Prayers for Roger

We returned to Casa Conchita on Monday night, a day earlier than expected.  Lucky for us the renters had left and we were able to get into the house as soon as we arrived.  Yesterday morning, Ron flew to Corpus Cristi, Texas.  His dad has been in the hospital since Sunday, December 19th with a bad gallbladder.  It's such a relief to have Ron there with him.  Ron will hang with his dad and will come back to Mexico when Roger is on his feet again.  Here is the link to the Blog Ron started last night with all the details.

 http://captainrojoroger.blogspot.com/?psinvite=ALRopfUeX-eRJ0f4A7F1Y2bAt9CCN01GxMJCGqIK26xif2NxIkpwO7b0Clz83s4hFkdrtoTkhKVPCN8a8q1F4BCZzPYt0Ne7sQ

Please keep Roger in your prayers and thoughts.

Navidad

I wrote this post last night, but I had some technical difficulties......

so this is all from Dec. 23, 2010

The town of La Manzanilla is ready for Christmas.

Last night, we snuggled into our very uncomfortable sofas and random other seating for a movie, but within a few minutes we turned it off.  The Christmas music from the church and town square was all we could hear.  I should explain, that this same Christmas tape has been playing every evening since we arrived.  It was nice at first, but much of it is the chipmunks singing Christmas carols in Spanish.  After 5 nights of it, we were coming up with ideas of how to disable the large speakers blasting the music.  There are a few things I should explain, Casa Porter (where we are staying) is right behind the church , you might say in the parking lot (if they had one) and everything happens at the church.  In addition, the whole house is open air, there aren't any windows with glass in the main areas of the house.  Which really wouldn't be problem if you were deaf.

Truly, our Casa here is great!  It is an amazing vantage point for all the Navidad celebrations and ceremony.  Every night after 7 o'clock mass there is a pinyata in the church yard and music and fun!  We have a nice view and can even see the house across the valley with Christmas lights and a lit Christmas tree.  (We met the lady who lives there, at the volunteer bookstore yesterday, she's from Alberta,  super cute and not a day over 85.  It seems La Manzanilla is the place to retire, if you are from Canada.)

While we were drawing straws to see who would be sent out with the leatherman to cut the speaker wires, we  noticed that most of the town was in the square and that there was a parade.

 So,  'if you can't beat em, join em'...... right? 

 We went out to see what was going on up close.  I know you will enjoy this as much as we did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzeLo2WZleg

Eventually, Santa's Sleigh pulled up in front of the church and all the local kids lined up to see

Santa and each one was given a ball.

 Seems Santa even visits La Manzanilla, Jalisco.  

Feliz Navidad

We took a trip to El Anclote, a fun surfing spot, with the surf posse.  Martin joined us and we went in search of the right kind of waves.  For the life of me I can't figure out what they really are, but we are always in search of this phenomenon.  Of course, my two cents is that the right kind of waves exist only in each individuals own imagination.

It seems to me that what we found was a great set of waves for SUP (stand up paddle).  There were quite a collection of SUP riders in the surf.  Of course, the surfers looked like they were having fun too.  We are lucky to have this video to share.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmWMiWqpfUk

Our friend John is a master at SUP and video editing, he is shooting this video with a camera on the end of his paddle.  Look for Rory on a surf board and Ron on the red SUP.

I'm a little short on time now....so I will tidy this post later.

Adios!

Nothing Like a Good Belly Laugh

Yesterday, I was online looking for a Costco in Melaque Mexico and came across this post.  I got such a kick out of it, I had to pass it along.  I don't know this Zummie1954 but I'd like to have a cerveza with him.  Hope you enjoy!  

Zummie1954
A TRIP TO COSTCO IN COLIMA 
December 31, 2009 04:13PM

A TRIP TO COSTCO IN COLIMA

Yesterday I was at my local COSTCO buying a large bag of Purina dog chow
for my loyal pet, Biscuit, the Wonder Dog and was in the checkout line
when woman behind me asked if I had a dog.

