Inevitable

PROGRESS - Maybe

It was bound to happen, we just did not when.  Puerto Vallarta became too expensive and development moved outwards.  The first phase, many years ago, was Nuevo Vallarta.  Now it is Bucerias's turn.  We are firmly in the exurbs of PV.  Multi-floored condos and apartments are going up left and right; there will be many hundred new units.  Most of them are just big, bland, white boxes with minor variations.  A wonderful exception is at the corner where the Grimaldi's are erecting a very stylish edifice with only twelve deluxe condos.  But we are ensconced nicely in our small compound, serene - except for construction noise - and private.  Our slice of paradise.

The trip here was mostly uneventful except for gate changes in DFW.  The planes were packed, a bit surprising considering it was just the end of October.  We arrived without much hubbub and were essentially set up in a week; we have the move down to a science.  We miss our fruit man who has not yet made an appearance.  The Wednesday market has started and we have seen several friends there.

We are being COVID cautious although a relatively low incidence is reported.  It is somewhat worse for the state, Nayarit, as a whole, probably due to the capital Tepic.  The new Omicron variant will be of concern.  We just missed getting our boosters when we left and probably will obtain them when we return.  Fortunately most activities here are outside, even dining, which make it much easier to contend with the viral challenges.

We left shortly after Rebecca had another endoscopy - uneventful this time - to assess her cancer situation.  She is still cancer free and the doctor said it was okay for her to go six months until the next exam.  However, she is still struggling with the effects of her second stroke in July which were worse than we initially thought - read below.  Progress towards 'normal' has been slow and uneven.  She keeps pushing ahead.  But she is back in the saddle again.

Our latest newsletter:

Alas !!  Romance is gone from Bucerias.  The government has torn down the kissing bridge in the name of urban renewal or some such thing.  Where will lovers woo while watching the sun set over the bay?  Life goes on.  

I am involved in a perpetual battle with the local mosquitoes and other evil insects. (What mosquitoes? -dt) They say that Albert Schweitzer  had such reverence for life that he would not swat mosquitoes.  In my opinion he was either a saint or crazy, probably both.  In fact most saints are probably both. In any case the local insects ignore Dan and devour me.  He claims it is the garlic in his Italian blood.  I imagine that vampires don't like him either.

Many of you have inquired about my health after the second stroke.  (In July -dt) Well so, so.  My eye sight on the right side continues to have strange colors and patterns in it and also I often have double vision.  When I close my left eye these things improve some.

After the stroke I felt totally exhausted.  I was so tired it  was a great effort just to get out of bed.  Getting dressed was a major effort.  I heard Dan telling someone I was a bit tired.  Wrong!!  Walking across the room was almost more than I could manage.  I am feeling quite a bit stronger now. (Still weak and lacking stamina -dt)

I can walk down to Karen's with Brenda now and sit and watch the waves and/or the sunset while drinking a lemonada.  In fact I was watching the waves the other day when a guy with a horse stopped to  ask if I would like a ride. (Actually the horse guy remembered Mrs.T from a couple years ago. -dt)  Well of course I would.  After I was assisted in mounting by several helpful and enthusiastic Mexicans I went for a nice  ride on the beach.  The horse's name was Speedy Gonzales!  Actually he should have been called Slow Gonzales but he was a very nice horse.

I arranged for the horse to visit our condo every Thursday at ten and I go for long rides down the mostly dried up river bed toward the mountains; I ride with two Mexicans on other horses.  One keeps an eye on Speedy and me, and what the other guy's function is I haven't figured out. (Probably owns Speedy. -dt) When I ride up the river I see scores of butterflies of different kinds.  One of my favorites is the great southern white butterfly, very large with blue around the edges.  

The river bank is like a jungle of plants and wildflowers. (We do live in the tropics. -dt)  Most of them are familiar and are often sold in nurseries. One time I saw a man digging up plants by the river bank and putting them in pots, to sell I presume.  In other places I saw a man pumping water from the river with a small pump up the bank to irrigate his fields I suppose.  At any rate, I greatly enjoy my ambles about the countryside on Speedy.  With the butterflies I think of Emerson, "Tell them, dear, if eyes were made for seeing, then Beauty is its own excuse for being." (From The Rhodora about rhododendron -dt)

Dan, who is very protective of me (Yes. -dt), says I am not strong enough yet to go scuba diving, one of my great joys.  I almost believe he triumphs (?? -dt) in denying me this.  I am not sure I agree, but he yells (Just speaking forcefully -dt) at me and I give in. (I do wish she was able -dt)

The one thing that I have not recovered as well as I would like is my mind.  The thing I miss most is my use of words.  Sometimes I want to say something and I cannot find the words.  I know there are words but I cannot find them.  At night I lie in bed and cry for my lost words.  The tears flow inside my CPAP mask which makes little whistling sounds.  Then Dan pokes me annoyed because he thinks I need to adjust my mask.  I hold my breath, unwilling to explain, - if I could find the words.  So life is difficult. (Indeed. -dt)

My wreath was getting a little worn so Judy and I went shopping and at the second store, after much deliberation, I chose a wreath of pine boughs (Or at least imitation ones. -dt)  lightly frosted with snow and garnished with red berries.  I added a shiny red satin bow and it is a seasonal decoration for our front door.  

