You already know it’s a good day when it’s a Friday, at least for me. The Iowa Speedway opens this weekend with Nascar racing so a fellow bat cave worker, who has season tickets, is going to take some photos for me. There are a lot of huge trucks around town but most of the racers fly in as the airport is right next to the raceway. I guess there is going to be a parade of the cars around the square, so it’s kind of a big thing for a small town. Speaking of small towns, San Felipe is enjoying beautiful weather and if you’re looking for something to do for the weekend, come on down. For those readers who live full time in San Felipe, we all know we have crime like any other small town in any country. However, what we don’t have is an unsafe place to visit. Everything you’ve read in the press lately regarding despicable acts against associates or members of their associations, if you get my drift. So, I suppose the bottom line is as long as you are minding your own business and using common sense, you’ll be fine. Get drunk and do stupid stuff, you may find yourself in trouble. It’s such a shame that poor little San Felipe has to suffer for acts that are thousands of miles away. Most people don’t realize that Northern Mexico does not mean San Felipe. So, please do come to visit our beautiful city, beaches, hot springs, sand dunes and desert flowers in full bloom (not year round but a site to see) and our magical gem, the Sea of Cortez – you’ll never regret it. I first visited San Felipe in about 1980 or ’81 and I absolutely knew I would be back. I didn’t really know why, but I remember my last look at the sun glimmering against the sea and I knew. I took this photo to show you what grows in San Felipe also grows in a little town called Newton. Can’t wait to get back! Photo by Kat
Lou made transition peacefully at home on Tuesday May 8th with the dignity and grace by which he lived. ( just short of his 78th birthday). Lou was born in Fruita, CO and was proud to have served as a U.S. Marine. After his service he married and raised a family in California where he worked for many years for different railroads, retiring from the Southern Pacific. Moving to Baja, Mexico in 1995 he met and married his wife Teina. They enjoyed many activities and hosted an annual feast which brought the community together. His passion for exploring and mapping the San Felipe desert lead him into many off road adventures with a wide network of friends and Baja enthusiasts. He will be forever remembered for his talent and willingness to turn a wrench for whoever broke down. Lou and Teina moved to Truth or Consequences in 2007 as snowbirds and became more permanent residents thereafter. Lou divided his time between Baja and T or C while Teina was more full time in New Mexico.Survived by wife Teina Barrett Wells, also son Edward D. Wells, daughter Cynthia A. Duke, both of Lake Elsinore CA. Preceded in death by son Darrell A. Wells and first wife Beverly Wells. Cremation has taken place and celebration of life will be held at the Patio at the Dam Site on June 7th at 4:30. Another service will be held in San Felipe at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Desert Mothers SA DE CV, a non-profit organization in San Felipe, Mexico which trains local women in marketable craft and art. These may be given to Teina, brought to the celebration or mailed in care of Donna Roberts, PMB 1327, PO Box 9011, Calexico, CA 92232.” Rest in Peace you old desert rat and Teina, how very generous and not a surprise you would do it, to have donations in Lou’s name for Desert Mothers. I really like that! I hope each day seems a bit easier for you and you are in my heart.
I knew I wasn’t completely losing it as you’ll read below. I did start to write Kat’s Korner over the weekend, because I just found it in Text Edit. Oh thank goodness (about the memory). So, this is what I was blathering about my friends, the Wells and other stuff: “This hasn’t been a good few weeks with losing every one’s friend and Teina’s husband, the old desert rat, Lou Wells. Lou passed away last week and as Teina said “he had his bags packed and was ready to go”. I’m tearing up here. He really was a wise man and he could fix just about any dune buggy which brings me to a funny story about the old desert rat. When San Felipe was going to be featured in Time Magazine’s article on the border towns around Mexico, she contacted our info email at sanfelipe.com.mx. She was looking for some one to guide her around, introduce her to folks, give her the scoop on folks (just kidding). I also had the chore of carting the camera man around. Margo Rossevelt, the woman writing the articles, wanted to speak to a desert man and desert lover and the first person who came to mind was Lou Wells. I arranged the interview and Lou was quoted as saying something to the effect “it’s great down here; we get free direct t.v.”. Oh my goodness, you’d have thought he brought the plague and so I informed all who would listen that each person interviewed by Margo told her about the Direct we had at the time, bar none. However, I surprised Lou was the only one who was quoted. Margot wanted me to take her photographer out to Lou’s house at rock whatever to take some photos. If you could have seen the look on Lou’s face when this check bouncing photographer kept having Lou move here and there and he kept trying to get his light right. I think just when Lou was ready to throw this guy off his property, he said he had enough, but not before he took a photo of the bumper sticker on an old Volkswagen or dune buggy, but it said “No Bad Days“. Fortunately because of my excellent job of sucking up to the writer of the story and we were one of six towns she was visiting, she put our web address in the article along with Lou’s No Bad Days. Lou and Wornout were buddies and over time one of those two would get a Gmail Beta account or a twitter or join a forum; whatever the latest craze was, either Wornout or Lou would send me an invite. Teina will have a remembrance party here (in Truth or Consequences) next month and another sometime in the fall or winter when she can get down to SF. Rest in Peace Lou. We love you! You can read that article by clicking here.
