Thursday, January 1, 2015
Another new year!
Time does seem to go faster when you get older. I remember my Grandmother O'Neal saying that, I did not really believe her at the time, being young. But now that I am Grandmother age I believe it. It seems like less than a year ago that we were wondering the streets of PV enjoying our New Year's Day. We saw a wedding on the beach at sunset. Oh, how romantic!
This year we are staying at home not doing too much. We did, however, order a delicious pizza from California Pizza just down the road for supper. Our order was placed by actually going to the restaurante and ordering. They speak English there, after all, it is called California Pizza. We placed the order and then drove to Mega for a few groceries that is why we had to order pizza, lack of food. We got the pizza and it was not as hot as I like, but I like my food extremely hot.
Friday, January 2, 2015
Waking up early is not fun even on an extended vacation like ours.
Once we realized, "yes, we are going to Vallarta Adventures, going on a boat ride, tours and special lunch", we were much more wide awake and happy. It is the eight hour tour called, "Hidden Mexico". There was a fruit oriented, buffet breakfast awaiting us in Nuevo, breakfast breads and muffins included. Our boat ride to the side side of the Bay of Banderas was in a ridged hull inflatable. Our captain was young but looked competent. Even in my life jacket I felt less then safe but our guide who had done this many times looked relaxed and comfortable. We stopped to pick up passengers in a bay just north of Mismaloya. Then we were off again to our final boat destination, some small town on the coast of the bay. It was likely Boca Tomatlan.
We rode around in the back of an all terrain truck called a Unimog, a brand of Mercedes Benz vehicle. We were sitting sideways with seat-belts and overhead, loopy handles like on a bus. We had one group leader, a young, Mexican guide called Jorge and the driver was Nery. Both treated all of us wonderfully, helping me out of the back of the truck every time we stopped. We had not real idea of the adventure yet to come.
Our first stop was the Botanical Gardens which we both wished could have been a longer stop. The Gardens are funded by a Canadian. The building at the entrance with a restaurant was impressive. It was grown over with Bougainvillea. There was a pool with Kia floating around with colourful water lilies. Jorge was telling us history of some of the trees and plants - peyote, paddle cactus and the tree with peeling, red bark. We stopped at a small roadside bakery for a treat of homemade bread. It was stuffed with cheese, pumpkin, caramel, etc. The baker had a wood fired, clay oven and a wooden paddle to remove the bread from the heat. . We headed off further into the Sierra Madre Mountains to the small village of El Tuito. Our walking tour took us to an artisan who created in heavy rose wood. We visited a cheese factory and ate panella cheese tortillas. We visited El Tuito's centro and the main church. Our visit to an art gallery, Galeria Coppelia was my highlight because of the art in every corner and every wall -jewellery, pottery, paintings, clothing, carpets, everywhere. The art gallery also featured raicilla tasting. We went to see petroglyphs that were more than 1,200 years old. Jorge told of the suspected meaning of the glyphs and gave us some history of the area. While we were on that farm we first heard than saw a donkey up on a hill. Wonderful creature.
Our lunch was at a farm located by a river. Ducks kept coming over by us humans trying to get food I suspect. The food was wonderful - fire grilled veggies and meat, salads, beans, rice, mole sauce, guacomole, salsas, it was so good and most of us over ate. We also were served drinks by Jorge. Ken even snuck in a snooze on a hammock. It gave us "family" members a chance the bond. Family is what Jorge called the people who were assigned to his truck - nice Mexican touch. I discovered that the couple from Saskatchewan were actually from an area close to where my Father came from. The woman knew two of my aunts, an uncle and several cousins.
After lunch the tour included a Tequila tasting session. The man doing the tour showed us his operation and still, etc. for producing his time honoured drink. He was a man with a unique look. He had a light beard that was in a zig-zag pattern and the pointiest cowboy boots. He was entertaining. They had a donkey out for the tour visitors to pet and give tips to. She had a sign on asking for tips, poor gal. As we were about to go she let out a blood curdling braayy. When Ken and I looked back we saw that the owner was returning to her and we were told that she missed her baby. We hung out to see her baby, not so little but totally charming. He was doing a little dance once Mom returned.
We had a long ride back into PV, dropping off "family" as we went along. Jorge was from Qurretaro. He gave us lots of tips and places to visit it that area. He was such a high energy guy with so much knowledge he willingly gave to us. He certainly made the tour entertaining and worthy.
Saturday, January 2, 2015
We have, as you may or may not know, rented out our house on Gabriola. That is why we are able to feel free to be able to do so much traveling down here in Mexico. In the evening our renter sent us a picture, via e-mail, of our house all decorated up for Christmas. The family had their Christmas tree, a very tall one, set up in a corner of the living-room just as we had done several years ago. It looked beautiful. Very odd seeing your home with someone else's furniture, paintings and Christmas decorations up. It was a very nice gesture on her part to send the picture and we appreciated it.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
This Sunday we were lucky.
The van started not like several weeks ago when it did not. Which reminds me, we need to check for the van part tomorrow that we ordered from Auto Zone. We were off to La Cruz Market. Wow, was it ever packed. I suppose this could be the last day before flying back NOB for a few people. The Mexican people who have come to this area for the Christmas season would likely still be celebrating as their holiday season does not officially end until the 5th or 6th. It is also particularly hot today. Perhaps the cold cover is keeping in the heat and humidity.
We had trouble finding a parking spot, at least a good one down by the market. We have to walk several blocks. Our first line of business is coffee. The coffee vendor has wisely sat up at the entrance into the Market from the parking lot. Cafe De Olle is his companies name and honestly he served up the best cup of coffee I had ever tasted. It came from a big clay pot with a lid. The coffee was scooped out with a huge spoon. The coffee was on the sweet side without any sugar in it. It had a caffeine punch but not too ridiculous.
