Good News, Bad News

The Good News: On Friday St. Mary’s Preschool went on a field trip to the Guaymas Marina. Teachers, staff and parents helped to shuttle the kids from the Preschool to the Marina early that morning and we went on a walking tour of the Marina with the Harbormaster providing lots of information. (I was with an English speaking parent who runs a marina in San Carlos so he translated a lot of the info for me.)

After the tour we all boarded a large party boat and headed into the Sea of Cortez. I hadn’t seen Guaymas from the water yet and it was something! See the church steeples – the Marina is just to the right of them and our apartment is just a couple of blocks back from the water. I love that picture!Here is the new dock for the cruise ships (the first cruise ship came to Guaymas October 16) and see the battered (and sinking) shrimp boats in the following picture.The last pic is of the Resguardo Maritimo – the Mexican version of the US Coast Guard, I believe.The kids had a great time and behaved well. For privacy reasons I am not including any pictures of them, but if you could have seen them in the life jackets…the life jackets were adult size and the kids looked like little orange snowmen bumping into each other.

More Good News: For several months I have been emailing with a couple from Bothell, Washington (close to our former home), Roxanne and Ron. They have been preparing for their retirement move to Puerto Escondido and on Thursday they passed through Guaymas. We met them at their motel and spent several hours with them…come to find out Roxanne, Mike and I all worked for AT&T Wireless, at the same time, on the same campus! We really enjoyed seeing these people “in real life.” Best of luck in Puerto Escondido, Roxanne and Ron!
More Good News: When Sitka was missing, Alejandra and Ulisses, here in Guaymas, helped by putting out the word about Sitka and hanging flyers with her picture on them. We had never met them, but only knew of them via our friend Bliss in San Carlos. Yesterday Ale and Ulisses had Bliss, Brenda and us over to their home for a shrimp buffet. And what a buffet! Several varieties of shrimp prepared in very different ways. YUMMM!!! It was great to finally meet them. Thank you for your hospitality, Ale and Ulisses!
The Bad News: Friday morning Sitka ran out of our apartment and we have not seen her since. Mike was here, putting his shoes on to take Sitka out for a walk, a cat (the same little, white street cat that has been hanging around) poked her head in our door, the gate was not shut, Sitka bolted out toward the cat and ran so fast Mike could not catch her.

A full-blown search was instigated with Lolita’s son, Raphael, driving up and down every street with Mike. And with Lolita’s grandson, Francisco, searching on foot. Not too long after she initially ran, Mike had returned home and he saw a man walking with Sitka with a rope tied to her collar. Mike and Francisco ran after them, but they disappeared into who knows where.

When I got home on Friday afternoon I called a Guaymas policeman that I know, Martin…he rides a Segway in el Centro and he has met Sitka. He promised to keep an eye out for her and to ask around. Mike thought the man with Sitka on the rope looked like law enforcement or military – short sleeved navy t-shirt, navy pants tucked into boots. Martin had told us that local law enforcement is interested in a K-9 unit so maybe someone in law enforcement has Sitka.

It is sad. But for some reason I feel differently than last time she was missing. I am not as worried and I believe that 1) she will come home or 2) she is in a home with people that will take good care of her. But if you see her…please call 622.111.7973.