“June Castro’s Memorial will be Friday the 18th at 2pm at the El Nido Resturant. If anyone plans to attend they need to contact the restaurant so they can plan the seating. The restaurant will also have a full menu if anyone wants to order food.” Juan and Junio and Jose were all very close and Juan wrote poetry in Spanish for June’s paper. It’s only fitting they have the memorial there. You’ll find some pretty outrageous photos of June, hanging on the walls around the restaurant. She was a beautiful woman. From June’s niece after listening to June’s podcast: “Kay Salazar Castro, “I Love hearing my aunt give her story! I find it so fascinating! She was a strong, loving woman and I know she will be truly missed.”
This from our resident writer and I hope he doesn’t mind that I’m printing it here. Bruce interviewed June one and wrote a delightful story of her life, which I’d love to read again. “Hi, Kat; – MEMORIES – This is to thank you for the news about Junio (because we’re in L.A.). Delores, that is, then Lou, and now Junio. Our senior ranks are being hit harder than I remember from earlier years and it is only May. It tends to make the friendships we’ve gained through SFARP activities all the more important …as important as making sure we’re smiling when we say ‘goodbye’ to anyone.“ Thank you Bruce for your beautiful thoughts.
Alright, I now know that I am slowly losing my short term memory loss and it’s starting to freak me out. I went to look at what I thought was today’s post and while approving a comment, my stupid unreliable Mediacom bundled Internet and phone went down for the umpteenth time. Anyway, to finish my story, I was right in the middle of uploading the approved comment and the page jammed so I had to shut it down. That’s why I went in search of Monday’s Kat’s Korner. I could have sworn I wrote it, but now I think I remember the Internet was out. Whatever; I’m sick of whining about it. The only alternative is to go to DSL which is much slower but more reliable. I can stream now up to 13.3 Mbps and with DSL, you have to buy the very expensive rate to get even near there. So, a niece of Junio’s left a comment on Sunday’s posting and it’s very nice. Sam also left a comment praising the food at Rumors, so it’s a matter of taste I suppose and you have to understand that just like us, we all have our bad days, so I always go back just in case.
I was watching the Lakers play Oklahoma and they are getting their West coast butts beat. I used to live in Los Angles is why I like the Lakers, but now I’m watching a crime show. I am an ID addict. I’m going to save this, just in case.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. I was sleeping when my daughter called last night, but we’ll talk again today. San Felipe has lost another great woman. June Castro Snow, who was married to Jose Castro Castro, has died. I was so shocked when some woman left a comment to the effect I was blathering about stupid things when June had passed. That’s how I found out she had died. June was a very special person. Years before, she was a professional singer; she went through a lot in her lifetime and came out of it all a wonderful, talented, loving person and she will be missed by many. June owned and was the first to name her paper the Gringo Gazzette and she used to work from the El Nido, upstairs in her office. However, the trip back and forth to Campo el Vergel, got to be too much for her and she worked from home her last years. She will be missed by many, but especially by her husband and children. You never saw them apart for very long and it was a real love story. So, my sincere condolences to the family of June and Junio, you will not be forgotten! When I find out any news about a memorial, I’ll let you know. Here’s a link to a pod cast we did with June out at her campo. It’s a good listen and rest in peace Junio. By the way, the photo of the woman below is June in her younger years when she was singing professionally.
I’m off to Des Moines to see a specialist about the old liver and wouldn’t you know it. I woke up with swollen glands and a sore throat. Maybe I can quit smoking today. Well, it is Friday, one of my favorite days of the week, as I don’t have to return to the bat cave until Monday. It’s a beautiful, sunny day today in a little town called Newton and it’s even more warm and sunny in San Felipe, just right for sunbathing, fishing or shell collecting. You know we used to have an enormous amount of shells at what we call “Shell Beach”. However, over the years, folks have come down from craft shops and such and scooped them up by the box full. I haven’t been there for a few years, so I’m not certain it’s repopulated itself.
