A Boise Book Club comes to Los Barriles to stay?

 
A Boise Idaho book club has found Los Barriles of the East Cape in Baja California Sur. While it was to be just for a one time meeting as member, Russett Nordling explains they have found themselves a paradise and some have come to stay for at least part of the year.

Russett is a Real Estate agent from Idaho and she explains how the club got started and when and how they found Los Barriles and “fell under its spell”.

“The book club started about 8 years ago with clients (I'm a RE agent) that had moved into Boise and didn't know anyone. Through the years new people have come in, some stayed other moved on (to bridge clubs, church groups, community organizations, jobs). As a hole opened up (we try to keep it no more than 8 because it's a dinner group and that seems to be the size for most of our tables) new friends-to-be were added. Some have moved to other areas and started a new group wherever they moved to.

We meet once a month at each others houses for dinner and discussion. The hostess gets to pick the book and sometimes a complete change of venue. That's what happened when Maureen Portello said," I'll have it in Feb and lets go down to my son’s house in Baja. ”Hey that sounds like a plan", and we all laughed. So three years ago our Boise, Id book club decided it would be a lark to come on down to Los Barriles in Feb for our book club meeting.

Her son and his friend had built a large home for their two families to grow and build memories together. Of course all us mature mothers thought "what a wonderful son to share with us all", and we set aside the second and now into the third week of Feb to come on down.

Walking the beach every morning at dawn, watching the building process (and touring all the houses before the worker arrive) was the start of our every day. Finding the vegetable and fruit man's truck for fresh garden produce and the "hot" fresh off the griddle corn and flour tortillas stand was an every day "shopping spree". If you're not there bright and early the flour ones are the first to go. We laugh at ourselves when we buy them to take home on our last day only to find out they really stick together; but its like extending our vacation and a little something for the poor family back home that didn't get in on our Mexico experience.
That was 3 years ago. Now our October meeting is up in the hills in a cabin for the week-end at another member’s second home.

 

Last year I said to myself; why not me? Talked it over with my son and his wife and we all took a trip down and they too fell under the spell. For Christmas that year my son Craig and daughter-in-law Holly rented a casita and invited her folks and me to spend a week all together. The "kids" went scuba diving at Cabo Pulmo. We ate at all the restaurants including the small "blue tarp over the picnic benches" for breakfast and lunch. Then we did the "wild thing"; bought property and started to build a small casita

When my little casita gets finished and I've slung 6 hammocks on the roof we'll spend time between Maureen’s son’s BIG house and my little casita.
Since this annual "run away" started and the construction began I've been to Los Barriles 6 times. During construction, Holly, Craig, and I have alternated trips to see the progress every 6 weeks or there about. The young Mexican builder we chose happened to build a small casita attached to a big 5th wheeler playa in our same area. Since not all of us gringos are rich Americans the fit was perfect. Chepy, the builder, hired an architect from La Paz to take our sketch and make it into a plan he could build from. His crew are part family and friends all local men.

The plan is, it should be complete when we go down this Feb so the book club ladies and I will be shopping for furniture and everything that goes into making this home an extension for my family and all our friends to enjoy. Watch out for bright color hats from La Paz to Cabo---we're on a mission and have only 10 days to complete (if the casita is ready). If it’s not ready then team #2, Holly and Craig will be down in March to march foreword.

What a great time we've all had and its the talk of my work place, family, friends, son's and daughter-in-laws work, friends, etc, etc, etc.

When I asked Russett what attracted her to that area? Her answer was “First the house, then the peace and quiet, and a great base to drive from, to visit all the small towns in Baja California Sur. What wonderful discoveries down some dirt road can turn up?”

The 7 women range from "our baby" who’s 50 and has a 4 year old to 72 years young with "kids" in their 40's. Originally from Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, California and New York, we are so full of life and great ideas. This next visit we're renting sea kayak's and doing the coast line until someone hollers "margarita time" or the arms give out , whichever happens first.

So many family and friends are looking forward to the completion of the casita to experience what we've been so excited about. El Torote is north of town out by the water (12 minute walk down the 2nd arroyo to the beach). Everyone asks, "Are you moving down full time?" and my answer is 30 pounds worth. Dropped 10 pounds’ in October ,came back to the cold country and put it back on so I'm anxious to see what July and Aug can do for me hahahhha.

We've all been taking Spanish lessons and looking foreword to being immersed in the culture and language so we can be ambassadors of good will and welcomed neighbors.

Will trade cookies, cakes and pies for fish.

We thank Russett for sharing her and the book club experience so far. We are also anxiously awaiting some of those cookies.

Russett Nordling
Boise, Id.
russett@fiberpipe.net