Life in El Corazon

Cold Facts on San Miguel de Allende.

2012-01-18T05:11:00.000-06:00

Before we moved to San Miguel, we had visited here quite often.
Whenever we would talk about where we lived in Patzcuaro we would regularly hear..
”Patzcuaro…..It’s SOOOO COLD there”
Well , last week, no wait….
last month, no…..
okay, I started this post at the end of November. I have been very bad about keeping current, but that will be changing with the new year!!!!

We had a cold snap like nothing I had ever experienced in Patzcuaro.

What Jack Frost Touches, Dies!

Note the splash of green in the lower left where the larger tree shielded the smaller.

The temperature dropped to –8 Celsius and combined with the wind that night it made for some cold feet on the tile floor. But it also made for some very unhappy plants.

The tree in front of the house got the worst of it, leaves turning brown and brittle.
Throughout the yard, plants are dead or dying back, to start over (hopefully) when the temperature permits.

I am already seeing some colour popping out amongst all the brown in the yard. I am taking this not as just a good sign for the garden, but perhaps an omen of the year to come and our new adventures in our new home!

Rebirth!

I Have a Mountain of Books!

2012-01-13T10:09:00.001-06:00

One of the things that I really disliked about living in Mexico , when we first moved here, was the lack of book stores. I missed Chapters. For those of you in the States, Chapters is Canada’s large chain book store.

I missed digging through piles of old books in used stores on Granville Street.
Sneaking out to Point Grey to see the latest science fiction in at the White Dwarf bookstore. Be careful not to trip over the basset hound wandering the store.

When we moved down here we brought a small trailer for our belongings. Well, for what was left of our belongings, as we sold, gave away or threw out 90 percent of our stuff. Just keeping clothes, computer, a few sentimental things and boxes and boxes of books.

When I got my kindle, I was very happy. I don't really buy hard copy books anymore.
But......
I still cant bring myself to get rid of all my old books. Old books are like old friends.

Right now I have boxes of books still to go through to pick which ones will go in the book cases of our new place. Yes, there are still some that I will be throwing away. Anyone want 6 books on how to use a 4 year out of date version of Photoshop? Let me know before the garbage truck gets here!!

Then this morning I came across this Canadian artist. Perhaps I should turn my old books into a new hobby!

So head on over to visit Guy Laramee, and be amazed, I know I was.

http://www.guylaramee.com

A San Miguel Morning

2011-11-21T10:44:00.001-06:00

Hello Strangers, yes I am still alive. As we speed through fall and head towards winter, I am taking a moment to make a quick post. Life has been rather chaotic this year, but I hope to be back on track soon.

We have just moved to San Miguel, and while we are missing Patzcuaro , we are looking forward to new adventures.

The Morning Light

I am an early riser, and have been for a very long time. Mornings are magic, watching the village wake up. Refreshing walks with coffee in hand, while the sun, low in the sky, brings drama to the commonplace scenes.

Yesterday was one of those days. Let me share some of the pictures I took, it will be like we went on a walk together.

More Colour!

Part of Patzcuaro’s charm is the traditional uniform colour of all the buildings in town, but it is a nice change of pace to find different colours every place you look.
One of the houses even looked like Hobbits lived there, with a doorway that seemed a couple of feet too short for practical use.

Excuse Me is Frodo Home?

After wandering the back streets of San Miguel for a while, I make my way towards the main plaza. Today is Dia De La Revolución, so there is a great deal of activity everywhere.

What is a Parade Without Drums?

There seemed to be dozens of bands, each playing louder in an attempt to overshadow the others.

Feathers!

And of course, you have to have vibrant costumes and adorable kids!
So, how was your morning?

The Next Shirley Temple Busts a Move!

Come To Morelia For New Boobies!

2011-07-06T19:44:00.001-05:00

Come to Morelia for new boobies, stay for the dominatrix run English classes!

I have always liked signs, if you keep your eyes peeled you never know what you may find. While driving down the road in Morelia I notice a sign.

Bubis = Boobies!

There are some buxom ladies on this sign, and in big letters it says “Bubis Nuevas” now bubis was not a word covered in my Spanish class, so I check with my next door neighbour, who is currently riding shotgun with me.