I bought a dark brown lion to add to our nascimento (creche).  I have embraced the Mexican custom of adding lots of extraneous animals which is Biblically and historically inaccurate but charming if a bit silly.  Judy (Dr. Puzzle -dt), who is a talented and enthusiastic decorator, helped me with my little tree, Dan helping with numerous suggestions.  We had fun.  It is much more enjoyable than doing it by myself.  Judy likes decorating so much she has three Christmas trees, a tiny one in Bucerias and two full-sized at her home in Canada.  I really admire her enthusiasm.

  

Here are a few photos to amplify the story:  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXbFVcp

A bit of housekeeping.  We try our best to get each issue of our irregularly published newsletter out to each of you, about three hundred folks now.  Pardon us if we should miss you.  You are invited to peruse the 'blog' for anything you may have missed.  And please, let us know if you are about to change your email; we hate losing you. (Thank you JS.) And feel free to share with anyone who is interested; they can always subscribe as well.

Best wishes for the holidays.  Stay safe and healthy.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

Sent from Outlook

Musings - end of summer 2021

 Vignettes - Late Summer 2021

Just after our last newsletter Rebecca had another burn in her esophagus to contain her cancer.  Unfortunately the day after she had another stroke.  It was not like the one in 2019 which was significantly debilitating.  This one just affected her vision; the floaters in her right eye light up in colors and block much of her sight.  She has learned to compensate and is doing mostly fairly well.  She has another treatment scheduled later this month and is going to try a new medication to hopefully prevent another stroke.  Fingers are crossed.

For the most part it has been a summer of self-confinement.  Those of you familiar with our location know that we live in isolation.  Even with our two jabs - and a third one soon - we have been somewhat reluctant to go into crowded indoor locations.  We have ventured out to the Farmers Market outdoors.  We only take a quick swish through just a few art events when we would have stayed longer in the past.  And the editor does the shopping during off-hours in a rather quick passthrough at mostly small local retailers; much of the summer even the big box ones have been eerily near empty.  The 'mandatory' events have been the numerous visits to medical establishments.  And we wear masks as a matter of course.  But there is plenty to do and sufficient entertainment around the house to keep us from being too bored.  Mostly we miss visits with friends.

The one thing we allowed ourselves was to go to an art workshop that had been in the works for quite some time, expecting that the COVID situation would be under control - not knowing of course that the Delta variant would be so disruptive.  It was a bronze casting workshop at the Touchstone Center for Crafts.  We may have mentioned Touchstone previously.  It is a nice small art school in the Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, less than three hours from our house.  We have taken classes there before and have been quite satisfied.  We were pleased that despite the need to cancel many classes and work in alternate ways, the school has made it through the challenges of the pandemic.  All appropriate safety and health measures were taken at the school and the workshop went well.  Page and Ed from Rivers of Steel Foundry of Pittsburg lead the class and us quite a bit.  You will see pictures of some of the finished products.

Mrs.T has some thoughts on various topics:

At night before I go to sleep I often go outside and look at the stars.  One advantage of living in the country is you see more stars. I remember when I was a child my father would name them and tell me about them.  The only things I remember clearly was him showing us the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper and how we could use them to find the North Star.  Often I see them still; the North Star is not very bright. This way you can find your way at night - in theory at least.  My father was in the Navy in WWII and I think he learned navigation there.  The other night I woke up at about 3:30 and I decided to go outside and look at the stars.  I was surprised that I saw Orion's Belt.   I see Orion in Mexico all the time but this is the first time I remember seeing it up here.  It was in the southern sky and later than I usually look. I don't know many stars but it was nice to see a familiar one.  Sometimes I think that when I die I would like to become a star.  I think of a few lines from Robert Frost's poem "Choose Something Like a Star":

So when at times the mob is swayed

To carry praise or blame too far

We may choose something like a star

To stay our mind on and be staid.

This spring Nick and I bought rose bushes and planted them around the big rock in front of our house.  They have been blooming ever since. They are Knockout roses and they do not get black spot or other rose diseases.  ('Knockout' is a trade name for that variety of rose. -dt)  Dan and I sit on the porch admiring my roses, rocking in the rocking chair like two old hillbillies and listening to the Whip-poor-will when he stops by.

Dan and I visited Dysart Woods nature preserve.  (In Belmont County; a laboratory for Ohio University. -dt)  It contains fifty acres of virgin forest.  It is the only sizable plot in Ohio which has never been cut.  There are some very large trees there.  (We walked only a short way in. -dt)  It was interesting because the leaves of the old trees spread out to almost completely cover the sky, something you normally don't see in hardwood forests.  This made the woods very dark and also resulted in less undergrowth.  We saw several large black walnut trees.  I tried to convince Dan to pick a few off the ground and carry them home.  Dan asked me to remind him how we would process the nuts.

"First you put the nuts in a brown grocery bag and drive over them several times with your car to get the husks off",  I explained.  "Is this where you get black stains on your hands and your clothes?",  Dan asked.  I allowed how it was.  "Next you pound on the nuts with a very heavy hammer", I told him.  "Then you use a nut pick to pick out the little pieces", I explained.  Dan said in the event that he needed black walnuts he would buy some. 

But there is nothing in the world better than black walnuts. (Elderberries are better. -dt) In fact if I died and went to heaven you would find me sitting on my star eating black walnut ice cream.  Actually hickory nuts are good too. But you have to be careful with them.  There are bitter nut hickory and pignut hickory. You don't want to get either of them by mistake.   I guess if I died and went to the other place (That isn't going to happen. -dt), you might find me eating bitternut hickories.  You just never know. 

