A La Playa

more later

2011-02-26T18:59:00.000-08:00

Gosh, I haven't had a minute to devote to the blog, what with Alex here, travel, daily happenings, etc. Check back in a day or so to see what's happening. Just to let you know everyone is just fine and we are having a marvelous time.

Intel powered!!

2006-06-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

This is the first message in a long time. And it is coming to you on my new computer, my MacBook Pro, fired by an Intel processor. It's about time, too! No Motorola slow poke on this machine. And I finally got all my Cuyutlan photos loaded onto the machine. I will post them from time to time to show you what it was I had been talking about all those months ago!

Summer is here. Weather it hot but clear and beautiful. Great pool time. We are beginning our annual let's-spend-all-our-Davis-time-remodeling projects. We had the water disaster while we were gone so carpeting/flooring in living room and guest bedroom has to be replaced, dry wall in bathroom has to be replaced on one wall. So as long as we're at it we might as well replace the sinks/counter tops in the bathrooms. I will do photos this time.

95616

2006-05-10T18:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Davis. We made it home safely after a 10-hour drive. Total mileage traveled, Cuyutlan to Davis, 2300 miles. Even though it was an uneventful trip it is still exhausting. Now we face having to replace carpet, rehydrate a totally dessicated garden, unpack the car and put all that stuff away, several doctor's appointments, bathroom remodels, etc., we're still very glad to be home.

Bienvenidos a San Diego

2006-05-09T18:35:00.000-07:00

We arrived safely in San Diego on Sunday afternoon, after a relatively uneventful trip of 5 days. The roads were clear all the way, not too much doble-remolque traffic -- that's a two-trailer 18-wheeler truck. Wednesday night we stayed in Tepic, Thursday night in Topolobampo (where I got some sort of nasty "tricky tummy" upset), then San Carlos (where the tricky tummy got worse but then finally better), across the border at Nogales -- where we had to surrender our delicious Italian-style salami because it has pork in it and pork is a HUGE no-no to bring across the boder -- and on to the smart destination of Gila Bend. What, you may well ask, is in Gila Bend? Absolutely nothing. Then on to San Diego and the arms of my sister, and daughter Alex and granddaughter Emily. What a delightful surprise to have them there as part of a welcoming committee. On Monday, Caitlin and Mike came to Vic's. We had the full family press, and it was wonderful.

Tomorrow morning we head up to Davis, after dropping Cait at the airport for her flight back to Bozeman. We are eager to get home. There is much to be accomplished in the coming months. First and foremost are my eyes. I see the doctor next week for a diagnosis and a treatment plan. Then there is the issue of replacing the carpet in the living room, ruined because of a pipe leak in one of the bathrooms. If I didn't like this carpet, this would be a perfect opportunity to get rid of something ugly. But what's there is so nice that it's going to be hard to replace it. Then there is the issue of the NEW COMPUTER. Yes, I am going to get a new laptop with the ability to put photos up on my BLOG. There may be some additions to this BLOG, after the fact. Stay tuned. And third, we bought some great bathroom basins in Delores Hidalgo for the two bathrooms. Work on that project will start ASAP. Pictures to follow.

Next message will be from beautiful Davis, CA, 95616.

Adios, Cuyutlan

2006-05-02T18:16:00.000-07:00

This will be my last posting from here as we leave early tomorrow. I am at the lcal cybercafe -- the one where I fell down the stairs about a week after we arrived last December. Walking through town I noticed that some of the stalls put up for Semana Santa are still there, much to the delight of the local dogs who are still foraging for tidbits dropped along the way. The local police station is quiet, with only some lowly flunky out in the street watering down the dust. The restaurant con furniture shop run by the charming Doña Marie is closed, but Aberrotes Baby run by the eponymous Baby is alive an bustling. I walked own the malecon on my way here to check things out. This week is what is known here as a puente or bridge week. There are three holidays this week alone: Monday was Labor Day, tomorrow is Las Cruces and Friday is Cinco de Mayo. So instead of breaking it up, they take the whole week off. There are lots of day-trippers in town, and some who closed up their houses only a week ago, at the end of Pasqua are back again for this week. Many people on the beach today, and in the puestos and on the hotel verandas, soaking up the beer and sunshine.

But for us, now is the time to hit the road for home. Fernando and Chouy came over today to bid us safe travel. Last night was the final domino game of the season and my opportunity to bid fine friends good-bye. The fate of the library is still in the balance, but there´s nothing that can be one right now so we can only hope that all the books AND the shelves will be there next December.

Until next week . . .

After midnight . . .

2006-04-30T18:46:00.000-07:00

I will no longer be connected to the Internet via Prodigy (dial-up!) service. I am terminating what has been an on-again-off-again relationship. By that I mean I dial in, get connected for 10 seconds, get terminated, and get charged for one phone call. This can happen three for four times until I finally get a line that lasts for awhile. And I am only allowed 100 of these per month, free. After that, I pay about 15 cents per call. It adds up, believe me. And TelMex is the ONLY phone company in Mexico. Like Pemex is the ONLY gasoline company in Mexico.

So after midnight it will be either the local cybercafe or wait until San Diego. That means that our five-month idyll is over and it's back to the US and Davis and TV news and regular delivery of a newspaper. Darn.

If I can write more before we leave next Wednesday, or along the way, I will. Otherwise, the next posting will be from San Diego. My sister is back in the hospital, hoping to return home today. Something to do with faulty dialysis. I trust she will be up and perking by a week from today, our intended arrival dates at her house. Caitlin, too, on a quick visit from Bozeman with Mike.

I am ready to leave here. It is getting very hot and muggy, although the breeze picks up in the afternoon and it is always cool for sleeping. We have moved over to Jack's for these last few days as the kitchen and indeed the entire house has been folded up and packed away for the next few months. I hope that you, readers, are ready to move back, too.

Lemondade

2006-04-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

If you are given lemons…

The "lemon" we have is the library. This morning, Carolyn (la dueña of the library) took a good look at what has happened, at what we have to deal with, and talked about what we, as the borrowing public, can live with. Frankly, we don't have much of a choice. We decided to quit any grumbling and make the best of it. The foyer space will have to do until we happen upon a generous patron who wants nothing more than to set us up in fine style. A bit of pushing and shoving here and there, some rearranging of the shelves, and I think we will be ready for business in the fall. This is, of course, providing that nobody walks out the front door with our expensive (and rusting) shelves. I hope to have a chance to talk to our new presidente before we leave next Wednesday. I am hoping (foolishly?) to get some assurance that a minimal security will be provided to the biblioteca now that they have (or someday will have) computers in the building.

Today our friend Luly was sworn in as the interim mayor of Armeria. The elected mayor is gearing up to run for higher office so Luly is stepping in for about six months. Maybe she can insure our book shelves' safety??

The house is about 75% closed up. We move over to Jack's tomorrow for three days so we can finish bagging up pillows, packing away clothes and stowing all the stuff in the kitchen. I made all the hotel reservations for the trip home -- Tepic, Topolobampo, San Carlos and Gila Bend. All glamour spots.

Put "The Egyptologist" by Arthur Phillips on your MUST READ list.

La Muerte de la Biblioteca

2006-04-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

You know the saying, "If somebody offers you something that's too good to be true, it probably is." That's what has happened to us, las gringas and our wonderful Biblioteca Las Palmas. We have been evicted from our space to make room for six -- you heard me, SIX -- computer desks. All our shelves and books, our table, chairs, fan, and other equipment have been moved out of the library into the foyer to make way for the computers. And you'll really love this part. The "government" has said that computers and books cannot be in the same room, so out we go! Who, you may ask, is this "government?" We can't get an answer to this question. But it really doesn't matter because we're out. We've lost 400 sq. ft. that we diligently cleaned, painted, and furnished and are now piled into about 120 sq. ft.

So, you might ask, what are you going to do? Tonight several of us are getting together to (a) play dominoes and (b) talk about what our next move might be. We don't have many options but amon the prowl for another space. And I have trusty eagle-eyed Fernando on it, too. If we can't find anything we can afford -- and this group generates $0 revenue -- we may have to make the best of a very bad situation.

When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed

2006-04-27T08:23:00.000-07:00

Spring time in Ohio. The dogwood is in bloom -- white, pink and fuchsia -- as are the red bud (much more purple than red) and lilac. The lilac was in trees, shrubs, hedges, and in several shades of purple and blue. I have never been there at this time of year, only in the fall. The rolling hills of southern Ohio are so green it hurts to look. The trees are getting new leaves and the woodlands are a shade of chartreuse green with bright white splashes of dogwood. My sister-in-law's garden was filled with red and yellow tulips. Such an abundance of new life, and we were there to bury Jim's brother. It was so incongruous, this joyous bursting forth of blossoms heralding new life and the grief and sadness of mourning of a life ended.

Getting there did not go as smoothly as we had planned. The travel agent gave us the wrong information about catching the bus to the Guadalajara airport, so we went many miles and almost two hours out of our way before we finally got to the right place. We had a 4-hour bus ride to the airport, then a flight from Guadalajara to Atlanta to Columbus, picked up our car, and went to Jane's where we ate dinner, and fell into bed after having been up for 36 hours. The next morning we drove down to Pomroy to the funeral, stayed a couple of days, then went back to Columbus to visit my sisters-in-law until early Tuesday morning (6 AM) when we got back on the plane to retrace our steps. From the Guadalajara airport we took a taxi to the central bus station, caught a bus to Colima, and Fernando came and picked us up at about 5:30. For dinner, we had splendid fish soup made by him to welcome us back. We finally got to bed about 9 PM after another 18 hour day. And now we have to pack up the house and get ready to leave here in a week.

Our little village has been restored to its usual calm and quiet after the frenzy of the Easter holidays. Weather here very warm, but as usual, the terrazzo is cool and lovely. But it is time to get back to "real life" in Davis.

A Death in the Family

2006-04-19T19:15:00.000-07:00

Jim and I are heading up to Columbus, Ohio tonight for the funeral of his brother, Keith. He was an all around good guy; smart,funny, droll, modest. This came right out of left field, and we are still reeling from the shock. We'll return here on Tuesday, April 25 to close up the house and head back to the US for six months.

Easter fever has abated. The disco has been quiet for two nights, but I think the wet T-shirt or bikini contests are tonight. Unfortunately we won't be here to serve as judges.