“ Carlos, does bubis nuevas mean what I think it means?” He informs that it means exactly what I think it means.
I thought that they had to be kidding, so next time in town, I am armed with my trusty camera, looking for a few pictures and to check out the details.

The Place To Go To Find Your Breast Friend!

Sadly it was not a joke. That sort of left me speechless, and for me that is saying something.It seems , that every Wednesday, you can earn tickets for a draw for a boob job with all the drinks you buy.

So, I grab my pictures and on the way back out of town I notice another sign advertising English classes with discipline! Looks like it will be a sign double feature.

I am picturing a stern, somewhat statuesque female teacher (perhaps sporting new breasts she recently won down the street) dressed in black leather and fishnets, sporting a riding crop. The reality is probably an 70 year old retired nun who is very dangerous with a ruler!

Spank Your Way To English Proficiency

I thought about popping up and getting a picture of the teacher, but I was afraid if I did that, they might discipline me.

***********************

It has been some time since my last post. It seems that rather than being back in the saddle again, I got thrown by the horse. Hopefully now I will be able to get back on track. Lots to update you on, including, selling the house, moving, Shannon re-breaking her leg, IN SLOW MOTION, more surgeries, a week with 30 girls from Mexico City and all the other maelstrom of things that have kept me from the keyboard. I just hope you haven't given up on me, but I wouldn't blame you if you had.

Thanks

Todd “Almost MIA” McIntosh

Back In The Saddle

2011-02-08T16:00:00.000-06:00

Well folk, I know have been missing in action for a while.
But I am back.

I have lots to catch you up on so stay tuned!

Back In The Saddle Again!

The house has sold. Shannon has had an additional 4 surgeries (and hopefully no more), and lots of others news that has kept us very busy.

So keep your eyes peeled and we can get all caught up together.

Todd

Patzcuaro Time Lapse

2010-09-10T11:42:00.001-05:00

Earlier in the year, I updated my camera. Yesterday I have finally found some time to play with the new bells and whistles.

The results, a time lapse view of the clouds that have been hanging around over the lake, and around El Estribo. This is only my second attempt at time lapse photography, but I think this has potential!

Clouds Dancing over Janitzio, on Lake Patzcuaro

TExt to add space before the end of the post

Drool – The New Black

2010-08-06T08:35:00.001-05:00

So, are photographers who chase around taking pictures of those still in diapers called the Pooparazzi?

Just got back in the door from doing a significant amount of running around. I have a ton of pictures backloged for lots of fun posts including some really neat places. Until then let me just pop up a picture of a very charming young lady I recently met. Apparently all the hippest young ladies agree that drool is the new black.

A couple of blog items to update, the blog now has it’s own domain, so update your bookmarks to…..

http://www.life-in-el-corazon.com/

I have also just noticed that my list of blogs I like to visit, that I keep over on the right, seems to have disappeared. I don't know if that happened with the domain move or was caused by something else, but I will get that fixed this week!

SpongeTodd SquarePants!

2010-07-20T12:41:00.004-05:00

Just got back from a whirlwind trip to Mexico City. I was lucky enough to be a part of the quinceanera for four charming young ladies. These are the girls that I have met through Esperanza House. We often have long talks, covering many areas.

It was in the midst of one of these conversations when Yadira (who's 15th birthday I was there to attend) stops and looks at me very seriously and says “You are an amazing person” and gives me a big hug. My heart swells, I am deeply touched. Clearly this is a brilliant and insightful young woman.

The Beautiful Yadira…… and some (Possibly spongy) guy.

Not being one that wants to miss out on hearing how great I am , I ask her what makes her say that. She looks at me, takes my face in her hands and after a dramatic pause says…..

“Even though your body is old and spongy, your heart is very young”

Please keep in mind that this conversation took place in Spanish, and trust me “esponjoso” actually seems worst than spongy. Now, to a young woman of 15, anyone over 30 is old and out of shape, but still…… Well, perhaps I could use a little more exersize.

In the past, whenever I heard someone say “Never look a gift horse in the mouth” I use to remind them of the Trojans. Now I know better. I now stand firmly in the Trojans camp. I now know I shouldn’t have asked why I was amazing.

Oh, for those of you who don't get the title of this post, ask your grandkids about SpongeBob SquarePants and all will become clear.

Excuse me, but I have to go do some push-ups now and then run 5 miles!!!

