Mar 08, 2011
Yesterday three more RV’s headed North. No one really wants to leave but we all have obligations at home. This group started their engines about 6:00AM and were off.
Adios till November
It is already so quiet with you all gone...
At the final dinner at Lety's we found out that they will be bringing some lovely pastel cotton tablecloths from Michoacan to sell.
Colin is doing well in Culiacan, in fact his first day went from 7:30AM to 1:30AM. He has taken some photos but hasn’t yet figured out to send them to me. Some of the first day highlights included a wonderful guitar concert last night, cena ( dinner ) with all the invited performers for the entire festival and then a private guitar lesson at midnite! A 5PM master class was cancelled because the maestro never showed up so being as he was at the University he wondered around and …..”so went to a digital photo instruction classroom and talked about my work and discuss my web site – in spanish. people very impressed. ”
Meanwhile the girls and I are just enjoying life, soaking in the sun, watching the activity on the beach and the birds.
What a joy to be able to watch orioles from my garden!
We just had a helicopter touch down on the beach….it was picking up Adan, the owner of the Maria Coral Hotel. He works on a tuna boat and must have come in for something. I heard yesterday that the boat will be out at least another month, the tuna are very sparse and very few tuna are being caught by anyone. Another change due to climate???
The cruise ships are an on again, off again issue here in Mazatlan. On March 4th it was reported that they were all (except Disney) resuming their port stop here. Yesterday the news reported that both Carnival & Norwegian Cruise Lines have cancelled any further visits to Mazatlan this season. Hopefully Holland America will still dock tomorrow.
Mar 07, 2011
The guitar is packed and so are the dress clothes and shoes...
Colin left for Culiacan yesterday morning.
I believe that this is the 5th year that he is attending the International Guitar Festival. He is gone for 8 full days and stays at the home of Maestro Heriberto Soberanes who performed here on the Isla in January. Colin will attend Master classes during the day and attend a concert each evening followed by a very late dinner with the honored guests. It is the highlight of his year, a wonderful opportunity to learn, listen and to play with these great artistes. He gets littles sleep but mucho musica!!
We all miss him but I think Carmeh pines the most. She didn’t come to bed till 3 AM this morning. Now she is spending the day inside lying on Colin’s side of the bed.
No, he didn't forget his guitar, he has two! Poor Carmeh!
Caeli has taken her post at the front gate where she will be the first to know when he gets back.
Hopefully they will settle down. Each time a car passes they run to the gate barking. Lots of extra cuddles and hugs are in store for us three remaining C’s!
Meanwhile we continue to enjoy the improved weather! It is Carnival time here in Mazatlan.
Lots of special lights everywhere and banners.
Some of the decor for the 113th International Carnival.
I have just realized why I have no Carnival photos! We’ve never been! This is our second winter here and Carnival was in February last year but somehow music has taken precedence over the Carnival. We were hosting Maestro Heriberto and his family last February and other than one dinner at the Plazuela Machodo that was the extent of our Carnival festivities. Of course this year Colin is away in Culiacan. For certain this will be rectified for Carnival 2012.
Mar 06, 2011
Right on schedule Valentino was hatched on Sunday the 28th of February. His sister, Princesa, hatched on March 1st. Her egg was laid two days after his and hatched exactly two days later. This first photo was taken on March 1st.
Very hard to tell but I think Valentino is the one with the fuzz hair!
This second photo was taken 48 hours later.
They haven't grown much but both have some feathering now.
The parents have been wonderful at minding the nest. We have had cold fog again and they never let the babies get cold. This last photo was taken yesterday, after another 48 hour span. We are going to give them another week to grow before visiting the nursery again.
If you look closely you can see tiny beaks.
Mar 05, 2011
It is with a sad heart that I share with you that our little stray Cali passed away yesterday while in the care of the Animal Shelter. She had been doing better and was becoming quite active but perhaps one of the puppies she was put in with, after her bout in isolation, had parvo and being as weak and as young as Cali was she succumbed to the disease. They think that Cali could have been as young as 4 weeks when we found her.
Over the past week we received some donations for her care. We also received some emails from the staff at the shelter…..
….”We would love to have you visit, and no, Cali is still there…….the little houdini that she is…….she loves to climb the x-pen(I caught her going out her door this AM) ……but she is doing fine and we call her, “our Stone Island girl” because she defiantly has a “Stone Island attitude”!!!! (and I say that lovingly)”….
…” I will be there and can show you the little bugger. She has a lot of spirit and the other puppies know it – evidenced by their bite marks. No moss on that little brat. See you Friday. ”
…then this last email…
…”Just to warn you that she is sick – may have parvo – so she may not survive the night.
Hope she is OK – we forced fluids into her today – and she perked up a bit.”….
So Colin & I went to visit her at the shelter, we arrived shortly after she had passed. I think in the short time she was there she became a favorite with the staff. But there are so very many others there that need to be loved and find a home.
- Can you see how thin the puppy on the left is?
One of the dogs has been there a year, another 5 months. Thanks to the many volunteers that tirelessly walk, feed and love these animals.
It is clean facility doing what it can on limited donated funds.
Apparently at this time of year many stray puppies are brought in.
This large cage hold several small crates of kittens and cats.
Folding crates like this one are desperately needed.
Hopefully next winter, us and many other Rvers will be able to bring down folding crates, x-pens and whatever else we can find at yard sales over the next several months. Keep up the great work you do at the Amigos de los Animales in Mazatlan & thanks again for looking after our wee Cali.
MexiCALI Rose!!
Mar 03, 2011
The name dachshund is of German origin and means ‘badger’ ‘dog’. They were bred to scent and flush out badgers and other burrow dwelling animals such as the crab. From the first day our girls, even as puppies, hit the beach, the hunt was on.
They walk along the beach noses low and suddenly decide that this it the spot. They both do it but usually Carmeh is the digger while Caeli cheers her on.
They won't stop digging until they get the prize.
Caeli is suggesting that Carmeh dig faster....
They dig, stop and sniff and sometimes change direction. If the crab is burrowing in another direction it won’t be long before it’s discovered.
Once Cloii ( no longer with us ) dug a hole right under the sand about 2 feet in.
Sometimes they play with the crab but not always.
Caeli is usually the first to get the crab.
It doesn't seem fair that Carmeh does all the work!!!
When we are on the beach that has lots of crabs, they often each have their own holes going. Once in Celestino there were so many crabs running everywhere that the girls were going in circles trying to catch them all.
Carmeh is always on the move, climbing things, playing frisbee or with toys. She doesn't rest much.
On the other hand, if Caeli is not hunting she is resting. Period. She doesn’t do much at all. At home we have to watch that she doesn’t become a porker….there are no crabs to hunt in Kelowna and she just plods along on her walks.
A true "dash-hound", eh!!
