Yes, Yes, We are Still Alive!

 2021 -  A Bucket Full of Woe:

Let's just get this over with fast.  Here is what 2021 dealt the Searles family:  Alex- a failed liver which amazingly snapped back without a transplant thereby stupifying medical science yet requiring 5 months in LA, an air ambulance and horrific, bureaucratic manos-a-manos with the American insurance maze;   a massive heart attack for Michael --luckily experienced on land after completing a 10km kayak paddle on the lake;  a mysterious onslaught of pulmonary/cardiovascular malfunction for Deirdre. Doctor, unhinged at regular checkup stating "You could have a heart attack at any minute."  I didn't but it took 4 days in the hospital to convince them I'd make it.  Justin, bless his soul remained upright and supportive of the rest of us throughout the year.  But, now we are all fine -- or fine-ish-- and ready to once more venture forth to stride the world like Goliaths.... if co-vid will let us. 

It's Not All About Us 

While you have (perhaps) been wondering what happened to us over the last six months, we have been wondering what happened to YOU!  So, please enlighten us.  Send us  a little update, a photo that shows you still breathing, your latest Wordle score... whatever.  Please.....

We have been nowhere and done nothing pretty much.  Therefore, we shall include photos that are esthetically pleasing and perhaps photographically quite swell but have nothing to do  directly with this post.  They are just to cheer you up. Particularly those of you who are wading through deep snow or slipping your way down the driveway.

So, Now What?

Well, who knows really.  Our little village got off easy on the early rounds of co-vid.  While we were careful going out to dinner, it was pretty safe since almost everything here is out of doors.  We had open air concerts and lectures that were socially distanced and masked and it was bearable.  But then can Omicron.  This has been bad -- maybe double bad because AMLO (the presidents initials) went with the Sinovac vaccine which, unfortunately, does nothing for Omicron.  So we are limping along waiting for the peak to hit and the decline (hopefully precipitous) to click in.

One Brief Escape

We did manage one brief escape to the near-by town of Sayula with our friends Barbara & Allen in November. Sayula's biggest claim to fame is the Ojeda knife factory. These knives are famous throughout Mexico for their craftsmanship & beauty. We did purchase one of their knives for our son Alex to add to his collection of fine culinary knives. We also made the obligatory stop by the plaza, basilica and the Sayula museum.

The place we stayed in Sayula we called Casa de los Patios.

Imagine our surprise when we were greeted by this ghost outside our room .

After buying the knife for Alex we visited the factory. The workers were socially distance and wearing their cubrebocas (masks).

The Sayula Museum had some interesting old photos...

a very large colorful mural...

and this most interesting painting.

Despite its small size, Sayula boasts a basilica with this statue of San Rodrigo in the courtyard.

The carved stone entrance to the basilica was noteworthy...

as was the mural in the courtyard of the church.

All towns and cities in Mexico now sport these brightly colored letters spelling out the name of the town or city.

The signs are usually in the plaza or near the malecon (in the case of Ajijic). This sign is for the town next to Ajijic.

Having done in Sayula in one day (it is not a very big town), the next day we took a trip to another one of our favorite towns --- Tapalpa. You might remember from previous blogs that Tapalpa looks like a Swiss/Mexican town because of its elevation and abundance of pine trees. Outside of Tapalpa we found a delightful hacienda for lunch, where we were the only people there. Certainly a safe spot for lunch in these times of Covid. After lunch we found the elusive road to the cascadas (waterfalls) that we had failed to find on our many previous trips, despite our many desperate searches with conflicting directions from the Mexicans who never like to disappoint. This time of year is also the peak time for wildflowers here. Unlike the US our wildflower appear in the fall at the end of rainy season.

This table was at the outside dining area at the hacienda. It was made from one very long section of tree.

The grounds outside had beautifully manicured lawns which led down to a dock on a small pond. It also featured this stone circle.

In our search for the cascadas we encountered this burro...  Michael, I think that is a horse....or maybe a mule.  Those ears are short.  What do our readers think?

beautiful, blooming trees...

an interesting cairn arrangement...

this magnificent horse...

some colorful lichen...

and these wildflowers.

The Sun Will Come Up Tomorrow

Feeling a little bit like a naif, optimistic (if not adorable ) Annie these days.  We just can't believe this thing won't end sometime soon-ish.  Based on this (perhaps) pipe dream we have booked flights to Europe for late April to spend a month in France and Spain.  And then we are planning what we are calling The Sentimental Journey starting in June which will be a mega-road trip beginning here in Ajijic and following the Texas coast, across the South, up the East Coast and wending to the midwest culminating in the Fowler family reunion in Michigan at the end of July.  From there, if we are still alive and not divorced, we shall wind our way down to Mexico.  Hopefully, it will be just in time for the fall festivities at Lake Chapala to begin.  Have you noticed how many times I have used the word hopefully?

