I've never seen a large nest like this. Usually they are small and round. Lorena said she saw it when it was small but just noticed this, this morning, I sprayed it with poison and a bunch left. We were going to cut it down but Lorena got stung once. We called Hugo and he put a bag around it and pulled it down. It was about a foot and a half long. Yikes
It was just getting too big. It was lifting my sidewalk and with a summer full of rain it might have reached the power lines. Also, it was making it impossible for me to paint and repair the wall behind. It has huge sharp spines on the branches so very difficult to trim. It was given to me by one of the guys that built my house when it was only about 3 feet tall.
Juan is my neighbor and the only guy with a chainsaw I know. He only wanted 300 pesos so it was time. The guy in back wanted the fronds to make a shade palapa so he helped cut off the branches and then the fronds. When it was cleaned up enough to roll I towed it to the side of the road with my car. It's still in its almost original size because it was too heavy to raise high enough to get his saw under it. It also had sand and gravel in the bark (kids) and he didn't want to ruin the chain. Another neighbor came over and offered to help in exchange for some beer. Worked out well because it was definitely a 3 man job.nes.
I've been wanting to get a good look at the guys while cutting. I can't imagine they cut this palm without some kind of guide to stop them from wandering all over. Maybe they just snap a chalk line? The guys that built my palapa did the same thing but I wasn't interested in the wood cutting process then.
These palms are in a very old mango orchard and both the mangoes and palms were damaged in Hurricane Patricia. They've cut and cleaned up many of the mangoes so they can get in for the wood. Still many people cook on an open fire so the mangoes will get used someday.
Saw these reflections in the pool last night and had to try to capture it. Pretty close
Interesting how bugs have seasons for activity. The last couple of days it's been Dragonfly's collecting in the pool. A few weeks ago it was flying ants. Dragonfly's do it during the day and the ants were at night. I assume they want a drink and misjudge how to get it. Seems I remember Dragonfly's dipping down over lakes and ponds up north. I've saved a few but 20+ didn't make it.
Palapa and palm reflection
Dragonfly in pool - what's the attraction?
We have a relatively new street vendor that I assume goes all over the area. A couple of months ago was the first time I've heard him. I checked out his wares a few days ago and he only sell sweet breads so I passed. He's not quite as entertaining as Tin Tan but I like his music.
Just want one more year out of it before I probably replace it with lamina. It was great while it lasted but this is only year 3. So I put up the blue tarp (lona) a couple weeks ago and a gust of wind blew it apart. Someone suggested that the silver/grey tarps are stronger so I picked one up at El Pollo hardware. I was getting ready to put the new one up when it suddenly started to rain with thunder and lightning. That is a tricky enough project without the extra complications .... so until later or another day.
Most of this type of palapa installation are attached with twine but these guys nailed them down. Not looking forward to stripping it down to the frame next fall. Also have to look into the angle of the ridge covering piece of lamina because the inside angle is less than 90 degrees. Thin metal should be flexible.
What's left will stay there
Corners and sides are stronger but the body of it ??
Later in the afternoon
Wouldn't say it went up easy but .....
Tie these to the front corners, toss on each side and pull from below
Better than trying to ride the palapa like a horse or a monster ladder
Had three of these in the last week and always one every couple of months. I found the first in the palapa when I was putting a tarp over it. Too far embedded inside to do anything but spray one more in a small palm in the yard and one in the palm on the street. If they are accessible Hugo puts a plastic bag around them and has a small fire in the lot next door. I have a flowering Palm that is full of feeding Wasps so probably another nest soon.
It's been a long time and I almost forgot how pretty the beach and water is at Punta Perula. Super clear water in the lagoon and the mouth that crosses over to the restaurant on the point. Seemed to me crossing over to the restaurant was easier but now you have to get wet if the tide is not way out.
This end of the beach really looks like Tenacatita used to with about 6-8 palapa restaurants and I almost wonder if a few moved up from Tenacatita because I don't remember that many. All along the beach the water was clear unlike the Melaque west end but similar to Tenacatita.
Glen and I drove up really with the intention of taking the boat trip out to the Islands only for some quick pictures and coming back. They will take you and come back in 3-4-5 hours but we just wanted to see them. Sadly we had not checked pricing and found they wanted 800 pesos for the extended stay and only reduced to 700 pesos for the quick trip. Next time we will figure out a way to go with a few more people to split the cost.
The Bahía de Chamela in the Municipio of La Huerta, Jalisco has about 7 islands of various sizes. The main islands are -- La Colorada, Cocinas, San Andrés, Pajarera. Pajarera is a bird reserve and about the best for snorkling.
Linda, my neighbor from Canada has painted a lot of plant designs on her garden walls and has tempted me to do something on my palapa wall. Her's are all palms or a few broad leaf tropical plants. I need to get a foto to pass along the idea. She was able to use shadows .... but I have no plants under my palapa for shadow or outline. She and I ended up holding a palm frond up against the wall and outlining with a pencil.
So Linda did the one on the right and me on the left yesterday. I played with sky, bamboo and flowers today. Totally new for me and with more white paint I can cover over anything.. The original arch looked like I should create a Virgin de Guadalupe shrine below it but I don't know her. Really think I need another color or two beyond green and blue. With more white ... it can be painted again. Just like Graffiti
The added work in progress was Nahima (our 3 year old neighbor) wanted to sit on our toilet and insisted for 20+ minutes. She eventually headed home with her sister under protest and we assumed just another 3 year old stage. She will be just as crazy/independent tomorrow .............
