Cowboy Stew

After learning from our friend, Mark, how to make cowboy stew over an open flame, Doug tried his hand at the same and it was muy delicioso!

Enjoying the stew with friends, Mark and Gail, who own the house and head to Mexico in a few days.

Northern Experience

From the Sea of Cortez to Pollock Pines, CA in the Sierra mountains we're house-sitting for the winter and spring on this apple/pear orchard owned by Mark and Gail on s/v (sailing vessel) Mangareva.  As they continue to sail south we'll watch the deer and take care of the chickens.

Looking ahead

In April 2011 toward the end of our sailing expedition, we connected with dear friends we met a year earlier in Mazatlan.  Gail and Mark seasonally sail their beautiful wooden boat, Mangareva, through Mexican waters each winter.  We were so happy to run into them again in the Sea of Cortez.  Here's a view of Mangareva at sunrise from the deck of HanaCrew.

Mark and Gail talked about needing a caretaker for their property near South Lake Tahoe, where they live in the summer and fall months.  They shared with us that their house, barn, cabin, fruit trees and chickens needing looking after during the winter of 2012.  We were looking for that next step back in the States where we could give Chandler and Henry Wyatt another experiential learning environment and all of a sudden Gail and Mark's need became our plan.
 
To check it all out, in August 2011 we made a quick visit to Gail and Mark's house in Pollock Pines, near South Lake Tahoe.  It gave us a view of the house-sitting "job" we accepted and as you can see, we fell in love with everything this next step included.

Chandler and Gail enjoying a walk around the lake near Gail

's house.

Mark made sure we arrived in style by giving the kids a ride in his vintage MG!

We visited gold rush country and learned more about California history at a nearby museum.

The Strongs' front yard has the world's best tree swing where the kids would spend many days soaring through the sky!

We hiked the nearby mountain paths surrounding Lake Tahoe.

Found glacier lakes...

...and sneaker-skied down snow left over from the winter of 2011.

Later that same day we played volleyball with Gail's family on Lake Tahoe's beach.

Gail, Mark and their clan, including us!  A warm and loving extended family

The hammock on "Grampa" Mark's and "Grandma" Gail's porch was one of the best resting places!