Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Catch of the Day

 

 


While in La Manzanilla for the day a few weeks ago, we had a fun experience. My friend John was surf fishing and caught a good size fish, but only one. Not enough to feed three people, which we were. So he buried it in the sand up near our chaises and we waited for a young boy to come by. He wanted to be able to give him the fish.

About an hour later this young boy and his dad, who we had seen a couple of hours earlier, came by with a string of squid they had caught. John called the boy over and uncovered the fish. The look of wonderment on the boy's face at the fish said it all. The fish was given to him.

He and his Dad headed down by the water to wash the sand off the fish and load him on the small pipe with the squid.
It was delightful to watch all the action, the smiles and the many thanks that were received for what I can only assume was their "comida" for the day.

Just a little delightful memory in this wonderful country called MEXICO.
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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Temple Grandin

There is a local cafe where the owner sells DVD's in English for 40 pesos. I go by maybe once a month to get a few. Juan is a cool guy and I always ask him what he recommends. He knows I don't want anything with violence. He also knows that I like documentaries and foreign films.

Last time I was there I bought four DVD's, my max on any one visit. One I purchased was the PBS series on Frank Lloyd Wright. Juan also knows I like architecture. It was a great series. I couldn't remember what he told me about Temple Grandin. I thought it must be about architecture or gardening perhaps because of the title.

I watched it last night. It is NOT about gardening. Claire Danes is the star. I don't know when this movie came out but if it is recent, she should be nominated for best actress for this role. Fabulous.

The story is about a woman who is autistic. How her mother guides her and encourages her to develop even though she didn't speak until after age 4. It is discovered by her high school science teacher that she has a photographic memory and when a phrase is said, she sees it in images in her mind. The cinematography in this movie is excellent.

This single woman, with her near genius intellect discovered in high school, despite the bullying and difficulty of getting along with others, single handedly changed the world of animal husbandry. You'll have to see it to believe it. A young girl in the stockyards of the "good ole boys" network

It is a true story. A heartwarming and amazing story with incredible acting. Temple Grandin is now a Professor at Colorado State University in animal husbandry. She has a Doctorate. She also travels around the country talking about autism from her viewpoint to help parents and health care givers to understand this condition.

My grandson is autistic. He is thirteen years old now. His autism was caused by Fragile X Syndrome. This movie certainly gave me a huge new insight into autism. It was very uplifting.

Seldom do I see a movie, The King's Speech comes to mind, where the acting is on this level. See it and enjoy!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Calechosa

 

 

 

 

 

 



Until I was on this beach, I have never been on a beach where the bluffs came right up to the water. Nor have I ever been on a beach with huge boulders and rocks in a myriad of colors.

I was like a kid in a candy shop. Trudging through the black small pebbly beach getting a foot "massage" as I trudged.
I wanted to see all the different colors of rocks fused together eons ago. Some looked like gold, others jade and the deep magenta colors were spectacular. If only a geologist had been along! In the small rocks on the beach I found a black rock with fused crystals in it.

Was I in volcanic territory? I don't know. But I do know it was breathtakingly beautiful to me. Then to turn and look at the ocean was such a juxtaposition. Quite magnificent.

This beach called Calechosa is a well known secret to the Mexicans in the area around Melaque. It is also well known to surfers as there is a good surf break there. The kids would show up when the surf was up. How they knew that I don't know. The road to get to my friend's house and this beach is NOT a road, but a dirt rutted path of ups and downs. Rainy season would NOT be a time to attempt it.

I'm told that days or a week can go by during the rainy season without being able to navigate in or out from the main road. But heck, when you live in a paradise like this, who cares? My friend just stocks up on gas for the tank on the roof and the rest is solar. What a life!

If you're ever in San Miguel and come by, I'll show you all the rocks that I lugged home from the beach! Muy bonito.
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Thursday, May 26, 2011

The Botanical Gardens and The Charco

 

 

 

 

 



Ironically on Tuesday I was at the Botanical Gardens called El Charco del Ingenio for a garden club program, meeting and lunch. It was extremely interesting to see all the new development of structures. The new sensory garden area all planted with native species. The new children's area, again all plantings are native to the area only. Marcos, the naturalist who guided us and then gave a 30 minute talk on the current and future plans of the gardens as it reaches its 20 year anniversary were inspiring.

We are very fortunate to have such a beautiful environment being maintained and enlarged by extremely knowledgeable and educated people in environmental sciences.

The structure in the first photo is one made out of plant limbs and rebar. The feeling while inside is as though one is in a natural cathedral. Quite etheral feeling. Wondrous.

It was a pleasant two hours from 11 til 1. With the breezes, believe it or not, it was not uncomfortable. After lunch I headed home which is about 3 or 4 minutes away.

Imagine my shock as I parked the car and looked into the canyon, or "charco" to see smoke rising from the bluffs. The wind was blowing West to East and carrying the smoke and fire. The botanical gardens are above and to the right, by a relative good distance from the original smoke and fire. At one point as the smoke got thicker, I closed my windows facing that way and continued to go up on the roof to monitor the smoke. It was totally astonishing to see fires springing up spontaneously all over that side of the canyon and burn. I saw no firefighters ever or fire trucks although there is a gravel road on that side. But then, in all actuality, I've never seen firefighters or fire trucks at a fire in my ten years in San Miguel.

