The Adventures of Familia Bajaboy

In the 14+ years of owning our casa, we have longed to have a thriving garden.  We have had mixed success, though, primarily due to inconsistent watering and harsh, windy weather.  Now that we live here full time, we are up the challenge. Good dirt is really difficult to come by and is definitely one of our biggest challenges here.    In order to get decent dirt, we drive out to the desert and up an arroyo looking for a mesquite tree.   Normally, the dirt underneath has nutrients although the dirt can still be sandy or full of clay.   We bring the dirt back and place it in our “dirt” planter.   We mix in seaweed, pieces of torn up paper, compost, spent grains and hops, and worm tea from our worm composter.   We water and mix up the dirt a few times per week.   Trust me, this is very time consuming but so far is paying off. This morning, I planted some seedlings into one of our new planters.     We have a variety of tomatoes, orange butternut squash, and lemon drop melons.   We also

One thing that is certain is that nothing is certain here.   I used to get so frustrated coming from a very structured life north of the border only to find everything is a moving target here.   It’s okay to make plans but do not get upset if things don’t go as planned because most times they won’t.   I learned early on, to take things as they come and keep my expectations low.   Yesterday was another great reminder…. We went to bed planning on going for an early morning hike.   I woke up early, made some coffee, and checked my email.   I decided to go out to the brew room and assemble my new electric Brewzilla and slowly prep for our first brew day.   I went back in the house to grab another cup of coffee and noticed the electricity was out.   I didn’t think much about it until later when I talked with our neighbor, Tarraya.   I asked him about the electricity and he said the power was on in the village.   The alarms in my head went off and I knew our plans for the day were change.

 Someone recently asked me this question and here is my response. My grandfather used to take my dad down to Baja. I fondly recall my dad telling me stories of them camping in Ensenada as a kid. Then my dad eventually started exploring Baja as a young man. He drove to Cabo San Lucas before the road was completed. He spent a month or so there before returning. As far as I know, my first time in Baja I was only months old. We camped all over Baja as a kid. I can remember many birthday parties sitting around campfires. My grandparents bought a place next to the old Fox Studios. I used to collect mussels at low tide and fish the rocky areas around there. My first drink was at the Rosarito Hotel...I think I was about 14. I always thought I would inherit my grandparents' place. Sadly my grandfather died of a massive stroke when I was 17 or 18. I went on my pilgrimage to Baja when I was 27 or so. My buddy and I drove my 1993 Tacoma down to Cabo and back fishing, camping, and living the li

 The Adventures of Bajaboy and Family are back in business!  Our next adventure is going to be bigger than ever.  Before we share more, it's time to eat some breakfast.  What is your go to for breakfast?

My first trip to Elias Calles was in 1997.  I met a couple who were from the tiny little village about 40 miles north of Cabo San Lucas.  Very few people actually even know it exists but I had a connection.  Over the years, I have gotten to know it quite well.  In fact, my wife and I celebrated our wedding on the beach there in 2004. We now have a number of friends who live in the area including our good friends Jack and Harriet. We decided to take a vacation from our vacation and head down to visit them for a few days of fun. They have a beautiful house which sits right on the Pacific Ocean.  We always enjoy our time relaxing, story telling, and just hanging out with them. After a day of playing in the waves at Cerritos Beach, we decided to have a feast.  Abuela Rosemary made chile verde from scratch, hand made flour tortillas, and rice.  Lidia, whose family sold the land to Jack and Harriet, made some outrageously delicious frijoles.  We had the makings of a feast!

I promised Pancho that I would deliver a small tv/radio to him during our summer break.  I'm sure he figured I'd forget but I was certain I would follow through.  I asked the kids if they wanted to join me for a turn-around road trip and they were stoked to join.  Now to decide when to head over..... We were about a week into our month long stay in Baja and had just finished doing some work on the casita.  Our builder and amigo was visiting with us when I mentioned PSR.  Roberto had never heard of this place nor visited the Sea of Cortez for that matter outside of the big towns likes Santa Rosalia and La Paz.  I jokingly suggested he join us and he quickly accepted.  We would leave the following day. I quickly threw some tents, chairs, and other odds and ends in the truck.  The next morning I picked up Roberto and 8:00am and we were on our way.  The kids were ready but I reminded them we had many miles of dirt road ahead of us.  We stopped in Vizcaino, bought some food for