Comments

OMG Out of curiosity I went to the Comments section (it's a new presentation for me after 3 years of absence) and realized that in the past years I had received more comments than had been published on my blog. It is noteworthy to add that appended to some comments was text that made no sense. ????

AND I should and would have liked to answer some that had never even appeared until today; I found them in a separate section that had not been there before. Where the dickens had they been transmitted? I checked with Google and was advised that not all comments appear below the blog, that I should have checked my Spam box. I am fuming!

I owe sincere apologies to all who should have received a reply from me. I attempted to retrieve some of the comments directly from the blog but if they had been put in Spam by Google, they would have disappeared after a number of days. I'll have to cool myself 'cause smoke is coming out of my nose and ears! 

If anyone has any suggestion about avoiding this kind of #$%@&!! I would appreciate any suggestion.

This is my promise that I will check not only the comments section that appears on the blog but the Spam box as well from this day forward.

Sorry,

Stargazer

Hitting the Road - Fearing or Daring

In his inaugural address in 1933 FDR uttered these words, "The only thing to fear is fear itself" He was referring to the lack of reasoning of the people who reacted in fear and were rushing to the banks and taking their money out. The banks closed until Congress ordered them to reopen. This could have prevented the recovery plans which, following WW1 and the Great Depression, left the people doubting the capacity of the country to right itself after incredible losses. 

I have always believed that when we fail to learn from history, we are bound to repeat the same mistakes as those of the past. Ever since I read this admonition by Roosevelt, I've taken it to heart and continued to do so for three quarters of a century now. I never let fear guide my decision because I would, and did, and continue to do so, analyse from A to Z what I might have to face and how I would solve all the problems I could think of. I also knew that luck and positive thinking had a part to play in the equation. 

So when I'd tell "people" that now that I had reached retirement age, I was going to use what was left from the sale of my house to pay up my RV and hit the road with my dogs, what I heard more often than not was, "Aren't you afraid?" To which my reply was always "Afraid of what?"  The answers were for the most part rather vague or trite. I had done my homework and analysed what I would need "in case of..." and felt prepared and confident that problems could be solved. First I would take precautions and listen to words of warning from those who had done it before me. And include the recounting of their experiences in my plans to avoid similar problems. 

You see, those who were afraid had no personal experience of the outcome of such a decision. It's normal for little children to be afraid of the dark; they don't know what might be lurking in there. All one needs to light up the dark is one candle, not a floodlight. When I checked with those who had lived it, most were very generous in sharing their experiences and advised me accordingly. So I left with a good provision of "candles". 

I recall when I spent some time at Slab City, meeting with a retired policeman from Santa Cruz. After being told by more than a few men that I needed a gun, I asked him what he thought would be safer for me. I was a woman alone, but had two dogs, a Rottweiler and a large German Shepherd for protection. He replied WITHOUT ANY HESITATION, "If you want to be killed by your own gun, go ahead and get one. It's more of a liability than a security for yourself unless you're trained in self-protection and a skilled marksman." Whoa! He knew from experience and I trusted him. I kept my money -- and my life. 

He told me that one night, close to the end of his shift, he witnessed a guy running in the alley from the back of a store that should have been locked. He was really tired and didn't feel he had enough energy to run after the robber. Not again...but he started running and yelled according to protocol, "Stop of I'll shoot!" The guy kept on running. He warned him again, and again, and got the same lack of response. Finally he had a stroke of genius, "Stop or I'll let the dog loose!"  In the blink of an eye the guy flattened himself on the ground without hesitation. When my friend went to cuff him, the bad guy asked him, a tad gruffly "Hey, where the f... is the damn dog?"

As if a dog could run faster than a bullet. 

Go figure!

RIP Camera

Well, I guess my camera is unusable. I was hoping to post some photos of my little house and my furry companions--it will have to wait. By a strange coincidence, I also have decided to get rid of my Telcel cellular because it makes me lose too much money. There is no rollover from a month to the other unless I pony up some more money to recharge a phone that I hardly use, except for making a call or sending a message away from home. What a waste!

I had wondered whether all these ridiculous happenstances aren't a sign from the Universe that I should give up blogging. It's been one hurdle after another. After three years waiting for the internet, I was quite anxious to get back to communicating. You plan... then life happens. But I'm not giving up. 

Basically I'll just have to follow the trend and it makes a lot of sense. I'll combine the camera and the cell phone with a new company, probably Movistar if they offer an attractive package. I'll have to check it out in person in the coming week. 

But now I'd like to post something different.

Words to Live by

Just read this today and thought I'd share it-

I shall pass this way but once. Therefore, any good that I can do or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, for I shall not pass this way again.

