My Covid babies!

Contessa Jewall4 Comments

Born January 4, 2021. Look how tiny she is. Hard to believe that they are five years of age today.

I love looking at puppy photos.

The three sisters.

Individual personalities developing.

Ciela

Taken April 25th, 2025, three days before Colin’s stroke. Definitely love Mexico.

Cuddling under a blanket is their favorite thing to do.

Colin was out for about an hour the other day and the girls never left the gate.

Yeah!!! Daddy is home!

Two dogs and one dad, all napping.

One Mom and 2 doxies, napping outside. It was a bit chilly. Looks like Colin tool this from inside the RV – spotted RV windshield.  They are true cuddle girls.

Ciela came to sit with her sister this morning. Carlie continues to have more bad days than good ones. We will  be speaking to the vet tomorrow and looking for more solutions re her pain issues.

We do have a pretty good view from inside the RV. Love our fish net wall.

This just might be our favorite site since 2009 here on the Isla.

Fabulous colours this evening.

 

 

A wonderful start to 2026

Contessa Jewall11 Comments

What can I say!  It was 8:30PM on New Year’s Day and my new doctor, Dra Jocelyn Goetz ( the one who cured my gut issue within a few weeks ) is at a party with her new husband. She checked in to see how I was doing…….long story short she called an ear specialist at home that night and I now have an appointment at 2:30PM January 2nd at the Alhma Hospital!

This would never happen in Canada. I have been thinking about Helen Keller for the past two days and all she endured. I have no reason to complain. Yet within a short one hour period, I have hope to hear again.

This was her email to her patients.

January 2nd ended up being a very long day for us. In the end we were gone for seven hours.  Fortunately Aunty Ferne was able to come and sit with the girls for a while, let them do their business and feed them lunch and treats. That gave me the freedom to do what needed to be done and not worry about the girls. Truth be known the three of them have a mutual love affair.

Colin had his third visit with our chiropractor, Dr. Alan and I my second. Look at his face as he bears down using the drop table. Colin is standing much straighter and always walks better after seeing the good doctor. I was not expecting much from the treatment but my constantly cracking neck is much more stable. We will both see him again in two weeks. Cost per session is 500MXN or about $38.35CAD. He was our choice here in Mazatlan after learning that at least two retired American chiropractors go to him for their treatments.

My next appointment was not until 2:30PM so we went to a restaurant for lunch. Colin is always hungry – he processes protein quickly. Colin had a great meal and I did not. The place didn’t even have the ingredients to make a margarita, they had run out 😳 Then suddenly we were running late as we had an appointment at the bank. For some reason I was shut out of my account. Despite working for 45 minutes our guy could not make it happen but we did get a bundle of cash and a few other things sorted out. I probably will have to back next week.

We had to press on as we had to get to the Alhma hospital for my appointment with Dr. Jorge Palafox. I felt so bad being 5 minutes late but he was very gracious about it. At this point my hearing was so bad I could not hear him at all and Colin had to speak for me. He took a brief history. He said that I should have seen an ENT specialist first before he could check my hearing 😯 Confusion! I did not need my hearing checked but my ears checked for wax. Then he pulled out a long cord and attached it to his laptop which he turned to face me. He put the end in my ear – ahh, a camera! we could all see that my ears were totally impacted.

Full, full, full of wax 🙁  So what about my November 20th and 25th check with Dr. Garcia who said that my ears were clear. Also my GP doctor back in Canada for the last 18 months who also said that my ears were clear each time I asked. Long story short he could not help me at all as the wax was too deep for him to get to. I needed more specialized help. He gave me two options, the first one being another ear doctor in the hospital but late Friday afternoon, she was already gone. The second choice is the doctor he thought was best suited to help me but he was across town at a different hospital.

Colin and I regrouped and he called this other hospital to make me an appointment and I lucked out and was told to come ASAP as they could see me and was #4 in line for an appointment. Not quite sure what that meant but off we went.

So we called and hopped into yet another Didi.  In the end we took six Didi’s on this day. Total cost was 272 MXN or $20.85CAD. Certainly much less than driving a car from place to place and saving us a great deal of time. Might as well add in the cost to travel from the Isla to Mazatlan and back was a grand total of 60MXN or $4.60CAD.

