Cattle drive

Yes we live in the country and are used to seeing these guys grazing in the fields as we pass daily.   It's only rarely that we run into them on the road headed back to where ever they spend the night.   This was yesterday evening on the way to pick up Euriel at school in town.   I started to squeeze past when we first came up on them but thought better of it after getting a good look at those horns on something half as large as my car.   A quarter mile further they turned right.

Also a glimpse at they rain we've been having from hurricane Cosme.   Lots of rain this morning so we're checking to see if school is canceled.

Welcome to Nahima world

Nahima sits on her moms lap and carries on a conversation with the world as we drive around Melaque.    This is a daily thing with her on our school and shopping trips. She usually uses the side view mirror like a studio TV monitor explaining the universe to her audience the best a two year old is able. But she'll talk to everything and anything that passes by unless it is alive. I keep promising to get a video of her antics but we need to be moving for her to be in the mood. The rest of us in the car just laugh and shake our heads.

Nahima talking to the world

She stops to look at a horse

First real rain

Just had our first real rain of the season with a "front" moving through. First foto is the squall line and by the time I got off the roof it was raining. Before long it was a real tropical downpour filling the streets and pouring off the roof. Been watching a tropical depression off the coast but it's still south of Manzanillo. Semi related I don't know but expect we'll see more rain over the next few days. This one was enough to start the greening process in the hills.

What I did learn is my CEL Modem reception really falls apart in the rain so adjustment time is here. Also after brick paving a section of lawn next to the house, standing water may become an issue. The gravel section I left for absorption filled right up. We'll see if this has to be re-engineered.

Squall line

Coming off the roof and palapa

No Burger King today

What does a 13 year old want for his birthday .... this one wanted a trip to Burger King.  He's been twice before when we go shopping in Manzanillo.   We thought about it but I don't need anything in Manzanillo and  a half tank of gas would make an expensive burger.   

Instead we recreated the meal the best we could with a trip to Bodega Aurrera.   A bag of frozen hamburger patties, 2 bags of sesame buns, a packet of sliced cheese and a bag of frozen fries.  This was a first for all of us but it turned out rather well.  The unremarkable meat cooked on the BBQ pretty much disappears in the toasted bun filled with lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo and catsup. The fries in the oven on a pizza pan took longer than planned because heat was too low.   Actually it was a pretty good reenactment of a BK meal except the meat could have been one step up in quality.   The 13 year old was happy.

CFE Bill, the pool and rain

Got my CFE Bill that included the new pool pump running for 2 hours a day.   Happy that it was still about 40 pesos which is minimum.  That circuit includes night security lights, patio fan and light and a washing machine. Reading a pool maintenance web site they are suggesting running my under powered pump 10-12 hours a day.   Now that may add up!  Interesting that they now include a graphic to show your consumption rather than just the numbers.   The above was found on the CFE site and is not mine or anyone else's. 

Problem with the pool here is the temperature I'm sure.   The water is warmer and more difficult to keep clean.   It's also hard to limit it's use in this heat as the more people that want to use it the dirtier it gets.   The first two months I changed the water twice but I'm thinking more often with warmer water.   We also have not had street water for 3-4 days making a refill impossible and difficult to clean the filter.

We had our first rain last night and it brought back the fresh smell, humidity and kept down the dust for most of the day.    I'm just hoping this is the beginning of tropical weather coming up the coast to give us a little relief or at least changes week by week.

90 and it feels like 102

Those are thunder heads I can from my roof.   They are inland over the mountains.   Do you think there is the slightest chance they will move this way .... maybe in the evening?   We have been hoping and the Manzanillo  airport weather station often gives us a 30-50% chance but none yet.

This is the chance of thunderstorm Icon that I see every week for a few days.   Obviously father/mother weather does not read the Internet nor does rain God Tlaloc.

Today this is what we got ... and you'd better believe I'm headed for the pool after I write this.   Lately I'm sleeping on a towel because it's easier to wash than the sheets twice a week.   And I thought September and October were the warmest last year .... but at least they included some rain.

Temperature today
32 °C = 90 F
Feels Like 39 °C = 102 F

Morris runs for Mayor

Morris the cat runs for mayor of Mexican state capital Xalapa

As political animals go, this one hopes he will be grinning like a Cheshire Cat come election day.

A feline by the name of Morris is in the running to be mayor of Veracruz state capital Xalapa, in Mexico.

Armed with a paw-ful of policies, he has been put forward as the citizen’s candidate in the July 7 election.

With the campaign slogan ‘Xalapa Without Rats’, he promises to do pretty much the same as other politicians – which is not a lot except sleep and take it easy.

His Facebook campaign page also insists that, although he is likely to cause a mess on a regular basis, at least he will cover it up and not leave it lying around for everyone else to clean up.

It looks like the pledges are connecting with the electorate as his Facebook page currently has more ‘likes’ than three of the four main candidates in the election.

And while Morris claims to have a weakness for ‘quilts, sheets, pillows, couches, and clothing in general’, his supporters are hoping he doesn’t become just another fat cat if he wins power.

Morris the cat runs for mayor of Mexican state capital Xalapa

Southern Hemi Swell

There's a lot of talk here in Melaque about the large surf we've been getting the last few days.  Some people have reported waves as high as 3 meters but I've not seen them.   There are signs the water has reached the cement bulkheads but probably only at high tide.  On the other hand Puerto Escondido has been getting some exciting surf.

Surf Gallery 07 Junio – 2013 Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico

During the months of May through September, swells generally approach California from the south and southwesterly direction. These swells are generated by storms in the South Pacific near New Zealand. South Pacific swells, also called Southern Hemisphere swells, travel thousands of miles across the ocean before breaking along the Southern California coast and can produce surf up to fifteen feet. These swells can be very unpredictable with long lull periods, making the ocean appear calm at one moment and then unleashing wave after wave the next.

Spraying for Dengue

Another of those I didn't have a photo situations. Usually I'm in a closed up house when the spray trucks go by but this time we were all out on the patio. He passed the other side of the street and I took these on his return. As he passed I was back in the yard but still got a good whiff of the stuff. Neighbors assure me it's harmless but from the smell I wouldn't say so.

Centro de Salud has been making their yard inspection rounds and putting little bags of poison in anything that might hold water. The Cihuatlan Municipio is currently collecting old tires, buckets, etc and have hauled away tons of stuff so far. Below is a Canal 235 article on trash collection.

Cihuatlán Township statistically has been strongly affected by dengue disease that keeps it in first place in the State of Jalisco. In order to reduce the number of people infected, state and local authorities conducted a campaign in coordination collecting 162 tons of water holding vessels during the months of April and May.

Colectan 162 toneladas de cacharros para disminuir el dengue

Hacienda in Oaxaca

I've seen Haciendas for sale mostly in the Yucatan with many retaining much of their former glory. This one had no glory left and was not even the house but the crop storage barn. Don Pedrillo is the old Hacienda name dating back 400 years and was later incorporated into larger land holdings.

Everette and Beth Deese bought this old place back in the early '90's, did some support work on it and then let it sit until 2007. Quite the project compared to what most Expats undertake to build a house in Mexico.  A number of interesting photo stories about their project on the Blog.

Everette and Beth Deese | Photos of Don Pedrillo