We are home...and some very sad news...

 

Our Location: 

Summer Spot, Manitoulin Island

Ontario, Canada

Our winter season is over and we have journeyed many miles to arrive back here to this very spot where our Igloo waits for us. We left Cabo, Mexico on Monday, April 27, 2026 arrived back in Toronto, Ontario, Canada after 5 hr flight. We spent two nights in Toronto, rode the Via train to Sudbury on April 29, a taxi ride into town, another over night at a hotel and on April 30 my brother Rick picked us up and returned us to the Island in the waters of Lake Huron. It is wonderful to be home but folks it is cold. Even by Island standards, the spring temps seem to have forgotten they should have arrived by now. 

One of the many colourful sights on our nightly stroll.

A recap of our winter. It was our first full immersion into Mexican culture and for the first 2 weeks I wanted to come home and brave the winter. However we toughed it out and it wasn't long before things started falling into place and we began to enjoy our experiences a great deal more. We picked a winter that was hotter than usual and we did struggle with the high temperatures. My initial research indicated that the temps would be similar to the southwest desert of California we have enjoyed for nearly a decade. However the research proved to be wrong this year and even the locals were commenting about the heat. 

We stopped in here for a drink.

Sits at a little cantina near our AirBnB. 

Our AirBnB was a 2 bed, 1 bath with a nice little kitchen/living room. We have booked it again for this coming fall/winter. We enjoyed the easy access to most things of importance to us, we took a couple of Uber rides but mostly just walked. It was good. We found favourite places to go for certain things and just tried to enjoy the sounds and the people. We ventured out in the cooler evening hours and avoided the hot sun of the day. We met numerous foreigners visiting Mexico, some first timers, some returners, and some that simply never went back home. English is spoken by many and we are learning some Spanish, which reminds me of learning French, very similar in many ways. I can ask a few things, state a few things and while it may not be perfect, it is passable. I understand and read much more than I can articulate but hopefully that will come. I will admit we did not do any tourist things, no tours or rides, etc.  We live in an old quarry, we are surrounded by water as we live on an island and so many of the popular things are water and the Arch related in Cabo and therefore did not interest either of us. We did discuss a couple of tours but neither of us were interested in riding a camel, an atv or a horse. The only thing I truly would have been interested in doing was zip lining, however Riley shook her head and went off to her bedroom when I mentioned it, I took that as a no.  Perhaps next winter, but I won't hold my breathe. 

On the Via train heading for Sudbury, just leaving Union Station, Toronto.

We have touched base with all of our family and have enjoyed our first week back although the heavy frost is quite the contrast to 25c/77F at the same time of morning a few short days ago. A few solar bugs to iron out, a few repairs to the cabin in the form of glass, and all will be back to normal. I'm holding off putting water in the tank for another few days, it is just a bit too cold for that I think. If the daytime temps ever get out of single digits, 10c/50f I will be loading the fresh water tank but for now we will just keep refilling our smaller bottles. I'm sure the tank would be fine but I'm not going to tempt fate. 

Heading to Sudbury, the view out the train window.

There is a haunting beauty here, a land unremembered. 

Riley and I started back to work on Thursday, May 7 at the Buckhorn Motel, South Baymouth, Ontario. If you are travelling to or from the Island and require a place to stay, give them a call, check out their website and get a room. Clean, friendly, ideally located for ferry travel. Anyway, you get the idea, I have faith you can follow the path! Just something to keep in mind.  We have missed the fabulous ladies there, they are absolutely wonderful. Laughter, smiles, a few cusses all make the work easier and faster. We are happy to be once again be back with the Wild Bunch!

The sad news fits here, on Friday, May 8th my dad died. He was at home, where he wanted to be, he simply fell to the floor and was gone.  He was not sick, he had no medical conditions, he was 88 years old. His life was full, he lived a long time longer than he wanted. He missed mom and I guess he decided it was time. Dad was close to all of us, Jan, Rick and I,  he talked to us all maybe not everyday but most days, we all visited as often as time allowed, and while he frustrated us at times, he also made us laugh, he made us know we were appreciated and loved. For those that have spent much time with me you will know the temperature both inside and outside the house was one of the topics we discussed every night I called him, you may find it comforting to know, he put wood in the stove an hour before he passed, and I can say with certainty it was a good one. It has been a rough time for our family since the year began, dad lost a sister in law Sandra, December 27, 2025,  his youngest sister Eileen, February 10, 2026 and another sister in law Margaret, four days later on Feb 14. I will miss him more than I can say.  Perhaps I will do a post at a later date about dad, time will tell I suppose. 

