The logistics of water and sewer

Very confusing working with the Municipio workers via the bungalow owner on the corner who also works for the Municipio and two lot owners who are not here via email. We heard at the last minute that if we buy the pipe they will run sewer up the road in front of the lots. This is just as I'm ready to call in a backhoe to dig for a water line. So we get the 8" sewer pipe and the water project goes on hold because you can't have two ditches on the road. 

Saturday was supposed to be the last day the workers could be there so a few people were getting frantic. That was simply bad info from the bungalow owner because when I showed up on Saturday the news was they will work until the work is finished. Now that makes sense!

Friday we were there to mark the water line and mark off the lot for the backhoe who might be able to trench for the wall foundation. We were just about finished when the workers showed up and started digging a registro in the middle of the intersection. I told the bungalow owner we could pull our cars out now so we could leave when we wanted and he just shrugged he shoulders and we were trapped for 2.5 hours. I finally asked the backhoe driver to smooth a path for us to one side and he did. Now we just wait until the sewer is finished and work on the water later

Incoming 12" sewer line

Registro on the corner

Us waiting in our trapped position

The majic Higuera tree and Dia de los Albañiles

Both of these are from my worker and neighbor today, Hugo.

Last night he walked his family into Melaque from Pinal Villa and on the way there is a large Higuera tree. The baby in a stroller was effected by the magic of this tree and didn't sleep all night, discomfort, headache, temperature and maybe bad dreams ... as much of a dream as a 6 months old can have.

I asked him if this was an issue for a doctor and he said no, only a curandero or bruja (witch doctor) could deal with it. "Muchos problemas con chiquillos" (little kids) is all he could say. I asked Silvia who is visiting from the Chapala area and got more or less the same story about the magic Higuera. The curandero breaks a raw egg over the childs forehead to help in the diagnosis.   Wish I could find some 'real' tales of the magic of ther Higuera tree ... maybe later.

The other item is that Tuesday of next week (May 3rd) is "El Día del Albañil" (day of the cement workers (masons)) and Hugo wanted me to buy some crape paper and his wife would make a cross to put up on my house that he has been working on for the last 6 months. That was easy and 3 colors cost 10 pesos ... but he also wanted something like Saran Wrap to protect the crape paper from the rain. Haven't found that yet. Ziploc bags just don't work the same.

The Chiticahua are here

Chiticahua is what the migrant workers are called by all the locals, supposedly from the state of Guerrero. They are basically gypsies following the crops and December is chili season - weeding, thinning and picking in a few weeks. Pinal Villa and much of the Melaque area fills up with these people who have little money to pay rent.

Our neighbor two lots away has rented to a large family. His property has water and nothing else. The migrants sleep on the ground and use neighboring lots for their bathroom. Sandy, my Canadian neighbor, mentioned the other day she saw a woman heading for the lot next to me with a roll of toilet paper. Today I and 3 neighbors cleared and burned the lot of all the privacy providing tall grass and brush ... and then the adjoining lot so they didn't just move over a bit.

I feel sorry for the migrants but have no sympathy for land owners that can't provide the most basic facilities to their renters. Dig a frickin' hole and cover it when they leave at least !!

Lot next to mine

The second lot they cleared