Been using a pedestal fan under the palapa for the last year or so but really wanted to buy a new ceiling fan. The pedestal fan was always in the way and getting knocked over by the dog. The only light in the palapa was a bulb on an extension cord. The fan I wanted with the light and aluminum blades cost a little over a 1000 pesos now and then there is the wire, switches, conduit and the work of installing it. I finally decided that that fan was in my bodega and hardly ever being used. Why not steal it and use a pedestal fan in the bodega when I need it and where there is no crazy traffic.
So the easy part was making the mounting cross piece and securing the fan so it wouldn't wobble or jump around. Also running and fastening the green conduit and running wire through. Even mounting the one switch and finally two wasn't a problem. What was a puzzle was getting the electricity running where it should be. I finally gave up on the dimmer switch doing it all because the rheostat (volume control) is going to wear out if it's also off and on and speed adjust. Separate wall switch was the best idea but the light and fan were sharing the current. Full speed fan and no light ... having only the light made the fan rotate very slowly. Had to be they were connected in parallel sharing a limited current. Finally a separate power and ground is what worked. Still not totally convinced I know what is going on with only 3 wires to fan motor and light. Glad I had no schedule to meet.
Copacabana fan with light
Bought wire, breaker and switch from the new gringo
At least I hope so. I filled up one planter to make someone in the family happy. Moved the palm from behind the star fruit, colorful plant from the far corner and a fern that was root bound in a pot. Still haven't been to the nursery.
The palapa step and tile floor are finished and the dog seems to prefer laying on the tile than than on damp ground. Hopefully this means less digging in the yard to make a cool place. You can see bricks in the planter and plants to discourage the dog. Made more space for the bananas and star fruit. One of the bananas has babies already
The long needed large garage-shed area now has the roof on and is about to get a cement floor. It's 5x5 meters so will cover my car if I choose to use it. It's main use to to cover the well and pump and be a protected wash area. Longer life for the washing machine and a place for a covered closeline when it's raining.
At least that's what one of the workers calls it. It started out me just wanting better shade and rain protection on that side of the house and ended up considerably more fancy than imagined. I chose the width and angle but workers came up with the rest. The flower beds which will have a cement cap on the top edge was an after thought.
Still needs to be painted, sealer put on the roof and lots of odds and ends. Next week will start on a single step around the palapa and maybe tile the palapa floor. I've got a bunch of tiles left over from the house. The lawn is extreamly tired from all the traffic but will hopefully come back The roof will one day be covered in with the red curved roof tiles but first to get it sealed before the rains.
This is the second cross we've put up on the house. Last year was the big project including the roof. They worked until October and then found other work almost all winter. That gave me time to fine tune, paint, seal, garden and consider what I had and what worked. I hired these guys back a little over a month ago with three "roof" projects in mind; awning, palapa and lamina shed. More detail is on the house building link.
So yesterday was mostly goofing off, a little work in the morning, watching and helping the palapa guys get started with the structure and started with the "cubas" (tequila and coke) around 4. Around six three families arrived with a huge pot of pozole. The party and dinner finally concluded around 9pm
I consider these finishing touches to a house that began very simple and not all that well planned. The largest is the awning (marquesina) along the house that will help keep rain away from doors and windows. Oscar is up there now filling the joints between the awning and the house that they had to cut out to attach it.
The second is a palapa over the ugly block of cement that covers the cistern in the middle of the yard. The four posts (castillos) are up and the palapa builder will be here next week to build the wood structure that sits on top. Gonna use the long palapas rather than the royal palm that is very much more expensive. He says with the right pitch and placed close together it should be good for 5 years. We'll see.
The third project is to replace a jury-rigged lamina roof that was over the outside wash and pump area. It will extend out 5 meters rather than the 1.5 meters of the old one. Will be much better protection for the area, equipment and can act as a partial garage. One column of the same type used above and two cement cross supports (vegas) that they just poured this morning.
Posts for palapa, house awning and lamina supports
Well this is the last week of summer vacation in Mexico and the beaches will get quiet again. It's been a pretty busy summer here in Melaque despite (or because of) the heat and humidity.
I got back from 3 weeks in Seattle not long ago and this weather has made me not want to do anything - including Blogging. Even before I left we had a month of overbearing weather - but no hurricanes yet. September is usually the worst month for bad weather so we'll see how global warming effects the west coast.
I walked the beach to Barra de Navidad the other day and that place is getting fancier by the month - and more expensive. Taking the local bus back is the best way to survive unless you make the walk in the morning. Only cost 4.5 pesos.
We have a friend building a shipping container home in Cuastecomate and that has been a very interesting project to watch develope. I've posted comments and some fotos on our Costalegre Message board - Container Living thread
My newest project is to build a ramada (palapa) off the back of our house for shade and rain protection. I got the wood (palm) framework from neighbors who just took down a palapa in favor of brick walls. Will have a couple of local guys do the palapa 'thatching'. Hope to put a brick patio underneath it and have a second outdoor area with privacy. Cool!
The construction of the house finished in April 2011 and I'm pretty much settled in. As of March 2014 I'm in preparation for rain mode for this coming summer. That includes sealing and painting things and dealing with drainage issues from last year.