Easter Plus One

2006-04-17T22:19:00.000-07:00

The crowds have, for the most part, packed up and left. The beach is almost clear of campers, and those who pitched their tents across the street from us have all folded and left. Even the disco is silent tonight. They may crank up and go again later in the week as the Pasqua visitors arrive, probably on Wednesday. Easter vacation is divided into two distinct parts. The first week, Semana Santa is from about the Tuesday or Wednesday before Easter until Easter Sunday night. Then there is a short lull before the Pasqua group arrives. They will be here through next Sunday. By that time, everyone is partied out and it is over for another year. The first group is, by reputation, more rowdy than the second, which is typically characterized as "nice families". I'm not convinced.

Yesterday morning, Easter morning, I went out the front door and almost stepped on the face of some recovering reveler, a teen-aged boy sleeping it off in the cool shade of the front wall. About five of his co-celebrants were also sprawled on the sidewalk. When I went outside, one of them attempted to get up, as properly raised Mexican men do, but only made it to his knees before falling back to regain his equilibrium so he did not toss his cookies all over the sidewalk. These boys, all of whom spoke some English and were dressed in pricey beach togs, had obviously been to the disco the night before, hoping to score something. They had had too much to drink and were looking for some shade in which to sleep it off, even on a cement sidewalk. "Como estan?" I asked. Nothing but groans. Yes, too much to drink by a long shot!

Today was my penultimate trip to the outdoor market in Armeria. I can't believe we will be gone in two weeks, but that's how it looks now. Gorgeous strawberries for 10 pesos (90 cents) a kilo, or about 45 cents a pound. For 28 pesos, I purchased 12 tomatoes, 7 small onions, 1 avocado, 1 chili poblano, 3 cucumbers, 1 jicama, 10 round zucchini, 6 heads of garlic. The gre3en beans looked (and snapped) very fresh, but I didn't need them. Likewise the lettuce; big, firm heads, but I am after Romaine this week and he didn't have any. I also didn't find the kind of mangoes I want. Next week. I was also noticing that this market has more underwear than Hanes, Maidenform, Fruit of the Loom, and Jockey combined. Who wears all this stuff?

Our lovely time here has been deeply saddened by news early this evening that Jim's younger brother, Keith, had a massive heart attach this morning and died. He was, in Jim's words, a "good guy." He was very funny, smart, ironic, and always kind and caring. I will miss him. We are now scrambling to figure out how to get from here to Columbus, Ohio in two days. Tomorrow I will go in to Armeria to see our travel agent, Oscar, to find out what he can figure out for us. It will put our return schedule off for about a week, but it is important for both of us to say a farewell to Keith.

Good Friday

2006-04-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Our lovely little village, population 2500, is now bursting at the seams with about 15,000 revelers; campers, holiday residents, hotel guests, day-trippers, and, of course, the upstanding citizens of Cuyutlán. This afternoon the disco cranked up at 4 PM, shattering a momentary calm in the week's din. The visitors began arriving this year on Monday, two days earlier than usual, with a big wave of in-town campers arriving late Wednesday and throughout the night. By Thursday morning there were 10 tents pitched on a small spit of sand across the street from our house. (Jim has been tenderly caring for three struggling palm trees on this tiny 700-sq. ft. piece of land. Alas, they probably will not survive the various tent poles, sleeping bags, camp kitchens. We'll try again next year.) By Thursday night every available patch of ground had been claimed, both around our house and on the beach. The disco has been in full tilt and went until 4 PM this morning. The noise is deafening; the house shakes and tempers get frayed. But look at it this way. It's only about week! And I go to Patty's so at least I get a good night's sleep.

This morning I woke at about 7 to the sound of the mosquito spray truck crawling slowly down the colonia road, emitting a fine spray from it's swiveling turret on top. What on earth are they spraying for now? There have been no mosquitoes for about 3 months and the town is full of people who are sleeping outdoors! The truck also made its way up and down the streets in town. We decided they are spraying to keep the fly population under control -- there are usually swarms of flies after the crowd departs from two weeks here -- and also as a precaution against scorpions that are disturbed by the influx of campers on their turf. Think about it!

At noon today the Good Friday procession began its march at one end of town and slowly made its way through the town, down to the malecon, then out through the colonia to the small church on the hill overlooking the ocean. Leading the procession was someone carrying a huge cross. It is a high honor to be chosen as one of several men who carry the cross in relay. The Stations of the Cross are set up along the way and the group stops at each station for prayers and songs. It's quite a remarkable sight.

Meanwhile, the disco blasts away.

El Disco

2006-04-11T19:26:00.000-07:00

As I write this the disco is blasting away just across the street. And of course, there are NO patrons. It is not going to be an easy night. Earlier a group of mariaches was serenading up the street; probably someone's birthday. That was truly lovely. A taste of Old Mexico. But this? Basura! Tomorrow I move down to Patty's.

A Quiet Week. . .NOT!

2006-04-11T16:25:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 31
Playmate Marie left today to return to Wisconsin. It won't be the same without her!

Saturday, April 1
Today the entire town turned out to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the local priest's admission to the priesthood. The malecon was transformed into an outdoor church, complete with raised altar, an almost-life-sized crucifix, masses of (artificial) flowers, plus offerings of coconuts, bananas, mangoes and other fruits. Long rows of chairs were set up to accommodate the mobs that attended. This priest has served churches in the states of Jalisco, Colima , Michoacan and Guanajuato so there were celebrants from all over. After mass there was a big feast at the Siete Mars restaurant, a sort of free-for-all buffet that went on late into the afternoon. The uestos along the beach were also doing a brisk business. There were a couple of mariache bands strolling along the beach on into the evening. I walked down to survey the wreckage about 6 PM (before daylight savings) and it was getting dark. At the far north end, on the beach, was a cluster of umbrellas and canvas sling chairs with a good crowd of people. A band was standing just on the edge of the surf, pant legs rolled up, and playing and people were dancing on the beach. All of this I saw in silhouette against the evening sky. It was like something out of a Fellini movie.

Sunday, April 2
We went to dinner at the newly built home of the delightful Canadians who stayed in out house last year while we were on our great European adventure. Their house, a large open and covered pavilion by the seashore, has a glorious ocean view, lovely breezes, and cries out for parties. And since daylight savings began this morning, we had a lingering sunset that kept the pavilion awash in a pinkish light until well past 9 PM. Good food, good fellowship, good time.

Cat Update
There was still one female cat we had not been able to catch to take to the vet's for her little "procedure". This afternoon, by ruse and deception -- the old cat-food-leading-into-the-carrier trick, Jack managed to get her locked up. She goes for her life-altering visit tomorrow.

Monday, April 3
If it's Monday, it must be tianguies. I found, among other things, some gorgeous Impatiens at the vivero stand where I get plants. These folks always have lots of nice plants, mostly for about 15 pesos (about $1.40). They last us through the season and then keel over from heat, salt, and too much water. I still have the poinsettias I bought at Christmas; they are thriving now and just may summer over. I'll try planting some and see if they make it.

Also in the market now, mangoes. The trees are laden with them, and they are cheap (about 60 cents a kilo) and delicious.

Tuesday, April 4
Pre-Easter clean up and repair continues, now in a higher gear. Only a week before the mobs start to arrive.

Another hemorrhage in my left eye. This turn of events if most annoying. Second occurrence in about 6 weeks. No reading. Too bad, as I had just started Arthur Phillips The Egyptologist and after only 40 pages I was totally hooked.

Wednesday, April 5
Up to Colima to have appointment with retinal specialist. There is nothing to be done for at least two weeks, as he can't see into the retina through the blood. He did a sonogram on my eye. Very strange procedure for what purpose I have no idea, but I have the photos to look at. This second episode has been a real downer for usually ebullient spirit!

Thursday, April 6
No further hemorrhages. That's the most that can be said about the situation right now.

Friday, April 7
Vision probably 10% improved.

This would have been my mother's 91st birthday. Happy Birthday, Virginia.

We made our annual trek into Manzanillo today to shop and lunch. The traffic gets worse every year, the various overpasses and go-around more confusing, the buildings more garish, the developments more elaborate. I paid a call on the silver shop I have patronized for over 15 years. It is still managing to stay open, probably on my yearly purchases, small though they may be. Then onto a hunt for a particular kind of tile (fruitless), to one of the super markets where we can get Italian salami (successful) and finally to lunch at a seafront place we had not tried before. OK, but it will be back to El Caribe next year -- better food and ambiance.

Saturday, April 8
I have been listening to books on CD since reading is still impossible, despite some further improvement. I sit propped up in bed with my eyes closed listening to some strange voice read a book about Healthy Aging. This was not a choice of topics; it was left here when the owner returned to the US. After listening to this book, it's a miracle I'm still alive!

Cat Update
The kitten came home today, all fixed and healthy, but still so spooked by human contact that she has promptly disappeared. At least she won't come wandering home in a week or so with a pregnant belly. So the saga of the Cats at Jack's House has drawn to a successful close. It only took six people, two cat cages, several cans of mackerel and sardines, chicken livers, dried cat food, and about 5 weeks to get it all accomplished. To say nothing of quite a bit of money.

Sunday, April 9
Jim has been laid low by some germ or other. I think it was the fish he ate for lunch on Friday, but who knows.

This has not been the best week of our lives.

Oh my Lord! The disco fired up for three hours tonight! Peace and quiet? Se fueron!

Monday, April 10
After more than 18 hours of sleep, Jim is feeling better. One of our Canadian friends has been dealing with a siege of stomach parasites; since he is recovering nicely, he probably does not have that problem.

Reading group discussed "Heir to the Glimmering World" by Cynthia Ozick. It was an almost unanimous hit. That is the last book we will be reading as a group this year. More goodies to come next year, however. Afterwards, we all trouped up to Morelos for comida. I walked through town and was amazed by the number of people who are already here for the Easter holiday. There are stalls set up on both sides of the main street, there is terrible traffic, no place to park, and there are even police directing traffic. And this is only Monday. Wait until Thursday when things really get going!

Eye still improving. It is always much better when I wake in the morning, but as the day progresses, my vision gets progressively more obscured. I can now read big print, however. Progress.

Disco Report: It started tonight at 7:30 and shut down at 2 AM.

El Botanero

2006-04-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of Fridays ago we went to a botanero with Fernando. At one of these establishments, you order your drinks -- in this case, beer, and with the beer come botanos or snacks. There are several styles of botaneros, or social clubs. There are the clubs for men only; where ladies with painted-on clothing serve your drinks and food, and whatever else you may be in the mood for. There are those that admit women on certain days or only during certain hours. Then there are the botaneros familia, or family style. These are the clubs that are "suitable" for families, with friendly middle-aged women as the waitresses, strolling mariachi musicians (40 pesos a song, or $3.75), a jukebox and a generally mild atmosphere. It was to the latter style that we went, La Colimilla. The is a botanero that Feernando and Chouy take friends and family frequently. This joint is located on the main road into Manzanillo, so trucks and traffic roar by constantly, but the spirit of the place is quite celebratory and everyone is there to have both a good time and some good food. This particular place is fish only, which included a pulpo cocktail (octopus), a big platter of ceviche, then two types of deep-fried whole fish, one of which was small snapper. For the salad, there was sliced cucumber and jicama. And plenty of beer.