Am determined to put it where I can see it every day. 

Regardless whether one believes in reincarnation or not, it remains an undeniable truth. We pass but once at any given moment. Every day, every hour, every person I encounter at a moment of that day, is a once in a lifetime. It will not occur again. Ever.

Re-Learning

In recent years I have become painfully aware that close to 77 years old, my memory is no longer what it used to be. But it has never been so obvious as since I decided to blog again, now that I have the internet and have so much to report. To whom? Just for the sake of it! At the very least, it'll get rid of superfluous stuff in my brain to make room for re-learning...

Back to the memory bit. Not having used my camera for the past 3 years, I have forgotten a lot of the functions. Yesterday, as I attempted to take photos of the finished parts of the house, I suddenly blocked off. Thinking it was the batteries, I put in new ones. Same result. Then I checked whether I could have forgotten some pics left on the card. Bingo! OK, let's go on with removing old stuff. I must have pressed the wrong minuscule button because suddenly all was frozen, I don't know where or why. I'll have to read the instruction booklet to re-learn how to use my old, but good, digital camera.

In my blog (silent for 3 years) I had used Picasa to touch up the photos. At times it would the lighting, the colour, or a slanted image. The moment I keyed in Picasa, I was notified that I had to install an update. THAT I had not forgotten. I've been doing this for weeks ever since I got the internet. The problem is that once more, much had changed on Picasa. More re-learning...

With the very best intentions in my heart, I had planned on catching up with my blog. Not so. It's as if in the interval from when I left off and now, everything has changed. The internet is NEW. Many of the programs had to be updated and seem as if NEW. Even my old camera appears NEW.

Back to blogging; it might take a while to get ME updated. What's the old saying? USE IT OR LOSE IT! 

No problem. It is said that we use only 10% of our brain capacity. Plenty of room left to re-learn.

At least I haven't forgotten how to read...

What's next?

Before I start, I thought that my blog was now a misnomer since I do not boondock any longer so I added an EX before it. As a result the old blog became deleted, no longer available. I had to rename it to its original. But I made some changes so that I would not be confused with a boondocking writer

What I thought I'd do is pick up where I had left off. But I will have to summarize as too much happened. Getting electricity was a saga. I will put this long and arduous journey in a nutshell. All of us - some 16 families - formed a committee and looked for an official contractor asking for quotations. We got plenty but none that the group would accept. My definition of a committee is a body with many legs but no head...  This went on and on until a final decision got made. We all contributed for the complete works without any recourse from any official and were finally hooked up in September 2014. The cost for each family came up to $8,000 pesos.

Moving from the RV to the house was done in steps. First I needed doors and windows and flooring. $$$ and time involved, of course. The RV included all appliances - fixed - so I had to start from scratch save for a small living room set that I had bought second hand when I had moved to the casita on Juarez in Tequis. My first big purchase was a BED! Double-size, if you please! I had been quite content for years with my single mattress in the RV. I celebrated the Holidays of 2014 with a definite feeling of luxury...

Moving on to 2015! Since 2013 I had been plagued with stiffness and pain in my knees. As a resident I was eligible for Seguro Popular, the equivalent of Medicare. A number of X-Rays showed that there remained no cartilage in either knee. The recommendation was a surgical replacement of both knees. This would be free but there were quite a few hurdles. So I decided to try all that I could before resorting to this last measure. After ozone therapy, which incidentally provided me with considerable relief, and plasma therapy that became too expensive to keep up with I knew that surgery would be a must. I am planning for this within the next few months.

Also, I had been having a problem with my eyes. Thinking that I had cataracts, I went to an eye specialist who game me a diagnostic of macular degeneration. All that I could was retard blindness as much as possible with lutein and zeaxanthin supplements with a number of minerals. Unfortunately they are not encountered in Mexico. Not many blue, grey, or green eyes here. So I have to take the overnight bus to Laredo to purchase them. So far so good...

Oh, I forgot to mention the plumbing, toilet, water hookup, shower, drainage... And the flooring... and the fridge... oh yeah, the stove, table and chairs, etc. Eventually it all got done and completed last month. I have maintained since the inception of this project that my life lesson had to be learning P A T I E N C E. I did! In droves...

Now here we are in 2016 and we finally got the internet since October 2015. Since I had only makeshift storage in the kitchen, no counter, no pantry, I took the plunge and got a carpenter to build these in December 2015. Did I mention patience? Since it has by now become second nature, I no longer fret and fume. Lesson learned.

At this point, I will end this narrative and get busy with photos. That will be my next post. Plus an update on my four-legged family.

So much to write about. . .

Best Wishes for 2016!

