December 31, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. New Years Eve.

Tonight we will stay at home.  There are many options open to us here in Nuevo Vallarta,  but Ken has a cold so we have spent the day in the condo, watching football.   We will continue to enjoy ourselves and celebrate the New Year quietly,  at home.  Actually we will celebrate along with the good folks in Nova Scotia, where the time is two hours ahead of us.  We will celebrate midnight in Liverpool, then we will go to bed.

My favorite celebrations  for the new year have always been held at home, with good friends.  A few times in my life I have been talked into a large dance and dinner party, but I have not enjoyed them.  The frivolity seems to be forced as everyone is determined to be festive, whether they wanted to be or not.  Last year was lovely.  We all stayed home at Suzanne and David's home.  The kids had a dance party with the WII and we all ate, and ate, and ate.  Then we went to bed, after the ball dropped in New York.  The kids were happy and so were the adults.

Tonight Ken and I will be home, together, which we will enjoy.  And we hope Ken feels better tomorrow.

December 30, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. Voyageurs.

My clever niece gave me this book for Christmas, sending it to me directly on my Kindle.  It was a wonderfully efficient  way to give a gift to someone  always on the go.  I was so pleased with the gift and have enjoyed reading Voyageurs.

The author is from Scotland and lives in Glasgow, which surprised me, as I assumed she was a Canadian.  It is very evocative of the landscapes and the topography and I thought that the scenery was a normal part of the authors life.  It is certainly a big part of the book and I wished I had a good map at hand.  Fortunately I am familiar with the areas described but I wished I had a good map.

It is a rollicking good tale that takes place in Upper Canada between 1809 1nd 1814.  Margaret Elphinstone is the author.  The story is somewhat unbelievable but I enjoyed it thoroughly.

December 29, 2011. Playa Rpyale, Mexico. The Lazy Day

I think I have become lazy.  Today I did nothing except read.  And I prepared a large salad for lunch.  At six o'clock I finally got dressed but until then,  I was wearing my night shirt.  The rest of the time I was reading.  I am still trying to figure out if retired people are allowed a lazy day or whether I am truly a slug.

To top it off, since 6:00,  Ken and I have been drinking a combination we learned in Boston.   In one large glass you mix clamato juice and beer half each, with a large squirt of lemon juice.  And we ate nuts.  It might be the only food we eat tonight.  After all, we haven't really done anything today!!

December 28, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Italian Couple.

They are from Toronto and are about our age.   In the early fifties they moved from Italy to Toronto with their own families and soon married and had five children.  Now they are rich.   This afternoon by the pool we met them for the first time this year.  We were delighted to see them again.

It is fascinating to hear their story.  He started out working as a carpenter.  They saved their money and bought some land.  Then they did it again.  Next he started building houses on his own land but always kept expenses down.  So in one lifetime, he has gone from being very poor to being very rich, but he and his wife have never changed a bit.

They have five children and fourteen grandchildren.  She and I became fast friends when I observed her trying to swim and offered to help.  She calls me her swimming teacher and  gives us home made sauces for our pasta.  Now she has ten family members coming for two weeks, for whom she will cook every meal.  

Now he is going into the sheep business, on 400 acres he owns north of Toronto.  He will milk the sheep or rather he will have someone milk the sheep.   "That's where the money is".    The milk becomes cheese.  The government is taking another 200 acres for a park but he has yet to agree on a price.   "Always something going on", says our friend, the Italian man from Toronto.

December 27, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. The Mega.

The Mega store is a big grocery store.  It is not quite as good as an HEB in Texas but much superior to any grocery store in Bethesda.  Most people in Washington would never believe it, but it is true.  Here in Mexico, in Bucerias, they have a wonderful, large grocery store, with staff  bumping into each other to help you shop.

