"Kestrel" and crew are just finishing up hosting back-to-back visitors for the past six weeks. As one set of guests flies in we send the others out on the plane just arrived! It's been fun visiting everyone and doing the jaunts up into the islands. We hope those of you who visited enjoyed your visit as much as we enjoyed having you!

We found paradise at Caleta el Candelero on Isla Espiritu Santo. There is a arroyo (canyon) with a fresh water well where we bathed and an oasis of green vegetation and trees in the canyon. Up at the end of the canyon is a semi-enclosed adobe hollow which is the bottom of a waterfall during rainy season. We call it "God's Bedroom" because of the beauty and serenity of this private little place. Each time we go back, it is as breathtaking as the first! Now this is what cruising is all about!

We are now looking forward to having some quiet time before heading up into the Sea of Cortez to do some exploring for a few months. It will be good to be transient again and live more in tune with the sun and the stars. We've heard many good things about the Sea and are excited to explore it all ourselves.

Have you ever met anyone famous who was a big influence on your life, like inspiring you to just get out there and do it? Our recent meeting here in La Paz of Lin and Larry Pardey, authors of 10 books on cruising, was a real treat and a personal inspiration for both Jay and me. The Pardeys came to La Paz by land and were visiting the area as well as Mary and Mac Schroeder (owners of Marina de La Paz and who the Pardeys knew from the "Seraffyn" days of the early 70s). We ran into the Pardeys a couple times by chance, won their newly published book "Cost Conscious Cruiser" at a local fundraising event, met them at the local writer's group, and eventually hosted them on our little sailing ship "Kestrel" for an afternoon visit.

The Pardeys gave Jay the confirmation that he is indeed a gifted writer and after reviewing some of Jay's manuscripts, encouraged him to submit them to Patience Wales, editor of SAIL magazine. Of course, I'd been telling my big guy Jay that he has writing talent ever since I met him -- he just needed a little prodding from the pros! Lin even wrote a cover letter to Patience to introduce Jay and his work. Keep your eyes out when reading the sailing rags for an article from "Kestrel's" budding new author!

We thoroughly enjoyed our encounters with the Pardeys and it was a dream come true to actually meet Lin and Larry while we are out here cruising ourselves. We figured we got some good ju-ju going to be so lucky as to run into the Pardeys so many times and to be able to spend some personal time with them.

La Paz is really a beautiful city and we are glad we will be spending the hurricane season in this area. There are inviting islands to visit only a few hours away and La Paz itself is a fairly well protected harbor if a hurricane does threaten the area. Jay and I will be heading up to Oregon and California in July/August for a visit and to attend a friend's wedding, so hopefully we'll be able to catch up with some of you during our visit.

As always, we love hearing from you. Please send us a letter sometime and tell us how you are doing and what you are up to. Wishing you a sunny spring.

Fair Winds and May Your Dreams Come True,
       Leslie & Jay