore in two lifetimes. The Sequoia National Forest covers much of the lower area of the splendid Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and the climbing winding roads though it offer glimpses of different lifestyles than our own...a cabin in the woods so close to a highway but so far from civilization..

From the 6,102' summit of Greenhorn Mountain in the middle of California the next hours and miles of our trip led us toward the lowest elevation in the United States - no exaggeration about the variety of our home state's geography. Bob's your uncle.

We like to stop periodically and check our rig, take a bathroom break, walk Duffie, and occasionally try a local specialty.  For countless miles we'd seen signs proclaiming the freshest and best jerky in the universe at this spot in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I guess if you'd been wandering foodless in the desert for days this claim could be true. But you might like COLDBEER.COM to wash it down.

Next stop the incomparable Death Valley National Park....we spent many entertaining hours watching the recent PBS series Ken Burns: "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" and have visited a number of the featured parks, but never Death Valley...go figure.

What's not visible in this first photo of the landscape is that the wind was not merely blowing, it was howling, as in do not get too close to the edge of the mountain for a look.

Unlike many national parks and forests, Death Valley doesn't welcome you with an entrance kiosk full of maps and information, so we happily discovered a non-pay, basic campground and hunkered in for the night. There were three tent campers in the area and I know they had a long night - a long howling windy night wondering where they might be in the morning light. Inside the cozy confines of our camper, very well secured to our one-ton dually truck, it was crazy windy loud and rockin'. Snuggle up and snooze was all you could do :) It was fortunately less blustery when we awoke but the building gusts gave hints of more to come.

With no set travel itinerary we'd hoped to spend time hiking and exploring some of Death Valley's incredibly scenic vistas and learning more about the history of gold mining in the mountains, borax harvesting on the valley floors, and the lives and livelihood of the native Timbisha Shoshone people. BUT, wow it was beyond uncomfortable to be outside....

Resorting to Plan B, we became road tourists with the camera handy for a quick window down shot. Being a smaller RV once again rewarded us with the ability to experience what the big rigs cannot, in this case the "Artists Drive" a windy (aka twisty) one way route of scenic viewpoints recommended for vehicles no longer than 25 feet. Our front mounted bikes pushed the limit but we navigated the turns and dips with ease. It's fun to have photos of our home in so many diverse locations...

We had a reprieve from the extreme wind at a most extreme spot, the lowest elevation in Death Valley, California, the US, and almost the world...the famous Badwater Basin is 282 feet below sea level. That's an almost hard to fathom factoid. Also hard to fathom are the winter duds I'm sporting now that I'm warmly back in Mexico...

Everything about Death Valley is on a grand scale...the scenery and the vastness of it is inspiring and we do plan a trip when weather conditions are more conducive to outside activities. Ken and Duffie scan the landscape...Duffie for anything that moves...

Driving further south toward the border we finally outlasted the wind. Following the trail of our British Columbia friends, Dave and Sonia, we stopped in Ajo, Arizona for final pre-Mexico provisioning. We then drove through the town of Why (don't ask..)  then made the final US leg to the border and our crossing in Lukeville. Not much dialogue with the US border authorities other than their standard questions; "Do you have weapons?" and "Do you have more than $10,000 cash"? I'm not sure which question is more ridiculous in our case.

It was another smooth transition to Mexico; we have copies of everything the authorities could possible want and we know the order of migración offices to visit and the information they require. It's a more enjoyable experience when the authorities are located away from the border cities such as this complex at San Emetrio.

We've heard some pretty funny (after the fact..) and horrendous stories from both sides of the border so we gratefully accept each smooth crossing we experience. And we, of course, say thanks to Mike and Terri Church, authors of "The Traveler's Guide to Mexican Camping" the bible of rv'ers, for their input and insights into all things Mexican rv travel related....because of them our first crossing years ago was a success we've been able to re-create time and again. http://www.rollinghomes.com/

Three long days on the expensive - but worth every peso - cuotas (toll roads) and we arrived in Roca Azul....amazingly one hour after BC'ers, Dave and Sonia!