The usual vendors appeared to be there. A band was playing - funky, Latin rhythms. By the time we made it out to the end of the pier, the vendor with the big, plastic, orange jugs was out was agua fresca. This was unfortunate because our next stop was the vendor that sells Pre-Hispanic taco type things. A lady rolls out dough into a long oval. The man puts it on a grill. We have been having the vegetarian option with cheese. This taco thing is so big we just split it between the two of us. You can also load up your plate with rice, beans and gaucamole. It is very delicious and different. A bit spicy so the agua fresca was missed.
We walked toward the La Cruz Yacht Club, actually walked around it. We snapped pictures of birds and of the Market across the water. It still looked busy even though we were a distance from the action. Being at the Yacht Club gave us a chance to find a place we could eat another time and also a place that we could perhaps park another Sunday.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Ken went and told them at the office of Los Arroyos Verde that we wanted to stay for another two weeks here in Casa Fresa.
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| Negra the dog, a loner loaner |
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
We can pay tomorrow because we are going into town to meet up at Tacho's RV Park with some people we met. I guess they trust us somewhat. We just have too much left to do, paperwork, taxes, etc. It is better to get that kind of stuff done at a stable place rather than on the road.
I worked on my cow painting most of the day. Ken did computer work. Aren't we an exciting pair? At least we are not sitting around bored.
I will tell you about Negra the dog. Negra is a black lab cross with white on her paws. She is a very gentle soul and rarely barks. She was at Los Arroyos Verdes last year and appeared to be quite young and also belong to one of the workers. That worker is not here now so I guess that was not her master. All the dogs here are mostly quite aloof. We are used to having our own dog and being able to bestow lots of attention on him. In turn he gave us lots of attention, almost too much. All of a sudden Negra has decided she likes us. She lets me pet her in fact walks over to me to get a pet. Our evening walks especially have been graced by the black dog. She trundles off ahead of us, rarely giving us a backward glance. She walks us back almost to Casa Fresa. It is so wonderful to have an animal buddy like Negra. So sweet!
We have big plans today! We are actually meeting a couple we met at Tacho's RV Park in PV at their trailer. It is Ron and Vickie from Mission, BC. We have stuff in common already - both from BC and both love to travel in Mexico. We met them for the first time last year when we stayed at that RV Park.
Ken and Ron talked about Mexican travels. Ron gave Ken solid information we can use on our travels throughout the next part of Mexico that we plan to go to. Ken wrote information down in our Church and Church camping book. Vickie and I seemed to hit it off right away and had few lulls in our conversation. It was great to have a woman to talk with. Ken is fantastic but nothing like chatting with another female. Not that we talked about "woman" matters. In the end we decided we should get together again before we head off to other parts of Mexico. Sounds like a good idea!
We headed downtown to the malecon area and our favourite parking spot. It costs about $5.00 for parking for the afternoon but it is easier than finding a different spot. It is very hot out right now and so hard to think or drive. Ken has finally come to the realization that our van's air conditioning is not working properly. That really makes it hot in the van with only outside air to cool us off. Even with windows wide open we are hot. Not complaining just stating a fact.
We decide to eat comida corrida at a restaurant kitty corner from the main church downtown. The meal is sixty-five pesos per person. You have choice but everyone gets an agua fresca, soup and dessert. I had shrimp fajitas and Ken had chicken breast. That comes with beans, rice and a salad. Oh, and it is good, too.
After that wonderful meal we had to walk to improve our chances of all that food not going directly to our thighs or hips. Walking around PV is always a treat. We decided we should find Casa Kimberly, Elizabeth Taylor's old stomping grounds. It appears that the house is being redone and the bridge between where her and Richard Burton lived has already been refurbished. The area where the home is located has many awe inspiring home with ocean views. PV has so much depth, no wonder so many people want to come here.
Thursday, January 8, 2015
We are planning to go to Europe in the spring.
First time for me, Ken has been several times. He has flown and not stayed for any length of time. We have a travel agent on Gabriola, Sara, who is helping us with some arrangements. By "planning to go to Europe in the spring" I mean, we have just started putting out ideas and have not formulated any plans. Right now it is just a dream, but a dream we plan on making a reality. Sara has found us a good deal on a cruise from Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. Wow, would that not be an experience! We are in a real quandary as to what to do. We must do some research on this cruise idea because it sound rather interesting, and at a reasonable price. More on that later.
Ken has been on the computer all day, coding. I have been continuing on my cow painting. I am remembering how fun it is to paint and generally do art. I have found lots of quilting videos on YouTube. Must watch them when I need a break from sitting and painting.
I have again been having problems sleeping. Ugh!!! I am really seeing a pattern developing. High stress appears to be part of the cause. I wake up in the night about 3:00 am and stay awake for two or three hours. I wake up late in the morning, about 8:30 am and feel sick, grumpy and very tired. I am going to join Ken and do yoga today in the gym. I failed to mentioned that I also have a very sore shoulder and upper back. I need to really try and get myself better as it is the same old thing from previous years. I will try some healthy remedies, yoga being a real good start. It is hard to want to go to acupuncture or massage in Mexico or any place from the usual. I know I had the very best of practitioners back on Gabriola, like Tammy and Brenda P.
Friday, January 9, 2015
My cow painting is coming along.
The nose was the thing today. It appears I have the correct colour for the nose but it is better to reserve total judgement until more of the cow has been painted. It is such fun being back doing my art again. Ken was back on the computer. He is good though, and takes breaks regularly so that his back can relax. In fact he gets both of us up and at 'um so we are not just hunched over and sitting all day.
About three o'clockish we decided to go for a beach walk, watch the sunset and eat out for supper. It took us, or should I say me, awhile to get ready that is why we started at three. After parking in Bucerias we left our shoes in the car for our beach walk. We went to an OXXO and each got a beverage to quench our thirst on the walk. Dogs were playing, catching sticks and just running for fun. People were beach walking, like us, and some were sitting walking the impending sunset. Some lady was being buried in sand. There were vendors selling jewellery, etc. We walked a long way to Casa de La Monos, quite far west. We met a couple drinking some wine outside this establishment. The guy had lived in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan for awhile as he was in the Forces. Small world isn't it. The place they are staying in is mention above and at one point they said to get in their for the winter a regular customer had to die, seriously. We will check it out before we go cause we will need a place to stay for next year.