As is said in Latin speaking countries, "Health, Love and Money, and Time to enjoy them all"

2016... what's in store for us all? In numerology (the very little that I know about) 2016 is a 9 year. If I look at it in my uninformed way, it represents the culmination of the 8 years that preceded it; does it mean that it leads to new beginnings? Guess we will find out in 12 months!

I had grandiose dreams of taking a lot of photos, only to find my old digital camera almost defunct from years of not using it. What's the old saying? Use it or lose it? I found it to be so true--from a certain familiarity with the internet to attempting to start a new blog fusing both of my old blogs into a single one... I was navigating in terra incognita without a boat or even a floating device! I could hardly swim just barely keep my head above water! Learning is a must...and I will.

Actually, my mind is full to the brim with all that happened since I had to stop my blogs. My little house was still in the throes of growing into an accomplished fact. It seems as if nothing had been finished. From waterproofing the roof to basic plumbing. to a laundry area with water and electricity, to the entrance way to the house, to paving the lot, to way too much to finally end up living with stop-gap temporary measures ...and I was already into maintenance! One of my sisters who had REALLY lived the experience had said that it takes roughly 10 years to do it all! Would I live that long?

So, I decided to tackle each area with planning the steps that I had to take to have at least THAT area completed. The same goes for my blogs. One at a time with photos and reviews to bring it up to date. So much has happened. A friend suggested that at this point perhaps I should contemplate writing a book. This brought me to reality; I don't have to go over the same old stuff, just keep on going and fill the gaps. 

So now that I have organized my mind on that concept, it will be relatively easy to sit down and write. I do it all the time in my mind, any way.

 Stargazer

The Joys and Pitfalls of Foreign Currencies

I got broke more often than not—probably as often as I got elated to have such large denominations piling up in my wallet. When I began living in Mexico, the currency rate of exchange was roughly 10% for a Mexican peso of either an American or Canadian dollar. So when I had $5,000. pesos, it meant that I had about $500. but it certainly didn’t feel that way. There were 3 zeros instead of 2; it felt like wealth and fostered a false sense of security. Funny how adding “nothing” (zeros) can reassure one about financial security. (I wonder whether there might be a metaphysical message in this…)

I have a Canadian friend here who always keeps a cool head about money. She immediately figures that she has in hand ONLY the Canadian equivalent of 10% in Mexican pesos. In a way, she does reverse conversion. And she uses that amount for the sake of comparison. But in my quest for accuracy, I carried a pocket calculator that I used to convert feet into meters and centimeters into inches. I also used it to convert from dollars to pesos and way too often got a dizzy reaction to feeling so rich. Imagine having $2,000. (dollars) instead of $200.

At times, my reaction to the price of things was one that would go from horrified to giddy surprise. A pound of butter at $54.70? But wait, things would take a turn for the better when I figured that I could buy 10 bolillos (crusty buns at 2 pesos each) for $2.00! I could always eat them unbuttered to balance things out. I’m still battling that one.

Things got a bit complicated when the rate of exchange began to fluctuate between the proverbial 10% to 11.5675% or in times of great abundance to 13.4253%. But this was the official rate, from country to country. It didn’t take into account the bank fees for converting currencies. To my mind, either the banks were unaware of the official rate of exchange or ignored it completely, and I would often feel cheated. Also, since I used ATMs that also charged a fee of about $24.30 pesos on any foreign withdrawal a couple of years ago, to the present fee of $32.40 pesos per transaction, this added to my bank fee of $5.00 dollars for each withdrawal!

So to ease things for my calculations and withdraw only the amount that my bank would allow daily, I would go to the ATM and click on the “check my balance”, which would automatically appear in pesos. Then I would guesstimate what was really available for the day by deducting about $10.00 dollars from my daily allowed amount. This would include the $12.30 pesos for the balance checking service, the $32.40 pesos for withdrawing the allowed daily amount, and the $5.00 dollars fee for delivering the cash from my bank. Why then, did it not work out that way?

As if things weren’t already somewhat complicated, every time that I would inquire about my balance (my way of getting a more accurate figure on the rate of exchange) the ATM would suddenly be unable to read my card when I tried to get my money! Or the ATM screen would show that my bank that had allowed ME to check the balance on MY account would not permit the withdrawal of MY money. So I would have to cab it from the Banamex ATM to the Bancomer one. Cashiers are not trained or allowed to withdraw from any foreign account. It leaves only the ATMs. I suppose that the bank’s program would assume that the card must have been stolen since, as the owner of the card, I SHOULD know what my balance is. And I DO! Only it’s in dollars. This got to be an expensive exercise. And it did nothing to booster my self-confidence.