As I have been aging I find different body parts are deteriorating.  But I do not despair because there is a cure for almost anything on the internet.  (Some as good as we receive from the medical professionals. -dt)

There is the Brazilian butt lift.  Why Brazilian, you might ask?  Do butts sag more in Brazil?  Perhaps it is because Brazilian bikinis do so little in the way of actual coverage that any, shall we say, faults are clearly exposed!  Thus causing the need for butt lifts. (Actually a plastic surgery technique. -dt)

Another problem is sagging breasts.  I guess we all could use a little hiking up here and there.  There are magic brassieres that will solve this problem.  There are exercises and there are machines.  There are soothing creams that just perk you right up or out as the case may be. (Mrs.T is more than amply endowed; she did not allow a picture. -dt)  And there are plastic surgeries too numerous to mention.

Then there are cures for turkey neck.   I swear I am not making this up.  In fact I resemble this remark.  Probably from too much gobbling at the dinner table.  I saw a cure for crepey skin.  I am not sure exactly what that may be but I probably have it.  In fact, being a septuagenarian I probably suffer from just about everything.

My sister (Rita most likely. -dt) and I were discussing these treatments. We were willing to try them all except for a few reservations.  The first is that the treatments cost a lot of money.  We both are pretty careful with our money. The second problem is that the treatment may cause pain or require undue exertion on our part.  We don't mind clearing up the table or turning on our little Roomba (A very good investment -dt).  But more than that we like to leave to others (The Editor, that is -dt).  As far as pain goes we are against it.  Our last reservation is what happens if things do not go well.  We have both observed ladies whose faces look as if the skin was stretched too tight.  We believe that these might be the result of aesthetic procedures gone awry.  Although we have led interesting and exciting, not to mention relatively long, lives, we have concluded we might be better off just to stick with what we have, wrinkles and all.   

Indeed, Mrs.T and her sisters have avoided augmentations and adjustments and have stuck with what they have been provided.  As with everyone, a bit more scooting from the table and more exercise would benefit.  But generally they are healthy except for the diseases and infirmities that go with aging and a few genetic items thrown in for excitement.

Here are a few photos to go with the commentary:

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWPJSUt

                 

We hope you are healthy and taking appropriate steps to stay that way.

Best wishes for the winter.   We will head to the condo at the end of October as usual; temperatures are falling as are the changing leaves.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

Sent from Outlook

Summer excitement

BREAKS AND BLOOMS

As you will read, we had another unanticipated repair to make.  And after Rebecca wrote this the kitchen disposal gave out.  And we decided it is time to powerwash the house again, an every five year maintenance item.  Ah, the joys of home ownership.

COVID is somewhat under control, so social life has returned to a quasi-normal state.  We have attended a few events and have had some visitors as you will read.  We expect with vaccinations that this disease will become one of our routine health hazards; it probably will not go away but can be controlled.  Get your jabs if you haven't had them.

On to Mrs.T's account:

It was my fault, I admit.  I was overcome by an urge to clean and I decided to mop the bathroom floor.  (Not a normal urge. -dt)  I took everything out and gave it a good scrub with Fabuloso.  I even rinsed it well so that it wouldn't smell purple.  I looked at the little fuzzy rug.  Normally I give it a good shake over the edge of the porch.  

"I want you to wash it," I told Dan.

"Are you sure?",  he asked.

"Yes," I said,   "and wash the rug for the other bathroom with it."

It must have been years since they had been washed.  Dan (laundry man -dt) cooperatively deposited the two fluffy rugs in the complicated washer and pushed lots of buttons.  Things went well for a while until the washer started beeping and lights started flashing an error message.  It seemed the drain on the washer was clogged.  This was not too surprising, the rugs being so fuzzy and all.  We'd just open the door and clean out the -whoops- the computerized washer would not allow you to open the door when the drain was clogged.  Well maybe if we just turned it off we could open it.  No not that way.  Surely if we unplugged it - no not that way either.  In the end we had to pay $89 for a repairman to come plus $75 per hour (The normal rate these days -dt) -  ½ hour minimum - for the repairman to open the door and tug out the recalcitrant rugs. (And disassemble to remove the rugs rubber backing from the filter; this was the real problem.  -dt) Do not wash rugs in the washer; take them to the laundromat the repairman advised.  We  had already figured that out.  In fact I"ll just shake them over the porch.

We now own four new rugs - two for the bathrooms and one for each of the outside doors.  Thank goodness for Ollie' s - "Good Stuff Cheap" is their motto.

I am always planting stuff. (Therapeutic apparently -dt) Dan's rule is if I buy it I have to dig the holes.  As our soil is very rocky you would think that this would discourage me but it doesn't seem to.  You might wonder why Dan gets to make the rules.  (Th editor wishes it were so. -dt) There's no reason he should but in general he makes the rules and I figure a way around them.  I am always trying to interest him in plants so I was quite excited when, several years ago, he said that he thought a magnolia tree would be nice.   

I looked in several plant catalogs and found that magnolias were pretty expensive and came in two-quart pots.  I didn't care about expense but a tree in a two-quart pot is nothing but a twig.  I looked at a couple of nurseries; either they didn't have magnolias or they were too small.  But then it happened.  Dawes Arboretum was having a plant sale.  As we are members we get to go to the presale and we get a discount!  I looked at the plant list and a big-leaf magnolia was listed.  I asked Dan and he didn't really care what kind of magnolia so we were all set. We had to go early because sometimes they only have one of some kinds of trees.  The competition is often quite fierce.  I figured if I rushed in and grabbed the best - or only - magnolia.  Then Dan could get a wagon and we could buy it.  It worked like a charm.  There were others who wanted the tree but I had it and possession is 9/10ths of the tree.  