Maybe I enjoyed it so much today because our pantry and refrigerator has been empty for three weeks and all of a sudden I could see all these marvelous foodstuffs.  Or maybe it is just a really good store.   When Ken and I went  to get a taxi, we had four large grocery carts to wheel outside.  Now who would have ever thought that one of the best grocery stores  you ever shop in is in Mexico, where it is supposed to be so backward?

Our freezer is full of meat and bread and pizza.  The refrigerator is full of fruit and vegetables and beer and milk and yogurt. i And the pantry has everything we need for the next two months.  I am a happy camper.

December 26, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. Sarah's Key.

This is a wonderful little book, written by Titiana de Rosnay.  It is another of a long line of books written about real people and their lives from the Second World War.  The writing is beautiful and sparse and  tells an interesting and tragic story.  It is a novel but tells of a real event that occurred in Paris in 1942.  The story needs to be told as anti=semitism is alive and well in France...once again.

It is interesting how so many people kept secret their terrible experiences  during the second world war.  On a personal note,  Suzanne's grandfather Capps, went to war a normal person in 1943 and returned 'shell shocked' in 1945, not able to be around loud noises or many people.  No one did anything except his parents bought him a ranch in the Hill Country where he lived the rest of his life.  He never talked to anyone about his experiences.  He never complained.  But he could not function as a normal human being.

Now we are reading a bit about what really happened to people during the war.  This book is another in that ilk and is worth reading.

December 25, 2011. Playa Royale, Nuevo Vallarta. Christmas Day.

We are back in our condo at Playa Vallarta, with everything out of the locker and in place.  So far, we have no food, except eight lemons we brought from the tree at Villa Number 5.  We are happy to be back.   The Villa was beautiful but the hotel/time share was very busy and everyone was on vacation to be spending one week at Paradise Village so we were not inclined to pay attention to anyone.  We stayed by ourselves in our Villa.  Here at Playa Royale, the staff calls you by name and when you walk around you recognize people, so you feel that you are at home.

I must say, this is the most unusual Christmas for us.  In other years,  when we were giving our family time with the in-laws, we have been around other people.  One year we took a cruise and by Christmas Day had made friends to enjoy but this year we are really alone.  Fortunately, we like each others company so we are happy.  in future years,  I have already figured out a better system.  We plan to spend Christmas in a city where we have relatives.  We will enjoy the city and we will spend the holiday season with our relatives.  The only problem is that Ken does not do well in cold weather and all our relatives live in the cold.  This could be a problem.  Perhaps Vancouver will be the first test for our new system.

Ken and I will laugh about this Christmas, the one we were alone...together.

December 24, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Christmas Eve.

This must be the busiest nights of the year for the parents of young children, where the box with "some assemble required" takes two hours to put the toy together before the gift could be placed under the Christmas tree.  Home is the best place to be when the children are young, but we spent many Christmas Eve nights at  Dave and Irene's home, helping them put together their children's toys, long before our children were born.  One night we even used the toboggan that was to be given to Wendy as a gift on Christmas morning.  And another time when David and Andrew were 6 and 7 it took us until two o'clock in the morning to pump up a jumper, after borrowing pumps from two neighbors.

Now we are in Mexico, and tonight we ate a lovely dinner outside sitting on the Marina.  It is quiet and pleasant and delicious.  After, we listened to the band of West Point, also the Four Canadian Tenors on TV.  There is no question, that we are getting old!!

December 23, 201. Paradise Village, Mexico. Christmas Holidays.

We have a system.   Ken and I often observed our friends being  burdened by trying to visit both set of parents over the Christmas season.  We saw friends required to eat two full Christmas dinners on Christmas Day, just to satisfy the grandparents.  "There must be a better way", we said to each other.  Our plan was to discuss with our first daughter-in-law Suzanne, to alternate the Christmas season with us and her parents, so one year we would spend Christmas with them and the next year we would not see them over Christmas.