A Patzcuaro Flashback

2010-07-13T10:46:00.001-05:00

Look what I found!

Surfing on the internet I came across an old photo of Patzcuaro that I thought I would share with you. I am not sure of the date of the original photo, but would guess early 1900’s.

Can you count the stereotypes?

I decided I would go reshoot the same spot so you can see the changes. There was surprising little difference beyond the power lines and the red car that I photoshopped out of the picture.

Back to the future!

Sorry, but when I went there, the guy with the sombrero and the donkey cart was away for siesta, maybe next time.

So, who can tell me where the picture was taken? Just leave a comment

I found this fun to do, and I have some other old Patzcuaro shots I can redo also, would that be of interest? I wonder….

Patzcuaro, Pueblo Magico

2010-07-04T11:46:00.002-05:00

More on the saga of the broken femur!

As you may remember, about 4 years ago Shannon broke her ankle rather badly. At that time we bought her a wheelchair, to use until she was able to put weight on that ankle again, or at least until she could use crutches. It was a very handy thing.

Shortly after the wheelchair was no longer needed, a notice went up on the local message board. An elderly woman in Morelia was in need of a wheel chair in order to continue to make a living. We quickly make arrangements and the wheelchair is off to someone new who can really use it.

Flash forward to a few weeks ago. I am bringing Shannon home from the hospital. I pull into our driveway and there , in the middle of the driveway is a wheelchair for Shannon to use.

One friend provided the wheelchair, and another delivered it. Maybe it is karma, or maybe just kindness, either way Patzcuaro truly is a Pueblo Magico!
Thank you!

4 Star Dining, with none of the work!

With the ankle break 4 years ago, we were very new here, and were amazed and the outpouring of kindness, support and more than a few meals from our brand new neighbours. I talked about it in the post “Welcome To Mayberry”.

Now we have been here longer and know many more people, and if I thought what happened 4 years ago, was amazing, I really don't have the words to describe the response this time. Kind words, offers of assistance coming from so many directions, more flowers than we can count. Thank you!

When we left in the ambulance the dining room was a mess, with a pint or two of blood pooling on the floor, but returning , there is no blood, there is no mess. I did not clean up, our neighbours did. Thank you!

The ladder, that had been left sitting in the garage, had been hidden about the back, they did not want her first sight, arriving at home, to remind her of her accident. Thank you!

Patzcuaro truly is a Pueblo Magico!

Sadly, it seems my reputation in the kitchen is well known, so friends and neighbours were bringing us our dinner every night. So many that, one of our neighbours here had to set up a schedule so we wouldn't be swamped with meals. Thank you!

We have eaten like royalty, globetrotting royalty actually. In the last few weeks we have eaten, Mexican of course, American, Italian and even German!!! The picture above was a meal from the other night. Garden fresh salad, homemade lasagne, and a bottle of wine, oh, and don't forget, for dessert, home made tiramisu. Thank you!

Patzcuaro truly is a Pueblo Magico!

We are very lucky to live in a place as beautiful as Patzcuaro, with a heart as big as Patzcuaro’s .It is not just the stunning landscape, it is the people that make it so. Thank you!

Patzcuaro truly is THE Pueblo Magico!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!

2010-06-27T16:29:00.001-05:00

Dickens is too long dead to resent my stealing his line, but if I took all the time in the world, I don’t think I could come up with one more apt for the last couple of months. As you may have noticed we have been to busy to keep the blog up, but that has now changed. You will have a great deal to read as I catch up on the our goings on.

We have had the best of times with a group of young ladies from Mexico City, a road trip to Texas, house sitting in San Miguel, and just working and playing in the garden. Many of these things you will be updated on shortly on this blog.

But…..

We have also just has the worst of times. You may remember our adventure with a hummingbird stuck in our skylight some time back. Here is that post.

http://lifeinthecorazon.blogspot.com/2008/03/lion-witch-and-wardrobe-it-aint.html

Well, it just happened again. So Shannon, my wife, goes to use the same technique that worked last time.

Sadly, this time it did not go so well. The skylight is a bit over 20 feet off the ground. While at the top of the ladder, suddenly her world turns upside down, and she falls to the floor.

She hit the floor hard, really hard. I hear her scream and I come running. I find her on her back, blood gushing from her head, and her femur sticking OUT of her leg.

