*Baja~ All washed up!

 *(These posts were supposed to be sent out once a week but it seems something is not working right and they haven't been going out. I apologize for the lull and will try to get the rest of these babies out for y'all.)*

 February 22-24, 2016
 
I'm finding it hard to write out a post because it seems like every day is kind of the same but with different things washing ashore.
This post will be mostly pictures of things I see while on my daily walks with Chili Moon.

Chili and I are getting about 3-5 miles under our belts every day, walking the beach. We see all kinds of crazy things I've never seen before on shore, there's always something new the sea churns up.

Little green worm

These green worms were only on a small part of the beach but in that one area, were everywhere!

I almost stepped on this thing...it was still alive and churning under the water. So beautiful but I'm sure super painful!!

The best and biggest sand dollar I found!

This crab was beautiful....I guess a bird thought so too bc they had him for lunch!

Chili Moon loves chasing the birds, this has become her new thing. I don't think she really likes the birds so in her mind she's telling them to leave. It's really funny to watch her run down the beach at full speed, barking at them as they fly over her. When they fly from the sand into the water, she is actually chasing them into the water...something I thought I would never see during her lifetime. 


Chili chasing birds, running thru water by Ayevangabond  

She is getting bold and I couldn't be more proud of her for being so brave!! The other night she went in up to her neck and then as she went further and couldn't touch she started popping around like popcorn to get out...it was pretty funny to watch. 

At first I was a little nervous and scared because she's so little, I thought the tide might wash her out if she ran in too deep, but she's getting the hang of it and not going in past her comfort level! I love watching her learn what everything is; the waves coming in and going out, the coral, the dead fish, the other dead things. With all of this dead stuff around I'm glad she's not a roller like Savannah, she just smells it and jumps away like, EW!!

All of the shells I've collected

The Vultures waiting their turn at the HUGE dead fish that washed up

Dead Blow Fish WITH eyes still in tact

A little creepy but interesting!

Very small but lethal Man 'o'war

This is why you always have to be looking down...don't want to step on one of these!! Ouch!

There is one bird, a very large Egret, that I have named Marge...because she's large and in charge. She sits in the same place between the shore and a sand bar every day, when we get close I ask Chili, "Do you want to say hello to Marge?" Chili will start walking low and slow next to my legs, like she's hunting. I'll say, Go see Marge and she'll take off like a bullet toward Marge, sometimes she barks, sometimes she just runs to her. 

Large Marge

Marge will sit for a while until Chili gets right up on her, then she'll fly further into the water...Chili will chase her as far as she can touch the sand, then she runs out of the water, running back and forth on the sand barking at her. What can I say, it's free entertainment and my Moonie is getting some great exercise out of it!

Luckily, when it was time for the full moon, the skies were so clear and watching the moon rise was pretty close to perfect!!

PEACE

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*Baja ~ The first few days on the Dune beach

Days 8, 9 & 10
We have been parked on this beach just North of La Paz for a few days now and couldn't be happier with our choice to park here.
The first couple of days we got settled in, relaxed and laid out in the Sun, getting some good base tan. I can take a lot more Sun and element than Jamie can, so I think I was in the Sun most of the day, for 3-4 days straight, before I needed a bit of a break.

The tide comes in and out as usual, but doesn't come anywhere near the van, so that was a great thing to figure out and know after a few days so we wouldn't have to lay awake at night wondering if we were going to get sucked into the water! haha (Yes, I have quite the imagination...but you never know).

 I love walking the beach at Sunset with Chili Moon. My littlest one is a very curious gal and is learning about the water, waves, birds and all of the different smells for the first time...it's quite amazing to watch her grow, especially at her age (6 y.o.).

This is a sand dollar. They start as round "balls" that turn flat within time. Sand Dollars are actually Sea Urchins!!!

Mama and the Moon

A little bit at a time...she goes in a little deeper every day!

I am learning that with the tides coming in and out, and probably due to storms, there is a lot that washes up on this shore...mostly dead stuff, everything always fascinating to see. With that, I apologize that most of my pictures may seem morbid but it's what is washing up and what I am seeing daily...the circle of life!

Seal. Curious to know what that perfect circle hole is on the body...??

A lot of coral washes up every day with the tides

A dead Blow Fish has Chili Moon very curious

Shell. Feathers. Big dead fish.

A very brittle skeleton of a Manta Ray....I think!

There are boats coming and going all day long, but mostly between 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Some of the boats have company names on them but most look like locals that are taking visitors out to snorkel. We have seen some really nice boats out here and for some reason, they all seem to motor right in front of where the van is parked....we're going to have to figure out why, I know it's definitely not because of the van, even though we do seem to get oogled at! haha 

At the times where I seem to not be able to find anything to do (I know, I know I'm on vacation), I am tanning, wading, wire wrapping, coloring, reading, working out, learning some tricks with my hula-hoop & taking long walks with Chili Moon. 

Making jewelry on the beach

 About the 3rd day we were here, I put my wet suit on to go for a swim but once I got out & under the water, my goggles started acting up. I didn't think this was a problem since I'm a swimmer & brought 4 other pairs of goggles but out of all 5 pairs, not one pair would work in the water, due to bad rubber, breaking straps, leaking or the lenses being too scratched . I had to go without, which made the experience much less enjoyable and wrote goggles down on the next shopping list.

Ready to go...will the goggles work this time!?

I'll let you know how it goes in the next post!

