Chris turns 5

My friends asked again if they could have a fiesta at my place since their place has no garden and not a lot of space. Yesterday was Chris's 5th birthday (cupleaños) so the fiesta was here. Small, not much of the family, just mom and sisters and 2 neices and a nephew.

Salad, nice cake and a beautiful gelatin (gelatina de mosaico) ... but now I get to ask ... why would you make a gelatin with no flavor or sugar. Is this a Mexican thing or a family thing.

Cleaning up in the morning I decided to wash off the kiddy pool and because we had water for a change, filled it. Of course the kids were not dressed for water play like kids might be at the beach ... so we decided to do it again today with bathing suits (trajes de baño). Marilyn brought over belated presents - two squirt guns that were prefect. This being the first week of a two week school vacation we decided to do it again tomorrow.

The party

Chris cuts the cake

Gelatin

Not dressed for the pool

So they came back today
Birthday party in Joctepec

Remolque arrives

Remolque is a trailer in Spanish and this one now sits on my lot. Looks bigger here than on the open lot on the other fotos ... and it is big. I was originally told 23' but this is 28' which makes a big difference in a trailer. Still not leveled and weight taken off the axels but will do that on the next trip.

Seems to be home to a bunch of ants that I believe are termites so will fumigate in the next few days. Lots of wood framing inside a trailer and don't want to find a pile of aluminum on my next visit. The trailer sat unused for almost a year and ants will find a way if there is food. Project will continue with water and power hookups in April - after Semana Santa.

The trick will be to cover it from rain and sun. We've been thru many palapa/ramada roof configurations and have not decided yet.

Guys working on the drain to septic


Just sitting

RV living in Melaque, Jalisco Mexico

Living in a Fifth-Wheel

Well maybe - at least for short trips to the beach when I feel like getting away or working on the house. I located this one on the beach and they have offered to move it to my lot included in the reasonable purchase price. Haven't got my hands on it yet but will go down this week to talk to the owner, show him the property and route and leave a deposit. May be mid-next month before we move it. A friend checked it out a few days ago and says it's in good shape.

So now I get to learn all about big trailers and setting them up for a long stay in one place. Don't want weeds growing under so probably heavy plastic covered with gravel. Will have to run a new sewer line to the septic, run water line and electric, make a patio ... and a few plants and maybe a tree - yes a tree !! Hope I'm not getting ahead of myself but will know this week.

Fleetwood Prowler
Trailer for my Pinal Villa lot outside Melaque

Funeral Procession in Jocotepec

I've seen funeral processions in Mexico before but the cemetery is usually far enough from the central chuch that a car caravan is used. Here in Jocotepec the cemetery is only about 10 blocks away and at the end of a narrow dead-end street.

As I came around the plaza in front of the church I was greeted by a policeman, a decorated pickup truck with a casket and about 150 people beginning their walk. Since I live in the same direction as the cemetery all I could do was fall in behind with my emergency flashers blinking. Just one of the many small differences when living in Mexico.

Simple is beautiful

Well many times it is. Went looking for Bills new place in Chapala, he wasn't home so I continued on east to Mescala and beyond to San Pedro Itzicán. This is a foto of Mescala Island over the top of Mescala town

Mescala, Lake Chapala, Mexico

Back road bike ride

Spring is here and I felt like a bike ride. Sun felt good, I needed the exercise and I wanted to see how the new Jocotepec bypass road is coming. My back road heads almost west from Joco to highway 15 and intersects where the new bypass road will begin. The new road has been cut thru all the way but still very rough for construction use only. I was hoping the road would be fairly flat to avoid the "jake brake" trucks from echoing across the valley ... but it looks like there will be a pretty good grade on either end.

So my back road is a nice ride. Gentle up slope away from town and a coast on the way back. Scenery and crops will change with the seasons and I'm sure it turns to mud in the rains. Just wish there was a little less garbage dumping which seems common for back roads in Mexico.

Cowboy on the road with cows


Cowboy in the field with cows


Old tree that looked better with no color


A new crop of corn next to the rasberry sheds