Rearranging the deck chairs--again

We would not be traveling like we do if it weren't for John's mechanical and technical skill. My primary role, however, seems to be as the "Finder". Our friends will recognize the familiar call of the husband, "Meeem, where's the....?" Fixing things brings that call out more than anything. So when the home gets to the point that I can't find anything either we are in deep trouble, hence yesterday's cleaning fit.

When we first pack for a long trip, I usually begin with a storage plan that seems logical but as we get to the end we wind up just stuffing things anywhere there is space. I am reminded of a visit to the captured WWII German submarine located in a Chicago museum. I was struck by the bags of onion and long sausages dangling from the overhead pipes. No space was left unoccupied. The closer we get to end of packing the more important every object becomes. When I inventoried the empty motorhome at the start of this trip and before packing, I discovered three desiccated bananas at the back of a shelf--banana chips anyone?.

This morning I was inspired by the emptying of a large box that had contained four gallon jugs of our finest table wine. John was getting ready to throw it out but I saw storage units. There was a nice four-compartment divider in it making convenient cubicles. I cut off the box flaps and used them to reinforce the inside dividers which I secured with the ever popular duct tape (don't leave home without it). I then slid my new storage unit into the closet compartment and put in socks, underwear, swimwear, and workout clothes. There was space beside the box to place rolled up shorts and space in front to stash sleepwear during the day. Pretty nifty!

When I drug everything out of the shelf, I finally found the bag of limes from my tree at home that had gone missing. I've looked in that closet shelf numerous times, but the limes slithered down amid the tangle of jeans and hid out. I had put them there because produce is often confiscated when entering Baja Sur. Most of them survived--only one really moldy casualty. I guess I'll make limeade next.

John Here:

So what's with the sausages hanging from our ceiling?? Humm... Mimi must be reorganizing again.

Last night turned out to be magical. We were initially disappointed to find out that there wouldn't be a beach campfire. Bob and Diane are the official hosts - and have a nice set-up including a large stock of wood. There was a social gathering down the beach, so we were left to our own devices. As we sat on the patio, we noticed that the waves lit-up as they broke onto the shore. Then streaks and flashes of light in the bay itself. Red Tide! This occurs on occasion, and is a real treat. The light show continued at the rate of about 100 flashes per minute. When little fish jump out of the water or streak along the surface, photo luminescence occurs. Mimi enjoyed splashing in the water. Throwing a handful of sand creates a wide arc of light.

Something not so magical is that Magic Goop stuff. The gas filter started leaking again, having dissolved my ring of sealant I made earlier. Stopped in the hardware store first thing to get a "nipple" fitting. Asking for such a thing in my broken Spanish would create laughter or possibly an international incident as I asked the lady if she had one. After securing one, I stopped at the auto parts store to get a small "generic" gas filter. I showed the counter man the old one, and he disappeared into the back, bringing a duplicate of what I had !! What luck.

The rest of the day was spent repairing the generator, a water leak in our water hauling system, and making an extension arm for the outboard motor out of PVC.

I did bring my 8" telescope down here, and have been considering setting it up. In preparation, I printed-out a map of the stars and planets using Mulege coordinates. Tonight we will just sit back and stargaze with the large binoculars.

Hasta luego...