Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

Maybe I haven't been so good, but I have tried.

Please bring someone--preferably Florenzio-- to put down the tile in my kitchen.

If you deliver, I'll have some tequila ready for you!

Thanks Santa & Feliz Navidad!

Mi cumpleanos--part two

Like all good Texans, when we go to Mexico, we shop, shop, shop!
We found some interesting art, some Diego Rivera knockoffs, and had a good time just looking.

I just had to get those dirty shoes shined so that I could make progress down the street by saying truthfully, "Lo tengo."

After my shoes were appropriately shiny, we realized we had worked up a powerful hunger.  We headed to Arturo's where we encountered these cute waiters.  They brought marguaritas, good food, and with our great companions, what more could a birthday girl (in my dreams) ask?

Oh, there is that!  FLAN complete with candle and a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday!"

Truly a wonderful and memorable birthday!


And that is without mentioning the lovely Mexican mirror and hand loomed rug provided by my husband and great friends.  WOW!


And then there was a present and greetings from my "gift daughters."  
Thank you Ann and Lynn!


And a birthday would not be complete without greetings from my long ago student.  This was followed by a delightful  phone conversation catching up on all her accomplishments of the past year--which are many.  Thank you Sherry for all your diligence and love over the years!


I am truly blessed by husband, friends, family, and years!

Mi Cumpleanos 2010

I decided that a perfect way to spend my **th birthday would be with a trip to Nuevo Progresso, MX with friends.  We left the park early and after taking the scenic route arrived at the border.  We paid our 25 cents and strolled over the bridge.  We stopped midway to take in the scenery which included a  fisherman on the Mexico side of the river.





Over the bridge we were stopped by this flock of chickens.   They were just too cute to pass by without photographs.

  Another sculpture--another photo-op!                                
 I wonder how many pictures have been taken at this exact spot...

There is evidence of the current unrest in Mexico.  We have been unaffected to date, but the stories are daunting!  With all the attention our government pays to difficulties around the globe, I have to wonder why the situation on our contiguous border is being ignored.


Despite the presence of the federales, we felt safe as we wandered down the tourist corridors of Nuevo Progresso.

Colors of Bailey

Finally, the painting is almost complete--two rooms to go.

If you do not fear color overexposure, continue through the tour of the latest Casa Bailey.

The doorway, complete with the tile stack for the upcoming project: kitchen floor--hoorah!!!
Also visible, the foyer and music area up the stairs.

 

Next is the dinig room, hallway, and guest bath. I warned you--lots of color.

 

Then there is the kitchen--can you guess why we are so ready for a new floor???--breakfast and laundry areas.
More color here--and I missed the red wall!!!

 

Bed room and master bath area...
Surprising to all of you viewing these photos, we actually LIKE living in this very colorful space. The two office spaces are left to be completed, but our sweat equity is finally paying off!

 

Para Los Viejos

Comes a time when comfort and safety override appearances.
Now is that time. This is not your grandmother's tricycle. It is complete with 21 gears and easy ride.
Jim and I both love our new cycles!






Coming or going--pretty swish.....

My " B " barely shows in the photo, but it is my identity!

Otherwise, things are going well. We are continuing
our home renovations and I am really tired of painting.
One bedroom wall has 7 coats of paint and is still not
satisfactory. Another coat tomorrow and I am stopping.
When that floor is finished I can begin on the kitchen
with a goal of getting a new floor on it. This is the one I am
really anxious to complete.

The weather has been lovely and we have enjoyed the pool and
other outdoor activities a lot. Jim did a bike ride on Tuesday to
South Padre Island. He reported that it was a lot of fun. Maybe next
time I can go also!

Back in the Valley Once More

Finally!  we made it back!   It was great to greet old and new friends.  The house smelled a bit musty, but a little fresh air cured that problem.  Our new flooring had a couple of bulges that were disconcerting, but we got that problem solved today without too much effort.  Now the task is to clean two traveling vehicles as well as the house.  Somethings just never end!  I continue to be amazed at just how much "stuff" collects--regardless of the size of the space available.  I am going to have to sort, sort, sort and toss, toss, toss just to have a place for us!
It is good to be here with friends arriving daily.  Such fun to be a part of a seasonal community; something new every day!
The weather has been lovely since we got back, but the mosquitoes are thick and big enough to carry one away.  Hope some of this good old Texas sunshine will provide relief.

Looking for the RGV

We seem to be having difficulty getting  back to the Rio Grande Valley.  First, a window shattered on the Airstream keeping us in VA an extra weekend.  We got acquainted with new friends who were great Samaritans and took good care of us during this time.  THANK YOU!!!!
Then, as we got into Louisiana, a tire blew on the Airstream.  No big surprise since these had been sitting through several West Virginia winters.  Still.....more time gone.  We were very fortunate in our stopping point and a local policeman led us to a repair place.  THANK YOU!!!
About an hour and 15 minutes later, the spare was on the ground and off we went.  Than, just after we got into Texas, I smelled something that was burning.  There was a car between Jim and me, but when it moved over, it was clear that it was another Airstream tire!  We limped to an exit and happen upon an rv repair spot, but he could not help with the tire.  Soon we found our way to a campground.  Tomorrow is another day.  Hopefully we will get all new tires and head once more for the valley.  The most wonderful part of this adventure--aside from our good fortune in stopping at the exactly right locations--is that both Jim and I took this all in stride without getting upset.  How's that for good fortune????

