February 28, 2010. Mexico. Hockey.

The noise was deafening. What a difference a goal makes. When the US team scored just at the end of regulation time, the bar was silent. Not a sound. The whole place was full of Canadians, all wearing red shirts, some sporting the red mittens. They were enthusiastic and loud, sure that their team would win. For a while, everyone was nervous, except me, who didn't care who won. Only three people in the bar were from the US, everyone else, including all the waiters were cheering for the Canadians.

Ken and I took the trolley over to the steal house on the other side of the canal. It is new, and we figured less people would come to watch the game. Most of the restaurant is outside, but the bar, outfitted with many many televisions, is at the back of the restaurant. When we arrived thirty minutes prior to the game, the place was full, except for two seats at the end of the bar. That was our spot for the next few hours. Even though the room was crowded and noisy everyone was having a great time, especially when Canada was ahead by two goals.

Truthfully, it was a good game, hard fought by both teams. But I only managed to stay in my bar stool by the skin of my teeth. What saved me was the buffet to nibble on the whole time. I discovered that I never watch a whole hockey game, but rather read a bit and walk around a bit and talk on the phone too. In that bar, I had to watch the whole game and enjoy every minute. Fortunately I was able to tell folks that we were Canadians and lived in Nova Scotia, close to Sidney Crosby's home town. Today was the day to be a Canadian!!

February 27, 2010. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.

I do not know why travel days are so tiring. Always, the evening leaves me out to lunch, figuratively speaking. It seems unreasonable. All you do all day is sit and read and nap and eat, with a lot of walking thrown in. But when you arrive at your destination you are so tired you must take a nap and I have no clue why. Part of it is that you started early in the day so you are short of sleep. Next comes the delay of an hour and a half departure from Houston. Finally comes the organization at the apartment. All together, before going out to dinner I must lay down and close my eyes.

Robbie and Joyce are here too so tonight we took the shuttle down to the Hotel for Happy Hour for two for one drinks, followed by food in the bar. It was fun and festive. Ken and I sat down to watch a bit of TV when I went to sleep immediately. I really do not know why a travel day leaves me so weary but I do know that I am not at my best the evening of the travel day. Tomorrow is a new day and after a good night sleep I will begin to enjoy the weather and the foliage. I am already enjoying the lack of snow.

February 26, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Gifts.

Unexpected gifts are always delightful. A package arrived at the office addressed to me. No birthday, no Christmas, no anniversary, but someone had sent me a gift. I know it is a gift because the package comes from Canada, and the customs requires the contents written on the outside of the package. So I know it is a book and I know it is a gift and I know it is from my sister-in-law Irene. The book is small and light in weight so it is for sure a paper back book. It always takes me a few moments to open a gift. I like to guess the content of the book. Finally I open the package, along with Carol E. who is trying to work. I am charmed with my gift.

The book is not actually a traditional book, but is a book of post cards with one theme only. "The Reading Woman". Irene bought this book of post cards at the Art Gallery in Toronto and is a post card of paintings of women reading a book. The artists are famous and obscure and I love them all. I think I will not use these post cards, but will keep them together as a book. But what I am going to do is begin a collection and I will seek out paintings of women reading. My friend Gill has a wonderful collection of mothers and babies, so I will search for paintings of a woman reading a book. You just never know what you find when you search high and low. In ten years time, when you visit us to see our art, I will tell you that my collection began with a small gift.

February 25, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Rewards.

Every one loves to be rewarded. The truth of the matter is, that if behaviour is rewarded for any specific activity, you can be guaranteed that you will see more of that specific activity. It is true that whatever you reward you will get. That is why it so devilishly difficult to determine what actions you reward. Early in the evolution of the office, we decided what we wanted from the agents. We wanted independent hardworking agents who wanted to make a lot of money and run their business and do it properly. Then get on with their lives.

