Now that we have moved here is all the latest news!

I have archived the older pieces if you are here for the first time click on Old News

The Festival Page will give you pictures of all the village celebrations. Mexico Trips will detail some of our explorations of other parts of  this beautiful country.

June 27th- 2009- Well the crime situation has everyone in an uproar. Causes "they" think seem to be, of course the rise in prices and loss of jobs here, returning Mexicans who can not find work here either, or whatever! There have been  many more burglaries, one recently where the man had a gun and when the home owners returned home he threatened them and made them open the safe. In that one the wife managed to get out of the house screaming and the neighbors called the police. The guy then ran off and they got a partial plate # on the car. There was also an attempted kidnapping of a husband and wife in La Floresta but again they managed to get out of the car. There was a big meeting of the expats with the Chapala police hierarchy and a long explanation on how to file a denuncio after a crime. They say they need to have those reports to get funding for more cops. There is also a lakeside crime website for reporting crimes. Other than that not much being done. People need to understand that when they boast about paying $100-$200 in taxes a year that does NOT buy much in the way of police! And the Napoleanic laws and splintered police structure make getting anything done labyrinthian. Just filing that denucio can take half a day assuming you brought an interpreter.

Are we scared, well not much. We have three dogs, an alarm system and the panic call is on the car keys so if as the boogers do the usual,  someone follows you into the garage,  all we need to do is push the button. The police station is five minutes away. The house has all doors and windows secured, we set the alarm when we go out and that is about it. Knock on wood we have been unscathed for seven years so I refuse to worry about it. If it happens it happens as long as they don't hurt the dogs the rest is just stuff.

Homes are still selling here albeit slowly. Tom our neighbor sold an over $500,00,000. one last week. Prices on food continue to rise. Harry picked up eggs for me at the abbarote  the other day and was shocked to pay 20 pesos a kilo. I told him the other day he was getting no more low fat cottage cheese because it was up to 58 pesos a container! Most everything else has gone up so we just shop more carefully and go to the tianguis on Wednesday. Elections are July 5th so maybe once the new administration gets in they will finish the park. It is still just dirt.... ick now that it is raining at night.

This is slow season and blessedly the rains have started and it is now cool. Mid 80's by day and down to low 70's at night. The gardens and flowers love the nitrogen enriched rain. I can take the MG out with the top down to run errands in the AM without cooking myself!! Dida is back to lying out in the sun on the terrace. Even black Cisco is copying her. Crazy dog.  We have been up to the states several times in the past few months to see relatives and my sister and Harry's sister and brother in law have been here to visit. The swine flu thing is still nada. W shall see what fall brings.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

May 4th- 2009 -Well by now you are probably almost as sick of swine flu coverage as we are. Yes it has been bad? in Mexico City ..no there have been no cases anywhere here in the state of Jalisco. You still  see some people wearing  face masks but not many. Until Wednesday school and all public events etc are closed, then we shall see. So far it has been a non-event. The municipal gov went around last week and tried to force all the restaurants to close. Most of them told him to take a hike!! This is a slow time anyway and all these waiters and cooks etc need their jobs!! The disease experts say it may all start up again world wide this fall.....well hopefully by then a vaccine will be part of our annual flu shot! I understand it is a new strain and they all need to have a cow about that but I am tired of e-mailing friends telling them yes we are both fine ;-).

The hot season is till going strong. 93 a few days ago at 4 PM . We are lucky that due to the way it is sited and constructed that the house is cool. It is only hot to us if we are out there in the sun. This time of year a mid day siesta around 2PM is almost a must!! My knees are better than usual. They don't mind the heat. Harry and I are still trying to get to water exercise regularly which also helps.

Despite the recession houses are still selling here. I think MLS said six last month. Most in the $250,000 price range. Yes costs are still rising. Price for gas for the cars is frozen until next year but groceries, and household gas prices are rising. Don't know about electricity will have to check with Harry. 

I went up to SC to see Joanne even though she had just been here. It was a kill two birds with one stone thing! My brother Gerry was brining his camper to Myrtle Beach so I could just drive an hour with Joanne and see him too. He managed to get out and head home on schedule but just before the fires there got worse and were nearing the campground. I love being back in the states, just hate that 50 lb. limit on the bags!!! I got a reasonable cost on the flights from Delta and lucked out on the return. On an international flight they don't charge for two checked bags. I had been weighing the bags at Joanne's and they were right around 50 each but how accurate is hoisting a bag onto a bath room scale! Well oddly Charleston airport still allows curbside check in...even on an International flight. So we checked in at the curb and then a man came up with a bag and a sack of golf clubs. The guy checked him in too, gave us both baggage claims and boarding passes loaded it all on a cart and took it in and just heaved it onto the conveyer!!! Some lady next to me on the plane was having a cow because Delta hit her $10.00 a lb. $90.00 for being nine lbs. overweight!! So the dogs got their new toys and  fancy cookies and Harry got Triumph parts without us getting hit with a weight fee.

We don't plan on going anywhere else until fall. Then maybe an orchid trip with the group to Guatemala. Hope everyone up north is staying well and hanging on to their homes and savings!!

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

March 13, 2009 -We are both mending well. Harry has his collar off and is happy that many of his symptoms are better. My knees are my knees! Good days and bad.

No one can remember ever having such an early spring. Already the temps are up into the 80's daily, Looks like a long dusty time until the rains come. But.... we saw a rainbird on the garage wall yesterday!! I have not heard them calling but supposedly then in 6 weeks the rains will come. If so again it will be very early.

The work on the park is going along. We now have a beautiful paved malecon right on the water. Hopefully high enough to keep the lake out of the park. They have not sodded yet so it is still dusty dirt but they have taken out a lot of the overgrown trees so grass will actually have a chance. It is interesting to see the daily work progress and the dogs on their early morning run know and greet all the workmen. They were all laughing at Cisco yesterday as he leapt up to bite at Tosca one of his friend's face. Tosca is a 100 lb.+ mastiff!! Schnauzer boy  weighs about 16 lbs. Cisco passed his first birthday and is a jekyl and hyde schnauzer! One minute the fierce barking watchdog at anything he hears. And the next climbing into your lap to be hugged and petted. We love his crazy personality.

All of our guests have left. The Northern Lights Concert series billeted two musicians with us. The series has grown so much over seven years. We enjoyed all the concerts and we enjoy meeting the musicians every year. At the same time they were here my sister made her first visit to Mexico. She really enjoyed it and got to see a lot of things. The Mardi Gras parade was a great photo op. We also took her to a famous birria restaurant along the highway so she could try goat birria. 

She had to get back to her family so she missed the Chili cook off. We drove both the cars in the parade. The only issue there is keeping the car going as you stop and start and watch the temp needle go up!!! I drove Sheila Paul the Worthy Matron of our Eastern Star group. The flag on the back is a hummingbird, sort of her symbol.

Harry had a brother Shriner in the Triumph. Both cars are being driven here. The cobblestones are NOT their friends and we try to avoid topes at all costs. They are still fun to drive and we are looking forward to joining a classic car group in Guadalajara and perhaps exhibiting them at their car shows.

Just like the U.S. the living costs here are going up. Gasoline, LP gas and food prices are all rising.  Some houses are selling but nothing like the old days. Many people either lost their retirement  savings or are staying in the states to help their grown children who may be losing their jobs or homes.  Some have had to return to the U.S.  We are staying and I will keep the website going.

We are still busy and enjoying our life here. That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

January 21, 2009-

I have not posted for a long time. Health problems and three trips back to the U.S. have been taking up all our time since August. After arthroscopy on my right knee things were OK for awhile but then both knees got really bad again. There were several courses of steroids and methotrexate both of which depress the immune system. I managed the stellar performance of getting both strep throat and salmonella at the same time. Lydia came to the house twice a day to administer IV antibiotics and it was awhile coming back from that. I had a test of my immune system and I scored 4 on a scale of 4-12! So weekly immunoglobulin shots. We have come up with a drug regimen to relieve the pain and NOT depress my immune system. I have also at the Doc’s suggestion cut back some on my many clubs/obligations.

At the same time as this was all going on Harry was suffering a reoccurrence of his neuro symptoms. And we were trying to buy the small narrow lot next to the privada and also get up to the U.S. to purchase Harry’s dream a couple of old English sports cars. In November we flew to Daytona to pick up a 1965 TR4A IRS and in December to San Diego for my 1979 MGB. Getting them back here involved harrowing trips, for one a bunch of Aduana money and for both mountains of paperwork.

As Harry’s symptoms worsened we consulted two different neurosurgeons. Both advocated immediate surgery. Last week on the 18^th he underwent 4 hours of surgery to relieve the compressed nerves. Three discs and two vertebrae were removed and replaced with artificial parts: Cadaver bone, artificial discs, plates and screws. He is home now and recovering slowly. Many of the symptoms have abated or disappeared. Lets hope we are both on the mend.

I am not sure if I am going to keep this website going. As I said I have been cutting back a great deal on my many obligations. I just wanted to put this up so anyone who reads this will know why it has been untended for awhile-Chris

August 15, 2008- I had help doing this update. As you can see  Schnauzer boy is growing like a weed. He expects to be involved in anything that his Mom is doing. We have discovered in the past eight weeks that the breed is far noisier than the Cairns! The  No Bark command is a work in progress. We can surely count on the fact that the midnight cat bugler would NEVER make it past the Schnauzer alarm system and into our BR.

He has been a good companion and nurse with Dart and Dida as I had to go in for surgery again. I thought I was going to need a knee replacement on the right knee. Right around 4th of July it got so painful that I could not step on it. MRI's and consultations with our good Dr. Tello and the verdict was arthroscopy to repair both meniscus and laser gun bursts to the joint/bone to make fibroid scars that replace the lost cartilage! Cool beans. The surgery was same day and I was very shocked at how well it has worked. NO PAIN! Not from the day it was done up to today. I was just released to walk on the cobblestones again so it is as healed as it is going to get. We are going to swimming exercise every day. It sure is great to be rid of the pain.

August 10th we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. Harry managed to pull off a catered surprise party for me with 30 of our good friends. I never had a clue. My Machiavelli man.

 It has been a great summer and a good rainy season. For the most part it has been following the plan and raining at night. Nice sunny days and the lake is way up. It is nearly to the top of the wall along the malecon. The Municipal in Chapala continues with all kinds of infrastructure improvements. More lights, laterals and turn lanes at many intersections on the way to Chapala. There is supposed to be a malecon all along the lake to link up with the Ajijic malecon. That would make for one long, lovely, scenic walk. In Chapala proper they just dedicated a bandstand and concert area where the old post office used to be. Jocotopec has also redone there waterfront area and there is now a tour boat that is taking people out onto the lake for view rides. All along the lake area there is initiative to make it even more attractive to tourists. Which is working as all the towns are usually packed on weekends. As always all over town parking is minimal. Bring small cars!!

The Wal-Mart is zooming along and should certainly be done by the projected November opening. The mall across the street is going a bit slower but also should be done in November.

Just like NOB prices on everything here are going up. Food, electricity,  gas are all going higher. The price of building materials of any kind are skyrocketing. Of course very few people here have a mortgage to default on but that is about the only difference. The peso against the dollar is also getting worrisome. There are some people who are considering moving back NOB because it has gotten too expensive too live here. It may discourage some from retiring here. It does help to contradict some of those ridiculous articles that touted this as cheap paradise. There are still many great reasons to retire here but cheap is NOT one of them. We are still happy here and we can manage the cost rise.

We are busy and enjoying our life here. That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

June 24, 2008- During the hot times, end of May we flew up to Portland Oregon to visit Harry's sister.  We were glad to leave the heat and dust but after six days of cold grey skies and frequent rain showers we were equally glad to get back. And the rainy season here started with a bang. A week of grey skies and rain both day and night made us think we had brought Portland home with us. Now the rainy season has settled down to the proper good T-storms at night schedule and the lake is filling up. The plants love the nitrogen rich water and all start looking fabulous. The mountains are green and it is such a relief to be free of the dust. 

Still we always need a gripe. Now it is dogs and mud!! The  week before we left for Portland, Harry and I went to the Guadalajara dog show. FCI  Mexico basically has two big ones a year. They are three day shows, one in Mexico city and one in Guad. They use the big expo center in Guad so there is plenty of room for vendors, rings and a crating area. Harry wanted another puppy. He was leaning toward the Brussell's Griffon a kind of terrier looking toy breed. I wasn't real thrilled about adding another dog responsibility to my dog mother role and said if we got one it was "his" dog , he takes care of it. We had researched it and contacted rescue services. You will find if you live here and tell the truth they are VERY leery about Mexico. Plus most of this breed in rescue are puppy mill dogs so many with elbow dysplasia or other problems. And at 12 lbs. max  I was afraid if Dart tried to play with it he would break it.  At the dog show we met a breeder with one. When she took it from the crate and handed it to me it peed all over my lap and tried to bite me!  The breed she says can be a bit nerovsa! ya think! So we continued along the benching row and came to a gorgeous kennel set up with miniature schnauzers. Mexico city based, owned by a veterinarian who was there showing his dogs. His stud had won the breed in Mexico city this year and placed in the group. And.. he had two gorgeous litters on display. One was three months old and the other was five months old. The five month old litter were all black. There was a beautiful male that we both fell in love with.  Cisco ended up coming home with us. The breeder said he was show quality and he would show him for us, but that meant cutting his ears which I think is barbaric so he won't have a show career. He and Dart are best bros and play all day long. Dida wishes to be an only dog but is slowly getting over her snit.  Harry named him Cisco after a child hood TV character the Cisco kid! He is a handful but also a love.

The mud issue is the morning run down to the park to play. If it rained during the night it can be a real mess. There safely off leash we are also working on teaching him to come, not jumping all over people and yapping your head off at all and sundry. He is a cutie and already a much loved boy.

The housing market is still pretty stable. Actually some really $$ places over the 500 thousand price sold recently and anything around 200 is going quickly if a decent house. There are new ones still going up all over in little developments and some people say Jocotopec is also getting a bunch of buyers due to cheaper prices.

The new Wal-Mart super center at the Libremento light is going up quickly and the shopping center across the street opposite Flora Exotica is also going up fast. There has been lots of street work making lateral roads all along the highway from that light back towards Chapala.  How all this is going to effect traffic and the population density is anyone's guess.  There are certain times of day when it takes 15 minutes to get from the top of our hill all the way through town to the El Torito light on the way to Chapala. There is also renewed talk about the through town road turning into a four lane, but that has been going on for years. It would mean buying out and tearing down the stores on one side, and really eliminate all parking along that street. Parking anywhere in town is hard and weekends it is awful.

Since closing off the beach access to the weekend crowds, down by the park on weekends it is barely navigable. They double and triple park along the street once the parking areas fill up. Still since they are contained and the town went to those big trash dumpsters the trucks' hoist up, the mess on Monday AM is GREATLY diminished. We shall see how this plays out. Ajijic Limpio which spear headed the cleanup and financed many of the trucks and manpower is saying they never planned to do this forever. They want the Municipality to take this back. We shall see how well the service continues under the township's responsibility.

As always we are busy and enjoying our life here. That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

April 13, 2008- Well we are home from a ten day driving trip to the U.S. Which has only reinforced our idea of flying from now on!! Now we did have the dogs with us which makes it harder. Very few hotels in Mexico allow dogs. While you may sneak in a small one like Dida, Dart is a bit too large to hide.  They are both good travelers and don't bark when left in the room. So that means no stopping, a straight through 10-12 hour drive from here to Laredo or Piedras Negras. We are just getting too old for that!!

