5C's Que Pasa

Some of you may have received a strange blog post from me yesterday.  One of my readers thought I was playing a birthday joke on someone.  I wasn’t.  My blog was hacked into.

I did not send this!

What is even stranger is that not everyone experienced it.  I went over to friends in the RV park, he has a Mac and she has a PC and they were both unaffected and my blog post came up normally.  Special thanks to all who emailed me about the problem and especially to Croft for the above photo.

Yesterday was massage day and so to have this happen right after was quite unsettling.  I immediately sent everything to Terry, my tech guy in Canada.  After sorting it all out this was the explanation he sent me…Third party software application such as wordpress is very vulnerable to virus or hacker’s attack.  Keeping the software up to date is the best way to avoid them.  I made the decision to upgrade your wordpress blog today as it will help to prevent the attack to the server.

So then today when I went to add photos to todays post my computer would not accept them….another problem for Terry to solve.  This time it took much longer, hence the delay in this post.  Today he had to make some modifications in the server.  Now thanks to Terry I am back in business.  Terry also created Colin’s great website and know his stuff.  He can be reached here.  He is always there for us.

I get a regular 90 minute massage while Colin gets a cranio sacral treatment. Miiles gracias Maria.

Once the hijacking incident was over we relaxed again with yet another inspired sunset.

Tags: blog problems, massage, sunsets

The Isla has a very unique way of moving large groups from the pangas to the various restaurants along the beach.

They have a variety of names, Isla Limousine, people mover, monkey wagon!! This particular vehicle just didn't have the ability to pull the wagon off the beach.

So the first wagon was pulled separately.

The driver came back, pulled this wagon up the very very tiny incline thru the soft sand and rehooked the two and off he went. We call this RV TV. There is always something going on to watch and keep us entertained.

The first time we saw this we thought it was a fluke! By the way that is the Baja Ferry on the top right.

These 3 dogs get driven around the Isla!!!

Tags: Funny, pets, Stone Island

Yesterday Colin came back, safe and sound!  No problems driving there and back, no security problems!

The girls heard the sound of our car and were outside so fast, great reunion, I got the last kiss. Carmeh hasn't stopped following Colin's every step.

Isela kept him well fed.

Hours and hours of playing.

Colin is now part of the extended family!! Lots of fun.

Dos compadres!! Intermission before the next session starts!

We had a great day yesterday, after unloading we strolled down the beach for a great late lunch at Elsy’s, then up the beach but no crabs to be found.  We spent the evening just relaxing as a family.  So great to be together again.  Colin & I work together as well as being married and are almost always together so it felt just so good to be a unit once again.

We were also treated to the most outstanding display of Mother Nature.  All of these are as I shot them.  Nothing has been edited.

These are in the order they were presented to us.....interesting array of colour.

But the happiness of the day continued.  Mom came home yesterday.  I don’t have all the details but I think an extended care bed could not be found.  Someone came with oxygen last night, this morning Home Care is there and they are waiting for a nurse as I write this.  Dad sounds a bit frazzled  but so very  happy that Mom is home.  He says she is doing well.

Tags: Family, pets, sunsets, The girls

Yesterday I mentioned the symphony here in Mazatlan that I missed because Colin is in Culiacan.

Reader and fellow blogger Nancy made a comment with a mention of a website in which I could view and listen to the concert.  She toasted me with a glass of vino tinto.

Not quite an hour later, longtime blog reader, Connie from Pennsylvania commented that thanks to Nancy she was listening to the concert with her glass of vino.

Wow, from Mazatlan to Stone Island to Pennsylvania…….the connection really resonated with me.  We truly are all part of the same Universe!

SPECTACULAR SUNSET

Well I enjoyed it!  Shot January 15, 2011.

Tags: friends, music, Stone Island, sunsets

Very quiet here today.  Two couples have got in for the Sunday afternoon symphony featuring Bach.   Not only is Colin gone but our friends from Vernon have moved into Mazatlan Centro.  She has had a challenge with the wind and the colder days and after a few days in hospital with bronchitis and a touch of pneumonia they decided to move somewhat inland:) while she recuperates.  Their RV is still here for them to enjoy every now and then, kind of like a beach cabin!  We had a USA 38′ motorhome come in to stay for a month, so our front row is full.