A quick shout out to my neighbour to call and ambulance, then I am at Shannon’s side, holding the leg stable and doing what little I can to reassure her.

The additional gruesome details I will omit, but let me give you a summary.

The head injury looked much worst that it was. The neurosurgeon on hand at hospital stitched her up after making sure there was no damage to the skull. A quick CAT scan confirmed no other head problems, although we will have to be a little wary for the next little while, and keep her on anti coagulants.

Oh, and the scar she will have on her forehead, is the shape of the Mercedes Benz emblem. I just hope she doesn't want to get the car now to co-ordinate her look!

The surgery to repair her leg took twice as long as expected, as they has quite the jigsaw puzzle to put together. Below you can see the results.

OUCH!

There was a great deal of blood lost, first from the head wound, then from the surgery. Sadly Shannon’s blood type is AB-, very rare back home, and even rarer here! This has lead to Shannon being very week and tired, but she has been receiving injections that are helping with this.

Prognosis for the leg: it will be a long haul, and a great deal of hard work to rehabilitate the injury, but we are confident she will be able to walk again. The area of uncertainty is the damage to the knee. The knee cap was broken, but the knee also hyper extended in the fall so it will be some time before we know if there will be full range of movement or not, if there will be a limp or not. That is assuming no other complications.

While this has been a rather nasty accident, we are feeling very lucky. The knee hit first, if it was the head that hit first the outcome would have been death or paralysis.

A Busy Month!

2010-04-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

Vanessa and Me
Vanessa is one of the girls from Esperanza.
And before you ask, yes, my eyes are different colours, I am a mutant!

Okay, a busy week has turned into a busy month!

Our week with the girls of Esperanza was amazing, I will have a blog posting on that once we are home again.

Then, we had a quick run to Austin in the states.

Now we are finishing up a week of house sitting in San Miguel.

But we will be home soon, with lots of posts to catch up on.

I hope it is worth the wait

A Busy Week!

2010-04-06T06:10:00.001-05:00

Hey folks, you probably wont hear from me much this week, and emails may not be answered quickly, but do not worry, all is well . I will be spending the week at camp with the Girls of Esperanza.

This is when I know that I am getting old. They keep us very busy. I think it may take me the rest of the month to recover!

Here is the blog post I did about the girls last year.

My Dusty Love Note.

Brenda’s very first horse ride, last year.

Bloodshed In Morelia!

2010-04-03T10:06:00.003-06:00

Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Sometimes I get emails from people who have images of us living behind bars, dodging bullets/or flu viruses and generally living in a battle zone. In fact that image is about as far from the truth as it gets.
Sometimes , on occasion we are puttering around the “hood” and we forget to close our door. On one such day last week, we can home to find we had been visited while we were gone. How did we know? Our neighbor had left us a bottle of wine on the table that is just a foot or two inside our door. Good thing our attack bunny rabbit Larry was on patrol!
If you havent met Larry the rabbit yet, have a look at this older blog post.

The Cat and Bunny Show.

Okay, back to the bloodshed! We had an early run to Morelia, that had us out of the house before breakfast and coffee. After parking the thing first on our minds was food and coffee, or perhaps, more accurately; coffee and more coffee then food.

As we strolled along cobblestoned sidewalks overlooked by colonial edifices; we encounter a sign promoting this months special at the local medical lab. Get your blood tested for $299 peso ( less than $25 bucks), this special for the month of March only. As it was the last day of the month, we took this as a sign. Well of course it was a sign, but you know what I mean, not just a sign but an omen.
A couple of questions, name, address, when did we eat last, drink last. 15 minutes later and a few vials blood (that was the bloodshed I warned you was coming) and we were off to breakfast.

What was included?

Returning 2 hours later, we pick up our results, a clean bill of health; with just a couple of things to keep an eye on, or talk to your doctor about. I am thinking that I will have to cut back on the three egg breakfasts, damn cholesterol!
What would that have cost north of the border; I really have no clear idea. But whatever the cost is, you would still have to make a doctor’s appointment before the test, have him send you for the tests, and then you wouldn't get the results till the next appointment with the doctor. Is a bill of $400 out of line for something like that? If you have any idea, please leave a comment, I would love to hear.

Lemon Tree Harvest!