So I gave up calculating. Not an easy reckoning for one who can figure out how many bricks or cement blocks are needed per square meter. Now I just withdraw what I figure is more or less the daily maximum allowed and leave it to the gods of finances to inform me of what I have left after I’ve taken out what I need for the month. It works out pretty well most of the time. But I do get broke once in a while and end up with less than $10. dollars in my pocket during the last week of the month. Why? I would sometimes forget that besides the instant fees, an additional $20. to $24. dollars would occasionally be deducted from my account towards the end of the month for a number of withdrawals in excess . . . of what exactly?

Go figure.

Learning Experiences

I have read somewhere that mental exercises are highly recommended to keep the brain in form once old age has set in. Well. . . I have certainly kept mine busy, what with settling down in a new country, learning a new language, learning about construction typical to this area, learning new mores and customs, even learning about new foodstuff, the list gets longer all the time. Even shopping becomes a new type of experience.

While there are many shops and eateries that cross over borders such as Home Depot, the ubiquitous McDonald’s, WalMart, Subway, Costco, etc. all of which are relatively close, others have a definite foreign flavour, particularly the mom and pop tienditas. I’ll bet that new synapses are now forming committees in my brain so as to figure out how to classify newcomers and put them their proper place! Short term memories are supposed to be a challenge, which I will not dispute, especially when it becomes imperative to recall street names, what Taxivan goes where, new forms of politeness, the list can be exhaustive. I have resorted to keeping written notes in small notebooks that fit nicely in my purse. I just have to remember to bring my purse…

However, I wish that my brain would have willingly adopted new interjections and exclamations. I just love them but have yet to figure out how and when to use them properly. Or else appear foolish. The ojala, caray, hijole, digame, a poco, to name a few. They sound so cool when you hear them and they do fit so nicely and naturally in the conversation, especially with the proper tone and accent. To me they are brain ticklers. More to learn…

Some expressions enchant me. Do you know that I am not retired, but jubilant? Jubilacion is the term for retirement. Don’t you just love that one? I sometimes revert to my native French and twist the word to sound Spanish. It works at times, at others definitely not. For instance bagage in French, or baggage in English, is NOT bagaje, which means beast of burden. At the pharmacy, if you mention that you are constipado, you’ll get a cold remedy instead of Exlax. And if you’re embarrassed about asking for directions after driving in vain for over an hour, DO NOT say that you’re embarazado, which is a physical impossibility for the male of the species. It means pregnant!

Until I become properly conversant with many idiomatic expressions, I must refrain from using them… or run the risk of becoming repeatedly pregnant!

New Construction Phase

Things slowed down a bit after my last report covering the roof and boveda and related expenses. I had decided to hold back for a while to put money aside to buy a car or a van. Then the problems with getting the internet clinched the deal. I had not taken into account that the summer months in Tequis are part of the rainy season. It did indeed rain, copiously. I began living in a sea of mud. Mud everywhere. The lot, the RV, the porch of sorts, the bodega, EVERYWHERE! Only the house on construction stayed almost dry.


My spirits plummeted as the mud rose. It did not take me long to realize that while I could use a vehicle a few times a week, I had to live in a house all the time. My plan had to be switched to a more realistic one toward finishing the house ASAP. That presented a new challenge. I decided to look for a long-term commitment to building as opposed to a start-and-stop way of hiring workers on a part-time basis.

I knew that Sr. Diaz of Santillan was a well-known Maestro de Obra, or Construction Chief. I asked him for a recommendation on a responsible and honest mason. And as they say, the rest is history. I met with Don Pedro who came with a solid baggage of 40 years of experience. The man is incredible. His work week is Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM. He works without any helper. I was paying a mason $310. a day and his helper $210. That came to the $5,200. that I could afford for 2 weeks per month. I offered $340. a day to Don Pedro to work solo, which he had done for a group of airline pilots for 4 years. I can afford his pay for 3 weeks a month as it comes to $5,100. And can the man work! To my greatest amazement, his production surpasses that of the previous workers. I suppose it is that quite often while the mason was working the helper would sit idle and would not be busy until there were materials to be brought or cement to mix, etc. Plus it eliminated the chats and kibbitzing around. When Lupe, a wonderful Santillan mason who worked on my house for quite a while heard that Don Pedro would be working for me, he exclaimed that I was very lucky as I had gotten the very best! I fully concur.

Here is Don Pedro at work on the ceiling of the dining-kitchen area. His skin suffers from the constant contact with lime and cement so he has to wear gloves and long sleeves.

He poured the bedroom floor alone. At the time, I didn’t think of taking photos since I had very little hope of getting the internet any time soon. But when next he pours the floor of the dining-kitchen, I’ll publish how he does it.