We in the office and the company agreed to reward that behaviour. Top Dog Lunch, Kennel Club, trips to New York are all part of the package. The first year we suspected we might have a shot at a Billion in sales, we asked the agent's council what should be done if we did it. They thought a trip to New York. I lobbied with Mr. Foster and he approved the trip, actually never dreaming the agents would actually make that goal. But in December of that year, Carole drew a thermometer on the board and the agents could see hoe close we were. Everyone worked extra hard that December to get us over the Billion. So we went to New York for the weekend and had a blast.

It is actually a bit silly because most agents could go to New York any time they want but it is fun for everyone to meet our group goals. This year, at the time when most people were in the depths of despair, it was absolutely amazing that the agents broke the Billion mark. So we went to New York, even though we have not broken our all time high volume. It is simple but true. The agents respond by working harder in order for us to go to New York for the weekend. And everyone had a blast once again!!

February 24, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. New York.

The interesting thing when visiting New York is how well the city seems to function. Manhattan is a very crowded place but the people who live there seem happy. When you are looking at the map trying to figure out which direction to go , people stop and ask if you need help. Certainly surprising behavior. It happened to us three times. A couple of other times we asked for directions. "Which direction do we go for Madison Avenue?." Invariably, the local people smile and give you the answer and also tell you how many blocks. People walk very fast. Everything needed to live is within a few blocks. Everything. Grocery stores, restaurants, florists, hardware stores, library. All within a few blocks. From talking to people, it seems that each person lives in a specific smaller village. They take the subway to work, but walk to everything in their village. No cars. Tons of cabs.

I have lived in big cities, Vancouver, Toronto, Washington, but I have never lived anyplace like New York, that is so large and with so much variety of absolutely everything. And New York does not stop. If you want Pizza at four o'clock in the morning, at least three places would be open within walking distance of your home. It really is an amazing place. And quite astonishing that it works well. Now I know they have problems. Their rules for rental ownership are terribly unfair and of course, the city is going broke thanks to their Unions. The tax laws are driving companies out of New York too. But the feel of the place is exciting and the residents are energetic. Many of the agents attended the theater, some twice, and reported the high quality of the shows. I believe that you could attend a show or concert for a year and not attend any one show twice. Same with restaurants. As this planet gets more and more crowded, someone needs to try to figure out how this city ticks along. I for one can not imagine living there for long, but I do believe that it is an exciting place to be.

February 23, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. The Trip.

We left on Sunday morning from Bethesda. Ninety agents in two buses, heading north to New York and returning Tuesday afternoon. Now we are home. On the way home, we decided that it seemed as if we had been gone a week, when in reality it was three days. But what a trip we had. Our hotel was The Waldorf Astoria. Just walking around that lovely old place is a reminder of times past but better, as the whole hotel has been renovated but not changed.

I did a very stupid thing, in that I did not take my own computer. I recalled from times past that the more expensive the hotel the more difficult is the access to the computers so I was expecting the hotel would be expensive and they were. But I expected that many agents would take their small computers which I would be able to borrow but no luck. Most agents use a Blackberry. The stupid hotel even required a charge for Internet service in the rooms. If you foolishly borrow their computers the charge is almost a dollar a minute so being cheap, I was not able to write my wee web log for Sunday or Monday.

One of the things you do in New York is walk. Everyone walks all the time going along at a fast clip. It's a great city. Fifty years ago, when you visited New York, you found rude surly people, with dirty streets and lots of cars honking. Even the cab drivers were nasty. No more. The people are friendly and helpful and the streets are clean. It is an amazing transformation. We were glad we went.

February 20.2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Calves.

It is a wonderful system. You work hard at the farm in order to put away hay and silage so the cattle can eat over the winter. Then you have one bull and many heifers in the pasture and by the end of February, the calves begin to appear. So far we have nine little calves and they are very cute indeed. Just as soon as the calves are born they stand up and soon begin to nurse. Then they follow their Mother. It is an amazing sight. One of the calves is gray. Can an Angus calf be gray? Last season, between Brian and Ken we had 32 calves. Nothing pleases Brian more than looking up at the pasture and seeing all the little black calves. I hope he likes the gray one too as it is his. It is a wonderful system and all we have to do is cheer. And we sell enough calves to pay the taxes!!

