Michelada with my first lime

I can't think of a better way to use my first lime than in a michelada.  This particular lime has been sitting on the 'slow' tree for a few months but finally gained enough weight I couldn't resist ... even tho I have a few from my neighbors. The smell and flavor of a newly picked lime is to die for.   My faster tree has probably 100 limes of various sizes.

I prefer a simpler red variety with only a slightly tangy tomato juice like Clamato and lime.  You can make it darker and more flavorful with Maggi, Worcestershire sauce or Chamoy powder.  Some like cilantro, cucumber strips or even a shrimp.  I leave the salted rim routine for when I order in a restaurant.

The worst michelada I've ever had was in Tepozlan, Morelos at the weekend tianguis.  She had a michelada powder mix and just stirred it in but the beer was cold.

Not another tree!

I'm gonna have to buy another lot if I keep running into these miracle trees. First it was Neem and now Moringa. A conversation on a Mexico message board started out about Celiac disease and ended up about Moringa that is supposed to lessen the symptoms. Then people posted links but mostly where you could buy the products ... not seeds or trees.

From a site that sells Moringa products

Moringa is considered to be the most nutrient rich plant on earth. Moringa leaves have been consumed by Asian people for millennia as a healthy food product. Containing more than 90 nutrients and 46 antioxidants, these vivid green leaves are nature’s super-power food.

I eventually found some nurseries in Colima that sell the trees so will start looking around here. Also found a few articles about/by Mark Olsen who teaches Biology in UNAM in Mexico City. He is included in this Discovery Channel video.

My week in Melaque

We are just about finishing up another rainless week in Melaque with one days "feel like" temperature up to 114 degrees or 45.56 C.   Today seemed like our best chance but it was only overcast and a little cooler.

I reheated one of my favorite left-overs one too many times a couple days ago and got what you would expect from a bad restaurant ... toilet bowl hugging.   I usually leave the food out over night on the stove and off to the fridge in the morning but in this heat it is not advised.    My neighbors were here as they usually are in the evening and they heard my troubles in the bathroom.   Hugo stayed later to make sure I didn't get worse and was back first thing in the morning checking and offering food.    An hour later his daughter brought me a plate of 2 quesadillas and a bottle of suero (for dehydration).   Just a one day thing!

The announcement trucks were circulating around about a light-bulb (foco) exchange on the plaza sponsored by Ferro Pacifico so we went to get rid of some of my old construction bulbs.   These exchanges are usually sponsored by the electric company (CFE) but I think Ferro Pacifico is advertising their new store expansion and want to compete with other hardware stores in the area.   Usually they exchange one incandescent for one fluorescent but with 8 bulbs and 4 CFE receipts we came away with 16 bulbs.

Washing clothes the other day there was a sudden puff of smoke from the control area of my washing machine.   We finished the cycle and second load with my other machine upstairs.   Went to my favorite auto/fridge air conditioning guy today and sure enough he knows washers.  He offered to come to my house, arrived when he said he would (with his daughter)  and diagnosed the problem as a "fuse" controlling action  when the door is opened and closed.   300 pesos for a new part that would not last very long ... or just bypass the door open security switch.   150 pesos for the service call and bypass rather than 450 pesos to replace the part.  He also taught me that with a washer with both hot and cold inlets ... you can get more water into you machine by using "tibia" even if you don't have a hot water source.   The valves are in the machine to control flow.

Now just waiting for the Elote lady, friendly neighbors and some rain

Added the Y so I could connect both hoses.  Using the warm wash setting gives you flow from both hoses rather than all cold or all hot.   Definate difference.

Todays Melaque weather

From the Weather Underground at Manzanillo airport

33 °C  =  91

Feels Like 41 °C = 105

T-storms

80% chance of precipitation

We've been over a week without rain and are only hoping for more to cool us off again.   I caught these two fotos a little over a week ago in a really good storm on my IPhone.  I've tried many times to catch lightning but there were so many this time they were difficult to miss. 

Clear and close

Hidden in the clouds

Cuzalapa again for coffee

Took a drive up to Cuzalapa again a few days ago with neighbors. They had never been there and I needed coffee to take north to family. Except for the hundreds of large potholes between highway 80 and Cuautitlán it was a pleasant drive and a lot cooler beyond La Huerta.