The system has worked for both boys and their families.  Ken and I go something else for Christmas which works for us too.  The first year by ourselves we wondered if we would be blue.  David and Suzanne and Andrew and Christina were coming to join us for a week at Playa Del Carman, and were arriving Dec. 26.  They had no children.  Christmas morning, Ken and I walked into town, and ordered a tray of tropical fruit and fresh pastries, sitting right on the beach in the shade.  It was wonderful.

I love being with the children and grandchildren and our families over the Christmas season.  But we enjoy our solitude too, just not every year!!

December 22, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Food.

Sarah once was visiting our condo in Chevy Chase, along with her family.  She looked into our refrigerator, looking for milk for our tea.  She commented to us in amazement "There is not food in the refrigerator".  She lives in a home with four growing children and two adults, where the refrigerator is full of food.  Our home had two older adults, who were mostly out of town, so she was right, our refrigerator was empty.

Here in Mexico, our refrigerator is totally empty except for one bottle of milk and one half cant elope.  In the pantry we have one box of cereal and one box of oatmeal.  Ken and I have decided  that we will go hungry most of the time so we are only buying a minimum amount of food.  It seems to be the only way  we can get rid of our belly.  Unfortunately, we have no scale so we can't tell if it is working but it certainly works for our billfold.

We eat out once a day, dining at a different restaurant every day, generally around two or three o'clock.   Our meals are wonderful and generally we have food left over which we bring home to eat tomorrow.   So when we listen to the discussions on TV about hunger in America,  they are talking about us.

Wake Up

December21, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Guest House.

It is happening, bit by bit.  In Nova Scotia, our guest house is rising.  It is now under roof.   Our builder George had wanted it to under roof by Christmas so they could complete the interior out of the harsh weather rather than putting on the roof in the freezing rain.  So we are pleased that the carpenters are meeting their schedule.  It is always difficult to have a construction project underway when you are not physically on site to help along the progress.  But we have faith in our builder George, who is very interested in doing a superior job, so we expect all will be well.

When we leave Mexico at the end of February, Ken and I will go to Nova Scotia, after five days in Jackson, and when we are there we must purchase all the belongings and have them delivered to the house.  So we are pleased,  but we need the interior of the guest house well along to completion.  The guest house will be in use all summer so we need to have it ready for the summer season.

The name used to be The Carriage House but it was really a Folly, beautiful and fun, but not practical.  This new building we call The Guest House as it will be more ordinary but more functional.  We hope it will serve our guests well.  In the meantime, we are keeping our fingers crossed.

Guest House NS

Trolley Trip

December 20, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Trolley Drivers.

He is our favorite trolley driver.  He waves at his friends and calls out a greeting to almost everyone we pass.  When you step up to the free trolley he greets us as though we have just given him a gift.  and he always says goodbye with a smile.  

The route takes about thirty minutes to complete and he drives the trolley for twelve hours but he seems to enjoy his job and he knows everyone he meets along the route.  This is the third year the trolley has been in operation and he has been one of the drivers every year.  The other driver pays no attention to you or to anyone else along the drive.  He just drives the trolley.  It is my guess that our favorite driver receives more tips!!

Our driver is local.  It is winter here and he wears boots and jeans.  Today, we were wearing sandals and shorts with a light shirt.  In the middle of the ride he pulled out his wool sweater and wore it the rest of the trip.  It looked ridiculous but he was warm in his sweater while I was warm in my shorts.   To each his own.

December19, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. A World on Fire.

I never paid attention to the impact of Britain on the Civil War, until I read the book by Amanda Foreman.  The name of the book is "A World on Fire: Britain's critical role in the Civil War.  It is interesting.  It is not so much what was done but what Britain did not do, such as not name the Confederates as a Nation.  Rather they stayed neutrals throughout the war.

It is interesting to note that the English had a bond with the folks from the south.  Of course the English mills were in need of the southern cotton but the English hated the slave trade and slavery, so they had a problem.  The book tells you all the players both pro Union and pro Confederate and explains what happened.

I have read much about the Civil War but this book adds to my information bank.

