Warm today, but hail last week.

Funny how the weather changes up here on the mountain. Being higher and closer to the mountains, the really large mountain Cerro Burro, we get a micro climate that Patzcuaro doesn't see.
It could be nice and dry down at the centro, but crest the hill and black ominous clouds hover over the house sometime releasing downpour any barren dirt would embrace.

Last week while working outside we were pelted with hail. Today it's too hot to be in the direct sun. The lawn and the garden, the bees and the birds and the cherished black Taz, loves it too but only for burst of time!
If only we could get the wet season to be a little more gentle and the dry season to be a little more wet it would be heaven......wait it is almost heaven the way it is, nothing needs to change at least not today.

What a difference a border makes.....

Coming home from Morelia to Patzcuaro the other day, about halfway there at the bottom of a hill there it was, a couple of police cars, the normal danger light warning system which in this case is a short fellow madly waving a yellow flag, standing 200 meters prior to the overturned fuel truck.

The cars were carefully passing, some even slowing down as the crash caused the police and other official to use the right lane.

There it was, a large fuel truck laying on it's side with the pungent smell of fuel oil or some oil product.
Traffic was still going, there wasn't a line backup miles upon miles nether was there a detour around the epicenter of the accident.

Next day, I hear a news flash on the San Francisco CBS TV station, ( I listen to it more, I hate to sit down to watch the news anyway)
The story was that Highway One. in Pacifica (south of San Francisco) was now reopened after being shut down for 4, yep that's FOUR hours, which if you know that highway it is a pretty busy thoroughfare, and it caused a monumental backup for miles. The cause was a truck spilling 25 gallons of hydraulic fluid.

Why?

Americans seem to overreact to almost everything. One thing I have notice being down here, is that stuff just isn't a big deal. Whether it's a shooting in town, down the street, an accident. a store closing or whatever..........it's just not a big deal!

Today passing the spot there were about a dozen piles of dirt before the spot where the truck was. It looked like a backhoe bucket simply scooped up the tainted dirt and piled it by the road to take away.

Where was all the yellow tape? the hazmat white suit dressed environmental stormtroopers all saving the people?

Things remain simple and things are just not a big deal.......Lots of Gringos have a issue with that. I hear that it all the time.
So if you have a problem with under-achievement on the environmental police squad, you will not like it down here.
Don't complicate things.
Take it easy...relax.....things might get done in time.
Or they may not!

Some TV Options

Well, I have had quite of few people ask about the television reception down here for US programming. Having been somewhat in the business I have some information that I can share with you if you want to get the programming down here.
There are several US satellite companies that offer service to the home via a small antenna dish. Originally Direct TV was able to be received using a 2 meter dish. That lasted about 6 years and their signal dropped sufficient strength to be able to receive a reliable signal due to them repositioning their antennas when they started to offer "local area channels"
Unless you are really close to the border, like Hermosillo or San Carlos , forget it.
The other popular provider is Echostar or Dish TV.
Their satellite signals were great and the reliability was sufficient to get almost all the channels all the way down to Central America as far as Belize.
Until last year....
Around October they took one of the satellites the one that is positioned on orbital spot at 110degrees was changed. It now no longer puts a good signal over Mexico, even with a 2.5 meter dish.
So presently all you can get is the Dish TV programming that is on one satellite, the one at 119.
You can get a good deal of programming on that one satellite, you will not get HD or some of the pay channels. You will not get any local programming unless you are happy with networks from Atlanta and San Francisco.
There are other option that would require either larger dishes or getting service from a Canadian provider that would also give you Network channels from other locations like Seattle and Buffalo.
You may have to provide a US address or possible proof that you have a recreational vehicle in order to get the Dish Programming. There are Canadian providers that can bill you in advance that would allow you to receive the programming on a cash up front basis also.
All in all there are tons of ways to get reception here in addition to the Mexican Sky TV service which at last checking did not offer any US network feeds.

There are tiny but brutal...

We have been away for a couple of weeks, and upon returning we have some un-invited guests that have moved into under our roof.
We had them a few years ago and that time it necessitated taking down half the sheet rock ceiling in the guest house bathroom.
Well yesterday I discovered two locations.
One under the eves of our main house and the other in the ceiling of the main room of the guest house.
I know we need bees and I know the importance these little creatures in the big picture. Man would not be able to survive this planet without them since they are essential to the pollination and other stuff that a apiculturist could tell you.
My problem is these little critters are quite aggressive and that anytime you come close to them they will attack.
The big problem is that now we have two locations and I don't want to spray the hives with my favorite all in one killer OXO.
So, now I need to find a bee expert to come and remove the nest and colony and set them free, go little bees, fly away!... before you sting me and never come back! That's an order.