What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired and have
little to do, on impulse I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, I was
starting the Purina Diet again. I added that I probably shouldn't,
because I ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50
pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming
out of most of my orifices and IV´s in both arms.

I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way
that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and
simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry. The food is
nutritionally complete so it works well and I was going to try it
again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in line was
now enthralled with my story.)

Horrified, she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog
food poisoned me. I told her no, I stepped off a curb to sniff an
Irish Setter's “behind” and a car hit us both.

I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack he was
laughing so hard. Costco won't let me shop there anymore.

Better watch what you ask retired people. They have all the time in
the world to think of crazy things to say.

Dog Peace

I would never have believed it but there is harmony within our dog pack.  Holly, Rally and T T are all coexisting happily together.  There has been much posturing for pack position but they have worked it out among themselves and peace rules.  T T shares toys, affection and food with Holly and Rally, it is amazing.

Yesterday, Reilly single handedly washed all the dogs.  I'm fairly sure it is the one and only bath T T has ever had.  However,  I do recall that, T T fell in the Barefoot Casa swimming pool on Thanksgiving night and had to be pulled out.  So, technically it wasn't her first bath, but soap makes all the difference.

T T does have one trick that I think only Mexican dingos can do.........that is a tiny lizard hanging out on T T's nose.

I have to tell a quick story about Holly. 

About a week after we arrived in Sayulita, we left Holly and Rally in the yard at the Casa and went to La Lancha for the day.  We came back after dark and then stopped for Taco's On The Street, so it must have been 8:30 by the time we made it back.   As I walked into the yard, I knew something was wrong, Holly was no where to be found.  We started calling her name and soon we could hear her whining and barking, but we could not find her.  Turns out, she was in a completely walled lot next door to us.  The walls all around the lot are 8 to 9 foot high.  We could see her from the steps, to the second story, of our neighbors house, even though it was very dark. 

We found a handmade wood ladder in the back of our house and lowered it into the lot.  I climbed down and eventually got Holly's front and back paws on the rungs of the ladder.  Ron grabbed hold of her front paws as soon as he could and with me pushing her rump with my shoulders and Ron pulling on her paws, we lifted her over the wall.

The question remains, why and how did she get in there and how long had she been over there?  We guess that she chased the neighbor's cat back behind our water tanks where she could get up on the wall and jumped over.  Amazingly, she didn't break anything jumping down into the vacant lot.  Of course, we really will never know, but she hasn't had any interest in that wall or cat since.  Don't you just wish there was video of the whole incident?  I do. 

    

  

This is Chica Locca, a 60 foot motorboat.  

 A couple of Sundays ago,  we were lucky enough to be included 

on a great boat trip to the

  Marietas Islands. 

   

 We spent a great day following whales.  

This big friend breached less than 100 feet from the boat.
(Thanks Heather for sharing this great shot). 

While Reilly and I were snorkeling, these guys showed up for a picture.  

She quickly decided that she didn't like them quite so close.  

Apparently, she didn't realize that she was in their living room.

While we snorkeled, Rowan had fun navigating a kayak.

      

Later, he spent a good hour learning to navigate a much bigger vessel.

Our Captain quickly put on his life vest.

Part of the day was spent like this........

To top it off, Grandpa was there!

We returned to the marina with smiles, great memories and loads of pictures.  Our hosts Gil and his crew could not have been nicer or more attentive.  They fed us, kept our drinks filled, showed us whales, dolphins, rays, turtles, a hidden beach and even put up with an impromptu dance party.  

The day ended with an unforgettable sunset!

Looking for Christmas

I think I went looking for Christmas today.  Regan, Rowan and I went into PV to Christmas shop.  We made it to the large shopping mall, which looked like any other shopping mall in the states.  It was full of beautiful Christmas decorations , music, stores advertising Feliz Navidad.  There is a big store similar to a very large Macy's called Liverpool, that was just nice to walk around in.  We had ice cream and checked out the stores but didn't buy anything.  We spent quite a large part of the day between The Mall, Costco, Walmart and Home Depot.  We picked up a couple of small gifts at Costco and Walmart and a few other items on our list and headed back to Sayulita.  I really didn't find what I was looking for.

