Cattle drive

Yes we live in the country and are used to seeing these guys grazing in the fields as we pass daily.   It's only rarely that we run into them on the road headed back to where ever they spend the night.   This was yesterday evening on the way to pick up Euriel at school in town.   I started to squeeze past when we first came up on them but thought better of it after getting a good look at those horns on something half as large as my car.   A quarter mile further they turned right.

Also a glimpse at they rain we've been having from hurricane Cosme.   Lots of rain this morning so we're checking to see if school is canceled.

Welcome to Nahima world

Nahima sits on her moms lap and carries on a conversation with the world as we drive around Melaque.    This is a daily thing with her on our school and shopping trips. She usually uses the side view mirror like a studio TV monitor explaining the universe to her audience the best a two year old is able. But she'll talk to everything and anything that passes by unless it is alive. I keep promising to get a video of her antics but we need to be moving for her to be in the mood. The rest of us in the car just laugh and shake our heads.

Nahima talking to the world

She stops to look at a horse

First real rain

Just had our first real rain of the season with a "front" moving through. First foto is the squall line and by the time I got off the roof it was raining. Before long it was a real tropical downpour filling the streets and pouring off the roof. Been watching a tropical depression off the coast but it's still south of Manzanillo. Semi related I don't know but expect we'll see more rain over the next few days. This one was enough to start the greening process in the hills.

What I did learn is my CEL Modem reception really falls apart in the rain so adjustment time is here. Also after brick paving a section of lawn next to the house, standing water may become an issue. The gravel section I left for absorption filled right up. We'll see if this has to be re-engineered.

Squall line

Coming off the roof and palapa

No Burger King today

What does a 13 year old want for his birthday .... this one wanted a trip to Burger King.  He's been twice before when we go shopping in Manzanillo.   We thought about it but I don't need anything in Manzanillo and  a half tank of gas would make an expensive burger.   

Instead we recreated the meal the best we could with a trip to Bodega Aurrera.   A bag of frozen hamburger patties, 2 bags of sesame buns, a packet of sliced cheese and a bag of frozen fries.  This was a first for all of us but it turned out rather well.  The unremarkable meat cooked on the BBQ pretty much disappears in the toasted bun filled with lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo and catsup. The fries in the oven on a pizza pan took longer than planned because heat was too low.   Actually it was a pretty good reenactment of a BK meal except the meat could have been one step up in quality.   The 13 year old was happy.

CFE Bill, the pool and rain

Got my CFE Bill that included the new pool pump running for 2 hours a day.   Happy that it was still about 40 pesos which is minimum.  That circuit includes night security lights, patio fan and light and a washing machine. Reading a pool maintenance web site they are suggesting running my under powered pump 10-12 hours a day.   Now that may add up!  Interesting that they now include a graphic to show your consumption rather than just the numbers.   The above was found on the CFE site and is not mine or anyone else's. 

Problem with the pool here is the temperature I'm sure.   The water is warmer and more difficult to keep clean.   It's also hard to limit it's use in this heat as the more people that want to use it the dirtier it gets.   The first two months I changed the water twice but I'm thinking more often with warmer water.   We also have not had street water for 3-4 days making a refill impossible and difficult to clean the filter.

We had our first rain last night and it brought back the fresh smell, humidity and kept down the dust for most of the day.    I'm just hoping this is the beginning of tropical weather coming up the coast to give us a little relief or at least changes week by week.