As for the mariaches, there was a band of four elderly gents who played the standards only slightly out of tune. I asked for "El Niño Perdido" (the Lost Child), a gorgeous piece that features the trumpet off in the distance. Well, that was taxing their repertoire. After they finished their selections at our table, the violinist told Fernando that while he knew it, the trumpeter, alas, did not. And if and if the trumpeter doesn't know it, it doesn't get played.

Botaneros play a big part in Mexican social life. There is a very famous establishment in Manzanillio called El Bar Social, located on a corner of what used to be the downtown square by the sea. It has pigeon-specked windows, frosted glass, and a heavy curtain over the doorway that gives one the impression that this was a private enterprise. Inside, there are gentlemen of a certain class -- middle to upper -- sitting enjoying an afternoon of checkers, conversation, cigars and drink with their friends and acquaintances. They were usually dressed in black trousers and sparkling white guayabea shirts, the formal dress of Mexican men of a certain age, along with their Panama hats. It is all very civilized. I understand that in recent years it has been "cleaned up" and that women are now allowed in. Sic transit gloria.

In La Colimilla, however, it was all modern and au courant. Most o f the gents there were working men in jeans, T-shirts and baseball caps. Something has been lost.

Coconuts for Josefina

2006-03-14T16:51:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow we take off for a few days of R & R in Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque. This will include staying at our favorite B&B, the Casa de las Flores, owned by a fellow from Davis. We will do some smart shopping in Tonalá, a little suburb of Guadalajara that turns into one giant market on Thursdays and Sundays. If you want ANYTHING for your Mexican (or US) house, and you can carry it away, you'll find it here.

This trip will also include a visit to the bank to pay our annual fees for the house. This is where the coconuts come in. As you may recall we are purchasing the vacant lot next door. We have been at this since December 8th, when we made our first visit to a lawyer who, we were led to believe, knew all about buying and selling property to gringos. I don't know how we could have been so misled, but there it is. We were all set to take care of the new lot's fees when we found out that several more steps that we had not been told about must be completed before we can claim ownership. So tomorrow morning not only are we going but Fernando is coming with us as the mensajero or courier for the lawyer. He is to deliver a stack of papers to the bank to be signed by the bank's lawyer, then returned to our "lawyer" in Tecoman. But before any of that can be done, a sizeable amount of money must be paid to the bank. And before that can be done, we need to get to the bank. All of this must be completed before noon tomorrow, the hour of the appointment for the signing of the final papers. We are in Cuyutlán, about a 3-hour drive away when the roads are clear; at last report, there had been a rockslide and a portion of the 2-lane road is down to one lane with long waits between directions. As for the coconuts, they are allegedly for the bank officer who handles our account. She (Josefina) asked the lawyer here to send up some coconuts with the mensajaro. Fernando will go out and scout some up, toss them in a bag and add them to our luggage.

In any event, tomorrow morning at 7:30 we will take off on what may end up being a complete folly. Or, who knows? We may actually own the lot by the time this little holiday is over! I can't wait for the scene when we walk into that mausoleum of a bank hauling a bag of coconuts. The lobby is always bristling with heavily armed guards. This will give them pause.

A Day to Celebrate

2006-03-11T19:23:00.000-08:00

Today is the birthday of our adored granddaughter Emily, who celebrates her 12th year. Happy birthday, dear Emily. We celebrate you, not only today but every day.

Today is the day we put Andrew on the plane in Colima to return to the care and custody of his parents. That is not what we celebrate. Instead, it is the privilege and distinct pleasure of having had him here for almost a week. Far too short. He is now 17 and is a young man of great charm, humor and gentleness. It was lovely to spend some time with him beyond the reach of the stresses of school and the pressures of family.

I am also celebrating the fact that the troublesome eye problem I have been having for about two months seems to have been solved by the laser jockey I saw up in Colima last week. In the end, I was unable to read. His partial diagnosis was that the implanted lens had become obscured and he could fix it with a few zaps. He did, and I am now happily reading the small print on the back of labels and the wonderful tale Blue Latitudes. This is a marvelous book that I recommend highly.

And of course, I celebrate being here, enjoying the reliable pleasure of Cuyutlán.

The Primaveras and the Bauhaus Baños

2006-03-05T10:35:00.000-08:00

First, the primaveras
The primavera trees are coming into bloom throughout the area. For most of the year they are scraggly, awkward-looking trees with nondescript foliage and a rather ugly shape. But for about a month at this time of the year they are decked out in large, dazzlingly bright yellow or pink blossoms . There is an entire avenue of these golden beauties between here and Armeria on the old highway road, and also scattered throughout the town. This is also the time of year when the jacaranda start to bloom, showing that indescribable purple3-blue color in a glorious halo. I think there is one primavera here; we may be too close to the salt air for them to thrive. After about 10 days, the petals will start to fall and by the end of their show the ground is a solid bright yellow or pale pink pool around the base of the tree. It's quite a show.

Second, the Bauhaus Baño
This imposing edifice, also known as the Taj Ma-baño, is being constructed a couple of blocks away to accommodate the needs of day-trippers, campers, and other beach denizens. Sufficient public facilities has been an ever-pressing problem here, especially at Easter when the population of Cuyutlán swells from 2500 to about 15,000. And there are only about 300 hotel rooms to be had in the entire place. Hotels and restaurants discourage "public" use if their facilities. To handle the problem, the city decided that what was needed was a really elaborate public baño right on the beach. The building looks a bit like a miniature Guggenheim Museum. I don't kn ow whether this is free or a "pay-as-you-go" operation. It will be interesting to note how popular it is with the vacationing crowds.

Cat update Three of the four females have now been fixed. We have not yet been able to catch the fourth kitten. The vet prescribed some knowk-out drops to aid in catching them, both the ones that need to go back to get stitches out and the elusive one. But at least three of them have been "done."

Andrew arrives tomorrow for an all-too-brief visit. However, five days are better than none!

Monday in Cuyutlán

2006-02-27T21:30:00.000-08:00

If it's Monday, it's tiages.

But even before the market we had the mosquito spray trucks. I heard them at about 6 AM this morning, driving slowly up our street with the spray mechanism covering the ground and bushes by the side of the road. I heard later that they actually started last night, worked around the area all night, and ended sometime late this morning. Of course, this is after the high season for mosquitoes. Better late than never.

But back to the market. The hot items in the market this morning were papayas for 5 pesos (45 cents) a kilo, pineapples for 3 pesos each, and someone selling crayfish for 70 pesos a kilo, or less than $3.50 a pound for big, fat crayfish. Unfortunately, I didn't think to buy some and pop them in the freezer for later enjoyment. Perhaps she will be there next week?

And if it's Monday, it's library day for me. It was, as usual, quiet and peaceful. I got a little needlework done, read a bit of my reading group book, Blue Horizon by Tony Horwitz, the story of Captain Cook's journey. I had a couple of browsers and then it was time to lock up and go home. Tomorrow is another day for the lovely Las Palmas library.

A lovely evening with friends last night. Their home is at the very end of the colonia, as of now the last house built out on the south end of the beach. We sat around the table discussing Mexican politics -- now there's a labarynthine subject if you've ever heard one. Good food, good fellowship. Sunday evening in Cuyutlán.

El Horno de Maria

2006-02-26T11:28:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a wonderful dinner cooked in the beehive-style Mexican oven that Fernando built on Marie's terraza. It is fired with coconut husks and gets fiercely hot. After a couple of hours it is cool enough for cooking. Then things slow roast and simmer to perfection. Big hunks of swordfish bubbled in a sauce made with beer, onions, garlic, tomatoes and a few spices. That along with roasted veggies, foccacia and wine. A little bit of heaven.

The cats have returned from the vet's, sadder but wiser. Next week they go back to have stitches taken out. In addition, somehow we have to catch the other feral kitten who will go, along with Cleo, for "the treatment."

Cat Update

2006-02-24T20:57:00.000-08:00

Two of the four female cats went off to the vet's this afternoon for their "spa-y day" appointment. They'll come back new cats! We could catch only one of the kittens; the other would not be lured out of hiding, even by tasty sardine treats. We'll try for the remaining two next week, including Cleo who has already brought five or six litters into the world. Won't she be relieved!

Four of us went into El Paraiso for breakfast at YuYo's this morning. This little seaside shack sits right on the beach with a fantastic view of the sparkling Pacific. A lovely way to start the day.

The Pause that Refreshes

2006-02-23T20:46:00.000-08:00

I was asked tonight by a Blog reader what had happened to my scribblings. It has been about two weeks since I have posted anything. I guess the Muse has deserted me, has gone somewhere else to enjoy the glorious days and spectacular sunsets. So I am preparing this without her help. It may be, perhaps, that I have become infected by the Cuyutlán blahs, a particularly virulent form of malaise with symptoms of extreme lassitude combined with manaña-ism and an endless search for the most comfortable perch for siesta. But at the urging of a frequent reader I have roused myself long enough to bring you up to date.

The most important milestone of the last two weeks, in fact, of the last two months, is that we finally signed the purchase papers on the lot next door. We made several trips to the lawyer's office, had many phone calls between us and the lawyer, between us and Fernando, us and Roy, who is acting with the Power of Attorney for the seller, and countless calls between Fernando and the lawyer and the lawyer and the bank in Guadalajara. The phone bill itself is almost more than the price of the lot. But finally, after overcoming totally unforeseen obstacles, we arrived at the lawyer's office on Wednesday at 10 AM ready to sign. The purchase document, called a feidecomissario includes the entire history of this piece of land; the original owners, to whom they sold it, the subsequent owners by name and nationality, the dates of both sale and secession and on and on for about 70 legal-sized pages, each one stamped and signed. We arrive, sit down, have about a 20 session of chitchat, and get down to business. The lawyer picks up this pile of papers and starts reading. I thought, "He's going to read the entire bloody document to us, all in Spanish, and it's going to take a couple of hours!" .In truth, he read about half of it in half an hour. We paid various fees and taxes (even though we paid LESS for it than did the previous owner. Go figure.) signed, shook hands and left. We started this process on about December 7th.l Two and a half months later it's (almost) ours. We still have to get all the papers to the bank, get the feidecomissarioregistered at some state office in Colima and pick up the final papers at the bank in Guadalajara when we go up for a few days next month. This whole process was like something out of Kafka or Dickens (viz. Bleak House), and I think we've made our last land speculation in Mexico! All of that so that nobody can build a big house next to us and cut off our view and our breezes.

