Mexican Jay
Our neighbors on the property, who were not terribly friendly so we did not get to know them at all, checked out yesterday. So even though Mary was not technically due to check into the casita until today the caretakers offered the place up a day early. It is a darling palapa with a patio, beautiful open shower, queen bed, futon and kitchenette that included a small fridge, cook top, coffee maker and sink. She has unpacked and taken a bit of birdseed to attract new friends to her patio, and gone so far as to concoct a hummingbird feeder out of a plastic water bottle, a dried plant stalk as a feed tube, saran wrap for plumber’s tape and q-tips as a wick. Very clever, our girl. But she has promised she’ll do all her hanging out with us. And quite frankly it was weird not having her in the house last night.
Yesterday I was walking the beach picking up shells and stones to use as poker chips as none of us had quarters to play 31 or pass the ace, so we’d use shells and stones instead. I was thinking if my dad wanted to say hello he’d really have to work at it. Some of you who know the story of my late dad leaving me quarters to find, his way of saying hello. And the psychic telling me he’s around when I see a blue jay. So I’m hanging out back on the porch and what should come along that we haven’t yet seen? A Mexican Jay. Blue wings, tail and eye mask, with a gray back and white chest. Good morning Daddy! My heart fills and I get teary eyed every time I get these beautiful messages from him.
With all the birds in such close proximity I had not yet set up my birding telescope, as we could see so well with either binoculars or the camera’s telephoto lens. So yesterday I went ahead and positioned it to catch the action at the orange half in the cactus at the edge of the garden. Our new camera has a flat face with an internal telephoto lens (everything is sealed so it is useable underwater) and lo and behold it fits tight against the scope’s eyepiece. I can now take uber-close-ups through the scope. I love my toys.
We’ve had a couple of incidents of birds in the house – our room is open to the porch with only a half wall and a mosquito net over the bed, and the main house doors are open all day; no screens. So Mary has done expert bird extractions on a female oriole and to her extreme delight a hummingbird. Her face upon releasing him was filled with joy.
The Beach House is No Longer
The erosion of the shoreline here has been substantial; in the 10 or so years we’ve come here we’ve watched walls disappear, relocations of businesses, and front yards of properties get eaten away. So it was sad to see our beloved beach house, where we’d spent good times with family and friends, no longer in evidence on the beach. The casita behind it that was used for additional members of our party is still there, and new construction is going on next door, but what will happen on the vacant spot we don’t know. So glad to have found this new haven.
The devastation of shoreline erosion drove us to beer, and we lunched on the upstairs deck at The Coral Reef as most places were closed on Sunday. Coronas con limon and fish or shrimp tacos were the order of the day and very satisfying.
There was some huge event in the village Saturday night; a wedding or a quinceañera, and somebody made the mistake of giving the mariachi band an amp. We are now sure mariachi is how you say hell in Spanish. They played until 3 AM, so yesterday after 2 Coronas and lunch it was naps all around. The wind has picked up and it’s cool under the covered porch, so I wrapped myself in a fuzzy blanket and managed to get myself into the hammock without incident. Ahhhhh.
We were enjoying a nice Argentinean Cabernet as dusk settled upon us when our little bat friend who is probably responsible for the crunchy bits we find on the porch every morning began his nightly rounds. Time to put some lights on. I made my tequila-lime-avocado salad dressing for a simple vegetable salad, and grilled some pork chops that I topped with a cilantro, lime, hot pepper and garlic chiffonade. And we still had carrot cake! I’m so proud of my husband. His birthday is Wednesday and he hasn’t gone hog wild on the cake. Such restraint!
Tiene un día maravilloso!