It was very eerie at 10 PM to look out and see what looked like campfires all over the slopes. Smoke still rising.

Needless to say we now have one side of the charco as blackened earth. Until today, I could still smell smoke. Luckily this evening we had a bit of rain. Hopefully that will help. It is reported that 50 hectares were lost in this fire.

Bob Haas, a director of the botanical gardens reports that there was no damage to structures or gardens in the botanical area. It was, he reports, confined to the north rim of the canyon. Thankfully.

It will come back. I saw Yosemite after thousands and thousands of acres burned about twenty years ago and five years later it was spectacular to see the area - all green and fresh and beautiful. As much as the birds carry seeds and deposit them on my roof terrace, it will be no time and it will all be flourishing again.

Well, at least, that is how I'm comforting myself as I looked at it all this evening in the dusk.
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Saturday, May 21, 2011

"Solo Vivo"

 



I have avoided the "newcomer" to our street for almost a month now. I figured he would leave, be a pest, get run over, since he chases any motorscooter that goes by, or all of the above. That has not turned out to be the case.

I first spotted "Solo Vivo", named by the family next door, sliding under the gate to the primary school. I thought maybe they were keeping him on the school grounds to guard the place. He was sliding under the gate AWAY from the school. As far as I know he never slid back the other way.

At first he just slept or laid next to one of the three houses down here near the corner. Then I noticed that my Mexican next door neighbors were putting out water and food for the dog. Hmmmm, I thought. the children from both houses have gone out on the street to play with him. He is a VERY well behaved dog.

He was skin and bones at first. Now as you can see he is filling out. The other day the kids were bathing him with a hose. He LOVED it and jumped around chomping at the water. He was so happy.

He loves to chase the motor scooter drivers who go by. I fear for that. But he is smart. At night I hear him bark once in a while. I think, "My car has never been safer on the street".

When I come home in the car and he's a couple houses down, he trots over - never jumps up - just stands and watches me and then goes over and sits down. I swear he is one of the smartest, most well behaved dogs I've ever seen.
I swore when my dog Flash died that that was that and after sixteen years with Flash, I was not going through that pain again of losing a dog. No, I haven't fed him. No, I haven't petted him. No, I haven't invited him in. But, somehow taking his photo and NOW talking TO him is the beginning of a slippery slope for me, I'm afraid.

WHAT will "Velcro the Cat" think?
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Thursday, May 19, 2011

No Mas Aqua

 

 

 

 


Dan, who reads and comments on the blog, asked what the status is of the presa or reservoir in English. So, I went up on the roof terrace and snapped some photos this morning. It's READY for rain. SOON hopefully.

Lest you panic that I have no water in the house, our water comes from artesian wells so we're not dependent on the rainfall, yet. The wells have been decreasing over the ten years I've been here. Not sure what the status is at this point. They say the rain we get this year will take sixty years to replenish the wells. I definitely won't be here to experience that.

While I was up on the roof terrace, I sipped my coffee, decided to feed the plants, swept the rug. While doing these chores, I heard someone hacking at something and looked back over the knee wall to see two guys out in the middle of the presa chopping away at an old tree that has been out there as long as I've been here. What the heck do they think they're going to do with it IF they get it cut up? There are steep cliffs surrounding the presa.
Well there is a path over here on my side where the shepherd used to take the goats down to graze every day. Sadly the goats and the shepherd went to greener pastures about five years ago. It will be a hike if those guys are cutting up that log for firewood.

The last photo shows the weather screen for San Miguel and the fact that we've had about 1/2 inch of rain since January. This time last year we had already had over 7 inches.........oy vey.

So Dan, there is your bird's eye view. Don't come down til the rainy season is here.
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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

The Garden Today



Agapanthus blooming in the garden today. One of my favorite things.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Honoring Jennifer



It is a HUGE milestone today for me to be able to write about my first born daughter who passed on seven years ago on May 18th, 2004.

Each year since I started posting I've tried,, but just couldn't get through it. So here goes.

Have you ever known a person who was so gentle and with an aura that they felt "other worldly". My daughter always felt that way to me. I was awed by her. She was so kind hearted that she would fix food for the beggars under the bridges in Houston and take it to them. She fed ferral cats until she could catch them and help to tame them. Toward the end of her life, besides being the most amazing, loving and sensitive Mom to little Christoper, she raised butterflies. She even had new cards made that said "Butterfly gardener". She was truly "one in a million".

Outwardly she appeared so gentle, as a feather. But inwardly when the times were tough, she was made of steel. While hospitalized at MD Anderson and St. Joseph's Hospitals in Houston, she kept up with her treatments for leukemia and didn't put up with incompetence from anyone.