I'd heard that the bridge was not repaired that collapsed with Jova but they had propped up one end of it. Large vehicles and people afraid of the bridge were still using the river level crossing.

I had called ahead the day before and they had 8 bags waiting. The Coop has a new stucco and paint job on the front and they are tiling the floors inside.  We stopped by the river for the kids and over all an enjoyable day.  I didn't even have dreams of dodging potholes that night. 

Spent more than enough time putting fotos in a "table"

HechoEnMéxico

Hecho En México - A kaleidoscopic portrait of the music of Mexico

Duncan Bridgeman (1 Giant Leap, What About Me?) weaves a beautiful and rhythmic cinematic tapestry composed of original songs, conversations, reflections, wisdom and humour featuring many of the greatest performers and sharpest minds of Mexico today.

The film showcases the great richness of Mexican music both young and old, from traditional music to pop rock and rap blended with interviews from Diego Luna, Lila Downs and many more leading personalities. The result is an inspiring and often funny musical road trip through modern day "Mexicanity", which resonates globally.

Spiny lobster season Mexico

After a rather heated discussion on a local message board about the lobsters in my previous post that are illegal this time of year  I decided to look for an info source which nobody else could provide.  Someone even suggested you don't fish or eat them in months without an R which is a myth probably dating back to when refrigeration was an issue (basically summer months).

So here's what I found starting from Baja California south meaning that the season for our area closed on July 1st so these were illegal by a week.

Thus, from February 16 until 15 September, restrict fishing activities in the productive zone of the Pacific Ocean known as El Tordillo, on the north coast of the Baja California Peninsula.

Also, from March 1 to September 30 capture the restriction apply in the Pacific Ocean region called Boca de Soledad, which includes areas of Bahia Asuncion, Punta Abreojos and San Juanico.

The third period of closure will run from May 1 to November 15 in the south of the peninsula, including fishing areas of San Lazaro, Magdalena Island, Island Thrush Margaritas and Cape to Cape San Lucas. Includes strip between the zero and 100 fathoms in the Gulf of California, along the east coast of the Baja California Peninsula.

Additionally, maintaining the temporary closure to catch spiny lobster, spiny lobster and lobster island, from 1 July to 30 October in the Gulf of California, along the coasts of Sonora and Sinaloa, as well as from Nayarit to Chiapas.

Bio Agrocultura

Steak and Lobster

We were just going to have a steak dinner (carne asada) for Hugo's son's graduation party tonight but while I was down at the local store a kid came in with 3 lobsters in a bag trying to sell them to the store owner. The owner suggested I buy them and they did smell fresh out of the sea. A little over 3 kilos or 6.6 lbs for 150 pesos or about 13 dollars.

These are spiny lobsters or langostinos and don't have big claws like northern lobsters. In one foto you see a bunch of eggs ... but I have no idea if catching females or females with eggs is illegal. No idea if there is a size limit either. One is pretty small. Anyway, they are all in a big pot right now at Hugo's house with his wife doing the cooking (garlic and butter).  Pacific coast of Mexico living

Three on a plate

Hugo on the way home

Female with eggs

I just wanted to add that lobsters are usually langostas and langostinos more often shrimp or river prawns

Graduation Day

The last day of school (today) is Graduation Day in Mexico as well as in our very small Primary school in Pinal Villa. No more than 50 kids total. I was asked to take a picture of Uriel who will be off to Secondaria in Melaque next year. Uriel suffers from just about every physical problem you can think of including motor control. The two mile walk into Melaque next year is a real concern to his parents. They would like to have a motor bike to take him but won't have the money for one. Sadly he can't ride a bike.

The ceremony began with the singing of the Mexican national anthem. An honor guard dressed in navy blue and chosen for their academic achievements, unfurled the red, white and green Mexican flag. A few more songs I was not familiar with. Two students read prepared speeches and the diploma presentation began. Those graduating to Secondaria first followed by those moving up to a new grade. No music and not as fancy as Melaque schools ... but just as real.

The Honor Guard

The lineup

Most of the kids

Uriel getting his diploma