NEWS IN BRIEF
The biblioteca is now open six days a week to the delight of eager readers. True, most of the patrons are the regular residents, with a few browsers here and there. But it's nice to have it open for business.

Jack's female cats go to the vet tomorrow to be spayed. Over the past months he has wound up with seven cats. Enough. The 4-month old kittens go tomorrow; the two dowagers go Monday. The two male kittens and their older brother will probably get off the hook!

The Mexican Train Domino group continues its killer schedule at the Marie Victoria Hotel every Wednesday night. From 5 PM to 8 PM, conversation is at a minimum as the click and snap of the tiles hints at the fierce competition around the tables. I won last week. And the week before. Milagro!

Andrew arrives in a week. All is in readiness for his stay.

Daughter Alexandra celebrated her birthday today. Happy Birthday dear Alex!

PS: Nelson, this one's for you!

Sunday at the Beach

2006-02-05T15:31:00.000-08:00

As we say, "Every day is different here."

Today is crystal clear, breezy, very warm . . . a perfect Cuyutlán day This is a puente weekend, meaning that there is a national holiday of some sort that fell on Thursday, so everyone gets an extra "bridge" day off. That was Friday, the "bridge" to the weekend. There are many families here for the long weekend; the puestos are all in full swing, the hotels are busy, the beaches are crowded. The trinket sellers are all over the place, vending hammocks, beaded bags, jewelry, pots, T-shirts -- you name it. Cuyutlán is a bustling place today. But tomorrow we will have it back to ourselves again. Cars will pull out tonight, the hotels will again be virtually empty, the umbrellas and tables will vanish from the beach, and what's left will be the gringos and the beach dogs who live for days off the visitors' refuse.

Tomorrow is the official opening of our English language library. We haven't yet scheduled the press opening. We will christen its debut with our book group meeting to talk about Dickens' Hard Times. In preparation we went this morning to give everything a final cleaning; it gets very dusty and gritty with the sand that blows in through the louver windows (that won't close, but we're working on it). It is now swept, mopped, dusted and ready for readers. This project has taken us three years to get to this point and we all take great satisfaction if finally having our own space. All donations (cash or kind) cheerfully accepted! You've heard of junkyard dogs? We seem to have two "library dogs" who call it home. They get into the building by squeezing through a space left by some missing glass louvers into the foyer where they sleep. I have named them Dewey and Marion.

Friday was my dear sister Vicky's birthday. Happy Birthday Vicky. She's feeling much improved, thanks.

Along the Malecon

2006-01-30T20:14:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I took a walk along the malecon, the walkway that runs along the ocean front and beach. The weather has been overcast and humid for the last couple of days, only adding to the oppressive atmosphere. The puestos were shut up for the most part, the chairs and tables collapsed and piled up and roped together, the umbrellas furled and tied close. The sidewalk was deserted, the hotel verandas empty, the houses shut tight. Palm trees planted by the town have been sadly neglected and are in desperate need of trimming and of having their coconuts harvested. Garden walls of the houses along the way are chipped and cracked, a combination of usual disintegration and the earthquake of 2003. There are benches and cement seating areas along the malecon that are in dire need of paint and repair. The whole place had an eerie sense of total abandonment; even the beach dogs were not in evidence. Nobody was swimming in the ocean, nobody on the beach, nobody on the walkways. It was very still, the feeling before a big storm, but there were no clouds and no wind. It was a perfect setting for a indy movie about some 3rd rate seedy, dilapidated, deserted Mexican beach town sweltering under a tropical sun, waiting for something to happen.

Like a South-of-the-border "High Noon."

Like Cuyutlán.

La Biblioteca

2006-01-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

Three years ago a group of avid reading gringas decided to start a library. The prime mover and shaker is a woman who was a professional librarian and embarked on the same task in Ajijic, a gringo-centrist town on Lake Chapala, near Guadalajara. Our original location was in the back of the internet café. We had no roof over our books, rusty, rickety shelves to house our collection of rather pathetic paperbacks, which numbered about 100. We distributed flyers to all the local hotels telling their guests that we were open for business and welcomed readers.

By the second year of operations we had about 500 books in our collection. Before we all went home in May we had pulled the shelves away from the walls and draped them with big tarps to shield them from the rain. The books had weathered the summer storms pretty well. During our second year in the internet café back room we signed up more members, collected more books, kept regular hours, and were generally pretty satisfied with our progress.

Then in September we learned that the owner of the internet café was moving his business to another location and the new tenant wanted all the space for storage for his shop. We had to get out before Christmas. A couple of our intrepid founders shopped around town, talked to La Presidenta, the elected "city councilwoman" for Cuyutlán, who suggested we might use half of the already-extant Municipal Library. The building has two large rooms, one of which is now a Spanish language library, a kitchen, two baños, and a large, airy foyer. After careful inspection by all of us, we decided it was a great deal and agreed to move. We bought paint and hired a guy to paint everything, got the space cleaned up, replaced broken windows, bought $400 US worth of bookshelves, boxed up all the books and loaded them in cars and took them to their new home. Now, after about three weeks of cleaning, cataloging and shelving books, we are almost ready for our grand opening. We now have well over 1000 books neatly cataloged and shelved a nice reading area, tables and chairs, a solid roof over our heads and a moderately organized staffing plan. It's amazing what 6 or 7 determined, hard-working gringas can do.

Today is our 42nd wedding anniversary. Amazing.

And as a side dish . . .

2006-01-22T20:45:00.000-08:00

We are back in Cuyutlán after 10 days away to San Miguel de Allende and Patzcuaro. Weather there warm and lovely during the day, very cold at night. Especially in Patzcuaro where there was no heat in the hotel, the walls were thick adobe which never get warm in the winter but stay cool in the summer. But this is winter, so . . .

This is the third anniversary of the severe earthquake that hit our village, all the towns around us, and the capital city of Colima. There was enormous damage, especially to the historic areas of Colima where the original adobe buildings were located. Cuyutlan also suffered much admage from which it has not yet recovered.

Tonight being Sunday, dinner comes from the vendors up at the jardin. As usual, it is five or six tacitos, some beans, a bit of salad and a grilled onion. At this particular wagon, our favorite, Mama is cooking, sister is putting the take-away plates together, and the younger brother, about 14 or so, is sitting behind the wagon, being generally 14 and bored. The wagon has florescent lights over the cooking area, which is a big wok-style cooking pan in which the meat and the onions are deep-fried. There are some sort of large bugs swarming around the lights. The kid picks up one of the Styrofoam plates, swats at a bug, and tosses it into the bubbling fat. Mama lets it sizzle a moment, then fishes it out and puts it up on the edge of the cooking pot. He does it a couple more times. So does she. What happens to these tasty, toasty morsels I do not want to know.

Buen provecho!

In San Miguel

2006-01-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

Overheard at the Instituto de Allende Arts and Crafts Fair this afternoon:

She: What kind of art do you like?

He: I like art I can understand easily.

She: Hummmmm. Well, good luck.

From San Miguel de Allende

2006-01-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Drive here long -- 400 miles in 8 hours -- and fairly boring, but there were some high spots. Acres and acres (or rather hectares and hectares) of agave plants, soon to become tequila. The plants are a dusty blue-grey color, and from a distance they appear to be a beautiful lake. They will soon be a lake of booze.

Apartment is lovely, in a good location, very comfortable. Weather perfect; warm and sunny in the daytime, clear and cold at night. There is more English heard here than Spanish. But the town still has a lovely colonial look, with houses all painted a different color, lovely gardens behind plain streetfronts, ankle-twisting cobblestone streets, sidewalks about 18¨wide. A shoppiing mecca. This internet cafe is the same one I used the last time I was here, two years ago. Remarkable longevity! And I am now off to the fish taco stand for lunch, same place as in the past.

Hasta Luego

2006-01-10T18:45:00.000-08:00

Mañana we take off for San Miguel de Allende in the cool (cold?) mountains of the state of Guanajuato. It should take us about 6 hours +/- to get there. We have rented an apartment for a week. There is always lots to see and do in San Miguel; galleries, concerts every night at one place or another, good restaurants, and wonderful streets for walking and looking and, at times, buying. Part of the reason for going is to take a side trip to Delores Hidalgo, headquarters for the BEST tile and talavera shops around. We will also go to Guanajuato, a wonderful old colonial city perched up on hills. The main roads in this beautiful city are underground in the old network of aqueducts. Driving through the city is a real challenge; once you get in there, how to you get out? There is also a mummy museum. There is some chemical in the soil that mummifies bodies when buried. At the time of a huge earthquake, hundreds of long-buried and perfectly preserved bodies were heaved up from their burial sites. What to do, what to do? How about a museum? So these bodies were sealed in glass crypts and are now on display. This is NOT my favorite museum.

Then it will be on to Patzcuaro, headquarters for the BEST fabrics in the area. There are small villages around the area that have beautiful crafts, including wood carving and pottery.

I will try to keep this site up to date on the happenings during this little trip. I will be dependent on the local cybercafes, of which there were many the last time I was there.

The Cuyutlán reading group discussed The Vicar of Wakefield today, and opinions were all over the map. Some liked it, some didn't. But no matter, it is always a valuable and welcome exercise to talk about what we read. Next book: Hard Times on January 30. That should be a good one!

News from the Sick Room: the patient is much improved.

I am starting the search for the perfect apartment in Florence for next fall. Any ideas or suggestions?

14th Night

2006-01-08T17:02:00.000-08:00

Or, 12th Night plus two.

On 12th Night, also called Dia de los Reyes and Dia de los Niños, we had a wonderful party up on the 3rd floor. Eighteen of us watched the sunset, battled the mosquitoes for about a half hour until they moved on, then sat down to a lovely dinner prepared by both the resident chefs and the assembled guests. (I don't know the word for "potluck" in Spanish.) It was great fun to all be together after a couple of weeks of pauses between parties. The evening was wonderfully mild with not much breeze. The sky was very clear and we have about a half-moon. Full moon is not expected for another week or so; we'll have one in San Miguel.

Today, Sunday, we went down to a party with an absolutely delightful Canadian pair for a ping-pong fest. We ended up drinking a lot of wine, eating some delicious bocas, and talking about politics, both American and Canadian. A lovely, lazy way to spend the day.

News from the medical front: Vicky is home from the hospital after 20 days. She is very weak, but very happy to be out of confinement. It will take a while to get her back into fighting trim, but that WILL happen. Stay tuned.

