Bonfire on the Beach

The skies cleared and Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day for a bonfire and wiener roast, although most of us dressed warmly thinking it would be a cooler evening. What better location than on the beach with a view of the mountains behind!

The wood problem was solved by visiting the local carpenter. The cutting down of certain types of trees is illegal in this part of Mexico so it was a bonus to find a portion of one that had been removed to make way for a building project here in Tecalai.

Lights were set up, music was playing and the fire was warm. It was a fun night with maybe a little too much food and drink consumed.


Even the littlest things can amuse retirees in Mexico.


Fred's dream!

Slow Week

It has been a slow week here in San Carlos. Fred has a cold which put him out of commission for a while and I have been content to watch the work on the house and read.

We did attend the homeowners meeting on Thursday where I was one of the polling clerks. On Wednesday we managed to go for a round of golf - maybe things haven't been as slow as they feel.

It rained last night for the first time since we arrived November 6th. It didn't amount to much more than a dribble, but it was a surprise - even though San Carlos is located on the Sea of Cortez, we are backed by a desert so rain is scarce.

A group of friends is having a bonfire and wiener roast on the beach tonight so hopefully the clouds disappear. Hey, we are so well organized we even rented a portable "john". Firewood is another story!

Baseball Playoffs

Friends of ours had an extra ticket to a playoff game in Obregon so when they offered, I jumped at the chance to join them. This was the second game of the final series in the Mexican Pacific Coast League. The winner goes to the Caribbean Finals in Puerto Rico.

I have heard nothing but good things about baseball in Mexico and I was not disappointed. Mexicans love the sport and last night was an example of the dedication to their team. It was loud, wild and great fun. Dancers perform on the field between every inning and vendors sell the strangest things in the stands. Strange to me, at least!


The selling of the beer was something that was uniquely Mexican! When we arrived, large pails full of beer and ice were sitting at the end of many rows. To buy a beer you had to signal one of the "cup vendors" who would pour you a beer and walk away. I was at a loss until one of my Mexican companions told me that people pay when they leave - payment is based on the number of cups in your stack. I assume it was because of the large crowd , but I did see some vendors keeping notes. My friend also told me that some people choose to pay immediately for their beer and that is acceptable too.


Three of my five travelling companions: Oscar, Pado and Barb!

We Have Stairs

The last few days have been busy ones for the crew. The have gone from building forms for the base to starting to set in the bricks for the risers. All cement is carried by pail and many times it is mixed right on the ground!

We asked them to remove the railing covering our window. Such a neat and tidy job!

Master Builder

We took out our 'never used' dishwasher and are filling the empty spot with a wine cooler. We wanted it built in and that meant finding quality wood. As you can image, wood is scarce in a desert so when you find a good shop you never forget the location.

I will never forget this particular shop in San Carlos. The man who owns the place builds cabinets for all the new houses going up in Tecalai and he does excellent work. After seeing his completed cabinets, we assumed we would find a fantastic shop with state of the art equipment. Mexicans can do so much with so little!

Plaster

Yesterday the crew started plastering the bricks and today it finally looks like a BBQ patio. Watching the procedure was interesting and educational. Nothing like it in Canada!

The young men working on our house and the neighbour's love to have their "photo" taken and will stop anything to do so.

Progress

The stairway is starting to take shape, with plans to have it wrap around the back of the house.


Note their wheel-less wheel barrow.

The Saga of House Renovations

We decided before we came down that after last year's hurricane damage we were going to bite the bullet and not do any expensive work on the house. That idea lasted about a month!

We have hired a Mexican crew to remove our spiral stairway and build a new concrete one that blends in with the house. While doing this, we also decided to have them build us an enclosed BBQ patio so we can remove the BBQ from the central courtyard and access it easier from the kitchen.

Alberto has promised completion in three to four weeks. The crew has been working slowly, but we can see some changes already. Adelle's freshly painted spiral stairway is now perched on our driveway and the bricks for the walls and new stairway have been delivered.

Now the hunt for patio/stairwell tile begins!

Wasted Days and Wasted Nights

By Freddy Fender, not how we spent our New Year's.

We had a relatively quiet New Year's Eve - a bike ride to the Marina for lunch before going to an early cocktail party. The mountain in the background is Tetakawi, the one I climbed with the hiking group. Adelle and Fred will remember it fondly! We climbed to the highest thumb pointing up, on the left hand side. Super views!

The miserable look on my face is unexplainable. Maybe I was thinking of the long ride home!


The host of the party hired a Mexican group called The Twins to perform at his party and they do a mean rendition of Freddy Fender. Loved their "Hey Baby Que Paso". It was a very enjoyable time, but we can't party like we used to. We were in bed by 10:00!!