Happy New Year!

So this will be brief tonight dear readers....sorry to cheat you but it's new years eve and soon we will be leaving for the airport to pick up our friend Carol. Meantime, I am in the lobby of the hotel which, as i've told you before, is apparently a haven for no-see-ums that love to chew on my ankles as I type. I will attempt to keep them at bay while i send out a little something your way while rubbing my ankles together....good thing i can multitask.....
A regular occurance in our comings and goings is giving people rides. I believe I have touched on this before. There are certain specific locations these travelers post up at, then there are random spots that they just happen to be as you pass. One day recently, John helped a guy who's motorcycle had broken down. Both of them really had to struggle to get the thing in, but the task was accomplished. Today on the way in as we were driving on the highway, a gentleman of about ....well, an indeterminate age between 50 and 65- was riding wildly on a bicycle with a load of sticks strapped on the back (they burn these and sell them for carbon-like charcoal). he waved and whistled at us as we sailed by and thinking he needed a ride or help of some sort, we stopped and headed toward him in reverse. luckily there was very little traffic on the road. We pulled up next to him and after several hearty greetings all around we asked him if he needed a ride to Motul, the nearest town. He rapidly fired back in Spanish more than we could grasp but it was pretty clear he didn't need a ride. He fussed around with a plastic bag he had tied on the front of his ancient, rusted steed and handed through the window a bag. i had no choice but to open my palms and receive it or ot would have landed in my lap. before i could discern what was happening, my mind shifted to what the hell is in this bag? I simultaneously realized a) he wanted me to buy it and b) "it" was a bag of octopus-octopi? Now, keep in mind, this road is inlad. The gulf was about 20 miles away and this guy was on a bicycle that was all over the road......the octopus was very cold, frozen actually, and while it IS octopus season ( we see fisherman walking around with strings of them hanging from broomsticks like jungle hunters bringing in a wild boar) but he was on a bike on the inland highway waving down unsuspecting travelers to thrust it in their windows.....ahh...never a dull moment here....
And so we head into the New Year, by starting the day with frozen seafood...what will tomorrow bring? What could the next bend in the road produce? For now, a ride to the airport to pick up our friend. but before that, I need to wash my ankles because I have rubbed my sandals all over them to fend off marauding bugs and they are black with dirt. Happy new Year and may all your octopi be fresh and your ankles bite free!

Happy Holidays!

Well, here we are on Christmas Eve. I am wearing shorts and walking about barefoot on beautiful old tiles in an incredible home in Merida with friends from the states. we have just eaten a delicous breakfast and some are sitting with their feet in the pool out back. The ceiling fans are spinning and birds are chirping. Even though we are in a very busy city, on a very busy street, the way the homes are set up you don't hear it. The doors are right on the sidewalk and give you no idea of what lurks beyond. Some open to small, simple residences, others open into opulent homes like the one I'm in. There is an open courtyard that leads to several bedrooms each with their own bathroom. Further still you enter the kitchen, dining room and pool area beyond. So by the time you're that far back, the sounds of the street fade away.
I have spent some odd holidays in my time. There was the Thanksgiving we all went out and shoplifted the ingredients for our meal ( that was in my "other" life...)or the Christmas we spent in an abandoned house festooned with a tree that John had earned by sweeping a parking lot ( also in our previous life...)and gifts provided by the VA. There were a few similar holidays...then there were the christmases where all of the gifts came from Goodwill.Little by little as the years went by, the holidays became a bit more elaborate. We had the ability to buy larger gifts. Then, as the kids got older, we started making gifts for people because they really didn't "need "anything. Then we had a grandson and that added a whole new twist.
Yesterday we gave all the plants a good drink, grabbed 5 or 6 coconuts to take in to people, and as we were driving in we managed to avoid a snake about four feet long ( live). Wearing a skirt and sandals we checked into the hotel where everyone knows us and went for a stroll around the city. This morning as we packed up to leave, John passed out the coconuts to hugs and"gracias"s and wishes for 'feliz navidades" and we drove to this beautiful home where we ate a wonderful meal with friends. Now, my kids are missing from this picture and that saddens me but at the same time I know they are healthy and happy. As any parent knows, you can't really ask for more. They have their own homes and their own lives. we all love and miss each other but we are all OK. I cant help but feel that this is a warm up for the eventual, after all, none of us will be here forever.
So, it's christmas eve and we are all in various stages of some adventure if you are above ground and breathing. My wish for you all is that you make the most of it. Ever see one of those "choose your own adventure' books? It's like that. If you don't like the way this one is going, take a different path. I used to force myseldf to finish a book even if i didn't like it. As I've gotten older, I've realized I don't need to waste time on things I'm not enjoying. I have choices. Who knows whats waiting for any of us around the corner-could be better and it could always be worse. Sometimes the most memorable experiences are the ones that didn't exactly go well. Today , I can laugh about the holidays in hell I had before-because i'm not there anymore! Right now, all we have is today. Here's wishing you all adventure. Good or bad, at least it's interesting. I don't know about you, but I don't want to draw my last breath with regret. Who knows what lurks behind the next door......