One of my funniest and greatest memories (now) was when she was moved to the cancer wing of St. Joseph's and upon entering the room discovered it was filthy. It even had used syringes in the case. Next thing I know, she is storming down the hall with her robe ties flapping in the breeze. Twenty-four hours before she had given birth to Christopher, naturally. Yup, she was made of stern stuff.

What a precious girl she was growing up. All the fun things - Girl Scouts, Drill Team, Class Beauty, Homecoming Queen. She was a beauty - inside and out. It NEVER went to her head.

A wit that could stop you dead in your tracks. A love for her son that swelled your heart. A kindness that was all encompassing. Yes, she is sorely missed.

Her legacy is a sensitive, kind, loving twelve year old son who is growing up and reminds me in many ways of his Mom.

She lives on forever in him. She lives on every time I see butterflies or my butterfly lilies bloom in the garden. And she lives on every time I see a rainbow.

I carry her in my heart daily. So do many others whose lives she touched. I was honored to be her Mom.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Sweet Memories





Last month in the post, Fuscia Princess Shoes, I showed you a photo of how Matilda's birthday shoes had deteriorated from daily wearing with the front of the shoes being no longer fuscia. Today she has a NEW pair thanks to the fact that the tianguis are still operating in Melaque and the woman who had the booth where I got the first pair was there and had the shoes! Wow, was I happy! Ecstatic would be more the word. Ok, only a Grammy can understand that.

Matilda is thrilled with her new "shiny shoes" and came over yesterday in an outfit sans the tutu but, of course, with the shoes on. She only took them off when she climbed up on my bed to watch a DVD called "Rio" that I found at the tianguis in San Miguel for 5 pesos. The movie is playing at the theater here now.

As she got firmly ensconced in all the pillows, sweet memories came back to me of my granddaughter Jessica, who will be 20 this year, doing the same thing. The other grand kids did also, but Jessica spent the most time with me, as she was the only grand kid for about six years.

So I'm now building sweet memories with Sebastian and Matilda as I did with Jessica, Andrew, Hannah, Emma and Christopher - all teenagers or almost. It's wonderful to have little munchkins around again. An absolute delight and surprise.

You know what else? Kids in many ways are the same. Matilda got as much enjoyment out of playing with a doodlebug in the garden yesterday as the other grandchildren did many years ago. It adds to the fun.

Each kid however is very individual. Matilda never ceases to amaze me with her comprehension, her language ability and her memory. Even as a tiny baby I referred to her as the "Mensa baby". Yesterday she wanted to go up on the roof. I said "Why"? She said, "To see Mr. Paul" - that was the last place she saw him and they played before he returned to the USA in February. It caught my heart.

Life is always full of surprises, isn't it?

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Being a "Beach Bum"





A week at the beach is NEVER enough for me - it takes me that long to unwind. But, one must be GRATEFUL for what one gets and not whine. I still wish I could have stayed longer.

It was a PERFECT week in so many ways! First of all, my son was able to travel with me - a delightful time to talk, travel together, walk the beach and just "hang out". A huge surprise and one that I'm extremely grateful to have experienced. As a Mom, I always treasure these times, but often think, "Well this is the last time I'll have one on one time", with whichever one I'm with.

The second perfect thing is that the weather was wonderful. Someone who had just returned from that area told me it was cooler at the beach then San Miguel. THAT was all I had to hear to head out - quickly. IT WAS!

The third perfect thing was we were staying at an old friend of thirty years home.
It is in Calachosas right on the beach. To get to my friend's home is a circuitous drive down a "barely there" dirt path. And I DO mean "barely there". But oh my, when you come over the rise in the path and see the ocean, your heart sings. How spectacular. One of the photos is from the house looking toward Cuastacomante. This was my view from the bedroom or while sitting out under the enormous palapa roofed sala. BLISS.

A couple of trips to La Manzanilla to enjoy the beach and eat at Yolanda's. Two peaceful days. A couple of short trips into Melaque for groceries and fresh seafood to cook. And, a trip to Barre de Navidad on Mother's Day evening where the sunset photo and the photo of my son and I were taken.
It's interesting to show an area that you've been to many times to someone new. You get a different perspective. Truly La Manzanilla, Melaque and Barre de Navidad are each unique and none are like the other. The thought had never occurred to me before sharing it with my son.

Yes, I can easily be a beach bum - give me a few months over there and I'll prove it to you. I reverted to no makeup, few clothes and no shoes in less then a week. I can't imagine what would happen if I were there a few months.

It was PERFECTION!

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

"Outtahere" for a while - the Beach is calling!




I've been "hanging" here in the mountains for over three months with nary a trip. I started getting "itchy toes" last week. No I'm not heading to Texas which is typically what I do this time of the year. Instead I'm heading to the water........Just need to see the waves, feel my toes in the sand. Ya know?

Heading over to the Pacific, manana. Not sure when I'll return - a week or so - will post upon return. Where I'm going there is not internet service! No Tvs either. Can you believe? I'm thrilled. Just a good book, great seafood, lovely views and maybe, just maybe a pina colada or two........

Looking forward to being "outtahere" for a while!