January 13, 2009
Sharon, our neighbor to the southwest, landed an 85 pound Marlin, on her husband, Ken’s, fishing boat. The Marlin’s beak, the texture of a cow’s horn, is hanging on our shared clothesline to dry so she can take it home to Canada with her. She is drying and pickling the meat…..so exciting.

Andy did a men’s quad ride day today and drove with eight quads to the little town of La Cucuracha and did some exploring to find the back road route for us to take on Thursday when we do a couples ride and an overnight. He was so dirty that we had to brush and prewash his clothes before sending them to the laundry. We will all be like that on Thursday and Friday, but a motel to bathe and relax together in the middle of the trip…..should be so fun. Andy went 68 miles today!

I have finally dipped into the paint pot and did a water color and an acrylic painting today and yesterday. A swim and lunch at the pool with Shirley broke up the day and a drive into La Penita to pick up two pants outfits that I had made by Lucy’s dress shop. Shirley put an order in for a dress and I may go back for a dress unless I pick one up at the women’s fashion show the beginning of next month. Lucy speaks English and has made dresses and blouses and pants for the people in the park for quite a few years. She is very nice and has us try on things just behind a shelf….no dressing room. She hand painted one pair of pants to match a top and embroidered geckos and frogs on another. Andy was tired from his long trip so we stayed home for dinner, to eat leftovers from our feast last night. Our feast last night was chicken, potatoes, tortillas, salad, and Flan from downtown that we served on our patio to Carol, Grant, Shirley and Bob with homemade Margaritas.

Two of the top park worker boys delivered some promised concrete from a site job they are putting in up the hill. With shear talent, our neighborhood rocks have been piled (by us) so they resemble steps. The boys poured cement on them for us and cemented in a little sidewalk to the steps. It will be safer and improves the looks of our little bit of landscaping. Shirley and I decorated the inbetween places with little stones that we picked up around. Shirley even tried to make something looking like a dog print in the mud and the hope is that no real dog gets in it before it dries! It is Mexican!