Greetings everyone,
     Summer is here yet again!  This summer will be very special because our fruit trees
are definitely going to produce fruit.  Our table grapes are growing fast and we have tiny grapes sprouting out everywhere!  The orange and lemon trees as well.  Everything is growing and soon I will be making more jam and I think I’ll try my hand at some grape juice too.

    We have 1000 bales of oats from the harvest this year and the same amount of loose oats which we are piling onto one big haystack.  I’m sure the horses will appreciate that.  It’s always nice to see them healthy and strong;  ready for the weekend rides or the long rides.  It is an incredible feeling to look across the fields and see rows and rows of bales that we harvested ourselves!  

     There is still more news!   I am making two Organic Skin Care Products.  The plants for these products are all grown at the ranch and are 100% natural.  We have a Calendula Lavender Healing Salve and a Rosemary Calendula Salve for Dry skin.  Both are excellent!  I made them myself and I have used them, my friends and family have used them and all are raving about how good they feel and how fast they heal!  If you would like read more about this just click on the window that says, “La Bellota Products.”

     This past spring season was incredibly busy and we are very glad to see that more and more people are coming back to Baja.  We just returned from a Gold Mine Ride in Real del Castillo and it was so beautiful.   We really enjoy seeing our participants learn about Baja history and on this Gold Mine ride there is so much to see and experience first hand.   There is a huge sense of understanding and appreciation for the men and their families who worked the mines, and for those who struggled on daily basis in hopes of a better life.
   
        I remember as we were leaving on the last day I looked one last time across the entire valley of what is Real Del Castillo and I was suddenly consumed with pride.  Even though I am not a Mexican citizen, I felt an undeniable pride for this gorgeous land that I live in.   It is hard to explain but I think because I have been here for 19 years now, I understand more about the people, their traditions, culture and way of life than those who do not actually live here in Baja.   There are certain layers of what we see, and what we choose to see, when we come to Baja or any foreign land for that matter.  But only by being here for quite some time, immersed in the land itself can we allow ourselves to seep down through the layers, into the depths of society, traditions and culture.  We hear their stories of past and present and only then do we get a full view of what Baja California, Mexico is really like.    I have become very fond of this land I call home.

In the past because of our lack of knowledge regarding the area, some of our rides to Real Del Castillo were on some of the ranch roads.  But within the last two years we have put together a network of trails with cooperation from our neighboring ranches.  These trails take us to the heart of the gold Mines.  The trails have been used only by cows and horses with beautiful scenic views and they are also quite adventurous.
   
If you are interested in one of these rides feel free to read our new Journal which I have posted on our Events page.  Remember we only need six participants for this ride.
    We look forward to hopefully seeing you all soon.  Right now we are scheduling for the fall season so if you are so inclined send us an email if you would like to schedule a date.

Take care,
Caroline, Raul and Ricky

 

 

 

 

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