Finally settling in

So at long last we are not just staying in a house, we are settling into our home. There are still finishing touches and small acquisitions to be made but all of the essentials are in place.

I began painting a design above the bed that continues to be a work in progress ( Lynda do you recognize the curtain?). This all looks a bit different doesn't it? I sit and look around me sometimes and am in awe that this is my life. I have things I've brought back from trips around the world and art that has been gifted me by friends who are artists. There are photos of our many friends and loved ones on our refrigerator and bulletin board and we already have a schedule of events revolving around new friends, acquaintances and committments. What a lucky girl I am, especially when I contrast that to the life of some of the people around me. The desk clerk makes 107 pesos a day (about $12.00) and works 7 days a week. At least it's a regular job though. The guys we hired to work on the house take work as they find it. We spend more on lunch sometimes than most make in two days. There is a tiny little Mayan woman who works at the hotel. She is one of the sweetest people I've ever met. About my age , very hard working and kind. her needs are met but there is very little room for extras. Hers is the only gift to be given by me this holiday. I crocheted her a shawl. I presented it to her this morning and she cried. We always tip her and today we will leave one much larger. This season, this is the type of giving I am able to perform. I'm not running around shopping like a crazy woman to by things for people who don't need them. People who already have so much there is no room to put it. This simple shawl and a few dollars hopefully let her know she is cared about and appreciated as well as relieving a bit of lifes daily burden. I am living in my second home and don't have to work. I don't take my fortunes for granted. As we near December 25th, I hope we all remember to be grateful for what we have. Most of us not only have more right now than many others do, but more than they can ever hope to have. On the other hand, they are richer than many. They have a simple life but are happy. As long as they have something to eat, shelter, and family, they are content.

I am content. I am loved, my family is well, I have food and shelter and the ability and the desire to share what I have. For those of you who look forward to my blog for a few laughs, I am sorry to be so serious this week. I am just feeling so fortunate that I have the ability to take risks. That I get to live this charmed life, and that I get to share it with you all. Thanks for being part of my adventure.