2010-03-22T14:33:00.002-06:00

I think most people who move south to Mexico occasionally have a little something special that they miss, food wise, from life north of the border. Me, I really enjoy Greek food, and to me it’s not worth it if it isn't made with fresh lemons.

Well there are no Greek restaurants in Patzcuaro or Morelia, and lemons only show up in the stores once in a blue moon. Maybe once every second blue moon.

The only solution, grow your own! Well, easier said than done. Looking everywhere we ended up finding a couple of eureka lemons ( reportedly ) from Morelia that have never fruited. We also sourced out a Meyers lemon in San Miguel. It was lovingly transported from there to a place of honor in our back yard. That was June of 2008.

Our First Harvest!

Yesterday we had our first harvest. It was not a large harvest, but a tasty one.

Then for dinner, Greek chicken( with lemon of course), rice, roasted spuds and fresh beans, and , fresh home made tzatziki !

It was a dinner almost 2 years in the making, and it was worth the wait.

Actually, I think I am going to have some leftovers for lunch now, who wants to join me?

Yum!

Patzcuaro House For Sale – Back to square one.

2010-03-08T11:42:00.004-06:00

Hey, long time no see.! What have I been up to? Well since last October, when we received a deposit on the sale of our home. We have worked through numerous delays and excuses to finally make to the closing in February.

Then, on the day of the closing our buyer has a complete mental meltdown. The details I will not go into at this time, but if you saw it in a movie, you would find it difficult to take seriously.

Oh well, back to square one.

So, stay tuned for our new adventures!

Check out my house here.
http://wow-nice-house.com/

I Can See Clearly Now….

2009-11-09T19:13:00.002-06:00

I have the old song by Johnny Nash stuck in my head right now. Just returning from volunteering at an eye clinic I wanted to take a quick moment to tell you about it before I go flop on the couch. The group VOSH is here working with a number of organizations to provide eye exams and glasses for many people here in Patzcuaro who may not otherwise be able to afford it.

The Eye Exam!

I can not tell you how incredible it is to watch a person’s face light up when they can see clearly for the first time in years, and in some cases decades. One gentleman last had a pair of glasses in 1989. But I have to tell you we have a bit of a shortage of people to help translate. If you can help and are in the area please do. You do not need to be fluent. The vast majority is saying things like “ is your problem seeing near of far” or “which is better, this or this”

Boxes Of Glasses, Just Waiting!

We are short of volunteers!

If you can help here is the information! You can contact Deb at deb_peacock@yahoo.com or her cell phone is 045 (434) 100 1149

In November, Ciudades Hermanas Sister Cities de Patzcuaro, A.C. along with DIF Patzcuaro will be hosting a group of volunteer optomitrists from Ohio - VOSH (Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity). The Santa Clara clinic is hosted by the Paz Family of el Arte de Victoria (Patz) and El Porton of Sta. Clara

VOSH will provide eye care clinics to low income members of the community - includes exams and eyeglasses - in several locations within the municipality of Patzcuaro and Sta. Clara. The cost for the exam/eyeglasses is $20 pesos per person/family although no one will be denied because of inability to pay.
November 9th and 10th at the Maria Teresa Salon de Fiestas - to the side of the main bus terminal in Patzcuaro - on the libremiento. 8 a.m. til 5.30 p.m.

November 11th - Sta. Clara 9 - 5.30
November 12th - Tzurumutaro - former TEC location near the plaza 8 - 5.30
November 13th - Cuanajo 9 - 1.30
They require 10 bi-lingual volunteers at each clinic. Your spanish need not be perfect as there are some simple phrases that need to be known. It will not involve a lot of techinical terms ... ´what do you see´, ´how do the glasses feel´, ´could you please read the chart´, etc. There will also be someone there who can assist you should you need it.
Please contact me as soon as possible to sign up. There are shifts of 8 to 1 p.m. - 1 p.m. to 5.30 or all day.
Thank you! saludos. Deborah

Patzcuaro Day of the Dead Candy Market

2009-10-29T15:18:00.001-06:00

We are well into the coldest and wettest October that we have had in Patzcuaro in the 3 years we have been here. It feels more like the Octobers I remember in the Pacific Northwest when I was a kid. The tourists have hit town and the hotels are near capacity.