Since it's Sunday, it's tacitos at the square for dinner. Tomorrow, since it will be Monday, it'stinages. So goes life here at the beach.

Into the Breach

2006-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

Well actually, into the ditch. Yes, I drove the car into a ditch. Not really a ditch, but off the road into rubble and sand. I was paying a visit to friends who live w-a-y out in the Colonia, almost at the end of the road. I got in the car to come home, was making a U-turn, sneezed and couldn't find the brake and just rolled across the road, off the tarmac, through a low pile of construction rubble and into the sand. Now what? I threw it into reverse and gave it a go, but only succeeded in spinning my wheels. So I got out of the car, went pack to our friends' house with my tale of woe. No problem! Chris has a 4-wheel drive and would attach a rope and pull me out. So he and his wife, Robbie, got in their car, Chris tied the two cars together and attempted to pull me back onto to road. The rope broke.

Pretty soon a pick-up truck with two adults, one teenager and two younger boys pulled off to the side, hopped out and were ready to help. One of the adults spoke perfect English. Always a help, especially as Chris is Dutch and doesn't speak much Spanish and I had forgotten the word for chain (it's cadena). Chris found another rope and attached the two cars. The fellows went through the rubble under my car and found some bricks and other smooth-sided cement pieces and put them under the front tires. The two younger boys sat in the back of the van for ballast. With the three men in front, Robbie driving, Chris directing, and a couple of false starts, the van finally was pushed/pulled out of the sand and back onto the road, with no apparent damage to either car or people. This is the second time we have been rescued by Good Samaratins who are so kind, so helpful. I think it may have something to do with the fact that they break down so often they just reach out to other road casualties.

Hospital report from last night was that Vic was still unable to eat as she is constantly nauseous. Nobody can figure this out; not the cardiologist, not the nephrologist, not the endocrinologist. No "ologist" they can come up with can diagnose this. So the next one with be a gastroentorologist. All of her "numbers" are good; blood pressure, blood glucose, heart rate, pulse, oxygenation. I will call again tonight to see if any progress has been made.

Who came over to see us? First was Jose, the carpenter who is making a new door for the wall between our back garden and the lot next door (which will soon be ours). The door is beautiful; not it just has to be hung.

The second was Fernando with two fish he had caught. I think he got tired of driving the taxi, had a cold, so went to Manzanillo to fish with his brother. I gave one away, the other I am cooking for dinner. Recipe? Take a whole fish . . .

El Afilador

2006-01-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

This morning the knife sharpener came through town, ringing his cow bell to announce that he was here to sharpen knives, scissors, machetes, any other tools or implements that need a honed edge. He rides on his three-wheeled bicycle with his big basket in back carrying his pedal-driven whetstone. You gather up all your dull knives, etc., carry them out to him and he grinds the edges to a fine sharpness. All this for about 10 pesos, or 95 cents. Of course, a machete is more. I think this is the same chap who has been doing this for 15 years. Same bell, same bicycle, same whetstone.

Not many shoppers at the tianges this morning. Gorgeous, ripe, juicy strawberries and avocados down to about 20 cents each.

We have been here for one month today. Four more to enjoy.

It's a New Year

2006-01-01T17:05:00.000-08:00

We walked into town last night for dinner at the latest restaurant incarnation; a combo eatery and furniture shop. Very good food; better tasting than the sofas are looking. Then we walked the malecon to check out the hotels and the party-goers. Actually not much action at that time -- about 8 o'clock -- but things would get livelier as the even wore on. Like a couple of dottering old seniors, we were in bed by 10 PM.

Around midnight our phone rang and a jolly celebrating woman was only too eager to chat me up until I asked who she was. There was a long pause. I could hear the laughter and music in the background. I don't know how to say, "Sorry, wrong number" in Spanish, so I just hung up. The revellers on the next street over (there is one other house on our street) finally pitched it in about 5 AM this morning. It was a fine party. We all heard it. Actually some great singing and nice dance music. We think they were celebrating in town earlier, things got quiet there so they all removed to their home. I saw a couple of them late this morning, looking a bit tired and hung over.

Today the village is jumping with both weekenders and day-trippers. Lots of cars parked all over the place, mostly haphazardly, stacked three and four deep. As usual, several car alarms have gone off while the owners are frolicking on the beach, oblivious to the noise. The ice cream vendor has been driving his truck all over town all day, playing the same jingle over and over, touting his wares in a flat, monotonous voice. This same wagon has been driving around here for as long as I've been coming--about 15 years. Same jingle. Same spiel.

Since it's Sunday that means tacitos from the stand up in the jardin. Six little pork tacitos, beans, radishes, grilled onions, all for 25 pesos (about $2.30). That and a cold Indio will bring you a little bit of heaven.

Prospero Año

2005-12-31T14:57:00.000-08:00

It seems impossible that it is time to ring in yet another year. The older I get the faster the time passes. Cuyutlán is enjoying beautiful weather, big, high seas, and lots of visitors, mostly day-trippers. Bug busses come rolling in early in the morning carrying families with lots of kids. They drag their beach chairs, coolers, umbrellas, and Grandma down to the sand where they set up housekeeping for the day. This is not a particularly good beach for swimming; there is a very strong rip tide and a very shallow drop off. But the kids play in the shallow surf, the adults eat and drink, and everyone has a fine time. Then about 5:30, everyone packs up, trudges back to the bus, and heads for home. This routine has been going on during this week between Christmas and New Year's Day. Tomorrow will be the end of it. Next big influx, Easter. But that isn't until April 16th so we have our town back to ourselves for awhile.

There will be several parties in town tonight. Usually what happens is that you pay to reserve a table at one of the hotels and pay for a bottle of some kind of liquor, and the mixes are provided. There is usually live music and dancing, and it goes on until 2- or 3 o'clock. Again this year we probably won't make it! Instead we will mosey up to the center of town for dinner, stroll the malecon, and call it a night.

Report from the ICU is that things continue to improve. Good news.

Last night I cooked Pescado Veracruzano. Here's how you make it. First, take a whole fish . . . .

Happy New Year to all.

Las Ballenas

2005-12-29T18:52:00.000-08:00

The whales were passing by this evening, spouting and breeching right off the beach in front of the house. There were three or four of them, having a high time on their way South, big, black beauties glistening in the setting sun. Beautiful.

My sister is still in the ICU but getting better, according to my niece. I am about to call and check. Yes, she is indeed improving. My daughter Alex is there; she will see to it that things are done properly!

El Electricista

2005-12-28T17:55:00.000-08:00

When Roy built this house he had it wired in an almost impenetrable pattern. There must be, beneath the cement, a web of wires crossing and re-crossing, up and down three flights. Every now and then it all goes ker-flooy and we are left trying to decipher which circuit breaker pertains to which set of lights or electrical outlets. Well, it has happened again. One of the lights on the first floorterrazo has gone out. Those lights are on breaker #5, according to Roy's list. After several attempts by both Jim and Fernando to locate the problem, including Fernando blowing a circuit, it was decided that an electrisista must be called. Because it appears that the downstairs switch is wired into both circuit #5 and #1. We are now awaiting the arrival of the gentleman who, almost a year ago, had to come in and do a great deal of rewiring. This was done so that when Fernando was painting the wall around the house he didn't get a shock, or when Jim turned on the hose bib in the back of the house he didn't get zapped. As I said, the wiring is a maze of some madman's design.

My sister Vicky is in the hospital in San Diego. She has paid her annual visit to the emergency room and is spending her usual 10 days or so there. She was on the mend, I thought, but the latest news is not good. She is now in ICU. I will report as I get more information.

Monday at the Tianges

2005-12-26T18:26:00.000-08:00

When I approached my favorite vegetable stall this morning, I spotted a big box of beautiful, firm rodondo zucchini squash. I smiled and raised my eyes. The stall owner was looking at me with a big smile on his face.

"Todo son para ti," he said. "All for you!"

So I bought about a kilo and am looking forward to eating them.

Other goodies in today's market included beautiful cauloflower, shiny juice oranges, large and fragrant pineapples, and big Haas avocados. No strawberries today. The jicama is coming in and is sweet and tender, with pale beige skins, not the woody brown ones that indicate toughness. The garlic lady had the big purple heads of garlic, what I think we call "Elephant Garlic." No plants today.

But a good market, all in all.

Feliz Navidad

2005-12-26T03:02:00.000-08:00

On this beautiful Christmas Day we started with a delicious brunch on the terrazo: papaya grown in Chuy and Fernando's garden, chiliquillas, and the first beer of the day. A wonderful way to celebrate. This was followed by a day spent mostly reading. At 5 o'clock, friend dropped over for a Christmas Day supper provided by the two Canadian women who lived in our house last year. They are both wonderful cooks and this time whipped up a fabulous Asian meal. We sat around on the third floor watching the sunset (not much; too much fog), drinking wine and eating goodies.

One year ago we were in Barcelona, Spain. It was very cold, but sunny and clear. The bells of the cathedral, about 20 yards from our apartment, rang early in the morning and then several times during the day. There were crowds of people wandering through Cathedral Square. I remember that we went out for a walk in the afternoon, down Las Rambles to see the decorations. And here we are this year in the warm, balmy Mexican winter, in a tiny little village that has few people and fewer decorations. What a difference a year makes.

Our revels now are ended. It was a lovely Christmas Day spent with friends in a glorious tropical setting, with phone calls from family. What more could one ask for?

"The Shepherd"

2005-12-24T21:54:00.000-08:00

Our contact with the First World is mainly via short wave radio at the VOA, sometimes the BBC, and every night on the CBC. Week nights at six o'clock the news (the Canadian version) comes on. Then at 6:30 we hear a wonderful program called "As It Happens". This program has been on for more than thirty years. The original hosts were Alan Maitland and Elizabeth Gray. Then the duties fell to Mary Lou Finley and Barbara Budd. Mary Lou recently retired so the probram is now hosted by Budd and a rotating guest host; permanent replacement yet to be found. Every year on Christmas Eve they broadcast Frederick Forsyth's short story "The Shepherd", "acted" by the late Alan Maitland. I say "acted" because he does much more than simply read this beautiful story. It is one of the most magical, mysterious Christmas stories ever, ranking right along with O'Henry's "The Gift of the Magi". If you have never read it or heard ut read, I encourage you.

In the meantime, it is Christmas Eve, the surf is pounding, the sky is clear, the bugs have all gone somewhere else, and it is a calm and peaceful night. Happy Christmas to all, and to all a Goodnight.

