THE END OF JANUARY

POST # 59

So here we are, almost the end of January already and my final blog for this first month of 2013. Again, I wake up to not only a blue sky to start the day, but a blank brain to park here in front of the computer screen.

I was thinking I should write about all the dental work that I have had completed (almost) across the border in Los Algodones, which should be named Los Algodentist instead, but I have already talked about this in another blog. One thing I will add though, is that during the last visit to my dentist there, I asked him how many dentists he thought there were in town and he said probably at least 300 or more. Now that doesn't seem like a lot if you lived in a major metropolitan area, but Los Algodones has a population of only around 5000 or so. He told me that it used to be just a small village years ago, and he remembers that he could just walk back and forth across the border and that it was a sleepy little border crossing.

One day, according to him, there was a Mexican man visiting town, who had just recently become a dentist. He was sitting in a bar or cafe, I can't remember which, and an American tourist was also there. They struck up a conversation and apparently the American had a tooth that was bothering him that needed to be extracted. The newly minted Mexican dentist told the American that he could help with his problem, and so they found a place where he could perform the operation, and thus was born the dental industry in Los Algodones. The original dentist has since retired but his dental practice is still there to this day. Today, when one walks around town, all you see are dental clinics, pharmacies and eyeglass shops. If the original meeting between the Mexican dentist and the American tourist hadn't taken place, Los Algodones might still be the sleepy little border town that my dentist remembers it to have been when he was a child.

Moving right along. Yesterday, the 27th, I was thinking that the date was significant for one reason or another. What is it about me with dates? If I had a memory for the content of books that I have read, as I do for dates, I would probably come across as a much more intelligent soul, but such is not the case. But dates just seem to stick in my brain for whatever reason. So as I was pondering what significance January 27th had for me, it finally clicked. The year was 2009 and as best as I can recall it was cool and overcast, with maybe some rain showers off and on. The location was Vancouver and it was my final day working at Aquabus Ferry Service. Even though it was four years ago now, I can still remember my mixed emotions on the day. Here was a job that I had loved, without a doubt the best job I had ever done in my entire life, and believe me I've done a few. I think the count is around 42 by now. Anyhow, I do remember feeling excited that it was my last day of work but at the same time feeling sad that I was saying goodbye to Aquabus. I had not come to the decision easily, but after considering everything, it seemed like the right thing to do at the time. I had based my decision on a variety of factors, not least of which was a desire to spend less time in a city environment. My plan at the time was to take a year off, and just see where that led to, and now one year has turned into four. Society would look upon this as me being retired, but I have never really bought into this whole retirement thing. I am just living my life the best way that I know how, and at the moment that doesn't include a regular paid job. My guess at this point is that I may never have a regular paid job ever again, and with the way things are going in the world, it seems like I am not alone. My "work" if you can call what I do now work, has become more of a labour of love than anything else. I get to spend what time I have with animals for the most part and I have found it to be a very pleasant way to spend a day. I had no plans to become a full time house/petsitter but it seems to suite me just fine, at least for now. Of course the future always has a component of uncertainty in it, and so I can't be sure how long this lifestyle will continue, but for the present time I am content with the benefits that it affords me in my simple life.

Back here at the ranch in Yuma, I am now left with only Watson the dog for another week. Up until a couple of days ago, I was also caring for two birds as well, because their owners had taken a trip to Mexico for a while and they needed someone to look after their little feathered friends. So now I can add birds to my list along with toads. The house is quieter in the morning now with them gone, and I wasn't aware until they left just how much I enjoyed them chirping in the background each and every day. But Mr. Watson is company enough, and we have had a wonderful time together since I arrived here back in mid December. I can't believe all that time has gone by so fast. Watson and I are best mates now, and it will be difficult to say goodbye to him when I leave, but I think we'll have an opportunity to see each other again in the future. With one more week to go, we'll make sure to have as much fun as we possibly can before our time is up.

Other news on the Yuma front is that this past week for the first time since I arrived, we had an entire day in which there was an overcast sky. I have been getting so used to seeing blue sky each day, it was rather strange, and I guess it was a little reminder of things to come once I journey back north. We even had rain which was another odd event for here. Last night the most amazing thunder storm took place and Watson and I watched out the front window, as mother nature put on quite a display. But today everything is back to the way it was, with a blue sky and sunshine.

After I leave here, but before I head back north, I will be taking a little side adventure to New Mexico for a few days. I will be there during my next scheduled blog entry on February 7th, so I may or may not be able to write then, and I won't know that until that time comes. However if nothing gets written on the 7th, I will fill in all the details of the adventure on February 14th.

So January is almost complete, and it's the warmest January I've experienced in quite some time. I will continue to enjoy the sunny days as they roll on by, knowing that before too long I will be back in the Pacific Northwest, where I am pretty sure that I will be having the opportunity to see a few more clouds than I have seen here in Yuma. Until then, I will continue to work on my sun tan while I walk around the desert with my new best friend, Watson.

Happy Trails,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer


Grapefruit PS.

When I was housesitting on Orcas in October, I was there when all the apples were free for the picking. Now, here in Yuma at the end of January, the neighbours put out free grapefruit for whomever wants it. Free organic grapefruit. The sweetest, most juicy grapefruit I've ever tasted.