The Candy Sellers under Portal Hidalgo, Plaza Grande

We are reaching the end of the preparations for day of the dead. The candy sellers have arrived with table upon table covered in candy skulls and miniatures of favored food items, drinks and other things that will be laid out on altars in memory of family members now passed on.

Warning Solid Sugar!

In the background the tents are up around Plaza Grande as the artisans are preparing to move in. If you haven’t had a chance to see them before,. now is the time. If you would like a sneak preview here is the post I did a couple of years ago on the artisans.
http://lifeinthecorazon.blogspot.com/2007/11/patzcuaro-day-of-dead-market.html
Or, even better, come on down and see for yourself, the artists could sure use your support.

Hmmm, What do I want? It all looks sooooo good.

Marilyn Monroe Visits Patzcuaro

2009-10-20T10:21:00.002-05:00

As you can probably tell from the things that I post, I love the arts and crafts of the Lake Patzcuaro area. It is a bit of an Easter egg hunt, never knowing where you will find the next prize. Still, it did come as a bit of a shock to me, while visiting my next door neighbor, to see that Marilyn Monroe was in the house!

Marilyn Muerta En Vida, Viva En Muerte.

Monica was originally from Colima, and moved to Patzcuaro with her charming husband Carlos after living in Mexico City for a number of years. Recently she has been taking some painting classes and the talent that is emerging is unmistakable.

The exhibit she is in is entitled “ La Muerte Viva” , which is a part of the Day of the Dead celebrations here in Patzcuaro. Monica chose an atypical subject for her painting, to illustrate that for death, there are no borders. The work is entitled “ Marilyn Muerta en Vida, Viva En Muerte” which translates roughly as “Marilyn, Dead in life, alive in death” to contrast her battle with depression in life, and the life her image has taken on in death, as a symbol of beauty and glamour.

If you would like to see Monica’s work, as part of an exhibition with almost a hundred paintings. If the other paintings are anywhere near as good, the show will be truly impressive.
Here are the details.

5ta. Exposicion “Colectiva De Pendones De Dia De Muertos”
October 30, 20:00 on display till November 30th.
”La Muerte Viva”
The ex-Jesuit college, Patzcuaro
Top Floor, Free admission.

The Jesuit college is located one block up the hill from Plaza Grande. Check it out, I think you will be glad you did.

Lizards Crashing the Troncones Beach Party

2009-10-14T14:48:00.001-05:00

Last month we headed out to the beach at Troncones (just west of Zihua/Ixtapa) for a bit of a beach party. It is about a 2.5 hour drive from Patzcuaro to the beach there.

Ahhhhh, now we are at the beach. Nice chilly beverage in my hand, meeting friendly new people, looking out at the ocean. Sitting across from me is a gentleman who goes by the handle “Hunter and is a bit of a herpophile. Is that really a word? Probably not, but I have decided it is. A herpophile is a person who is into snakes and reptiles. Boy did he pick the right party to come to.

Lyre Snake AKA Just Another Party Animal!

What’s that? A little commotion in pool palapa, seems a snake has joined the party. Hey, Hunter, check out the snake! Our new visitor is called a Lyre snake (pronounced liar) which of course prompts some timeshare salesmen jokes. I was going to say lawyer jokes but I know a couple of lawyers who read this blog and don't want to have to deal with injunctions!

After the social niceties are over, the snake goes into a bag, for transport into the jungle later, where he is less likely to get decapitated by someone who may object to having a snake come visit their home.

Back to the party. Lots of good nibblies, including some homemade smoked salmon by a lady from Alaska.

Mom!

Now wait, what is that I see on the beach? Awww, a turtle laying eggs! Off I trot with the camera again. Seems that when they are laying they are running on pure instinct. People and cameras don't bother them, just “NO FLASH”.

A Non Easter Egg Hunt

By the time I got to her, the eggs are all lain and she had just finished filling in the hole, and was working on patting down the sand. As we are watching her finishing up, I see the charming hostess of the party coming with a Tupperware container and a big spoon! Oh no, I hope she isn't thinking turtle omelets! No, it seems that if left the local dogs will turn it into a buffet very quickly.

Note The Green Beer Can

We all start digging to rescue the eggs and take them to a hatchery a couple of hundred meters down the beach. Oddly, after digging for some time we still had found no eggs. Please note the green beer can in the picture above.

