Man, I got bugs

As if the leaf cutting ants weren't bad enough - now I have these, whatever they are. They're in the avocado tree. Not all the way up (big tree) but on the trunk about head high. With the 1000 or so tightly grouped it looks like a nest just burst - or do they swarm and stick together ?? Not sure they are old enough to fly but look like winged creatures to me. They had started eating leaves on a small branch so I sprayed them.

BTW ... the ant powder I've been using on the leaf cutting ants works but without bodies I can't tell if it's just chasing them away. While I was in Melaque for a week my house keeper ran into another nest and poured a 1/4 bottle of Cloro (bleach) down the hole. Hundreds of bodies lying around when I came back

I'm tempted to call them aphids .... but this is Mexico

So .... they are stink bugs.  Not much to worry about.  They do eat fruit but I have no fruit now.  They also may stink but I didn't smell anything. Neighbors recognized them because they've had them

Nevado de Colima

Nevado de Colima even though it's not in Colima but Jalisco. Took these on the way back from a week in Melaque on highway 54 about even with Ciudad Guzman. Very pleasant week, good weather, saw lots of friends and mostly worked on my property.  The coast is green - most years it's brown in late December

San Cristóbal Zapotitlán Fiesta

Well not quite a fiesta but good food, beer and people. Rene's place is big enough for a fiesta and there's even talk of making a restaurant out of it - we'll see. Trouble is not many in that small town could afford it, they have one beach restaurant, it's a 25 minute drive from Jocotepec and a long way from Ajijic/Chapala.

San Cristóbal is on the south side of Lake Chapala but not far from the west end and Jocotepec. This was a 2 pm party which is perfect to be back before sundown. We ran into an 87 year old gringa who had lived there for 10+/- years (she wasn't sure) and invited her. She moved after living in Ajijic for 10+/- years (she wasn't sure) to get away from Gringolandia.

Mom was out back by the squash patch cooking Tilapia in a wok. Surprisingly only one young person. She was sitting out back by herself next to the tramoline (brincolin) and I told her she should use it and she spent the rest of the day there. She wanted to be serious for the foto but opened up when I said 'dice queso'. Fun day and good conversations.

Two inches of rain in my pool over night

And it's been doing the same for the last 5 days. But, oh ... the sun just came out. Sure would be nice if that was the end of it for awhile. I hear the rain has been all over Mexico this last week.

They are saying on the coast they've not had this much rain at this time of year since 1944

Bath in a Bucket

So much for the new gas hot water heater that was supposed to come Saturday (re: previous post). A birdbath in the sink was not going to get it today. Landlord promises tomorrow but we'll see.

Mari used to use a large tub like the foto for pre-soaking clothes and bathing the little kids. I bought one because I didn't have a bathtub on the beach and I like to sit. Now I have a real tub but no hot water.

Maria (she cleans my house on Saturdays) told me their hot-water heater no longer works and they heat water in large pots (olla) for bathing - so that's what I did. I told her they only cost $2000 pesos but who knows how long they have been doing that. Another reason Mexicans may be on Mexican Time.