December 18, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Snow Queen.

The performances are being held this weekend in Jackson, Mississippi.  Kate and Mary Frances both dance in this Christmas ballet.    They love to take part in these shows and the shows are of a high quality.  I wish I was there to see it but I enjoyed seeing them in costume.  It is just difficult to do everything.  Maybe next year.

Ballet is surprisingly important in Jackson.  Now even Molly takes ballet lessons.  The ballet school, Ballet Magnificant, is the brain child of a local lady who is a professional dancer.  But before her, another lady put Jackson on the ballet map, so every four years,  Jackson is the American home of the International Dance Competition.

The most important part is that the girls receive excellent training and work hard.  With three performances this weekend, Kate and Mary Frances will be tired.  Now they can focus on enjoying Christmas.

From Snow Queen

December 17, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Friday Nights: A Novel.

It is a book about women and work and friendships, written by an author who has written many novels, Joanna Trollope.   I actually struggled to keep going in the book because these people are not too interesting all the time, but ultimately, it is a good read.   It is my opinion that women are not hired wired to take economic responsibility.  They must think through their actions and decisions, and that is what that book is all about.

The older character, Eleanor,  is newly retired and makes several points that seem accurate to me.  This is not a must read book but it deals with subjects that are pertinent today.  The question as to what makes women happy  is never really addressed but is certainly out in the real world.  I am not rushing to read other books written by Joanna Trollope but this book is a thoughtful book about different types of women today.

Backyard Villa 5

Mississippi Neighbours

December 16, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Time Shares.

Over the years, we have made very good use of our Time Shares.  Early on, we realized how useful they could be for our family.  We could see that we fixed the price of our vacations and that all we would need to pay would be the airfare.   We exchanged our time shares for places all over the world and stayed in places that we never could have afforded.  We vacationed in Japan and Austria, France and Switzerland, and all over the continental US and Canada, all using our time share exchanges.

Eventually we owned several time shares and they served us well.  Everyone told us that time shares were bad investments and they are, but they did for us exactly what we wanted, which was to force us to use these time shares for our vacations.  We stopped talking about our  Time Shares, we just enjoyed them.

Now that we are retired and live part time in Nova Scotia and Mexico, we do not need our time shares, so we have turned all but one into Paradise Village in exchange for one large number of points.   Ken commented recently that planning for the future is over.  Now we must do it now!!

December15, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Dentists.

I had the same dentist for thirty years.  Every six months I had my teeth cleaned while my dentist checked and fixed anything that went wrong.  Other than an emergency, I would have never considered having anyone else look at my teeth.  But now I no longer live in the Bethesda area and I have left my dentist, Dr. Hurlson, who I love dearly, so this year in Mexico, while walking in the Mall close to our condo, I spotted the dentists office.

Now I have been walking past that office for the past ten years or so but I never considered going in...until now.  Yesterday, my teeth were cleaned by a very efficient pleasant dental hygienist.  She used a new high tech ultra sound to remove the tarter, and the Dentist checked my teeth.   I was pleased with the cleaning and the care and I was pleased with the price.  Now I am free to go to another dentist.  But please don't tell Dr.  Hurlson I am having my teeth looked after in Mexico!!  I feel sure he would not approve.

December 14, Paradise Village, Mexico. Villa Number 5.

Mr Great Kisskadee visits me every afternoon while I am sitting by my private pool over looking the marina.  Right behind me in the yard is a lemon tree and the kiskadee flies from his perch on the wall down to get a drink of water in the pool, then directly to the lemon tree.  Soon he returns, scolding me all the while.  He is big and bold and beautiful.    I appreciate his visit to me every day, just as I appreciate living in this wonderful home, Villa Number 5.