The dogs were the reason we went. They had appointments at the vet school at Texas A&M . It was worth the trip since Dart is now on a new gastritis med and has not thrown up since we got home!! Dida is on a new diet for her low thyroid but so far the just like us! the pounds are NOT dropping off. Time will tell. From College Station we went on to visit my sister in Charleston, SC and had a wonderful Easter there with family. Dart loved playing with my sister's young corgi and I enjoyed seeing my nieces.

 There were some cold days up there one morning in Charleston it was 35!! So we were glad to return home to what is now our hotter, dry season. Most days it gets up to the high 80"s but there is NO humidity. The hills are brown and this is the time we wait to hear the rainbirds announce the coming summer season.

It is amazing how much has changed in the time since we moved here. More and more "stuff" you brought back is now available here. But.. the prices for everything are rising.

While there is much discussion of the troubled economy NOB, here the economic situation looks bright. There are both Mexican and Gringo housing developments springing up all around Guad and here at the lake. New stores and businesses are going up. Old ones are being painted and refurbished. From Chapala to Jocotopec infrastructure is being upgraded with new street laterals, more lights to handle the traffic, and work beginning on a new malecon along the lake here in Ajijic.

The auto access to the lakeside east of the pier has been totally closed off. This now ends the Saturday and Sunday "frat party" there. These were mostly out of towners who left lots of trash and didn't contribute much to the local economy.  Their gatherings involved a lot of booze and a lot of noise. In addition to closing off the area between the pier and Nueva Posada, the area there was cleaned up. It is now bulldozed so no brush, and leveled with some added soil.  Now it is a nice picnic area for a family that walks in.  Swimming is also popular there and whatever the state did, there is for now no more lirio. The water is high almost to the top of the malecon wall by the park, so we are holding our own despite the dry season.

I am sad to announce the loss of Snickers. He died at home in the arms of his owners about a month ago. 16 was a good age and he was there with people who loved him when he died. Dart is thrilled at the new arrival of 8 month old Sadie. She won't replace him but she adds much fun and loves racing about here on the privada.  We are glad to be home and as always back in the thick of things with friends and activities.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

February 11, 2008-  The Lake Chapala Garden Club bought a beautiful new crèche for the plaza this year. We decided to go with metal sculpture since the plaster stuff gets old and crappy quick. The Delegado met with a metal artist and the life size statues came out just lovely. We were all (LCGC Board) invited to the evening dedication at the plaza, but.. in the ways of politicians LCGC NEVER got mentioned in the sound bite!!  Life goes on. We may do the Mexican thing and put up a plaque! Well Candlemas is  here and the Christmas season is officially over. We are finally coming out of the colder weather. Days up to 80 sometimes and nights around 50 again.

One of the fun things about life in the village is the unexpectedness of things. A week or so ago the dogs went nutz, Dart was climbing the front door as he and Dida yapped their heads off. Along with their noise I could hear a flute playing in the privada.  Out the dogs and I went to the gate. I could see why Dart was acting so crazy .......for him, it looked like Big Bird out there in the privada.

So there for our personal entertainment was one of the dancers from the Indian groups????? Usually the whole troupe dances in our many parades. Question to me was why??  He was all alone just cruising along playing and stopping if you handed over some cash.  Which of course I did. Dart and Dida were entranced. He did his bit moved on down the privada and then they went back out.  Now what was it?? Did they need to make a car payment? Was the rent raised and due immediately?  Medical bills.. WHAT, why was he out there without the rest of the  troupe hustling on Sunday afternoon. I guess like many things Mexican we will just never know. Just one of those cool things that only happens when you live in the village. Kind of like that time long ago when I turned the corner on the malecon down at the lake and there were zebras tied up to the trees. Look back in old news and and find the explanation for that one.

 Easter is really early this year.  The Mardi Gras madness has come and gone. The crazy floats, the flour flinging and the confetti eggs are all broken. It being a bit colder the guys impersonating women were a kinda  more covered up than usual.

On Ash Weds. Harry had surgery to fix a deviated septum on. Hopefully this will help him to KEEP ON breathing at night.  Once again we got to see one of the boutique hospitals in Guad. Another  one with all suite private rooms, huge bath. Nice furniture with a place for me to sleep. Plus a white table clothe restaurant downstairs and me able to call and order anything off the menu. He had his own nurses round the clock and his ENT surgeon and the anesthesiologist were there all day after the surgery. He is mending but it is turning out to be as painful as I told him it was going to be. We went into Guad today for a follow up visit to the surgeon. Tubes are now out of his nose and he can sort of breathe through it. The Doctor will be out here on Thursday to check him again.  Hopefully he will be well enough to enjoy the Valentine's day dinner a bunch of us are eating at Roberto's restaurant down by the pier.

Lots going on this month. CASA is competing and will have a booth at the Chili cook off. Northern lights series is soon and we just got confirmation on the musicians who will be staying here.  After that we will be going North to Texas A&M for a consult at the vet school on Dart and Dida. Busy, busy.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

December 19, 2007-  Strange portents and signs! A popular quote around Christmas time, but.. we really did see some back around Thanksgiving. Harry's sister came for a week and was going with us to PV on one of those all inclusive beach trips. She flew in a few days early and we decided to take her to Tapalpa to see the standing stones. These rocks look like Stonehenge but are really water and wind made not manmade. The cooler weather I had been whining about was still hanging around a bit and Tapalpa is higher than we are. Still it was a warm sunny day when we set off. As we got there the sun left us and it got colder and cloudier. On the climb up to the rocks, dirt road, streams crossing,  it started to rain, then turned to hail and sleet!! This is what it looked like when we finally reached the stones at the top.

The funny part was when Harry asked us if we wanted to get out.!!! Since both of us girls were in sandals the answer was  a loud NO!! Still it was a hoot watching the Mexicans and their kids, snapping pictures, and playing in the snow. They were totally entranced by this strange gift from nature.  The weather stayed nasty and the drive down and home brought more hail, sleet and as we got lower just rain.

A few days later we left on the beach bus trip, missing the last of the San Andreus festival noise. This is a fun trip, sort of like a cruise ship on land. Very popular for Thanksgiving here. You go to this beachfront resort. And for the entire time there no money ever changes hands. You have a plastic ID bracelet and all drinks at the pool, food at the four restaurants, activities on the beach and so on are covered.

The price was good, the rooms and all the facilities were very nice. Just a lot of steps all over. They need a better map since there are ramps for us crips but they are not easily found or marked on the map.  Still it was  great, a warm and sunny for five days.

After we got back, I did a horrible thing, I let the neighbor's old dog, 16 year old Snickers run away. I was watching him for Weezie and Burgess. I let him outside into the Privada with Dart and Dida, his friends,  a HUGE barrage of booms went off and so did Snickee.  First he went to the other , end of the privada the dead end walled part and hid under a car. I went down to try to get him and he ran again. By the time I got back to my feet he was gone!! And I felt AWFUL!!! We all searched, the neighbors helped. How far we assumed could a half blind, deafish, almost toothless dog get!! That day we put posters all over the village in English and Spanish. Thank god this picture was there in the house.  I posted about his loss on chapala .com Every day the dogs and I went out in a different direction to look for him. No one found him. Weezie and Burgess came home and were VERY understanding. We all just assumed he went off somewhere, hid and died.  But we had a Christmas miracle!!   8 days after he disappeared I posted this message on chapala .com

We were so lucky. He has gained back most of his weight and his owners are very happy.  I want everyone to know that despite the popular idea that Mexicans are not kind to their pets doesn't wash!  Much of the Mexican population in the village was looking for him. The restaurants with outdoor seating, the pickup truck cops, the garbage men, the car washers and street sellers, kids both above and below the highway, all the workman down at the park were all searching. No one ever thought he would make it towards the booms and clear to the other side of the village. It was such a wonderful ending.

Now into the mad holiday whirl. Two days spent packing 2500 gift bags for Toys for Tots. Then Denny, Dagmar- MR. AND MRS. CLAUS  with Harry and others elves were off to all the kinders from Ajijic to San Nicholas , San Juan Cosala and all the way to Mezcal.

This week a Christmas celebration every single day! CASA, Garden Club, Shriners, two potlucks, plus we are having the block party on Independencia on Saturday night. Harry is off today to Guad to buy the piñatas. I am making German potato salad for tomorrow's potluck and I still have to decide what to make for the block party. Plus 16 for Christmas day. Then we will just chill out until Three Kings day!

May you all have a Happy Christmas and a Healthy New Year, just watch out for those strange signs and portents!

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.
 

November 1, 2007- The first of the two celebrated days of the dead. I set the altar up last week. I have become thoroughly Mexican in this. I like my yearly visit with the dead. Just wish I didn't have to add more pictures to both sides each year :-( 

There were altars set up all over town some just for individual families and two especially lovely ones for Juanita Reed..La Japonesa to the Mexicans. She was a tireless supporter for good here in the Chapala area for well over 20 years.  I will miss her friendship and her always great cooking advice when I was preparing a dish for CASA.  The memorial service at LCS was not properly announced in the papers and about 50 people were there. Since her Saturday morning town clean up with "her" kids now has second generation kids in it,  I am sure if the event had been better publicized there would have been many more of her Mexican friends there.

At the risk of being branded a whiner by many of our friends in much more northern climes we had an early and totally unexplained cold spell last week. 48 at night and maybe 70 by day. We were all griping like crazy since it was accompanied by a brisk and sharp wind!! But then everyone here has commented that weather wise this has been the strangest summer anyone remembers in years. Cooler, grayer and at least wetter than most can ever recall. It will be interesting to see what our six weeks of "winter" brings.

If you look at this link you can see the map and directions for a wonderful around the lake tour to view wildflowers this time of year and waterfalls any time of the year.  Garden Club Field trip     

There you will find a map and directions for 4 different tours. Some are on rough roads and do need a vehicle with higher ground clearance or 4 wheel drive. But the tours all start at the town of Concepcion de Buenos Aires and right there in the town square there is a huge billboard with all the routes marked and in a model of efficiency there are also blue road markers all along the various routes to keep you on track!! 

Lake Chapala Garden Club was VERY fortunate that one of our valued members, Dr. Jerry Smith and some of his "Hell's Prostates" motorcycle club  friends agreed to act as guides for a group of about 30 LCGC members.  We had a great breakfast arranged for us by Jerry there at  the town of CBA and then the members divided up into groups to go on the various tours.  The wildflowers are just coming into their glory and all the scenery was just beautiful.  If you want to go do check the link and the map and plan to make a day of it. And don't forget your camera!!! Also dress warmly and wear shoes you can hike about in .....no sandals!!

November is upon us and time to gird our loins for the Maestroes who will be staying with us for the artesano four day sale, then the  feast of San Andreaus and our celebration of Thanksgiving. Well at least the cohete makers will make a killing!!!

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

October 8, 2007- With the San Juan Cosala disaster there has been so much going on here. We are all busy with our own special charities there as well as all the other stuff we do. And the busy time ..high season is starting soon. All the festivals are starting, this month the all month long feast of the Virgin of the Rosary. Next month Maestros del Arte, the feast of San Andreas. And then on into December, the feast for the Virgin of Guadalupe , all the school visits with Toys for Tots and so on.. and so on. It is like the way we tell the season's of the year here.

I spent some time this Sunday in church reflecting on prejudice and skin color. America although we get a bad rap for racism we are hardly the only country to practice? it.  I have occasionally ranted about how the well off Tapatios treat native Mexicans. Lest you think in church that I am part of the the minority group of blonde gringas, I am not. The weekend Tapatios come in all shades of skin, mostly light like me and red, blond and brown hair. There is also a goodly number of the native Mexicans in all shades of skin color from, light to dark. So we look like a pretty international bunch. In the U.S. even among themselves Negroes discriminated against one another by color. The "darkness" test was the paper bag test. You were "better" if you were the color of or lighter than the color of a paper bag. Here the discrimination is similar. The darker and more "Indio" a person looks the more likely they will be discriminated against and often they are not educated and poor. Even other Mexicans, the lighter brown people, look down on the darker pure "Indios".  And sadly many of the European looking Tapatios regard them as little more than animals. Just leaving the U.S. doesn't let you leave prejudice behind. Sad, I wish it were not so.

Happy news...Brice-9 was first  in the rebozo competition and Chayo- 6 was first in her age group. And drum roll please Brice was chosen Queen of Six Corners!! I'll have pictures of the crowning next week. She is at 9 such a beautiful child. Dad, Jose is already at wits end about the neighborhood men and boys noticing her! He keeps threatening to carry a baseball bat at all times.  She is such a shy, modest girl. She gets a bit confused about all the notice by the male animals. Go help Jose by the time she is 14!

Supposedly the real estate prices are dropping here. But that does you no good if you can't sell your home up north. The price of building supplies are not going down and the rehabbing/remodeling is still going on all over the village. Other prices are also going up steadily. The cost of living even here is climbing. But the weather is still wonderful, the people are still kind and caring and the pace is still far slower than NOB. I think we will stay. <VBG>

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

August  23, 2007- Well weather with Hurricane Dean is a major topic today. No it wasn't much! A bit cooler, cloudy rain sometimes heavy off and on all day, no wind.  At this elevation storms from either coast get brought down by the mountains by the time they get here. But that isn't to say that this has not, like last year been a different rainy season. More rain during the day, cooler and fewer spectacular night lightening storms.  All summer I have been  sleeping with a blanket and going out in the early AM with long sleeves. That is a change over other summers we remember from the last 15 years. Weird but when you consider that meteorologists measure climate change in thousands of year hardly a blip on the radar here.  I guess we just chalk it up to global warming, that thing our esteemed fearless leader says doesn't exist!

The delegado here  has changed; a new party member along with the new Chapala mayor. It seems strange after dealing with Ricardo for 6 years. This new dude is purported to have a hort background. He has done a ton of work in the plaza and doesn't seem to want us garden clubbers mucking around there.  We may do a trial balloon and give him a budget and see what he wants to do. Then dole out the money to pay for whatever. Whenever we planted in the plaza the town just provided manpower, we bought the stuff and decided where it went, we dug, pruned and weeded, etc. If he wants to save our stiff old bodies we can at least try it once and see. I will say that I now see a couple of the layabouts who worked? up there really having to work! Shock. Which is why right now it looks really good.

Ajijic Limpio, the township environmental initiative has made a major difference in the amount of trash in town. Losing the nearby dump has forced everyone to look at how much we put in the trash bin! There are new trash cans on poles all along the street provided by AL and funded by the local realtors. A bag person has a key to unlock the ring that holds the bag and has to monitor his/her can and change bags as needed. There is now a once a week pick up of green waste that goes out of town to a shredder on ejido land. The resulting compost is used in farming by the ejido people so we are saving space in the dump. There is also a weekly pickup of recyclables; cans, glass and plastic bottles.  They have a major teaching initiative in all of our local schools with regular classes on not littering and recycling. AL lost one of it's founders this past month in the untimely death of Bob Moore a local horticulturist who died in a car accident. This is the memorial placed in a public garden along the Carretera. He was a member of my orchid group and we all really miss him.

Realtors report that again prices are going down or being cut due to the real estate slowdown up north.  They expect this to continue for another year. Not a lot of people seem to be taking advantage of this because they can't sell their homes up north! Still the building on this side of the lake continues. A bunch of smaller developments popping up like mushrooms and some with really small homes being sold to the Mexican people. These are being built on the way to Joco. Very small and not really finished, but a first home for the rising Mexican middle class. All of this is going to stress the infrastructure especially when it comes to roads and water. Not sure how much more the roads or the water table can take.