We turned back from there to return to the car. We actually stopped and watched the sunset. We never seem to be able to sit still long enough to focus on a sunset. That is bad now that I have written it down. We are after all on an extended holiday. Once dusk hit we sat and watch more dogs and people on the beach.
With shoes on we started in earnest to search for a restaurant. Surprisingly we ran into people from Gabriola - Rick C. and June S. They told us about two good restaurants in Bucerias. In fact, we actually went to one with them - Famar, which is on the north side of the highway. Our waitress spoke perfect English even though all of us tried to speak Spanish. It was great to run into more Gabriola people. Glad they found this hidden gem. They also showed us the house June rented on the North side of the highway. Another gem at a more than reasonable price.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Mostly a painting day.
Beginning to paint the cow's face, touch ups on nose and mostly finished the eyes. Eyes are the hardest to paint in my estimation, especially if your reference photo does not have a good representation. I, of course, tried to get fancy at this late stage and tried to make the eyes bigger. I was lucky my lack of planning did not gravely affect the poor cow.
Ken has been madly trying to get something done for the radio station. He did manage to get a swim in to cool off later on.
We both did not feel like cooking at lunch time. I was to much in "artist brain" and Ken was just working too hard. In case that was not a good enough of a excuse for not eating at home, we could not decide on what to make so we went out. We went back to the Bucerias restaurant called Famar. This time more American food appealed to us. We both had burgers, beef for Ken and fish for me. Again, great food! The tortilla chips come with pico de gallo and refried beans, so good. Needless to say we needed little else to eat for the rest of the day.
We took a trip into Mega for supplies - water, veggies, fruit, cheese, eggs, bread and such. It was so cool in the air conditioning. Would not want to get too spoiled and stay in there all the time, or would I?
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Ken went and did yoga this morning. 
I got up early and I made a big breakfast of hash-brown potatoes, eggs and toast. I don't know why, I just felt like cooking.
After breakfast I decided to work on my cow painting. I got some real lengthy time to do so and was very on task, having fun. Ken went to Paradise Resort. He wanted to find out if timeshares where a good idea for us at this point in our lives or not. Anyways we decided to not do anything with the timeshare thing right now, maybe another time.
Once it got hot later on in the afternoon we decided to go and listen to music by the pool. The pool area was packed with people. Evidently, a party of twenty arrived for breakfast and the large amount of people just continued. There was a band playing and it was just rocking. There was a band of about five guys playing music by Carlos Santana, Paul McCartney, etc. The crowd around the pool was very receptive to the wonderful band. Ken and I were in the pool sort of dancing to the music incognito. Other people on the side of the pool were literally dancing in the bright sun which added to the party atmosphere. I got to pet Riley the dog and Negra came with us on our after supper walk.
An overall very enjoyable day without really leaving the property.
Monday, January 12, 2015
For those of you wondering what the weather might be like here in Bucerias this time of year, it is grand.
Most days the television stations could just play the same old weather over and over - hot and sunny. Sometimes in the morning there is a bit of cloud to burn off and it might be a cool 18° C. I know, shut up! Cause I know some of you are suffering the ravages of winter up NOB. Even places like Cuidad Juerez or Durango have had cold weather lately.
I had a lazy morning. That not being able to sleep in the night thing is such a problem. I was awake for hours in the night. Once I feel asleep it was likely six in the morning. We needed to get up because we were having company for lunch. Ron and Vickie from Tacho's Trailer Park. Lunch was a kind of NOB meal with egg salad sandwiches and some raw veggies. Not exotic but it was very delicious, something different that you can not get at a restaurant down here.
Ken and I showed Ron and Vickie around the grounds of Los Arroyos Verdes. I know Vickie liked the heated pool especially. There are RV sights here, in fact a couple from Surrey is staying in one spot now.
Vickie and I chatted for hours. Ken and Ron chatted too. It was nice to run into a couple that have actually traveled Mexico more than us. They know of places we would talk about and visa versa. Plus they told us of new and exciting places to check out.
Ron drove all of us into Bucerias to check out the town. We walked some of the strip, then off to the beach. The water seemed especially high up on the shore this day. We saw a beautiful white horse on the beach with a braid down the middle of its forhead.
Our walk came to an end at Fat Boys beach bar and restaurant. A few beverages were had by all along with a supper of nacho ships and shrimp tacos - yum! Sitting in that restaurant seems to set you up to be a sitting duck to many vendors. It is kind of annoying. If I wanted to buy something I would go to the market. Vickie bought some jewellery. I looked into the eyes of some of the vendors and they did not look happy. It made me feel sad to see that. I hope it was just a passing thing for them.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
I started the day looking on Pinterest.
If you are an artist or a visual person Pinterest will be an app you want to have. Once Pinterest is installed on your device you will see that you get to set up your own categories or topics of interest. Once you have a few of those set up you can seek pictures to go with the categories. I, for example, love art so I have a category, "Animal Art" and another, " Extraordinary Art Quilts", etc. Then I look for pictures to paste under those categories. Why you ask? The pictures are inspiration, give great ideas on how to, there are videos along with pictures. All my favourite Art Quilt Blogs are under one category. It is easier than storing information under Safari's bookmarks. Anyway, I personally find it very useful.
The problem with starting your day doing Pinterest is the fact that I go into what my DH affectionately has termed "artist brain". All I can think of is pretty pictures and art, I kind of lose connection with reality and go into my own little, wonderful world. I could forget I was cooking something or forget a major ingredient when cooking. I think you get the picture, no pun intended. Well, today I went out right after breakfast and took tons on pictures of Los Arroyos Verdes that I think I missed previously. It is such an arty place, I love it.
Then we went for a walk around the outside of Los Arroyos Verdes. It was kind of funny, we had Negra tag along. She had been waiting by the entrance gate but we enticed her to follow us. One of the half tons with the gardener driving went by heading back towards the gate. Negra just high tailed it back to the gate, not even giving us a backward glance. Guess we know who her allegiance falls to. We saw horses, cows of the Brahma variety, calves and chickens. Even a sleeping pooch.