First thing this morning the bird feeders were busy. Many doves eating from the ground, 20 at a time, all coming and going in unison. We saw tufted titmouse, bluebirds, and one very loud red tailed hawk, screaming at me when I went outside. The snow is melting at the farm. The next time we go up, we should see green grass in every direction. Ken and I were pleased with the weekend, although on our arrival we would not so sure it was a good idea. The amount of snow was remarkable. Our fire pit is surrounded with benches and chairs and tables. When you look at it today, snow is the only thing you see. It is quite a sight.

February19, 2010. Farm, Pa. Hot and cold.

No animals are seen around the farm and even though the bird seeds were put out this morning, no birds are coming to visit. The high snow must be hard on the creatures of the forest. Even the woods have snow covering all the ground. We were wondering where all the animals go during a winter such as this. Then we drove down to the little rental house and discovered that areas in the yard looked like the old game of fox and hen. At first I thought that children must have come by to play in the yard, making rounds of soil where the snow is all pushed aside, with paths from one round to the other, three round spots in all, each about four feet across. Then we looked more closely and decided that the deer made these nests and bedded down for their rest. Just down the road when leaving, we spotted eight deer pawing through the snow looking for food.

Our friends here like the snow, as it protects the ground from getting too deeply frozen. They say the ground is always easier to work after a big snow. Snow is easier than freezing weather on the animals, say the farmers. We are hoping that snow kills more ticks than with a more moderate winter, but we don't really know. For us humans, hotter is better, but only so far up the gauge and cold is better experienced from inside when you are 72. The heat of the sun pouring into the big windows at the hill house are wonderful to behold, while in Mexico we stay under shade when the sun is out. Reading with sun coming across your shoulder keeps you warm but only when inside. It certainly felt good today, with the snow outside and the sun on the inside. A perfect combination.

February 18, 2010. Artemas, Pa. Snow. Snow.ebruary 16, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Working.

This is an usual day for us to be at the farm. Thursday is normally a work day, but here we are, at the farm and once again enjoying the beauty of the place. When we first drove up to the farm house and realized that four feet of snow separated us in the truck and the door of the house we looked at each other, laughed and suggested out loud "why did we come?". We knew why we came. Although Tammy and Bryan keep track of the houses, we like to see for ourselves that everything is in order with no leaks or drips. Being careful, we thought it smart to stay in the farm house so we unloaded the truck and put our belongings away and organized the kitchen.

The main reason to come up was to check to be sure the hill house had oil. After completing our task down below, we decided to walk up the hill, only to discover that the road has been well ploughed right down to the gravel, so we drove the truck up the hill and discover that we could easily stay in our house on the hill, so back we headed to retrieve all our goods and bring them all up, which we did.

The decks are covered with snow up the the railings, with the drifting the stoop by the road has up to six feet of snow. The fields have not been touched so these huge fields are solid covers of pristine snow. It is gorgeous. Now that the house is warm, and we can go in and out of the house, we are feeling pleased we came to the farm. Sunday, the agents go to New York, to celebrate our Billion Dollar Year. So Ken and I came up today and will return on Saturday. Then I am off to the big city while Ken gets to organize our income tax . Poor fellow.

The only difficulty with so much snow is the walking. It is impossible to walk the trails or the fields with four feet of snow. Perhaps we need to go to Bedford to buy snowshoes.

February 17, 2010. Bethesda, Md. True Story.

Every day around four o'clock I serve tea to the agents. Using a beautiful and elegant tea cart given to me by Carole Maclure, I make the tea in the kitchen and wheel around the tea giving out the tea to any agent or guest. I wear an apron, given to me by Peppy, so I look a bit odd in this office environment.

At my age and stage and with a retired husband I am not always in the office as we do a bit of travelling but everyone in the office has been introduced to me and I know every agent and assistant. I thought everyone knew me.

One day I walked into an agent's office serving tea. The agent and their assistant were busy working. They thanked me for the tea and I left. As I left, the assistant commented that the tea lady looked much like Ruth and found that to be interesting. The agent laughed and laughed and told me the story, but the agent was very embarrassed so I am not supposed to tell anyone. But it is too good a story to keep to myself. The moral of the story is that I need to stay at home more often.

