My "ex-", Carol arrived on December 30. I don't like that term because it is usually has such negative connotations but I can't think of an alternative. Carol and I managed to never descend too deeply into the abyss when we separated and have gradually grown a friendship over the years from the remains of our old relationship. It's been nice spending some mellow time together and chatting about all sorts of stuff.
We enjoyed spending New Years Eve with Marc and Marci, first a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant and then a bonfire on the beach in front of their condo. A sea turtle decided that she needed to lay her eggs where we were partying, so we cordoned off an area to leave her in peace and then helped her back into the ocean when she was finished. A good omen perhaps?
My daughter Hannah and her NYU apartment-mates, Maddie and Jaqueline arrived the evening of January 3rd. They are all beautiful, intelligent, polite and fun young women and clearly the best of friends. We headed out of the marina first thing the next morning to catch the Sunday farmers market in La Cruz. We stocked up on nice fresh produce, vegetables and yoghurt and enjoyed home-cooked tamales for brunch. We spent the rest of the day swimming and sunbathing, then we had a nice boat-cooked dinner of seared tuna on organic greens and pasta with Carol's pesto sauce flown in from Sonoma.
Yesterday we sailed to the Tres Marietas islands to go snorkeling. Another sailboat let us share their mooring ball until the left, which was really nice. We enjoyed snorkeling, lunch and then a really nice sail back to La Cruz in 15-20 knots winds. Intermezzo kicked up her heels and showed off, turning a nice speed on a beam reach. More swimming off the boat, sunset, dinner and music in La Cruz.
Carol left Intermezzo today to spend a few days touring Mexico City before returning home.
Tomorrow morning "the girls" and I are off sailing to Yelapa, an anchorage in a small cove off a beach and adjoining land owned by an indigenous people's cooperative.
It's nice having a boat full of good company!
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| Marc enjoying his New Year's Eve |
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| Our New Year's turtle, laying her eggs in the sand |
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| Maddie, Jaqueline and Hannah enjoying their "umbrella drinks" on Intermezzo's bow |
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| Sunset panorama anchored off La Cruz |
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| Our seared tuna salad |
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| Snorkeling spot off one of the Tres Marietas islands |
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| Intermezzo suffering from a cluttered sidedeck |