I would like to offer my condolences to the Leeson family in the passing of Nancy. A very cheerful, boisterous, and fabulous lady. 

To the Pearson family in the loss of a brother, father, grandfather Rob.

Rhubarb is starting to grow.

Belated April birthday wishes to Joan (my aunt who isn't), brother Rick, cousin Daisy, nephews Allan and Jesse, and cousin Bob. A happy birthday wish to my youngest grandson Lincoln, he turns 4 on May 12.  

Last years onions are coming back.

I truly have barely turned on the new Bluetti, it wasn't needed for the slide openings and we haven't been home long enough to test the fridge for more than an hour, but for that little test it worked great, and by all indications it will do what I want, which is to run the fridge overnight, with ease. It indicates that it would run the fridge for approximately 20 hours before the Bluetti would power down. It is a huge fridge freezer combination, about 18cu ft.  It will take a while but I will at some point try to post an update. It is very heavy, it takes both Riley and I to move it, I am waiting for cables to hook it to a single solar panel to start, and go from there.

Cold and damp on my way to Dad's for coffee.

A beautiful sunrise right here on the path.

I'm glad all of my lithium batteries are self heating, the temps have been just at the 0c/32f mark every morning and I've not worried at all about them. The best peace of mind for me.

Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate it.

Until next time.......

Deb

A catch up..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

A quick catch up and a few pics. The days are slipping past, we are winding down to single digit weeks before we head home. I will admit that I'm looking forward to getting home but we may have some left over snow when we arrive because they can't seem to get it shut off up there. I talk to dad every day and it snows, snows, and snows more. He and brother Rick have put hundreds of miles on the quads just moving snow this year. 

Riley and I are enjoying our time here, we have discovered the wonderful cool and safety of evening outings. We go out after I chat with dad and just enjoy the coolness of 25/27 C or 77/80 F. We have ventured out most evenings, sipped a few adult beverages, enjoyed some cuisine, and truly just enjoy the sights. 

This is milk, boxed milk. It does not require refrigeration until opened.

Sorry for the glare. This is a type of bread that is available only for a short period 
around Christmas. There are actually two kinds, the other kind is in a red box and looks
to have lots of cherries, etc ( reminded me of a fruit cake). This one is more chocolate oriented.
They reminded me of the Mardi Gras King Cakes because of the large size.

We have booked next winter's accommodation, again in Mexico but not here in Cabo. Of course that could change depending on a number of things but we will worry about that if and when it becomes necessary.

Edgar the bear in the Plaza at Valentines Day..

Happy Birthday to Hudson, he turned 5 recently! He is a sweetheart, lots of excitement for the kids as I noticed some sledding pics! Also a belated happy birthday to Robert, he celebrated early in February. Condolences to Candice and her family in the loss of her mother on Feb 14. Condolences to Amanda and her family in the loss of her sister today. Also condolences to the Corbiere family and friends in the passing of Curtis. 

At the marina in the evening having an adult beverage.

The violence in PV has subsided according to all news sources. It is an interesting situation here in Mexico. The locals seem to accept it without any overwhelming concern but cautiously, they seem quite calm, just stay in doors and wait it out. A few days pass, the debris is cleared and life picks up as normal after a day or two. Here in Cabo everything was normal. We did not experience any major change in the air quality which isn't the best at any time, but the toxic black smoke of the vehicles on fire didn't seem to come this way. We stayed in just that one night just as a precaution for air quality but otherwise life is normal here. 

Keeping with the theme of sharing some Canadian music I thought I would share some Kd Lang, an amazing voice, truly can give you goosebumps. She performs if possible in her bare feet. She claims it gives her a feeling of being more grounded. I picked this song that was written and performed by another Canadian, Leonard Cohen. I was never a fan of Cohen, although Richard liked a few of his tunes. So a double shot of Canadiana for you. The song is called 

Hallelujah

Thanks for stopping by, I hope you enjoyed the visit.