This time we were going to the Cemeq Hospital which is where I had my right knee meniscus surgery back in January of 2020. As a matter of fact we sat in the very same chairs yesterday that we had on January 2, 2020 – exactly 6 years later. But this time I was seeing Dr. Gustavo Berrospe – an Otorrinolaringologo! Quite the Mexican name for an ENT specialist.

We waited only about 15 minutes before we  were ushered into his office. What a lovely person and a true professional. By now my head was spinning with trying to hear what was going on. He insisted I stop doing what I was doing to try and hear by clearing my ears by holding my nose and blowing air thru my ears. Dangerous, I know that but I was desperate to hear. Again with Colins help, a history was taken and I was quickly moved to another area in the office where I was sat in a chair in front of a large TV monitor.

After quickly checking my nose and mouth he hooked me up.

Both ears were totally full of wax. Colin was taking the photos from the side which did not give the best image of screen but you get the idea re the amount of wax.

This is an otoscope, what most doctors use to check for wax. But they only see the first little bit of the ear canal.

Older people like my dad did and most seniors have hearing issues. Why do doctors not get a simple $40.00 – $80.00 instrument that can be easily hooked up to any computer? Proper diagnosis!! There are now relatively cheap digital otoscopes that can be connected to a computer. This device is particularly useful also in a medical office where any ear pathology can be easily shown to a patient. It certainly would have saved me from going for over a week with no sound.

Of course this is a more sophisticated set up.

The doctor was able to vacuum out the wax bit by bit through that tiny clear tube. Colin said he could see gobs of wax coming out.

My wax was pushed right down far, tight against the tympanic membrane, totally blocking my hearing. No way would a regular otoscope be able to see the wax.

Here you can see that I now have a clear middle ear canal.

Thirty minutes later I could hear again. There was no pain involved nor any discomfort. Although the sound was different between the two ears, louder on the right side. They were adjusting. It took until today for my ears to settle down. I have been tired all day but between all the candling and this treatment I have to expect that. Ears are sensitive. The doctor suggested I come back in six months to see what was happening with the wax in my ears. I may only need to have the procedure done annually but best to check again in six months. Cost was a very reasonably 1200MXN or $92.05CAD.

The first ear doctor did not charge me anything even though I asked. He said he did not help me. Well he certainly did as I never would have found Dr. Berrospe.

We were both quite exhausted and so happy to get home. I can’t recall ever leaving the girls alone for seven hours before. Thanks again Fernanda. The girls were rather vocal on our return but soon settled down.

It is always wonderful to get home to the Isla as it is so very peaceful here. I served wine and limonada up on our hill overlooking the ocean.

We sat and watched the moon come up. Nice to see so many on the beach.

I think that I am done with my health issues. First my veins, then my gut and finally my waxed out ears. I am good and ready to coast through 2026 😎

Feliz Año Nuevo

Contessa Jewall8 Comments

2025 was an impossible and cruel year. Despite the seemingly endlessness of the past eight months, we were able to share some smiles in December. What will 2026 bring? We have no idea yet as there are many divergent paths to choose from. The decision will be linked to the amount of healing to be done in the months to come. We are wishing for greater health and hopefully only positive moments with much joy and happiness in our lives.

  • “No matter how hard the past, you can always begin again.” – Buddha

 

Surprise! Surprise! Surprise!

Contessa Jewall8 Comments

Yes three surprises. Let me go on record here that surprises are not always positive experiences 😳

Carlie started to feel better about 3 to 4 days ago. I stopped the Gabapentin about 4 days ago, actually she decided to stop taking it and kept spitting it out. Also the other prescribed liquid gels. Then 18 hours ago I stopped the Pepto Bismol. We are working on a new routine based on frequent small meals to help keep the stomach pain at bay. She also likes to wake up and eat and then sleep for a hour or more before heading outside. She has had food and stomach issues since she was a puppy. In this photo she is digging a hole and has dug further down than the plant roots. Every few days the hole gets filled in and she does it all over again.

After a wonderful end of day on December 25th, I went to bed very happy. I can’t recall having had so much fun for a very long time. I had my usual shower Friday morning the 26th. For some unknown mysterious reason my ears became filled with water. No matter what I did I could not shake the water out nor dislodge it. I was deaf. Quite seriously I could not hear. I could barely hear the dogs bark and if Colin called me I would not have heard him. I could not listen to music and as it turned out I could not watch a movie later as my ears were indeed solidly blocked. I could only hope that sleeping on my ears overnight would dislodge the water.

