(I dedicate this article to the many friends I have in Rocky Point and all the people who helped me and encouraged me to share my observations and write articles in the Rocky Point Times).
The shimmering stars are slowly fading and yielding to the soft glow of the rising sun. I hear a lonely call of a loon and in the early morning light I see a flock of coots slowly gliding through the water with two geese acting as guards on either side. (We live on a lake with a hot tub on the deck just yards from the edge of the water.) The air is crisp and still. Most of the water fowl have already flown south to avoid the harshness of the winter. The sun is creeping slowly over the mountain top across the lake. The earth and the sky appear as one. The top of the mountain is glowing with a smattering of snow and reaches upward to the big sky and all is reflected in the water below. This land is filled with stately pine trees, grass that grows like wildfire. Deer and elk that beguile the hunters, occasional bears, mountain lions and all other kinds of wild and untamed animals. This is a land that makes you strong and in love with nature. It is another day breaking in Montana.
My husband, Bob, and I first came to Rocky Point in 1995. We felt the same awe that we do in Montana. Here was a land where the stark beauty of the desert kisses the wonder of the ocean. The sun shines in all its brilliance almost every day. The blue of the sky is reflected in the sea. Sometimes there is a magnificent calmness in the ocean, and other times the waves crash against the shore, and the soft ocean breeze turns into a furious storm.
Schools of fish can be observed in the clear, unpolluted water. Dolphins play, jumping into the air and diving back into the depths of the water. The sounds of seals can be heard in many places up and down the coastline. The pelicans fish their huge beaks, and herons, cranes, sandpipers, seagulls, and so many other species of waterfowl thrive along the coast. Inland, many birds sing their joyous songs praising the warm days after leaving the cold bitterness of the northlands.
We also felt so small when we observed the brilliance of the sparking stars in the darkness of the night. When you look at them, you know deep in your heart what humility means and how close you are to a higher being.
When we first came to Rocky Point, we couldn’t believe how many, many miles of beach there were – sandy, some rocky with small mountains rising from the sea, marshland, estuaries, and many holes that had been formed by volcanic rock many years ago. For anyone who loves nature and the wonder of the sea and desert, this is a place to hang your hat. It is a land of beauty and enchantment and this is where we decided to make our winter home.
This also is a land where most people live in poverty, trying to make a living with the sparse resources of the sea and the desert. Their hands skillfully filet fish, build ships and homes when possible, make jewelry and trinkets, paint pots, etc. Their feet trudge many miles selling their wares to the many tourists that come here to this quaint city. They smile a lot, and are very gracious. They are a fun loving people with a strong faith in God. They struggle but seem to enjoy life and look at life with a positive attitude. Their children are beautiful and well behaved. They love the visitors to acknowledge them, and are so appreciative when help is offered to them. Their eyes dance with delight with even the smallest of the gifts. Hopefully, they will grow into good adults if given the chance.
We feel blessed beyond measure to have Puerto Peñasco as our winter home and Montana as our summer home. Sadly, we will not be able to make our annual trek to Rocky Point this winter. I have had some health problems and had to have major surgery. (Thank God, nothing life threatening) being 81 years of age, I felt as though the wind beneath my wings was no longer blowing. At this point in time, I do not have enough energy to pack, etc. But, possibly in the spring, we can make a trip.
I want to say hola to all our many, many amigos and want you all to know we are thinking of you. We love to get the Rocky Point Times to keep up with all that is going on there specially thank the staff and Tom and Sandy. I hope I may be able to do some articles while I am recuperating and pray you are all well and life is good for you and yours. This comes from the land of the shimmering mountains.