Pay Dirt!

When we eventually found the eggs they were about a foot and a half below the can. So after we all had a good laugh at that, the harvesting started.

97 Eggs Recovered By Us!

The eggs themselves were still warm and were very much like ping pong balls. We loaded up a total of 97 eggs! Off to the nursery we go.

As an added bonus, there were two other turtles doing the exact same thing between where we were and the turtle nursery. That afternoon just over 300 eggs were added to the nursery!

Mission Complete - For Mom!

As we returned after the visit to the nursery, the dogs were already at the hole looking for any missed eggs.

A party at the beach and a good deed done, what more could you ask for an afternoon? Could someone pass that pitcher of margaritas please?

Leftovers?

On the road to Tupataro

2009-10-12T12:49:00.001-05:00

A Frenzy of Colour!

Turning off the highway from Morelia to Patzcuaro, at the road to Tupataro I was assaulted by a frenzy of vivid colors that demanded to be photographed. Last month I gave you a wildflower preview, but now they are in full swing!

Velvet Skies

Out comes the tripod and camera. I took a tranquil escape from by errands, and spent some quiet time enjoying the view and snapping the shutter. It truly is a breath of fresh air, for the eyes as well as the lungs! Can you wonder why this is my favorite time of year?

If you aren't familiar with Tupataro, it is the village with hand painted ceiling I posted about a while ago. You can see that post here.
http://lifeinthecorazon.blogspot.com/2008/12/church-at-tupataro.html

The Magic Sky-Talking Box

2009-10-08T12:44:00.002-05:00

With the house for sale I have had a number of people asking about my internet setup here. Now that day of the dead approaching, the number of people who come to visit Patzcuaro takes a big jump. So it seemed like a significant number of the people we have talked to about the house have chosen then to come and look at it. So I thought I would post it here for all to read.

Our internet is provided by a friendly young fellow by the name of Bolivar.
His website is right here> http://www1.bereda.com/
I remember asking about when it we first got here. Bolivar patiently explained the system to me in his very fluent English, sadly I was listening in gibberish so I ended up with an explanation that goes something like this.

The Magic Sky-Talking Box or MSTB!

My computer sits on my desk. From the back of the computer is a wire that goes up to a box on the roof that is connected to a small antenna. My computer, through this cable, talks to the box on the roof. We will call this the “magic sky-talking box” or MSTB. The MSTB is pointed at a tower on a neighboring mountain. This tower also has an MSTB, and that is connected to our internet service provider. These two boxes talk to each other rather effortlessly through something called “fixed wireless” which is just a $20 peso word for “Magic”.

The cost for all this magic is just $400 peso per month, plus taxes of course.

The speed that these two boxes talk to each other is measured in something called KBPS. For our setup here we have 1024 KBPS, I am not sure but I think that it stands for
“Keeping Bewitched Photons Streamlined”.

1024 KBPS seems to do us just fine! We of course use it for all our internet, but we also use it for our phone service. I use a Vonage system that I brought down with us from Canada, with all my calls being routed through the antenna on the roof.

Scooter AKA Scoots The Cat

Coming back down from the roof top patio after taking a picture of the antenna, I noticed Scoots sitting in pot on the second floor terraza. She looked so cute I had to grab a quick shot. You may remember her from when we rescued her last year in the following blog posting.
http://lifeinthecorazon.blogspot.com/2008/10/real-patzcuaro-cutie.html

You will be glad to know she is doing very well and eats like a horse. Obviously we did not find a home for her. We came here with no cats, and now have 3. Funny how that happens!

Good Morning! Dawn at the Top of the World

2009-10-01T09:29:00.003-05:00

I hope you all had a good morning. As I do quite often, I woke up before dawn.
Old habits die hard, and I have usually been an early riser. So I thought I would share what I see as the sun rises over Lake Patzcuaro and Estribo as viewed from my terrace.

Estrebo Poking Out Of The Mist

The mountain you see in the middle is Estribo. I understand it is an old volcano. To the right of it is the lake, and once the mist burns off you can see the island of Janitzio with the statue on top.
The banner you see with the title at the top of the blog, that picture was taken from atop Estribo.

I would love to be able to wax poetical and weave a tapestry of words to capture the mood that settles on you as you watch the sun come up and splash over the panorama. but truthfully, it leaves me speechless.

