Cooler Weather and Poker

Carl's been having his morning swim in the ocean the last few days, floating with his back to the beach, contemplating his toes and the horizon and watching the pelicans fish. Tomorrow I'll join him. I've been sticking to the pool for weekdays, because it's easier for me to keep to a workout schedule there. Driving home this morning, we saw a horse and rider coming down the street. I'll never get tired of that. It's so cool that after leaving Alberta, we ended up in the beef capital of Mexico, complete with cowboys (vaqueros).

Busy day for a 'day off'. Shadow and Carl's swim at 7:30, then my swim, a haircut, wash the car, go to the new butcher shop (got two filet mignons, two ribeyes and a bunch of pork ribs). This shop is great, the gentleman speaks English and it's inexpensive- all that for 248 pesos. Broken down, that's 90 for the filets($7.50), 84 for the ribeyes($6.87) and 74($6) for the ribs. He only asks, "how thick?" If they are good, then we've found our butcher. After only a year.

Work for a couple of hours, then off to the Burrito Express mail guys, stopping on the way at a Ferriteria to buy a gate latch and some drawer pulls. Got lucky and got both at one place.

Home and install the gate latch- ended up driving a longer screw into the wood on the left piece, but it works so much better than the old one. I have a new and more intense respect for people who work outsde in this heat and humidity. Within five minutes, I couldn't get a grip on the screwdriver and sweat was pouring off my chin.


Tomorrow we have to get more restaurant information and add more to our website. It's getting a very positive response, and if you search Rocky Point Restaurants we're on page one already.

Tonight we're off for a poker game at the Parrot. So in a little down time I thought I'd update the old blog. Did you know it was a blog that inspired the movie Julia and Julia? Yep, true story. I can just see this becoming a movie...who will play Carl, me and Shadow? You vote!

I was just about to start writing this when a knock came at the door and Diana wanted me to drive her somewhere. So off we went, after her family indicated I was taking her to a church over 'that way.'

I've found a way for Rosie to be able to put up the newspaper on her own, without needing me as an intermediary. We're both really happy with it, but remain good friends and of course if she needs any technical help I'll be there.

We're into August already tomorrow! Holy smokes. We'll have to do something to celebrate our one-year anniversary of arrival on August 28. This past few days it's cooled off a bit, 34 instead of 39, and those 5 degrees help a lot. At night it's about 32 in the house after we turn the AC off, but that's comfortable for us. It got down to 29 in here last night and we both decided that was on the verge of being too cool. A month ago that was WAY too hot.

Holy smokes, it's quarter to six! Let me wrap things up.

In two months it will be cool enough for us to have visitor again, so start planning now! In case you've forgotten:

Tortas and nachos

Just a quick update- on Sunday, a young man came by and told me in perfect English that he and his wife were selling meals to raise money to take her to Hermosillo to see a doctor. It was 40 pesos a meal, so I ordered two and gave him 100 pesos.

Later that afternoon, he delivered two plates each with a delicious pork sandwich on a huge bun, fries and a salad. We put the supper we had planned away in the fridge and dug in.

The next day, the lady next door gave me an invitation with an envelope attached to it, inviting me to her place for a "cafe". Today! She made it very clear. So over I went, with 50 pesos in my envelope, and found out it was a fund-raiser for the same couple. Isn't it great how the community supports one another? And we feel a part of it now.

I had some...not sure what they are called, but they look like little pieces of pasta and they throw them in hot oil until they puff up, then pour a delicious hot sauce over them.

I didn't stay for nachos, I had work to do, but I was once again enveloped in the warmth of that family, who I think must be community leaders, largely due to grandma. She also told me (she speaks Spanish slowly and repeats herself, I listen closely and we seem to communicate) that she has a friend coming who speaks English very well, and she seemed to be saying that we'd be having a long chat then. I hope so, I like her.

