I'm so strange

Kids like these are constantly up and down my street. Often the bigger kids will leave the very little ones behind.  Sometimes like today, I think the street was hot on bare feet. Some just don't feel like keeping up. I've gone out a number of times to try to get them back together. A few are all smiles and understand Spanish ... and like today, no Spanish and they look at me like I'm from another world. My main concern is we have some crazy neighborhood teenagers on motorcycles that can't ride at a reasonable speed.

Kids cleaning the beach and real fries at Titos

These three kids were running up and down the beach gathering hand fulls of lirio and making a pile of it. I saw no sign of parents around that might urge them on. Community spirit or just having fun?

Glen ordered these fries and I ate about half. Titos definitely has the best fries on the beach.

Novena after the funeral

The Catholic tradition of Novena after a funeral is to have a wake in front of the families house for nine days for a few hours in the evening. On the ninth day everyone goes over to the church and the Padre says a few words. Then everybody marches back to the house for a big feed.

The feed this time was Pozole that Lorena started making the day before. It cooked all day of the ninth and was still on the fire when I came to get it with my van. It took two of us using damp rags because the pot was super hot. We had to put cardboard down so it wouldn't burn the van carpets.

Enough Pozole to feed over 30 people with plenty left over for the next day. A bunch of indigenous kids sat quietly on the sidewalk until everybody else was fed and then they were called over to line up for food and drink.

In remembrance of Pillo

Service was breaking up when I got there

Pozole on the fire

Dishing it up

The kids table

Indigenous kids got fed too

Just had to do it

That was a three level Almendra and if you are familiar with that kind of Mexican Almond tree you know what I mean by three levels. It was almost up to my incoming electric and up against the wall if I didn't keep cutting. Main problem with against he wall was ants like Almendras and they would go up the wall rather than climb the truck of the tree.

The other thing is Almendras are extremely dirty trees and are constantly dropping fruit and leaves.  I've been paying a neighbor to help keep it clean but I'm lucky if they come over once a week and it really needed every other day.

The final problem was local kids like the Almonds and if they were not climbing the tree they were hitting. it with sticks or rocks. Kids falling 3 meters onto the cement sidewalk is not something I need. Then they have to mash them with rocks on my sidewalk to get to the nut.  Tons or work, makes a huge mess and stains my sidewalk purple .... and then they might draw on the wall.

Just called my neighbor Juan with a chain saw and it took him 20 minutes including cutting it up on the ground. BTW .... these Almonds are nothing like North of the Border Almonds I'm used to

No mas Almendra 

Pool and Free Mango time

It's that time of year that the neighbor kids want to cool off in the pool and people drop off mangoes because they have too many of them. Just had the one below with some unsweetened yogurt.  Yummm ... very good

Jania and Nahima -- got crowded later

Small but very sweet

Indigenous kids enjoy a serenade

Cuchillo (Esteban)(Stephen) does not usually get an audience but this evening 3 Indigenous kids were loving it. He plays guitar and sings a couple times a week just because he enjoys it with usually only passing people to listen. Of course I hear him every time and even open my windows to listen.

They shyly walked up to him, one girl wanted to dance but then they came across the street to sit on my sidewalk. It was just too interesting so they crossed over again to watch him closer. First two fotos from street level and last two from my roof

Peaceful community

On my sidewalk

Crossing over

Almost taking lessons 

They scattered when Cuchillo said I had a camera

UNAM Biological Station in Chamela

UNAM Biological Station in Chamela had an open house Dec. 6th

It was probably eight years since I'd been there and it was the time of year everything was brown and dry. This year all was green and pretty. The last time there wasn't much to see except a short walk on their loop trail with plants marked. This year they really put on a show. At first we thought it was going to be too dry and educational but the more we walked around we found neat stuff for the kids, a puppet show and some very nice displays.

The girls decorated a paper butterfly on a stick, made a parrot mask, made pinwheels and got some nice coloring books. Surprised there was no food or drink available but we brought a cooler with sandwich makings and a coke. Pretty long drive up there but glad we went.

Butterfly booth

Puppet show

Don't buy parrots - it's illegal

Nahima and Lorena decorating a butterfly  

Butterflies native to this area

A Turtle Launch

Seems like a good name.  They brought around these tubs of turtles to 3 different Melaque beach locations last night and passed the babies out to kids to launch into the ocean. We picked up the kids at school at 7PM and this was scheduled for 7:30 at Bigotes only a few blocks away. Yari enjoyed it and Nahima was afraid.  They move their paddle feet real fast and Nahima thought they could fly after her. Only in a four year old's mind.

Turtle Tub

The launch process

Nahima Miedo

Turtle Sunset

First day of Kinder

Today was the long awaited first day of Kindergarten for Nahima. Yesterday the mothers helped clean the classroom and playground. We also painted wooden crates used for each students personal storage space. I drove this morning because of the crates but normally they will walk to school.