In the photo below, Don Pedro poses for the camera. He stands in the future living room where we keep just enough supplies to keep him busy for a couple of weeks.

Last week I bought doors for the bedroom and the bathroom. And I found a carpenter who is also a furniture builder. I can design my own and he will make it in his shop. You’ll notice that once the doors were on, I lost no time in moving my living room things into the bedroom where they will keep much cleaner than in the bodega. Here are the photos I took. I finally have more than 5 square meters of living space.

I still need to “seal” the ceiling and walls and paint them. But right now, I’m hell bent on finishing the hard construction of the whole thing inside and out. This will undoubtedly take many more months. A great many.

I often joke that being born an Aries, not particularly known for their great patience, this incarnation is for me to learn and master that virtue that was given to me so miserly. I am now in my third (3rd) year living on my lot in my RV. Does that qualify for being a tad more virtuous? You bet your sweet petunias it does. As a learning experience, it should last me for a couple of lifetimes!

The photo below shows the bathroom door on the left and the bedroom one on the right from the dining-kitchen area. In between both doors is Don Pedro’s bike. It takes him about 40 to 45 minutes to come to Santillan from Fuentezuelas. He’s always here some 10 to 15 minutes early so as to have a little rest before starting his work. He is 60 years old.

I also had the plumber/electrician hired on an as-needed basis. I’ll cover this on a later post as I have to take more photos. I will also have a report on my expenses later.

I read some of the comments and will respond, also a tad later.

Publishing these posts was a brand new experience at the cyber cafe. Still learning....

LiveJournal Tags: Building a small house in Mexico

A Four-Legged Family

First, le me apologize for being incommunicado for months. In my post Back in the Saddle, you’ll find out why. Today, I have a bit to report about construction, starting with an absolutely wonderful mason-cum-jack of all trades new worker. He is Don Pedro, a well seasoned worker who is mature, diligent, knowledgeable, honest, and has no qualms about working solo. An extremely rare find. So I’ll be taking photos of the progress that’s been taking place at my little house and publish a later post.


As the title indicates, I have a lot more to report about the unplanned additions to my little family. It had all started with Tina, followed by Tasha. You’ll notice that thus far, all have been of the female persuasion. After my beloved Queenie passed away came Kaylee, a Tequis street dog, again female. Three seemed to be a good well-rounded number until I encountered Nicki. If you do a search of the blog, you’ll find their stories.

Just as Tasha’s rescue had been close the puppy’s last hour, so appeared to be Nicki’s. Then I learned that Nicki’s sisters had also been thrown away. I had to find them as I knew how their lives were hanging in by a short thread. I did.

I’d looked for them for close to ten day. I’d left kibble where they had been reported to be seen and kept checking. I figured that the puppies had to be about 2 months old. Eventually I found them huddled under a tire during a rain storm. Part of my attempts at rescuing both can be found in my post titled “A New Writing Plan of Mixed Concerns”. One took to staying with me, the other was way too skittish. Until a few days later another violent rain storm with thunder and lightning brought her voluntarily under my rig where I found her in the morning. The first of Nicki’s sisters I named Keiko; she reminded me of a little furry geisha. The skittish one started as Mieke, which sounded too close to my lovely neighbour’s name of Dona Mika so she got renamed Miko. The advantage here was that I figured that with names sounding more or less similar, I’d get all three’s attention if not obedience.

Dream on. . . They proved to be smart enough to clearly identify which one was called and to respond accordingly. Or not, depending on the mood.

When I’d discovered the last two of the puppies, they had kept close to a tire next leaning next to a house in bad weather. In good weather with heat, they had found another tire across the road that they used as a shady nest under a mesquite. There was an extra bonus as they fell under the protection of a large Golden Lab who curled himself around the tire and kept an eye on the pups. I’d known the lab as one of the local street dogs so I made sure to give all three some kibble and water a couple of times a day. Later, I learned of the lab’s name and rather than go all the way down the road, I’d call him and he’d come running with the last puppy (Miko) keeping up close behind.

Another electric rain storm was coming in fast when, a few days later, I noticed the Lab lying down in the field across my place. I called him but he wouldn’t respond. When I got close to him, I realized that he couldn’t rise. His hind leg was grotesquely swollen and it looked as if it might have been broken. I called the veterinarian to help come to his rescue. Just in time before the pelting rain hit, Lupe and I managed to get him into the vet’s car. I told the vet that I’d assume the costs. A day or two later, she admitted that she also had feared a fracture of his thigh. There was a large haematoma, no fracture, but considerable swelling from what appeared to be the result of a violent blow from a stone, a foot, or a large piece of wood. The poor dog hadn’t been able to get up let alone walk. He was in considerable pain.