El Chivo

2005-12-23T15:30:00.000-08:00

The big excitement this afternoon was the goat that got loose and was tearing around town, most probably trying to escape its inevitable fate of becoming birria, a delicious goat stew. This beautiful animal jumped out of a truck and took off headed for the beach. He was being hotly pursued by his owner and possibly by the chef. He then circled around, came back up the street, cut across one lot and headed for our house. He was, however, corralled soon thereafter, returned to the truck, and driven away. Sic transit gloria.

Meanwhile, Christmas is fast approaching. The flower shop was out of almost everything by the time I got there this morning. I'll go back tomorrow, early, as instructed. There are many stalls out on the streets of Armeria, selling clothes, hand-painted dishes and cups, CDs and DVDs, all copies, plus the usual things we might think of as "stocking stuffers." The only thing missing is a Santa Claus!

Nothing to eat in the larder. I guess it's up to town for sopitas (miniature tostadas), 6 for 20 pesos ($1.90) and beer. Tomorrow night is a local couple's annual Christmas Eve party so let's go light on the carbs tonight and plan to feast tomorrow.

Noche Buenas Redux

2005-12-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

My friend Carolyn told me that when she had been in Tecoman (next LARGE town) on Wednesday she had passed by a big vivero that had poinsettia's by the hundreds. So this morning we took off to seek such a Mother Lode. She was armed with a map and explicit directions. Alas, we could not find the one she had seen, but we found another with, indeed, hundreds of beautiful plants ready for the taking. We went up this one-way street, down that one-way street, and finally found the entrance. I bought a carload of these little red beauties. Our house is now filled with color. Christmas has arrived.

What else arrived today was the first taste of taleras, a soft, white-dough bread that is like an English Muffin, but not quite. The usual bread we get here is the bollio, also a white dough bread, shaped like a small French roll, but not sourdough. The talera is made from the same dough but is round and not crisp on the outside. They are rather hard to find and their quality varies widely. The best are from the big open market in Manzanillo. We can order them here from Baby (the proprietress of the best abarrotes in town but it's always chancy whether we will actually get them. Jack is going to Manzanillo tomorrow to conduct business and will stop at the market to get all that are available. We just might get enough to see us out.

Noche Buenas

2005-12-21T19:18:00.000-08:00

I went searching for these beautiful red plants today to decorate the house. Four viveros later, I gave up and came home dragging along about half a dozen of the most pathetic specimens imaginable. Two years ago they were in every market and garden spot around. Feast or famine.

Wednesday is Mexican Train Dominoes night. Great fun.

The pelicans and other shore birds have been very plentiful this year. We see flocks of brown pelicans skimming over the waves, then suddenly making a corkscrew turn and diving into the water. There are also white herons, lots of gulls, egrets, and other tiny, scurrying birds at the water's edge. The waters must be healthy and full of fish to support the birds. When not flying around they float on the waves like wooden decoys, bobbing up and down. Whales and porpoise have been sighted just off shore here. This coastline is right in their migration pattern but they usually are here earlier.

Last Autumnal Sunset

2005-12-20T20:30:00.000-08:00

The sunset tonight was as far south as it gets, right over the house on the malecon where the Nativity Scene is laid out on the front lawn. This set-up comes complete with a flashing shooting star, the Virgin of Guadalupe, wreathed in flashing red lights overseeing the whole thing, diminutive figurines of Mary, Joseph, the Magi, angels, camels, sheep, cows, and a life-sized Baby Jesus who arrives in the manger on Christmas Eve. Starting tomorrow night, the sun will gradually move north, and by the time we leave will be setting over the El Buc Hotel, at least as seen from our third floor terrace. Between now and then, much will transpire, I'm sure.

This afternoon we set up the (electric) luminarios that go up the stairs from the first to the third floors. They look so pretty at night. Tomorrow I will go to Tecoman to the vivero to buy the Noche Buenas (poinsettas) to fill the house and put up the stairways. The house always looks so festive at Christmas. We put the lights up around the palapa as soon as we got here. Place looks like a nightclub!

Today was also the last day of school for kids here. The candle-lit Posada processions through town begin tomorrow night and will continue through Saturday. The children sing the traditional Posada songs, come to your door, knock and ask if there is room for Mary and Joseph. My first impulse is to say, "Sure. Come on in!" But instead, you say no and give them coins or candy, and they move on. You can hear these sweet, high voices as they approach, then a lot of giggling and urging by the parents with them, the giving of the treats, and then their little voices as they call out their "Gracias" and move on and begin singing. I love this tradition, one I first learned about when at school. The Spanish Club put on the Posada every year and I remember how beautiful it was then and is now.

¡Buen Provecho!

2005-12-19T17:10:00.000-08:00

Monday is market day in Armeria, the next little town. One of the main streets is closed and vendors set up their stalls, selling everything from toilet paper to large tools, food, clothes, plasticware of every description and for every use, shoes, underwear, artificial flowers, sewing and embroidery supplies, toys, watches, herbs, spices, beans, and of course, fruits and vegetables. There is also the chicken man, who sells ALL parts of the bird, and the shrimp lady who sits in the middle of the walkway with buckets of big, raw shrimp, fanning away the flies with a towel. Believe it or not, these are the best shrimp around: $10 pesos a kilo, or about $4.70 US a pound. There is also the plant man who sells beautiful flowers and other plants for the garden.

This morning's market had some gorgeous red strawberries, 50 cents a pound US; avocados, 5 for $1 (imagine!), and the banana man was back with his tables loaded with several different varieties including plantains, regular Chiquitas, and the tiny, intensely sweet kind that are sort of sticky and slimy (not my favorites). The tomatoes were not great, and there were no redondos, the little round zucchini that are so sweet. Juice oranges are just coming in and are still puckery and tart. Pineapples looked very good, but I already have one. No mangoes yet; too early. Ditto papayas that are fit to eat. The plant man had some beautiful bouganvillia in lovely colors; I bought one in salmon pink for $25 pesos ($2.25 US) to go in the back garden against the wall.

I decided to make Albóndigas for dinner since I already have some redondos from last week and some good fresh oregano from Jack's garden. I had to get onions, garlic, some tomatoes and some meat. I went to our local butcheress, Pina, to buy my ground beef and ground pork. I am glad to see she is still in business. She has the BEST pork tenderloin on earth. Really.

It's time to start cooking the local cuisine. This is basically meatballs, but not like your Mother used to make, unless she learned how in Mexico. Absolutely wonderful.

Albóndigas en Salsa de Jitomate y Chipotle
(Meatballs in Tomato and Chipotle Sauce)

3/4 lb. ground beef
3/4 lb. ground pork
2 small zucchini, chopped

2 eggs
1/4 t oregano (more if fresh, chopped)
8 peppercorns
3/4 t salt
1/4 t cumin
Small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 lbs. tomatoes
3 to 4 chiles chipotles en adobo sauce (canned)
3/4 cups chicken broth

Mix together meats and zucchini.

IN A BLENDER, blend eggs, oregano, peppercorns, salt, cumin, onion, garlic. Add to meat mixture, mix well. Set aside, covered, for several hours if you like.

SIMMER TOMATOES for about 5 minutes to loosen skin. Remove skin, chop coarsely.

IN A BLENDER, puree tomatoes and chipotle chiles. Set this sauce aside for several hours if you like.

TO COOK

Heat sauce in large flameproof dish on top of the stove. Bring to a boil and cook over high flame, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes to thicken. Reduce heat, add chicken broth and bring up to the simmer.

Form the meatballs, about 24 in number. When sauce is simmering, add meatballs. Cover and cook over low flame about 50 - 60 minutes until done. Zucchini will still be slightly firm.

Serve over rice or pasta. The sauce will be rich and spicy. Cold beer should temper the fire!

Chopin is on the CD, the rice is ready, the Albóndigas are done, the sunset is over, and it's time for dinner ¡Buen Provecho!

One more spin

2005-12-18T17:14:00.000-08:00

There was an article on the Web today (I admit, it was from that paragon of impartial reporting The Weekly Standard) about a threesome marriage in Holland. The gentleman married both ladies, the two ladies married eachother.

The garde has gotten alot more avant since I've been gone.

La Luna Llena

2005-12-16T18:39:00.000-08:00

Wherever you are, whomever you're with, whatever you're doing, stop and look at the full moon. Everyone on earth, no matter where, is seeing the same glorious light.

As Dave Garroway used to say in his sign-off, "I bid you Peace."

We Have Liftoff

2005-12-16T16:38:00.000-08:00

Four days, 185 miles, four phone calls, one FAX attempt, many emails, one sprained foot and $295 pesos later, the aforementioned document left Colima via DHL en route to the US and the Man at the Bank. Vaya con Dios.

To celebrate, I am having my first margarita of the season and listening to some funky ranchero music on an obscure AM station beaming out of Guadalajara, I would guess. Perhaps Colima. From 4 PM to 6 PM this station plays Mexican ballads, circa 1950-1960. From 6 PM to 8 PM its ranchero from several periods, some of it pretty old. Great music to drink by.

Its going to be a spectacular sunset tonight as we've had some clouds and overcast late in the day.

Did You Place Your Bet?

2005-12-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

If you bet "yes", meaning it would all work, YOU LOSE. If you bet "no", meaning another thousand monkeys would be thrown into the mix, YOU WIN. Here I sit, foot all swollen up, unabl to to get out of this fix. The cybercafe was unable to find much less open the document I sent, saying that no document or attachment had arrived. My "sent" file indicates the contrary. More monkeys at work.

But it is a new day and we are trying yet again. I have contacted othber folks here who have computers and printers. The first person I contacted is very knowledgeable about computers but, alas does not have her printer connected as she is expecting a new computer any day (more monkeys!), The second person I contacted has a computer connected to her printer but does not have Acrobat loaded up. The third person I contacted does not have her computer OR a printer hooked up. The fourth person -- by this time I am back with the cybercafe -- tells me he does have Acrobat on one of the café's computers and that I should call back after 4 PM when Justino is there. I have re-sent the document to him and we'll see what that gets me. Otherwise we wait until next week when he gets a new ink cartridge in the FAX machine.

NEWS FLASH! My friend Carolyn (the second person) downloaded Acrobat and printed out the forms. So tomorrow we are off to Colima very early to send the papers to the US. We will reward ourselves for getting through this mess with a lovely lunch at our favorite restaurant, Kronos, where they serve great crepes. I hope we never hear about any of this again.

To while away the time while the monkeys dance, I decided to watch a movie on my laptop. It appears that my Apple DVD Player has disappeared. I am thus reduced to reading Oliver Goldsmith's The Vicar of Wakefield. I read this book in about the 8th or 9th grade and loved it. I am finding it as charming, funny, silly and as full of "rules for good living" as it was then. Perhaps even more so, given some life experience. This is the second book on our reading group list. The first is "The Bridge at San Luis Rey" which I also read years ago and have found as wonderful and instructive as I did at its first reading.