The rest of the day I painted on the cow. Just about finished!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Today, Pepe the van, was to be taken into Senor Castillo, taller de electrico.
Pepe was of in need of a new ignition switch. We ordered one at Auto Zone out on the carretera (highway) on the way to PV before New Years. The ordered part was at the store before the expected date. Once we found out where Senor Castillo was located we went to get Pepe fixed up. Ken seemed to easily communicate with the Spanish speaking Senor and we left the van in his experienced hands.
It was a bit overcast and we decided the walk back would be great and do us good, a little more than half an hours walk. We were treated to a few treats on the way back. Everyday we take the van out for a spin we drive passed a few dogs that appear to be buddies. They are always hanging out in about the same spot. Usually sleeping in the road. They were there last year so I guess it is a safe place for them to hang out. I got to take closer pictures of them. I tried to pet them but they were a bit skittish of my presence. The mother horse was tied up eating grass right near the path we were going to cross over. Her baby colt with the dark eyebrows was not attached but would not leave mom. Pretty special to see the baby so close up. Then we got to see the white horse again up close and personal. I did get to pet her. Staying out in the country certainly has its perks even if we had to walk on a dirt trail.
We walked back to get the van. The charge for the installation of the new ignition switch was a fraction of what it would have cost us back in Canada.
On the way back from Bucerias we decided to drive passed Los Arroyos Verdes and head east. The hills look so wonderful and so close. As we drive we see on coming traffic flashing their headlights. Ken say, "maybe there is a cow on the road". No, there were many cows just walking merrily down the road as if they owned it. They were clean, well cared for beasts. Check out their pictures. Very different cows then in Canada.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Today was a day we could do yoga in the gym.
When I left the gym Negra spied me and ran over to me like I was her owner. I felt very special cause I am fond of her. Such a sweet girl!
We drove to San Pancho to get away from the everday, a holiday within a holiday. That back road is often busy as it was this day, but we had ice coffee for the road. Once there we went straight to a big building that we refer to as the recycling depot. I found to next to new skirts that I really liked. Ken got skunked.
We left and walked around finding a less than study bridge to cross on foot. Then we were off to the beach and walked around the main type street looking for lunch. We found a great spot and realized we ate there before. It is not too pricy as some places are. It was called LaTaza de Cafe Restaurante. Ken had a filling burrito and I had an omlette.
We walked down a street that led to what we think is their town square. There was a mosaic mural we do not remember seeing before. We walked around until we came to a road that previously we thought led to a resort. We followed the road with the assistance of Google Maps. We came to a small settlement of high end homes with some hotels and condos. One would not have expected that from the condition of the road. Many of the homes had ocean front. There was an abandoned resort and condo building. We also sadly found a building that had housed a high end home decorating store. There is a restaurant there but it looked like it was only occasionally open. It had an artsy look to it. Out back we found very old canoes carved out of tree trunks and grey with age. The wood was so aged it had cracked into the most amazing patterns. That was kind of the end of the road. We returned into San Pancho via the beach.
On our walk back to the car I saw some precious little pooches that I could not resist taking pictures of. I somedays can hardly pass and dogs without photographing the event. Just call me a dog lover who goes a bit overboard. Can hardly wait to someday having our own dog once again.
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| holster sandles |
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| K9 transportation unit |
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| Colima dog |
Friday, January 16, 2015
We had some errands to do today relating to our van.
Pepe the van has served us well throughout the years we have had him and throughout this trip. When something goes wrong we want to get it fixed quickly, if possible, so problems do not escalate.
We got a bit of a late start on our errands. I wanted to do some shading on my cactus flower painting. I had painted the different segments of the cactus varying shades of green but the whole thing looked flat. It did not look like cactus, nor did it have depth. I had to shade and add the little grey spots to it. This seemed to bring some life to the painting.
Once out and about we drove by the brown horse and her colt. Did you know that baby horses sleep laying down? Now I know that too. It kind of scared me at first, thinking something awful had happened.
"Auto Climas" in Spanish are the words you need if you want to get your air conditioning fix in Mexico. We found the guy whose sign read "Auto Climas". Ken talked to one of the other customers for awhile. The customer did not know English and Ken is working on Spanish, somehow they had a meaningful conversation. It was a good fill-in until the real taller could help us. It took two cylinders of R134A freon to fill whatever needs filled in our air conditioner unit. We have a coffee thermometer to test the temperature. Once "the guys" were satisfied that all was well with our air conditioning we paid and left. Hopes are high that this actually fixed our problem.
Lunch at Famar in Bucerias was delicious. It was shrimp fijitas, with tequila poured over top and lite on fire. A rather exotic lunch I'd say.
Next was the tire plug and the swarming. Yes swarming by about a half dozen kids from about ten to fifteen years of age. The question came to mind - are we out of here or do we try to deal with this? Deciding to stay the oldest boy stood his ground wanting the conversation to be in Spanish. We had our trusty iPad with Google Translate and he knew exactly what to do once he was told the problem in Spanish. The van was jacked up, the tire removed, the hole found, the plug inserted. The tire was bounced on the ground for the second oldest to install it back on our van. The price for the work was predetermined. A younger sister was so cute and hung around likely wishing she could talk with us and I wished I could talk with her.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
We are having company again today.
This time it is the people from Gabriola that we ran into last week - Rick C. and June S. The lunch is not exotic, egg salad sandwiches with salad veggies. Ken goes and gets them from their place not too far from here. They have a rental on this side of the highway just as we do.
It is great to have company and great conversation with others from Gabriola. Our Island, of course, came up in the conversation. Yes, and the age old, recently renewed topic, of the bridge came up and was thoroughly discussed.
It was wonderful to show the both of them around Los Arroyos Verdes. When we are here by ourselves we walk the loop but rarely go back in behind our casa. It was almost like us looking at the place with renewed vision. They saw with Muscovy ducks and the chickens. We took them into the eventos building and into the cook's garden. We also took them under the two big trees to see how those areas are decorated. Both Rick and June are artists, they appreciated the multitude of artsy little touches throughout the property. Some pictures were even taken of the area. On the way home they were discussing someone who would like to come to Mexico and would be the perfect candidate for a Los Arroyos stay.