Until next time, 

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

An apology, musings, rant...

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas 

Baja, Mexico 

I would like to start off by giving our good friends Lorne and Sue an apology. I'm truly sorry I was so rude and sharp in my reply to your text. There is no excuse, please accept my most sincere apology. Thank you for your kind words.

Riley and I are enjoying the people of Mexico a great deal. Very warm and friendly, always ready to include us, help us and just are amazing people. 

I would like to just mention a few things, birthday wishes to Isabel, Barry, Jason, Sheila and Amber. Condolences to Amanda, Brian and families on the passing of their grandmother, Sandra. Condolences to Nancy and family on the passing of Grant. Condolences to the family of Joanne Smith, a true community spirit. Condolences to Nancy and Stephen and their families on the passing of their mother Eileen.  

The snow and rain continue to fall on our little rock in the middle of Lake Huron. The ground is very much ice covered and the January thaw is upon them. The snow falls and gets beaten down by the rain that falls next. A vicious circle. Sun is rare there, how I wish I could send them some, they definitely need it.

The days are monotonous here and while we love the people, we would not come back here to Cabo, but we will be returning to Mexico next winter, or that is the plan at this point. Plans are forever changing as family ages and life gets in the way, it is just a fact.

 The next paragraph is not for everyone, although you are welcome to read it. Sometimes I just have to let the words flow, I can't keep them bottled up. Often times I write them and delete them many times over, they haven't come out in the right order or they aren't quite the right ones, but often times, like below, they just flow out of my fingertips almost faster than my fingers can type. Sometimes I write and then just delete them permanently  today was not one of those days. As I said, please do not feel you need to read or comment on the next grouping of words, in fact no comments are necessary at all. It is just how I feel at this time, in this space, in this upheaval around us.

Death makes us reflect and internalize, it makes us believers and non believers. Death makes us feel things we aren't sure we accept or understand. It leaves a residue, a film of some kind over our thoughts. It dregs up memories we have forgotten and leaves us feeling cheated. The residue eventually slips away until the next death, and cycle begins again. Dual deaths in the family in recent weeks have me in this mood. I'm not looking for sympathy nor kind words, I'm not seeking comfort nor compassion. I am merely explaining why this post is so disjointed. Life has a way of getting in the way but death stops it instantly, it invades and overcomes, seeping into every crevice of our being until life once again begins to chug along. We rejoice at the birth of new life, it too makes things change but death, the natural ending to life seems to upset the balance in a very different way. It is a new lesson every time it comes to call.

I am a fan of music, many different genres. I have been listening to some of my favourite artists although I will admit I've been very Canadian leaning these last few weeks for many reasons. I will also admit I have always been/am a huge Boss fan, Bruce Springsteen in case you don't know who the Boss is. He is one of the most talented songwriters of our times, in my opinion. He has a talent of making us see the haunting vision in his narratives and yet gives the rush of hope, attainable goals and the possibility of a true kind of love. However he has not been on my playlist for a few weeks, no fault of his, just my ear is tuned to something else right now.  I have always been a big fan of Gordon Lightfoot, I've been to many concerts at Toronto's Massey Hall to see him live. Truly a privilege to have been able to do so. He once joked that if something bad happens the world knows Gordon Lightfoot will write a song about it, and so he has written many. Mr. Lightfoot left us May 1, 2023. Like the Wreck of the Edmond Fitzgerald, his legend lives on.  This song is about a lost love, it has so many levels, it can be  peeled like an onion. So another famous Canadian singer/songwriter for you to listen to if you like. It is called, If you could read my mind.  Enjoy.

Gordon Lightfoot

It appears Google is demanding I allow cookies and I will not, so no pics folks.  I'm tired of the effort and demands of blogger and Google to have access to my information. Yes it's a rant and I am totally p*ssed off. 

Thanks for visiting.

Deb

It’s supposed to rain…..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas

Baja California, Mexico 

I’m soon going to stop and give up, Blogger will win and I will post nothing. This is my third and final attempt.