Here in the village and the nearby fractionamentos the cat burglar/dope kids are still going at it.  They slip past sleeping homeowners. WHO LEFT A DOOR OPEN OR HAVE A SCREEN SLIDER, JALOUSIE WINDOWS, OR SOME OTHER UNSECURED INGRESS!!! and rifle handbags and wallets for money, pick up any easily  available jewelry or cameras and usually leave before anyone wakes. A neighbor had the police wake them early last week. They told them their car had been involved in an accident!! Seems this burglar also took the car keys and the car which he crashed and then boogied off on foot. Now this is scary but mostly could be prevented by making sure all doors and windows have some sort of decorative iron work and not leaving handbags ,wallets, car keys and so on lying out at night. Not rocket science. If you are away for a time or someone has cased your place they can easily drill out the locks. Another lakeside resident in San Juan Cosala was robbed of his home theater and they took the safe that was bolted into the floor! These were more pros than the cat burglar druggies and they obviously had some inside info since they knew the  whereabouts  of the safe. His home was secured by bars but they had time and opportunity, and some knowledge of what they wanted so they did get in. You can't prevent a determined thief.

Fall has come, school has started and after Dean leaves the sun will come back out! The lake is up quite well due to the summer's plentiful rains.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

July 2 ,2007- Rainy Flora and Fauna. This is the time of year when all the plants are both very happy and under attack! The rains make them grow really well but they also bring bugs and disease galore. This is one of the four gorgeous amarylis bulbs that came home with me from Amsterdam. Here amarylis grow in pots or the ground outside all year. They are not the forced Christmas plant you often see NOB. I had trouble getting the garden store man in Amsterdam to sell them to me. He kept thinking I was taking them home to the U.S. There they would have to be stored under refrigeration until fall. NOT! They came home and went right into the garden.  I bought two white bulbs , one with dark orange stripes and this one with it's peach edges. All four have been spectacular. They like their Mexican home and each bulb has had two or three bloom spikes with four or more flowers on each.  Here they will multiply in the ground and I can spread them around the yard beds. The caladiums right, in the shady bed by the front door come back every year. Again NOB they would be either a pricy annual or something I would have to dig up, store and replant every summer. The orchids in their baskets and all the other plants here are sending out roots and shoots. The fauna are equally busy. The birds are nesting and there are new butterflies daily.

On our daily walks we also feed the local lions. We don't know their names. And it is a bit hard to get a good picture of them from the street through the gates. For a long time I found them very intimidating.. which is what they are supposed to be. They are some sort of European mastiff, the size of ponies and they live at the old hotel on Pedro Moreno. The hotel has a long checkered past. Privately owned, a home for a famous actress, then Mafia owned, then private again, but then taken over by the state. Now it is owned by a Guad lawyer who brings his family to visit infrequently. There is a caretaker family and the boys.  They have more space and freedom than most Mexican guard dogs , they seem to be well fed but I don't think anyone pays much attention to them. I started tossing them each a biscuit about a month ago. Now they wait for me at the gate, never bark anymore , and wag there stumpy tails as soon as they see me. I tell them they are good boys and while I get closer to the gate to give them their cookies, I still don't reach in with my  hands. I tried once but no one ever taught them to eat nice and they are expecting food. I want to keep all my digits!  I feel sorry for them. Maybe some day I can get them to let me pet them.

All over the village the mares are foaling babies. Here we run to a lot of pintos and dark bays.  Not too many chestnuts. The goats who live near Mariscos  Peter's are also increasing the herd. I always look when we go by as they have a rock pile in the middle of their pasture and there is always one goat up there on the top. Hard to tell if he is the watch goat or the king goat, but he looks very impressive. 

While the town is much quieter now the building is still going on apace all around us. New developments on both the Joco and Chapala sides of town. Right here in town crossing the highway is still a dangerous thing. A local merchant was the latest hit and run victim a few weeks ago. That makes three people killed in hit and run accidents here since January. There was a lot of discussion about adding topes as well as the traffic lights. Chapala has detailed more traffic cops at all the intersections.

Other than that Dida's eye is finally healed and the hated collar is off! She has a small scar on her cornea but she has most of the vision in the eye . Dart is now two and still a coco locco puppy. I hope he is always this happy a camper. Harry is still improving I'm just fine.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

June 1, 2007- Yes it has been two months. Harry is recovering just fine. In fact he was well enough to travel some. I am tripped out. The end of April and into May was the Amsterdam tulip trip. Harry stayed home from that one. Then I came home for 24 hours and we left together to visit his sister in Portland, Oregon. Then home for a week and off to visit the other coast  and my family in NJ. I love traveling more than Harry. This was his first time back to NJ in six years. It was great seeing all my old friends at school and our former next door neighbors. They were our hosts and we could never find  better friends than Nila and Charlie. NOB  there is always the shopping, and of course the food. Even Harry enjoyed a Jersey Mike's sub, Vic's pizza, clams and fresh fried seafood, fresh not frozen bagels and so on. His sister Janie took us to a marvelous restaurant at the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Portland ; a multi course lunch to die for. And it was way to cool to actually see Powells book store.

With all the shopping, the trick when you go is getting all your purchases to fit into two bags each that must NOT weigh over 50 lbs. Plus we e-bay shop before we go and send those purchases to whichever address we are visiting. I was proud of myself and Nila's good scale all the bags were almost exactly 50 lbs.!! We had to do some last minute juggling at the gate when we came home from Portland.

We are following many other year round residents here and planning our trips during the hottest months of April and May. And it is hot most days around 90, dry and dusty. Very low humidity and the the mountains are brown.  Still relief should be here soon. The rain birds are singing and every night since we got home last week the wind picks up and the clouds gather.. but so far only an occasional sprinkle. That means daily watering for all the pots and the new grass. The predictions are for a longer, better rainy season, but we all know how reliable those things are. For now you go on hot mode which is walk the dogs at 7:00 AM, then do your errands by 11:00 and get home.  Garden work outside I just do after 4:00. The house is wonderfully cool so it is no problem. We even had one of those swamp cooler air conditioner things  but we  sold it. Tlaloc will hopefully send rain soon.

The town is much quieter now. A bit less traffic although the building and remodeling doesn't seem to have slowed down. The realtors are saying that just like the housing slump NOB the prices and traffic have slowed here. Not as many concerts and extra stuff to be running to. Right now we are staying close to home. Dida dog managed to rub her eye or somehow ulcerate a cornea. A month of drops three times daily (thank you Lucia and Jose our dog sitters) and it still was not healing up. So yesterday she went in for micro surgery to use the conjunctiva to from a patch and make it heal faster.  For the first time in her life the drama queen is wearing an Elizabethan collar and she is NOT happy. Dart keeps trying to kiss her to make it better and she is probably about to bite him.  Helping her eat and drink and just getting her to walk wearing it has been tough. She is one stubborn terrier. She wants this thing OFF!! I have used them on my other dogs but never on a short child. She keeps catching it on things on the ground! Ten days of this sigh.. I just hope this is the end of the battle and we don't have too much vision loss. So still playing nurse here. Other than that just catching up on web work, feeding the orchids, dentist appointments and all the stuff we put off for a month.

That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

March 29, 2007 - We have been through a bunch of major things this past month.

February, 2007- Critter tales. This is about our new privada resident.. the runaway rooster. You do know that in Mexico they fight roosters. Their feet are equipped with metal spikes. UGHH almost as unfair as bullfighting. Neither has ever been a sport I aspire to go see.

About a month ago as the dogs and I were off for our AM walk we heard a rooster crowing right nearby as we were going down the privada, Dart rushed over to the barred window in wall of the spite lot and began to bark. So I had to go over and look. There staring back at Dart was a very pretty rooster! Now the walls of this narrow, now weed/bamboo overgrown lot with the wire part must be twenty feet high. So my first thought was how the devil did he get in there???? But the dogs were off down the street and I just assumed if he got himself in there he would get himself out.

Well he didn't! Too high to fly out? then how did he get in, who knows. He would hop up on top of the window ledge but didn't seem to fit through the bars. My Mexican neighbor said he couldn't be a fighting rooster because his comb would have been cut off ... UGH SQUARED!  After a week or two I began to wonder if he had exhausted his supply of worms and grubs in there. And what about water? So behind Harry's back (he felt Mr. Rooster belonged in a pot!) I went and bought him a couple kilos of rooster food. Juan and I fed him daily and I wired a small plastic take out dish to the bars which got filled with water as he needed it.  He had been in there for over a month. Everyone on the privada stopped as they passed to look in to see if he was still there. Dart was obsessed with him.

 Eventually a  Mexican man came along and said rooster was his and how could he get in there to get him out.  I explained about the rich  Jefe from Guad who owned the lot and how it was never visited or opened.  And climbing in was pretty impossible.  So the man went away. This past week we heard wild thrashing and squawking from the lot. I went out thinking that the feral cats had come back and were trying to reclaim their territory, but it was Carlos, and a young friend who had somehow?? climbed in there. They were chasing him around trying to catch him. Rooster now managed to fly!! First to the top of our outside wall, then to the wall atop the house on the mirador. From there after Carols tossed his hat at him he went even higher to the very top of the neighbor's fence which must be thirty feet. And that was the end of the saga. The boys gave up, he disappeared and is now probably some where down the street in someone else's yard .. where there are GIRL chickens. And Dart is very sad.. he misses him and keeps looking to see if maybe he came back <G>>.

Some one posted on one of the web sites about his initial research on moving here and added all the usual comments from friends? about personal safety, kidnapping, banditos etc. I thought of this as we were out Saturday morning. It was a  very nice part of the village near LCS. A young man of about 4 or 5 was bebopping down the sidewalk still dressed in his jammies and flip flops. He must have been headed back from the nearest abbarote because his bag carried bananas  and breakfast things. Maybe he and Poppie were making breakfast as the average Mexican mother would never have let him out in his jammies. Anyway NOB no matter what or where the town you would never have seen this.  Most little ones meet other little ones in parent sponsored play dates, heck most of them are not even allowed to play out in their own yards unsupervised.  Not that there wasn't oversight here. Had he fallen, been menaced, cried out in anyway and there would have been three Mexican women at their doors to see what was wrong. If there was a need he would have been immediately scooped up and ministered to. But he was really very safe.  Just as we all are as we head down the street on foot on our errands.

Unfortunately the traffic accidents continue. Recently a  Chapala bus struck a young man on a motor scooter.  He was seriously injured. The family lives here in town and so far it is another case of the company stalling on paying anything. Busses and their drivers have a terrible rep here in Jalisco. They seem to whack some poor pedestrian monthly!! Just after the new Mayor of Chapala took out a full page add to promise better traffic control, more cops and all he could do to prevent these accidents ALL the street lights on the carreterra went out/bonkers for three days!  Poor man. Some say that with all the bad press in Canada about recent deaths and other mishaps to Canadian citizens that fewer are coming this year. Hard to tell. I think that more and more Guad weekenders are taking up the slack so to us year round villagers it seems the same busy high season.

Our two girls from the Northern Lights group will be here t until the 28th. We have really enjoyed them and the concerts. Just hard to fit five concerts into all the other parts of our schedules.  The Valentine's day auction for Casa Ancianos was a big success. My dinner for six went for 6000 pesos!!

The cold weather is gone, soon we will be griping about the heat <G>.  That's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

January 26, 2007- Dida and I are major grousing because the warm/sun part of the contract is in violation. Dida really misses her sunbathes stretched out on the terrace.  I guess the nasty winter weather NOB is drifting south. We have had a week of clouds, cold stiff breezes, and even some serious rain. The daytime temp is around 60 degrees. It is supposed to be hanging on for another week. As I type I am wearing double sweaters! One thing I can't stress enough to anyone considering moving here. Bring your sweaters, sweatshirts, fleece jackets etc. The house when there is no sun never really warms up. So you are cold all day!! Even some of the Canadians are not running around in shorts and tee shirts.

Another result of the population boom/traffic here there was a hit and run on the Carretera this past week. The man was killed, the woman was seriously injured and air evacced back to Canada for treatment.  This was  in the center of town right in front of Bruno's restaurant. Driving and walking here require ETERNAL vigilance.  You never know what you are going to encounter and you have to be prepared to defend your body or your car! So far no info on apprehending the driver.

High season is in full swing, parking places and reservations at the most popular restaurants are in short supply. We will soon be hosting our kids/musicians for the annual Northern Lights Concert weeks. It will be fun to see whom we have for visitors this year.  There are also a ton of benefits, auctions, and parties to raise money for the many charities here. I am donating an Italian dinner for six to be served here at our house. It will be auctioned off at the Casa Ancianos  benefit dinner dance on Valentines day. This is a benefit for the old folks home in Chapala. I was there a few weeks ago. Tommy Thompson from Barbara's Bazaar mentioned that although the facility is immaculate it is still an older Mexican building. The geezers really feel the cold. When I was at Soriannas I came upon a large bin of hats and scarves 70% off.  I grabbed 26 matching scarves and hats none of which was more than a dollar and a half U.S. With this recent cold snap I am really glad I took them straight to the home. It was around noon and the ambulatory and non ambulatory were in this sort of sun room while their rooms were being cleaned. The nurses helped me lay them out on a table and every one picked a hat and scarf! I had a huge amount of fun for a grand total of less than $30.00!

I just hope that this cold weather will leave soon. May you NOT be living in one of those places with the awful winter weather....that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

January 1, 2007- It used to be such a pain in the old days after New Year's, remembering to put in the right date on paperwork and checks etc. Checks, never see them anymore.! Now it just means getting out and buying a new write in date book to keep track of all and sundry each month. It lives here on the desk and is consulted daily.

Last night was a quieter night than most New Year's Eves here. Maybe a shortage of cojetes? A fitting end to a year of dolor.. we lost a bunch of friends this year. I guess although we are counted in with the young bunch, since many of our friends from when we first started coming here are older  I better get used to it. Maybe with the good weather/sunshine, the better health etc. here you just lull yourself into thinking that all your friends will be here forever.   My New Year's resolution is to treasure my friends and family and treat each day as if it might be my last!  I am glad to see 2006 gone.

The week in Puerta Vallarta was restful. We needed it. The city has changed a great deal since we were last there nine or ten years ago. Kinda reminds me of Florida, much more traffic, a lot more retirees, and the costs have gone way up.  A whole lot more gated beach and golf communities going in on the side of town near the airport and like here also in the outlying towns of Sayulita and Brucieras. 

PV is fun to visit but I could never take the summers. Funny thing is many of the year rounders we met are from Florida, so I guess to them the weather is much the same as what they left. I took a house tour similar to the one that San Miguel does. The PV group that runs them  uses all the money they make from the tours to fund their own version of Operation Smile, to help fix cleft palates in local kids. Lots of $$$$ real estate. As is often the case on these tours two were for sale. Similar prices to San Miguel both for around one million.  Now they were all either in old town or the most desirable Conchas Chinas section.  Not on the beach. One has an interesting local resident. Note the huge iguana that was in the bushes outside the fence by the pool! Check out the gorgeous views, other than that not much different than your average big home in Ajijic or San Miguel. All of them were many steps, and multiple stories to take advantage of the views. One was billed as an easy access, meaning you didn't have to hike up a mountain goat driveway, to get to it. But it still was on three levels, plus the pool level! As they always say in real estate it is location location location. View lots take their toll on bad joints!

Cindy and I managed to improve the local economy by doing a lot of shopping.  We stayed in beautiful condo on the hillside in the old town. There were two huge doors like this one looking out over the bay and the town. The views, the pools and the amenities were really nice. Only drawback was the hill it was on. No walking unless you were a mountain goat. And since the town is so crowded parking spaces  are just plain never.  Most of the time we left the car there and took a taxi, cheap no more than 40 pesos anywhere in town. We ate lots of wonderful fresh seafood, walked along the beach or lazed by the pool. Plenty to see and do. One night we dined in Viejo Vallarta across from the malecon and from our third story balcony table watched this act done by the Indians , four of them atop a tall pole, spinning and unwinding toward the ground as they hang by their feet!  Each night from the couch we saw beautiful fireworks out on the water. Some dinner theater on the water thing involving a pirate ship attack.  Nice free entertainment for us.