The heat let us know that a dip in the pool was needed. Again it is so wonderful to have a pool to cool off in, especially the pool that is here. Once dried off and cooled down we sat out in our little courtyard. In the outside shower stall we saw what was like a mini wall of ants and ants with eggs on the move. It was a shuddering experience. We went to get better internet at the bar, but mostly to get the image of those horrid bugs out of our minds.
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Off to LaCruz for the Sunday Market - love it.
Parking is a challenge but we got parking in the shade. We shared a big cup of the best coffee ever. It has a sort of cinnamon, chocolate taste, a bit sweet, too. It was particularly hot today at the market. I did not notice any different vendors, but the ones we have seen previously are wonderful anyway. Oh, actually I did notice the water color paintings of a young Mexican man. He painted waterlilies boccinvillas and more. He had a very soft style for a man, I thought. I complimented him on his work. Ken considered having the Gabriola Radio logo made into a woven grass painting. We will be on the move in the next little while too much so he did not have it done.
The highlights of the Market today were two dogs. The first was a brownish, read toy Chihuahua that was about ten weeks old. It was absolutely the smallest, cutest little thing (sorry no picture). The lady said she paid about $125. for it. The next dog was rather big and was a Mexican hairless (Colima Dog?). He did have hair on the top of his head much like any other dogs. Most of his body had exposed black skin. The skin had a little bit of what I would call stubble growing out of it. When I went to pet her back it kind of shivered. I probably moved the hair in an annoying way. Her ears were like that of a Belgium Melinois with a bit of hair. Both dogs were quiet and well behaved.
We left the market to walk over by the La Cruz Yacht Club and beyond. We could see fish floating, without a care in the world in the water of the marina. The stripped fish were most interesting.
The pool music at Los Arroyos was played by a skilled musician. He played an amplified tenor saxophone and a flute. He certainly captivated his audience. As was the case last week, the women were up dancing by the pool. They wanted to dance so they did, with each other. Ken and I enjoyed the music from inside the pool. We are figuring out our own way to dance in water.
Monday, January 19, 2015
I was very happily working on my cactus flower painting.
It is based on a picture I took going through Santa Barbara area in July of 2008. There was this huge cactus that was blooming the hugest flowers I had ever seen on a cactus, not that I have seen many. These were enormous and there were many, many blooms. It was quite the sight. My painting is small in size but I am finding it quite challenging and requires lots of focus. I am not using my new method with the freezer paper but am painting it totally free hand. I am drawing in the parts that I fudged on when initially drawing the cactus details. I am not using a hard lead pencil as usual I am using a Derwent Watercolour pencil in silver grey. It seems to disappear when the ink and aloe go overtop of it. I think I will draw out my entire next piece using this pencil.
Ken is doing taxes for 2014. The Canadian government would be pleased. We both take frequent breaks, either walking to see the ducks behind our building or walking the loop. We were blessed with amiga Negra several times. She, however, wonders off and disappears, often reappearing later on in the walk cycle.
Near suppertime we decide to go for a drive to the close Walmart. Mistake! The salad bar restaurant was just cleaning up so that was a bust. Then we could not find everything we wanted which really was not much. Then finally it was time to leave and the tills were just a hoping and full. Ugh! We waited dutifully but will likely not return to this store this trip. By next time we will likely have forgotten our annoyance with the place. Our little trip took so long we ate about eight which is late.
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Ken really has to go to the doctor today.
I have researched on-line and every place I looked The Santa Rosa Clinic and Doctor Victor were highly praised. The Clinic is on the carratera only a few blocks from where we turn to go onto the highway. We were not sure what would happen but were pretty sure he had an infection in a little bump on the skin of his back. It is a bit scary going to a new doctor, let alone a new doctor in a different country. We walked in the courtyard of the clinic which was well groomed with a statue of a pregnant woman. Inside the Clinic was immaculately clean. It appeared much like any clinic you would see NOB with a secretary and all. As soon as he was finished with a patient he took Ken into his office. Dr. V looked at and quickly removed the lump. Ken was given antibiotics and pain killers, after all he was "stabbed in the back". LOL. Ken was asked to return tomorrow.
I know you are curious how much it cost us here in Mexico. It cost about 1700. pesos. That included the two prescriptions and the initial visit with day surgery and any follow up visits. Wonder how much that would have cost in Canada. We are potentially going to be paid back by BC Med when we send in our form and the receipt. It seems a bit high for down here but maybe the price is as it is because of where we are.
Ken was not wimpy at all about the whole ordeal and did have to drive himself home. Yes, even on pain killers. The rest of the day was all about him getting well and feeling better. I would have been wimpy and laid around. He actually did computer work for most of the day. He did not want to go for any walks, might jostle the injury.
I has stumped by painting the stamens inside the big cactus. I have looked up how to paint it on-line but mostly to no avail. I will just have to do the best I can. Sometimes I find that the hardest part of art is just getting started and persevering.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
First thing was to take Ken back to Dr. Victor to have him take a look at the nasty incision in his back.
He said, "perfect", when taking a look so Ken felt rest assured that all was going well. It still hurt and Ken is still on pain killers and antibiotics. We made sure to take pictures of the emergency number here. If we are sick or there is an emergency here we want Dr. Victor as he seems very competent and professional. Plus he is likeable.
Ken was kind of recuperating for the rest of the day. It was tricky for him to get comfortable as he could not lay on his back. He could not lay back in a chair and relax. He walked rather gingerly not wanting to jostle his cut. I am sure he will see improvements fast.
I had only slight improvements to make on my cactus piece. Near the end I have to be careful not to do little finishing touches that do not need to be there. Too much can over do the piece or add problems.
Later on we decided to go get something for supper. It was any outing really because we spent most of the day in the casa. We were distracted by a sign advertising a restaurant in Marina Vallarta. Ken said he felt well enough and we drove to Marina Vallarta. We went to a mini mall with a courtyard. In the courtyard were statues of African animals and fountains. Lovely little area. One more reason to like Marina Vallarta. We ate at our usual restaurant there, Sticky Finger Wings. Must be a new cook cause the shrimp tacos were even better than usual. The appetizer was pico de gallo and ceviche, something new. Great views of the marina.