These trees were mostly extras that the arboretum had grown and were in great shape, healthy, and larger than most you could buy.  Also they were of special types not readily available.  The big leaf magnolia was about four feet high and in a four- gallon pot.  It looked quite healthy and had, not surprisingly, very large leaves.  Dan was talking with the botanist who told him that the tree was healthy and should do well but it would probably not bloom until it was about 12-15 years old.  

We took the tree home and had a long discussion about where to plant it.  That decided, I began to dig.  Four gallons does not sound too big but in our stoney soil it is quite a bit.  And you bury a nice bit of pottings soil around the root ball.  In any case we got the magnolia planted and waited.  It grew nicely except twice it fell over and we had to prop it up with stakes.  The last few years it has been growing rapidly except it is still a bit spindly.  We never knew exactly how old it was when we got it.  Dan and I both have been getting impatient for it to bloom.  Dan said he doubted it would bloom before he died.  

But this was the magic year.  This year Dan's magnolia tree bloomed for the first time.  It had the biggest blooms I have ever seen.  These blooms were enormous.  This was not merely a big leaf magnolia, it was a big flower as well.  I think the individual blossoms were 8 or 10 inches across.  Dan and I are both extremely proud of our tree.

 

This summer we have had lots of visitors.  Nick, and Marla and Rik, our beloved children, have come down.  We also were visited by my sister  Ruth and two of her children and nine or ten of her grandchildren. (She has 25 -dt)  Ruth wanted to show everybody where we grew up and the sights.  They saw  three different places where we had lived.  Dan and I are living on the oldest property but in a new house we had built. (The first ancestral home is on another piece of property we do not own. -dt)  All the nieces and nephews, etc., visited Cedar Brae Farm, Cedar Hill Farm in Scottish.  Also they visited the house on Route 339. (A.K.A. Tick Ridge. -dt)  Both the current owners were extremely gracious, letting everyone look around.

Some local sights like Big Bottom State Memorial Park were visited.  I remember when I was young I thought that name was hilarious.  This park honors several young men who skated down the Muskingum River to warn the early settlers of Indian attacks.  It must have been very cold because the river seldom freezes over.  And if you imagine the young men whose families had been killed skated some 30 miles through the night surrounded by hostile tribes, grieving and afraid, I suppose they deserve a cenotaph some 200 years later. 

The Sellers and Peach men - our grandfathers, uncles, great uncles, and part of the time our fathers - were coal miners first in England and then in the United States. (MrsT's paternal side. -dt)  It was dangerous; Ermanual Peach - 'Back broken by fall of slate in a coal mine' - his headstone reads.  The men were often union organizers and threatened by the mine owners. There is a mining park in Morgan County that the children visited.  But since it was subsidized by the coal company it gives a biased report of the history of the industry.  

However, the park has a bucket of a huge dragline machine called Big Muskie.  The machine peeled away layers of earth to get to coal when they were strip mining. (Our property was strip mined. -dt) I remember when I was a child they closed a road so that Big Muskie could cross it.  The machine had two huge feet and they shook the earth when it took a step.  Our Father took us out so we could watch it walk across the road.  At that time daddy was working in the mines.  He was not a miner; he was a mechanic working on the huge coal trucks called Ukes.  I think the young ones were impressed by standing in the bucket.  Later Dan and I went out to see it once more.  As so often happens it seemed to have shrunken over the years.

(Mrs. T waxing about growing older. -dt):

I remember, I remember,

The fir trees dark and high;

I used to think their slender tops

Were close against the sky:

It was a childish ignorance,

But now 'tis little joy

In knowing I'm further off from heav'n

Than when I was a boy.

Thomas Hood - I Remember, I Remember; fourth verse

Of course no trip down memory lane would be complete without visiting cemeteries.  We visited two, the one where our parents were buried in Beverly, and Deerfield.  In Beverly we decorated our parents' graves with roses and thought happy / sad thoughts. All in all our lives were very good.  Then we went to Deerfield Cemetery where Mama's parents are buried.  Not only them but generations of McDonalds before them clear back to the Revolutionary War. (Mrs.T's maternal forebears. -dt)  We decorated our grandparents' graves, and Aunt Blanche's, and Aunt Norma's and gave the children roses, one each for all the other McDonald graves reaching back across the years.  I thought of them, clearing land in the wilderness.  Fighting in America's wars.  The children dying young.  The small part of their lives the grave stones told. 

Then we left this part of the past behind and went to the old mill in Stockport where Daddy used to buy seed and Mama flour.  The flour came in printed feed sacks and Mama would cut them up and make us pajamas.  The mill is an inn and restaurant now, and we all ate peaceably together as families should, even the children except for one glass of spilled ice tea.  Then we went home.  (All these visits were a two-day event. -dt)

Where do we put all these relatives?  (We would have been challenged to house all of them at our place. -dt) Well most of them rented a very nice cabin by Dillon Lake.  Ruth, Andrea, and Mary Heather stayed with us.  They were very low maintenance guests, taking care of themselves.  Andrea and Mary Heather helped with my flowers.  I finally have all the paths of my labyrinth planted with violets.  Keep your fingers crossed; next year it may be beautiful,  And a peaceful place for me to meditate.