The gate to Roca Azul complex welcomed us with the warm and happy colors of Mexico.

More to come...

mOOners

by Kris

The nip of fall is in the air, our SF Giants are done for the season, and we've fine tuned our travel lists. Must be about time to head back to Mexico. Woohoo!

Before I dismiss the Giants, I want to thank them for a fantastically fun and exciting season! Who knew the star attraction would be a big fun-loving Panda? Our starting rotation were rock stars - another Cy Young stats season for Tim Lincecum and close for Matt Cain; the "no-no" by Jonathan Sanchez, and the highlight of Randy Johnson's 300th win. The bullpen was, for the most part, outstanding....Jeremy Affeldt had the lowest ERA (1.73) among relievers and the most double play pitches... and of course we thrilled to the absolute heat of closer, Brian Wilson! As sad as I am that the Giants aren't playing in the post-season I so dislike major network baseball announcers (not you, Jon Miller!) that I'd rather not be in the play-offs than listen to them - Krukow and Kuiper (Flemming, too) are my baseball guys! A trip to SF to watch a game is a treat -- visually for the stadium and surrounding vistas..

AT&T Park...gateway to SF Giants baseball fun for kids of all ages - a wonderful venue combining two of our favorites - baseball and sailing!

Can't get more SF Giants than the "Say Hey Kid" the one and only Willie Mays...

and Willie McCovey "Wille Mac" of McCovey Cove - home of the Splash-hits..

Here's a good catch..

Giants wear with a Latino flair

Adios, Gigantes....time to put away baseball and the games and toys of summer and get ready to hit the road. 

We have lists; to do lists that include what to pack, what to buy that we can't get in Mexico, and what to do about everything we're leaving behind until next spring. Lists are inspiring and sometimes daunting...this our third year of Mexican mOOn'ering and we have great systems for our lifestyle but it would be easy to overlook something that might be important down the road. Lists are our friends.

Talking and planning and listing also get us excited about upcoming adventures! So does reading about our travels and those of our RV'ing amigos, Jerry and Paula Gale, in the on-line Truck Camper Magazine at http://www.truckcampermagazine.com

Ken and Kris Cardwell: mOOn'ers in Mexico...

Jerry and Paula Gale: Tales of Fun, Funny, and Fantastico...

Can't wait to rendezvous with them -- we had a great Skype chat to coordinate our trips....Fun ahead.

Time to wrap up our home time and say our goodbyes for the winter - always bittersweet as is the end of the baseball season. But spring returns with the first pitch and our arrival home ... for now it's our cycle of life.

mOOners

by Kris

Returning home to Northern California earlier than usual had many positive benefits...more time with family and friends, and the glorious springtime weather and scenery.

Driving north on Highway 99 the median strips were ablaze with our California State Flower, the lovely Poppy.

Grandma and Grandpa Cardwell's green and "green" backyard - first stop on the "home again tour."

Springtime means many things to me and high on the list is the first pitch of the season. Fellas in baseball uniforms have always been a weakness of mine and Josh looks just fine even though he's wearing Dodger Blue....

Launching "full mOOn" starts the sailing season on Lake Camanche....the lake is full and the winds are fair. Bueno.

Micah discovered the primo siesta zone...the deck of full mOOn

Hanging my full mOOn regalo, a coconut head mermaid de la Playa El Negrito. Muy bonita..

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the Bird Ranch...Hardy watches Uncle Dan create the new playing field and the pond. Wishful thinking?

Cameron and G'macita take the seat -- the keys were missing....

Pond in the works....kids shovel while dogs measure depth.

 Josh and Pete post-ponding. Go Josh Go.

Hardy's digging the hole; Happy's laying the pipe...a Russen observation.

Hanna with Daphne and Hazel. Who knew mini-donkeys were such snugglers?

Daphne, the queen of the Bird Ranch

Blongo, our Mexican beach game, translates well to Bird Ranch activities.