It will cost some pesos, but what the hey, it's nature at it's finest, the small insects to big elephants. It's all important but occasionally a pain in the ass!

So.......it's off the the local agriculture office to inquire who the bee man is around here and hopefully we can wander outside again with out sneaking around.

These are some of the issues that owning property, with trees, grass, insects, animals and stuff that gets in the way of a peaceful stress free life. I sometimes envy the people that just rent or have a small house or apartment in town.
But then we wouldn't see the stars, I mean all the stars without all the light pollution and noise from the city.....it's a trade off.
I still love it, for now.

Rest well old friend....

I guess the old computer that I have had here for the last 5 or 6 years has decided to extend the vacation I gave it when we left for the states awhile ago. Returning yesterday I pushed the power switch to energize the power supply which then sends power to the fan, which I did hear come back to life, but that was about all I was able to experience.
Off with the cover, there must be something that I can cajole to it to do, maybe a sharp rap on the side?

I remember that we use to fix a lot of things in the old days with a swift kick or slap on the side of the cabinet.
Nope, not this time, I tried several times to cycle the power, maybe the mouse in the squirrel caged needed to be woken up to start the 0's and 1's to start forming a parade through the processor.
Nada.
Well at least my laptop is still working, maybe now is the time to simply get a docking station and say adios to having two machines. After all, that's twice the exposure to trouble.
But what about my obsession with redundancy?
Ok, well maybe just this last time we will see what the computer guru in town will say.
Computers are so cheap nowadays that they are indeed a throwaway item. My first Radio Shack TRS80 was about 1000 bucks and it had a total of almost nothing. I remember paying about $3000 dollars for a 5 megabyte hard drive for it.
It wasn't that long ago, well maybe it was, that was about 25 years ago, I think.
Gigabytes have changed since then.
What did we do before these narcotic devices, I think it was reading books, magazines and anything that had printing on them.
I kind of enjoyed the newspapers, they were real multitasking products. From reading to lining a bird cage to starting a fire and to washing windows.
The glass kind not the Bill Gates kind..............

Back at home, at last!

I can't say I don't enjoy the trips but it sure is nice to lay ones head down on the comfy pillow, have the shower blast in a certain way and fidget around with the intricacies of the house, our home.
We take a long time coming, never driving more than about 7 hours in a day the longest drive is from Ciudad Obregon to Mazatlan.
Then of course the drive from Guadalajara to Morelia seems like it takes 38 hours, when indeed it is only 3 or so.
Must be the anticipation.
Got stuck in traffic in Morelia,
stopped at WalMart, stock up on stuff for the first few days getting situated need the necessities.
My wife demands her crema, and plantains.
I get the ginger root and red onions.
Kaching! Got out of Walmart for less than 700 pesos this time. Must of forgot something real important.
Theres plenty of time for that, now that we have a super store in Patzcuaro.
Now it back to some normality a visit North was bittersweet.
Some good , some bad, glad to return to reality or at least what I perceive it as.
The North Country is total devoid of that!
I was bad I read the newspapers and can't believe how much spending a financially strapped entity is spending.........

I know I couldn't run my old business that way, they must know something I didn't.......

I was never good at making up big stories with no substance, except the time I was a salesman for a HiFI store in the 60's.....
There was a lot of woofers and tweeters to sell and it was a new business......
Now I need to be sure the coffee machine works right, all is well with the little piece of earth down here.
At least for awhile.

As the miles go by.....

The Car is fueled up, the boxes and bags are packed, reservations at the way stops are made, the only thing is to get up and beat the traffic through the bay area.
Funny how people up here time all their activities to bypass the traffic situations. Can't leave at 6 in the morning, because that will put you in the commute traffic and you will be crawling at 10 miles an hour.
I don't mind crawling if I am not driving, but hitting the brakes, the accelerator, then the brakes in tandem to the lights in front of you is not a low stress way of traveling.
At least in Mexico everyone just goes like hell, and hardly ever hit the brakes. Unless you are in Guadalajara or DF.
So, timing is everything, we should be pulling into Santa Barbara just about time to think where we might grab a nice Italian dinner. The ethnic food I miss the most, I think is Italian.
Now one of my blogger mates in Patzcuaro has turned me on to a cartel dealing in eggplants and basil, no longer will I chomp at the tortilla to whip up a pizza margarita anymore!

