Nothing Beats Being on the Water in Loreto!
This morning it rained in Loreto off and on for about 6 hours. It was wonderfully refreshing as the temperatures dropped to the high 70’s which is about 25 degrees F less that it has normally been. Tip of the Day: The best time to go out and hose off all the dust and dirt on your walls and deck is during one of these summer showers. It is warm and refreshing and you are able to use the rain to wash all the dirt from the walls and down the drain sprouts. Normally at this time of year the water evaporates almost as soon as it hits the ground so trying to keep up with the dirt in 100 degree heat is hazardous to your health, as you end up getting third degree burns on your feet and sun stoke, not to mention that you are literally melting as you sweat and dehyrdrate to a slow death.
The new bridge in Loreto is now open and held up well. There was no flooding and aside from the downtown streets that are still not paved, all was good with the shower from Mother Nature.
My body went on strike this week and succumbed to getting sick. I was popping the strongest drugs I could get at the Farmacia to dull the pain enough to at least work 8 hours a day. Our bodies are much more pragmatic than our minds. Our minds contain the memory bank of vitality and energy that we enjoyed in our 20’s and 30’s, which serve to keep us in a state of delusion that we will be young forever. Whereas our bodies give us signals and clues when we need to take care of ourselves and preserve the vehicle of life which we naturally take for granted. Most of us A-type personalities have no patience with being sick, yet it is important to recognize this time so that we are more appreciative when we recover and things start to look positive and endless once again. I do not mean to sound like a Fortune Cookie, but if I have to be sick and miserable… I may as well try to get something out of it.
The highlight this week was taking my maiden voyage on our new boat – REEL TROUBLE. We left at 6 am with my friends Dana and Laura from Calgary with their boys Cody and Dusty. These are the sunrise photos that we saw as we headed out to catch our bait for a day’s fishing. Laura was a little apprehensive of the trip as many people are from landlocked areas. But after being out for 20 minutes, I knew she was going to have a great day on the water that was as smooth as glass.
Here’s our Captain Chino Yee, with our Celebrity First Mate of the day, Darryl Jones. The secret to a great day on the water is the captain. Chino has been fishing these waters for 30 years, speaks good English, and knows all about customer service. We were all really amazed when he spotted a sailfish a mile out and then chased it down with the boat. He let me take over the controls while he baited and threw out the line directly to the target.
Then he handed the rod to Dana, and within minutes – this fish bit. It was truly amazing and Chino never gives up! We all cheered as we saw the sailfish jumping out of the water and trying to get away. Dana had his hands full trying to bring in the big fish, but it soon broke the line before he managed to get it near the boat. We were going to release it anyways, so the thrill of the catch was still the same.
It was really fun to watch the boys Cody and Dusty get excited about fishing as neither had ever caught anything more than small trout in the lake. Dusty led the way by catching 18 bait fish within minutes, and then both boys brought in Dorado over 20 lbs. Here’s Cody with this prize catch which is priceless. I can only imagine that this is the BEST summer vacation for these boys. They loved being on the water and in Loreto.
The Dorado have finally started running in Loreto as the water temperatures have taken a while to warm up this year. Seeing all the boats out in the water and the hopeful faces of the fishermen waiting for the biggest challenge of the day is a very simple pleasure. Everyone is watching the water for sailfish, marlin, and Dorado to give them stories to share until the next time they come back to Loreto.
It is invaluable having a great captain who knows the waters and is on the radio sharing information in spanish with all the other captains about where the catch is minute-by-minute. We are so very lucky to have Chino and he treats the boat as his own keeping it immaculately clean constantly. He loves to catch fish and take people out to the islands to share this beautiful area.
We encountered several pods of dolphins and they ran with us for a while. For some reason they love to pace with the boat and entertain the tourists. They are larger than the porpoises that I am used to seeing in the Northwest. Having become accustomed to seeing them often now, I get my biggest kick from people that see them for the first time.
There is something about seeing Dolphins jumping high in the water that makes a normally reserved person squeal with delight. It seems at times to be an almost synchronized effort when two or three dolphins simultaneously jump at the same time. The height of their jumps is amazing considering the size of these mammals. Keep your eyes open on the water and you will see manta rays, sailfish, marlin as well as flying fish all going airborne at one time or another.
After we were done fishing, we decided to have a scenic tour as the boys have never seen seals before. We went to the place where they hang out and initially did not see them in their usual spot as it was far too hot in the direct sun. We went around the corner and sure enough they were hanging out in the shallow waters keeping cool.
When they saw us coming closer, they sat up for a better look to see who was visiting. Several jumped into the water to swim out either to greet us and wave, or simply because we woke them up and they needed to cool off. What a life!!
We tried not to get too close to this mother and baby, but they did not seem to mind and were accustomed to the curious humans that were so enthralled just to view them in their natural habitat. These are the things that we must be very cognizant not to change as progress inevitably comes.
After a long hot day, we headed out to Coronado Island where there is crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. It was such a surprise for our guests. Just around the corner on the same island there was black boulders and rocky beaches. We all jumped into the water and it was wonderfully warm and buoyant. As Dana said “Life does not get any better”. This was a perfect way to end a great day on the water.
I like to sport fish and especially cook the fresh catch that I end up keeping. We all gathered while Yolanda helped me cook up the fish fillets with butter and garlic, and a fresh vegetable salsa on the side. Nothing beats a great meal that you have brought in yourself. Joining us at the table was Russ Demers of FN109 and his friend Sean. We toasted Champaign to many more great days with friends in Loreto! Salute!