Real estate here according to realtor friends.. lots of lookers but not too many buyers. No conjectures from the local realtors as to a drop in the prices here since many of the home prices in various parts of the U.S. are also going down . As always just have to wait and see how it plays out. There are enough smaller less$$ homes in developments going up both in Chapala and along the highway going to Joco so no lack of inventory to look at.

Right now we need to fill the pinatas for the Plaza night Three Kings celebration. Tommy Thompson, Walt Smith ad Stuart MacGowan will as always reprise their Three Kings in the pickup truck gig; traveling all over the village and handing out candy. Also look for something for them to take when they visit the Casa Ancianos home. It has been colder, sooner and longer this year and Tommy says they all really feel the cold. So hats, scarves, sweaters, or lap robes.  That will for us at least round out the Christmas season.  The Mexican's celebrate one more day in February, Candlemas I think, but after Three Kings day here it will be time to take down the Christmas decorations.  Always fun to add to the "stuff" each year. The colorful straw roping and hanging star from Tzintzantzun. And two beautiful palm trees and some more sheep for the creche. Gradually it is beginning to look more Mexican <VBG>. I almost added a zebra when I bought the sheep.  He just wasn't quite the right size. 

With the festivals over the "bad Guys" seem to be gone. I have heard no hearsay about homes being robbed, pockets being picked and so on. We can only hope it stays that way. Now we just have to exist with the traffic etc of high season.  and...

...that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

December 1, 2006-  We are very social here. I have been to fancy gringo parties for over 70 people.. but I do love the Mexican celebrations. These are usually for them, a major life moment: a baptism, a birthday, a wedding . They are just so much fun. Yesterday we celebrated at the first communion party for Bricela and Montse.  At a Mexican celebration the WHOLE family is there. Everything from newborns in a stroller to grandma and grandpa. There are no restrictions  on who comes and there is always a huge number of happy kids. At the evento Lucia always uses there was a large bunch running,  playing, and eating -see our friend Caesar below having  his cake.

For some reason unlike U.S.  kids they all play together fine. In the five hours we sat and ate and talked I never heard anyone howling or fighting. All the kids lug the little ones around and watch over them.. even the boys. Abuela cooked the food.. major yummy. Two kinds of chicken, salad, rice and potatoes cooked in with the chicken. I had to go ask her how she did the one chicken. For Lucia's wedding she made a mole.. this wasn't thick like that  but it had a lovely chili taste. She told me how she made it and the type of chili she used.

And speaking of celebrations yesterday was the last day of the nine days of San Andreas. We marched on gringo night which was last Sunday and there was a respectable showing of Americans and Canadians. Now we are die hard village people and I usually wake up and then go back to sleep when the cojetes go off at 6:00 Am ...  BUT  I think that the priest should ask the more moneyed trades like the maestros and the masons/carpenters to cut the cojete budget in half and give the money to the Casa Ancianoes or some orphanage. I know... this is a tradition  etc etc but I DON" THINK AT 6:00  AM AND NOON WE NEED A NON STOP HOUR OF FIREWORKS!!!! AND PEALING CHURCH BELLS!! On their respective days they try to outdo one another.  There is such a thing as overkill. There is no way you can just go back to sleep. The banda last night went to 5AM this morning, but that rarely penetrates the house.  All this started with the Independence day celebrations . Pictures of the parade are here.  The crime rate went up, as it usually does during the fiesta. A friend had her spare tire on her newish CRV stolen off the back of her car (but no locking lug nuts duh!!) and another women here in the privada was robbed at knife point as she was returning home alone at night. This was just at the end of the privada. Fortunately the loony dog pack across the street starting bellowing and the bandito took off.  The steady stream of small time burglaries and cat burglars getting into homes (as the owners sleep) continues.  They seem to have radar for an unsecured window or open door  So far no one hurt, just stuff stolen.

We will start all over again with the celebrations this month for Guadalupe.. who fortunately does NOT have a large fireworks budget.  I look forward to seeing the lovely altars going up in front of the homes and after her feast the naciementoes- Christmas crèches. We start packing for Toys for Tots next week and will be doing a bunch of schools daily after that is done.  The traffic is already AWFUL through town and will only get worse. The Chapala planning board approved two more large subdivisions at either end of town, for a total of 300 more houses, and I assume ACKKKK at least that many more cars. Not to mention the stress on the other parts of the infrastructure.  The question is will there be separate wells and sewage treatment plants for each of these developments? What about phone and electricity? There are also a  bunch of smaller developments going up along the highway from here towards Jocotopec.  Again same questions and serious issues since the water table is dropping.  Telmex is blithely ignoring them all. Out El Limon way the only way you can get a land line is to pay off! someone. And it isn't a small payoff. I have not heard from my many realtor friends as to current state of sales/prices. Most of us think that if the prices keep dropping up there they may drop here. As always we shall see.

We are off to PV to the beach this month. It will be the first time we have been there in 8 or 10 years. It should be fun to see how much has changed there.  After the El Nino caused cold spell last week we are back to normal here but I am still looking forward to going to the warmer beach. The long range weather dudes are predicting a colder winter. Not as bad as the U.S. midwest but caused by the same weather current.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

November 4, 2006-Check the trips page for the orchid trip to Cuernavaca.

NOB and back east where we lived this is the time for the news people to chart the best places for viewing fall colors. And I must admit even though I hated the weak wooded swamp maples on our property the red color the leaves turned was very pretty. Lest you think we are deprived here we do  have fall colors. And .. ours are more brilliant and varied. The rains have still not stopped, a totally weird rainy season but unlike Buffalo's BAD snowstorm the late rains here only make the wildflowers more prolific. And the colors!!! Did you ever notice that wild morning glory comes in a lovely pale blue, a deep morning glory blue, a dark purple, a dark violet and even a white growing along the malecon.  Nearby close to the ground is tradescantia in mauve and blue, the tall yellow helianthus, like a small sunflower, the little daisy white flowered chamomile or manzanilla as the Mexican's call it, and the orange dogweed which I always thought was tithonia.  All along the roadside we have big swathes of  pink cosmos mixed in with all of the above. Yes, sometimes I wonder how my woodland is doing. I can see the huge bright yellow leaves of the Tulip tree, and the different colors of red, orange and yellow of the oaks and maples, but I have all the same colors here, just on different plants!

A few weeks ago we went to an evening competition at Six Corners. This was a rebozo competition for girls ages  4?-15. It was great fun to watch. Lucia's two girls Brice and Chayo, were in the competition . We raided my closet for shawls/rebozos. That evening each girl was in a long gown, with those heels, ! even the little ones!.  So we now know they start out early learning how to walk in them <G>! They all had lovely hairdos and a bit of makeup. Each wore a beautiful shawl.  First they did the model walk on the stage before the judges and stopped to twirl and hold the shawl in front of them and then drape it around themselves. The second time they on the plaza, were in front of all the spectators and they stopped at a table to pick up a decorative jar or water jug. That was carried on the shawl draped shoulder to the center of the space, then placed on the ground and they sort of paraded around it and again draped and fluttered the shawl. Lucia's nine year old Bricela looked so grown up and GORGEOUS!! in three years Daddy Jose will be beating them off with a stick!! Brice is shy and kind of rushed through the whole thing, with her had down a bit and not really looking at anyone. It is common to Mexican girls , both she and the much older ones acted this way. They are not brought up to be as brash as an  American girl.  There were two girls there with a Mom coaching them who must be veterans of this type of competition. They kept their heads up, played/smiled at the judges and so on.  When we watched the adult version of this competition at the Ajijic plaza this woman placed. 

Anyway our Chayo only five, is NOT shy and retiring. No eyes down and go fast for her! Look at that face! She is the one on her sister's lap. Plus she watched how this woman's two daughters performed. On her second go round with the jug, she took her time, pranced and draped and when she was done took her jug back to the judge's table put down her prop and gave them all her 500 watt smile! Out of 15 girls aged  4-15 the woman/pro's older daughter took first and our Chayo took second!! Much fun to watch but next year we will practice!! If Brice had held her head up and smiled a bit we would have swept the competition!! Old competitive Chris here.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

September 10, 2006-You guys can probably skip this, just go look at the Globo pictures. This is about shoes. I once read that when Jackie O. was living with Mr. O. she sometimes had to change her outfits 6 or 8 times a day, Oh deah!  Anyway  living here lakeside that sometimes happens with shoes.  So if you are NOB and in the final stages of pack and purge before moving down here this is how you should sort your current stock of footwear.  First pile House shoes, this is my friend Cindy's term.  These are worn inside to keep your feet from being cold on the tile floors and if you are cursed with them to protect your tootsies from stinging critters. Often just flimsy slippers, flats, or flip flops. You won't wear them walking anywhere outside as the soles are too thin. You would feel every sharp cobblestone you walked on and if flip flops you tend to fall off the side of your shoes! Second Pile Walking Shoes,  must be able to leap cobblestones in a single bound. These will be sturdy sneakers with good thick soles. For those with hot feet during the months of April and May you look for the knock offs of the $$$ Teva sandals. These have thick soles and Velcro straps at the toes and around your ankles. For winter you might bring the Easy Spirit  loafers etc. These also have a thick non slip sole. Or you can buy a pair of Flexis here.  Very similar.  Third pile Dressy Shoes,  worn only when you are driving to the event and walking a short distance from the car to whatever. How many depends on how social you plan on being. You will need them for a trip to the Degallado or Teatro Dianna in Guad to see a concert. You may wear them to the auditorium or Little Theater for an evening show. Or just out to dinner or a party.  I know, I know, you WILL see the Mexican women navigating down the streets in spike heels. I have NO idea how they stay upright!  Or maybe you are one of the fortunate few with  superlative knees, ankles and hips.. whatever.  Many of us are not so lucky,  so know thyself and let your conscience be your guide.  I do wish I COULD wear my pretty shoes more often but whenever I do I find I need to tell Harry to walk slowly as we navigate a couple of blocks to Calle Colon and Pampa Tango or Cafe Q!

I hope this public service bulletin helps you decide what shoes to bring and what to pitch! Just know that sometimes in the course of one day depending on the activity schedule you may change them almost as much as Mrs. O!

The annual Globo Regatta was last Saturday. Globo means balloon but these are macho balloons on steroids. It starts about 3 or 4 at the soccer stadium and it is always done during rainy season when all the greenery/trees are  not dry leaves.  Clubs and individuals construct hot air balloons from colorful tissue paper. The month before the regatta they are being constructed all over town and from as far away as San Miguel d' Allende. They can fly quite high as they are propelled by a volatile mixture of gasoline, diesel fuel and kerosene. The fuel  soaks a doughnut that is taped to the bottom of the balloon. They are inflated  using the heat from a chimenea . Some are so big that to launch them the builders use a scaffold so that the guy at the top can hold them while the  launchers at the bottom get the whole thing inflated and then ignite the doughnut. The beauty of the balloons and the creativity of the builders makes this a yearly must see. Sometimes they do crash into a roof but remember the roofs are tile. This year one drifted into the power lines and then hit the transformer. Special effects!!  Ka Boom! It is another one of those things that you would NEVER be allowed to do in the U.S. God knows how many agencies would have to give their permission. Some never make it off the launch pad! Some fly really high.  If you are here the week before Independence day don't miss it. To use a Mexican  friend's metaphor, globos are like life. Sometimes you take wing and fly, sometimes you crash and burn.

Juan our gardener celebrating the launch of Lalo's HUGE one                        This is it before it caught fire and burned, see below

A special thanks to Steve and Teri for the great pictures!

Well the rainy season is winding down. It is getting cooler after the sun goes down. Sometimes now we are shutting the outside bedroom  doors at night.  In a month or so we will put our shorts in the back of the closet. During the winter months layers are the norm since by noon the temps will be mid 70's. You will see some of the Canadian snowbirds running around town in shorts and tank tops in December. They must have anti-freeze for blood! The last couple of winters have been warmer, but you just never know.  So don't leave all your sweaters, light jackets and pants home!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

August 10, 2006- Well I have been just as bad as last time. We have again been busy, this time with trips to the states and to Patzcuaro.  The U.S. trip was to trade in the Wrangler. Much as I loved it, it was just too small. If I wanted to go to Guad with friends to shop there was no room for the shopping! We spent a week in San Antonio, bought a new Honda CRV and shopped till we dropped.  I can recommend Gillman Honda there for a fair priced, no pressure deal.. BUT they really screwed up the paperwork.  Two years ago when we bought the Acura, Gunn Acura easily handled all the paperwork to register it in SD. We went to see my sister and returned 7 days later with our title, tags  etc all waiting there at Gunn. Gillman screwed it up totally, ended up registering the car in Texas! sent the title to the hotel we had since left; it is now "missing".  Harry is still trying to straighten the mess out, but no one there seems to be answering our e-mails.  I find the Honda a great village car. It is the same width as the Wrangler and only a few inches longer.  There is so much more room inside and it gets much better gas mileage. It maneuvers around the village pretty much the same way the Wrangler did. Of course I have "lost" my exclusivity <G>. No one else in the village had a bright blue wrangler with silver top and fenders.  Everyone  who saw the Wrangler knew it was me. Not so with the Honda, there are tons here! Of course mine has a killer cow catcher front bumper add on and a bug deflector. We found the extra bumper guard really protected the Wrangler so we got the Honda one. We are still waiting for the rear one, it is on order in Guad. Something to protect those plastic bumpers all new cars seem to have.  August 20th STILL NO TITLE. They can't find it and they still expect us to get a replacement in Texas, from here in Mexico when they are THERE!!! OH DUH!!

I won my third first place at CASA so I have my Bing for this year  and I can no longer compete each month. People say I am crazy but I actually miss it. But....  it is fun to just go to the monthly meeting with no pressures on me.  No setting up the entry, no sweating how the presentation looks and so on.  Actually time to walk around and see what everyone else made!!

We have been having a very weird rainy season. All days grey and rain during the days!!! Most us us think it is due to global warming which just like the east coast is causing more and stronger hurricanes/weather patterns out in the Pacific. I want it to go back to the old way, sunny all day, rain at night but so far Tlaloc is not granting my wishes. We repainted outside and changed the back wall colors to a much darker shade. What do you think? I think it makes a nice contrast to the green of the plants. 

The weather has still been grey and often raining in the AM but clearing up by noon. Still cool and breezy thank goodness. The lake is back up to the end of the pier, but the park looks like a bomb went off in it.  Before the election "your tax dollars at work" had a large crew redoing the dirt paths/sidewalks with really pretty raised slate walkways. They also raised the pads that all the picnic tables sat on. But they had their election and NEVER finished it. So it is piles of dirt, and debris, the barbecues are gone, no more grass just mud piles. All the swing sets and slides are uprooted and tossed into a pile. Right after the Masons painted them! I might add. It looks like hell!  There are a couple of guys back to work now and we can only hope that those  new politicians in Chapala that take our tax money will use it to finish the park. I feel bad for all the local people who used it so much. And I miss the weekend birthday parties!!