It was inconceivable that I’d leave him in the street in his condition. Plus he needed more shots of antibiotics, to relieve the pain and reduce the inflammation. While he was at the vet’s I’d made inquiries about the poor dog and discovered that he was indeed a street dog that some claimed as theirs on the basis of occasionally feeding him dried up tortillas and chicken bones whenever they’d have leftovers. They also frankly reckoned that he was a street dog.

Although a large animal, his ribs were like a washboard. His skin and gums were almost devoid of colour from anaemia. He was riddled with parasite infestations both inside and out. He had a large tumour on his back the size of half a grapefruit. It looked awful and nasty. His lip had been torn at some point and so had one of his ears. Both had remained slashed. He had only stubs--no front teeth left between his canines, which the vet attributed to gnawing on tree bark or something similar seeking a relief from hunger. His nose showed an indentation where it had been broken, probably from a sharp object as indicated by a scar. It could have been a rebar the vet remarked for such a break. He was probably around 6 to 7 years old.

He needed help and care. He needed regular feeding. He needed shelter. I adopted him. Besides, I was so grateful to him for caring for the puppies. Clearly a most noble animal that I discovered was very gentle and peaceable. He had been known as Ringo. He became Rambo. Two days ago, as a test, I called him by his old name of Ringo but got no response. Just a rigid countenance. Not even a turn of his head for a look. The moment that I said Rambo, tail wagging he came straight to me. It breaks my heart and never fails to make me tearful to see him jumping for joy and prancing at every feeding time, just as if he was still a young pup. Just as if it was so wonderful and unexpected for him to get food.

A couple of weeks after Rambo’s injury, a woman showed up at my door claiming that although he was indeed a street dog, he was HER street dog. She was accompanied by the Delegado who put a few questions to me and asked me if I had bills to prove what had happened. I had. With time, I had learned that the woman’s husband was known as a brutal and cruel man to both his animals and his now grown up sons. Most around here were sure that he had either thrown a large stone at the dog or given him a very hard kick to result in his leg injury. The vet offered her support in stating that the law was clear and that it was absolutely within the law for me to adopt him. That anyone claiming a dog as property had to ensure that the animal be reasonably sheltered, cared for, and clearly identified with a collar. Obviously the law in Mexico aims to protect animals. Just as obviously the law can seldom be applied for lack of policing.

Aware of the terrible suffering of the seven animals who now share my physical and heart space, the vet and I had many a conversation about doing something to raise awareness of the plight of puppies thrown away as so much garbage when sterilization would prevent this widespread suffering of innocent animals. I offered to write the dogs’ stories and she said that she had a contact with our local paper and would see to it that the articles be published. Thankfully, she will also review my writing in Spanish, which needs all the help that I can get.

So there you have it. It took years of trekking across the continent to rid me -of the travel and adventure bug. I guess I’ll just keep on writing to get rid of this bug, too.

You will also notice that I have left the “DONATE” button at the bottom of the screen. Any help will be received with immense gratitude. Even five or ten dollars can help give me a relief from the feeding and vet costs. All animals in my care have been rid of parasites, have been vaccinated and sterilized. They get Pedigree kibble in the morning and cooked food at night, which consists of fresh tortillas or cooked rice along with a mix of vegetables and fresh meat. They glow with health. And I mind neither the costs nor the time. But I will admit that the construction of my little house is slowed down for diverting funds towards my four-legged companions.

Now, here are my four-legged companions. I tried to isolate Tasha but could not. She is in the center, the black face in the forefront is Nicki, the blondie on the left is Kaylee.




Nicki, to my immense surprise is growing into a tall, long-legged elegant dog. There is a slight deviation of one side of her face as a result of the cervical vertebrae being pushed to one side. She appears as strong as her sisters. She is a rather reserved dog, often observing what goes on.

Below is Keiko. She has longer hair than her sisters. I imagine from being sired by a different male? She is the warmest and most forward of the three. She simply craves love.

 

Here is Miko. She is still very skittish. I almost lost her last month when she managed to grab a tube of ointment for mushroom and yeast infections and ate the whole thing. I took her to the vet where a drip with vitamins and an antibiotic was given her. Her eye looked terrible and for the first hour, it wasn’t certain whether she’d make it. But she did rally. Her cornea is improving daily and now it looks as if it will clear completely. Elvia, a neighbour, remarked to me one day that she thought her ugly calling her Feita, which means little ugly one. I guess that love is truly blind ‘cause I see her as a sweetie. It took her very long weeks to warm up to me. She no longer runs and hides under the RV. At times though, it saddens me that she appears to be the Omega dog, submissive to all others. With maturity things may change.