When we were building the house in Patzcuaro we use to make a lot of trips from California to Michoacan. Sometime the trips were made in 3 days. We usually got there and had to sleep for a whole day just to recover from the arduous drive. Then we figured out that the trip was going to be a nice stress less vacation, designed to enjoy, savor, checkout, experience and mostly take it easy.
I can do that very well, except for one thing I still have an issue with.

Cue the Squegeemen................
Now don't get me wrong, I do appreciate their persistence to clean my window, and I dutifully toss into their palm a few shekels for the good job.
What gets me on the way to Mars, is when they jump on the car and do the windshield about 1 kilometer from the last squeegee wash.
Like, Buenos Dias........don't you see my windshield has just be Pedroized?

So, then I have to roll down the window and a shouting match starts as I tell them the finer details of paying attention more and not jumping on the hood less.
I usually win, about half way through the first pass of the rubber wiper.
Sometimes when it is late in the day I just give up!

Whats a couple of pesos, is it going by him some tortillas, or perhaps a cold Pacifico?
I have a tray full of centavos and pesos, plenty to share with the people that have enough energy to work for a living........
Why am I getting all worked up for? After all, do I want to arrive at the emergency hospital suffering a heart attack with a dirty windshield.

Of course not!
And the kilometers keep on ticking...........

Getting Ready for Honey!

With all the financial mess that's happening a lot of businesses are suffering more than they have in decades. However one group of businesses will enjoy a robust profit as every year. There are just somethings that are unwise to neglect, your special person, whomever that is.

One of our old customers said they did 30% of their years business on Valentines day. They were in the flower business other businesses that prosper from this old time holiday are candy and gift stores and of course restaurants that whip up a romantic meal.

Actually restaurants although want to make you believe that they are putting on a special dinner actually make more profit on those nights because their food costs for the so called "specials" are less than normal menu items. Often they put together basic "rubber chicken" meals designed for rapid table throughput, not a real gourmet meal but call them" Romance Special", which include a rose and charge 20% more!

That's why I will be taking my honey, my wife, out to dinner tonight and not fall into the "special dinner" trap.

The 35-44 year old age group will spend the most this year with the average person planning to shell out $119.19. I now I will not be able to get off that easy but way the hell, you can't take it with you. Or at least I haven't found a way yet, and besides how can you put a value on homeland peace and quiet.......

Billions will still be traded in flowers, jewelry, restaurants and cards.....

In Mexico Valentines day is know as "Dia del Amor y la Amistad" Which translates to The Day of Love and Friendship. It is very similar to the US version but in addition to niceties for the spouse, people will do tokens of appreciations for their close friends.

So don't forget, I am giving plenty of notice, just take it as a special service message from someone who has seen relationships from both sides. Believe me it is better to remember this day that almost any other day, except anniversary and birthdays of course........

Happy Valentines Day!

More to come on who St Valentine actually was.

Get packing.......

I often admired the people that got on the plane with a small overnight bag.
I am able to do that only now, that my closet is full in Patzcuaro.
Use to be a stressful thing.
First think about what it was to pack, then repack, only to open up the bag and mess everything up.
Now we are ready to head south. I always get stressed got to be sure and maximize the most of the space in the SUV. Between the seats, under the seats, in the door pockets, on the roof.

Dog Food, leashes, water dish, medicine, toys, stuff for friends who beg to bring goodies down, new valve for the washing machine, new glue for the fireplace gasket, USB extension cables, pipe wrenches, solar panel controller, and on and on and on it goes.

Heaven forbid I forget something.
Then there is the food box, loaded with stuff to make morning coffee or sometimes oatmeal on the road. Then the cooler.
Need ice, plenty of ice. Got to keep all that stuff ready for liquid refreshment at a moments notice.
Can't forget some hard to find booze, like the big bottle of Sapphire Gin, my friend Scott drank down to the bottom of the label on his last trip.
What am I forgetting?
My meds, oh yeah, but no problem, I'll get them on the road if I have to. Mexico is a no problem cheap, ( well most of the time) place to refill the drugs.

I'm forgetting something, I just know it!
Stuff that is hard to get? What else.......
Yep only a few days left to go and I hate the process.
If it that important I can buy it on the road, no?
Probably not.
What is it?
I'll sleep on it. Yeah that's it.