Welcome to the beginning of shrimping season and, oh yeah, September too. For those of you new to Puerto Peñasco, shrimping season is every month with an “r” in it and begins this month and ends in April though they usually cut it off in March. Shrimp is available all year round, but the best shrimp are to be had during the season. Our big blues are so delicious and the absolute best! We also have some nice brown ones too and they all come in various sizes and are usually sold by the kilo (2.2 lbs.). Every seller sets their own price, though they are usually competitive, but feel free to look around for the best price and usually the more you buy, the better the price. If you don’t feel like purchasing some at the fish markets and cooking dinner yourself, then try them at just about any restaurant in town. Guaranteed you’ll be down at one of the markets buying a lot to take home – they are the best! You are allowed to take 50 lbs. back with – they freeze great in regular Ziplock’s, but if you have a vacuum sealer, even better! You can bet when your family, friends and neighbors get wind that you’re bringing Rocky Point shrimp home, they’ll be hitting you up with their orders. Best to come down and buy them because I’m not sure the van that sells them on the west end of Phoenix is legit. LOL
Our border crossing is Sonoyta, Mexico and Lukeville, Arizona. The Lukeville POE extended our Friday border hours until 10PM and that is due to END at the end of September. If they do not extend the hours again, our normal border hours will go back to 6AM until 8PM, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. (Our pre-covid hours were 6AM to midnight and fingers crossed that someday we can get back to those.) Though right now with all the potholes on Hwy. 8 it’s probably a good thing y’all only drive in the daylight. I drive a big truck (with big, off-road tires), ran a weekly mail service to the border for 11 of my almost 30 years living here full-time, and this last trip north even had me puckering a couple times. One ginormous pothole surprised me right before Nayarit and around KM22 starts a pretty dicey run for a few miles. Hopefully by the time you read this someone has gone and filled them in, if not, the Labor Day traffic will make them even worse. Southbound isn’t as bad, but it’s still not good so just keep your eyes open and take your time. You may just want to pull over and rest a minute or two if you find yourself in a “pack” and let everyone go on their way. A ten- or twenty-minute delay will not affect the chilliness of your cerveza or the tastiness of your taco, but it may save your life – definitely guaranteed to keep your blood pressure down.
Good news for those of us who travel with our dogs, and for our Barb’s Dog Rescue. The CDC has relaxed their new guidelines and now all we have to do is fill out a simple form that literally takes three minutes, comes back via email immediately and is good for 6 months. I just did it for my dog, who travels with me everywhere and I did print it out, but also kept the email on my phone, downloaded it and have a screenshot – can never be too prepared. I always carry a copy of all his records including his original shot booklet and rabies certificate. You may never be asked for anything, but why not have them so that you aren’t turned around. (Over the years I have been asked for my dog’s shot records crossing into the U.S. and into Mexico numerous times.) Barb’s article this month has the link to fill out the form for your dog(s). They just want to know who is “importing” the dog – owner, shipper, flight parent, other and then the ID of that person using your passport, driver’s license, Air Waybill, bill of lading. Then you enter your dog’s info., importation purpose (personal pet) and then travel type, country and date of arrival as well as the “area of departure” which would be Mexico as this new CDC form applies to the U.S. and not Mexico. And Mexico is NOT a high-risk rabies country.
Speaking of Barb’s Dog Rescue, check out their website and consider ordering a brick (or bench) for their new dog park. You can do it in memoriam to someone, put your name on it, a saying, slogan or your business name – whatever you want – check the specs online. Such a great idea! I did this same thing for my parents, Tom and Sandra O’Hare, to commemorate their starting the first independent yellow page directories in Lake Havasu City and areas of Arizona, California and Nevada. The bricks are under the London Bridge in Lake Havasu City, AZ and it’s fun to walk along the pathway and read everyone’s bricks and see the one for my parents. A great gift for someone that loves Puerto Peñasco!
Have a great Labor Day weekend and we’ll see you at the beach!