But first surprise #1!

Who is that knocking at our door? Colin heard the dogs barking, our security system. No it could not be but it was. This is Mario ( he belongs to Lusana who remained back home in Chihuahua ) and he was accompanied by four reindeer – oops that is wrong. He arrived with his four teenage children at about 6:30PM. They have been driving since 8AM. He exclaimed that he was seeking food and shelter!

At this point there was a great deal of confusion due to five new people in our yard and out of control barking guard dogs. Plus I could not hear any words. I tried to figure things out but I really was deaf. Very long story short Mario and his children had come here to enjoy the Isla after Christmas. I did not even think about taking any photos. We did get re acquainted with Sebastian( 12 or 13 ) whom we met in October. I had a brief conversation with the two daughters who may or may not both be 14 and they were very sweet and I was looking forward to seeing them the next day. And we met Santiago ( 16 ) whom we had heard a great deal about. I was amazed at the quality of English these teens were speaking. I vaguely recall that they might be in private schools. On the last day I found out that 3 of them live in Monterrey. Such a small world as we have friends there.

My first question was, where are you sleeping? Mario had booked the upstairs apartment next door to us but it only had 2 beds ands he wanted to sleep in the RV. We just could not do that. Too complicated with a sick dog and Colin as well as me not sleeping at night. And no I did not have any food to feed them 🙁  I only have enough for day to day, never mind to feed five hungry travelers. We gave them a chaise cushion for someone to use to sleep on the floor with. I could find no restaurants open at 7:30PM and sent them off looking for some open taco stands.

Lusana sent us a huge homemade carrot cake. It was excellent and the spices were so fresh that you could really taste and enjoy them. Thank you so very Lusana.  Wish you had been here.

Santiago showed up early in the morning of the 27th ( Saturday ) saying that they were off to buy milk and would be back. We never saw them again until after 4:30PM. Turns out they spent the day at the beach here on the Isla.

Mario and Santiago came by just after dusk for a short visit. Sadly I never saw the other three kids again. At 16 Santiago is extremely intelligent and accomplished. He has done so much at his young age including starting a few businesses including a theater group. Colin was very tired from Christmas Day but he eventually rallied when he saw how talented this 16 year old was. HIs playing picked up that evening.

Needless to say Santiago really enjoyed playing Colin’s special guitars.

Everyone had a good time except me! I could not hear any of the conversation and barely the music. I was becoming extremely frustrated.

Colin enjoyed sharing some tips with Santiago. I honestly can’t recall but I think the music went on till well after 8:30PM. Colin was smiling and happy from the visit and the music. We said adios to our friends and had our dinner and were in bed by 10PM. The plan was for the family to hike El Faro at 8 AM and then we would go to El Velero in the afternoon and listen to Los Cryps.

About 8:30 the next morning ( Sunday the 27th ) Santiago returned the cushion he had used to sleep on and said that they were leaving!  Leaving 😳 Turns out they were going to Mazatlan to find another location ( apparently there were jelly fish in the ocean and Sebastian likes to swim in a pool ) for the night and would decide Monday when they were driving to Chihuahua  and / or Monterrey. Hugs and adios. A few minutes later Mario stopped in for his farewell hugs. It was a quick visit. We have not heard from them since. It was spontaneous and fun. I wish that I could have done more for them all.

Surprise #2!

Between Santiago’s adios and Mario’s we discovered that our kitchen floor was flooded next to the fridge ( about 2 -3  inches of water ) covering the carpet under the table that our two desktop computers sit on. Finally figured out that the water line from wherever to the fridge ice maker had broken and was creating a huge mess. Doing the night I often use the toilet and I could smell a sour dirty smell. I even sat at my computer for a bit early Sunday morning and only noticed the odor. The wet was on Colins side of the table and he soon discovered it. So he figured out how to shut the water to the fridge off. First he made calls to the RV tech, Erik and to our neighbor. Meanwhile I started laying towels to soak up the water. You might liken it to wine grape stomping. Thank you Glenn and Amy for all your help. I heard none of your conversation as I still could not hear and was becoming increasingly deaf and upset. I truly could not hear any conversation. Yet again no time to take photos.