February 16, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Working.

It is always a pleasure to get to work. Something is always happening. One night when the driving was terrible due to the two feet of snow, Regina slept at the office. When everyone had gone, she was nervous all by herself in that large office, she she decided to sleep in the elevator. Her thinking was that no one could ever find her asleep in the elevator, so she would be safe. It worked. She slept well all night long.

The next day, after folks discovered what she had done, the elevator was turned into a private office for Regina. Three people moved a desk, a plant, and paper and pens into the elevator, along with two signs saying "Regina's Private Office". It is very cute and actually looks like an office. It certainly seems odd, to discover an office in the elevator, but gives everyone a chuckle. This group of agents along with the staff have tremendous spirit and spunk. And for certain, you never know what will happen next!!

February 15, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Women.

The young women of today have a somewhat precarious situation, which is as often the case, all their doing. The best part of being a woman today is the options afforded to her. One hundred years ago, the only choice was to be very careful of the choice of a husband because if the husband was not healthy or did not provide funding, the woman and children were up the proverbial creek.

The movement for equality with women and men on the job has been successful. Now women can work part time when the children are young and join the ranks of the employed after the children are grown. This is a good thing. What has not been so successful for women has been the so called sexual revolution. Over the years I have been somewhat fearful of women and their long term goals. Little thought has been taken by women for protection their future. A February edition of The Weekly Standard has just published a long article of current dating patterns of the young and not so young. It is horrifying but only reminds me of my anxiety concerning young women of the day. The feminist movement has sold a bill of goods to women concerning the similarity of men and women. They are not the same. Now the young women of the world will have to sort out the chaff from the wheat.

February 14, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Olympics.

It is a dream come true, at home for two days watching the Olympics being held in Vancouver. Even the commercials filmed in British Columbia are a pleasure. I love Vancouver even when it is raining, but when the sun is shining, it is the most beautiful city in the world. And of course, all the picture we see on the TV were filmed with the sun shining, so all the lead ins and the pictures of the area make everything look beautiful. Next year we will make a trip out there.

I love watching the Olympics on TV. I love all the events on TV. I just wish more hours could be spent showing all the sports events rather than have the experts talk about the athletes. But I will not complain. I will just enjoy and be grateful I am at home rather than Mexico, where winter sports are not a big deal. My real fantasy is to be on vacation in Canada during the Olympics and where I have television, so I could watch both the Canadian and US coverage, switching from one channel to the next at my whim. I am told by my relatives that the Canadian coverage gives a wide range of the events and the athletes while the US coverage tends to focus on the American athletes events. My dream is to have no employment and no company, just watch the Olympic coverage all day and all evening. One day we will try to schedule it into our routine. For now, I will enjoy for the next two weeks, whenever I get a chance.

February 13, 2010. Chevy Chase, Md. Snow City.

It looks like Montreal. Five foot banks of snow along all the roads and all frozen solid. The parking lot at our apartment has a ten foot snow pile. The main roads are clean but the side roads are a mess. This city does not know how to handle a lot of snow. The Mayor of Washington admitted today at a press conference that next time, they will do things differently. But of course, the next time might be fifty years ahead and no one will remember. The temperatures are low so nothing is melting, which again is unusual. If you wait a bit, the snow generally goes away. But not this year.

It is actually fun to return to a winter wonderland. It is unusual to see white ground from the plane. It was cold taking the train from the airport to Bethesda and cold walking to the garage. This time we took coats, and gloves, and scarves so we were fine. It was just a little difficult trying to drive around the corners with such high snow banks. The forecast is for more snow on Monday or Tuesday. Snow City indeed.

February 12, 2010. Mexico. Planning.

It is exciting to have made a plan. Irene, my sister-in-law, noted that Dave made their tickets for May to Vancouver and she was delighted with the prospect of the trip west. She was hoping that we would be out west this May and not 2011 so we would be there together, but no such luck. The question I always ponder is the question of why people do not plan ahead. My cousin in Vancouver when asked about coming to Nova Scotia always responds that it is too far in the future to make a firm plan. It is puzzling to me.