It is a long and complicated story.  Our place at Paradise Village was fine, a one bedroom two bath apartment, with WiFi and comfortable furniture.   Ken and I owned 6 time shares at Paradise village plus two others, one in the Bahamas and one at Lake Tahoe and we wanted to assemble them all together and upgrade our membership, so we did.    This was  complicated and required a lot of time, so we got to know the bosses.  I joked with them and told them that we might upgrade our membership to Platinum level, if they would move us into Villa Number 5.

If you don't ask you don't get.  We are now living in a 5500 square foot home overlooking the marina with our own pool and yard, along with daily cleaning service.  "It is some nice",  as they say in Nova Scotia.

December 13, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Hare with Amber Eyes.

This book, written by Edmond de Waal, includes many topics of interest to me:  families, beautiful objects,  history,  art, wars, anti Semites and relationships.  No wonder I enjoyed it.  Irene read it at her book club and I wish I had been there to listen into the discussion.   I know nothing about the author, except that he is a good writer.

The book tells one hundred years of one family, their history and their loss.  Parts of the book are chilling but parts of the book are lovely.  I hate anti Semites but seeing it up close and in a non dramatic war brings the actions all the more real.  True but awful.

i thoroughly enjoyed this book.  And thank Irene for sending me the title, which I down loaded into my I Pad.   The modern world is a marvel.

December 12, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. The Stitches.

Ken has surgery twelve days ago in San Antonio to remove two cancers from his skin.   We were leaving for Mexico so he could not have the stitches removed, which meant that he would be forced to either have me cut them out or find a Mexican Doctor.  In addition to the cancer removed from his nose, the surgeon also removed a place on his right arm that she thought needed to be biopsied.  Turns out that she was right.  Ken had been asking about that spot for a couple of years and both the Dermatologist in Bethesda and Mississippi told him that it was fine.

The surgery was done in San Antonio because we were unable to schedule the complicated procedure while still in Jackson so Ken arranged to have the work done in San Antonio.  It was a good thing too as the spot turned out to be a melanoma.  The good Doctor removed the whole thing but wanted another bit of flesh removed.

Again, we are dependent on the Medical services of the small clinic in Nuevo Vallarta.  It turns out the facility and the doctors came through with flying colors.   Ken's nose is now without stitches and he has another wound on his arm.  We are pleased with the service and the treatment.  Certainly much better than using me!!.

December11, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. Together.

It is a good thing that Ken and I have a good time together because we spend a lot of time with only each other.  We have observed couple married many years who don't seem to enjoy each other, when they find themselves retired.   One friend of Ken's from the hospital retired and the couple moved into a retirement community.  Within six months, the couple divorced.   It made sense.    They had both worked hard and raised the children but they had never spent much time together so when they were together all the time they discovered that they did not like each other.  In fact, the wife could not stand being with the husband.

Ken and I are fortunate.  Even though we really only spent vacations together, we have always enjoyed each others company.  Now that we are retired, we find our skill sets complement each other.   And being together suits us, which is a good thing, because we certainly spend a lot of time together.

December10, 2011. Paradise Village, Mexico. A New Home.

Ken and I are like gypsies.  We move to a new spot and immediately turn the new place into our home.  Today we moved down the street to the Paradise Village, a Hotel/Time Share, to stay for two weeks.  Then we return to Playa Royale on December 25,  and will remain there until the end of February.   It was an  easy switch.   We brought one small case with us from Texas so we packed up just enough clothes to last the two weeks and returned everything else to the locker.   This morning, we checked out of the condo and took the shuttle down to the Hotel and checked in, as we were pleased to know that our room was ready.

Our room overlooks the Marina so we see these huge yachts coming and going.  And our balcony is large and quiet.  The good thing is that we have two bathrooms.   Our plan is to eat out once a day and eat breakfast in the unit, which has a small kitchen.  We have owned in this Time Share for many years but we have not stayed here for several years.  It is a pleasant place and seems to still be well run.  We will enjoy our stay here.  It's a bit like going on a vacation.

December 9, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. Another Lunch.