Recent addition

The gentleman on the left is Nacho ( I swear that's his name- it's short for Ignacio) and on the right is one of his seven sons, Manolo. Nacho is the comisario of Santa Clara. This doesn't really mean too much, it's more of a title like Royal Rosarian Princess. What power do they really hold? but in Nachos case it involves a stipend, an illusion that you are somehow involved in monitoring criminal activities or local disputes and you occasionally ride around with three or four of your buddies in an older car with "Santa Clara Comisario" emblazoned proudly across the drivers door. We haven't quite established how one becomes the comisario but Nacho lost out to Chupy last year...prior to that he had held the position for around 13 years. One of the duties entrusted to the comisario is the turning on of Santa Clara's water supply each morning and turning it off each evening. As far as we can tell, these times, like many things in mexico, are left to whim. It depends on when the person in charge of said duty chooses to get up and do it and remembers/feels like doing it at night. Nacho is a practicing alcoholic so occasionally the water is left on all night, or perhaps isn't turned on until 10:00 some mornings, and some days it doesn't come on at all..."where does the water come from?" you may ask. There are cenotes everywhere in the Yucatan. They are underground, fresh water rivers. They sometimes surface as a sort of waterhole,pond, pool whathaveyou and sometimes just flow along underground. They even surface in the waters of the gulf where the fresh and salty waters mingle...must really freak out the fish. Anyway, this particular cenote near Santa Clara has been tapped into like a great keg and the pump, once turned on, sends the water through a very small pipe, sort of a cross between pvc pipe and a garden hose. At our house, it comes from the road underground and surfaces to be used as we see fit. Ours runs to a cistern, a large concrete well, into which another hose is submerged. On the roof of our house is the water tank that serves the house. All water tanks are on the roof here. In this tank is a floating device like a toilet. When the water level gets low, an automatic pump kicks on ( one of our many new upgrades...John used to have to get the pump going then climb up on the roof and put the hose in and wait for it to fill) and water from the cistern gets pumped up to the water tank...Now, John and I don't use a lot of water so we are happy with this system, however, water is a very hot topic among the gringos with pools, washing machines, tended yards that they actually set up sprinklers for ("wait...I thought you lived in a little fishing village?"....well, it's changing!) They are forming groups, signing petitions and generally getting very heated about why the water system isn't up to their standards. Don't even mention the word water unless you are prepared to listen to a tirade.... But back to Nacho...local rumor has it he is...how shall I say this..less than scrupulous. Manolo as well. They have in fact "borrowed" tools and things from us in the past. Some have found there way home while others....We paid Manolo to install screen doors and a year and a half later we were still waiting for one...but in his defense, that's our fault. This is a big no-no. Anyone who has been here for more than a week knows better. So upon our return to the house last week from our trip to the city, we discovered our large tool box and a couple of saws were gone. Screw drivers, tools for the truck, tape measure...you know, tools-gone. So the investigation proceeded...Nacho happened by and we told him. His response was we should get a dog (remember he's in charge of this sort of thing...the comisario...). We believe he is a bit unhappy with us because we used workers other than his sons. Who knows but it seems that all the gringos have a story involving something missing and Nacho....this is our little Peyton Place ( for my young readers that means a little town with soap opera tendencies). You see what happens when you have no television or newspapers? You discuss Nacho and the water situation.......
So speaking of water, these pictures were taken on the back of our property where it borders the mangrove swamp. Our friend who is a wildlife photographer went nuts when he realized our property bordered the swamp and asked if he could have a little dock put in. So a couple of weeks ago ( prior to the case of the missing tools ) Nacho and manolo and three of the other sons cut through the trees with machetes, some with shoes, some without, used a post hole digger and some logs and constructed this dock. The swamp doesn't look very interesting in this shot but it's full of a wide variety of birds and, remember? crocodiles. we are going to get a little tiny flat bottom boat to pole around in.

This is John and our friend Mark test driving the dock (Mark's the photographer).

So one last water related story and I'll take my leave. John and I were working on projects around the house. He was varnishing and I was constructing a wall out of bamboo. It was a very hot day and we were both sweating quite profusely so to replenish our systems, we were taking in a lot of water. John stopped to take a break and I heard him coughing, gagging, spewing..I thought he had some water " go down the wrong pipe" as they say. He held up his quivering hand and displayed a bottle that i thought (and so had he) was water but upon further inspection I realized with horror was the paint thinner. I asked "did you swallow it?" he nodded yes as the gagging and spitting continued. "Very much?"...another nod. several things went through my mind at once,,,where is the doctor again? we don't have insurance, will this require a hospital? do you throw up or not throw up paint thinner...I got him some milk and brought out a bottle of tums. "Here" I said thrusting them at him. Once he got some down I instructed him to make himself throw up which he proceeded to do for the next few minutes alternating with more milk/Tums intake. When I saw him shaking like a first time roller skater, I brought him a stool. Once he relaxed a bit he informed me "at least I had the where with all to throw my cigarette right away!" I could just see it...I turn to witness my husband with a ball of fire blazing around his head...oh sure, I know some of you are horrified and others ( my close friends..) are laughing hysterically by this time....I must say, the bottle did look like a beverage. I thought to myself the day we bought it "this isn't a good idea...." Needless to say, his throat was raw for the next several days and he felt poorly but came through it.

Nacho came by the other day to show us a giant crab (giant by local standards...it was average for Oregon). He was chatting with John who was holding down the hammock. He told him that in two or three years, John might be the comisario. "Wouldn't that be something? Me, the comisario?!" I had a vision of John rolling around in the truck investigating petty thefts and water thievery with "Santa Clara Comisario" emblazoned on the side and a bottle of cleaning solvent in his hand.......