We leave you with these magnificent sunrises we have witnessed as inspiration for better days to come.

Adios Amigos.  Take care.

A Triumphant Return to the Village

 A Few Last Adventures in California

Time was growing short until Michael and I would be able to return to Ajijic.  Alex had a couple more tests he had to fulfill before they would put him on the transplant list even though he didn't need one, and they didn't know what caused it, and they didn't know if he'd need one in the future, but why not be prudent, yes?  They also pointed out that if he ever DID need one and we didn't complete the hurdles he would have to start from square one which we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy.  So, two more tests and he and Chico Rico will be headed South.

Ventura Highway in the Sunshine... Where the Days are Longer....

With Alex feeling perkier and Chico feeling more cooped up and Justin just wishing he could have some peace in the condo, we ventured further north to witness the surf culture of Ventura. It was splendid watching young, lithe things cavorting in frigid water with Great White Sharks and the occasional seal.  There's not much to tell since it is not a very substantive culture but we had a tasty meal, rapaciously inhaled salt air and went home happy.

Alex & Chico walked along the beach. Chico is beginning to lose his fear of the water (at least he will now let his feet get wet in the surf).

This balancing rock caught my eye...

as well as the many ground squirrels cavorting among the rocks on the beach.

I labelled this "Moby Rock" for the resemblance to a sperm whale's head.

The ground squirrels were definitely not malnourished.

This lucky surfer managed to get a wave all to himself.

Someone erected this cairn along the beach.

You can now see why the surfer above was lucky to get a wave to himself.

The Pits (La Brea Tar Pits that is)

We had never been to the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum.  I must say I had never really been that into tar but Michael was intrigued so, before we left town, we felt compelled to visit.  At first it was rather boring in that you merely stared at fenced off areas that looked like someone had thrown wet asphalt on the ground although it did smell worse than asphalt.  But it got very interesting when we reached the large "lake" (not that large, nor a lake, but substantial).  There the tar was really working.  Methane bubbles cropped up randomly around the pond and occasionally it would erupt and throw tar et al into the air. So, these ice age animals (all large and scary) would wander into the tar pits for whatever reason, get stuck and then the predators (more scary) would leap upon them as they were mired and would, in turn, become mired etc. etc.  This resulted in literally millions of bones being preserved in the tar pits.  The guy who owned the tar pits (they originally were used to extract oil) willed them to the city and the rest is history.  The museum has recreated these adorable creatures that Michael's photos will display.  My personal favorite was the dire wolf.  That was formidable.  So, photos again.

A recreation of a Colombian Mammoth in the museum.

A dire wolf fossil with the recreation of the dire wolf below.

                      So, So sinister, si?

Methane bubbling up from the tar lake.

A recreation of a mastodon stuck in the tar lake. The fencing to keep people from wandering into the lake prevented a totally clear shot.

A mastodon fossil gives you an idea of the size of these creatures.

A recreation of a saber tooth tiger attacking a giant sloth.

A pair of wooly mammoth fossils.

Au Revoir to a Favorite Spot

Chico Rico adores the Promenade along the Ocean in Santa Monica -- very near the spot where Whitey Bulger called home while on the lam.  So, we took him for a final trot to torture the ground squirrels and enjoy the ocean vista.  Thought we'd throw in a photo of this really incredible sculpture.

On one of our last visits to the Santa Monica Palisades we spotted this gnarly tree with beautiful flowers...

with roots (or are they branches) spreading out all around the base.

We also saw this intriguing wooden sculpture.

Huh?  Culver City is Cool?  Really?

Yep.  Now it's cool.  Things move fast in SoCal so you have to stay with the program.  Michael and I went for a lunch at our favorite French place and noticed some really excellent buildings that had gone unnoticed on our prior trips.  Here they are for your viewing pleasure.

We never did find out exactly what this building was, nor could I find out through Google.  It was not a deli.  A prize to the first person to identify it.

An iconic street clock that still keeps time!

The flatiron-shaped Culver Hotel opened in 1924 and housed the offices and vault of the city's founder, Harry Hazel Culver.

A Long and (Very) Winding Road.....