I have been sneezing the last 2 days so this morning I moved my chair into our back yard out of the ocean breeze.

My first time doing this and I really liked it. Good place to read and enjoy coffee.

My sitting view to the right.....

...and my straight ahead view, still of the ocean but wind free.

Colin is having a great time in Culiacan, staying up till 3 AM everyday playing guitar and chatting.  He always comes back with a huge Spanish vocabulary.

The girls and I just finished the big beach walk, they are sleeping and I am hungry so time for lunch and being as it is Sunday I shall treat myself to a glass of vino blanco.

I leave you with the promise of last nights' sunset.....

...which fizzled into a low bank of clouds. Not every night is perfect so you have to keep an eye out not to miss the spectacular ones.

Tags: garden, sunsets, The girls, vino

The girls and I have survived the first 24 hours without Colin.

As the afternoon wore on yesterday, it got windy and a bit chilly. Of course I covered the girls during their vigil. They did finally come in.

No problems at all other than not figuring which was the motion light plug in.  I have it all sorted out today.

Fairly busy day on the beach today.  We had a very high tide this morning so only walked closer to 11AM.

This guy is getting some customers today. Nice to see.

One of the restaurants mid beach was smoothing out the sand a few days ago. Just a horse pulling a board, worked really well.

Then yesterday this very high tech sand cleaning machine came by. We were surprised to see a Mazatlan Municipal machine on the Isla beach. You just never know what you are going to see next. Enjoy your day!

Tags: Stone Island, The girls

Yesterday seemed like a real work day back in Canada.  Plus the internet was down more than up and kept losing things I’d written so I gave up on the blog.

However by the time we’d cleaned, did a few chores, got 7 more plants out of pots and into the ground the day was moving along.  Then there is the hour long beach walk and crab digging to do, we never got in the second beach walk at all.  In fact by the time I did my ’rounds’ and duties I never even saw the sun set.

Finally once the internet was up we had some business issues to deal with.  By then is was after 6PM and Colin decided that girls needed a bath.

Then Colin asked what was for dinner!  Well sweetie you had promised to take me out as you were leaving town Friday!  He forgot, I made dinner but no margaritas  on the beach for me yesterday.  Sigh:(

Today Colin is heading to Culiacan till midday Monday, in fact he left just a while ago.  He is going for some serious guitar playing and training with Maestro Heriberto Soberanes and will stay at his home.  The official International Guitar Festival is not till March.

Last Saturday Colin did a photo shoot in Mazatlan for Heri Soberanes ( the son ) who is hoping to taken on by a major modelling agency in Mexico City.

Nice looking young man who really wants to make his way in music like his father but meanwhile is trying to earn a living.

Colin took over 500 photos and yesterday we got an email from Heri. He said that because of the professional photos they asked him to sign a contract. Great news:)

So while Colin was in Mazatlan last weekend, Carmeh ( daddy's girl ) spent the entire time sitting by the back gate awaiting his return.

So today as Colin was loading the car to head out, the girls just sat and starred. They know the signs of Colin packing up and leaving.

He's gone!

...and two hours later they are still now sitting there, lifting their heads each time they hear a vehicle.

Hopefully Colin you will be able to read this tonight and see how much we all miss you!  Be safe!

Tags: CJPS, Culiacan, The girls, travel

^{…the other day I really looked at my garden, beautiful.  I am beginning to think I may give up the bulk of my garden (s) at home and just enjoy here.  Things grow so fast and for so little effort.}

Orange is my least favorite color but I seem to have it in my garden and notice I have being wearing the color a lot the past 2 years.

You can tell I am not the professional photographer in the family, my foot is in one shot, the garden hose in another, etc.

Such a variety of hibiscus flowers....

Today is going to be just another 30C day of R & R, beach walking and massages.  Yeah massage day!