Used lots of heavy thick towels to soak up the water and Glenn used his shop vac. Then we set three fans out for 36 hours. But there was still that smell. So yesterday afternoon we dumped two large sized boxes of baking soda on the carpet. Vacuumed that up today and then I lightly spritzed with a 50/50 solution of white vinegar and warm water. That is drying now. I may have to do it yet again tomorrow.

Surprise #3!

The fact that my hearing is getting worse is beyond upsetting. I last had my ears checked by Dr. Garcia de la Rosa on November 20th as I was having problems with my left ear. He said that my ears were clear! He was annoyed when I asked him on November 25th to check them again. I have a very small ear canal with a sharp bend and do check my ear canals often. In fact Colin used to candle my ears and I his. Google if you are interested. More cons that pros but we have been doing this for over 20 years with positive results.

I ended up texting my new Dra Jocelyn at 10:30PM on Sunday the 27th! And she replied. Best doctor ever. We both agreed that I needed to see a specialist. However they are all on vacation until early January and I am unable to book an appointment.

Monday morning the 28th, I was about to start screaming. Finally I reached out on an expat Facebook page for someone who does ear candling. I got a reply and the lady came with three hours. Yes she came to the Isla, cost 900 MXN.

She did what needed to be done. She also does other alternative medicine. Her technique does not meet my standards. When Colin and I do this ( and we have done this to many others over the years with great success I might add ) we have two bowls of water nearby, often a fire extinguisher, towels to cover the pillow and the hair and shoulders. We are just very cautious.

She does not cut the soot as the candle burns down and lets it fall and fly everywhere. Colin was right beside me supervising every step of the way. We cut every few inches of soot. She was the professional and so all he could do was be on standby. I think he had cut the candle at this point.

She really did not speak English but that is no longer a problem for us, however I simply COULD NOT hear her.  Even after she did both ears 😡

The left side represented the amount of ear wax that was removed by her ear candling and the blob of the right shows what came out of the right ear. That is a lot of wax. The candle residue is the light yellow flaky stuff.

She said that my kidneys had low energy and that she wanted to do acupuncture. No gracias, take your money and leave!  I did give her a good  ( not excellent ) review.  I was so upset. Maybe I do have low kidney energy but at my age and  with the knowledge of how my body functions, I knew what I needed. So I spent the next few hours holding a warm compress on each ear and by the end of the night I could hear a bit out of my left ear. But it did not get any better than that.

Totally surprised that I had that much wax.

I went to bed early last night while Colin just played and played and played.

So today, Tuesday, December 30th, I asked Colin to candle my right ear. One has to be steady and I did not want to have him to something like that with a hand in the recovery process nor put any pressure in him but I really needed help. He did a great job with my right ear and in fact he did it a second time. I can hear bits and pieces from that side now. This entire hearing thing has caused lots of stress and I am napping a lot.

This is a total of what has come out of my right ear in 24 hours. The very thin long piece on the left was from the second candle today. That shows me how deep my wax is impacted and for it to come out in one line is unheard of. The middle section was from the first candle we did today.

So I will use warm compresses tonight and likely we will candle both ears at least once more tomorrow. Hopefully I can see an ear specialist the week of the 5th and have a camera sent in and check out the Que Pasa of the situation. I did not enjoy surprise #3 for even a nano second.

Earlier today we had a visitor who is a new friend, join Colin for some music. Jim also helped us with a few chores. It was great to have the help. Thank you so much Jim for helping to flip the carpet. Colin and I could not have done it without you. Your muscles were greatly appreciated. Not to mention your delightful music.

The girls were on the far side of Colin and I watched them snuggle into the bed together when he started to play, They have missed his playing as well.

A wonderful end to a few difficult days.

Hmmm – I don’t care what you think :))

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best Christmas dinner in years…..

Contessa Jewall2 Comments

Last year ( 2024 ) was an extremely quiet Christmas for us as I was worn out from packing up and leaving Canada. But we did have a lovely dinner with Fred and Kelly in RV1 – they inherited our site when we left.

Sorry about the overload of Christmas decor but because of a computer glitch I have to put these photos here.

We love our fishnet wall.

So ends our Christmas decor photos. Certain not Colins’ professional photos but at least you get to see what we created this year.