Many compliments come our way because our life style and because we have houses the children and grandchildren enjoy visiting. I am polite and thank them for their comments, but I really want to ask them how they thought both things happened. These places we own which the children and grandchildren enjoy did not happen by themselves. It was a plan, both long term and short term. Again many folks tell us they wish they could travel. My thought is that they really do not to like to travel because they never lift a finger to make a plan. It is not money only. We are not wealthy people but we do plan ahead!!

Mississippi Snow and Girls

February 11, 2010. Mexico. Walking.

For the last three days we have been lazy, reading in the apartment or using the computer. No trips on the bus or into towns. Late in the day we take a walk. It is a very pleasant way to spend a day, to be lazy, then take a walk. Normally, mornings are our preferred time for walking, but for the past three evenings, we have changed out routine. It is kind of nice. No destination in mind, no ultimate objective, just ambling along seeing what we can find.

Last evening, after walking almost an hour along the road and back, we decided to stop for dinner at the restaurant just up the road that had opened in December. Twice we had lunch there on our last visit, but now they are only open for dinner, so even though it was early for dinner, we decided to stop, have a beer and wait until they actually opened. When we arrived there at 5:45, the only people there were the musicians and two cooks. The musicians chatted away with us. They are from Montana and live here year round and find that a musician can make a living easier here than in the US.

This restaurant is out of doors so very pleasant and our memory about the food was accurate. The food was wonderful. All put together, our afternoon walk ended us back home at 9:00, fat and happy.

February 10, 2010. Mexico. Planning Ahead.

Ken and I are good at planning for the future. The conversation begins, sometimes when sitting and talking, sometimes walking on the beach, and often having a glass of wine. The conversation begins with a question. "Would you like to spend a week at Pender Island?" The pros and cons are discussed and right then and there a decision made to research the idea or to scrap it. For the next few weeks we talk about the idea again. We kind of poke around the concept, raising further thoughts that are raised in the shower or the car.

Whether we decide to proceed or not, Ken brings together facts and figures. He finds travel costs and accommodations. Eventually, one of us we will advocate the action. "I think we should spend a week at Pender Island." Next we discuss dates, not in the abstract, but specifically the reasonable and feasible time for the trip, and we choose the date. "In May, 2011, we will fly to Vancouver, spend one week at Pender Island, then take a train from Vancouver to Jasper, and finally fly home from Calgary. That is a plan and now the plan bit by bit will be implemented, so next May, we will be spending a week at Pender Island.

For the past two days Ken and I have filled in all the details of the rest of the year. With me with my calender and Ken at the computer, Ken ordered tickets and rental cars and accommodations, so now we are all set for the rest of the year. Nothing pleases us more than being prepared for our year!! I must say, Suzanne thinks we are nuts when we were discussing with her the Christmas plan in San Antonio. But she will be pleased come Christmas when we are implementing the carefully thought out events when thinking in Mexico.

February 9, 2010. Mexico. Snow, Snow, Snow.

Since 1883, the Washington area has experienced thirteen major snow storms This year we have already had two, and another one is on the way. Over the weekend, over two feet of heavy wet snow fell on the whole region so by Monday, the city was at a stand still. The Federal Government was closed Monday and Tuesday. Tomorrow the weather bureau is forecasting ten to twenty inches of snow yet again. Our office has stayed open. It is so interesting, that some people can always get to work, no matter the weather and without regard for the distance.

Regina called to tell me the news that Chinese food was served to everyone who was able to get to the office. She also wanted to warn me that upon our arrival home, the snow will be still there. Fortunately, my car is in the garage at work, so after the Metro ride to Bethesda, we must drive my car home through the snow and slush. Ken's truck is also in a garage at the apartment, so it will not be necessary to clear off all the snow. Once we left my car at BWI parking lot, and arrived back at the lot with all cars covered with snow, so one car looked like every other car. It was not easy to find my own.

Eighty degrees and sunny has been my experience this week, but I definitely will not act smug upon my arrival home.

February 8, 2010. Mexico. Books.