So, what vista greeted you this morning?

Just Pass Las Cuevas – A Wildflower Preview

2009-09-27T17:00:00.006-05:00

The Wildflowers Are Coming!

Yes I am among the living. But have sadly had a laptop meltdown. After some trials and tribulations I have recovered the hard drive and all the data on it. But it was a bit hairy there for a while! So, I have a lot of posts to catch up on so keep your eyes peeled!

While you are waiting here is a picture I meant to post last year. I thought it would be good timing as we are just coming up on the wildflower season here.

This shot was taken just past Las Cuevas. A great spot for wildflowers! More soon!

We also have something new on the blog. Just look at the top right and you will see Followers by Google Friends. So if you use Google or Yahoo, or a number of other online services you can signon as a friend.

Parícutin

2009-07-30T15:31:00.006-05:00

When I was a kid, we had a set of children's encyclopedias. Very colorful, well illustrated.
Volume 12 of Golden Book Encyclopedia covered “Paricutin to Quicksand”. I can even remember an illustration of the farmer working in the field with the volcano beginning to poke out of the ground behind him. It was active from 1943-1952.

Paricutin Volcano Cinder Cone

Little did I realize that decades later (next century actually!) I would be living just down the road from the volcano. So needless to say, this is a “must do” day trip!
After driving a little over 100 kilometers west from Patzcuaro we approach the village of Angahuan. This is our starting point for our trip to the lava fields. There waiting at the first topé (a speed bump, okay a speed bump on steroids!) will be a man waiting for visitors. Off to the side of the road you will see a few others and some horses. Consider this person your travel agent/salesman . He will rent you a horse and send a young guide with you. As I was wanting to visit the church in the village first, I continued on past the topé into the village. Not wanting to miss an opportunity, the intrepid “travel agent” hops onto his steed and chases us into town. While photographing the church, we come to terms and the ride is arranged. Be sure to have sturdy footwear on, and make sure you take some water.

Angahuan’s church

Here is my recommendation about hiring a horse. If it is rainy season, you REALY want to have a horse, otherwise you will be hiking through mud and muck (including organic contributions from the horses) until you get to the lava field. If it is not rainy season, rent a horse anyway. You can save your energy for climbing around at your destination, you will be especially glad on the trip back. Plus you get to contribute to the local economy. The pesos you leave will make a bigger impact to them than they will to you!

Me And My Horse

While you can take the day and ride up to the top of the cinder cone, my destination is the San Juan Parangaricutiro village church in the lava field. The entire village was destroyed by the lava, with only the church showing through to indicate the village was there. After about 45 minutes (depending on where in town you start) on horseback we approach the “base camp” a variety of little huts that dispense food, drinks (keep hydrated!) and the odd souvenir (mostly old photos).

San Juan Parangaricutiro’s Church

Hiking up from the concession area, you approach the church. The spire rising out of the lava like a hand from the grave in one of those old late night horror movies. The view in the photo above shows the church from about a the level of the second floor. It makes sense that as the church was the tallest building around that parts of it would survive the disaster. What is really unusual is what you find at the other end of the church, at the altar.

The Miraculous Altar

It seems that the lava, a wall of molten rock 20-30 feet high, approached the altar and decided to stop. Leaving the altar untouched while continuing on to destroy the rest of the town. For the devout, this was a powerful endorsement of their faith. Now, to this day, the faithful make pilgrimages to this altar to pray and commune.

Miraculous Mementos

From these pilgrimages there are left behind flowers, crosses, rosaries, and countless personal mementos. Pictures and items of the people they have come there to pray for, or perhaps tokens of those whose prayers were answered. It is important to remember, that for many , this is much more that an interesting tourist site, but a sacred expression of their faith.

Hmmmmm, Quesadillas!

After tiring of climbing around the site, a brief sojourn at the base camp is in order. A cold beer, and a few quesadillas really hit the spot, with hand made blue corn tortillas made from scratch. Yummm!

Then off to find the young fellow minding our horses for the ride back. All in all, a memorable afternoon.

Have you visited Paricutin? I would love to hear what you thought.
Leave your impressions in the comments, Thanks!

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Hey, wanna buy my house?
http://wow-nice-house.com/