This was to be another quiet Christmas because of Colin – no gifts etc. However I had more energy and once again we were privileged to be invited to Kelly and Fred’s for dinner on the 25th. So in addition to putting up Christmas decorations inside and outside this year I was able to contribute to the actual Christmas meal.

Their site looks so welcoming and they did a wonderful job of hosting for about 20 of us RVers. Those tables would later be groaning under the weight of all the delicious food.

Of course there was happy hour before the special meal. Can you find us in this photo?

Such a stunning sunset put on by Mother Nature for the occasion.

Our plates were full and we indulged in every bite.

We dined with friends of old and were delighted to make some special new ones. Many of these photos were taken by Fred.

After dinner, there was some music and Christmas Carol sing alongs which were great fun. So much camaraderie.

We enjoyed our ride home in ‘Put, Put’ and were greeted by a chorus of loud dog barks. We might have been gone over  fours hours ( but I did have FUN  😉 ). However there was a glitch! No matter how hard we tried we could not get the RV door to open 😥 The girls knew that something was not right and soon the barks became sad whimpers 🙁

…very serious situation.

…and that is how Santa came down the chimney wearing ‘guitar’ socks! Turned out that the dog ramp was jammed against the RV door.

For some reason I am unable to place the following video further up in this post where it belongs – but oh please watch this….

UPDATE Fred was able to put his video in the comment section. Have a look if you are interested, better than our video!

Our host Fred had done a spectacular video but it was deleted before I could add it to this post. However Colin, unbeknownst to me to also did a video. Us French Canadians certainly know how to sing!  That is me with my hand up in the air and signing off key. Christmas for me has always been in French. This was as very special moment for me on this Christmas evening.

Que Pasa

Contessa Jewall9 Comments

Christmas Eve morning! Where did the ocean go? The sun came out a few hours later. It was a  cool 70F!

Just wanted to share some fun things we have been doing this month.

So many have shared a favorite Christmas movie. I have never shared a movie before but we both quite enjoyed this one plus it was educational. This popular 2025 Christmas Netflix romantic movie is called “Champagne Problems”. It was viewed over 20 million times the first week it came out.

Click here for the official trailer.

Christmas Eve morning facing the shipping channel.

Our landlords, Juanita and Fernando were married 25 years ago on December 15th and we were invited to their distinctive celebration. There was a mass at 6PM but we did not go as it would be in Spanish and likely involved a good deal of standing, too much for Colin to handle. The actual event at 8PM, was here on the Isla and just down the road from us at the Isla event salon. In case I forget – we left early just after midnight 😎

There were over 200 in attendance ( I never actually counted ). We were the only two who were not Mexican and were honored to have been included. We were sat at the table directly at the front of dance floor and were able to see everything. Fernando’s mother and siblings were at our table and the table next to us were Juanita and Fernandos children and other close relatives. Needless to say we made good use of our Espagnol.

Beautiful decorations.

Even the children were dressed up.

Beautiful saxophone music to start the evening. As you can see I am no longer taking time to straighten photos nor crop them tighter I have come to accept that better do a post than not.

Juanita bought  a new gown for her 25th anniversary.  The long train would prove to be a problem as the evening went on.

The first dance. It was obvious how much in love they still are. They grew up here on the Isla and eventually married and have lived here all of their lives.

With their three children, Fernanda, Christopher and Fernandito.

Banda dancing shoes!!

The entire time we were there, the food kept being served. It started with perfectly season cerviche, than a cold plate of cheeses, veggies and meat slices, followed by “Philadelphia” covered in a rich chipotle sauce served with crackers. The main course was a very tasty Alfredo pasta along with scrumptious beans and of course cooked beef that we did not sample. There even was a separate BBQ hot dog stand with all the fixings for those who wanted more.

Fernando solved the problem with the wedding train by tying it into knots. Much easier for Juanita to dance.

A great time was had by all. We left at this point just as the games for the men were starting which involved garters and BBQ aprons.

Just four days later we were out yet again.

So much fun!

They gave out raffle tickets and I won a bottle of wine. I think I looked elated at the win!

Colin had Jamaica while I really enjoyed two Cadillac margaritas  ( I was told to only have one ) but it was SOOOO GOOOD that I indulged. Hey it’s Christmas. I came home and napped for a few hours. I should have eaten more of the guacamole we ordered. Interesting presentation of an old classic.