The big deal is how does Nahima handle being away from mom and with strange kids in a strange place. There was no crying when we drove away but she did tell her mom this morning that maybe tomorrow would be better for Kinder.  I was surprised there were like 25-30 kids in that small classroom with only one teacher and a helper.

Pinal Villa Kinder

Classroom and wooden storage crates

Nahima with arms crossed - still some doubt

She needed fotos so used mine

No smiles for mug shots - besides she has no front teeth

It's homework time again

School started yesterday and the teachers aren't wasting any time passing out homework.  I usually help the kids do their homework if they need Internet information.   Well actually I do their homework because they really don't know how to search for things, copy and paste and print.   Gonna have to have some lessons before long.

I was a little more than unhappy when Euriel's sister came over at 10 this morning with geography homework that is due today.   Problem was neither she or I could read what he had written and she was unsure except that it included Mesopotamia, China and somewhere else. Maybe about rivers, the food they ate or migration.   Could have been anything so I sent her home for better instructions.

Of course all the homework has to be in Spanish so that slows me down and I really need to know exactly what we are looking for or it's hopeless.   Sometimes mom helps check the info while I'm searching but she's in a parent-teacher meeting.   I've told them before I need time and 3 hours before school starts is not time enough for me.   Sis has not been back so I guess it's not gonna get done.   Oh well!

With 20 minutes to go mom came with an explanation and we found this .....
¿Qué comían los neandertales?

Pulseras are the in thing

Pulseras are actually bracelets of any kind but the newest craze is these multi-colored cheap ones.  They have "stylish" sayings (de moda) and a package of 12 is only 10-12 pesos at your local store.   Hurry before the fad changes and these fall out of favor.  Mostly kids are wearing them but a number of adults too.   The more the better to be cool.   I have two the kids left in the pool.

Pulseras De Silicon Con Frases De Moda Pket Con 12pzas - 10 pesos

Pozole Pool Party

Neighbors came over yesterday for a pozole, beer and pool party. This is the first time they brought grandma Maria over and she seemed to be happy watching all the activity. Maria is 87 and has circulation problems in her legs somehow causing open sores that need constant medication and attention. She walks but not well or far.

The kids had their usual fun in the pool and of course the pool was filthy in the morning. Nahima with her almost manic activities, watering the lawn and the plants with pool water. Kids in and out but at least are taking showers before entering. Stopped by the local pool place today to see what they had for pool cleaning but nothing really. The kid that works there suggested a larger diameter hose, create a suction and use it like a vacuum. Took over an hour today but my 3/4" hose worked well and the pool looks like new.

Way too much pozole so the dogs got some and the chickens got the corn. I made pizza for the kids and saved a piece for grandma which she enjoyed. Another good time relaxing on the weekend with friends.

Most of the adults with Maria in the wheelchair

Kids in the pool

Yari, pretty as ever

Nahima watering the plants

Nahima with pozole

Neighbor kids watching the roof pour

Watching a cement roof pour is interesting for everyone

Street School

My Neighbor Kids

My front gate project

This is my front gate and I had to put up a wire mesh for two reasons. The neighbor kids down the street got a new puppy that loved to squeeze thru the bars and harass my cats and poop in the yard. The kids were also ringing my front bell a couple times a day asking for the puppy back.

The second reason is when I'm gone I've been leaving food in the garage in case the 'caretaker' can't get the cats back in the house before she leaves. My cats don't mind very well. Of course this garage food was available for any hungry cat in the neighborhood. So now that I'm back a few cats that I don't know feel welcome to come in the house when I'm not looking. They also have a habit pooping in the middle of the lawn.

Today I bought 8 meters of this wire mesh and I had a roll of wire. 8 meters because I was thinking of going two levels high (meter each) with this new fence/gate. Just as I was finishing the car gate about 6-8 kids came over and reminded me that the smaller person gate needs to be covered or the puppy could get thru. I agreed but was gonna probably be a tomorrow thing for me. They were just too enthused to wait for tomorrow so we cut a piece to fit and they did most of the wiring the mesh to the iron bars. Even tho they had not done anything like that before they really tried hard in total earnestness. Cutting the wire, twisting the wire and I only had to give them a few hints.

End result is it is done. Not like I would have done it but it works. And this is Mexico and these were well behaved kids learning and trying. After they had to do somersaults in the grass and take home a few pomegranates (granadas) and limes they found in the backyard.

My front gate


The wire mesh


My neat wire twists


The kids work

The kids are over

It's the weekend and the kids come over for some space. 15 people living in their little house lately and watching what you want on TV or using the bathroom can be an issue. They also come over for warm showers in the winter, bathroom because theirs is busy .... and to do computer homework (well mostly homework). Tomorrow, Sunday, is beach day.

Kids, Melaque, Costalegre, shoes