Rainy Season is Coming - Marge

My view from the deck of the condo where we're staying in Puerto Vallarta
on a cloudy day after rain

Here I am sitting sideways on the comfy wicker chair on the deck of the condo where we're staying, with our dog, Otto, lying by me--completely still (almost want to check his breathing...), in the hot and humid afternoon here in Puerto Vallarta as the rainy season approaches, with the sky cloudy and the first rain in many months having just fallen.

The palm tree nearby is clacking its long fronds as a breeze blows by, carrying the wet-earth smell left-over from the rain and a little coolness that lasts only for a moment as it moves by me.

There's a long, cylindrical mass of vegetation hanging from the tip of one frond of the palm tree like a finger; it's a nest, an apartment home built by the black birds with sunshine yellow splashes on their wings and tails and floppy feather crests, that spend their days soaring and diving across the open space between the trees, here at the edge of the jungle; and there are orange butterflies zigzagging in and out of view; and, high up, a frigate bird, with its forked tail and long, angular wings gliding by.

Sometimes I see birds I recognize from Seattle--hummingbirds so bright they are practically fluorescent-that hover by the deck railing for a second, looking at me; also, very often, goldfinches-rocking as they balance on the wires above the iron spikes mounted on the top of the building next to this one. And, just now, a large red-headed woodpecker standing up on the trunk of a tree, using its head as a hammer.

Far down the hill, past the highway with the tiny cars carrying tourists back to the airport now that the season has ended, between two huge hotels, I can see a stretch of sand, and out beyond the sand, the slate gray water, same color as the sky, with an endless line of waves rolling in, each one with a frill of foam.

Have been in Mexico 3 1/2 months now. Have been retired for just a few days longer. Have done so much in that short time! More than I did in many years of my life before that, all added together! Have been to new places, seen new things, enjoyed a lot of foods I'd never tried before--Argentine arrachara, grilled octopus tentacles, raw shrimp marinated in lime; crunchy, spicy grasshoppers, and red snapper cooked over coals (that I picked out of a cooler), as well as many tacos from street stands.

I've driven many hundreds of miles around Mexico with Eric and our dog, Otto (in addition to driving to Mexico from Seattle), have seen crocodiles in mango swamps and many large and colorful lizards and geckos (including one on the wall in the bedroom!) and have been to the hospital twice with influenza (got to experience Mexican health care!); have danced to rock and roll music at a bar by a river surrounded by jungle and cliffs in a tiny town down a dangerous road, have gone whale watching and been to towns along the coast nearby that are famous among expats -- Sayulita and San Miguel and San Pancho; have met many wonderful people, and have studied Spanish--3 hours every day, learning as fast as I can; have hosted visitors to Puerto Vallarta and drunk many fruit flavored margaritas (and some daiquiris) with them; have turned from a shade so pale you could see blue blood vessels beneath my skin to the color of bread that has been lightly toasted (at least the parts exposed to the sun). Have temporary residency now, and health insurance thanks to the Mexican government (Seguro Popular); have a CURP (a Mexican Social Security Number), and a Mexican phone number; have hugely enjoyed experiencing all this with Eric whose calm good sense and wonderful intelligence and humor add so much to the pleasure of being here!

The Spanish class ends in 2 1/2 weeks. Then we'll be moving to the Mexican highlands. Looking forward to more adventures!