The last week of July a bunch of us went off to Uruapan and Patzcuaro to shop the craft villages. The picture at left is a public park across the street from a craft shop we visited in Uruapan. A friend who has been coming back and forth to Mexico for years and who was a HS Spanish teacher led the group.  She is writing a book about this area and the crafts and she knows a bunch of out of the way craftspeople. We had six cars in the group and the shopping was great. The CRV got all my stuff home. When the rest returned to Ajijic we went on to visit and stay with friends who recently moved to San Miguel de Allende. The usual visit to nearby Delores Hidalgo resulted in some more Talavera pots. I have such well dressed plants <G>.                                We found a really great furniture maker in Patzcuaro so we are planning on selling all the equipale  on the terrace and replacing it with this new furniture. See  the Mexico trips page for more details and pictures.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart & Dida! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

May 15, 2006- WOW, I have been very bad waiting this long to update this. Also as always very busy, Plus technical issues, since my hosting service was "migrating" everyone's accounts to a new platform. Everyone on their forums was major having cows, but this web is done/migrated  and it publishes just fine and looks the same. YES!! Rarely does new tech work that easily.

I have been feeling soo much better since starting a new diet. My little sis introduced me to it when I was up visiting in South Carolina. It requires you to give up salt, fat, sugar, dairy. You fill out a questionnaire, based on a bunch of questions you are assigned a body type. That regulates the type of protein you eat. You HAVE to eat 6 times a day, like every three hours. Small amounts of protein, a ton of veggies, a fruit and egg whites for breakfast. And small amounts of starch at lunch and dinner. The approved USDA half cup! It really works. My bad knee & leg are now swelling way less at the ankle. I have lots more energy and I have lost quite a lot of weight. 

Now that the rains seemed to have started and the heat is less and I feel better, I am outside working on the plants a lot more.  Winter and the hot season I was ignoring the whole thing. We have been busy finishing up house "stuff" before it starts really raining. We had the outside repainted and took down the Italian cypress in back. Many landscapers plant things when a house is new so it has a big effect NOW!  Problem is the thing planted is often totally unsuited to where it is planted. Eventually it will be far too big for the space.  Thus we got rid of EIGHT Cypress trees. And replanted Harry's roses into the space; and so on and so on. Busy like I said.

The town seems to finally be cleared out. There were only about 40 people in church on Sunday.  The traffic is a little less awful. Right now the whole village is a mess. It being election year time, a whole bunch of public works projects are SUDDENLY being done in the village. We have raised slate sidewalks going into the park.  The top of Achille Serdan/Pedro Moreno no longer has a lip your car fell down from when you turned and the HUGE hole is filled in with cement and cobble stone. They have been working on Colon for  two weeks. Same thing, raised street, cemented cobbles.  It will be interesting to see how high the water rises towards the store fronts once the rains really start in earnest. A lot of other streets and crossings are getting the same treatment.  If this keeps up I may not need a Wrangler <VBG>. The biggest debate going on right now is how dare Simapa spray the lirio with roundup !! There sure is less. But they were not supposed to spray it. There was an injunction against it.  So far no sign of dead fish, stagnant dead weeds,  or any other ill effects.

We had a visit of SR. Lopez Obrador to Chapala. So far the only presidential candidate to come here. He like all of them is going to save the Chapala Lerma basin. Yeah right.  It is kind of fun watching this and not being able to participate in it. Time will tell.

The building is still going on at a fast and furious pace. There is still not much for sale in the village and a ton of little developments going up outside of town on the road to Joco. And there still are a lot of people here "looking".  For some what they are "looking" at back in the U.S.  is not what they want. I just hope they take their time and "look" carefully here.  In the mean time we have found what we were looking for here. Tomorrow I will do the shopping and print the costs/changes? from last year.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

April 6, 2006- The old train station/now museum  in Chapala is officially refurbished and dedicated. It was quite the soirée! Mrs. Fox , the governor and the mayor plus a bunch of other politicos were there. I was amazed to actually see very tight, well run, security. All of the gringos from Garden Club ( LCGC paid for the sod) had to submit names and addresses of attendees in advance. The place is of course fenced and gated and they had only one gate with a bunch of people checking off names on the list and you needed to show ID. Major show of large fierce looking security dudes. I guess even though his term is almost up, El Presidente is keeping his wife very safe. It was the typical political show piece with everyone patting themselves and the rest of the dais on the back.  Only thing that bothered me is that they failed to mention the many local businesses and clubs that donated to keep the redo going! It ran out of money and stopped several times. Prisa paint donated all the paint, we shelled out a lot of money for the sod, I forget which company it was that donated all the light fixtures. NONE of that got mentioned! Oh well at least the catering was good. <G> And with my Spanish lessons I could understand much of what they were saying.

Ahh raspberries! How serendipitous that I now live just 15 minutes from fields full of  one of my favorite fruits! And here for the same $2.00 NOB that you pay for a little half a cup box  , I get about one and a half pounds, of fully ripe not half way ripe berries. Like a pioneer Mom I am putting things by. The season here will end soon and not start up again until November. So we drove out to the fields just beyond Joco and bought enough for me to freeze two of the gallon zip lock bags full, plus make a raspberry cobbler for dessert tonight and a white chocolate raspberry trifle for a dinner party tomorrow night. I think I am covered but they will all get used up before November!

We had a visit recently from a man who reads this site. He stopped by for a drink. He was here for a fast and furious look see and to rent a house. He decided he and his wife would probably be "village people."  Part of the fun of village life is the sheer unexpectedness . When you are walking to the abbarote for eggs or down to get the mail you just never know what will come along the street or down the sidewalk. So for those of you undecided.  ( I mean no disrespect to those who live in subdivisions or developments, but they just drive here, park, run their errands and leave.) Here is what you will never see unless you live here below the highway and spend some time walking in the village: A four year old prancing down the street in her "prom" gown, a floor length extravaganza of lace & taffeta or something that looks exactly like what you wore to your prom. Her hair is brushed and braided and her eyes are shining because she KNOWS she looks "mahvelous." Where they get these dresses or why they get to wear them as an every day outfit is a mystery. I just know my NOB niece who loves dress up would DIE for one of these gowns. Greeting Spunky's other brother's and seeing his latest tee shirt outfit. And knowing that depending on what the handsome black hound is wearing, you can predict the change of seasons/weather.  Meeting the old man who sells fresh picked strawberries and buying a couple of kilos for even less than the ones at the tianguis.  Meeting any of the other vendors that happen along selling blankets, rugs, hand bags, watches, hats, flowers, tamales, doughnuts or whatever. Getting to see what your eventual new neighbors are doing to the house they just bought. Even without Dida and Dart who never met a workman they didn't like and always go in to say "Hi" most times the door is open and they don't mind if you walk in to look. Especially if you complement their work. Stopping to talk with a neighbor, a friend, or  even someone new who looks a bit lost.   Watching the entire grade from one of the local schools drilling for the Independence day parade. This is after school hours, down at the park in the parking lots usually with a couple of teachers.   Standing quietly aside as a funeral procession carrying the casket walks along to the panteon on Ocampo.  Hearing the clatter of metal shod feet as a group of riders goes trotting by. Watching all the posadas and parades that march just two streets above us.  In December, looking at the beautiful altars for Guadalupe and the naciementoes  (Manger towns, not scenes) In Spring seeing the altars for the Virgin of Sorrows. . And so on and so on. This Sunday on Ocampo cars will be moved, the street will be swept, hosed down and covered with fresh alfalfa. There will be pretty paper cut out streamers hung above. Jesus on his burro,  and a procession waving palms and singing will be along eventually. The Easter pageantry has begun. You just never know what will materialize,  but our streets are much more interesting than anything you see in a development!

I promise to redo the price check for groceries again soon. I'll print off the list of what I bought and redo it. That is in what does it cost. It should be interesting to see if they have gone up. Things are slowly clearing out here. Many of the snowbirds have already left and most will be gone right after Easter. I heard a rainbird the other night so the rains will start in 60 days <G>. The realtors say things are humming, who knows, but the building/remodeling continues at a furious pace.  Glad I am not paying the current price for ANY kind of building materials.

The Guad reporter said that they found four murdered men last week in Ixtlahuacan. They suspect it was related to manufacture and sale of methamphetamines.  Never heard anything more about the guy killed near Las Fuentes. Maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. So the crime scene that many say doesn't exist is alive and well. Everyone feels it got way hotter way sooner this year. I agree!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

March 8, 2006- Told ya high season was a zoo time. This is the first time I have even been able to think of working on the web! Lets catch you up on the news. The February chili cook off was a big success. I worked the barbecued rib stand for Lakeside School for the Deaf. Tony's meats does the ribs and we just grill them and warm them up. We serve them with a fresh cole slaw we all make! It is the most popular food concession for the cook off and probably contributes a big share of the money all the charities split at the end.

CASA had their awards dinner, you can see my picture there accepting my loot. http://www.ajijiccasa.com/files/casaMar06.pdf   It was a wonderful dinner. This past month (February) I took first in Valentine's desserts with a triple truffle torte! But I am not chasing anything this year. I did it last year. This year I just compete and have fun and whatever!

Our four musicians for the Northern Lights concert series left on Sunday. They stayed with us from Feb. 19th until March 4th. We were out almost every other night for their concerts.  Really nice young men.

Garden Club visited the house/garden  that housed the author of "House in the Sun" one of the original books about moving here to Mexico. Carneval was also going on with flour throwing matches in the streets and parades with horses, cross dressers and floats oh my!. And we had friends visiting here from NOB during all this. The last big whoop before many of the snow birds leave is the Mardi Gras (or whatever this year's  theme).. ball that is School for the Deaf's big fundraiser. Then there is the big Passion de Christo passion play coming up on Good Friday in April and the  Easter celebrations. That week after Easter all of Mexico goes to the beach! Once that is over we all settle down to quieter times thank goodness.

Oh for quieter times. It has already gotten hot. Spring is here! Too hot to walk the dogs this AM in pants. And even in shorts the march through the packed Weds. market today was a mucho hot trek. Now if you are not soon to retire and you don't cook skip this part <G>.  But one of the joys of living here and retirement is a certain rhythm of life. I know even though it is still crazy here right now that in another month they will all be gone. For now there are still some soothing weekly routines.  Market day, Weds. means that you come home with a huge bag full of good fresh, things. And Wednesday afternoon you prepare some food things for the coming week. If you were a working  person there would NOT be time to do this stuff. Plus you won't have Lucia to clean up the mess. I always hit the chicken man first . His stall is at the bottom of the market where we park and start our shopping. I bring a freezer pack in my big shopping bag. He millanaises three boneless breasts for me, bags the dogs' weekly treat of a half kilo of chicken livers and gives me the  breast half of a whole chicken. All this goes into a plastic bolsa with the freezer pack. Harry is across the way buying a big bouquet of flowers from his favorite flower stall.  Then we march up the hill picking and choosing. Run any other errands and home we go.  Since many of these fresh fruits and veggies are minimally processed ( no preservatives) You don't buy too much. They all get washed when we get home and then the fun begins. Now I play with my toys. The Vita mix blender will make a soup of some sort  either hot or cold from whatever veggie looked the best. The carrots, so sweet will get peeled and go into the bag in the fridge. The Vita mix does a great ginger carrot juice some nights as a before dinner cocktail. If they had my favorite little beets some will get cooked and go into the jar in the fridge where they get pickled. The breast half of the whole chicken  goes into the pressure cooker with some stock veggies and in ten minutes it is done. Now I have chicken breast for sandwiches or salad, and stock with the wing & back meat that goes into the freezer for a quick soup some night. The dogs' livers get cooked for their dinner. It is all just so European? like under the Tuscan sun but here in Mexico. Good fresh food for a week's worth of meals. All dependent on what looked good. No eggplant this week but the little slipper mangoes were just gorgeous. So instead of eggplant I'll roast the nice sweet red peppers from Raphael's stand and make smoothies out of the mangoes.  It is a very pleasant routine to live by.  My weekly food fest is very soothing.  Especially now with life so hectic. Yes we do eat out .. we have a Thursday night CASA dinner in Guad and Friday and Saturday lunch out. So when we eat out the other meal of the day is made up of my Weds. things in some light preparation.  Only way to live here unless you want to gain more weight than the Pillsbury doughboy.

Realtor friends are all back on a roll! Since my last update three of the $$$ close to $400K or more houses have sold. Two right here on our street. The other just around the corner. A friend of ours sold their rental property and their primary residence all in one month! Again both houses here in the village. Now don't assume they made a killing. Yes they made money on both properties. But unless you downsize or move out of town,  when you sell high the cost of a replacement home is also high!  There have been a couple of TV shorts on moving here on CBS? and one on San Miguel on CNN. So the media is keeping the idea of moving here in the eye of the public. I griped last year but I think this year it was even more crowded. The traffic with the wonderful??? new  stoplights has been horrendous.  A friend who lives in Villa Nova gripes that now (high season) he has to "commute" to get anywhere in the village! There was a recent discussion on Chapala.com about the real estate values lakeside. Up, down, realistic?  Barring a terrorist attack NOB or some major Wall street correction most of us don't see them going down. Yes Mexico will reflect in some ways the cooling off the economy NOB (although their economy is in much better shape than ours) but there are still a bunch of people who saved/invested well who figure if they move here their dollar will go further.  Realistic? who is to say. As long as the demand stays high the prices are going to reflect it. Waiting hoping they will go down may just mean you are going to get priced out of the market.  I don't have a crystal ball so who knows!

Crime etc. As I said we never got anymore news about who did it or why the man out in Las Fuentes was killed. Just after the Perry March furor settled down.. another fairly recent Ajijic resident was deported back to the U.S.  Supposedly he got a loan for 17 million! under false pretenses and then after he was arrested did a walkabout from his minimum security prison. It seems the convict head for Mexico to hide out thing just isn't working for today's criminal.  Although this guy was on the lam for several years. It sure gives us all something to talk about here. In a place that gossips as much as here I can not imagine anyone trying to hide out in Ajijic!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

January 19, 2006- You have heard me mention "high season." If you have been here for a visit anytime after January 1 thru March 30th you have experienced some of it. Like childbirth it is one of those experiences that you really have to go through from beginning to end to understand.

High season, at its worst is a day when you get up at 9:00 AM wash, dress, run out of the house and keep running back just to change clothes and then go back out again!! ...like yesterday. 9:00 start time,  off to the tianguis to hand out flyers about the Shrine club transportation dinner fund raiser at Nueva Posada on Thursday. Rush to Patty's to get my hair done, then off to the Garden Tour in San Antonio. Run though quick, snap pics, back to Nueva Posada. Unload all the meeting paraphernalia for the last time, ACKKK no plants here for the raffle.. call the vivero, help new membership chair sign up/renew a zillion members. Get through the meeting, lunch, speaker, new board elected.. yeah I am no longer prez!!.  Rush home change clothes.. go to CASA board meeting, rush home Harry changes clothes off to set up for Masons meeting and new officers installation. I change and walk down to LCS for wine and cheese after.. then off to restaurant for dinner with Masons.. home to bed, change clothes for last time! at 9:30PM. 

High season is this plus trips to Guad, daily life, and the normal social engagements among friends!  Lest you think I am exaggerating here are some links to give you a small idea of all the stuff going on this time of year. ! And there will be events that are not on these calendars. Check these sites , if you are new or coming during high season for the first time. 

Mexico connects  Calendar   you don't have to be a paying member to look at this part

Coldwell baker/Chapal.com Calendar  

A few years back all the organizations that sponsor events got the presidents together and tried to adopt a strict policy of keeping the calendars and checking them so we didn't overlap too much on a given day. Betty Prentki at St. Andrew's church handles it now but things/days still get jammed up. Like anyone who lives in a vacation destination you begin to long for that time when all the tourists go home.