 

Audrey and I.

Colin and our special friend Genie.

She danced him out to our transportation home.

We have had a very quiet beach this pre Christmas week.

December 23rd sunset.

I heard the Love Boat theme and there appeared the Royal Princess.

A record 31 photos in this post. Oops! I just had to share.

Life is good, better than it has been in a long while.

Our Christmas photo coming tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

To Be Honest………….

Contessa Jewall7 Comments

…..December has been difficult. The focus was on getting us all healthy once again. Even Carlie has been very sick. Back to her chronic stomach issues and paralyzing pains. We can’t get her to the vet on our own ( it is enough just getting both of us on the launcha to cross the shipping channel, never mind carrying a dog ) and the vet is too busy to come to the Isla right now. So lots of phone calls and trying various medications. What we used in the past does not seem to be helping. Two days ago we stopped everything except Gabapentin 2 to 4 times per day, her dog specific gut probiotics and started Pepto Bismol. She has only had a few half good days this month, So difficult seeing her suffer.

So happy to have my mom’s Christmas  birds in our Mexican masks.

Before I forget, about November 20th, we lost one leg of our RV inverter which was the 110V power – it powers the fridge, microwave and anything that would be on a normal household electrical circuit. Colin was able to figure out how to plug the fridge into a separate 15AM plug which saved our food.

Erik did come that day and discovered that the electrical problem was the inverter and we would need a new one. It appears that mice made a nest on top of the inverter – no idea where all this paper came from. Erik was able hook us up to a battery charger which we needed to reprogram every 24 hours.

Finding a replacement inverter was a bit of an issue as the company that made ours no long was making any. Finally we found a company that had very recently started production of this inverter. Cost was $2,300.00USD. We had to get it shipped to Laredo,Texas where I have lady who took it across into Mexico except that UPS did not delivery over the US Thanksgiving weekend and the inverter was misplaced 😥 Finally it was delivered and just last week moved into Monterrey Mexico. However there have been multiple road blocks here in Mexico due to protests from farmers and others as well as cartels creating other roads blocks and actively fighting. Transport traffic in Mexico has been greatly affected and often stopped for days at a time. DHL is charging for overnight delivery but taking up to 25 days to deliver 😳  I had a chat with Elsa today and she suggested we wait until January to attempt the delivery of the inverter to US. She is concerned that it will simply disappear if she shipped today because of all the extra Christmas parcels. Meanwhile Erik switched out the battery charger for a hard wired converter so we can wait as long as needed. Thanks to Elsa we were able to save $415.00USD in duty but we still have to pay about $300.00 in shipping fees within Mexico. The inverter weighs 60lbs so when it does get here Colin will hire someone to go pick it up for us.

Colin had a nice visit with our landlords young son who is learning guitar, All three play and sing but they only had one instrument so Colin lent them one of his to use. He also introduced them to some Sinaloan folk songs. It was specail to see him being involved in a different form of music.

On December 1st we went into Mazatlan to INM to get our address offcially changed. The paperwork with Hogla went smoothly and we were 3rd in line with 2 single people ahead of us when a family of five pushed ahead of us checking into the INM office. It took almost 3 hours to get processed. Groan! Legally one must register a new address within 30 days of moving. You must have official paperwork showing the old and new address on it. The CFE bill showed Los Chivos while TotalPlay showed Las Chivos. A very sharp clerk caught that but took one look at us and how worn out we were at 9:30AM ( we left at 7:30 AM and being the first trip into Mazatlan on the launcha it was a very big deal to get Colin on and off the boat ) she did some constructive thinking and had me write a note that I had not brought the official address paperwork. Even Google Maps spells it differently than CFE ( Mexico”s electrical company ).  She even winked at me!

So on the way home from the main embarcadero ( we can’t use the Playa Sur one – impossible for Colin ) our UTV ran out of gas!!  I could not believe it! Then along came an Isla taxi truck and towed us home – he knew where we lived. He pushed Put Put ( that is now the official name ) into our yard and even filled the gas tank for us.  Colin nor I can lift the fuel container. He was very happy with his tip as we were to be home. It was a long morning. It was fun to be sitting in the UTV and being pulled along. Always a new adventure to be enjoyed!