In between all of this I do have lots of medical stuff of various sorts including cancer treatment.  No cancer recently, thank God.  And the stroke still has its effects - a little slow with my speech and weakness / imbalance on the right side.  I would like to trade in for a new body but I suppose I must be grateful.  But one thing is the flowers this year have been fantastic!  And we seem to have lots of wild animals; I am especially fond of the fawns. (Except when they eat her flowers. -dt)

Here are a few photos:

://flic.kr/s/aHhttpssmWaF6vr

(Thanks Andrea for the tombstone picture. -dt)

(The mention of Fabuloso and Ollie's does not constitute endorsements. -dt)

And so Mrs.T has another endoscopy and possible burn in her esophagus.  She might need another inspection in October.  When we hear the outcome of the upcoming exam and plans for the next tests, then we can start planning for the winter.  

It is cooler at the condo right now than here in Philo.  We hope that you are surviving the heat wherever you are.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

Sent from Outlook

Spring 2021

Not Quite Normal Yet 

It is mid-May and we have been back in our summer home in Philo for about six weeks.  As we have mentioned previously, we have the rotation between summer and winter homes down fairly well.  This spring the move went almost as planned.  A challenge could have been the travel from Mexico with the overlay of the COVID virus.  It turned out not to be too difficult to book a flight.  Unfortunately the planes were full.  And as we have witnessed previously, processing through DFW could have been smoother.  US airports could use a lot of improvements.

When we arrived home there were the usual, routine things to do.  Before we had left we knew the lawnmower would need its checkup and then some.  Plumbing maintenance discovered a leak and avoided a catastrophe.  Our pond folks found several fish, salamanders, and tadpoles.  Only a few non-essential items remain to be completed.

The largest challenge is the continued monitoring of Mrs.T's esophagus to ensure that cancer has not returned.  She had another endoscopy as soon as we could schedule it.  We are also trying to determine the problem with her oxygen and breathing.  Lots of doctor appointments but nothing of an emergency nature.  Unfortunately Rebecca broke a tooth and now we are working on a mini-implant to fix that.

It is always fun to return in the spring and see what flowers are blooming.  This is especially exciting for Mrs.T.  This year was quite a colorful beginning, apparently because of a relatively mild winter.  And as Rebecca relates, she discovered at least one new flower.  Enjoy the brief description of our return.

At home in Ohio we are getting set up.  Dan and I have both taken our two vaccinations and are waiting to hear how to enter the $1 million shot lotto in Ohio.  It has to be one of the stupidest things I 've ever heard of but that doesn't mean I won't enter.  (She probably won't. -dt)

We got my lawn mower blade replaced.  I unfortunately ran over a big rock and bent it.  Then the steering broke and we needed to fix that.  I have mowed once more cautiously. (The transfer of mowing responsibilities was one of the stipulations by the editor for moving to the forest. -dt)

 We have several wood ducks which are visiting the pond regularly.  They are so lovely.  I have tried to sneak out several times to take their picture but they fly away.  We have squirrels who sit on the back step and peek in to see what's going on.  (They nibble on the greenery on the rock.  -dt) And we have a nest of phoebees with babies in the front porch nest. (We think the young ones have taken test flights. -dt) And in the pond we have salamanders - I saw them mating or at least chasing each other around - tadpoles, frogs, fish and today finally I saw one of the big turtles! (And we have the normal bird population. -dt)

I have had procedures in my throat but am still waiting for biopsy results.  But anyway my throat is beginning to feel better. This cancer thing is no fun.  I like the treatment in Mexico better but we can't do too much of that  because the insurance won't pay.  I think perhaps the bigger the hospital the worse they treat you.  I still seem to need a lot of oxygen; I would like to just ignore it but not breathing does not seem to be a good choice.

I have been working outside a lot: planting, trimming, cutting down small trees, and such. (There is plenty of 'such' to do. -dt) I really enjoy it.   And things are looking better but I only do a little and I get tired.  At this time the red horse chestnut and the scarlet spicebush are in bloom.  Some of the white dogwoods are also blooming.  The lilac is finished blooming.  I love the smell of lilac, don't you?   I have a few peaches.  I hope they grow to fruit.  Some are on the new tree Nick and I bought to  replace the one that died.  I really should knock them off to tell the tree to concentrate on growing this year but I haven't the heart for it.

Nick and I bought two more rose bushes. The knockouts (A disease resistant variety -dt) seem to do well and I planted them around the big rock in the front yard beside two others that survived the winter; they are all dark pink.  I love roses.  This year a lot of new wild flowers popped  up in the woods and I have to get out my books to see what they are.  I think perhaps they showed up because we had a mild winter, or perhaps it was just their time.  I think naturalists kind of float through time forward and backwards and are continually amazed, at least I am.  Of course there are some doubters who think I am simply a nut. (Just slightly cracked. -dt)

I tried to convince Dan to take me to my favorite plant store but he refused.  Silly man, he is pretending to be frugal, but I know another word for it.  (I take her whenever there is a sale. -dt) I have been looking for native orchids to plant in my woods.  I'll frugal him, HE! HE! HE!  One of the prettiest volunteers is the Italian Crimson Clover which I had never seen before.  Some of these plants are ones I planted years ago and they are just now deciding to grow.  This is called the area's seed bank, seeds that magically appear as they have been waiting for the perfect moment. (Mrs.T has randomly distributed many seeds over the years. -dt)

I have been reworking my labyrinth with potting soil and transplanted violets and other things.  Dan has been supplying lots of suggestions but no help.  Although it is not perfect it is getting better.  I have plans in my head to redo the garden paths and add more benches.  Yesterday I planted a lot of wild geraniums and tomorrow I hope to plant some dahlias.  Planting things makes me happy. (Time to mow again. -dt)

Here are a few pictures.  If you can, turn on the volume for the short video of Mrs.T in her element.  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVHc8QZ

As we write this, vaccinations are up and infection rates are beginning to decline for COVID.  The CDC has issued new guidelines for masking and social interactions.  Things are heading toward a new kind of normality.  We expect by mid-summer to be enjoying many of the activities that we previously took for granted.

