Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just dancing through life
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Recently someone metioned the fact that they missed JR
Well! I do too.............Here is a few things to remember him by and if you are a newby then you might understand some of the byplay that goes on
here about the man.
In Memory of JR
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bajajudy - 12-12-2005 at 16:06
Let's all play like we are sitting around a campfire out in the desert somewhere in Baja with the sound of bamboo rustling in the background and we
are here to tell tales of our friend JR:
I will go first
I was in Los Barriles last year at Tio Pablo's department rstocking books. When I came out there was this pickup truck with a bamboo rack. Well I knew
immediately who was in the bar and wandered over and introduced myself. What a charmer! We spoke briefly and I was on my merry way.
After reading about his other bamboo projects, I contacted him to build a mosquito net for my bed. He said that he hoped he could get it done over the
winter months.
This is not much of a tale but I am sure that others of you have some wonderful stories to tell. Now is the time to share them.
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Gypsy Jan - 12-12-2005 at 17:18
I never met the great, infamous (in Baja bulletin boards, anyway), JR, but from the first, whenever I saw his handle, I always logged into his posts.
Alternately fascinated and appalled by his edginess and willingness to take on all comers, he never deviated from his basic and logical observations
and summations of the "state of Gringo in Mexico", and, despite being bitterly attacked by the "Emperors who wear no clothes", did not fall of the
edge into mean spiritedness or bitterness.
I was hooked.
He took the war to the battlements; monetary entitlement and cultural snobbery versus solid, established ethnocultural ways of living.
He looked at us through his kaleidoscope of being bicultural, and, in his musings, he let some of his thoughts that he felt bereft of his ethnic
heritage and was trying to reclaim it come through; giving us a unique and very naked peek into the great divide between the border and Baja sur
cultures.
I will miss his wit, wisdom and insight.
Good night and sweet dreams, good spirit.
[Edited on 12-13-2005 by Gypsy Jan]
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Jack Swords - 12-12-2005 at 17:38
Spent some time with JR in San Bartolo last year. He shared his dreams and plans for the bamboo projects and an old house he was fixing up for ?
Bought him lunch in Los Barriles and then he was on his way to get on the internet and ruffle some more feathers. Had the impression that he really
enjoyed this role. Good heart for Baja folks, hoped to see him again this year.
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Sharksbaja - 12-12-2005 at 17:45
As you and will always remember that " thorn" in the arse, JR, remember a couple things.
What he gave you is/was a conscience even tho he wasn't always on target or on cue, but especially to those of you who knew him more intimately. He
did reveal much but not all.
I wasn't fortunate enough and it may have been an awkward relationship but the JR I got to know vicariously totally affected my view and attitude
online.
He may not have always brought the best out of me but, by damn, I believed his sincerity. He may have been a mentor of sorts. Particularily when he
would engage me and exchange points, many times finding myself agreeing with him only to lose confidence from others.
I guess it was/is a price I'm was willing to pay. I found him intriguing to say the least as I do others also but none as profoundly as JR. What I saw
in JR was his unending passion, love and defense of Baja and it's people. I admire this. Mexico is certainly at a loss in my opinion.
This kind of man stimulates others through his strong feelings, actions and words designed to do just that. Not only a thinker but a doer.
This is what defines the person. What you see is what you get; lock, stock and barrel whether you like it or not.
To those unforgiving few......... I think it's time.
I just learned something very good just now, thanks JR.
See yer arse later Corky
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vgabndo - 12-12-2005 at 18:06
My personality has never had much time for people who seem to gratuitously yank other folk's chains. Perhaps I am more like him than is easy to admit;
I just haven't the gonads to say what's in my gut, and stand up and take the heat. He could do that...with zeal. I don't like having people pi$$ed at
me. Maybe JR taught me that that is dishonest.
I find myself unexplainably emotional about the loss of someone I did not get to meet. Hard as I tried, he DID have an effect on me. So, I forgive you
if you can forgive me JR.
Go forth and give 'em HELL.