Ken is feeling better, I can tell.
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| Negra busts into Casa Fresa |
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Ken was back at Dr. Victor's office today.
The Doctor wanted to have another look, see. Ken is now down to his final bandage for awhile and will not have to return until next week. The cut was looking good, as cuts can.
We decided to get some beach walking time in and did a little walk on the beach in Bucerias. The waves seemed quite high today.
I needed to get my bangs trimmed. I researched on the internet the best salon in the area according to a few Norte Americanos in the area. I went to Salon Diva's and made an appointment. Ken needed to rest as he felt a bit queasy from his procedure today. Can't blame him a bit.
For me it was a day of finishing the painting part of a quilt. Taking the finished product to the next level. I needed to press the quilt tops with a watered down mixture wring out of a press cloth. This is to set the Tsukineko Inks and Aloe Vera mixture. I did not have my usual containers or measuring equipment so I had to improvise using a container to be recycled and a small plastic spoon. In the end I did all the pieces I have finished painting - the coconuts, the purple cow and the cactus flowers. Now I can feel assured that any dampness will not harm the painting.
My sewing machine I bought has not seen the light of day it was shipped. How bad it that! I am working up the courage to get it out and start sewing. "Courage" you ask! Well, yes, a new machine, a different work environment, having not sewn in months all add up to needing some push or major motivation to get me started. Tomorrow is another day!
Friday, January 23, 2015
I had an appointment at 10:00 am to get my bangs trimmed.
It was at the Salon Diva's on Lazaro Cardenas in Bucerias. Ken drove me, I do not have insurance coverage for driving in Mexico. I told the girl using a sort of sign language what I wanted - MISTAKE! I should have specified to the English speaking receptionist what I wanted and she could have translated. I got bangs that where cut straight across like a little kid and my precious, face framing wisps were cut off. I was furious and wanted out of there as quick as possible. It ruined much of my day. I am sure you can relate if you have ever had a hair cutting disaster on holiday.
The rest of the day for me was getting out my new Janome DC7060, which I purchased back in October of 2014. Yes, I have not had it out sewing yet, much to my dismay. I had to finish painting a piece in order to free motion quilt on something. I watched the video with instructions on use. I got out my thread - seemed really odd to not be up in my studio. In fact I did have some regrets about selling my other machines I knew them so well. My studio was so sell set up and stocked. I had regrets about dismantling it but knew that was worthless reminiscing.
After many trials and tribulations I could quite easily thread the machine and use the needle threader (reread instructions in instruction booklet, guess that is what the booklet is for). I put on the free-motion foot, got out a little sample piece and tried quilting. It was hard as I have not free motioned on anything but at quilt shops for over a year. It was hard and I realized I needed to practice, practice, practice. In the end I felt I had the tension well adjusted and would get back at it with a better attitude tomorrow.
Ken is back trying to get back to blog work. Hope he gets it going soon so this well be written in "real time".
Saturday, January 24, 2015
I love my new sewing machine.
I figured out how to adjust the free-motion quilting foot. Yesterday my major concern was that the material would not slide under the foot in an easy manner. That was giving me stress because who wants their material to drag under the foot. There is a little adjustment wheel on the right side, at the top of the foot. Just turn that little wheel which raises or lowers the foot depending on the thickness of your quilt sandwich. Now things are running smoothly.
Since we have been traveling in a van in Mexico, going through or being at areas of high heat I could not take basting spray with me. Those cans of basting spray supposedly explode in high temperatures. Not wanting to take chances I sold my spray at one of my garage sales. I am now doing up old school. I am actually basting the layers together with thread. Long milliner needles are being used to get through all the layers. It appears to work but I have not tried actual machine quilting yet. I have tried it on a small piece rather than on a big piece.
We wanted to work on our individual projects today. Ken will be working on the blog, getting the kinks out of processing his data. I was, as I said earlier, trying out my new machine. Later on we wanted to go to the Taste of LaCruz in the LaCruz Marina. First of all we had to find the LaCruz Marina which did not have any signage. LaCruz is not that big so it was easy to find and being a marina it was by the water. It was on the opposite side of the Marina from where the market usually is. We could see all the marquis tents set up. Once we got there, realized we might have to stand up to listen to the bands, fight the crowd, pay 150. pesos each for an entrance fee, still pay for some food, we decided we would rather go out for supper in Nuevo Vallarta at Pescatories Restaurant. Once in Nuevo we went for a lengthy walk. We are still loving that area. We saw a brightly coloured crab down by the water.
Supper at Pescatores makes you feel very special. It is a white table cloth and cloth napkin kind of place. It is right on the water. We each had a drink and delicious pasta, gave the waiter a tip and left paying the same amount we would pay for only the entrance fee to the Taste of LaCruz. My vegetarian lasagna was so delicious. It had big cut up pieces of squash, carrot and green pepper with lots of cheese. The potion size was generous also. Ken enjoyed his spaghetti with meat sauce. It was a very enjoyable supper out.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Not only was I practicing with my new machine, I actually worked on a painted piece. Once I had the adjustment for the quilting foot figured out I was able to be off and quilting. The piece I worked on is quite painterly, the big cactus flower. I used four layers, two layers of Warm and Natural quilt bat and the top and bottom layer. I mostly just outline stitched the painted petals and the edges of the cactus. This is not what I usually do for quilting but in this case, because of the small size of the piece I felt it was totally appropriate.
Being the above was a practice piece, it allowed my to become comfortable with my new machine. I can easily thread the machine, use the needle threader and wind the bobbin. Bobbin winding brings up the issue that I had thread wrapped around the bobbin winding mechanism - scary. Something I will pay a great deal of attention to in the future.