It was a lovely day.  First a walk to the mall to have our hair cut.  Then another walk down to the hotel to change  dollars into pesos.  Finally a trolley ride around the complex.  After walking all around the marina on the other side of the canal, we wandered past all the restaurants and discovered one was closed and another had opened but our two favorites were still there.

We ate a large and lovely lunch at the Italian restaurant, The Bella Donna, sitting at the edge of the large balcony overlooking the canal.  The birds and animals and fish put on a show.    We saw frigate birds and brown pelicans, yellow breasted Kiskadees, and black headed buzzards.  Also flying fish and many iguanas.  The food was wonderful as was the show from the creatures.    It was a wonderful spot to eat lunch.  But I think I got the name wrong!!

December 8, 2011. Playa Royale, Mexico. James Madison.

His home is just a few miles from the home of Thomas Jefferson, and is also open to the public, but I have never visited the home of James Madison.  Now that I have read this new biography, we will certainly make a visit to Montpelier, as we have toured Monticello several times.    I enjoyed the book because although I knew what Madison had done and written,  the details of his life and loves were vague.  Now I know it all.

One small point in the book is the description of the war of 1812 as seen in the US and in Canada and Britain.   I studied the war while living in Canada and I studied the war while living in the US and I can tell you that I learned about a different war.  Not only the goals but also the results were taught differently.   It amused me at the time but the author spells out the reason for the dichotomy.    It is an example of the writers style which is simple and direct and sparse.

It is another in the long list of books published about the Founding Fathers and a good addition to the library.

December7, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The Arrival.

It happens every time we walk into the condo for the first time.  It feels hot so we turn down the thermometers in each room while we change clothes and unload our belongings from the locker.   We keep the doors closed.  Ken organizes the computers so they both work.  By now we are wearing Mexican clothes and shoes.  While sitting to drink a glass of water and catch our breath, one of us notices that it feels cool, so we sit outside, and discover that the weather is pleasant and we do not need the air conditioner at all.  So in we go and open the doors and turn off the cooling.   It has taken us about an hour.

The question one would ask is why do we go through the same drill every year?  Why don't we first change clothes and shoes and drink a glass of water before we turn on the air conditioner? You would think that we would learn.  Maybe next year we will recall the drill.  Perhaps it is our clothing, which is heavier than our Mexican clothes,  that makes us feel so hot or perhaps the condo really is warm.  Next time we will try a different system.  Living here in the winter we have no need for air conditioning.  The large doors are always wide open and we spend lots of time on the balcony.  It is very odd indeed, this drill upon arrival.

December 6, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Birthdays.

 People spend a lot of time and effort  celebrating birthdays.   I like them and I enjoy celebrating   with friends and family,  but Ken and I don't pay much attention to our own birthdays.   When he was a boy, his Mother made a big fuss on his birthday so he tends to associate birthdays with something unpleasant.   For years after we married, his birthday in August always meant we were traveling home to Toronto and forgotten the date so we would arrive home to discover that we had forgotten his birthday and our anniversary.   Our pattern was set early which was to go out to dinner to celebrate both events.

We had no money to spare so we never exchanged gifts either, something we still don't do.   I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but it works for us.   A friend once told me how upset she was when her husband had forgotten her birthday.  My suggestion was to tell him a few days ahead so he can't possibly forget.   Many years ago,  Ken and I were flying to Winnipeg to attend our niece Darlene's wedding.  While filling out the Immigration form on the plane,  Ken showed me the date.  I just commented on the number.   It wasn't until I heard my sister-in-law say "Happy Birthday Ken", on the phone that I realized my error.  Ken may not enjoy a fuss on his birthday, but he does want you to notice it!!

December 5, 2011. Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. The First Sunset.

Every day it is different and every day I like it.  The sun goes down very quickly, just dropping off the edge of the Ocean as quick as a flash.   No wonder the good folks of times past thought the earth was flat.  It certainly looks flat while watching the sun set.  Now the sky is orange and pink but tomorrow it may be purple.  I will be sure to check it out tomorrow.

