Happy Thxgvng and the cruising budget.

So...now that we're here...

On the 21st Cody headed for the bus to Cabo to catch his plane back to Seattle (i'm trusting he got there okay since i haven't heard otherwise), and Quinn, Ty and i decided to preview what the cruising around here will be like and headed for a bay only 6 or so miles away.

Cody would have been proud of us: Ty caught a fish! Pretty quickly and easily too. A few days later, after stumbling thru some spanish with one of the dock workers at the marina and describing amarillo (yellow) spots on the fish, i learned that it was a cierra - famed for its ceviche. Yum! Which Ty and Q had some of, and the rest went into fresh fish tacos in Balandra Bay. We took sea cow out and motored around the perimeter of this bay, with its white sand beaches.

Later, Q & T hiked up a peak for the sunset view while i enjoyed some quiet time aboard. The scenery around here? really is epic (as Q says). Really. It's pinch-yourself beautiful.

The next day we sailed a short way north to Ensenada de Gallina on Isla Espiritu Santo. This is a nature preserve. Again some exploration ashore, finding blowfish skeletons in the flotsam (harsh beauty) and at the surf's edge - watching one make his final swim to join them. I decided to dress rehearse doing the fishing...and caught our propellor shaft. Watch out! So only left over fish on the menu that night.

The next day we sailed a few hours back to La Paz for Quinn's departure on the 25th. That night we attempted what may have been the first ever three handed Euchre match (take the 9s out of the deck, go each hand alone, and score two for all five, one to each defender for a euchre)...i won. Ty and i spent most of the day around town, caught some soccer on TV. Today we did one boat project and cooked a dish for the cruiser's thxgvng day potluck. In between there is catching up with the internet...

One subject has crossed my mind that i hope isn't awkward to share: money. My thought is that i could name some amount that food and returning to the dock costs to pick up friends who come to cruise, and then average that into a daily sum to ask you to contribute when you get here. But i don't want to do that. Why not? Because, frankly (obviously) your company and sharing this with you is more important to me than any money. Yet i think (hope) i will want the option to keep cruising as long as i can and optional gifts to my cruising fund would help that happen. Okay? Does this sound okay, or does anyone have another suggestion? (By the way, i don't intend this thought to cross the mind of anyone who crewed for me to get here or who has already made plans without this thought.) Thanks.

"Thanks" giving. Yes? Despite the anniversary that it is for us. ...yes...

Sending you so much thanks and love,

jon