"A Country of Vast Designs: James Polk" by Robert Merry is an excellent book and not before it was due. At least a dozen folks, when asked about James Polk, responded that they knew nothing about James Polk, except that he had once been the President of the United States. I was in the same boat of ignorance, so when I read the review about this new book, I down loaded it onto my Kindle. He was an interesting man, in that he came into the Presidency with four tasks he wished to accomplish. In his first letter to the Congress, the precursor to the State of the Union speech , he listed the four items on his agenda. Of course, many folks thought he was daft. In addition, he stated that he would only serve one term. Sure enough, four years later, those four deeds were done, and four months after he left the high office, he died. It is an interesting read.

Now and at the same time I am reading the "Autobiography of Theodore Roosevelt" obviously by Theodore Roosevelt, and "The Wilderness Warrior" by Douglas Brinkley, also obviously about Theodore Roosevelt. He was an interesting and energetic man, which I already knew, but now I am getting all the details. Corruption was a big issue with him. It reads well even now. Two chapters from each, one after the other, makes you keep your wits about you.

When we first arrived here I was finishing up "Louis Brandeis: A Life", by Melvin Urofsky, a book I started before Christmas but kept until we were here. Sustained reading is necessary to keep the players in their proper place so at home and even at the farm I read my periodicals. I still have a new biography of General Grant in my Kindle and as we leave on Saturday, I must keep diligent!

February 6, 2010. Mexico. A Beautiful Place.

Bandares Bay is a large body of water with a small heavily forested coastal flat area , which is surrounded from one end of the bay to the other by rows of mountains. From our apartment we can see both ends of the large bay with the land jutting out into the sea, and behind us are the beautiful mountains, the Sierra Madres, surrounding the Bay. The row after row after row of mountains visible anywhere in Puerta Vallarta is what first caught my fancy. It really is a lovely spot.

And then are the birds. Pelicans really are ridiculous creatures, so large and ungainly, but my goodness, how they can fly. I love to watch them, especially when I see them land on a branch high up on the tree. They are much better at catching fish than the fishermen. We call it the fly-by each evening when the pelicans glide along the coast in formation heading for someplace else. It is worth a trip here, just to watch the pelicans. The magnificent frigate birds are here in abundance too. You can always see them flying so high, or perching on the crane across the street. They are beautiful birds. This place we live a few weeks a year brings joy to the spirit, just by looking around.

February 5, 2010. Mexico. House Tours.

We have been watching the condominium construction on the golf course for the past two years, and this morning Ken and I finally went to tour the model apartments. It started out as a walk. Taheima was the first project we visited. It is a new concept here, a wellness resort and spa in addition a condo/hotel. You buy a condo and when you are not there, they rent your place, or try too. In addition, they give classes throughout the season. Way too touchey feeley for us. In addition, we did not like the units.

Next up, just a half mile along the golf course, was Sensara. It is full ownership with a property manager on sight to rent your condo. The units were lovely and spacious and the last four units in the present building under construction were being discounted 28%, but fortunately , we did not like the view. Their construction was top drawer.

After those two visits we ate lunch at the Sport's Club, as this seeing condominiums is tiring!!.

The last project was the Artesanias, a small group of condominiums right at the club house of the golf course. We liked the agent on sight and we liked the location but we did not like the units. But you could choose your granite and marble and cabinets. The first project this developer built was on Padre Island in Texas and we had seen his work there. But no dice. On the way home to our own Playa Royal, both Ken and I agreed that there was no place like home. We like to watch the sunset over the Pacific. We enjoyed our tour, but we are staying put!!

February 4, 2010. Mexico. Reading.

Joe Queenen is a new writer to me. I read a review of his book when reading a lengthy review of travel writers, which said his travel writing was entertaining and interesting too, so I took the recommendation and downloaded his "Queenen Country" into my Kindle. As I had never read his work, I also bought "Closing Time" by him. He is a good writer for sure and I was glad I have read them but I would like to talk to someone else who has also read him to try to figure it out.