MOM UPDATE

The heart surgeon is very pleased with her progress.  Her blood pressure is stabilizing, she is able to walk with her walker on her own for a bit and she is happy.  Sadly she has been bleeding from her vagina for 6 years with no known cause so yesterday an ultrasound test discovered that she still has stitches from a surgery done six years ago in that area.!!!  Can you believe that?  It makes me angry to think of all the tests and Dr’s she has seen for this, negligence!  Overall, other than the swallowing which she can do very carefully, she is improving.  Still no idea if she is going to long term care or not.  Right now it is -37C plus windchill in Edmonton, glad I’m here.

Tags: Family, flowers, health

Many Rvers wait till they get to Mexico to get various jobs done on their RV’s from painting, to fibreglass work to reupholstering furniture.  It is much more cost efficient in Mexico plus usually a great job is done.

We had a number of to do's, the first being to pry off our corroded screw that holds the spare tire on our holder on the roof. We needed to repaint the rusting structure and put a new tire cover on before re securing the bolt.

Did you know that RV's are held together by lots of caulking, a job that needs to be redone often due to the heat drying up and cracking the caulking. A tedious job.

The guy did a great job of scraping off the old stuff and reapplying around the shower skylight.

Only problem was that I was in the shower when I heard a noise above my head. I sure didn't dawdle in the shower that day.

Very meticulous worker.

We also needed to replace a spring in our sofa. Just getting that ready took a bit of effort on Colin's part, removing all that was stored underneath the sofa, unbolting & unscewing all he could plus removing the window valance.

All that space gave me the idea to renovate, but then I do love it just the way it was. Easier that way too.

The spring was not broken but the metal edge had become detached probably from use and part corrosion. A simple wire treaded it all together again. Mexicans are great at repairing anything with nothing.

Plus he made it better than new by adding a piece of wood to strengthen the area.

So how did we find this fellow.  Here on the Isla there is a mechanic called Danny who is also a jack of all trades.  He speaks English and has worked in the past in Canada in construction.  If you need work done here on the Isla you go to Danny, if he can’t do the job he finds someone who can.  The rule of thumb is that you always get a quote before getting any work done in Mexico.  We didn’t!  Mostly because we thought Danny himself was doing the work plus we had a series of other things to get repaired, one being our broken hose for the power washer ( hmmm – which he still has ).  So after 2 1/2 hours of diligent work this fellow says that is all he is doing and that he wants to be paid, not Danny.  Okay.  How much Colin asks?  2000 pesos!  WOW I say!  That is way more than an RV tech would charge in Canada.  The fellow calls Danny, we settle on 1000 pesos, then he says no he wants 1500 pesos, in the end we pay 1000 pesos ($75.00) for materials ( caulking ) and labour.  At home we pay $25.00 per hour but perhaps they don’t work as fast or diligently!!!  Most importantly we are happy with the work done.

Tags: Mexico, RV repairs, Stone Island

After a glorious early morning beach walk with the girls we quickly changed into city clothes.  The Culiacan Symphony was in town for the first of 4 Sunday concerts.  The only glitch is that it starts at 12 noon!  Mainly to allow all the sports fans their NFL playoff TV time.

Gordon Campbell, the maestro, an American from Ohio lives in Culiacan with his Mexican wife. Colin has gotten to know Gordon over the years of his attending the Culiacan International Guitar Festival every March.

The program was based on works of Mozart chosen to show the range of his musical genius over just a few years and how diverse his music was. These 4 concerts came to pass at the repeated request of the people of Mazatlan who want more of these cultural type functions over the winter. There is an annual Mazatlan Cultural Festival every November/December but more is wanted.

This first concert was well attended but the hope is to fill the Angela Peralta Theatre.  Local support will ensure future Cultural events like this.  I have to say, as the concert started I thought, here I am sitting in a lovely venue, enjoying a world class orchestra and I am camping just down the beach.  How great it that?

One the the beauties of this theatre is the open air foyer!

Truly a magnificent building in the heart of Centro Historico, Mazatlan.

Of course lunch at the Plazuela Machado was next. Unfortunately only a few restaurants were open.

...and another marvellous sunset by Mother Nature....another perfect day!

Tags: food, Mazatlan, music, sunsets