Happy New Year - Feliz Año Nuevo!

Feliz Año Nuevo! 2018 is looking to be another fun, busy, and exciting year! 

We arrived in Vancouver Dec 18th, and woke up to snow the next morning! It was beautiful but cold! We actually celebrated Christmas Day on Dec 27th this year because Phil was away for Dec 25th and 26th. It worked out well and was very relaxing. Rylies first Christmas!

Paul flew back to La Paz Dec 30th (for the New Years gig) and I stayed on until Jan 12th. It was great to have the extra time with the kids, and Rylie, and my Mom too. That’s the hard part about being away for the winter - not being close to family…. Thank goodness for FaceTime.

It was so great to see so many friends over the holidays and we are looking forward to having some folks visit us in the coming weeks/months! 

The Band (Ruth, Sheldon, Hoto and Shelley) will be with us next week!  

We are planning a fundraising event for a local Charity (Children with Disabilities) on Feb 1st and so looking forward to supporting such a deserving local cause. More to come on that in the next blog!

This is what we came back to! 

The day after was beautiful!

Rylie loves bedtime stories

Snow geese in north Richmond

We have a new version of exploding kittens! Leanne was first to wear the 'cone of shame'

Auntie Kennie and Uncle Jon having a bit of Rylie time.

Rylie's first Christmas

Santa visits Ladner in local style

Back in La Paz on New Year's Eve, and all my basses are inside!

Luckily, Gregorio helped out on a Sunday morning. My hero.

Just arrived at Las Cruces for the NYE gig set up. Shuffle board anyone?

Bing Crosby was here... (and Desi, and Frank and...)

I've played in worse places...

The band with our host, Christy Walton.

On the roof of Georgina's dream project in El Sargento

"Mi Pequeño Santorini" - 6 new apartments for rent.

On the beach, a short walk from the apartments

A very substantial prawn cocktail!

Mantis! 

I wish I'd bought this hat!

Feliz Navidad!

We are sitting here in Cabo Airport waiting for our flight back to Vancouver for the holidays. Seems the perfect time to update the blog after another few busy weeks.

Nicky, Phil and Rylie had a great 10 days with us which included celebrating Phil’s 30th birthday Mexican Fiesta style!  No Fiesta would be complete without a Pacifico Beer piñata, and the mandatory “mordida” (small bite) face full of icing! 

Rylie also had her first visit to see Santa Clause here in La Paz. He was the “real” Santa for sure, straight from the “Pola Norte”! She sat quietly for all the photo ops and it was a success.

Paul played in the Annual “Pavo”  (turkey) tennis tournament with Carlos last weekend. Although they didn’t win the turkey, Raul did win, and we cooked up an early Christmas dinner with all the trimmings with our Mexican friends a few nights ago.

Kylene (Kendriannes sister) and her friend Linh arrived from Cabo last Monday and stayed with us for 5 days. They are “foodies” so we took them to some of our favourites… Taco truck stop, roadside Hot Dog stand, and McFishers (a must) 

Paul played in the 2nd Annual La Paz Jazz Festival Friday night. He is flying back to La Paz Dec 30th to play at an exclusive New Years Eve private party at Las Cruces Resort (google it - looks pretty amazing).

Merry Christmas to everyone! We will blog in the New Year.

The Pacifico piñata was a 'big hit'

The 'Mordida'

Rylies first visit to Santa

Me and my partner Carlos (in purple) after yet another defeat...

a good fire...

...bakes 6 pizzas in 15 minutes! 

muchas piñatas!

Kylene enjoying a donut in the pool

the Jazz Festival

Ready for the 'pavo party'

cool mural in a backstreet of La Paz

beauties at Balandra beach

McFisher never lets us down

Can't wait to see this little person again!

End of November 2017

We can’t believe it’s over 2 weeks since our first blog, we had such good intentions.  

Blame it on our visitors Alan & Paul, Naveen & Jill, and of course Miss Rylie Jane Cowan and her two assistants.

We have had a superb time and are genuinely sorry to see our two Spanish pool boys return home tomorrow. The pool has never been in better condition, especially after Alan cleaned the filter and blew dirty water all over Leanne’s washing on the line!

Thanks to Naveen and Jill for hosting us at Hacienda del Mar in Cabo, what a wonderful experience.

Anyway, no more words are needed… here come the photos.

Paul got a last minute call to play the La Paz Blues Festival

The stage was a disused cement silo - like playing under a Saturn 5 rocket!

Buddies

The new pool boys freshly flown in from Spain.

Underwater inspection is all part of the service! 

Alan & Paul bought us a new humming bird feeder.

Everything on...

I mix a mean margarita

Cocktail time on the roof

Naveen and Jill (who Leanne has known since they were about 5)

Apparently installing the new A/C was 'muy complicado'

Dude, where's my A/C?

Alan is not phased by any form of chili... 

Regular readers will recognize the Aramburo bull - this time in Mexican Independence Day costume 

The Baja 1000 race actually finishes in La Paz.

A super relaxing weekend in Cabo.

Each day ends in the infinity pool with 2 for 1 margaritas (don't ask Leanne to carry your drink though)

Just what every bass player needs!

Seared tuna in the kitchen

Naveen gets to grips with a Burro Maya at McFisher's 

I chose "Belly & Suckers" off the menu - it looked like something off Dr Who! Very tasty.

A big contrast from diving with 12 Bull Sharks the previous day!

LuLu's famous chicken and Al's famous shorts.

Their last day - a ride along a deserted beach

Rylie is relaxing nicely.

Nicky & Phil give Rylie her first dip in the pool

Getting warm under the palapa prior to another nap.