Stay safe and healthy.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

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New skill

LA PESCADORA

Rebecca has been reveling in her diving.  Twice a week has been routine.  Unfortunately the water has been very cold and she can only manage one dive of about an hour; that zaps her for the day.  Even Alex, her dive master, has been cold.  But she has become adept at another activity along the way - fishing.  As she relates below, she has been quite the success.  Between writing this story and its distribution she has been out a couple of more times and has routinely caught several edible-sized specimens including a couple of Spanish mackerels which were very challenging to reel in.  With a slight detour to her least favorite activity, on to Mrs.T's story:

Well today I went to the dentist, again. I go and they torture me untiI I can't stand it and then they make appointment. Today was the third or fourth one and I am tired of the whole thing.  Dan thinks I am a wimp but he has good teeth.  I told the dentist to tell Dan I was very brave.  The dentist told me I was very brave and strong men were much worse than I.  But if he told Dan, I don't think Dan believed him.  The dentist says he wants to save my tooth but after about an hour I told him to yank it out!  (She has a mouth full of bad teeth. -dt) My philosophy is if my teeth don't bother me I won't bother them.  I brush them twice a day and that is it.  Rita says she won't go to a dentist who doesn't put her out or at least give her laughing gas.  (Nitrous oxide; not used much these days. -dt) I'm not sure what laughing gas is but I'm willing to give it a giggle.  (Rebecca has at least one more visit.  -dt)

Recently I have been fishing.  Alex and his family often fish either before or between our  dives.  We troll with the fishing lines hanging behind the boat as Alex drives along.  If a fish is on a line either Alexandra or Manual, reels it in and then the other one grabs the line and pulls it in.  Eva, Alex's wife, can reel in the fish but she doesn't unless no one else does.  I think her attitude is, 'If I catch a fish I'll probably have to clean the darned thing'.  As I recall Mama had a deal with Daddy: She would cook any fish or animal he caught or hunted but he must clean it.

So one day Manual had caught a fish and so had Alexandra when a third line dipped.  Alex called, "Give it to Rebecca".  Well, nothing loth (Look that up -dt), I stood at the back of the boat and began to reel.  I reeled and I reeled.  Then I reeled some more.  How far away was this fish, I wondered.  I reeled and I reeled; I was beginning to get tired.  I turned to see if I could give the pole to Manual without disgrace.  "A little mas", he said.  I reeled a little mas and Manual reached over the side of the boat and pulled in my fish.  The fish was about 8 inches long.  A keeper but nothing great.  Still, everyone was very pleased both with the fish and with me.  It went into the fish box.

When another line dipped, Alex said that was mine too.  Well I was on a roll.  I took a deep breath and started reeling.  I could surely do it again.  I reeled and I reeled.  I reeled some more.  Then something unexpected happened.  The fish jumped out of the water.  When this occurs you are supposed to reel really, really fast - I am not sure why.  Then I went back to regular reeling for a while until the next jump.  It seemed to me that this fish was a lot heavier than the first one.  Not only that but the nearer he got to the boat the heavier he became.  Every so often he would jump and I would reel frantically.  But finally, just when I thought I could not reel once more Manual pulled him over the side into the boat.  

He was enormous, he was huge, he was -- well actually he was about the size of the fish the kids had caught -- about 2 feet long. (You can look at the picture and judge for yourself. -dt) Alexandra said she would take a picture.  This was necessary because Dan was going to doubt every claim I made especially regarding the size of the fish. (Correct -dt)  It is possible he is justified a wee bit because I might have a tendency to exaggerate just a tad.  (Rebecca is often spatially challenged. -dt)  But Dan should not discount all my claims out of hand.  Manual took a hold of the head because the fish kept trying to bite me.  It had very sharp teeth.  If you look at the picture of me with the fish it looks as if I have three hands.  All of these fish were barracudas also called wahoos and they were good to eat.  My fish was a very respectable size especially as I had not fished for many years and considering my advanced age.  But these guys are used to fishing in the bay or the open ocean for large fish and were only mildly impressed.  (Mrs.T can now converse with the local fishermen from experience. -dt)

After this Alex and I went diving.  There was a lot of surge.  The waves would toss you one way and then another. There are two different things you can do in this situation.  If you want to control the direction you go when the waves take you in the right direction you swim very hard with them and then dig in the tips of your fins or your fingers and hold on against the opposing waves.  In certain conditions when the waves seem to move in random directions this is very difficult,  The other option is to go completely limp and let the waves take you.  Then you can give an occasional kick to control your direction a bit.  I used both methods. The surge was very extreme and I was getting quite a bit of water in my mask and in my regulator.  I used my purge to clear my regulator a couple of times, something I rarely do.  It was nonetheless a very good dive with lots of interesting fish and invertebrates,