December4, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. A Birthday Celebration.

The dates are incorrect but the sentiment is just as real.  Today , my brother David and his family and friends, celebrate his 80th birthday,  held at his son and daughter-in-law's home in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.   They celebrate birthdays together every December, as four family members have birthdays within a few days of each other, but this year is extra special.   Son Ken and wife Anne from Vancouver  are attending too.   I wish I was there to join  the festivities.   My grandmother Houghton lived to be 95 so I have told Dave that his goal is to exceed that age.   It is a wonderful thing to get to be eighty, especially when in good health, both body and mind.  Dave's birthday is actually on the 18th of December, way too close to Christmas.

Tonight, at  son David and Suzanne's home in San Antonio,  we will  celebrate my 74th birthday, which is on the 6th.   When I turn 80 I will think about celebrating in style such as my brother David, but this time we will have a quiet, low keyed dinner,  together with the girls, at home.   Son David will open a bottle of port, I am sure.   It will please me to spend my birthday party with part of the family.  As Ken correctly says, it is always a special Thanksgiving when we get to spend time with the family!!

December 3, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Deer of Village West.

Once upon the time, a river with many tributaries flowed.  The land was forested and was full of deer and other wild creatures.  The Corps of Engineers built a dam on this river, the Guadalupe, in 1964, and the river became a lake, called Canyon Lake.   Soon, houses were built along the shore and in the spaces between the lake, forming subdivisions.

When we first saw our little subdivision, called Village West,  most lots were still forest so the deer were hidden but the good folks who lived there began to feed the deer so the deer became tame and also ate all foliage in sight.   Every year the game commission relocates many deer but the deer are still here and still very tame.  Also very small.  They are half the size of the deer at the ranch.  Most people have fenced their yard. Ken only plants whatever the deer will not eat.  When I take a walk, the deer don't even move away from me.  And when I was carrying the groceries from the car into the house I was forced to close the back of the car to avoid these little deer eating the fruit.  The deer are very sweet and come right up to you.  But I remind myself that the deer are wild animals, but as more and more houses are built on the empty lots, the poor deer will have no place to live.  But I actually like watching them.

December 2, 2011. Double D Ranch, Harper, Texas. Rain.

Today it is raining at the ranch.  All the way from Canyon Lake it rained, the first time in months.  Everyone is delighted with the rain.  Unfortunately for us, today was the day the bunk house was to be delivered, but because of the rain,  it will not happen.  Unfortunately for us, it will be put in place next week, when we will not be at the ranch, so our good friend Robbie will make sure it will end up in the correct spot.

We did look at the building in Kerrville and could see the work that Chris the carpenter had done.   By the time it can be moved, Chris will have the place completed.  It is a cute little place and should serve the girls well.

We did laugh.   The only day the bunk house could be delivered and set in place is the only day it has rained in months.  Trust our luck. But we are pleased with the rain!!.

December 1, 2011. Canyon Lake, Texas. A Dinner.

The meal was delicious,  but was especially enjoyable because it was unexpected.   Several aspects of the dinner were commendable.   The girls complimented their Mother for the dinner she had prepared, not once but several times during the dinner.  It seemed to me that many young people take their mothers for granted but last evening they were effusive in their gratitude.

We had expected to drive straight back to the lake after Ken's surgery but rush hour was upon us so I called Suzanne to ask if it was OK to stop a bit at their home to allow the traffic to abate.  She not only said yes but also invited us to stay for dinner, which was to be fish, so the shared meal was a surprise and  a delight.   And the food was wonderful.

Ken needed three prescriptions  so David drove  me to two drug stores to obtain them.  It was not necessary for him to accompany me as the drug stores were close to their home but it was rush hour and it was dark,   and I appreciated his company and his driving.  Once again, I am grateful for my family and their assistance and competence.  It was an unexpected dinner but very pleasant.