Olivia displays her birthday dress. Love buying girlie things in Mexico...

Another fun evening with our peeps....digressing as often with "Photo Booth" hilarity.

A "Photo Booth" match made in Heaven....

Ken and Dan woodworking together....turning a baseball bat. Very cool.

Ken's always able to find a quiet spot for time with his guitarra and a song. He's feeling great and his US docs are very pleased with the cardiac care he received in Guadalajara. Me too!

I'm happy to say our daughter completed four rounds of chemo and is halfway thru the six weeks of radiation in her breast cancer treatment. We are so thankful for the ease with which she endured the chemo and the grace of her spirit throughout. She is surrounded with love - she has the most amazing friends who are also incredible cooks!! We've all come a long way since the heart-wrenching e-mail in February....

mOOners

by Kris

Kids, kids, kids what would the world be like without their beautiful little faces, their boundless energy, their open minds and huge hearts? As a card carrying Grandma, I am attracted to kids and quite a few of them are attracted to me. And that's a good thing. This abuelita (little grandma) in the small Jalisco town of Amacueca, knows what I'm talking about. She is a walking party with her nieto, un globo (balloon) and a squeeze of hands.

We met our amiga especial, Guadalupe, at the pool in Roca Azul when she swam with her charming curly-haired nieta, Paola.

Fiestas are the heartbeat of Mexico and the estrellas (stars) of the show are the niños. This beauty has the best seat in the house with her papa.

This little caballero has his eyes on the parade ahead. Dad is checking his watch and (based upon a later encounter with him) is thinking, "Bueno, it's tequila time."

These gorgeous little ones enhanced a float in the most angelic way...

Two tuckered fiesta attendees share a bench in the Ajijic plaza.

One of my favorite kid encounters happened as we drove through the Lake Chapala village of Mezcala. This happy young'un was headed home with vegetable scraps for his family's animals. We returned a few weeks later to give him this printed photo but, unfortunately, couldn't locate him. Now we have an "Epson Picture Mate personal photo lab" and we can print and deliver a beautiful color photo on the spot. Instant gratification for me - happy kid with a special and personalized gift; a win win situation.

Another "drive-by shooting" was this adorable pair from the south shore of Lago de Chapala.

Photographing kids is an interactive activity. We ask first, if possible, and always show the pictures to the subjects. They love it! Evi shows these amazed niños their smiling faces on her camera. Thank God for digital cameras with big lcd screens.

Many photos speak for themselves; this one is titled, "Mine". We watched these two, obviously hermana y hermano, for five minutes. Every bumper car he hopped into she pushed him out of. Every one. Finally the ride started and he made a last second jump to a car of his own. He will be a survivor in the on-going big sister little brother struggle...

Niños are cute. Niños con perritos are cuter. During a visit con la familia Fernandez de El Molino, middle hija, Candi, was inseparable from Tai, the incredibly mellow pooch of amigos Dave y Sonia.

Watching las tres hermanas at play was fun and a good work-out! Yuri y Candi played so well together - they encouraged and helped each other. It was very non-competitive for a sibling activity! Artist, Karen, colors on the tea table in the background.

Playing, drawing, and a full tummy of her mama's pozole can wear out even a nine year old and Yuri takes a much deserved break.

Yuri's relaxing pose is the perfect segue to a siesta...

Luego,

mOOners

by Kris

How is it possible that a place that is paradise can so suddenly become the farthest place from your heart and soul? I found out the day I heard via our satellite internet of our eldest daughter's breast cancer. Looking out my backdoor, I saw the Mexican beach we'd called "home" for two enchanting weeks. The enchantment was replaced with anxiety and the helpless feeling of being too far from home and family.

I am not sure I was totally recovered from Ken's heart experience in January and this news of my child hurting and the family trying to deal with the hugeness of this without me, Mom, was almost unbearable. To protect my daughter's privacy, I will just say that she is one of these beautiful young women - my girls; my daughters, my daughters-in-law, my bonus girls...all healthy and fabulous friends, sisters, aunties, wives, and mamas...