After the dive I was very tired.   While we were down Manual had cleaned the fish and Eva had cooked them in the teeny tiny kitchen on the boat.  We had barracuda tortas.  They were quite good.  We had mandarinas and cookies for dessert.  (Mrs.T's usual contribution -dt) We were packed up with the anchor lifted and ready to go back.  Suddenly an absolutely huge fish jumped right in front of the boat.  It was a Spanish mackerel.  (The editor is happy we are not catching anything for the taxidermist. -dt)

"Lines!", Alex commanded quietly.  I figured the fish was at least 4 feet long.  When I got home I looked in my fish book and Spanish mackerels can get up to 7-1/2 feet long.  Alexandra and Manual put out four heavy lines, one in front and three in back.  Manual went to the front line and Alexandra and I covered the back. Alex began to drive the boat in slow circles.  "Get ready Rebecca," Alex said,  "If we can hook him I am going to teach you how to fish!"  I should explain Alex is a good fisherman and guys pay him lots of money to take them fishing in the ocean.  I was a little scared and not sure I was up to it. I sat in the fishing chair breathing slowly and drinking Pepsi.  "Well",  I thought, "I will try."  I took another deep breath and thought fishing thoughts,  We drove in circles for quite a while but we got no bites.  And then we went back to the dock.  (Soon Rebecca will be bragging about 'the one that got away'. -dt)

Just a few pictures, including the fish:  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUTP3hM

Rita is down with us now - or will be in a few days.  She came and promptly went on a planned birding adventure up the coast a short way at a sanctuary near San Blas.  We thought that was a splendid idea for her.  We will have one full week with her; she and Rebecca are very close.  We look forward to her visits every year.

Soon we will be returning to Philo.  Several doctor visits, real and video, await as well as COVID vaccinations.  And we have our usual turnaround which we have down fairly well - few surprises.

We hope the weather there will be cooperative and be turning into nice spring days.

See many of you soon.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

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La Sirena returns

TRANQUILLO

This season is very quiet and calm.  COVID was already keeping many tourists away.  And then the new edicts from Canada, along with airlines stopping flights, encouraged many of the few Canadians to depart for the north ahead of schedule.  So we have seen more internal tourists and a few US visitors.

We feel for the local business people who are dependent upon tourists in a short season for their livelihood.  Many of these are vendors that are almost strictly seasonal and cater, some literally, to tourists.  Others are year-round, mostly hole-in-the-wall, stores that look to 'the season' for concentrated income.  Unfortunately this year is going to be a crash course in how to do more with less.  We do our best to help out, but we cannot support the entire economy.

One thing that has not slowed down has been construction.  For those of you not familiar with the area these comments will not mean as much.  Bucerias has become a northern exurb of PV.  Condominiums and apartments are going up like crazy, including the units directly behind us.  The pictures will be relevant to those who know our city.  The orchard/goat yard project is going up.  The banner on the corner announces Coradiso - apparently a made-up word combining heart and home.  The tower across the street has residents.  And these are projects mostly just around our block.  We are becoming urban for certain.

Rebecca has persevered in working on puzzles with a little help from Edgar and Jose.  One particularly interesting puzzle is included in the pictures.  After the puzzle was finished, secret instructions told how to exchange two corners, and, voila, the puzzle now had a hole in it.  Extra pieces were included with the secret instructions and another puzzle ensued.  Very clever.

Mrs.T's health has improved approximately to the point she was physically before October.  She is off her oxygen except at night.  She can manage routine activities.  She is still challenged cognitively.  But she is working on that, including taking Spanish class three days per week.  Which brings us to her story for this newsletter.  

This past year has been a year of disappointments.  For me there was my health; I am not as invincible as I had thought.  Dear friends had moved to a higher plain.  And on top of this there came this dratted virus.  It was not only scary; it was extremely annoying. (When out we always wear our cubrebocas. -dt) One bright spot in this mess was Dan.  Dan was not only brave he was intelligent, analyzing our world and our life and calming my fears both rational and irrational. (Thank you! -dt) Then just when I thought I might be able to cope the world turned sideways.  One of the foundations of my world collapsed.  A mob of misguided idiots attacked the capital. These people, often white supremists, wanted to overthrow our election.  I was shaken.   I was very angry.  I was afraid.  Dan was overwhelmed as well. (Mostly disgusted. -dt)  For the last month I have been sulking and mourning and then it happened.  (Definitely in a 'down' mood. -dt)

I am at home finally.  No, not in Mexico.  I am at home in my second   world.  I am diving. (In Mexico -dt)(We needed to wait on her health and boat repairs. -dt) The Pacific was slightly cold but the visibility was good.  At first I thought it was going to be a desert dive - all you see is sand!  But then, cautiously, the little sea people began to creep out.  The shells were what I noticed first.  Tiny limpets shaped like Chinese hats creeping along the ocean bottom,  You hardly see them move but then they do, eating tiny bits of garbage and moving on like tiny vacuum cleaners.  Now I notice bright red and white crabs scuttling back and forth on lots of legs.  Waving their claws threateningly at I- don't-know-what.  I think they should be more cautious; the sand is littered with tiny crab remains.  Then suddenly the crabs rush to tiny holes and stuff themselves and all their legs into safety. A medium sized - maybe six-inch - fish cruises by.  It is a good sized Sergeant major.