We have yet to use the gas heater but it has been colder. High 40's or low 50's at 7:30 AM. I do use the little electric heater in the bathroom. Otherwise you come out of the shower and turn into an icicle.  But by noon it is 70 or higher and many of the plants are happy for the colder weather. The gardenias and my terrestrial orchids are covered with flowers.  Most of the plants rest this time of year, you cut back on water and fertilizer.

The realtors tell us lots of people in town are looking but no one is buying.  Nothing sold since before Christmas.  The supply in the village proper is minimal. Atleast anything you might actually buy. It is the tired, old, overpriced stuff that is still sitting around. We went with friends in November to look at a $400,00.00 home down the street on Independencia. It has been empty for two years? since the owners walked out and went back to NYC. Hearsay is that supposedly some one threatened to poison one of the dogs. Looking at it, the grounds are overgrown, the house while large is stale, dusty and musty. The swimming pool was a Petri dish.  A lot of steps and stairs, a major hike from garage , front door, to house proper and kitchen. For that much money it really needs some cleaning up and "staging." So at that price and in that condition it is going to sit probably for another two years! The home prices may have dropped a little but anything fairly priced should still sell in the next three or four months. Still lots of people wanting to move here.

There are  tons of homes being built outside the village towards Jocotopec and some for sale above the highway in Villa Nova, Rancho del Oro etc. I haven't looked at those prices. Flat land with any services connected to it anywhere is $$$$. And the Mexican government is cracking down on the glut of realtors here. Many of the foreigners do not have papers to work in Mexico. They are not allowing these people to work and are telling the realty offices either get the correct work permits or hire a Mexican.  Of course they are not issuing anymore foreigner work permits so what does that tell you. IMHO there are far too many realtors here anyway. The pool of customers is much smaller than the number of realtors fighting over them!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the women are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart!

November 27, 2005- This time of year the weather is like fine wine. Clear and crisp. The sky has not a cloud and is bright blue, the air is cooler in the high 70's and breezy. It is just delicious weather. So much fun to see someone arrive from the frozen north and turn their faces up to heaven to drink in the sun.. ..and they laugh at me running around in long sleeves and pants 'cause I'm cold!!

Well we are half way through the Feast of San Andreas and they have not yet used up the inexhaustible supply of cohetes.  I have several friends who take their dogs and go to the beach each year. So far Dart and Dida are doing OK.  I must admit even as I roll over at 5AM and try to go back to sleep that I fail to see how one's godly/saintly devotions are some how better heard in heaven when accompanied by bombs bursting in air!!  The men were here yesterday to collect for the Virgin of Guadalupe festival. That means we will have our banda serenade some morning in early December. The altars set up around the  village in Guadalupe's honor are so beautiful.  Make a note to get a case of soda with SUGAR! to hand out to thirsty musicians!

It is a measure of how much you settle into the life here that all these festivals, just like Halloween and Easter back in the U. S.  are now just an accepted part of your life. They are like seasons and unchangeable. Oh yeah...sure  early December time for the virgin's festival.  Also time for Harry to start scheduling Santa's Toys for Tots visits to all the kinders. The elf assembly line will start putting all 2500 gift bags together in the next few weeks. Holiday time here is far different from NOB. I shuddered watching the "black Friday" stampedes on CNN.

After 12 weeks of dealing with a very sick puppy, stressed out Mom has joined the new gym here in town to work off the weight gained.  I wish.. but  I have never been one of those people who can't eat when stressed. Just the opposite actually. Dart is much better but with a few leftover problems from his "unspecified virus."  He and I will both deal with them and exercise will help us both.  The new gym is just one more example of the way more and more NOB type franchises are fetching up here. This is a copy of the Curves gym concept NOB except it does allow men. That from what I have been told is just about the only difference. People have been signing up in droves and it must really be cutting into the business of the other gym at Danza del Sol.  I try to get there five days a week. So far I have been able to do the routine with no pain to the old wrecked parts. Gentle exercise.. probably why with our aged population here that the place has been so popular. 

Everyone was shocked here when two gringo fellows out in the mountains near Las Fuentes (15 minutes away) were shot at. One killed the other wounded.  As with most of these bad things the story is murky and actual facts sketchy. It started out being told as a case of wrong time, wrong place. Supposedly they were going up to water some horses and stumbled onto banditos in the process of stealing them.  From this it straggles off into murky hearsay. There are others that say this time of year the pot crops in the mountains are being harvested and they stumbled into something like that.  The long timer hikers around here do say that this time of year you stay  off the mountain trails. There was a supposed drug shoot 'em up last week on the other side of the lake near Mazamitla. And there are still the kid gangs here in town. Drug abuse  as part of life is not to be escaped from, no matter where you are!  Either way with what little we know it still seems to be just a random wrong place wrong time thing.  The bad thing was the local Jocotopec police were called when the second guy got back to Las Fuentes and they never even showed up. They are not about to go up into the mountains this time of year either.  Who knows, and the state police, now in charge of the investigation  are not talking.

Other than that the news is the same old same old. Building is still booming, prices for building supplies are still going up, the good contractors are still up to their eyeballs with work and the realtors all say they are busy. The stop lights on the highway through town don't make the traffic move any better, but this time of year using the lights, you can get across the street on foot without having to take your life in your hands.

The homes in the 200 and below range are still going pretty quickly and there are a bunch of homes at the higher end for sale. Remains to be seen if they get sold at those prices.. but there still seem to be a lot of people wanting to move here.  I just hope they spend some time here BEFORE they buy. There are also a bunch of vocal/disgruntled people who bought in haste and now hate it and want to go back! To each his own.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

October 9, 2005- Progress, progress. Progress means that each year when the snowbirds arrive they are shocked at all the changes. Sometimes we are too. When we were driving up Pedro Moreno today  we both suddenly noticed a new cell tower on the hill above the highway. Red and white to keep the little planes from flying into it!  Progress means it will be interesting to see if the 4 new stop lights, the no left or right turns etc will make any difference in the traffic on the main highway through town. Well it is the beginning of another high season. We start high season with flu shots! As soon as we start seeing a lot more Canadian license plates it is time for flu shots. Some people will tell you that we don't have flu here. Technically that is true. We don't have flu as a native Mexican species but when all the foreigners from Norte come they bring the germs with them!  So time for our flu shot. 

The real estate market has slowed or not, depending on which realtor you talk to. If you are going to be looking for a home, there is one good deal with realtors. The newest Home- Net www.the-home.net run by the very personable Alfredo Zavala is discounting the commission rate to 5% not 7. Alfredo speaks excellent English and his contacts in the Mexican community might turn up that rare Mexican owned listing which meets your needs.

The rains seemed to be over and then we had several days and nights of steady rains. The lake level is supposedly a bit higher than last year at this time, but the rainfall overall was much less than last year. That means that when it comes time for the farm states upstream to do a scheduled water release; even though they agreed to it "last year" this year they will try to welsh on the deal. The  malecon no longer has lirio piled on it but the repairs to the cave-ins and the broken water drainage pipes were never made.  The municipality or someone  has cleaned up the soccer field and the basketball courts. It looks so strange down there. There were ficus trees all around the fields, the courts and along the malecon. They died from standing in water all winter and now that they are all cut down the vista is totally changed.

Mexico is starting to act like the U.S. Last week at Costco all the Christmas stuff was out!  I went to buy nice gifts for the December Garden Club Christmas  Raffle.  Being Mexico when December rolls around there won't be anything good left!!  In a schizophrenic vein, Halloween candy was also displayed. It is becoming popular here. So it will be a very ecumenical end of October. Buy candy and set up the Day of the Dead altar!

The fiesta season has started. This month here in our village the Virgin of the Rosary means bombs at 5:45AM, precessions to church and mass at 7Am every day.  The concerts are starting again at the auditorio for MAS. Next month we host a Mexican artist for Maestro del Arte sale and then the feast of San Andreas, Thanksgiving and so on. All December Mexico prepares for the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Around Dec. 12th the band will be here in the Privada to serenade anyone who contributes to the fiesta expenses.   Surprisingly Dart the puppy  has not been at all fazed about the every AM bomb barrage. Even Dida has been better. Now if I could just learn to sleep through them!!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

September 6, 2005- A story of mace and men. I have often said that I walk , usually alone nightly around 10PM or later. Not really alone as the dogs are there with me; out for a nightly breathe of fresh air before bed. Woody was large enough  to be intimidating, but he has been gone for almost a year and new little D'artagnan isn't quite big enough yet.  Dida would kiss Dracula! Still I was not particularly worried as we walked back towards the privada last week and I heard the sound of footsteps coming up behind me.  I just turned around to see where Dida was because she is unleashed and sometimes she jumps up on people. She was waiting in the middle of the street wagging her tail at the man coming toward her. I told him Buenos Noches and Pero es no malo and hung on to Dart on his leash. The man came past Dida toward me muttering in Spanish and it was obvious he was drunk? high? retarded?   I backed up a few steps and he did stop right in front of me. He was still muttering and looked really weird. Kind of dirty and unkempt. And in that adrenalin mode, atleast with me,  Spanish deserted my brain. By now my hand was on the Mace canister that I always carry to discourage that very rare bad dog from eating my children. I backed up so he could not grab it, raised the canister to his face level and said quite loudly "Go Away!"  Fortunately he did muttering "no repeto"  whatever that meant.?

Now I was not really in that much danger. I was in the middle of the street just at the end of our privada with David's house with lights on and open windows on one side and Mike and Monica's house same way on the other. Had I started yelling someone would have been at their door in seconds. What I found enlightening was that when I  was panicked my brain insisted on its native tongue! I guess I need to practice some danger Spanish to keep it in my brain if I ever need it again! Despite that the dogs and I still walk nightly and I am still not afraid. Dart is proving to be the usual brilliant poodle. <G> At 11 weeks he already has learned an off leash come and sit in front of Mom that would do credit to a  CDX dog. He walks nicely on leash and stays around Mom's feet when playing off leash in the park.  Dida has made peace with him but still insists she is boss and elder. I am really enjoying raising this puppy as all my other standard were adults when I got them. He is a trip.

The rains are still coming nightly even though it is now September. The lake is still up now almost to the top of the malecon wall. The building/remodeling is continuing all over the village. It used to slow during the rainy season but not this year. The price of gas here is actually lower than NOB. About  $ 2.28 a gallon.  The housing sales are slowing down a bit and as always slower in the over $350,000.00 prices. The new developments are springing up like mushrooms. Most are between Ajijic and Jocotopec. The new Casa de Cultura opened on the Plaza and we were at a concert there right after it opened. It looks very nice and seems to be a  well planned venue for the town.  I am looking forward to the Charo competitions later this month. They will be in the new indoor ring on the way to Guadalajara and perhaps Juan our gardener will make the cut. The mariachi festival is in full swing right now with many concerts all around Jalisco and in Guad.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! Especially Dart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

July 13, 2005- It has to be a bit weird that we have passed our yearly anniversary and I didn't manage to post here. I would say we were not blasé, just busy. We even made the same drive back here from a vacation in San Antonio on the same days as the original landing. And then we just plunged back into life; trying to get Garden Club details arranged for this month's meeting, Harry and the Masons working on the playground stuff at the park, computer problems, renew the FM3s. Just the same things as you might do when you return from vacation and pick your lives back up. So no time to sit and reflect on another year.

Well, another year, what has changed about Ajijic and us. A lot. I think we have become a bit more cognizant of the fact that you are still an immigrant here. Something that happened here in the neighborhood really brought home the fact that there is right, wrong, legal, illegal and then there is good old boy money, privilege and power. While the gringo is expected to stay on and know the sides of right , wrong etc the Mexican who has good old boy money, privilege and power does not really have to. And unless you have an appetite for frustration and a bottomless pocketbook for litigation, fighting the good old boy is a waste of time. Pick up your marbles and move on. A fact of life.

The number of people looking and buying STILL seems to be going up. This second high season is seeing the town packed with people looking for a retirement haven. Also more and more wealthy Guad residents are buying homes here. Plus the weekend and vacation times the town is packed with day trippers. So the local economy is perking along quite well.  Because of all this the prices of homes is still high with no sign of a slow down. The building boom west is continuing unabated. Below the highway from Six Corners outward small developments of "starter"  homes are springing up all over. Just remember a bunch of these people just sort of came here and bought thus we are seeing a goodly number who don't last more than a year. They sell up and go back or go back but keep the real estate and rent it out. 

The current crop of lookers are younger and much like the class situation in the U.S. seems to be from two very far apart social/economic strata. There are those with plenty of money and those looking here because they think it will offer a simpler, cheaper but better life than the U.S. The first element is young often late 40's and early 50's. Well educated and usually buying something as an investment, not planning on moving here right now. It causes some problems in neighborhoods where there are clusters of these owned but not steadily occupied homes. The empty houses draw the burglars to the area. They may try the empty home or use the roof as access to nearby occupied homes.  The less well off lookers find that if they see something they like in the under $200,000  price range they had better put in an offer quickly as most don't stay on the market for more than a week or two.  If the budget is under $100,000 many just look out of the village proper.  The first group often buy some pretty expensive homes and then turn around and start doing them over. All the local builders and contractors have work. Someone told us that a respected and popular builder told them he could not start their projected home any sooner than nine months from now, maybe longer. Of course the cost of building materials keeps going up. And there are naysayers that say the area is overpriced look elsewhere. In Mexico in our travels we have not been anywhere that the average gringo would retire to: meaning a place with even some of the average things that a gringo would expect for daily living. In any of these places the prices were the same or higher than the Lakeside area.

Personally we are still happy. We just came back from a U.S. vacation and it only reinforced our feelings that we will stay here not ever go back to live in the U.S.  Right now the rains are steady, the hills are green, the temps are moderate, And Harry and Chris are very happy. Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart!

May 29, 2005- We are all waiting with bated breath and stuffy noses for the start of the rainy season. The rain birds are singing, and the humidity is rising. It has been a hot and yuck April and May. Yuck because of the forest fires, the regular burning off of fields and the volcano erupting. A lot of nasty stuff in the air and everyone's allergies being very unhappy. It can't come soon enough.

Hard to believe that our "new"  house is 5 years old. Five years  is the time when anyone who purchased a "new" home here gets to see how well built it really was.  So far we seem to be fine. All we are doing is before rainy season maintenance work and cosmetics. So Juan has used two coats of sealador on the dome, and we are resealing all the saltillo tile floors both inside and out. They really needed it. They are a traditional Mexican tile but not as hard fired as some and also not glazed. Once the top layer starts to go you will lose the entire tile if you don't seal it. The ones outside on the terraces get "eaten up?"  if they are in full sun.  Harry had several guys here for estimates but no one in the current busy construction economy showed up to do the work! So he got the sealer from Jara's and did it himself.  They look much better and are now protected from the rains to come.

We are also painting inside. The 5 year old white/cream is going to go in some of the rooms. Time to introduce a bit of color here and there. I will post pictures once it is done. The paint crew, we are using Pippa, will be here in the AM. The entire house looks like a giant yard sale! It was no picnic emptying out some of these huge furniture pieces so they could be moved away from the walls.  As Martha would say it was a "good thing" sort of like spring cleaning.  We went through that big entertainment unit in the den and threw out a bunch of paperwork we brought with us originally. Don't need it now. And we decided to add more shelving in the laundry room as soon as we can get Jose out here to give us an estimate.  This house unlike many older Mexican closet less homes,  has lots of storage already, but even though we seem to be weeding out we also seem to fill it back up pretty quickly!

The church is redoing the floors so we are all shunted off to the little chapel for mass these days.  It is really lovely. Guadalupe? is up above the altar in a stunning outfit of soft pink. But it is too small so there is a tent just outside the front door and more chairs. Actually better to sit there as there are no windows inside and it does get HOT and airless during mass.