The photo below is Kaylee who is now one year old. She’s the most playful of the lot. She and Tina have invented a game of hide and seek. The new pups observed and now play the game, as well.

Tina is the oldest at the ripe old age of 3 years. Both she and Kaylee are the athletes of the bunch. I had to add three layers of blocks to the fence as she easily cleared the more than 5 foot fence.

And here’s Rambo. He is kept very busy being the token male of the group. When he returned from the vet after his surgery to remove the tumour, he dutifully visited every female’s urine spot and covered it. The break on his nose can be seen as a hollow and a slight deviation to a side. The scar where a sharp blow had landed is visible closer up in the hollow.

The two blondies are Kaylee and Rambo. Kaylee is the lightest but both have a fair share of white. Tina is the reddest of the seven, Tasha is a typical German Shepherd but on the smallish side. The three sisters are a medley of all colours where black predominates.

 

The black area at the bottom of the house walls is the cadena over the mamposteo, or foundation. The cadena is covered with waterproofing material. The lot will be raised later when all construction is over. The whole lot will be covered with stones or tiles of some kind or other.

There’s never a dull or lonely moment. My life is filled with the gloriously unconditional love I get from my four-legged family, a love that I return wholeheartedly.

LiveJournal Tags: The plight of dogs in Mexico

Back in the Saddle

Back in the Saddle


How I missed writing on my blog. The most damaging part in retiring my blogs was that I could no longer write on blogger simply because the internet service provided by Telcel… or the lack of it, made it impossible to even get my email! Although I was paying for broadband, the speed had been reduced to 0.51kbps peaking to 0.53kbps-at least that’s what the test online kept showing. Finally, I had to realize that nothing would improve! So this marks the end of my 17 month long saga with Telcel. I’ll sum it up.

Since March of 2011 the broadband for which I was paying was made unavailable to me because at the time I was using Skype. The same happened to my neighbours. I fought it until I decided to cancel my subscription in July of this year. Telcel would NOT accept my cancellation!!!! They offered to reduce my monthly payment by half. But since I could not even get my opening page, let alone my email and forget about the blog, I retorted that if they would send a technician to my place and the broadband would somehow be accessible again, I would accept their offer.

Well….. nobody came. Instead I got a call from their head office in Mexico City saying that to supply my little area with broadband would require the installation of an antenna. (Then how the dickens could they offer broadband for a year, then none?) They were not ready to do it yet so, in view of this, they would gladly cancel my subscription since “… they could not provide me with the service”. Honestly, I could have screamed in frustration. I had been too many times to San Juan to complain that I was not getting the service for which I was paying! So $800 pesos later, I got my contract cancelled? What’s to understand? I don’t mind saying this publicly. It was highway robbery since I had not had the service for so long and still had to dish out about $75. dollars to be a l l o w e d to cancel a service that they admittedly could not provide . . .

But I did miss writing my blog, the contact with readers, their comments. I had to find a solution. Since Telcel exercises an absolute monopoly on providing wireless internet in the area, if not in all of the republic, there is no alternative but to use a cyber café. I found out that I can copy my blog, including photos, onto a flash drive or a CD and publish it from the café as they allow it. This I will do.

Today is October 1st. I have photos to take of the house and of the four-legged that now number 7 (yep… I did write seven). I’m not sure as yet of how I will proceed. So when I go to the cyber café once a week, I may publish one or more than one post.

I’m back in the saddle… and very happy to be!

 

A Final Update-Retiring Both Blogs-my Thanks

I have decided to retire both my blogs. The final update on my house is that the roof is on all the rooms. The boveda required four more “steps” to be over with and Luis is applying the final coat of waterproofing material. The walls inside and out have to be covered with a coat of cement, rustic finish, and will be painted later on. I’ll still have to pour the floors but that will not happen until the fall, at the very least.

My fall in the bus is having more serious consequences than previously assessed. Ribs have been not only been fractured but may be displaced as well. I have a punctured lung. I will need to go to Querétaro for more accurate tests as simple x-rays do not reveal sufficiently for a proper diagnostic. I feel like a freaky zombie with the painkillers and have a hard time thinking straight.

I’m quite busy with three active puppies and three adult ones. I’ll take care of all for as long as I can. There is Protection Civil here and they will pick up unwanted animals. Most will end up being gassed in the most awful room. I simply can’t send Keiko, Mieke, or Nicki to that fate.

