No complaining from me this month! The highway is in decent shape, the tacos are delish, the beer is cold, the fruits and veggies are cheap, there is a plethora of wine available at local stores and restaurants, and the weather is awesome. The latter being of most importance for me after having spent a lot of time in Ajo the past few months. It was friggin’ hot – as much as 20° + hotter some days. UGH! As I type this it is 15° warmer in Phoenix than it is on my stoop and I am out past the barrios in the middle of the desert. I can only imagine being in a lovely condo or home on the beach with the cool ocean breezes – ah, now that’s living! And it hasn’t been too humid either. You don’t realize the benefits of the humidity until you leave Peñasco and spend time in the arid desert. Granted, we are in the Sonoran Desert, but the benefits of the Sea of Cortez on the body are amazing – all around. Yes, it will get drippy here in a month and we’ll all look like soggy puppies…except the local women – they always look so nice and not a bead of sweat. Envious I am!
Speaking of the desert…yes, even though we are on the Sea of Cortez, we are still in the Sonoran Desert and with that brings desert creatures. We have the same creepy creatures like scorpions, rattlesnakes, black widows and a host of other lovely biters. I don’t know if they still do it, but back in the day people would take black lights out to the hills in Cholla Bay and light up all the scorpions on the rocks – stuff nightmares are made of for sure. If you stay in town or on the beach you may never even come across a scorpion or black widow, let alone a snake of any sort, but know they are around. Be sure to check things like the underside of lounge chair arms and move patio cushions around even if you are staying in town or on the beach. At night watch out for areas with lots of foliage (like pathways or gardens) or less used spaces as the black widows like to come out at night and string their webs across where you walk. When I lived at Laguna Shores Resort, I would do nightly sweep of the yard before I let the dogs out because I had lots of plants and fruit trees and a block wall around the yard and they would always be sitting in their web right in the middle of the walkway. A few rattlesnakes came across my path out there as well. When my parents had a trailer at Playa Miramar Trailer Park, which is gone now but used to be next to Manny’s, they had built an outside bathroom onto their permanent trailer, and it always had scorpions and widows. If you are bit or stung by something know that the Red Cross and all of the clinics around town are more than able to take care of you – this goes for jellyfish stings and a host of other creepy crawly issues. And if you have a pet, our local veterinarians are more than capable of caring for and treating your pet. In fact, recently my Great Dane puppy who is 8 months old was bitten by a rattlesnake. I brought him to Dr. Erick at El Gallo on Samuel Ocaña and he administered all the necessary shots (pain, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, etc.) as well as antivenin. Yes, we have antivenin right here in Puerto Peñasco! And it won’t cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars. I absolutely love the vets here. Funny side story…a long time ago my bf stepped on our Great Dane puppy’s foot and I thought it was broken. At that time, I think there was one x-ray machine in town, so I took him to that clinic and begged them to x-ray him. Of course they did and I still have that x-ray to this day! (He was fine.) My rattlesnake-bit pup developed a “Franken Leg” but is on the mend. I have more fun stories about scorplings, scorpion burrows, Tarantula Hawks chasing me into the ocean and a whip snake that had taken up residency in a glass bottle…in a trunk…in my garage…surprised when I opened that trunk? Ah, so much fun in the desert. I have more stories but enough fun for one Editorial.
Jellyfish may be out so be on the lookout while you’re in the ocean and be sure to do the “Stingray Shuffle”. Instead of walking normally into and in the water, you’ll want to dig your feet into the sand and shuffle as you walk. By shuffling your feet, you will nudge away any stingrays that are burrowed in the sand. If you walk normally you can step on their backs which makes the stinger come up and nail you on the back of the leg or ankle
Happy July! If you’re here for the 4th and during this month remember to keep your pets secure as gringos love to light off fireworks. The resorts usually put on some nice shows since most rentals and resorts prohibit fireworks. Drive safe and see you at the beach!