The other day Ken took me to a fabric store at the Walmart mall in Nuevo Vallarta - Parisina, plus another fabric store in that mall. I needed to purchase size 16 needles to go through the four layers of the quilt. At the other fabric store the clerk let me type out on her phone what exactly I wanted using Google Translate. It worked but she found my needles that were ball point. I could not get the point across, pun intended, that I wanted sharp needle points not ball point so I left there. At Parisina I found Coats and Guiterman thread, the needles I wanted and fabric paint. The whole bill for one thread, one fabric paint and a packet of ten sewing machine needles came to under fifty pesos or under five dollars Canadian. What a bargain! Any one of those items would be about that much in Canada.
The needles are ok. I feel they should be sharper or have a silicone finish or something like that. They make a bit of a noise but will totally suffice for now. I will try the fabric paint tomorrow so I can have a coloured fabric on the back of my cow quilt. The thread is a brand you can buy NOB. I do not use it in my quilts but have it to practice stitching with or use it to baste with.
It was such a wonderful feeling to get back to actually machine quilting again - love it!
Ken was working on catching up the blog. He did postings up to Santa Fe, NM. All is working out well.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Once I woke-up I remembered that today was the Los Arroyos Verdes scheduled water shut off time. Well, that was a but awkward. What I meant to say was that the place were we are staying scheduled a time that they needed to shut the water off. They put little posters on each person's casa yesterday so that we could plan our water usage accordingly.
I wanted to do something fibre art related using water, of course, there will be a time of no water today. I quickly got out the fabric paint that I purchased just the other day. I dip dyed a small sample of cloth, dried it with the hair dryer and ironed it. Yes, it worked! I ripped a piece of backing fabric to fit the my purple cow piece. I did a huge dip dye for that piece. I dried it using the hair dryer. This piece is at least 25" X 25". I wanted to let it air dry but time was of the essence. I pressed it in its damp state. I beat the clock, but did not get a shower in under the wire. The dying was more important to me.
I put the three quilt layers together and hand basted them together. The rows of stitching were about a fist worth of space in between. It did not take as long as I expected but really, I have to somehow transport 505 basking spray down here. It is so much quicker and more efficient. If you have any ideas of how I can do that safely please let me know.
I got started on the machine quilting. I only did basic stitching to tack down areas in order to start doing the heavy machine quilting I love doing. I do not have invisible thread with me, it is packed away. I need to 'get me some' for just such purposes.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
When you wake up in Mexico you never know what adventures will come your way.
We are off to a part of Puerto Vallarta we had never been to before, the town of Pitillal. The blog called Set Free in Mexico (now based out of PV) gave me the information about a fellow in that town that fixes cameras. I had the wise idea to bring our out of commission camera with us to get it fixed by this fellow in Pitillas. Ken went to Google Maps for directions right to his shop.
Once in Pitillal we realized we should check this little piece of real Mexico out and walked to the square. It had, of course, a wonderful church with flags gracing the front. The actual square had a parking lot underneath. We found out later that it is kind of abandoned and not being used. A parking lot under a square seems like a good idea when many people come to the square for celebrations.
We got our camera and were off the Dr. Camera, actually Carlos. He is not only going to fix our camera but bring it to our casa tomorrow morning. Only thing he will deliver it before work tomorrow, so early.
Our walks took us to an area close to the river. We met some caballeros sitting out chatting in front of their homes. They pointed out the iguanas peacefully watching the river from their tree perches. The iguanas were colourful and big. It was quite a few to see in one spot. One fellow teased about making them into iguana tacos, at least I hope he was teasing.
On our way back we realized that we were just east of Tacho's RV Park. Next time we stay there we will definitely walk into Pitillal, a wonderful piece of real Mexico.
After supper we were ready for our walk. Ken had opened the casa door and he noticed that Negra was just outside our courtyard door. She knew our schedule and was waiting or us? That is the only explanation. We enjoy our Negra walks. She often slips away in the dark and we lose her but she is there at the beginning, happy to see us and prancing as she does.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
We actually had the alarm clock set this morning.
Carlos, Dr. Camera, came right to our door with his esposa (wife) to bring our camera directly to us. The camera is working perfectly now. Only in Mexico, no extra charge for home delivery, got to love it.
Ken is having trouble down loading pictures for the blog. He is pretty frustrated. He worked hard on the blog all day. He tried the several places on the property that appear to have better internet. He did get some pictures downloaded but is not happy with the speed of the internet here.
I did not have a stellar day either. I was working on the cow piece. Most of what I did I was happy with and was beginning to remember the joy of doing my machine quilting. A few parts that I did were not done as wonderfully as I had expected. Practice, practice, practice is needed. For breaks I am looking at other peoples art quilting and quilts. I find it very inspirational. I have put some free downloads of Patsy Thompson's machine quilting designs on my iBooks. I use to have a binder of paper downloads but that now seems rather redundant. I need to have inspiration for machine quilting. It is kind of like the blank page for a writer or the blank canvas for an artist. Once you get started the machine quilting flows but initially you need that visual motivation. At home I would look at my own work for inspiration. On the road I do not have the luxury of that.
Ken and I continue to love our walks around the Los Arroyos property usually after every meal, especially if we are here all day. It gets us out of the casa. There are the cows on the other side of the fence to listen to and see. There are the sheep on the other side of the fence to look at and admire. The babies are especially adorable frolicking by their moms.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
Ken got to go and meet with Doctor Victor again.
This is the fourth visit and the fifth will be on Monday. He still must have a little infection because this time he was given antibiotics for a skin infection. Ugh, more antibiotics! At least in this day and age you can look up on the internet exactly what you are taking, the possible side effects, etc.
We are meeting friends in Puerto Vallarta later today. We are going in early to soak up some Puerto while it is sunny and warm. Once parked below Parque Hidelgo we decided that lunch was in order, not coffee. It was already really hot out because of today's extra humidity. We went to our favourite comida corrida spot which is kitty corner from the main, big church in PV. Delicious food! Ken again had the pollo puchuga (chicken breast) and I had the special which was breaded shrimp.
On of the touristy things we did in PV was go to the Museo Cuale by the River Cuale. It had pre-hispanic artifacts from PV and surrounding states. Colimic dogs were the highlight for me. We also went into the municipal palace and saw sculptures.