More of the Maritimes

Leaving Grand Manan Island caused a pang in the heart. Our time spent there was
really special and we hated to depart, but additional special places awaited.


























Lunenburg, Nova Scotia came as a real surprise. We
knew it was a World Heritage City, but had no idea how
intriguing it would be.

We loved the colorful houses with the famed "Lunenburg Bump"
and were quite delighted to watch the Europa sail into port.

Spent an entire day at the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic learning more about the fishing industry and watching the crew of the Europa as they climbed up those tall masts and worked with the sails.

We also learned about the Bluenose and the Bluenose II--which we saw in dry dock. The story of the original ship is very poignant.




After a fine stop visiting friends in Pittsburg, we came back to West Virginia and bid a
sad farewell to our campsite that we have loved and enjoyed for many years. Saying,
"until next time" to so many friends was very difficult.

Now that the Airstream is on the road, we will be headed to TX soon.

Continuing East

We really enjoyed our stay at Moose River Campground. It was a lovely stream and we found it very refreshing.




















Our visit with friends on Mount Desert Island in Maine was delightful as usual. We found time to explore the Acadia National Park even further than we had on previous visits.



















One of our prime destinations was Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy. It lived up to all our expectations ---and more!
Friends delivered us to the Hole in the Wall Camp which we found to be quite wonderful. There is nothing like enjoying a cool beverage as one looks out over the Bay of Fundy from the side of a sheer cliff. That describes both Top K and Top B campsites which we enjoyed.

Our trip on the sailing ship the "Elsie Menota" of Whales and Sails was a great adventure. We saw 5 different types of whale and thoroughly enjoyed our day.
The entire crew was just super and we loved the fish chowder.













Following Jim's interest in the Acadian Culture, we followed the Evangeline Trail around the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia. Yes, we did read Longfellow's epic poem. I found it much more interesting than I had imagined.

We found the point of deportation which I found to be very touching. So easy and yet so difficult to imagine the despair.

As we left Ohiophyle State Park headed east, we noted the Erie Barge Canal Lock and decided to take a look. Just as we arrived, so did a pleasure boat
headed downstream. We enjoyed watching the progress. As you can see, the boat
was lowered quite a lot.

We decided to drive a portion of the old Lincoln Highway. Along the way we noted the memorial for Flight 93. We chose to make a pilgrimage to the site. It was very,
very moving. What a debt we own those brave passengers.

We also noted the old Erie Canal as we drove along.













Our next point of interest was the Onieta Community Mansion House.
This community existed from 1848 to 1880 and billed itself as a utopian
religious community as they tried to form a perfect society and to create
a heaven on earth. They shared all their worldly goods, labor and love.

The community mansion house has apartments to rent and rooms to rent for the night. The library is quite impressive and is maintained for the apartment dwellers.
The entire layout is amazing. Unfortunately, we did not stay overnight.

We stopped overnight at Crown Point, NY and were impressed by the Champlain
Lighthouse that features a bust of Champlain created by Rodin. We also viewed the
earthworks created by the French and some portions of a recreated fortress.
We loved the rainbow reflected on the water.




















Fort Ticonderoga held Jim's interest as he explored the museum displays and the guns. Sometimes the rain just doesn't matter.

A Frank Lloyd Wright Day

Our next big exploration included Kentuck Knob and Fallingwater-- homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We really enjoyed both and marvel at the genuis displayed . Photos include the sculpture garden at Kentuck Knob which we found interesting. Also shown is Cucumber Falls in Ohiophyle State Park.

Fort Necessity

In mid August, we left West Virginia to take a tour of the Canadian Maritimes.
Our first day out, we lost our brakes. We stayed at the Fort Necessity Garage--as Jim says, "a camp of necessity". The owner and crew were great and worked all day making certain that everything was as it should be before we departed.
We spent the repair day across the street at Fort Necessity learning a lot about the French and Indian War and how it lead indirectly to the American Revolution. We felt very fortunate, well entertained, and well treated.

Loving Skyler

Today I am sitting in the WV mountains in the camper of friends with a small squirrel playing beside a tree outside my window.










My sadness of July is that my constant companion of 13 years has died. That is Skyler, my small cairn terrier who directed many of my activities. She brought great joy to my life and her passing has left me with an enormous vacancy.









As we make our plans to visit Canada and Nova Scotia during the month of August perhaps my outlook will brighten a bit and the view from my window will vary.