Good morning San Felipe and it’s good to be back on the Korner.  I have taken a much needed vacation from this appendage also known as my laptop but I am back in the saddle again, as they say.  I am in Seattle or actually Snohomish at Lord Hill Stables and I’m flying back to Imperial tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m.  So, I hear the weather has changed and it’s nice and hot and I hope there’s lots of humidity as it makes the face puff up and appear wrinkle free.  We actually had a nice hot day today and I laid by the pool for a bit while the Internet was down.  They live out in the sticks so the Internet isn’t anything to write home about.  It was rather strange not missing my laptop, which is normally on my lap or in front of me constantly. My daughter, Desiree’ and Khye drove back home this afternoon.  Photo by Margy Craig.

Donna Roberts is home from Tijuana and feeling better although she’ll still have surgery at the end of the month.  I’m so sorry to report that a very cool lady has passed.  Lori Cecotti, Shirley Thompson’s sister and an old Net volunteer, died recently after a stroke.  Lori was a very smart, funny, genuine lady and I liked her a lot.  I am sorry for all of us who loved her and may she rest in peace.   Lori was also a writer and a good one at that.  You can find her in our archives here.   Photo by Kat.

Iowa Marigolds by Margy Craig

This little ditty was sent to me by MrRagtime and I imagine it was taken from a press release, but I’m reprinting it here: “The first meeting was held between the Committee of Tourism and Conventions Mexicali (COTUCO) and Aéreocalafia in order to present the interest in creating a route from Tijuana to San Felipe as part of an exclusive service to the northwest market.  Since the time and distance of the Tijuana-San Felipe road is sometimes a determining factor for the tourist to travel to other destinations, the objective of this effort is to attract tourists from the coastal area of the state to the warm waters and climate of San Felipe, putting the San Felipe port on the map as a choice of leisure and recreation.  Aéreocalafia is an airline that operates flights to the ports of Guaymas Sonora, Puerto Peñasco Sonora and Los Cabos Baja California Sur, and the airline wants to be the connection between the cities of the northwest states of Baja.  For this reason, the general manager of Aéreocalafia, Ricardo Anaya, is taking into account their experience in connecting Northwest Baja to the country. He said that the proposal made by the director of the Tourism Committee, David Rojas, is quite viable as a way to increase the flow of visitors to the port of San Felipe.” So, our Secretary of Tourism and Cotuco Mexicali are negotiating to have flights from Tijuana to San Felipe rather than, oh, I don’t know – Mexicali to San Felipe?  In light of the fact that a lot of people read the San Diego Union Tribune and we all know what favorable press we get from them, do they really think they are going to get people to fly into TJ and then jump over to San Felipe?  Or, is the market they’re looking at the Pacific side of the Baja?  If it will help our tourism – I am all for it.  It just seems to me that flying from Mexicali to San Felipe would be more beneficial to Mexicali (our Municipality) and San Felipe if the air liner went closer to Imperial International Airport.  At least they stopped talking about marketing Yuma.  Just my opinion.  This is a photo of a Tulip Tree, which grows in Iowa and check this out.  They also have ice plants like we have in the Baja.  Pretty odd with the cold winters. We have similar trees in San Felipe.  Go figure. Update:  It is not a Tulip Tree however, it does produce Tulip shaped flowers. See Michael Craig’s comment for further info.

I missed posting this, but it may apply in the future.  From Mac and Nan Karaoke:  “We will be having our karaoke party both Friday and Saturday nights this weekend.  Please come join the party at Rumors Karaoke with Mac n Nan 6 pm to 10?? both nights.“  Check with them on Saturday whether this is a permanent gig or temporary.  I apologize, but I’m sort of out of touch with what’s happening down there, other than tourism is way down and it’s hot.  Unfortunately, almost everyone I’ve spoken to is still afraid to come to Mexico and with the National Guard arriving in August, it’s anyone’s guess when our tourism will return.  It’s very sad because San Felipe is such a beautiful, serene little village and to think there will be American troupes at the border is just insane – it’s almost surreal.  I’m too tired to worry about politics right now but I am ready to return to the hood and I’ll let you know what I see.  I have to walk across to have my FM2 stamped, so I’ll also try and obtain some information from immigration.

I hear my little brats are escaping from the yard again.  I have no idea from where, but I can assure you if they don’t stop, there will be a few other rescue dogs put back on the streets.  Seems to be an okay thing to do these days; at least that’s what I hear.  My NBF and her hubby went to Mike’s Sky Ranch for their anniversary and here’s a report:  “Bill and I had a blast at Mikes Sky Ranch. We met a tour group from the L.A. area.  Andrew from lets ATV.com was their guide! He had 10 guys from the UK on his tour.   They were some fun guys. We saw a pack of beautiful horses on the way out.  I am sending some photos for the people that have never been there! Let me know if you need more info. We gave a few of them your web site!  I can not wait to see you. We are going back to the States on the 28th.  Lets hook up before we trave1 XO Shawnee.” Thank you Shawnee and Bill for sharing your photos and for helping, on your own, to promote San Felipe.  If you care about the survival of this little town, this is really what we all must do individually.  Leave the beauracracy to the beauracrats.

I have a new boyfriend and his name is Michael Craig and he lives in Iowa.  I recently went there to visit and I was very surprised at the rolling green hills and beautiful countryside, in addition to lots of sweet corn.  Newton used to be the home of Maytag and Fred Maytag’s name is everywhere.  They even had housing for their employees (paying the “man”) and I assume, when the person retired, they owned the home.  Rumor has it many men were “laid off” after 24 years of service just to avoid giving them the house, which they paid for while working for the company.  In those days, you could get away with that sort of behavior.  Well, Maytag sold to Whirlpool and closed the plant down and left many people unemployed.  Westinghouse now outsources to China.  That would be like Boeing moving to Pakistan or Microsoft – oh wait – Billy Gates does outsource as do many airlines.  Maybe we could lower the unemployment rate if outsourcing were heavily taxed (now, that’s funny).  Money makes the world go round.  This is Mrs. Marge Craig, an 81 year old who could probably run faster than I can, and obviously, she’s Michael’s mother.  Her husband worked for Maytag until he retired.  So, now you have the scoop on my love life.  Don’t worry.  It’s not going to be like I just got a new puppy (although he’s a cute little pup).  I felt it would save me time when I returned explaining my whereabouts if I just posted it.  There are beautiful gardens and real grass, but I’m told it gets mega cold there in the winter.  It was a short but sweet trip.  Photo by Kat.

Sunday, Tavo’s Revolution is playing at the grand opening of Hortencia’s Chinese and More Restaurant next to El General on Mar Caribe South.   Hortencia is the chick singer in the band and the restaurant is actually her father’s, but Tavo tells me the food is delicious.  I would imagine they start playing at about 7:00 ish.  Jammin Jim Manning is somewhere Saturday night, but it slips my pea brain at the moment.  I will post the photos of Mike’s Sky Ranch when I arrive in 105 F El Centro tomorrow afternoon.  Let me know what you think of the new header and the one below.  Thank you everyone for continuing to read my little korner of the world – where ever that esquina is.  I’m listening to the album “Tequila Time” by the Natasha James Band and it’s so good.  More tomorrow!