If I couldn't be at home during the initial time of diagnosis, I was blessed to be in a beautiful place with Ken and friends who felt my pain and offered amazing amounts of love and support. I was safe to share my feelings and I freely did so. Paulita and I shed tears of so many different feelings; sadness that one of our girls was affected by this horrible disease, shock and anger that breast cancer is insidiously creeping into a younger generation, joy that we are blessed with fabulous daughters, and hope and trust for a complete healing. We walked the beach and talked, cried, and laughed. Not sure how I would have coped if not for very special people in my life at the beach, in Jocotepec and Roca Azul, and at home.

Our unity in support for all breast cancer patients and survivors like my girlie, was sealed with bright pink nail polish.

While we made plans for our homeward trip, we enjoyed our remaining beach days with Paulita y Geraldo. It pains me to report that Ken y Paulita appear to have our number in Blongo...but Geraldo and I will get 'em next year..The fellas could not have been sweeter and we know we're blessed to have them.

There's no better therapy for the mom and grandma in me than to snuggle up to a little person. Raquel has no idea what her touch meant to me.

Duffie got a "going home" haircut and looked so fancy that he was invited for a sleep-over with tia Paulita y tio Geraldo. Dogs and kids have the gift of making everything feel better.

I watched this woman walk back and forth on our beach for hours; she was physically on our beach but spiritually she was in another world. Not one other person approached the water during her journey; it would not have been right to interrupt the communion of this woman and her angels. I had the most overwhelming urge to talk with her and tell her about my daughter. I explained this to one of her companions and came to the realization that the four women were nuns and the lone walker was the Madre. What a blessing and comfort to have the Madre come to me, hold my hands in her hers, and tell me that my daughter would be in their prayers. I doubt that I could describe her face, kind and loving as it was, but her hands and her strong and reassuring touch are as real to me now as at the time of our encounter.

Our special local señora, Margarita, has a heart full of love as we witnessed when we first saw her. She is feeding two orphaned kids (goat babies) in addition to being the village storekeeper. All with a big smile.

We were saddened to hear that Margarita's eldest daughter was killed in a car accident just months ago. During our goodbyes we mentioned that we wanted to see the nearby iglesia de San Mateo and she arranged for her friend to open the church for us. San Mateo is a non-descript village with an iglesia that defies description. The architect(s) had incredible vision in creating this one of a kind Casa de Dios. We are grateful for the opportunity to have experienced this special place of worship.

Over the past two winters we've been in many churches; some that are grand and hundreds of years old and full of relics of spirituality. None have affected me like this modern open-air home of worship in a small and simple town. I've not knelt in a Catholic Church since I was a young girl but it felt natural here and at this time in my search for peace of mind and comfort of heart.

The Virgen Guadalupe is a central figure in the culture and spirituality of Mexico. We have our own Guadalupe, our amiga muy especial and our link to the country that is our second home. The friendship we have with Guadalupe and her sister, Concepción, means so much to us. We are forever friends. We share comida y tequila, and stories of life and family in our brand of "Spanglish" - Ken once told Guadalupe that she speaks excellent Spanish and she replied, "I practice everyday!"

It was such a boost for us to see Guadalupe's car at her home in Roca Azul as we drove out of the RV park where we'd said goodbyes to other friends. When Guadalupe ran out of the house we hugged and she wept when we told her why we were going home. Her spirit, encouragement, and comfort were with us all the way home.

Now a week after a happy reunion with our family and a successful lumpectomy, we wait for news of further treatment. I'm where I belong doing what I love - being a Mom and Grandma (and happier wife). I am writing this to share good news with friends in Mexico, Canada, and the US. And I'm writing to encourage other Moms and Grandmas to have your young women realize that breast cancer is no longer "your mom's disease"...and to examine themselves, get a mammogram, and get involved with community efforts like the "Susan B. Komen" foundation and The Avon foundation.

We will beat this disease.

mOOners