While all of this was going on I had been looking for a used exercise bicycle for Colin as it really helped him when he was going to physio in Mazatlan in a daily basis. In the end a wonderful lady was moving and had to get rid of her bike – however it was brand new and there was lots of back and on price. In the end we gave up and then suddenly she decided to donate it to us. She even arranged a driver to pick it up and bring it to the Isla. We just had to pay the driver and meet him on the highway and direct him here. Colin uses it multiple times per day and it really is helping him. On the right of the photo you can see his inversion table that we just paid to have brought here from Kelowna ( only $200.00 CAD ) as part of a load the fellow was already bringing here to Mazatlan. The one we have had here for for years rusted out and it was cheaper to pay to bring this one here than purchase a new one.

A lovely never used exercise bike.

Colin almost has a full gym now of what he needs. He exercises a minimum of two hours per day to the point of needing a nap to rebuild.

 

Colin gets top notch physiotherapy here once per week. Sofia comes highly recommended and she has worked with other stroke patients. This was taken today. He made a bit of a break though today by being able to lift the toes on his right foot. Great progress.

Personally I have been suffering for over 12 weeks with very serious gut issues. I saw my usual general doctor about the 26th of November and he prescribed medication which because of his handwriting and the Farmacia interpreting what he wrote I was given pills to stop urinating 😡  My problem was excessive chronic diarrhea! I went back to him. The one he gave me next, I later found out to be something to deal with bloating 😮 I called him a few days later and he said that I needed to have colonoscopy and check for cancer etc. Well I was not about to spend a few thousand USD without bering checked for parasites or having any bloodwork done first.

I remember these lights!!

So I went onto an expat Facebook page and asked for suggestions for a new doctor. I made a choice and called and the doctor herself answered the phone. I met her at the hospital she works out of and she checked me out and ordered over 10,000 MXN  / $764.00CAD worth of tests including a variety of medications. The tests took over a week to be completed as cultures were needed for a few but meanwhile Dra Jocelyn ( turns out her father is a Canadian from Vancouver ) ordered a number of medications for me to start on. I saw her on December 4th and all the feces and blood work came back normal 😀 I  was certain that I had a parasite but I did not! I had already done the local Doxall parasite cleanse twice just in case. Meanwhile it appeared that the various medications and powders just might be starting to have a positive effect.

I have a regular medication area and now have added my new medications as well as Carlie’s new meds. Good thing we have a big RV. This is an old photo of just Colins meds and supplements.

The most expensive medication was a specific gut anti anti-inflammatory. Dra Jocelyn knew about this medication and of the reputation of the best  internist in Mazatlan who has begun to prescribe this drug. But a one monthly supply of only 30 pills costs 2416 MXN / $185.00CAD!!  That is very expensive but I wanted to try a more logical solution to my problem rather than start with a colonoscopy that likely would not solve the cause of the problem. One of my American friends looked up the medication which is called Cortiment. The generic version in the USA is up to $2100.00USD for 30 tablets which is $2885.00CAD – however the 30 tablets only cost $2200.00CAD  😮   Needless to say I am no longer complaining about the Mexican cost of the medication 😳

No idea where I was but Colin caught this little bird flying in and visiting with Ciela.

She was so very gentle with it.

It was over 5 hours on December 4th when I first met with Dra Jocelyn. I had to go to three Farmacias to get all my medications.  I was totally worn out when I got home and just went to bed. However just a few days later on December12th I saw my vein doctor for another treatment. It was a horrific treatment and I have been doing these for at least 8 to 10 years bi annually. I don’t know if her needle was dull but it was so painful with every injection and I got overr 60 injections, I asked her to change the needle and she ignored me. Finally I told her to stop. Plus each injection site would not stop bleeding. It was terrible. I cried in the Didi enroute to the embarcadero. Then there were police all over the place. I got in the launcha and there were police sea-dos circling. Once on the Isla there was a police presence at the dock with flashing lights. I was bone weary and thankful to have Colin pick me up. So happy he figured out a way to drive the UTV being a two foot driver.  I found out the next day that a tourist ( a father with kids ) from one of the cruise ships had died on the beach 😥

It took us over 6 -7 weeks to set up our site. That is my easily put up and down clothes line in the middle of the photo. If you look at the top of the wall to the left of ladder and on the top of the wall ( and between the 2 pieces of rebar ) that grey lump is one of the two iguanas that lives in this wall. One twin to the right of the stool and the other on the stool. They are obsessed with these critters but they are quiet. Unlike the barking they have done in years past with the feral cats.