For instance, he spent six weeks alone in Britain, travelling and talking and touristing. In his book "Queenen Country" he makes fun of the foibles of the British both individually and collectively, then in the last chapter he describes how much he loves the place and the people. Now his humor has an edge of hostility, so the book is not as funny as the Bill Bryson book about travelling and living in England. "Closing Time" is an autobiography or rather a story about his Father, who was a terrible man. I understood his edge of hostility apparent in his humor book, because I suspect that underneath he is a very hostile man. Normally I do not read about unhappy family stories, but having read the first book I wanted to understand the book of travel and ended up reading the Closing Time from start to end with no stops in between. I'm sure it is not a good thing to do for my eyes. He is a fine writer and worth a read!!

February 3, 2010. Mexico. The Storm.

It seemed to arrive all at once. Suddenly the winds came up and the rain poured down and we were in the middle of a real storm. The noise was deafening. The wind, the trees, the furniture; everything was moving. It went from a normal rainy night into the roaring hurricane. Fortunately it only lasted about twenty minutes, but during that time, the storm certainly caught your attention. We went from one window to the other, looking for another view of the trees. I felt sure that all the trees would be down by daylight. The storm was unexpected and vicious and did a lot of damage.

By seven this morning, the crews were making things tidy, cutting down broken branches with their machetes and sweeping up the leaves and small twigs. Our six chairs on the balcony ended up all in one corner while the table disappeared over the side and was in pieces on the ground. Two of the chairs were broken beyond repair. This afternoon, two folks from the association stopped by to inspect the property and were pleased to find only two chairs and one table gone. A man during our walk this morning told us that the wind came without warning and reached one hundred mile an hour speeds. Fortunately it only lasted a short time. It was brutal when it lasted. Exciting too.

Storm Cleanup - heading for TX & points NE

Nova Scotia-no AC Nuevo Vallarta-no heat

February 2, 2010. Mexico. Rain.

Nothing makes the good folks here more irritated than rain. No, not the Mexicans. They expect the rain to come in the summer and not during the winter, but they don't mind the rain. The visitors get down right angry when it rains. Lots of people sit in the sun all day, so I rather think that the break from the sun would be a good thing. I never mention that attitude though. Rather I just agree that it certainly is raining.

That it is raining now is unusual here in February. Last night just before midnight the rains came down. It has been raining ever since. All day it has rained. For us who never sit in the sun this poses no problems but for the poor folks who are here for one week only, the weather is unacceptable. It appears these good tourists think it is the fault of the Mexicans so the complaints come fast and furious. We just laugh and assure them to just wait a bit and soon the sun will return. Except Ken found on the computer that the storm bringing rain is sitting just off the coast and it may rain for several days. The Dermatologists will be delighted. Ken and I have spent the whole day reading and eating, as our refrigerator is full, but what has happened to poor John, the man who does not read books. He must have been miserable.

February 1, 2010. Mexico. Reading.

He says he doesn't ever read a book. Can this be true? It seems impossible to me, that a perfectly normal person does not read and has never read for pleasure. He is not s stupid person, but for some reason or other, he has chosen to go through life without the joy of reading. His name is John and he and Pam live in Iowa. For thirty years he worked for the John Deere company and retired eight years ago. He worked his way up in the company and ended up as a manager of one of the production for one of their engines, with an acre of factory under his jurisdiction and fifty men to run all the machines. He is not stupid. They live in that city in Iowa with a French name, which if I spell out I will be sure to mess up, which means I will be chastised by my brother. Both John and Pam worked at the John Deere factory and both retired at the same time eight years ago. Pam does consulting with them both in their home town and also in the mid west.

I must say, I was impressed with myself in that I did not say a word in response. My brain was ready to ask a dozen questions when he told me that he did not read. Actually, I was astonished and speechless. I had just spent three days with President Polk (1844 to 1848) and lived through all the anxieties of that time, which makes our present situation put into perspective, but to live in the present all the time seems difficult. The joy I obtain in my life from reading is invaluable, and to choose not to read is interesting and short-sighted. I of course assume that there must be a physical reason why anyone could choose not to read books. I will try to find out how this has happened for John. I for one can not imagine not reading.

Waterways at the Restaurants