Halloween is about.........

ghosts, goblins and scary costumes but it is also Ann's birthday! Happy Birthday Ann Please follow the link to see a glimpse of what Ann has been up to these last few years: Turn up your volume for the video, the music is great!

Introducing.............

the Cockscomb. Michael a few boats down has been bringing me flowers (he has an in with a flower person) and this week this particular flower was in the bunch. It looks like something you would see while snorkeling, it really is beautiful!

This is the top of the flower, not very wide at all.

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!

Wine, Chocolates and Cards

Life is good when you can do all the things you love with people you love and all in one evening! There's always a down side, though, Steve won. Again! What do we play you ask? OH SHIT! What have we been playing with Kim and Mike for over thirty years and have the score books to prove it? You guessed it, OH SHIT! And what goes best with this particular card game? Chocolates and wine or chocolates and beer or chocolates and gin and tonic or chocolates and mai tai's or chocolates and margaritas! Are you all seeing a trend here? We never had dinner last night but who needs it!

Question:

I know, I know, you are all thinking "poor Steve" what the hell is that on his plate? PAPER PLATE, at that! It was one of those days when we had a late lunch, I wasn't hungry (neither was he, but he doesn't like going to bed without dinner). It's 7:30 p.m., what would you do? So, I went to the pantry pulled out an Indian "minute meal in a box" (foil pouch, actually). I realize the presentation would have been better on a real plate, but that wasn't my mood! As I was dishing his dinner out onto the plate I started to cackle and couldn't stop, it's lucky I had an empty bladder. His meal, the one that took exactly one minute to heat up just like the package promised, looked like something a burro with a bad case of the runs had left behind! Now, you all know Steve and know that he will eat anything put in front of him! This was the ultimate challenge and he passed! He ate it and even said he would have it again!

Company Comes a Calling

It's been so great this summer to be able to continue to see our "Amigos Mexicanos" on U.S. turf! Take Alex and Judy up here for the summer. They have cooked for us, we have cooked for them and we have gone out to eat! I think we have a few more visits in us before we all start heading back down for the winter where we will start having fun all over again!

Tried to talk Judy and Alex into buying a boat, but that didn't work out. Good thing, too, not sure Judy looks ahead while steering and that could prove to be problematic!

It was a great finish to the evening when Pam and Rick dropped by to chat before heading home for the week.

This past weekend Doug and Carla and Alex and Judy were in town so we decided to all meet at the Harvest Festival in Pleasanton. You may think that these are "real" comedians on stage, but they actually are Doug and Steve! What a crack up!!!

I'm Warning You!

Keep yer eyes open cause Steve has a new camera! If you thought things were bad before, look out! Steve's new camera is bigger, fancier and can catch you from afar!

We're Still Here!

Is This scary or what? I will call this storm "Miss J" because if I call her by her real name, our blog will be there for the world to see! I posted this picture to put "Miss J" in perspective as everyone keeps asking about our properties. Luckily Mike and Jeanette were in Asuncion going right into action getting windows boarded up and things tied down. As it turned out, it was all for naught as we hardly got a drop of rain there! Mike and Jeanette reported temps of 102 degrees with hummidity, at times, of 100%!

La Paz on the other hand did get plenty of wind and rain (one estimate of 12" in one day) but nothing devastating. Power was lost in places and trees were downed. Now starts the clean-up!

Gate 11 Party

Oh my gosh! We did say 4:00 O'clock, right?

Nothing worse than throwing together a party and not one soul showing up, especially our newly retired CAROL on Evergreen!

4:30 and still only Steve! Oh My!

Ah, Sarah and Darrell and Sparky show up. It's gonna be okay after all.

Ah, a respectable finish! This is the great thing about Gate 11, you put a notice up on the bulletin board and next thing you know it's a party! Thanks everyone, it was great!

What A Beauty!!

To quote Judy, "heeeeeeeeeere's Zoom"! Don't they just look gorgeous together? We've been promised a ride, one at a time of course! Can't wait, hurry back!