This morning was typical Mexico. The breakfast people had their stoves and chairs set up on the plaza just outside the chapel. They were doing a brisk business. The Ajijic mountain? foot race was going off right there in the plaza with teams from Guad, Ajijic and further away warming up. Lots of cops and local politicos, plus families and friends of the runners.  And we are sitting there trying to hear mass despite the race loudspeakers, and a very cute Guad weekenders' toddler jabbering in his push chair.  Just another day in paradise. <G>. After mass we headed over to the street in front of the big church looking for the veggie man. We saw him standing there but since the race started on that street they didn't let him set up!! Again only in Mexico,  we all still needed to shop so we politely waited our turns as he juggled the stacked up crates of veggies to get out what we wanted. He comes every Sunday and does a good business. I am glad he didn't lose his day's trade because of the race. There were four of us there all talking and waiting our turns to get our fruits and veggies.  More people came up as we were paying for our stuff and they too just smiled, talked and waited, no one getting upset. So not like NOB.

Dida doesn't know it but she has a big, "little brother" arriving in late August. We have a deposit down on a as yet unborn litter of standards from a very good kennel in Tyler,  Texas.  Originally we were down for a black male puppy but the black girl who was bred didn't take! So we switched over to the white girl's litter.  If you watch Westminster on TV,  the grandsire on both sides of this litter was that big handsome white standard that was BIS there a few years ago. This will be my fourth standard poodle and he will be named D'artagnan after the fourth musketeer. Oddly enough he will be my first standard puppy. All the others were older placements. So this will be a real learning experience for us all.  I am sure the ghost of Woody will be hovering over him.

The housing market continues to be brisk in the 250 and under range. The 400 and up stuff still sits but even then here in the village not often more than 6 months. A big place on Pedro Moreno just sold at well over that price and it was on the market for about 6 months. A slew of smaller less $$ developments are going up in Tio Domingo and other parts of Six Corners and Rancho Del Oro.  A realtor friend said that here July is actually the month they sell the most houses. So it is the same old same old for real estate here.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

April 4, 2005- It does seem funny that last month I was musing on rush mentality, just before the blitz began!!!

March was a good example of high season at warp speed.  Every single day on the calendar was written on.  From the 9th to the 24th we had a social or concert date every single night. During that time the three young adults from the Northern Lights concert series were here as house guests . We had a flutist, a violinist and the soprano.  It was nice to be frantically watering the garden to the sounds of Bach or a flute solo from some other composer. When they left a couple who are friends came to stay and they have not yet left.  This plus the usual things like club meetings, board meetings, hair and dental appointments, Easter celebrations.  Oh and organizing, selling tickets from home and getting 130 garden club members ALL the way out to Tlachichilco to visit this fabulous garden . The house is huge and the man has two full time gardeners. He gives them pretty much free rein.  From there to a buffet lunch at Vista Del Lago Country Club.  The membership loved it and we all were in awe of the garden . You can only see a small part of it in the picture. Check the Garden club website if you want to see the rest. http://www.lakechapalagardenclub.com/photogallery.htm    

After a month like that, it makes me sound like a real piker, spouting all that stuff about slower lifestyle mentality and letting go! All I can say is it is NOT the norm around here, it just happened. And by the end of the month we were both really bushed!.  Now Easter is over and soon most of the snow birds will finally be gone. Everyone looks forward to the traffic snarls ending and the village returning to quieter times. It is already getting hotter. This past week we had some 90 degree days. Watering the tree mounted orchids and the pots is now a daily thing and the dust is now a constant.  Despite the onset of "hot times" there are many new people here frantically? looking for real estate. As before not much for sale in the village itself, prices still high, and many village homes being sold within a week or two of being listed, thus never even making it onto the realtor's websites! Two here on Independencia went like that in the past month.  One in that hard to find $200,000. price range and the other a bigger property for quite a bit more.  Many of the people buying are not planning on retiring here or living here full time.  They seem to be buying them as investments to rent out and come down here once in a while themselves.  That can get old if you are a neighbor to such a property. There is a block nearby which consists of just  4 good sized properties. Only one is occupied full time and the owners find the proximity to the other empty now and then properties, daunting.  It gives the burglars lots of unoccupied roofs to climb over to get to their place! So far the banditos climbed up the roof of one of the empty homes to get to the roof of another empty one which they then broke into. That home is next door to the fully occupied home.  Not a fun situation. 

We have also been through a lot of birth and death this month. A gringo friend also lost his wife quite suddenly and all his many friends mourned for him.  She was a young retiree and her sudden death surprised us all. It is tough to do this in a foreign country but atleast the children arrived to help.   

Lucia's sister Patty  is due any day now. She is late, huge, and tired of being pregnant!  Lucia's family  finally lost abuelita to the cancer. That started eight days of mourning and visits to the family. The customary gift when you go to the viewing or after the burial is coffee or sugar since the family will be entertaining a great many people. I baked a huge pineapple upside down cake and we took it with the coffee and sugar. In the middle of the mourning period Lucia celebrated her 32nd birthday. We celebrated belatedly by taking her and the ninas to Guadalajara's excellent zoo last Friday.  Yvonne, Montse and Andrea, Patty's girls and Chaya and Brice, Lucia's two plus Lucia and her Mom. All settled in the back seat of the Acura. We look like the classic Mexican family off for a day trip...except for the blonde gringa in the front seat! The zoo is well laid out, the animals have big paddocks with moats, no little cages and there are lots of places to stop for a rest, drinks and snacks.  At the top? there is a restaurant and terrace that looks right out over the Baranca, the big gorge at the edge of the city of Guadalajara.  It is a lot of walking but none of the ninas complained. We saw white tigers and lions and all the usual zoo stuff. There is a train that takes you through a safari park and also an amusement park.  If you need a whole day trip for grandkids it will certainly fit the bill.  From there we took the troops to Outback for Lucia's birthday dinner. She was a bit surprised when the waiters snuck up with the dessert with candles and we all sang the birthday song!

I need to go out and move the sprinkler and water the pots. Dida loves to help with that part. Apparently water needs to be bitten and subdued by small terriers.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

March 7th, 2005- I think it takes new retirees  awhile to adjust to the change in the space time continuum. What I mean is adjusting to the idea that you don't have to rush.  For most of us 50 somethings, life WAS lived at breakneck speed. Weekends off from work were spent playing catch up. You barely had time to do all the errands much less have a social life. I thought about this the other day as I was making dinner. I was making cole slaw. In the old days, to save time I would have made it in the Cuisinart. Here I was shredding a head of cabbage and chopping it by hand, the way my Mom made it pre machines. Why?  ...well there was no need to rush. Dinner would get made when it got made! And I like the texture of the hand chopped over the machine shredded. While I love and use all of my kitchen gadgets I find that I am doing more things the hands on, old fashioned way just because I have the time and it allows me to enjoy the process. I guess like our Mexican neighbors I am learning to live in the moment and savor it for what it is.  That means walking even more rather than driving. It also means stopping to talk and socialize with our neighbors during those walks. It means enjoying the small things: the pelicans surrounding the fisherman's boat on the lake, how the flowers of a vine look against the wall of a house you are passing, the reflections of the mountains in the water. It means happily easing through the days without that low level feeling of dread that hung over you. You know, that feeling that you used to have....no matter how much you were doing, you were not getting it all done. That the only way you could fit it all in was if you only slept four hours a night or some such preposterous thing. Adjusting to retirement means that you lose that dread  feeling. Sadly some people who retire never do. They just can't give it up.  Even here in paradise you meet these people.  They can't let go of that rush mentality.  If you come here to live I only hope you can embrace that slower mentality. Live at a gentler pace like the Mexican people. Retirement is kind of like your childhood summer vacation...only it never ends. You never have to go back to school. You do have the time to pursue all those interesting things you were going to do IF you just had more time.

We are looking forward to meeting the four young musicians who will be here soon. These are the young adults who will be playing in the Northern Lights concerts. Loaning out bedrooms for a good cause is always fun. Kind of like opening a package, you just never know what you are getting.  They arrive late next week.

All the actors in the passion play are getting ready to take  part in the culmination of an entire year of planning and rehearsals. Soon the blue and white decorations for Palm Sunday will be going up and on that day the street above Independencia will be strewn with bright, green, sweet smelling alfalfa. The young man playing Jesus in the passion play will come along riding on the donkey with the parishioners behind him singing songs as the procession winds it 's way to the church. There is a reenactment of Judas' betrayal on Holy Thursday and the long and arduous Passion Play on Good Friday.  Easter here is real, and not focused on bunnies and eggs! I hope to have pictures to share with you as it happens.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

February 11,2005- Time marches on and my second year is almost past. Life here now is like a really comfortable pair of shoes. They slip right on and take you anywhere. You no longer feel like a "guest" perched between two worlds. I have lost that feeling that used to sit in the back of my consciousness. That feeling  that said you were just here on vacation; that this was going to end some time in the future.  My mind now knows that isn't true.

This is home now. I know it's seams and wrinkles. The house is pretty much the way I want it. I have learned to say yes and to say no so that I have a mix of clubs and organizations that I belong to, help, and really enjoy. If we go to a party or large fund raiser , I usually know most of the people there. I know where the best places are for all my specialty groceries at Abastos. I have learned to cook most of the local produce, where the best butchers are, and how to age the meat after I buy it!  I have a good cadre of Doctors to watch over  my health. If I need something fixed or done I have a large list of people to do it.  I can take each day just as it comes and enjoy the oddities and beauty of this culture. There are always new parades, fireworks, fiestas and day trips to be planned for and enjoyed.  There are Lucia's ninas to watch grow up and help as needed. We had a wonderful weekend taking Bricela to the beach for her 6th birthday. She wanted to see the ocean. It was the whole family's first time at the sea..

There are new comers to meet and help. There are old friends who still provide advice and fun. Days are rarely the same except for the usually perfect weather.  Life here is never boring.  There is always something pleasant to plan for or look forward to.  As my second year draws to a close I only hope that all of you find a place to retire to that meets your needs as well as this place meets mine. Look hard and find that comfortable pair of shoes. It is worth the search once you find them and slip them on.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

January 24, 2005- Well by February I will be coming up on my second full year. We are almost finished with the Christmas season. Candelmas  or Candelaria on February 2nd marks the end of the Christmas season.  January 6th, the feast of the three kings was well celebrated here in Ajijic. Do to the generosity of all, there were enough piñatas for three hours of smashing in the plaza. The kids were divided up into age groups and wore themselves out breaking them!  That afternoon our own  three kings, Walt Smith, Stewart McGowan and Tommy Thompson were dressed in their fancy costumes and out in their truck/chariot delivering candy to all the kids for about 5 hours! No child was left behind! We stuffed two fat piñatas and left them at the town hall for the smashing. We also got a bag together for Casa Ancianos. The three kings stop there first before gong out to the kids. If you ever want to bring small donations the old folks home, they  always need disposable razors, deodorant, hand cream, and socks in various sizes in winter. I think CVS and some of the other chains sell theses things in bags of multiples.  Each resident got a bag with these and other items from the three kings. 

Now it is high season with a vengeance. This means the traffic is terrible, parking anywhere in the village between 11:00 and 5:00  is impossible and there are three events/performances/fund raisers daily <G>.  If you need a workman for paint or plaster or whatever you will find your favorite is probably booked up for atleast a month. You start to look forward to hot April and May, when  all our visitors  LEAVE.  On the plus side this time of year the raspberries are ripe. A trip to the fields in Jocotopec nets you a large container of the ripest berries for about 10 pesos for a liter, bring your own container! These are the same Driscoll berries NOB you pay $2.50 for the tiny cardboard box. And yours are not ripe!!

The weather has been coolish. Last week we had a strong breeze every day so the day temps stayed at the low 70's. We also had some overcast days. Not clouds per se but overcast caused by the Colima volcano which decided to be cranky and spit a bunch of ash into the air. Only the Canadians with anti-freeze for blood are still strolling around in shorts! We also had about an hour or two of steady rain last night. For those of you not yet here you will be happy to know that the lake is STILL not going down. The park is still full of water and the  malecon is still impassible.

I have committed to one more year as garden Club President but many of the other officers are new this year. Harry has agreed to be the treasurer for CASA and I agreed to take over the annual compilation of recipes for the CASA cookbook.  The Garden club brought out the new Garden Guide and Planting Calendar and we have almost sold out the first printing. I think we have three books left. Between the clubs and the music concerts the social scene is as busy as ever.  Today we got out of town and went to the other side of the lake. Check it out in Mexico trips.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

December 30, 2004-Reflections on the Christmas season. It is sooo different here. Much less pressure and in some ways due to tradition and circumstance much less that you HAVE to do. There are many parties and get togethers since we all like to celebrate the season. Starting with the feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe  the whole thing seems much more focused on the religious aspects of the holiday. The only mandatory shopping we do is hams for the maid and the gardener.  Up until recently any shopping would have to have been in Guad and the prices there are $$$$. So we give one another gifts all year long as we find unique things in our travels and don't much bother with Christmas. Christmas cards unless you hand deliver them around town are not a tradition. The Mexican mail service just does NOT gear up for Christmas. Like a goof I told my sister to send me an orchid book and forgot to tell her to wait until after Christmas to order it. Duhh ...needless to say it has not yet arrived.  Christmas Eve we walked down to the church, went to late mass and came out to view all the catechism classes' live nativity scenes. These include most of the requisite farm animals and usually a live baby Jesus as well. It is a further hoot if he/she is swaddled against the cold and lying in the manger ...sucking on a bottle! These kids put a huge amount of work into this and the costumes, lighting and music are quite incredible. A group of our friends booked a table for the 2:00 PM seating at Mannix on Christmas day. The food/ wine and entire presentation are very well done. In addition to the turkey they also do two whole roast pigs for each sitting. The piggy parade comes just before the main course. Both are marched around the room on their platters for ooh  ahhs and photos. Then they plunk them down on the buffet table and start carving. They were very tender and juicy piggys. All of the dinner was yummy. 

The town is crowded now. We have many friends who forgo the entire tianguis for the next couple of months. They just hit the vendors at either end. It is really hard to get/walk through the whole thing. First off every grandchild in North America is here. And they are being shown off/introduced as their grandparents also stop to greet part time friends who have arrived for the winter. No problema ...IF THE WOULD JUST NOT STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE AISLE TO TALK!!  We have New Years Eve parties to go to and a New Years day one as well.  Then we need to get the candy to Walt, Tommy and Stewart for the January 6th,  Three Kings day celebration hand out.  Then maybe we will start taking down the decorations.

For the Christmas season we did have the grand opening of a major department store/supermarket right next door in the town of Chapala. Sorianas may or may not change the gringo shopping habits.  It remains to be seen if they will carry as large a number of gringo items as Super Lake and El Toritio. But at the very least it may eliminate some of the local gringos shopping trips into Guad. 

The lake level is still high. There is still water over the malecon and in the park. We did have one ughh all night and most of the day rain! Very rare for here and it fell on the 15th, the day of the Garden Club Christmas party.  We had to move the entire thing indoors at La Nueva Posada and I had panicky people calling me all morning wanting to know if we were going to cancel it!! Of course.. LNP is just going to throw out 115 turkey dinners, yeah right! That was the only rain we have had so who knows why the level has stayed up with no attrition due to evaporation. The water treaty for all states was finally signed and one of the provisions called for mandatory releases once upstream dams reached a certain capacity. All we can think of is that the capacity is still very high and they are being forced to let water go. The lirio is still there and they are still scooping it up and hauling it away in Joco. Some days when we walk Dida in the morning there is none there,  other mornings it stretches far out towards the center. 