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Osprey - 12-12-2005 at 18:19
JR stopped by my place in La Ribera and we shared a couple beers. I saw the eyes, the smile, the demeanor of a prophet -- I got the feeling that he
made every person he got close to a conspirator in the war - "us against them". Gypsyjan hit it right when she alluded to the "border people vs
southern Baja folks." It made little sense to me because to me he was a greenhorn newcomber here who lived way up north in Rosarito. IT IS VERY HARD
TO BE CHARITABLE IN MEXICO. I know smart people around here who find ways to help needy Mexicans, Mexican families. They might not approve of JRs
methods but they would have hailed his giving heart, his zeal, his love for the place and all its people -- I know I do.
There are a lot of misguided missionaries around these parts and I don't like any of em. I sure took a liking to JR.
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eetdrt88 - 12-12-2005 at 18:27
and I am feeling somewhat strange....the weird thing is that I never met JR or anyone from this board for that matter although i'm hoping to meet up
with quite a few of you for Bajalou's New Years eve gathering...but I am definitely feeling a loss over a person that i've never met...some of what JR
said here seemed quite confrontational at times but I have to say his posts almost always held my interest and his eye for great pictures was
sometimes unbelievable...i will definitely miss his character and his wit
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Sallysouth - 12-12-2005 at 18:59
A good man he was, full of life and giving! Rip JR, I will miss you...
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Herb2 - 12-12-2005 at 19:26
A Nomad for whom I have tremendous respect once gave me some of the most wise advice that I have ever received. He told me that he did not place so
much stock in what people wrote but was more concerned with face to face meetings with people so that you could actually look into their eyes and see
what makes them smile. That, he told me, would tell you what is REALLY important to a person and would speak volumes about that individual's
character. He made an assessment of JR back then based on this model that, in my mind, was 100% accurate. In fact, he so eloquently put into words
what I had already learned about JR. His quote in a post once directed at JR:
"SOME ARE ALWAYS ASKING YOU TO LIGHTEN UP! But let me say that I believe that men and women of passion are somehow unable to'lighten up'. They just
care too much and see far too much.
Stay as you are my friend!"
He had obviously looked into JR's eyes and seen what made him smile. Bottom line is that I have never met a more caring and compassionate "human" (to
coin his favorite term). He was so passionate and straightforward in his feelings and beliefs, however, that there was no room in his mindset for
being PC to spare anyone's feelings. At the same time, though, this was the beauty of Mr. Palmer. He was true WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get)
because he did not mince words even if he was not choosing the kindest of them. We all know, however, that actions speak louder than words. And the
overwhelming majority of his actions conveyed more kindness to those who knew him than most of us could ever imagine.
I met JR after the devastating hurricane season of 2003. I emailed him as a complete stranger, not even a registered Nomad at the time. Merely a long
time lurker from there and Amigos before. I asked him for suggestions on where I could go and what I could do to help. He directed me to some small
mountain villages and communities where I have since made friends who are like family to me now. I thanked him for his help in providing me with such
a rewarding experience and he subsequently invited me to stop by and visit. I did so bearing, naturally, even more donations for his next trip down
south. We hit it off instantly. We shared many common passions and had a strikingly similar outlook on life in general.
We travelled together shortly thereafter and what a blast that was. He was an incredibly skilled (and crazy) off-road driver. We explored remote nooks
and crannys of the peninsula, shared a wild "confluence point" hiking adventure, and met and spent time with many more wonderful people along the way
just by being "human". We have stayed in touch ever since and I visited him on a regular basis. He became a dear friend and was truly loved by myself
and my family.
It has been said, at times, that he was self-promoting. Ha! Nothing could be further from the truth. A self-promoting person would have been far more
concerned about his public image. He had a story, a message, and a vision that he was determined to share with the world. He wanted to challenge
people to look at things differently and he didn't give a damn what people thought about him as an individual as long as the message was heard. He saw
himself as merely the messenger. And, as we all know, a devoted one.
There were some who proclaimed pity for the man because he must have been miserable and lonely. Not so. Those who have had the pleasure of meeting
her, know that his soul-mate Carol is one of life's truly special people. They shared a wonderful kind of love with each other that most people never
find. She tolerated him, tamed him, encouraged him, nurtured him, reigned him in and at times, just shook her head and let him run wild. He, in turn
knew what he had and cherished her as only he could. She was right there by his side to the very end. He could not have been more loved. And he
deserved it. They were beautiful to watch together.