So here I am three weeks later and I am doing about 90% better 😎 I am keeping a diary and it is impressive. My series of medications ends on January 3rd. As you know I have been excessively stressed since we left Canada early October 2024 ( I was worn out from selling stuff and packing up the house and was so tired ). Dealing with my cataract surgery gone a bit wrong and then Colins’ stroke put a kink into our life as we knew it. Moving to Cerritos for 4 months was literally hell on earth – Colin  says it was worse than the stroke. Then having to suddenly find a new location here on the Isla to place our RV and then set up an entire new palapa and outdoor set up was over top too much. My body was protesting.

Carlie is in pain here – her eyes are so expressive.

And of course the behind the scenes that I never posted about was the on and off again offers on the sale of our home. Our realtor left on October 31  ( never told us till she had left ) for three weeks in Turkey and we were at opposite time zones. It was beyond frustrating. Colin and I were out of our minds and feel that we may have lost a good sale due to here lack of communication. At the moment we still have an offer subject to the sale of
“their” condo in Calgary, Alberta. But that expires on January 7th, 2026.

Love this color.

I honestly believe that my gut issues are all self inflicted as a result of my stress levels. We all have stress but I been in a negative stress loop since April of 2024 and it has been accumulating.

On December 12th I took Colin to his first chiropractic appointment. It wore us both out but it truly did help him. Colin came home and slept for solid three hours. However he is standing taller and Dr Alan had a suggestion as to his twisting right foot. We actually both saw the good doctor again this past Thursday, the 18th. I certainly have some issues but don’t we all. Again a tiring day as it takes two fellows to get Colin onto and off the boat. It is more difficult when he is worn out – like after a medical appointment. And then the last physio appointment of 2025 was today the 22nd.

Just getting through the day is wearing us out. It takes a very long time to get anything accomplished. Not to mention worrying about Carlie’s daily pain and just even feeding us and getting water delivered. It is a non stop drain on me. So there you have the jist of it – December has not been fun. Yet we do manage to find beauty all around us and especially in watching the ocean.

The promise of things to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was a fun evening

Contessa Jewall10 Comments

Last Thursday, the11th, we were putting up some lights outdoors. We got our neighbor from when we lived at #7 to climb up on the high ladder ( which he also brought ) and to do the difficult parts. It took Humberto a few visits to get it all done and we are ever so grateful for any help we can get.

But first I looked up through our tiny view towards the west and decided I needed to get out on the road and check things out.

By walking to the left outside of our gate I came across this newly cleared opening. That is El Faro in the background. With all the rain this past summer everything is overgrown along the shipping channel.

Tris ( and Robbin from Hawaii ) I believe that David might have paid to have this done or maybe shared with the fellow in the two story white house to your left.  It is very well done and I was able to manage to get up on my own to get to the opening.

This is what I saw……spectacular!

A bit of a pan to the right and the Baja ferry.

The color in the sky had not yet reached the car carrier nor the cruise ship and tuna boats.

So this clearing is not ours and I don’t know if we can use it.  I don’t think it would be right to do so. Plus is it a bit of a walk for Colin. So guess what I asked Santa for this Christmas? You would be correct. Yes another Contessa sunset corner 😎 It has been started but I have not yet taken any photos. Sadly as the brush was being cleaned across the site from our gate, it appears that the terrain is about as steep as it was at #7. And we only see our “site builder” every so many days. Might be a New Years project 😉 Hoping it will all work out.

It was so fun to come down the road and turn into our gate and see this.

Ciela waiting for me.

Tis the season and looking ever so festive.

Very carefully I got my ten large Christmas balls hung.

I had already gone in when Colin heard the loud hiss of the snake. It had its head extended and appeared vicious. This was taken later, through the window.

It wanted to go into my bougainvillea plant. That is a machete holding the snake back.

Humberto came immediately. Such a great friend. Notice his machete.

Caught the snake with the broom handle, placed it in a bucket and threw it over the edge into the ocean. Crisis averted!