My New Garden

March, Starting to build the Garden. Three brick terraces,and earth floor area divided by a wall, and an enclosed garden house.  The bricks were bought ten years ago from a failed American company and bought for the price of having the dump truck load them up and dump them here. 

 
The garden has  20 meters [65 feet] of glass walls to keep out the dogs, let the sunshine in and see the view. The glass is from second hand patio style doors, and were free. In the back ground is the ocean and the islands out front in the mist.
 Now the garden is near finished. This is the first terrace. Most all the plants will be in containers.

The Pathway down into the garden from the house. A part of the brick area is simi shaded with a net roof. The stripped wall is a canvas , but will soon be a rock wall from rocks collected all over this area. 

Yellow Crookneck Squash Blossom
This is the brick area, for plants in containers, and working and sitting space.  Behind is the earth floor area.  There is a large asparagus patch there, and my honeysuckle, star jasmine, boganvilla, and monkey flower vine.  Many of the young vegtables and flowers that require much light are here. The beans are growing up on bamboo stocks.
The wall dividing the brick area and walkway from the earth floor area. The wall is excellent for sitting pots on top of for all day sun.
Two Squash plants on the dividing wall. Today I think one squash will be big enough to eat

 The three terraces, nothing has been placed on the top one yet, but the first two are filling up

At the far end of the garden is The Garden Room, which is to be a work shop and maybe a small hydorponic garden for lettuce. It is alsoa  place to sit comfortable out of the weather and view the garden. I finaly got to put my solid piece of black slate to use, as a strong table. 

 

My Garden Goddess and a Donkey Tail plant

Rancho Rodeo Del Rey

Rancho Rodeo Del Rey
rodeodelrey.com

Rancho Rodeo del Rey is an ecological private reserve, located in the northeast part of México, where the mountain tourism finds the ideal place to approach nature. All activities that take place here guarantee the wild life conservation. It is located 6 km. north of Laguna de Hanson, in Baja California, México.

Here is a You Tube Video of the Ranch and the scenery on the road going to it. It is a truly beautiful and peaceful place to visit. One can hear the wind blowing thru the pine trees and smell the mountain air.

De Garo

De Garo

Pescado, Hierbas Finas y Mariscos

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A special fish market tucked away in the Santo Tomas Winery buildings on 6th and Miramar.

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The Fish is fresh daily and made into fillets and packaged. There are many different and often unusual types

.* Whole fish and seafoods of many kinds are behind the glass counter.

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Nuestra Valores

Nuestra Mision

Nuestra Vision

Solamente Calidad de Exportacion

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Cheeses, Sauces, exotic foods.
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Oils and Vinegars

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Herbs and Spices, Sauces, Relishes, and many types of food enhancers.

Talavera Ware

Talavera is a type of majolica earthenware, a white and glazed type of ceramic.Talavera is the oldest tin-glazed ceramic in America and it is still being manufactured with the same techniques as in the 16th Century. Here are some less traditional examples to be found in the shops for tourist.

These pots are almost big enough to hide in

A Canister Set

Wash basins on stands, and plant pots in front
A Day of the Dead Theme


A Blue Iguana with Calalilies

A Rooster decoration and a favorite of Tourist, a man in a sombrero resting

Tiles

And lastly, a Bull Frog

Expo-Feria de La Mascota

Last weekend, the 5th and 6th of July Ensenada had an Animal Fair. Here are a few photos and a You Tube video for all to see who missed it. Ensenada is proud of their pets and many great veterinarians and pet related businesses were there to support it. A beautiful and positive experience.

You Tube Video

Expo-Feria de La Mascota

One of the contestants

The famous Gamuza of Rancho Perros Bravos. She even got her photo in the Sunday addition of El Mexicano Newspaper

The most beautiful cat costume ever

Gloria Castañeda

This is Gloria Castañeda, who has passed from us. Below is the message from her people and two links to her tribe and artwork.

And this is a link to passages about Gloria from my book, A Cup of Coffee. About life in Baja California. I hope it is enjoyed and helps hold her memory with us.

COMMUNICATION FROM
THE NATIVE PEOPLES OF
BAJA CALIFORNIA MEXICO

by Horacio Gonzãlez Moncada, Javier Ceseña and Steve Dryden

Gloria Castañeda has passed on, our community leader. Her death is a major loss for the Native Peoples of Baja California as she was one of the most knowledgeable elders with a vast amount of traditional and cultural wealth in her spirit and mind.Gloria Castañeda was a dynamic individual with vision and natural leadership abilities. Her keen sense of the future for her people and their culture led her to guide and inspire others to keep with traditional customs, especially basket weaving and Kumiai language. She was a world renowned weaver creating unique baskets that were highly prized, in fact, many were pre-sold upon hearing that she was beginning a new basket weaving project. For example, last year at this same annual Kumiai festival one of her baskets sold for $2000 usd. Gloria taught basket weaving, native language and cultural subjects at the Kumeyaay College in San Diego county. During her years living in the remote community of San Jose de la Zorra, she evolved into the most important liaison between the Native Peoples of Baja California and San Diego county. She also worked with key vendors, importers and exporters in the region to market Kumiai crafts to important markets in the United States and in Mexico.Every time a Kumiai basket is woven, the spirit of their ancestors is carried on in an endless and tightly net symbol that is a reflection of the essence of the Kumiai community. Working together as a group, weaving past and present together, holding strong in unison, allows the family to stay as one unit for countless generations. So far, that concept has allowed the Kumiai to live in this region for over 10,000 years, despite the hardships of occupation, disease, slavery, racism, discrimination and abuse. Natural hardships include drought, loss of potable water, reduction of land and natural resources and limited access to natural food supplies.
But, like the ancient oak trees in which the Kumiai embrace, adversity and hardship has been overcome, creating a determined and strong-willed people with deep roots in this region. Those roots fully imbedded in tradition, culture and spirit produce growth and bear fruit in the form of community, sense of purpose, and perpetuation of the first nation. Gloria’s spirit will now be forever woven into each Kumiai basket created in this community. Her leadership and vision enabled generations to rediscover, experience and to carry-on ancient traditions. Every thread woven into a Kumiai creation will carry her love into the future and every native word spoken in the Kumiai language will carry her spirit in that breathe taken. Words, deeds, and actions of dynamic leaders such as Gloria Castañeda are special chapters in the unwritten history of the Kumiai culture. Her spirit is eternal, her essence carried along.

Kumeyaay site Gloria Castenada and her people

Kumeyaay site Information on the tribe

Surf Contest

On the weekend of June 22 there was a surf contest in El Sauzal. It was located just north of the Fonda Part, behind the old Georgia Pacific lumber company.

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