When I went to San Bartolo to visit him just before summer this year, I ended up having to bring him and his dogs back north as his health really
began to take a turn for the worse. I watched how he handled the onset of his impending physical demise with a grace that I could not even begin to
imagine. Always smiling when I saw him and leaning forward to embrace me with little more than his shoulders as his arms were increasingly unable to
move.
In the last message I received from him, he asked about making a "couple more trips down south while I still can." Well it didn't happen before your
death, my friend, but you still can. Because I will carry you with me in warm memories everywhere I go. Down south, up north and anywhere else on the
planet. Thank you!!!
Ken
Soy P-nche Gringo y Que!
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Marie-Rose - 12-12-2005 at 19:32
At first I thought it was some horrible joke!! JR was the one Baja Nomad that transformed me from "lurker" to poster!! Some of the things he said just
infuriated me and then he would go and post something quite sensitive. His pictures were amazing!
This board has definitely lost a major presence.
Ken Just read your post. Thank you for sharing!!
[Edited on 2005-12-13 by Marie-Rose]
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bajalera - 12-12-2005 at 21:34
Herb2, that was a beautiful tribute.
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Bob H - 12-12-2005 at 21:45
Wow, this is a huge loss... I am in tears. God bless you JR!
Bob H
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pappy - 12-13-2005 at 10:45
wow! i am in shock....that seemed to come out of nowhere....my sympathies for his family and loved ones... vaya con dios JR.....
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JZ - 12-13-2005 at 16:21
It certaintly does seem to come out of nowhere. He was very brave to keep it from this board. I feel bad for giving him such a hard time!
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DDurrell - 12-14-2005 at 23:50
Bajajudy.... Don't know you. Don't think I've met you unless you are the guys that moved into La Barca that used to have the "Main Event " in El
Monte. Bruce told me about this site and I'm flabergasted. Lots more to come. JR was more of a brother to me than a cousin.
I loved the way you started this..... lets just sit back and talk about JR.
Thats the way he did things.
Thank you .
Dave
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bajagrouper - 12-15-2005 at 07:32
REMEMBERING J.R.
ANOTHER BAJA AMIGO HAS PASSED AWAY
THE NEWS HAS MADE THIS A VERY SAD DAY
HELPING OTHER PEOPLE WAS HIS MAIN GOAL
UP AND DOWN HIWAY 1 HIS TRUCK WOULD ROLL
DRIVING UP IN THE MOUNTAINS OR ALONG THE SHORE
ALLWAYS COLLECTING DONATIONS TO GIVE TO THE POOR
HE PULLED INTO MY CAMP ONE SATURDAY NIGHT
WE DRANK TEQUILIA AND B.S.ed WELL INTO THE NIGHT
SO WHEN I DRIVE DOWN BAJA AND SEE SOME BAMBOO
YOU KNOW J.R. I’LL BE THINKING OF YOU
BAJAGROUPER` 05
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DDurrell - 12-17-2005 at 20:32
In 1967 I was 16 and had just gotten my driver’s license. I had only been to Mexico once before. My brother Dennis, JR and I planned a week- long trip
during Easter break from school. Back then all you needed was notarized permission from your parents to cross the border if you were under 18. Don’t
know what the situation is now.) So Friday afternoon, armed with surfboards, sleeping bags, a tent and an ice chest we were off and the adventure
began. We ended up spending 25 cents a day to camp on the bluff between K38 and K 39 (now it’s a high rise). We surfed there and explored the coast as
far as we could, searching for “ The Wave”. We had a blast. Tuesday was my girlfriend’s birthday and I had a hot date that night back in Azusa. I left
JR and my brother at the campsite and promised to be back the next afternoon. Well…. Somehow I didn’t get back down there till Friday. No JR, No
Dennis, No surfboards, just the tent and my sleeping bag. Crap! What had I done? Left two 14-year-old kids in a foreign country with nothing but the
clothes on their back. There was no one around to ask any questions so I just decided to wait. Around sunset, an old beat up truck pulls out onto the
Bluff with Dennis and JR in the back screaming their lungs out at me. I’ve never been called so many names in my life. Leave it to JR. He’d made
friends with some of the local Mexican surfers and they took care of the two till I got back. There was an old out house on the bluff. I was inside
taking care of business. JR some how managed to block the door so it wouldn’t open. He then dropped in about a brick of firecrackers. Besides the
burns on my legs, I don’t think I could hear a thing for about a week. It took me over 10 years to pay him back for that one, but that’s another
story.