And this is the end of only the second week. Twenty-one more weeks to go.

A Thousand Monkeys

2005-12-14T17:29:00.000-08:00

Here's the situation.

The bank in the US has some forms that must be signed, returned, and received by the IRS by December 31, 2005. Sounds easy enough. I receive an email from the bank saying it has sent the materials via FedEx, addressed to us in Cuyutlán. A day or so later I receive a call from a FedEx agent asking where we would like the materials delivered since they don't know where Cuyutlán is. I say "Colima." They say "OK. The package will be there on Monday." I don't press too hard even though I know Monday is a holiday as it is Virgin of Guadalupe Day.

I receive a call from our man at the bank asking if we received the package. I say that we will be going up to Colima to get it on Tuesday since Monday . . .etc..

Tuesday morning we are on the road to Colima by 8:45. By 9:30 we are trolling Avenida San Fernando looking for the FedEx office which I know is on that road since I had been there a couple of years ago to pick up a letter from my Mother. We can't locate it so pull into the parking spots for DHL. I inquire. I am told by an incredibly surly agent that the FedEx office is down the street on the other side of the main glorietta or roundabout. Nada. What I do find is the Western Union office. So I pop in there, ask the same question, "¿Donde esta el officina de FedEx?" and am told it is the other way, next to the Bancomer bank. Back we go and where do we end up?
At the DHL office. I try again and Mr. Charm tells me this time that there is no FedEx office in Colima. We will have to go to Guadalajara. Not a chance. That's about 3 1/2 hours driving time.

I call the bank when we get home and explain what has happened. Our man at the bank calls today and says he will send the papers by FAX, then we can send them back to him by post. I tell him I will get the number of the local FAX spot and call him. I remind him that by post it can take anywhere from one to four weeks. This means we are going to have to return to Colima, chat up Mr. Charm. I am not looking forward to this. However, this story is not over.

I go downtown and go to the cybercafe/FAX place. It has moved from a ground-floor location to an upstairs spot, reachable by one of those only-in-Mexico mountain goat stairways that go straight up with narrow stairs and high risers. I get the FAX number and, while coming down, miss a step and tear up the ligaments and muscles on the top of my left foot. Fortunately I do not sprain my ankle.

I make it home, call the bank, relay the FAX number, then wait. The bank calls to say the FAX number is not working. Well, if it is between 2 PM and 4 PM, the office is closed for comida and siesta. After 4 PM I call the internet. Yes, the FAX is now on and ready to receive. I call the bank. OK, they'll send.

Fifteen minutes later I get a call from Justino, who runs the cybercafe/FAX. Yes, a FAX came for us but his FAX machine is out of ink and it didn't print well enough to be legible. So here I am, propped up in bed with an ice pack on my foot because I fell down his stairs and he's calling with this news. But hey, what can I do. The bank had also sent these documents in Acrobat as an attachment, so I said to Justino that I would forward the documents to him, he will print them on a real printer with a real ink cartridge, and then call me.

It's been half an hour. Any bets?

It''s a Free Country

2005-12-13T17:52:00.000-08:00

Mexico. A free country. You are free to drive around in a pick up truck with your kids and dogs in the open bed. Your kids are free to throw trash out of the truck. You are free to burn trash on the street or in your yard any time of the day or night. You are free to park your truck on the street with the radio or CD player blasting at full throttle for as long as you want. You are free to charge as much as you can get for whatever you sell at the Tianges, whether the item is marked or not. You are free to tear down your house, leave the accumulated rubble in a huge pile in the middle of the road without the slightest concern that it will be an imposition on anyone's transport on your street. And you are free to build whatever you want, how ever many stories you want it, without a worry that some pesky building inspector or City Council is going to interfere and tell you that it is too close to your neighbor, too intrusive and not in keeping with the "style" of the area, and doesn't conform to the building codes and regulations of the town.

You are free to have a religious parade through town without worrying that the ACLU is going to be on your case. You can have shrines and altars to the Virgin of Guadalupe on public property, in the street, in public restaurants without offending anyone. In fact, she gets her own holiday when banks, public businesses, the civic life of Mexico comes to a halt, and to my knowledge, nobody objects.

As I said, it's a free country.

Every Day is Different

2005-12-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

When we got here a week ago the weather was gorgeous; warm, sunny, lovely balmy breezes. For the last two days it has been like a Southern California July; cool, cloudy, slightly humid. Not swimming weather. Blanket-at-night weather. But this too will change and we will be back to the relentless perfect days.

Three years ago several of us decided that what this town needed was an English language library. We arranged with the internet owner to use his back space to set up our bookshelves, catalog our books, and open for business. This place had several advantages; it was on the main street, close to hotels, and was free for us to use. The great disadvantage was that it had only half a roof. We invested in some big plastic tarps that we had to throw over the shelves whenever it rained, as it does occasionally during these winter months. We started out with about fifty books. Gradually we accumulated more and more donations until we now have over 1000 books, both paperback and hard back, every topic you can think of, quite a few reference books, even some children's books. But during last summer the internet chap decided to move his operations upstairs and he has rented the entire downstairs to another entrepreneur. So that left us without a library. Undeterred, our stalwart "head librarian" searched out another location and came up with one half of the already existing municipal library for Spanish books. The local "mayor" agreed that we could have it, again rent free, and she would have it cleaned and some minor repairs taken care of.

Today was moving day from the old space into our new library. Where the old one was dark and dank, this one is bright and airy. Where the old one had a cement floor and peeling walls, this one has a white tile floor and (fairly) clean walls. We have decided to paint the inside, with the mayor's permission, of course, to spruce it up a bit. It has some missing louvers in the windows which she has said she will replace. The building even has a kitchen and a bathroom. We're planning some chic literary soirees! Seven of us gathered in the old place this morning at 10 AM armed with boxes, plastic bags, rags and a vacuum cleaner to pack up and clean everything. Wht an incredible mess! The books had sat through the heat and dust and humidity of the summer without any protection and were a real mess. We had to throw out quite a number that were simply not salvageable. We packed two big vans full of books and carted them over to the new place, unloaded them, covered the boxes with the tarps, and will go back in a day to two to start the unpacking process. We were through by aobut noon. Once we get our library up and operating it will be very nice. We still need furniture -- a couple of tables, some more chairs (we have two) and some more book shelves. IKt's amazing and rewarding what a lot of determination and a good share of hard work can accomplish. We were all exhausted and filthy when it was over but very pleased with ourselves!

Happy Birthday, Andrew

2005-12-06T10:17:00.002-08:00

Today is the seventeenth birthday of our beloved grandson, Andrew Kirk Jordan. Happy Birthday, Andrew. He is away at Thacher School in Ojai where he is in his Junior year. Where has the time gone?

Puesta del Sol

2005-12-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Cuyutlan is getting ready to lay on a gorgeous sunset tonight. There are long, low clouds out over the sea. The sun is sinking and bouncing rays off of their underside. I just went up to the third floor and took some photos. If I can figure out how to get them on this page I will do so, probably tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I will tell you about the celebration of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Between December 1 and 12, the Virgin enjoys unwavering worship. There are shrines to her all over our village, and over in the next town, Armeria. I am going to photograph as many as I can so you can see them. A daily celebration consists of the church bells ringing at about 5:30 AM followed by firecrackers and other bigger fireworks. This lasts about half an hour. The whole process is repeated at noon, 6:00 PM and again at about 10:00. It can be a bit unsettling, as you might imagine. The 12 days are capped by a big parade, lots of fireworks and parties. It is a bigger celebration than is Christmas, which is really quite sedate and quiet. I have never been able to find out what the fireworks are all about. Everybody I know shrugs and says,
"Tradition." The shrines are quite beautiful, some very simple and some very elaborate with twinkle lights, candles, and large statues.

Estamos Aqui

2005-12-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

It was a long, five-day drive but we made it safely on Friday afternoon. The sky is clear, the sea is blue, the breezes are soft and refreshing, the beer is cold and the salsa is hot. Did I miss anything?

We left San Diego at 5:30 Monday morning and arrived in Tucson at 1:30. We did some shopping, ate leftover Thanksgiving dinner goodies, and fell into bed early. Tuesday morning we left Tucson at 6, went by the local Starbucks to pick up a Times, and blew into El Paso by noon. We couldn't get into our room until 2 PM, so we did yet more shopping, had a great "Mexican" lunch, returned to the hotel, ate yet more leftovers for dinner and had another early night. Wednesday morning we left the hotel about 6:30 and headed for the great "crossing the border" adventure. But this time it went without a hitch; got the visas, got the car permit, sped through the inspection area without having to stop, and were on our way. This is a particularly beautiful route, down the center of the country through the mountains. The roads are good; no traffic to speak of, speed limit of 75 mph, rare cops. We arrived in Cuidad Jimenez by what we thought was 3:30 but was actually 2:30. We had been told that the time change takes effect there; in fact, it doesn't take effect until Zacatecas, the next day. When we showed up in the hotel dining room for dinner we thought it was 7:30 and wondered where everyone was. And when we showed up for the breakfast the next morning at 6 and found the dining area dark, we get the hint. So instead of hitting the road at 6:30, we actually left at 5:30.

This next portion of the drive is also very beautiful, through the mountains, but it is only a 2-lane road from Zacatecas all the way to Guadalajara. Our average speed until this time had been 63 MPH. Friday's speed was 42 MPH. However, there was remarkable little traffic, and this is the main north-south truck artery. We were very lucky on this trip. In the past we have had to contend with semi's hauling over these mountains and it's no fun.

We arrived at the beach at about 3:30 in the afternoon, a clear, warm day. The house was completely ready for us, thanks to Fernando and Chuy who set it all up and to Linda and Helen who had been staying here for about two weeks before we arrived. I felt that I had just been away for the weekend and came back to find everything as I had left it! A great psychological boost; it is not fun to unpack this house and set it up.

Not waiting a moment to get into the swing of the place, we went to a party last night given by a couple who are Mexican but live in Modesto most of the year. They have bought one of the old hotels in town, El Buccanero and are sinking capital into it to make it a much nicer place. So last night was the debut of the place. What a difference a whole lot of money can make! This place is in the perfect location for sunset watching, people watching on the malecon, and just general hanging out. They are looking for a good chef to run the dining room. Who knows? We may even get a decent place to eat.

Today was the trip to La Bodega, the supermarket in the next town to resupply the house with such necessities as tequila, Kaluha, avocados, pineapple, salsa casera, chipotle chilies, cilantro, limes, jicama, lovely juice oranges, Mexican cheddar cheese -0 - you know, the basics. And tomorrow is the tianges, the outdoor market over in Armeria. I will do some photos and try to get them up here for you to see.