We met Vickie and Ron at the Cheeky Monkey which is located on the malecon. We had such views from the second floor. The waves were really high and consistently coming higher than usual. The drinks are surprisingly cheap there, 10 pesos - beer or margaritas - anytime. Off we went to the sister restaurant called Sea Monkey. It is located right on the beach and surprisingly there were chairs so we had a centre front seat to the Ocean and the waves. You could look down the beach at the crashing waves and those brave enough to take advantage of the surf.
It was nice to see those two again. They too love Mexico and have spent their winters here for the last ten years or so.
For supper we decided on The Margarita Grill in Old Town. They make guacamole and roasted veggie salsa at your table. Nice treat! Vicke had the Azteca soup which at this place looked very tasty with avocado, dried pepper, onions and cheese.
All of us walked around Old Town with me taking pictures of potential spots to stay for next time we want to stay in Puerto Vallarta. They were older hotels that were likely popular twenty years ago but have fallen out of favour because of the big resorts.
Once back at Parque Hidelgo there were festivities going on (estampas de Mexico en Puerto Vallarta - de Nayarit). There were artisans, food vendors and there had been folk dancing (missed that). We saw a vendor for Minerva beer out of Guadalajara. Good to know of craft beer in Mexico. Vickie and Ron got a ride back to the RV Park in the back of our van, taking their life in our hands (no seats, only the bed). We hope to see them next time we are in PV.
Friday, January 30, 2015
Today and the last few days have been a bit overcast or cloudy, with periods of sun.
We hear a storm is coming. The humidity is making it hotter. It must be pretty uncomfortable here in the summer with all the rain and the sun.
We need to get some things done on the internet. Here is not the place to seriously need to use the internet, it is too slow or it drops out. I only had to catch up on writing the blog. Ken had to catch up on downloading pictures, etc. We decided to go into Bucerias to Vera's Coffee Shop and make use of the facilities. The things we require in a coffee shop - good coffee, LOL, working bathrooms, internet, some sort of sweets that Ken likes and comfortable seating. Vera's had all the requirements this particular day. We also had the additional bonus of air conditioning on this extra hot day. Plus their Weimaraner dog, who did not like getting her picture taken, did like getting petted. She was a wonderful addition to the coffee shop experience. There was a farmers/artisan market happening in the lot next door, too.
It was a pleasant five hours spent doing a bit of people watching but mostly sticking to our task of blogging. In the end we took our laundry in to be done in preparation for our departure for points east.
In the evening after supper we went for our mandatory walk around the loop. As we were leaving Casa Fresa we chatted with the owner who had just returned from a ten day trip to San Diego. Negra, of course spotted us, joining us for awhile then wandered in and out of the shadows ending up at the guard house. Her favourite person was there, a tall gardener. We were lucky she even gave us the time of day by joining us. We had eaten early so we saw the farmer feeding the cows next door. The calves are so adorable as are all the sheep on the other side.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
After having not quilted for over a year my skills have slipped a bit.
I had to remove some of the work I did previously on the cow. I like to stick to using my seam ripper on the back of the piece if I have to undo some of my machine quilting. To fill in the holes after the thread has been removed I rub over the area with my fingernail. I find this works the best. After carefully doing machine quilting again over the area I just pulled out you can hardly notice that thread had been removed. It is not often that I have to remove machine quilting that I have done. It was a good reminder that if I am tired or not that motivated then do not FMQ, it will often be less than satisfactory.
I spent part of the day packing up our clothes for the next leg of our journey. We are leaving Los Arroyos Verdes on Monday morning for points east. We have taken in our last loads of laundry to be washed. Ken is working at getting the blog caught up. Again he has had to go into Vera's Coffee Shop and Bakery to use the internet.
We met Rick and June at their place, two blocks up from the highway. It gave us the chance to see what they had made out fallen debris from palm trees. They had done acrylic painting on palm tree spathe. It is the long, usually brown piece that holds the seeds or flowers of the palm tree. One painting was done of the ocean and Rick had put a little ship inside the spathe. He had also soak the spathe in water and made it into a little bag. Quite creative. I wish I had thought to take pictures.
We walked about three blocks to a little restaurant in their neighborhood. It has good reviews on Trip Advisor. For an appetizer they bring you ceviche wrapped in vegetables. It looked very Californian and was tasty. June had a seafood soup, looked delicious but was too spicy and you had to eat something in a shell with no utensil to crack the shell. Rick had the same grilled fish, rice and veggies that I had. His was overdone to the point of him telling the cook he did not enjoy his meal. Ken had three different kinds of seafood tacos. The deep fried aspect of it was not good, they were chewy, not crispy, he did not enjoy his meal at all. I had an amazingly great grilled fish, two pieces. Wow, I won the luck of the draw on this one. The restaurant was very crowded and we are assuming the cook was stressed by all the people.
We got to eat outside on the little terrace at this restaurant. Inside it was noisy. The restaurant did not yet have a liquor license so you had to go to a little tienda (store) for beer. We dined in a lovely atmosphere with great people and engaging conversation. I had no complaints. We did have to say farewell to our dining companions and hope to see them next year in Bucerias.
In the middle of the night when I woke up it was really storming.
It was rainy and windy. There was thunder and lightening. Very odd because it has been so predictable hot and sunny here. It was expected but I did not think there would be thunder and lightening. Somehow I just woke up and went back to sleep even with all the noise.
It has stopped raining in the morning but did start again just before lunch. Good thing we planning to stay here and pack because that is about all the day is good for. On Gabriola where it rains all winter you have to get out and about, not be bound by the weather. Here is this is about the second time it has rained so staying in seems like the thing to do.
We did take a little trek to Mega for water and a few supplies we could not live with out.
I sadly had to pack up my new sewing machine and all the rest of my art supplies. I say sadly cause I am not sure when I will be able to get them out again, especially the sewing machine. I did find my water colour notebook for some sketches that I could use later for smaller quilts. I need to do art, it is not a choice. I want to also, but I do need to.