Christmas is alive and well in Mexico.  Weeks ago, I noticed Christmas lights blinking outside a very tiny, dirty cement block home that didn't even appear to have electricity.  We were coming back from our first trip to La Lanca and it was just after sunset.  The sky was still slightly pink, and the trees were starting to fill with  birds.  Nothing about that moment felt like Christmas until I spotted that little house.  It made me think about how a few twinkling lights could mean the same thing on the outskirts of Sayulita as it does in Everett.  Since then there have been more and more decorations appearing in the small tiendas  and on homes.  The decorations are fairly simple but they are all around town.  Even the beach vendors are in on it, just sitting on the beach, the decorations come to you.

So the question is.........why can't I find the Christmas spirit?  All I can come up with is that the familiar traditions of the season are not here.  I miss the cozy weather, the gatherings, the Christmas program, the smell of a pine tree, a warm fire,  peppermint mochas........but I think mostly I miss my peeps.

Speeding in PV

I got my first speeding ticket in PV on Thursday.  I really have not excuse, I was speeding.  I was going 48 km in a 40km zone, however I was on an 25 foot long off ramp from a 60kg lane.  I calculated it in miles and I was going 4.97 miles over the speed limit.  The real reason I was pulled over was because I was driving a gringo mobile, my suburban.  I made a critical mistake in the whole process. I made eye contact with the young officer as he ran down the road after my car.  I couldn't keep myself from stopping, it is programmed into me.

Thank goodness for gringo friends........We had just been talking about "la mordita" or the bite, and what to do if you get pulled over.  (Thank you Martin and Heather!)  I truly did not expect to ever have to use this wise advise, silly me!

The young officer came to my window and explained that I was speeding and that I had been clocked doing 48kg, amazingly he spoke wonderful English.  He asked for my drivers license and explained that it was No Problem and that I was only getting a ticket.  I could pick up my drivers license at the police station the next day, 'No Problem'.  I ,not so politely rather firmly but with an amused smile, explained to him that he could not take my drivers license and that I did not need a receipt for my payment.  Of course, this was 'No Problem'.  I was afraid to ask how much it would cost me to take care of this 'No Problem' so I handed $20 US dollars out the window.  My foul, he got fairly agitated at my blunder.......I guess this has to be a covert kind of payment.   So he rested his arm over my window and I stuffed the $20 bill in his hand.  All seemed good and he handed me my license and smiling left on foot.

Looking back, I realize that my biggest mistake was pulling over. It never occurred to me to not to stop, until I was watching him, in my side mirror, run down the road after my car.  I guess you treat police officers like any other vendor out to make a little money from the gringos.  You have to be willing to speak to them like you know they are just bumming 20 bucks and it's sorta funny.  Lots of smiling and 'No Problem-ing' going on.

All in all, it wasn't a horrible thing, and knowing what to do in the situation makes all the difference.  It sure beats speeding tickets in the states.

Sunsets

You remember sunsets,  at least I do, The past couple of evenings I have been awed by the sunset.  I can think of many memorable sunset, Pacific Beach in the winter, Mesa, AZ, The Enchantments, WA, even the  Gulf of Mexico.

Saturday evening we went to San Pancho, just up the road for happy hour and sunset with our friends Martin, Priscilla and Crystal.  The kids had an amazing science lesson, creating a raging rapid from a tiny stream.  They drained a good part of the lagoon before they were through.  We enjoyed the beach and some cerveza and watched the sunset. A sunset to remember!