This morning it rained in Loreto off and on for about 6 hours. It was wonderfully refreshing as the temperatures dropped to the high 70’s which is about 25 degrees F less that it has normally been. Tip of the Day: The best time to go out and hose off all the dust and dirt on your walls and deck is during one of these summer showers. It is warm and refreshing and you are able to use the rain to wash all the dirt from the walls and down the drain sprouts. Normally at this time of year the water evaporates almost as soon as it hits the ground so trying to keep up with the dirt in 100 degree heat is hazardous to your health, as you end up getting third degree burns on your feet and sun stoke, not to mention that you are literally melting as you sweat and dehyrdrate to a slow death. 
The new bridge in Loreto is now open and held up well. There was no flooding and aside from the downtown streets that are still not paved, all was good with the shower from Mother Nature. 
My body went on strike this week and succumbed to getting sick. I was popping the strongest drugs I could get at the Farmacia to dull the pain enough to at least work 8 hours a day. Our bodies are much more pragmatic than our minds. Our minds contain the memory bank of vitality and energy that we enjoyed in our 20’s and 30’s, which serve to keep us in a state of delusion that we will be young forever. Whereas our bodies give us signals and clues when we need to take care of ourselves and preserve the vehicle of life which we naturally take for granted. Most of us A-type personalities have no patience with being sick, yet it is important to recognize this time so that we are more appreciative when we recover and things start to look positive and endless once again. I do not mean to sound like a Fortune Cookie, but if I have to be sick and miserable… I may as well try to get something out of it. 
The highlight this week was taking my maiden voyage on our new boat – REEL TROUBLE. We left at 6 am with my friends Dana and Laura from Calgary with their boys Cody and Dusty. These are the sunrise photos that we saw as we headed out to catch our bait for a day’s fishing. Laura was a little apprehensive of the trip as many people are from landlocked areas. But after being out for 20 minutes, I knew she was going to have a great day on the water that was as smooth as glass. 
Here’s our Captain Chino Yee, with our Celebrity First Mate of the day, Darryl Jones. The secret to a great day on the water is the captain. Chino has been fishing these waters for 30 years, speaks good English, and knows all about customer service. We were all really amazed when he spotted a sailfish a mile out and then chased it down with the boat. He let me take over the controls while he baited and threw out the line directly to the target. 
Then he handed the rod to Dana, and within minutes – this fish bit. It was truly amazing and Chino never gives up! We all cheered as we saw the sailfish jumping out of the water and trying to get away. Dana had his hands full trying to bring in the big fish, but it soon broke the line before he managed to get it near the boat. We were going to release it anyways, so the thrill of the catch was still the same. 
It was really fun to watch the boys Cody and Dusty get excited about fishing as neither had ever caught anything more than small trout in the lake. Dusty led the way by catching 18 bait fish within minutes, and then both boys brought in Dorado over 20 lbs. Here’s Cody with this prize catch which is priceless. I can only imagine that this is the BEST summer vacation for these boys. They loved being on the water and in Loreto. 
The Dorado have finally started running in Loreto as the water temperatures have taken a while to warm up this year. Seeing all the boats out in the water and the hopeful faces of the fishermen waiting for the biggest challenge of the day is a very simple pleasure. Everyone is watching the water for sailfish, marlin, and Dorado to give them stories to share until the next time they come back to Loreto. 
It is invaluable having a great captain who knows the waters and is on the radio sharing information in spanish with all the other captains about where the catch is minute-by-minute. We are so very lucky to have Chino and he treats the boat as his own keeping it immaculately clean constantly. He loves to catch fish and take people out to the islands to share this beautiful area. 
We encountered several pods of dolphins and they ran with us for a while. For some reason they love to pace with the boat and entertain the tourists. They are larger than the porpoises that I am used to seeing in the Northwest. Having become accustomed to seeing them often now, I get my biggest kick from people that see them for the first time. 
There is something about seeing Dolphins jumping high in the water that makes a normally reserved person squeal with delight. It seems at times to be an almost synchronized effort when two or three dolphins simultaneously jump at the same time. The height of their jumps is amazing considering the size of these mammals. Keep your eyes open on the water and you will see manta rays, sailfish, marlin as well as flying fish all going airborne at one time or another. 
After we were done fishing, we decided to have a scenic tour as the boys have never seen seals before. We went to the place where they hang out and initially did not see them in their usual spot as it was far too hot in the direct sun. We went around the corner and sure enough they were hanging out in the shallow waters keeping cool. 
When they saw us coming closer, they sat up for a better look to see who was visiting. Several jumped into the water to swim out either to greet us and wave, or simply because we woke them up and they needed to cool off. What a life!! 
We tried not to get too close to this mother and baby, but they did not seem to mind and were accustomed to the curious humans that were so enthralled just to view them in their natural habitat. These are the things that we must be very cognizant not to change as progress inevitably comes. 
After a long hot day, we headed out to Coronado Island where there is crystal clear water and white sandy beaches. It was such a surprise for our guests. Just around the corner on the same island there was black boulders and rocky beaches. We all jumped into the water and it was wonderfully warm and buoyant. As Dana said “Life does not get any better”. This was a perfect way to end a great day on the water. 
I like to sport fish and especially cook the fresh catch that I end up keeping. We all gathered while Yolanda helped me cook up the fish fillets with butter and garlic, and a fresh vegetable salsa on the side. Nothing beats a great meal that you have brought in yourself. Joining us at the table was Russ Demers of FN109 and his friend Sean. We toasted Champaign to many more great days with friends in Loreto! Salute!
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