PEACE

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 Enigmatic Nomadics 

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or online at 

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Life is Ruff! The dogs of the van life

Even though I already have two of the BEST dogs in the world...I could take on one, two or twelve more! haha

My Chili Moon is a Deer Chihuahua with the sweetest temperament you'll ever see in a Chi. She loves to sit with you and feel the warmth of your love...and your lap. If you're ever in our camp, she'll be greeting you with a wagging tail and sandy paw prints on your pants...don't say I didn't warn ya!

My Savannah Butterscotch is a Doxle; Dachshund/Beagle mix and thee most beautiful dog I've ever had. She is super smart, a big weirdo and loves the boys! The love of her life is Jamie, she melts like butter when she's with him. 

In this life, we are always surrounded by dogs, most are just awesome and amazing and then, of course there are a couple that I could never be around again and be just fine...but let's get back to those other ones!

We always joke around about "stealing" our friends' dogs! 

"If you can't find your dog and our rig is gone...we probably have them." 

Of course this would never happen but it's still fun to joke around and to let our friends know their furry lil' animal spirits are safe with us.

It's also fun to see what kind of dog we like and could have in our rig without the "investment"...and we can always give them back! 

This year it's a toss-up between a few and this post is about them. Anyone who knows me, knows I love my girls like my own children, well... because they are, so I'm always posting pics of them and talking about them. This post is about the dogs that run the van-life, plus, it's always fun to look at pictures of cute dogs!

Enjoy looking at and reading about some of the coolest dogs we have around camp!

Our first beautiful girl is Miss Rain Barrels, a 1/2 Australian Cattle Dog/ 1/2 Border Collie mix. The first time I met her was in 2012 and I fell instantly in love, she reminded me sooo much of my beloved Roxy Love, that I lost unexpectedly a couple of years prior.

We try to camp with Rain and her family a couple of times a year but you know how it goes out here. Rain is probably one of the smartest dogs I've ever met and also one of the most emphatic when it comes to sticks, you could throw a stick for her all day and she would chase it...all...day...long!!

  She watches over my girls, as if she is their mother...another thing I love about her.
She loves long walks and is a much better hiker and climber than I am!

She definitely lives her life to the fullest!

Next up, we have Rain's 'brodder' Snowden.

Handsome. Smart. Cuddly. Playful.

And the perfect size to sleep right in my arms every night...haha

His color and markings are amazing, he is an Australian Cattle Dog.

Every time Jamie gears up for a ride, it's like he knows he can get rough and for Snowden, it's Go Time...they will play rough for a few minutes, he gets so into it. He loves to chase balls, sticks, frisbees and he can do these small little flips, it's the cutest thing.

Snowden is much harder to get pictures of because he's always on the move, although I manage to snap a couple here and there. He and Rain have the greatest lives, they get to live freely and are very loved.

The next dog we're going to kidnap...I mean love on 😉

is Cody, Bob Wells dog.

I don't have many pictures of Cody because he, too is always on the move.

I believe Cody is an Australian Shepherd and pint size! 

He is one of the sweetest, lovable dogs in the community.

When we camp with Bob, Cody makes a point to come over and say, Hello, every morning. We hug and have a small cuddle session and sometimes, if I'm cooking, he'll get a piece of chicken or sausage. Some mornings I wake up and he's laying on our mat waiting for us and the girls to get up...he's a lover! He is always keeping us company.

Cody and Snowden are new besties and love to play!

These two babies are the newest, sweetest and probably oldest of the group. They belong to my darling friend, Debra. You can read her blog here:

http://www.debradickinson.com/ 

Miss Nonni, a ten year old Rhodesian Ridgeback. She loves her momma and is a really well-mannered dog. Food can be a little bit of a tease for her but she's just 'so hungry'...haha

and Bentley, the softest, sweetest, cutest, 13 year old Wheatable~ a soft-coated Wheaten Terrier mix!

He doesn't hear or see too good but he LOVES to swim, be with his momma and lay around being cute! I snuggle with him every single chance I get. Debra knows I would take him in a heartbeat if she needed me to.

The 3 Amigos. Nonni, Bentley & Bear

I'm sure I'm missing some amazing dogs, but these are the dogs that have stolen my heart over the past 3 1/2 years.

The last one, that I have for sure not forgotten, is our dear Bear. Bear left us way too early but was able to live an amazing last part of his life out here on the road; meeting new fluff-friends, taking long walks with his daddy, Roger every morning and getting chicken surprises in the mornings from me. Bear was so soft and fluffy, it was hard not to hug and hold him for as long as possible when you saw him. His heart was pure gold and he loved everyone that came into his camp. Bear you are very missed but not forgotten. I hope my Roxy girl is showing you the ropes and you're getting to play to your hearts content. 

We love you.

These dogs live the best life possible. They are never stuck in a house, crate or small space for hours upon hours of the day. They get to spend all day with the people that love them most as well as other fur-babies. They get all kinds of treats, cookies, biscuits, what have you, from all of our friends, even the ones without dogs. I couldn't imagine any better life for my girls than the ones they're living right now.

We hope to meet you and your dogs some day.

I'd love to see pics of your fur-babies in the comments.

Maybe I'll fall in love with your dog next!

PEACE

(**Dang it...as soon as I posted this I remembered many others...guess there's going to have to be another post!
Miss Cheri and Tony, you're the first ones!
We need to camp together more often! Love you**)