Over the years we made quite a few trips to Baja together, but that first one still sticks in my mind.
JR was made for Baja. Or maybe Baja was made for JR. And Jay found one special woman in Carol. Carol my hat is off to you. You and Jay had a unique
relationship that is hard to find.
I never got the chance to see the bamboo farm or many of the other projects that he had in the works. Hopefully someday I will.
JR was a character, a charmer, a true nomad and an antagonist who could pee you off to the max.
He was also mi primo
And I miss him.
Dave
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Bajame - 12-18-2005 at 11:14
I talked to JR on the phone after he left me an e-mail that was pretty shocking! He got me mixed up with another nomad that he was peeed off with. He
really felt bad when he realized what he did and it was funny hearing him change his tune, I have to amitt I made him squirm for awhile, I have been
called alot through the years but that beat everything! I couldn't stay upset with him and just had a good laugh over it.
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If any one really cares I have a bunch of other 'stuff' about this real, honest to god, guy.
Bernie
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Diver
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4729
Registered: 11-15-2004
Member Is Offline
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I went through San Bartola twice this winter and I always think of JR when I'm in the area. It struck me this year how JR was living part of his life
in such basic and beatiful place as San Bartola but constantly visiting the nearby travesty of Los Barilles development. The contrast was often
appraent in his posts. Sometimes I miss a little "shaking-up" around here.
Still miss the man.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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I really miss the guy. He was a wonderful person. You would have to meet him personally to know him. He stirred the pot on the message board, but
he truely loved us all. I really miss his posts.
Here's to JR.... in Heaven!
Bob H
[Edited on 3-4-2007 by Bob H]
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Von
Senior Nomad
Posts: 961
Registered: 10-1-2006
Location: Poway-Rosarito
Member Is Offline
Mood: getting ready!
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I MISS HIM MI AMIGO DE LA BARCA I MISS MY GRANDPA IN LA BARCA HES GONE TOO! THATS LIFE CAROL MISSIS HIM! iTS ALL F-D UP..THATS LIFE EVERY WEEK WHEN I
GO TO LA BARCA I GET A FLOOD OF MEMORIES THAT JUST MAKE ME WANT TO CRY OH WELLLLLLLLMUST BE STRONGGGG YOU GYS ARE THE ONLY ONES I FEEL YOU CAN RELATE
TO MY BAJA LIFE.........THANKS...
READY SET.....................
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Minnow
Banned
Posts: 1110
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Lost Wages
Member Is Offline
Mood: Embarrased Harry Reid is a Nevadan
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Chrismas day 2004 I drove a dodge D50 4X4 form Catavina to Mulege. Yes, it had a Bamboo roof rack on it. I will dig the pictures out and post them
tomorrow. What a trip, what a guy.
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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JR was a good man.... too be missed by all of us........
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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Had a few beers with JR at his Rosarito place, he was a great guy.
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bajalera
Super Nomad
Posts: 1875
Registered: 10-15-2003
Location: Santa Maria CA
Member Is Offline
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The last time we saw JR was at his bamboo place--reached by the road going some distance up San Bartolo arroyo--where he was really roughing it while
planning all sorts of great things.
He was one really sweet guy--although you'd never guess that from his posts.
\"Very few things happen at the right time, and the rest never happen at all. The conscientious historian will correct these defects.\" -
Mark Twain
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalera
He was one really sweet guy--although you'd never guess that from his posts. |
That is sooooooo true Lera! You just had to meet the man in person and shake his hand. See attached photo...
Bernie, you spent some time putting this post together.
Great job.
JR is greatly missed. He was one hell'a'va'guy.
Bob H
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Minnow
Banned
Posts: 1110
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Lost Wages
Member Is Offline
Mood: Embarrased Harry Reid is a Nevadan
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Here is a link to pictures of JR and his muy famoso bamboo roof rack. In the first picture JR is talking his way out of a ticket. The cop let him go
with no fine. The second one is of his entire rig at a gas stop. I don't remember which town this particlular pemex was in.
http://www.baja.net/fud/index.php?t=msg&goto=24251&r...
[Edited on 5-3-2007 by Minnow]
Proud husband of a legal immigrant.
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