Miscellaneous

A SHORT NEWS LETTER

 

We have a brief newsletter of just a few items.  It is being sent as an attachment this time because a couple of photos are imbedded in it.  (You may need to hold down the Ctrl button to follow the link mentioned in it.)  If you have problems opening this blog, let us know and we will try to send it a different way.

 

 

Dan and Rebecca

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Hello Snow

WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION or

It was a Warm and Stormy Night

 

This newsletter was originally planned to be a short article about the 'Chalk Walk' (see below) as a follow-up to our last edition about our fun happenings.  But events intervened and we have a more dramatic story to report, the results of which have affected many of you in the US.  Do not be surprised when the tone of this offering is a bit different; Mrs.T, the usual muse, has graciously granted the 'stick in the mud' (umpff !) some writing time.

 

Febrero Loco

All the signs were there.  We already reported on the freakish waterspout.  The winter had been significantly wetter than usual, perhaps a record amount of rain for December and January.  Mrs.T had been saying the water temperature was above normal during her scuba diving; often she had not needed her diving suit but just her rainbow dive skin. (From the retailer Dive Goddess no less.)   And she had received reports that there are many fewer whales because of those warm temperatures.  We should have known.

 

The last weekend of January was grey and wet.  Although it had cleared up a bit, to be prepared for the next downpour Mrs.T bought a paraguas after church on our stroll through the Sunday market.  And indeed it would come in handy as it rained Monday and much more on Tuesday.

 

Then –WHAM.  About a quarter past 11 in the evening the bay was hit by a tropical storm that came ashore.  Winds were reported to be 100-150kph (60-75mph).  Now tropical storms do come through this area in the rainy season.  Generally they make a lot of rain, but not so much wind.  The depth of the bay – 1000-1200m (3000-4000ft) mitigates the strength of these storms.  Pacific hurricanes usually veer off.  And for such a storm to hit in winter is unusual, happening every 15-20years.

 

For the folks on the second floor of Condos Jacarandas it was quite exciting.  Windows rattled; furniture on the upper palapa blew down the stairs.  Electricity throughout Bucerias went out and would stay out for about 3 hours and then flickered on and off.  We at Jacaranda were fortunate.  Most damage was relatively minor, although not inconsequential.  Chairs around the pool were askew, umbrellas snapped, a few tree limbs broke, and plant matter was everywhere.  Bits and pieces of material from other places littered the yard.  Nerves were frayed.

 

Other places, especially those closer to the beach, up on the hill and on the other side of the highway were more damaged.  Trees, many quite old, were uprooted.  Roofs were blown off, doors blown out, walls blown over.  To our knowledge, luckily no one was seriously injured.

 

Here are some pictures, some of Jacarandas and some around town. They speak for themselves without descriptions.  Thanks to Luis for several photos.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157623366600774/

 

And here are some more pictures and an article from a local online spot (Thanks Ron.):

 

http://www.buceriasnews.com/news/3-local/42-bucerias-storm-february-02-2010.html

 

We understand that Puerto Vallarta also was hit hard.  And flooding continued longer in the state of Michoacan south of Jalisco.

 

Cleanup in Bucerias started early the next day.  People took it onto themselves to get busy removing debris, clearing trees, etc.  Now, just a few days, later all is nearly back to normal.

 

For you folks in the US where a major winter storm has dumped all that snow – that is the same storm that came through here.  It sped across Mexico and the Gulf and into the southern US.  When it collided with a cold front from our friends in Manitoba and Alberta, voila:  snow.  Lots of it because of all the moisture brought up from here.  Aren't you happy we were thinking of you and sent our weather to prove it?

 

 

Chalk Walk

For three days during Fiesta Week, a new, but unrelated, event was put together:  Chalk Walk, our version of a via colori or madonnari.  This may become an annual event.  For the first two days, professional artists, 4 from Mexico and 2 from up north, applied themselves to creating four works on a section of Lazaro Cardenas.  Three of the Mexican artists worked as one team to create the work on the street and up onto the wall of Broken Art.  This was appropriate because Christy the owner/artist of this gallery/studio for mosaic and painted glass honchoed this project.  She worked with PEACE Mexico, the Recyclers of Bucerias, and several local restaurants to put together a splendid event, especially for the first effort.

 

On the third day were workshops for children to try their hand at this on-the-street finger-painting.  More children turned out than the organizers appeared to expect.  Emily L'Hoist, one of the staff members of PEACE (and one of Luis's charming daughters), had asked Rebecca to stop by that morning to help if she wished.  R thought it might be fun.  She brought several of her books with pictures of plants and animals, and was able to help out with the younger children while the professional artists worked with the older kids.

 

Here are a few pictures to give a flavor of this rather successful event which we hope to see again next year:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9151458@N07/sets/72157623242551973/

 

 

We hope you are having fun with your shovels up north (take it easy).

 

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

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