Meanwhile, it is 4:15 PM, time to mosey on over to Jack's for a swim. The pool temperature is 85, just about right. Tonight is tacitos from the outdoor carts up on the square. Six littler meat tacos, beans, salad for $1.30.

I must be in Cuyutlan.

Monday Morning Departure

2005-11-28T05:24:00.000-08:00

It is 5:15 AM on a clear, cold morning and we are about to get on the road for Tucson. Next posting will probably not be until Cuyutlan next weekend. Goodbys have been said, baby kissed, so it's time to go. Kaley, Rob and Ruby have left for the airport and their home in Connecticut. See you at the beach!

The Beautious K.C.

2005-11-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

This is the wonderful dog that has been a part of the Strane (Vic and Tom) family for 15+ years. She has such a beautiful face and a glorious, thick coat of fur, and a sweet, patient temperament. But the body has grown old and infirm, and her days are down to a precious few. In fact, perhaps only one or two. But she will be long remembered with great affection.

"Rent"

2005-11-26T18:56:00.000-08:00

Go see it. Take Kleenex. If you liked "Moulin Rouge" this one will astound.

Post-feast

2005-11-25T21:29:00.000-08:00

Most of today was spent digesting yesterday. We also spent some time at the Cathedral in San Diego arranging for the service to commit my mother's ashes to the columbarium on Sunday and doing a bit of shopping. Then Vic and I went to see "Goodnight, and Good Luck," the film about Edward R. Murrow, the making of the CBS news department, the downfall of Joseph McCarthy and the personalities that shaped the TV of the 50's and 60's. A brilliant piece of work. Especially for those of us who remember the times. Extraordinary performance by David Straithorn who plays Murrow.

Ruby and her family went to the San Diego Zoo today. She saw the monkey cage, a few birds and a flamingo and fell asleep. Maybe next year . . .

Tomorrow we go see "Rent." I must get my film fix before a 5-month drought.

Also bought a digital camera to keep a pictoral record of this year's beach stay. I hope to figure out how to get pictures up here without Andrew pushing all the buttons. I did figure out how to get the date and time into the camera. That's the first step.

Happy Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here's what was happening at our house, or at Vic's house. We had 22 people for a delicious dinner of tomato soup, turkey, mashed potatoes, braised brussel sprouts, green beans, sweet potato and apple casserole, cranberry sauce, pecan, apple, minced meat and pumpkin pies, coffee, mints, and sparkling wine. It was all just too wonderful for words. We all hope your Thanksgiving was as loving and delicious as was ours.

The Patriarch. This is Captain John Strane, USN Ret., the beloved and charming father of Tom and Jeff, Susan and Steven Strane.

The Table. This is one of the three tables. This one was set with my mother's china and silver. The other tables were set with Strane family treasures.

The bartender:

The Ruby:

The mother and father of The Ruby:

The fabulous venue:

The Second Oasis

2005-11-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

It is a bright and balmy Tuesday in San Diego. The route here was once the most popular way to travel through Southern California. As a child I had been on Highway 1 every summer, to and from our vacation house in Newport Beach. Corona del Mar through Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Dana Point, Leucadia, Encinitas, Carlsbad, Cardiff by the Sea, Solana Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla. Then back onto the I-5 speedway for a quick trip to Vicky's house in San Diego. And of course, more Ruby time.

On the refrigerator door are four charts that serve as the "game plan" for the next three days. Everyone has been assigned duties and a time slot for the completion of said duties. My duty for today is to prepare a sweet potatoe casserole using Vic's recipe. Even the job of polishing the silverware has been assigned and that chore is to be completed this afternoon. These people are WAY too organized! However, if there are going to be 23 guests at your house I guess you better have some idea about how you're going to get all these things done.

Yesterday after doing some banking business we went over to see the old beach house that was sold 4 years ago. The new owners have done a bit of remodeling, planted a lovely new garden, painted the house, and generally upgraded. We parked the car and took the same walk along the beach "boardwalk" that I had walked since I was about 6 or 7 years old. Remember that Newport Beach was, for the most part, a summer resort, so most houses were shut up during the winter or used only on weekends or holidays. Not anymore. Some of the houses along the oceanfront walk are lived in year-round or rented year round and there are very few of the little single story wood frame style homes left. They have been razed and in their stead are two- and three-story jobs built out to the full extent of the lot lines. There is probably three feet between the houses so none gets any side light. The front opens directly onto the sidewalk; almost no front gardens, definitely no side or back gardens. Of course, the view is from here to Catalina on a clear day, the blue ocean and sandy beach across the street. I guess that makes up for a lot. In the old days the boardwalk was exactly that; a board walk. It is now a wide cement walkway that has bike riders, joggers, skateboarders, roller skaters, and the occasional intrepid walker who tries to stay out of everyone's path! We walked down to the Newport Pier, then out to the end to see if the optimistic fishermen had caught anything. In all the years I have been walking that pier I don't remember seeing any catch; the pleasure seems to come from the trying. At the end of the pier is a little cafe where my father would take me early in the morning after we had walked from our house to the little market to get an LA Times. Mother would say, as we left, "Now Don, don't buy her any coffee. You know how she gets!" And so we would sit at one of the little tables, Daddy with his coffee, me with my cup of 1/3 coffee, 2/3 milk, reading the paper and watching the fishermen pull their boats up on the beach and unload the morning catch to be sold at an open fish market at the foot of the pier. The fish market is still there, still a bustling place early in the morning.

Forty-two years ago today John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Interesting what you remember.

It's Ruby!

2005-11-19T17:54:00.000-08:00

Here she is! Isn't she wonderful?

First Oasis

2005-11-19T14:32:00.000-08:00

This safari has safely reached its first oasis, that of Long Beach. We had a long but uneventful drive down I-99 through the middle of California, with the usual pauses at various Rest Stops along the way. The early morning was beautifully clear, no fog, gorgeous sun rise somewhere neart Stockton. There was not much early morning traffic, especially for a Friday. By the time we reached Fresno we had entered the mid-valley smog belt, as bad as Los angeles. But at the top of the Grapevine, clear, high blue skies before sliding down the other side into the greenish-yellowish LA basin. We drove down 405 past the gleaming Getty Museum perched up on the hillside. I have yet to visit there; it's on my list for next year.

Today my grand niece Ruby, age 8 months, and her parents -- visiting from Connecticut for two weeks -- and grandparents drove up from San Diego for a family weekend, including a pre-Thanksgiving celebration at daughter Alex's house. This is where we're sitting:

Everyone will be here except Caitlin and Mike; they're frolicking in the snow in Montana instead of lounging around in this unseasonably balmy Southern California sunshine. This is a grand gathering, with Andrew home from school, Emily providing dazzling beauty to the assembled group, Alex and Peter laying on a delicious bounty,

and baby Ruby giving the future a hopeful head start. It is wonderful to have a baby in the family, especially one as cute lively as this one! I am going to get someone to take a picture of Ruby and me and I will then attempt to put it up on this blog.

The next installment of this saga will be from our second oasis, that of my sister's house in San Diego. We will hang out for about a week, including Thanksgiving, before heading east through Tucson to El Paso and then south into Mexico. So stay tuned.

Go!

2005-11-18T04:12:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning at about 3:30 to the sound of the freight train rolling through Davis, way off in the distance. It reminded me that the next time I hear a train at that hour -- or perhaps a bit later -- will be in Cuyutlan. The early morning flyer chugs through the village at about 5 AM. Since there are no safety crossings, no lights, no bells, no barrier bar that comes down across the roads, the train starts its lonesome whistle about three miles down the track and keeps it up until it is through town. I love hearing it. It is so still, except for the shuss of the surf out the open slider, and then from way off, almost to Armeria, comes the sound of the approaching train. However, after about a week I sleep right through it.

It is a clear, cold morning, perfect for traveling. I have been checking the weather faithfully to see if we are going to have fog in the valley. Looks good. The coffee is perking, the lunch is made, the bags are packed, surfaces have been cleared of the usual detritus of daily life. Gee, everything looks great. We should do this more often!

Next stop? Long Beach.

Set . . .

2005-11-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

This is our last day here in the beautiful autumn of Davis. It's hard to believe that it is the end of November; students are around in shorts and tank tops, people are actually using air conditioning or driving around with car windows wide open. I even looked longingly at the pool thinking that if we had kept the cover on we could probably be swimming. The outdoor tables at The Bistro in downtown Davis were filled with lunchers enjoying the sunshine. Still the trees are all turning red and gold, leaves are dropping by the basket-full, and there is a rumor that Thanksgiving will be here next week, despite the balmy weather.

I spent the morning packing, cleaning, moving boxes from inside to the garage to be put into the car. It's pretty much loaded up and ready to go. Fortunately several boxes will be left in both Long Beach and San Diego as Santa offerings and we will then have a bit of breathing room. This afternoon was the pre-Mexico hair cut (really short, but not quite as short as the Italian cut of a year ago. See The Haircut, December 3, 2004.) Then on to the pedicure palace for a bit more pampering before hitting the beach. I have been a bit wary of having all this done in Mexico, but at least this year I am going to go to the local hair cutting emporium, point to my hair and tell them I'll be back in 6 weeks and I want the same. I'll let you know how it works.

We expect a cold, clear morning tomorrow for our early drive out of here. The plan is to be on the road by 6 AM. Right now I have to dismantle my computer and pack it up for the long drive. Next news will be from San Diego.

Ready . . .

2005-11-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

The house is clean (almost), the CDs have been sorted for travel, the books packed, the car is in the shop getting all spiffed up for the long ride, the garage is full of boxes to be stowed in the car, lists have been made and gradually crossed off, phone calls made to friends and family saying "Adios" so I guess we're almost ready to drive off. It is a huge chore getting all of this done here; then in five months we have to do it all over again in Cuyutlan. But in truth, it's worth it. We leave behind TV, incessant bad news, the hype and glitz and noise of everyday living. We take up the sound of the sea, occasional trains, siestas in the hammock on the third floor terrazo under the palapa. But after five months, for some reason, the soul gets hungry for its own language, its own place. But meanwhile, it's wonderful.

Tonight we have dinner with friends. Tomorrow is the haircut, last of the bank business,then early to bed. We hope to get out of here by about 5:30 Friday morning, headed for Southern California and family. Let's see if we make it.

By the way, if you have not already done so, I highly recommend a great read, The Kite Runner by Kahlid Housseini. I went to hear him speak at the beautiful Mondavi Center in Davis on Monday evening. What a remarkable story, not only the novel but his own life. Put it on your list.