Sunday we spent the day on a boat trip to the Marieta Islands just North of PV.  The day was amazing, (more stories from the day to follow).   But a rival sunset that evening brought a great day to an even more fantastic close.  We were headed back to the marina and behind us the sun began to drop.  At first it didn't look like it would be anything special but as it got closer to the horizon the colors deepened and the sun became a glowing circle that we watched drop into the sea.  Back to back sunsets worth remembering...........who would have thought?

 

Learning new ways.........

A couple of days ago, I was complaining to our property manager that the washing machine was extremely slow to fill, when trying to wash in cold water.  I know I should not have been complaining when, after 10 days, the machine was actually working, but I was bold enough to go there.  She just smiled and asked if I had tried filling it with the hose?  Oddly it had never dawned on me to do so.

This is how I wash a load in cold water.  I start the machine filling (mostly a trickle of water), then I add soap and clothes, then I scurry from the bodega (roughly translated means, cellar or storeroom) across the yard, turn on the hose and kink it, then run back to the bodega where the washer is and put the hose into the washer.  It takes quite a while to fill the washer and sometimes the hose falls out and runs water all over the place.  Once it's filled you have to kink the hose again and run back out trying not to make too much of a mess.  However, it is much faster than waiting for the machine to fill on it's own.  The down side to this, is that you have to come back and run the whole routine again for the rinse cycle.

It could be worse, I was talking to a nice family today from Edmonton Canada and she washers everything by hand and hangs it to dry.  I can't imagine.......how lucky I am to have my washer.  The housekeeper that showed me how to work it, fondly refers to it as THE MANIAC! Lucky Me!

Abuelo

 Red Hair Grandpa Roger has arrived and it is so nice to have our first guest.  He arrived on Tuesday and has already hiked into La Lancha, had dinner at Carmelita's, and had ice cream and churros on the street.  He has settled right in and Holly is already trying to sleep with him

We are headed to the market with our Spanish class tomorrow for some real practice, truth be told I'm a little nervous, wish me luck.......

Oh, by the way, Abuelo means Grandpa

Families

This was yesterday's blog but I fell asleep writing it................

We have met many families in the past week and a half.  Amazingly, they have all been American and/or Canadian.  We did not invent this idea of getting away and heading south to mexico.  As far as I can tell, people do it for lots of reasons.....sense of adventure, don't really fit in else where, need to escape,  looking for meaning,  need to regroup and slow down, and just plain because they can.  They all have stories to tell of "jumping off", or how they ended up in Sayulita, or of other cracy adventures they have taken.

Today was another La Lancha trip and it included 5 families. The ten minute walk from the cars to the beach was managed by all from 78 to 4 years old.......each  carrying surf boards, umbrellas, boogie boards, skim boards,  sand toys,  and various backpacks and beach bags.  Within minutes of arrival on the beach, a small but efficient camp was set and kids were surfing.  Kids spread out up and down the beach, some buried in sand, some exploring tide pools and capturing fish and crabs (can you guess who was involved in this?), many surfing or hangin in the water.  The general feeling of community was tangable.  There wasn't one kid left out or unhappy, lunches and water and laughs were shared, as well  as encouragement, support and a good bit of silliness.  The adults had just as much fun, chatting, encouraging and admiring the examples set by the kids.

In the midst of fun,  a young one of the clan was stung by a stingray.  Stingrays bury themselves in the sand and are often stepped on while walking in the shallow water.  Emerson, our sweet 11 year old friend, was stung on the side of the foot and the nasty little bugger really put a hole in him.  It is extremely painful and the pain can last for quite a while.  The group rallied around and tried to help.  Sadly, the treatment for a stingray sting is soaking the sting in very hot water for about an hour, we did not have any hot water and it was a long trip back to Sayulita.  Emerson was a trooper and hung in as he was carried to the car on his dad's shoulder.

After soaking his foot, for quite a while, the pain went away and when we ran into him later, he was laughing and playing tag in the plaza with the kids.  Being with other families here makes me miss being with my  families at home.  I'm sure we will meet many more families as this adventure continues, but it's good to know that I have my families to come home to.