Sounds of Silence (Post Semana Santa)

Ah, the sounds of silence. What sounds? Oh maybe birds mostly, my brain, my own music, or no sounds. After two weeks of listening to everyone else's music playing as loud as they possibly can, every one's laughter, people yelling, super loud karaoke, cars, motorcycles, 3 wheelers, diesel tour buses(at all hours, especially bad is 5 a.m. right in front of my bedroom leaving the engine running for 20 minutes at least, with laughing families unloading.), Banda bands parading the beach and streets. Finally maybe I can sleep tonight. The buses have rolled out of town, and the cars are making their way back inland to the cities of Guadalajara, Mexico City, and others. Things may be back to normal now.

While Victor and Emily were gone, I had company. The night before I was telephoned and told our friend's teens and one cousin were coming in the morning to the beach, then the phone went dead. I tried to say the next week would be better, (I was in the midst of a big genealogy project and really looking forward to 4 days of peace and quiet, following 4 weeks of company). The next morning 9 youths roll out of a little Toyota pickup truck out front. Rosa, our Godchild, asks if they can stay over. I couldn't say no, and had quite a two days with a house full of Spanish speaking teens. They had a great time at the beach and hanging out in my house. But I made them all cook their own meals and clean up! I thought that was a fair deal. I found places for them to sleep (the guys in the living room in a hammock, on an air bed, on the floor) and the girls in the guest bedroom. The good thing to come out of it, I had to practice my Spanish for two whole days. I taught them the game of dominoes (multiple of 5's) much more challenging and fun, compared to the simple matching dominoes game. This is the Mexican way: announce you are coming,then pack as many of your cousins and friends into the back of a pickup truck with coolers of food, blankets and head for the beach!


We will have to pick up all the garbage on our street tomorrow. I mean usually there is garbage, but after Semana Santa there is a LOT more garbage.

The kitties are quite entertaining, and also get into trouble. I have let them out back onto the walled in patio, but not unattended, for fear of them climbing the palm tree and escaping into the neighborhood and not being able to figure their way home.
Victor brought back from the States many new toys, but they get bored, and then start to get into things of mine they shouldn't, like my computer and desktop.

Today they found a little lizard in the house and had fun tormenting it....carrying it around in their mouth, letting it go, and recapturing it.

When Victor was in Minnesota recently he visited with the two lovely ladies Sheila and Sharmaine after whom we named our beautiful kitties. They were so honored to have felines named after themselves, and Victor gave them each a photo of the cats. Then they posed as our cats, for a photo for Victor to bring back to Mexico. Isn't it all silly? But fun. Here are the actual Sharmaine and Sheila from Minnesota:

Our cats are so sweet together, usually. As sisters they sleep together, eat together, go to the bathroom together, groom each other, and play with each other. But they can be quite the wrestlers also and sometimes I think they are inflicting pain for they squeal when they fight. Sheila has a little patch of hair gone from the top of her head, which must be from fighting with her sister. Here is Sheila grooming Sharmaine. The excitement of the week in their lives is the Spay/Neuter Clinic held this week and they are getting their free spay operation on Friday. I will be volunteering those two days, as this is a total volunteer operation, with two vets from Tepic operating. There have been several of these clinics in the local towns since last fall, and it is quite a success. Many homeless stray cats and dogs get fixed at these clinics and some treated for skin conditions, plus tick and flea removal is done. Volunteers go into the schools to educate the children about animals and how to care for them. I will be baking my usual Doubletree Chocolate Chip oat/pecan cookies for the clinic. Victor bought several large bags of Giradhelli bittersweet chocolate chips, which can't be found down here, so my cookies are a real treat.

Victor brought back lots of new toys for the kitties while in MN and he has fun playing with them (just ignore that wet spot on his shirt).




Aren't they beautiful? My friend Hala and her pet parrot in her shop in La Peñita. What gorgeous colors. Those are her comfy Mayan hammocks in the back.