Buenos días amigos. Cómo estás? 

Good morning friends. How are you?

The heat has lessened and two days of rain are forecasted. The average daily temps are running 26/27 C or 79/80 F with the night time lows hovering no more than 5 degrees lower. Hopefully the rain washes away some dust and helps settle it down for a few days. Time will tell I suppose.

Not very appealing

Yuck……

Tequila anyone?

Talking to dad every night, it seems Old Man winter is coming with a vengeance, snow, snow, snow in the forecast. A white Christmas seems likely there this year. It appears cold and frigid north winds are also present and will remain for a while as well. Blowers, blades, shovels and mittens are all at the ready.

Our glorious Maple Leaf flies here in the harbour of Cabo San Lucas.

The marina is a very busy spot.

It is pretty.

Daily life is quiet, unassuming and predictable here. People are very friendly, very warm and welcoming. Their pace of life is very different and something I struggle with. Poco a poco, little by little or step by step, I’m getting better. We have been to the beach, the marina and the local shopping plaza. We are choosing an activity that is of interest to us both. We have both opted to bypass the camel rides.

We stopped here for a cerveza fría ( cold beer).

At the shopping plaza.

Testing my walking abilities one day.

I have chatted with Deb and Tom a few times. Once we even managed to have coffee together after the delivery of a can opener here to our little spot. It is always fabulous to chat with them, we managed to get caught up and have a few laughs at the same time. I see more morning coffees in the future. Deb is back to blogging and mentioned that some pictures from us might be nice. Deb I have delivered. 

The beach is pretty.

A cruise ship leaving the harbour.

The beach is near the end of the Palm trees.

A different cruise ship.

I’m learning a little Spanish which in some ways reminds of my high school French, so it is not like starting from zero, after all I already knew 5 Spanish words before I arrived. I’m hoping to be able to at least understand things I read, even in a general way, it would be most helpful. However we shall see what time brings.

A tree outside one of the resorts.

Feliz Navidad, Merry Christmas to all. We wish for this season to be filled with peace and love, inclusion and acceptance. We hope for ALL to be with those they love and cherish, to be safe, warm and happy. To have full bellies, no worries and to know true joy. Peace on earth and goodwill toward ALL, man, woman and child. It is within us all to achieve some measure of giving, even just a warm smile, handshake or hug, brighten a day, show some compassion, it doesn’t have to cost you a dime, it just has to be genuine, come from the heart.  

A little good news

A song that I’ve listened to many times over the years. The events are old but we can all insert the newest events easily. It is as relevant today as it was back in the day. A bonus ( if the link works) is the song is performed by a Canadian of world renowned Anne Murray. 

Hasta la próxima, until next time. 

Gracias por pasar por aquí, thanks for stopping by….

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

We remember…..

 

Our Location: 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

– Major John McCrae

Artillery Commander 

Brigade Physician 

Canadian

We shall never forget. Thank you for your service, your sacrifice, your honour and dignity, thank you for giving us something of yourselves that we can never repay. 

Deb

We have arrived…..

 

Our Location:

Cabo San Lucas

Baja California, Mexico 

A short post just to let the masses know we have arrived safely. It has been a very stressful trip but all went smoothly.  My last post was from daughter Bradey’s lively house in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. We stayed from Fri-Mon, Bradey drove us to the Hamilton Go Station on her way to work. We travelled by GO Bus back to Toronto’s Union Station where daughter Courtney met us, an Uber ride later we arrived at her much quieter home. Normally we would have taken the subway but it was out of service for a short section and the Uber was easier. We stayed with Courtney from Mon-Wed afternoon, Riley and I then took another Uber to the Four Points on Dixie Rd. An early morning shuttle had us arriving just before 6 am at Pearson International Airport, Toronto. Everything went very well and we easily passed all of the security checks. 

San Jose del Cabo, at the airport waiting for our ride.