Everybody except me was concerned about my return to the underwater world. I knew I would be fine and I was.  My trusty divemaster Alex clutched my hand firmly just in case.  (Mrs.T has been diving with Alex for 10+ years. -dt) This occasioned a few tug of wars as one of us wanted to watch the morays - there were a lot of pink tiger eels with brown spots - while the other wanted to see the stingrays.  But we managed to work it out. 

As we approach piles of rocks we see more and more fish.  They weave in about and behind and under; they dart and they glide. There are several of the same kinds of fish but they are not really schooling.  Most of the fish are familiar.  I do not know the names of a lot of these fish and I have forgotten many names I once knew.  But still the fish seem like old friends.  (They probably were wondering where Mrs.T was. -dt) Around and upon the rocks we see corals, sea urchins, and sand dollars.  Conches are attached to rocks and the sea floor.  

When Alex and I dive we like to do our part to help clean up the ocean.  So while we dove we collected trash.  Most of it was fishing line, weights and lures, with the occasional beer bottle, tennis shoe, and cell phone.  We both collect it and Alex wraps it in a neat bundle.  (There is especially a lot at Mismaloya.  -dt)

So we were swimming along looking at fish and collecting trash when suddenly Alex stopped.  "Stay here for five minutes", Alex signs. Under water we communicate with each other with hand signals.  "I am going to try and catch an octopus."  (Dinner for Alex. -dt) Well, fine by me.  Alex gives me our package of trash to hold.  When we pick up trash from the sea floor there are little corrals and plants growing attached to it.  Just the perfect tasty snack for a Parrotfish to munch on.  

So here is the thing.  The octopus lives in a cave under a big rock.   Alex sticks his hand in and tries to get a hold of it.  The octopus, hereafter referred to as Legs, retreats to the far side of the cave.  Alex goes around to the other side of the rock and sticks his hand in the back door.  Legs retreats to the main entrance.

I am watching this and a small Parrotfish approaches me shyly. He looks at the corral and plant life dripping from the package of trash.  'Would you mind if I had a little of that?', he seems to ask and takes a tentative nibble.  I am surprised but hold the trash out and the fish takes another bite.  

Meanwhile Alex is lying flat on the ocean floor so that he can get more of his hand inside the cave.  Legs starts chucking shells and small stones at Alex's hand.  Then he retreats to a hiding place behind a large stone.  Meanwhile the Parrotfish has finished one string of fishing line and is starting on a second one.  Alex starts excavating the main entrance so that he can see Legs.  Legs peeking over his hiding place inks Alex.  The Parrotfish has finished eating coral from the second string of fishing line and is looking to see what he should start on next.  Alex gives up.  Legs just did not want to be caught, Alex told me later.

You may think it is sort of mean to eat Legs.  But we must remember that Alex and his family are fishermen.  This is how they live.  This has been a very bad year as there are few tourists to take diving or deep sea fishing.  For a while they even closed the port and the guys were forbidden to even catch fish to feed their families.  I am in fact a very valuable commodity for Alex.  When we were making our way down to the boat one of his friends called out to Alex, "Who is that?  Your grandmother?"  "This is my customer", Alex replied proudly. (Mrs.T essentially is Alex's business. -dt) 

On the way back to the dock we caught two goodsized Spanish jacks so that was supper for Alex's family last night.  When you are raising two teenagers it takes quite a bit of food and Alex's son, though he is very skinny, eats an incredible amount.

Howsomeever, we go back to swimming around underwater, picking up trash, and looking at the plant and animal life.  We are followed at a distance by the Parrotfish looking hopefully for more handouts.  I am happy to note I am quite competent, equalizing my ears, maintaining my buoyancy, and controlling my position with one finger tip stuck in the sand or on a rock.  There is not a lot of current here today.  All too soon Alex signals it time to go back and we slowly make our way back to the boat and up.

Our day of wonder is not over yet.  We cruise around to see what we can see from the top of the water. The sea is pretty calm but as we look out we spot several small boats gathered in one area.  We know what that means: whales! As we approach we see a couple of whales surfacing.  The animals are so huge; they are impressive even from a long distance.  The whales are generally cavorting about on the surface and blowing and making shallow dives.  Before we get very close they go down.  We know they are going down because when they dive they go vertical and you see their whole tail sticking up in the air.  These whales are probably mating.  When they dive they usually stay down for about twenty minutes.  We will hang out and wait for them to come up.

While we are waiting Alex tells his family about Legs.  Of course like any good fisherman story, Legs grows bigger in the telling.  Now a couple of dolphins show up.  They are playing, jumping in and out of the wake of all of the boats. The whales resurface and we watch them jumping and playing together.  I never get tired of watching the gentle giants.  After they dive again we start back to the dock.  We are cruising slowly back when just ahead two hugh mantas rise majestically out of the water, float gently through the air, and disappear beneath the waves. Our day is over and I am replete.  

By the time you read this Rebecca will have completed several more dives; she could even be diving now.  Alex has started her out slowly but each time she is down a bit longer and a bit deeper.  She is going twice a week and will have most of a normal season's worth of dives done by the time we leave in April.  It is obvious that diving makes her very happy..

Some photos as promised:  https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUc9ryW

://flic.kr/s/aHsmUc9ryWhttps

At the time of this writing we observed the snow and plunging temperatures to the north.  Sorry folks, we do not miss it.

And we hope the vaccine situation has been unscrambled by the time we return.

Keep warm.

Keep healthy.

Dan and Rebecca

www.casa-de-terrible.blogspot.com

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