December 2023 - January 2024

Hola. It's been a while since we did a blog. This one covers part of our drive down, the band visit, our Christmas back in Ladner and our return in the new year.

Both Leanne's Mom and Paul's Dad are in hospital and facing many age related issues. 

As usual, this selection of various photos tells the story of our interesting life down here in the ever changing city of La Paz.

A pre-dinner jam at our first stop in Eugene visiting Tim & Julie

We cycled across the Golden Gate on our wedding anniversary

...and had a nice lunch in Sausalito

We visited the giant redwood forest...

...and this lovely guy gave us a mandala that he'd made!

We had a merry afternoon with Tamara & Steve in San Diego

In Mulege we met Coco's Dad, Bonnie

he took us on a wonderful boat trip including this hidden beach

We visited Mulege Brewing and met Miguel the brewer from Peru.

Our arrival at home in La Paz came with a heavy downpour

and the 'jungle' garden after all the rain during the summer

The Baja 1000 race started in La Paz, and went through our neighbourhood

Weird extraterrestrial fungus in our driveway 

First stop is always McFisher's

Leanne back on duty in the 'member's only' rooftop area

Paul played with the Daniel Fiol Quartet at the local school of music

...and now includes piano technician on his resume!

Cool old timer on the street in La Paz

The band's visit featured one of the all time best sunsets

We allowed them on the roof

We had a musicians only party, with 4 drummers!

Ruth meet Ruth - the 'tocayas'

Back in Ladner for Christmas. Leanne does her 'Cousin It' impression

Cousins!

Cowan's gift to the family - a great pizza party on Main St

Visiting Santa at Beach Grove GC

Back in La Paz, Jose our new gardener trims the Nim trees

You wouldn't see this at the local supermarket in Canada

Kids receiving gifts at the Astra Fundación Día del Reyes party

with a piñata!

Belly dancing show at Casa del Bagre... strange, but good

There are so many murals in the centro

Naveen took this full moon on his fancy camera

Beach clean up with the Mar Libre group

Only 6 weeks until this lot arrive. Can't wait!

Benefit Concert Update

The fundraising concert in aid of the Fundación Astra last Saturday went really well! We were well supported by the local community with close to 150 people attending on the night.

Thanks to all the volunteers who helped all day, and all our friends and suppliers who made the event run so smoothly.

Thanks to the people on our blog list who donated online. Did anyone have difficulty making a donation? We would love to hear any comments, as the number of individual donors was lower than expected but the amounts were substantial. 

And special thanks to my fellow band members who devoted their vacation and made the event so special. We now know that the band’s name is almost impossible for Mexicans to pronounce! So here’s to Brandon McCheese / Brad McGinnyvinny / Badly McKimbly  !!!

Donations can still be made online: https://fundacionastra.org/

Please contact us if you have any problems.

Freeman's Benefit Concert - NOV 2023

Every few years Paul and I throw our energy into fundraising for worthwhile causes near our home in La Paz Mexico. It is difficult to choose just one as we see so much need in the area. 

Earlier this year we discovered a small non profit medical clinic right in our neighbourhood called Fundación Astra. The clinic provides preventive and curative health services to the most vulnerable populations. Most of the staff are medical professionals who have their own day jobs and volunteer at the clinic in their time off. Doctor’s, Dentists, Nutritionists, Acupuncturist, Psycho Therapists….. These services are free to anyone who comes to the clinic for help.

We are hosting a Benefit Concert on Nov 25th in Mexico. Paul's band The Bradley Mcgillivray Blues band from Vancouver is flying down to play and ALL proceeds will support FundacionAstra. 

We are sorry you can’t be there, but we would like to encourage you to help us help these families. Your donation will really make a difference.

Their website is set up to accept donations in Mexican Pesos via PayPal or using a credit card. Here is the link:

https://fundacionastra.org/donar/

$10 (170 pesos) provides 2 diabetic patients treatment for one month

$50 (850 pesos) provides 10 children multivitamins for one month

$100 (1700 pesos) buys food staples for a family of 4 for one month

$250 (4250 pesos) enables one outreach primary health care campaign

$500 (8500 pesos) facilitates a workshop on Nutrition for 20 women

(Figures shown are in US dollars)

Thanks everyone - Please share this with anyone you think can support our efforts or would like to learn more. 

Please add “Benefit Concert”…. as a comment. 

Leanne & Paul

May 2023

 Flying back to Vancouver tomorrow. Here is our last blog until we come back here in November.

I'm going to miss playing on the Malecon every Saturday

The Scotts visited and we walked (7 mins) up to Casa del Bagre

Iain in his happy place! (IPA in Mexico is pronounced eeepa)

Leanne and Kathy literally flying in Mike's trimaran

A bit slower... kayaking at Playa Balandra

Another happy place for Iain

We stopped at the cactus sanctuary near El Triunfo

and visited the local cemetery (glad it was daytime)

Now on the Pacific coast with Jill and Naveen

We were told these chalk letters have something to do with a census?

It's hard to imagine these soft little 'petals' soon become 2" needles

On the hike from Playa Tecalote to Balandra

Spectacular views!

and amazing agave flowers

We have been twice to Seaside restaurant. The food is pretty good too!

This space will be filled with people in November when the band plays a benefit gig

We are very proud of Nicky!

We cant wait to see these little people again!