other life forms

I've spoken with you previously about the birds, now I'd like to address some of the local wildlife.
One day on a drive back from Dzidzantun, we saw a very recently deceased snake in the road. John stopped for a closer look ( why wouldn't a person stop to examine roadkill...) and informed me it was a rattlesnake. I will admit I too leaned in for closer inspection and could actually see the rattles which, by the way, were still quivering though the poor guy was obviously deceased. About three weeks later on the same drive we saw another snake. I may have mentioned it to you before. It was roughly the size of my upper arm and was a grizzly site that I refrained from looking at for longer than it took to determine what was supposed to be encased in its skin was now residing on the road...sorry for that detail but i'm trying to fill you in....So, I was beginning to understand why we see guys on days that are hot enough to melt asphalt wearing rubber boots peddling down the road on rust covered bicycles with guns slung over their shoulders. After the day we saw a tarantula crossing the road ( "to get to the other side...")I made up my mind you would never get me to walk in that grass. John and I have discussed on many a night drive home down that road that should a breakdown ever occur we are not walking anywhere. We would spend the night in the car.
So about three days ago, another road kill appears closer to our house. This one is a boa with a beautiful skin basically unblemished by its fatal interaction with a vehicle. As we pull away, John comments that "I should be skinning these. I could dry them out back. I'm sure I could sell them or maybe barter with someone". My initial vision was of John as a Crocodile Dundee like character brandishing his machete out back stringing up yet another snake carcass on a coconut tree. "Maybe we should wait until you actually know how to tan them" I suggested.
While discussing these topics, people have tried to tell us that we did not see a rattlesnake. That there are no rattlesnakes here. So I went on line this morning and looked it up . There are in fact rattlers and there are vipers- the poisonous variety- several of them evidently. The list of snakes was about 25 names long. Some are tree varieties. I don't know which is worse- having one drop down on you from above or the water variety that silently swims up to you and comes face to face with you while you're trying to stay afloat.
Here's another snake conversation we had with a woman from Canada. We were riding in the truck with the windows open, I was in the back seat so it was a bit hard to hear. I thought I heard her say something about mating snake balls. I commented "I couldn't hear you" and she repeated louder "mating snake balls in Manitoba" . What?! She proceeded to explain how there are tens of thousands of garter snakes-more than anywhere else in the world-in this town called..i think it was Narcisse in Manitoba, Canada. They live in these underground dens through the winter . Come spring, they come out into the open and begin mating. I guess their.."activity" results in a big ball of snakes. These snakes evidently follow some sort of route that leads them over a highway. " Oh yeah" my friend said" it got so bad cars were hitting these things and sliding all over the road so they had to put in sort of viaduct for them. There's a big mating snake ball statue and everything in the middle of town. it's quite a tourist attraction". Well, I thought this was the craziest thing i'd ever heard of so i looked it up on Wikipedia. Sure enough, there it was. Evidently the big freeze of 1999 really decimated the masses and thats part of what prompted them to put in the viaduct. they also put up signs by the freeway warning people to watch out. It has greatly reduced fatalities. Wow, who knew? Mating snake balls complete with statue...." Guess what we're goin' to see for vacation kids!...."
I was at a vets with a friend the other day getting eye medicine for her cat and spotted oddly labeled bottles of something that looked like snake oil sold by a traveling salesman. "What is that?" I inquired pointing behind the counter. The man rattled off an explanation while my friend translated. It was a Mayan , well, medicine man's( for lack of a better name) remedy for snake bites. You rub it on externally then ingest the rest. He says it works to keep you alive until you get to the doctor. He proceeded to tell us a story about a fisherman who was out on the ocean. He was very allergic to bees and carried a bottle with him. Good thing because one day while he was fishing, a swarm of bees ( who knew bees went out to sea! evidently he did and that's why he brought the medicine..) attacked him and he was covered in bites. Someone asked me why he didn't just jump in the water. I don't know why but as his throat began to close he drank the medicine and was able to breath well enough to get himself into shore and to the hospital. Stupidly, I did not purchase any of this magic elixir but now that I have learned about the wide array of snakes, I may go back.
We have also heard stories of crocodile sightings. Of course the first time I did not accompany John into town he saw one but I had a sighting of my own the other day. His lair is just off the road in the "manglar"- the mangrove swamp where he likes to hunker down under a tree. First of all, I think of a swamp as stagnant and draped in spainish moss. A place where chian gang escapees flounder through while beating off water moccasins.This is not like that. The water moves, is pretty clear and the mangroves are short stubby things that have birds on them not moss. This fellow was about 4 ft long and not scary looking at all.
We now have a little dock built on the back of our property that goes out into the manglar. Our friend is a nature photographer and asked if he could have one built for photo opps. We don't really mind, but it feels like we are leaving the back door wide open......