Our departure was delayed about 2 hours, seems the front tires didn’t look right, so the auto club came out to change them while we waited on board. So at approximately 11:20 am we finally taxied to our runway and we were soon hurtling down the runway and into the air. The flight was good, Riley did well, a bit of turbulence didn’t seem to bother her. We landed approximately 2 hours later than planned, with some difficulty in finding our driver but eventually we managed. The drive from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas was about 40 minutes but Beto stopped at a Walmart so we could pick up a few things to tide us over for a day or two. Ever the gentleman, he pushed the cart, loaded and unloaded the suitcase and groceries upon our arrival. Majo our hostess greeted us, gave us a tour and she and Beto left.

Waiting for Beto to come pick us up.

Overall Riley did extremely well, she has had a number of very anxious, stressful new experiences but has reacted much better than I thought she would. Even though the preflight days were with family it was not our usual quiet routine, everything was different, beds, sounds, foods, noise levels, and bathrooms. The two nights we spent in hotels had a calming effect to a degree. I have changed our reserved seats for the flight home. Although I think the delay was a big factor in the overall experience, two less hours may have made it much easier for her. Overall she did well, we took a whole day to just decompress, enjoy the quiet and sleep. Yesterday we walked for a while, today we rest, tomorrow we will get out again, and so on. Our transportation will primarily be our feet, bus and taxi. I miss the Big Dog but we will adjust.

Our location is near a busy road and it is about 3 minutes walk on a dusty road to get to the sidewalks. The apartment is fine but not very bright inside. I will speak to the hostess to seek a different spot but if none are available we will make do with this one.  The people here are extremely friendly, very welcoming and I have no doubt we will enjoy our winter. The temperatures are high, hitting close to or reaching 30+ C/86F every day, by the end of November thru until February we should be down in a more comfortable range of 25C/77F for day time highs. In March it will once again start getting warmer and by the end of April we will be very ready to head home.

There are many things we need to learn and accept. I believe this winter will be a very educational adventure. In some ways Riley will have an easier adjustment than myself, she has a different approach to many things and I’m looking forward to learning from her about our new adventure.

Until next time……

Take care, stay safe,

Deb

We are still here….

 

Our location:

BLM Ogilby Rd, Winterhaven, California 

We are still tucked away in Southern California enjoying the winter adventure. The days are mostly balmy with some chilly winds tossed in occasionally to remind us it is now winter time. We are of course sympathetic to those that can’t be here and will just suffer through for everyone with no complaining. Yes we are that generous!

Some times the night sky is on fire. 
Dec 22

We are no longer solo as most or at least some of you know, our friends Ken and Kim have been here since Nov 18,  they too are suffering the reminder of winter right along with us, they are not complaining either. Happy hours are more on the quiet side but fun, informative and some times even educational. We are truly enjoying their company. 

Kim and Ken have taken a spot in the front yard.

I told you it was breezy, sand in the chairs.

We, meaning the four of us, Kim, Ken, Riley and I met up with Bill, Patsy, Duncan and Patty on Nov 19 at the entrance gate to Los Algodones, Mexico for a fun filled day. It was our first time meeting Duncan and Patty, who also are from Ontario, Canada, and in fact are from Northern Ontario just as Riley and I are. We had a fabulous time, enjoyed some laughs, some good food and drinks, managed a few hugs and handshakes from some folks that remembered us, we even managed to spend some money, after all ,”Its almost free.”. It was so surprising when we turned the corner to start for the line at US customs, 2:00 pm and no one was in line! We all enjoyed that a great deal.

L-R
Riley, Deb, Duncan, Patty, Patsy, Bill, Ken, Kim

We shared Christmas Dinner in our rig with the two K’s, they supplied half, we supplied half, we were all full by the end! You will have to take my word for it as we don’t have a single pic! Thanks Kim and Ken, it was delicious and the company fantastic!

Christmas Eve

We FaceTimed with my grandsons on Christmas Eve for a bit, but chatted with everyone back home and here in California on Christmas Morning. SIL Janet and hubby Dennis are once again in Indian Wells, California.

Not spectacular but nice.

Nightly chats with Dad, has us wondering if they will get any more snow, it has rained now for a couple of days, their snow is mostly gone, but there are serious patches of ice in some places. 

Happy belated birthday wishes to Isabel, my great niece. She celebrated on Christmas Eve. I believe Miss Issy is 11. Also happy birthday to cousin Barry, a Christmas Day baby. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Until next time…..

Take care, stay safe,

Deb