Beautiful San Carlos | Sonora | Mexico

 

Last week, I decided to do a couple of hikes in picturesque areas.  This boat scene was on the way to one of the hikes, and I decided that it was so peaceful and quiet, I had to stop to get a shot of it.

 

 

This is a rocky beach that is accessible by a trail over a large hill.  All the rocks on this beach, and many others in the area, are all worn smooth by the sea.

 

 

Way out into the water, I could see this little fishing boat with dozens of pelicans and other sea birds trying to catch food.

It really was the wrong time of day to take photos in this area, but the scenery was there and so was I - and I can't resist taking photos. 

 

This tree has been shaped by the winds from the sea.  In another area, it would be growing upright instead of bending with the winds.

 

 

On the second day, this vehicle passed me, so I had to take a quick shot of it.  The President of Mexico was in town, so the military definitely had a huge presence for the week.  We also had helicopters flying over the town at all times of the day and night.

 

Of course, one of my favorite areas is the harbor with all the anchored boats.

 

 

 

I was on a different beach one evening for sunset and while I was waiting for the sunset, I started taking photos of the smooth rocks from the sea.  Some are multicolored, some have layers, and some are mostly one color, including green - but they are all smooth from the sea.

 

This is the sunset that day - not spectacular like some I have seen in this area, but I do like this photo.  The Tetakawi is the most well-known peak in this area and, of course, the most photographed.

 

 

Busy in San Carlos | Sonora | Mexico

 

I have been busy since my last post, there is so much to do here.  Super moon as seen in San Carlos above, about a week ago.  I'm not sure it looked any larger to me.

 

 

Really rough living here......  This was taken last weekend at the beach.  A friend and I had snacks and were listening to live music.  Like I said, really rough living!  They have tables under the little palapas, redone since the hurricane damaged most of them a few months ago.  The photo below shows the inside, looking straight up, they look quite sturdy. 

 

My friend has a dog and I was babysitting the furry guy below, so we took them to the beach.  He doesn't get out to the beach much since he doesn't even like to get in the car with his owner.  He got his feet wet and had an interesting change of scenery.  And he was totally exhausted when he got home!

 

San Carlos is all about musical entertainment, so Mark Mulligan organized a concert with the Foresteros band from Hermosillo, a large city about 2 hours from here.  Everyone had a great time last year at their concerts, and we had a great time again this week - the Foresteros rock!  Mark plays here most weeks and is quite popular in this area, as well as in the States.  He's the only one without long pants on.

 

We had another clean-up-the-beach this week and dispatched a 2600 pound load to the dump.  This area looks much nicer, but still needs some detail work.  The Sea of Cortez (aka Gulf of California) looks very inviting, but the nights are turning cooler in this area and the water will soon be too cold to swim in.  For me anyway!

 

Fun Time in San Carlos | Sonora | Mexico

One of the musicians in our community organized a concert on the beach the other day.  Other trips have been organized in previous winter seasons, but this is the first one I have attended.  We boarded a bus to go to a nearby area called Cochorit, I love it when I don't have to drive.  When we arrived, we had a massive beach, the beautiful Sea of Cortez, multiple shaded shelters and a bar already set up. 

  

It was all very picturesque and we enjoyed the water and beach while the musicians were setting up.  We also ordered food, which was prepared in true Mexican style. 

Mark Mulligan was our leader and organizer and he played solo as well as invited a few other local musicians to join him.  The Twins, so named because they are twins, joined in; as well as the son of one of the twins. 

Susan King got into the scene to play drums, just not her usual set of steel pans - but she looks like she was having a great time.



The conga line kind of fizzled when it hit the water.......

This photo shows only a few of the crowd, with the musicians in front.  After this photo shoot, we all boarded the bus back home to our vehicles.  A good time was had by all.   I will be looking forward to the next concert trip.

San Carlos | Sonora | Mexico | Second Season

 

I arrived in San Carlos last Sunday for the winter season - it was good to see the familiar neighborhood. 

 

 

It is still warm enough that the water has not cooled down yet, so I was able to go to the beach a few days to get in the water and float around.  Great to be back in salt water again!

 

 

By Wednesday, my friend organized a trash pickup at one of the local beaches.  We collected 56 trash bags full of plastic bottles, beer bottles, styrofoam plates and containers, as well as other miscellaneous trash.  Even with all that lightweight plastic - the total weight we collected was 560 kilos!   That's 1234.6 pounds - collected by 13 people in about 1.5 hours!  We had great helpers!    Unfortunately not all of our volunteers made it for the photo. We will be doing another cleanup next Wednesday, probably at another location.

 

 

 

 

The photo above and below was just as we were finishing up this area - unfortunately, these are the only two trash cans available in this area. 

 

If anyone wants to join us in keeping San Carlos clean - join our Facebook page "Clean Up San Carlos"   - https://www.facebook.com/groups/1201345289894817/   All cleanup locations and times are posted in the group, so please join, they are typically on Wednesdays at 8 AM.  You can help as much or as little as you want with the physical work; and as a bonus, you get to meet new people.  Since we are self-supported, we take donations for purchasing trash bags and other items necessary for the work.  We are working on procuring a dumpster and will need funds for servicing it as well.  Even if you can't come out and help, join our group on Facebook to show your support!