Our annual six? weeks of winter? has started. We shut the windows and doors around 4 or 5. By the time we get up in the morning it might be 48 outside. By noon or one it is 75 in the sun.  We bought a second little propane heater and it now stays in the den for nightly heat if we want it. And Harry got me a little electric heater for the bathroom. Now Chris the cold, shuts the door and  cranks it up when she goes in to shower and dress each AM. No more cold feet and shivering when you get out of the shower! In the afternoon around 4:00 if I am starting to feel chilled I follow Dida's example. Like a cruise ship junkie I go sleep in the sun on my deck chair. That time of day the sun hits well on the guest room patio. So I sit there happily settled between the huge fragrant pot of rosemary,  in flower and buzzing with bees, and the big jade plant. Dida usually joins me doing her lizard routine as she toasts her belly in the sun.  Against the wall the poinsettias are three feet and blooming in several different colors. The hardiness of Mexico's noche buenas never ceases to amaze me. When I think how we used to have to coddle the NOB ones. Here they are tough as nails. Once the sun sinks below the wall Dida and I go in and decide what to make for dinner. These days we do a lot of things in the oven! Happy New Year to you all, and may we have more peace and less disaster.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

November 29, 2004- This has been a very busy holiday. I belong to a private Yahoo group called Amigas. It is for women thinking of moving to Mexico and those already here. We that are here sort of offer an online support group for the ones coming along. Since  Thanksgiving and the feast of San Andreas coincided this year,  a large group of singles and couples arrived this week.  28 old and new friends came for turkey day at our house. Thanksgiving day coincided with the procession night for foreign visitors. After dinner a large bunch of us went to march in the fiesta procession from Six Corners to the plaza.   Then we all came back for coffee and dessert.  We have taken a bunch of them to Tonala to shop and yesterday we went with more to Guad to the Degollado for a concert.  They did house tours and went out for the lake side all neighborhood look see with Trudie at Eager realty. Some are serious about buying and some are only in the early stages of looking. Some are in sticker shock about the prices, some are not. I mentioned last month that two here on Independencia went on the market. The $400K one sold in a week. Never even got a sign on it. About right as it was newly rehabbed and pretty fairly priced. The $500K is a bit overpriced. And if you are going to shell out that much money you can go elsewhere with a view etc. Another two doors down from the one that sold is for sale. Again $400K. A much bigger lot and a different style of house.  We shall see how long it lasts. Within the village there is not  a heck of a lot for sale right now.  Friends were interested in one all the way at the end of Independencia just below Six Corners. $239K really nice they said. But.. already two contracts on it, within a day after they looked!!

The 9 day fiesta has two more nights.  The castillos /fireworks each night have been pretty awesome.  Sometimes we go down to the plaza and sometimes we just watch from the mirador. Anita and Ken, who were visiting were there every night. She and her husband will be back this summer for an extended stay and Ken may arrange for Anita to have her very own castillo for her 50th birthday present! Now that is the way to celebrate 50, your own fireworks display. Dida is as I type,  fussing, growling and barking because the cohetes are still going off randomly. Like most dogs she is NOT fond of the booms.  I am looking forward to our trip to the beach on the 3rd. I need a break from fiesta and company!

The lake is still up!! The park is still under water and you still can not walk on the malecon. It long since stopped raining, all we can think is that the dams are still way above capacity and are still letting water go. Last year as soon as the rains stopped the water started to recede a bit.  The lirio continues to proliferate and blows at the will of the wind. I looked from the mirador the other day and it looked like solid ground not water! The house rehab in front of us is taking some of our view ....sigh. I wish they had left the damn thing one story! I am slowly moving the more tender orchids downstairs so I can watch them and the temps and bring them in if it looks like a really cold night. Still they all stayed upstairs last year I was just dumber then!! Not in my orchid group at that time. So far we have not had much cold. I wear a sweatshirt when we walk Dida in the AM and close the house up each night about 6 PM. No sign yet of last year's two week cold snap. 

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

October 25, 2004- Last week I got out the box marked "dead stuff."  No it isn't a place for the deceased, it is where all the Day of the Dead altar paraphernalia  resides. Harry started the tradition the year  I had to go back NOB and we have continued it ever since. We have our own twists.

Ours includes both deceased humans and deceased four footed creatures. Complete with ashes for the four footeds! Each year we add some more things. Last year we bought the skeleton woman and her skull flower candle sticks at the Artisan fair in November. In Mexico she is called La Calaca.  The sugar skulls are called calavera. We bought them this past weekend in Morelia at the tianguis de dulce. A whole market devoted to stalls full of candy! The flowers are traditionally the orange mums or marigolds with a dash of blood red cockscomb flower. 

In front of many of the pictures are personal items from the deceased. My Mom's has one of her small jade carvings, Dad's has a pencil stamped with the name of the company he started.  Harry's Dad's old Bulova watch is there by his picture. On the critter side we have Woody's old dumbbell and his leather collar. There is his poodle predecessor Willy and a raft of Cairn pictures. There are pictures of some of the old horse show champions and their ribbons. It is very pretty and very personal.  Even though you miss them, it does make you feel some how closer to all of them.

I wished this evening when we walked that I had remembered my camera. There was a strong south west breeze and the water was splashing up against the wall at the park. It was a cool picture and quite a sight from up on the pier. The park is almost completely  covered with water. The malecon and the sea wall are covered. I can again say I never expected to see the water where it is right now. The kids were playing soccer in the parking lot at the bottom of Calle Cinco de mayo. It is the only dry place to play, the soccer field and the b-ball courts are still under water. When we went to Morelia this weekend we crossed the bridge over the Lerma river. The water in the river was still high and flooding over the banks and some nearby trees. So even though we have had no more rain the water level should  stay up there.

On the spur of the moment we sent Dida to the vet and Harry  and I went to Morelia for three days. f I ever wanted to live in a city Morelia would be it! The city is beautiful, with flat easy walking, gorgeous old buildings, great restaurants, and lots of museums and shops. We didn't have enough time to see it all.  We bought orchids at the Orchid show going on at the planetarium. The next day  we went out into the countryside for the craft towns. We got some beautiful enameled copper at Santa Clara. In Quiroga famous for guitars and stringed instruments we passed shop after shop filled with guitars and other instruments. There is another town that specializes in Christmas decorations and crafts made from straw. It has the coolest of names sounds like a Polish Indian... Tzintzuntzan! Say that three times fast! These are all less than an hour's drive from the city.  The wildflowers were still going strong and the countryside was beautiful. They have some VERY high mountains.

We were staying in this beautiful restored old hotel in the heart of the Centro historico. The last night I wandered into the Cathedral and saw an evening wedding of the rich and famous. It was incredible. The Cathedral has the largest pipe organ in Central America. They had some maestro playing his heart out on it. Brahms and Mozart.  This was while the guests were arriving and being seated. Long gowns and tuxes! Then 12 bridesmaids in incredible gowns, plus three little flower people in various sizes arrived. The bride's gown had more jewels on it then I will EVER own. Beautiful designs in seed pearls and lace. Oh and I forgot about the flowers. The tall towers of them all down the aisle. White lilies and roses. Later there was music and folkloric dancing in another part of the plaza and then fireworks.  Harry was back in the hotel room across the square with a belly ache. He missed it. We are already planning to go back with friends in January. Then we can spend a day seeing the monarch butterflies at the special preserve nearby. Plus see more of the city and spend more time in Patzcuaro.

All over the village the locals are getting their before winter repairs done. We don't clean gutters and shut off the outside water lines. We reseal roofs, paint, prune the trees, and in our case fix a major part of the terrace that had cracked and settled. It has new tiles now and looks great. All we need now is to have all the outside terrace tiles cleaned and sealed. Lots of houses coming onto the market for the winter season.  On Independencia just around the corner two for over $400K plus the just finished (six months ago) rehabbed old hacienda across the street from the end of the privada at $ 537K!!!! Our humble neighborhood is getting pretty upscale.

Time to go chill for a bit. We have a busy week ahead with a welcome to the many new neighbors party here on Friday. Eighteen people, both old and new neighbors. So since it will be an Italian feast I can shop and get it all ready gradually during the week. We will have a houseful for November as well. Both the Artisan fair guests and Thanksgiving guests.  I love it!!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

October 2, 2004- You can not believe the lake level!! go and look at the pictures. In the past two weeks it seems to have been raining ALL OVER Mexico not just here. Remember that the Lerma river originates in the mountains near Mexico City. They have been getting rain from the remnants of Florida's many hurricanes. Over on this coast we have had some heavy rains form the Pacific hurricanes. And it has, all over Jalisco and Guanajuato states, been a very heavy rainy season.  The dams are all at full capacity so the spillways are also sending water into the river and the ground all over is just saturated. In two weeks the water came up and OVER the wall along the malecon going toward Six Corners.  It is two thirds of the way up the wall by the park.  Usually by mid September the rainy season is over, but we had a torrential downpour for several hours just a couple of nights ago. I never thought I would see this. It is very gratifying to see the lake return to its former glory.

 Harry is out of the cast and off the crutch and the cane. He started driving again this week. This will be our first  driving trip since he broke his foot in Sayula. We are off tomorrow to do the wildflower drive up to Tapalpa.  The end of the rainy season seems to bring them all to a very rich tapestry of color. I will post the pictures in the trips section. 

I agreed to run again as President of Garden Club. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. Some of the other officers are dropping out so we are busy looking for a new slate for next year. We will be  hosting a Garden Tour to rise money some time in January or February . The money raised will go to the expenses in planting, pruning and maintaining the plaza. It should be a good fund raiser and we are choosing some absolute jewels of gardens for the tour.

We are still fund raising for the Toys for Tots. October 13th I will be making a vat of chili for the chili dinner dance to be held at Bananas. Then we have a golf tournament as the final fund raiser. Hopefully we will be able to raise enough money to do the same 2500 kids as we did last year.

 Hard to believe we are entering high season. Although the traffic on weekends seems like we are in the middle of it! The rains collapsed the road on the libramiento near Chula Vista Norte. That was over a week ago and the road is still blocked off and not fixed. Routing all that traffic through Chapala proper makes for MAJOR weekend backups. All over the village there are construction projects with dirt/brick or debris piles blocking the roads.  Everyone is griping that the costs for all types of building materials keep going up and up. Once the rains stop more people will start on roof repairs and general water sealing work.  Including us! The heavy rains mean we need to take the tiles off and reseal the terrace roof. Juan the new gardener also does handyman work so that may be a job for him.  The weather is cooling off just a bit. By 9:00PM I shut the terrace doors in the den and I often wear long pants when I walk Dida  in the AM. Still by noon you are changing back to shorts and a sleeveless top. I am eying the orchids and deciding where the more tender hybrids will go once the weather starts to cool off. The species are tough and can stay where they are in the trees. They flowered beautifully this year and I am thrilled at the knowledge I am gaining from the beginner's club. Harry has a pile of tickets here on the calendar for all the concerts and performances that are starting up.  It doesn't seem possible but life is getting more and more busy as October advances into November!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

September 6, 2004- I celebrated my birthday on September 1.  For all those years my birthday  always meant that school or work was about to start. After 56 years it seems strange to consider my birthday as just a celebratory day during the rainy season.  No more celebrating it  sometimes at school or work! This was kind of a sad birthday as it was marked right after the death of my beloved Woody. He had almost 15 wonderful years. He was always the sweetest most biddable dog in the world. Harry and I also celebrated it with Harry  in a wheel chair!

On our HHH overnight trip to Sayula, Harry broke the 5th metatarsal in his foot and pulled off the tendon that runs along side it. My knee Doctor,  Dr. Tillo  operated to pin the bones back together. The bones don't heal together if not pinned. He has to spend 4-6 weeks completely off the foot. It is in a cast and once again we were off to the American Legion to get a wheel chair.  Thank god this house easily accommodates one. The stitches came out last week and on the 15th the pins come out and the cast comes off.  He will be glad to be mobile again! I will no longer be the chauffer! As always the medical care was superb. And also as always our friends rallied around to offer meals, help, errand running and whatever else we needed.

I was off to Barbara's Bazaar this Am with neighbor Cindy. Tom was having an anniversary sale with much of the inventory marked down 75%!!  Cindy and Rob bought and have almost finished refurbishing a rental home on Colon just above the carreterra.  So.... Cindy was looking for decorative stuff to make it even prettier.  I was just looking. I did find a lovely pair of wrought iron gates which I bargained for and got! They will be mounted on the wall in the back terrace and some lovely vine will then twine through them. 

The village is still hopping. This year it was never a quiet season. Parking and driving have been as bad as a normal high season. Weekends when the Guad squad descends it can take forever to get out onto the carreterra. Please , Please if you drive here,  leave those big wide SUV's at home. They just don't navigate/park well on these narrow streets. Friends at the B&B's say they are already booking up fast for high season so if you are planning on coming down Oct-March better book early.

The rains have been really plentiful. The lake is VERY full. The malecon near Six Corners has the water lapping at the sea wall.  Hard to believe that last spring Dida and Woody were running along the now disappeared road out there. It is just deep water now.  The liro is bad but the federals and the locals are hauling it out with heavy equipment and carting it to the dump. There have been more water releases from the upstream dams. Not sure if they are really following the Water Board's rules or just releasing it because their dams are full to bursting! Either way the water is up higher than it has been in over 10 years. And we still have this and next month when the Pacific coast hurricanes bring much rain.

Coming up this weekend, we have the Hash House Harriers- Toys for Tots walkathon . I will be the only walking entry from this house! It is scary to be thinking/planning for Christmas already. It is enough to be shifting the Day of the Dead stuff to the front of the storage closet. Got to get out my skeleton woman and all the other stuff for the altar. And I need to get the guest rooms ready for hosting our artisans again this year for the November Artisan fair. Right after that friends will be here for Thanksgiving . Life here as always is busy and full.

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.

August 3, 2004-When we first moved here we both thought that the terrace needed more flowers. We have spent the past two years rectifying that situation.  I thought of that and the incredible lushness the rainy season brings as I came down the stairs from the mirador. Looking down at all the roses and other things blooming made my heart very glad. If you click on the images they will get bigger.

Up on the mirador and down on the terrace the orchids are very happy. My collection has grown to 22 plants! I have both the epiphytic which grow in trees and a few  terrestrials which grow in dirt. What I count as a great triumph is that this year,  I am getting many of them to re-bloom. That was a feat I never accomplished in the states. I have to give credit to the beginner orchid growers group I joined. I have learned a great deal there on the care and feeding of orchids. I bring the blooming ones down to sit in their fancy showcase bowl on the coffee table on the terrace. The blooms will last for 3-6 weeks depending on the variety.

Recently there have been  articles about retiring to Mexico in ARP and  the Wall Street Journal. The Forbes owned Guadalajara Reporter  had an article about "reverse migration."  It discussed how many people moving here now are coming because they feel they have more personal freedom and less government intrusion into their lives here in Mexico vs. the U.S.... Kind of weird. I guess the previous migrants were coming to "find themselves." Now they are coming because they don't want to be found!  Also in light of all the terrorist warnings they say they feel safer here in banditoland!! ;-) then back in the states!!

The impact of all this on our lives here is  that the village has been packed even during what is normally a quiet tourist season and the prices of houses are still going up. People are coming here to just buy a house. End of story. No try to rent first, no try the lifestyle first, just buy something!  Weird!  If you check the what does it cost page you can see some recent prices of thing. Despite all this we are still happy with our choice. Maybe we will see some of you new immigrants around town!!

Well that's all the news from Lake Chapala, where all the woman are beautiful, the men are handsome and the dogs are extraordinarily smart! And Harry and Chris are very happy.