So, at long last we loaded up the old Subaru and girded ourselves for the drive back to Ajijic.  All we lacked was grandma roped in her rocking chair on the roof and we'd have been the Clampitts.   In deference to our age, and all we'd been through, we decided to take four days rather than three for the journey.  Day One entailed a very lengthy drive to Tucson where it was a refreshing 120 degrees. When you opened the car door it was like being hit with a sledge hammer.  One need only to drive from California to Arizona to see the glaring polarization which is our nation today.  California: everyone wearing a mask at all times in all places.  Arizona:  No one wearing a mask anywhere including the guy who was making our food at the restaurant.  It was a little unsettling.  We had a great time though having dinner with Charlie and his partner Jorge.  We've known Charlie virtually since he was born and are friends with his parents from back in Boston.  He is in Tucson now and is a wildfire fire fighter which is somewhat redundant but you know what I mean.  A very great guy as is Jorge.

Next day was cross the border time. This is always a little fraught with uncertainty.  If you arrive with your car packed to the gills with gringo toys such as computers, snazzy coffee makers etc. there exists the chance that the border agents in Mexico will insist you remove everything so that they can "inspect" it, demand receipts (which you will not have) and generally be a pain in the butt.  Or not.  Luckily, on this foray it was not.  We were pulled over but I gave him our tail of woe in my hideous Spanish and finally I believe listening to me was so painful that he just shooed me back in the car and waved us on.

We never paid a toll in Sonora (the state butting up to Arizona).  Why?  Because the locals have taken over all the toll booths and told the toll takers to go home because it is their turf now.  Many people assume these people are cartel but they are not.  The cartels have much bigger fish to fry.  We are actually not sure WHO these people are but they are quite polite.  You drive up to the toll booth and they are there with tin cans which they offer towards you.  You can drop in some coins and they will thank you.  Or you can shake your head "no" and they seem fine with that too. Our lack of curiosity about the identity of these people is testimony to how long we have lived here.  The longer you're here the less you need to know.  After a boring (we like it that way while traveling in Mexico) night in Ciudad de Obregon we headed out once more.

This statue (showing two different views) greeted us on our way to breakfast. the Yaqui indigenous people performed a deer dance representing the hunt.

On to Sinaloa.  Home to El Chapo, the Sinaloa Cartel and some really boring scenery.  Here was one of the few instances where I had a few worries/fears/doubts/fill in the blank.  Twice we were slowed to a stop at checkpoints.  This happens a lot in Mexico but always you see "officers" wearing uniforms (different ones-- it is impossible to keep track --but they ARE uniforms) and they have official looking cars, armored vehicles, tanks etc. alongside the road. At these two checkpoints there were no uniforms nor official cars.  Just guys in black pants and shirts pulling over every truck and bus and ransacking (well searching?) them.  We scooted slowly past with our eyes averted.  I expressed my concern to Michael who said, "No worries.  Didn't you see the Mexican flag on the sleeves of their shirts?  They must be real."  I pointed out that the guy who pumps our gas at the PEMEX station has the same flag on the same shirt.  "HMMMMM... you have a point," Michael said.  Drive on.

On the last night on the road we pulled into Mazatlan which is one of our favorite towns.  We had a room at a Best Western (don't gag) that dated from the '40s and was all gussied up with murals and original stuff and which was very neat.  We had a balcony overlooking the Ocean and Malecon and it made up for all the boring scenery (if you can call it that) that we had endured for days.  Refreshed and ready to get home we hit the trail once more and by late afternoon ascended the mountain into Chapala with a horizon to horizon view of the Lake. It is always at that moment that I realize we are truly back home.  So, it's been great seeing all our friends (well, Delta has been a bummer but we manage to be careful) and settling back into our old life.  Alex and Chico will arrive this week and then we can all just relax and wait for this damn plague to recede.  Take care, be safe and have as much fun as you can.  Could be a while until another blog.  They have cancelled EVERYTHING here and this is usually our most fun season.  Sigh.....

These three photos show the magnificent views from the rooftop of the Best Western.

Sitting on our balcony we saw this drone (note the loudspeaker) fly by. We could not quite understand what it was trying to warn the people along the Malecon about (possibly mask up).

Another beautiful Pacific sunset from our balcony.

We felt this rainbow was an auspicious sign on our return to our abode.

These views from our terrace reminded us why we love living here so much. It was great to finally be back home!

Adieu our friends.  And relatives.  Et al.  Have a good Labor Day if you are of the American persuasion but for God Sake do not go running around, merging with other humans and cavorting.  Maybe next year...maybe.