Just back from our daily swim. Every fifth round I do the dogpaddle in honour of Shadow. It's really good for the upper arms. I want to tell him that if we use our back legs, it actually slows us down, but he won't listen, he's such a know-it-all.

Thats all, back to work now. :)

Trip to Hermosillo

Back safe again after our 2nd trip to Hermosillo. The drive there isn't bad, because you start on the bad road and the roads slowly get better, until after Altar it is a four-lane highway all the way to Hermosillo. Coming back, you hit the bad stretch when you're tired. Lots of traffic, you have to watch out for semis and buses who seem to believe they can just cut you off or drive in whichever lane they prefer at the moment. Plus a certain A-hole from Arizona that we were glad to see the last of. The route:

Anyway, the drive there is nice, it gets greener and more mountainous as you drive, and there were clouds of yellow butterflies all the way from Altar to Hermosillo.

Driving through Altar, I saw a sign that said, El Greigo. A Greek Restaurant!!! Yes, it's true. I doubt that we'll ever eat there, but it's comforting to know it's there somehow.

Here are some of the road signs we see here:

No rebase con raya continua No passing on solid line- largely ignored
Curva peligrosa Dangerous curve- beleive them!
Concede cambio de luz Dim your lights for oncoming traffic
Obedezca las señales Obey traffic signs
Use el cinturón de seguro Use seat belts
Tramo en reparación Road repairs ahead
Guarde su distancia Don’t tailgate
Si toma no maneja If you drink, don’t drive
Respete los límites de velocidad Respect posted speed limits
Puesto de control militar Military checkpoint
Gracias por usar el cinturón de seguro Thank you for buckling up
Topes Speed bumps
Un solo carril Single lane ahead
Disminuya su velocidad Slow down
Conserve limpia la carretera Keep highway clean
Zona de vados Washes in area
Cruce de peatones Crosswalk
Cinturón de seguridad obligatorio Use of seat belt mandatory
No maltrates las senales Don’t damage road signs
No circule por acotamiento Don’t drive on shoulder (WHAT SHOULDER?)
Modere la velocidad, su familia le espera Slow down, your family is waiting for you
Carril izquierdo solo para rebasar Left lane for passing only
Principia tramo de cuota Begin toll road
Use acotamiento para emergencia Use shoulder for emergencies (See above)
No exceda los límites de velocidad Don’t exceed speed limits
Transito lento carril derecho Slower traffic use right lane
No tire basura Don’t litter

One of the dangers of driving even on the four-lane highways is that there's no shoulder, no room for error. If you lose focus and drift to the side, you could easily go off the road and end up rolling over the scrub. So it's a tiring drive. OK, enough about that!!

Here is a nice church in Altar:


Hermosillo is a very pretty, very hip city, in the mountains, with tree-lined streets.


We stayed at the Araiza hotel, a five star hotel where they treated us very well. Our room was about $73 for the night. I had a great swim in their pool last night.


We ate out at a fairly expensive(for Mexico) restaurant. Carl had a 7-oz filet mignon that he said was fantastic, and I had a chicken breast in a mushroom-gravy that was also awesome. A Bohemian beer, a glass of wine, a 25% tip, and the total was 500 pesos, about $41.

OK, got to run to a party, talk later, glad to be home.

Smoked Marlin Tacos

We're clearly getting used to the heat- it was 32 in the house, and Shadow, Carl and I all had a big hug on the bed. Then we turned on the AC.

As you know, I've been trying to teach English to Diana from next door. That's come to an end for now, because in trying to find lessons, I've realized all ESL class lessons are for a group of people, and it was wearing me out trying to figure out how to teach her. I told her (in a typed note that I translated on google translator)that I would try to find a friend to help teach her, and then we could start again. And that I had a LOT of fun! I got a hug for that. Here's a couple of shots of our "classes".


We each have the same book, one for learning English and one for learning Spanish.

We laughed as much as we learned.

Last weekend we joined the "Old Boys Social Club" out in Cholla Bay, after being invited out by our friends Jerry and Laurie. It was a big spaghetti dinner. We helped out with the prep and the cleanup.
Cholla Bay view:

Banners in the clubhouse -They have events about once a month, and give proceeds to charity.

Out the front door- it was hot in there, about 39 degrees.

Carl and Jerry make garlic bread- oh, it was good!!


The local slogan- I love it!

More of the view


Carl helps out in the kitchen at home.


We had a lightning storm last night. I took a movie of it and then took some stills. Not very good quality, I’ll try a different technique next time.




The circus is in town! At the Uncommon Women event last Tuesday, I met a few women who live in town and went to this circus. I'm sort of disappointed in myself that I didn't go as well. It's nice to know there are other gringas here who live "in town".



Smoked marlin tacos: Start with the smoked marlin. We bought it at Chili Peppers restaurant by Max's. $7 a pound. Cheryl, I can have some in your fridge when you get down here if you like!

A little avocado and fresh tortillas from the local mercado.


Make some pico de gallo- Carl says mine was a little too pico.


Saute the marlin in some butter.

Throw it all together and YUM!


Tonight we're having the other half of the marlin with a salad- we don't want to obscure the taste. It's really very good.

Now- check out our new website, www.rockypointrestaurants.net.

As far as the newspaper goes, we think we've found a perfect solution- a template site that is made for building weekly newspapers, called bulletlink.com. I'm setting it up, and then Rosie can just enter her articles directly, upload some pictures, add ads etc. by herself. If she needs any technical help, she can hire me through my company, and then we're both happy! She's coming over today to get some training, and I've got to go off and work on the layout, so bye for now.

Three Dumb Gringos Blog Again

We've decided to come back to blogging, only I won't try to write every couple of days this time, I'll only write when I have something interesting to say. Hope you enjoy it!

As summer arrives, our days are settling into a rhythm. Up at 7 or 7:30 and take Shadow to the beach for his swim. This is usually lovely, not too hot, stand in warm water up to your knees and watch the birds and the water, and throw the ball for Shadow.


Then we come home, change into suits, and go for our swim.
Down to the pool at the Baja Cantina. We swim and exercise for about 40 minutes, then back to the car and back home. Sometimes they charge us 60 pesos for the swim, but you get a bracelet to allow you back in and two drink tickets, so on those days we try to come back around 5 and have a dip and a couple of beers at the swim up bar.

Then it's a shower, a light breakfast and work. Maybe a few errands in the late afternoon, might visit the Sandbar and shoot a little pool, maybe go for that swim, then home for supper. All in all, these are very nice days.

We're getting out, meeting a few more people. This is my friend Rosie who I do the paper with:www.rockypointnewsonline.com


Here are just some random shots around town:
A couple kayaking off the Malecon:

The sombrero and mustache restaurant:

The beach on Memorial day weekend:

Our street on a crowded day

Carl gets to take a swipe at a pinata at the next-door's birthday party

Mel enjoying her marg


Cheryl came down to whip her new house into shape, joined us at JC's


There's a little circus here in town, there are trucks with loudspeakers driving around advertising it. One is towing some llamas, goats and ponies. At first I thought they were selling them, but nope, it's a circus. Today we saw a cage with three or four leopards. They looked like they were very healthy, by the way.

It's now grape and watermelon season here (uvas and sandias). Very good, very juicy and fresh. Tomatoes seem to be in season as well, they're very flavorful. And we got some great green beans today. I remember being very disappointed with the produce last August, but as I think I said in an earlier blog, it's all about the seasons here, and August-September are bad seasons in this location.

Here is Diana, who invited us to her birthday. I am attempting in my lame way to teach her English, Saturdays at one. My cousin Sharon is an ESL teacher, and she's been sending me tips. I also bought her a book that should help. Diana's great, a smart girl and fun!



And here's her brother, Andreas, who's pretty good with the old devil sticks!


Later, gator!

Mel