Last week a neighbour of Luis dropped by to offer his services for aluminum windows and doors. We engaged in a rather interesting conversation the outcome of which is a shocking realization on my part following his divulging certain things about Mexicans. He said that he’d worked across the border and met with and worked for many Canadians and Americans. He admitted at being surprised of how being truthful was more than important for them, it was essential and expected. He added that his eyes had been “ripped open” by this finding and the ultimate realization that lying was a way of life for most Mexicans. He wondered why it was so. To his mind there was no valid reason for it! Of course, it’s only an opinion. However, his blunt admission shook me to the core.  I had dismissed comments from disgruntled expats as a bad attitude. It brought to light how I’d been getting the run-around when it came to enquiries that always appeared without substantial answers. . .

I have no way to ascertain his allegations. Rightful at times, at others no. I have found wonderful friends here but have been lied to by people of all nationalities and backgrounds. So the jury will have to deliberate much longer on this. Perhaps I’ll have to conclude that such is human nature. This makes me appreciate my animal companions all the more.

I need a rest from construction. I need deep silence and proper reflection about where I’ve been heading. Perhaps a slight diversion from all these material concerns will provide me with answers that seem quite elusive at this time. Do I have regrets from leaving the fulltime RV’ing? No way. Or moving to Mexico? Not at all. Perhaps I’m just immensely tired. I need a more Zen countenance and it also appears elusive.

I thank all my readers and assure you that your participation and comments have brought me deep satisfaction.

Stargazer

LiveJournal Tags: Living in Mexico,Construction,Dogs in Mexico,an Unfortunate Accident

A New Writing Plan of Mixed Concerns

 

I have to begin by apologizing to readers: I did not and will not write assiduously in this blog about the humdrum of my daily life. As adventurous as building a little house in Mexico may be, it has become a very slow process on account of lack of funds. I’m aware that readers may have been bored by so few news and the slow and sporadic reporting. Sorry. I can’t make it any faster or more interesting. Plus, I doubt very much that telling about maintenance woes (the bane of my existence), my latest meal or outing would have any appeal to readers. I refuse to write about anything that I, as a reader, would find uninspired, banal, or trite. B o r i n g…

Back to the matter of construction. Luis and Jesus are here for this week and the next. As a rule I spend between $1,000. and $1,200. dollars a month on materials and manpower. I’m often with little left above very basic necessities. However, I’m determined and this little house of mine WILL become reality. The actual speed of erection and relevant posts will follow my progress or lack of it. Probably once to twice a month.That’s the best that I can do.

Besides, my life does not revolve around the exclusive concerns of material pursuits. They’re a necessity, period. At this stage in my life, it behoves me, I think, to be involved in more meaningful or inspired matters. One of these is the promise that I’d made some years ago to a Higher Power to provide assistance, even rescue, to any animal that is put on my way or ends up at my door. To my mind the onus is on us, humans, to care for all life forms that share our world. It’s a question of stewardship, not of dominion.

To quote Mahatma Gandhi, “The greatness and moral progress of a nation can be judged by the manner in which its animals are treated”. This small man in a loincloth walked his talk as a vegetarian. His stance on non-violence, despite 300 years of English domination, eventually inspired a whole nation to rid itself of that yoke without taking to arms or shedding blood. Clearly, he’s one my heroes. This brings me to the matter of my dogs, Tina, Tasha, Kaylee, and Nicki. Not only were they destined to an early death, but to intense suffering until they’d reached that final state. The plight of many animals, but mainly dogs, is abysmal here. How can I remain callously indifferent at the sight of one month old puppies—almost all female—left to their own devices in the streets, on the road, or even in the fields? How can one be blind to the sight of horribly mangled dogs killed on the roads?

To cite a few examples: a friend found a 5 to 6 months old puppy and a kitten, both still alive, in a plastic bag left to be picked up by the garbage truck. Another friend, while driving around, found a cardboard box with 7 (yep… SEVEN) puppies in a ditch next to a culvert. A Mexican friend told me about three tiny puppies with their eyes not yet fully open left on ant hill. Please take a pause and imagine this… She had to take them in. I know of two wonderful ladies from across the border who help as best they can, rescuing young animals, taking them in and feeding them, delousing and deworming them, getting them their vaccination, having them spayed or neutered and then ready for adoption. All at their own expense…

A little over a month ago, a neighbour who professes being a devoted Christian even to proselytising door to door, found three one month old puppies left in his yard. He promptly kicked them out. One of these was Nicki that I found a month later. She had been savagely bitten by a large dog and got her neck broken at the first cervical vertebrae, which fractured and ended up grotesquely twisted. With an infected open wound in her throat, fleas had a field day and kept sucking her life blood. Her two siblings had been roaming since then. No food, no water in this intense daily heat, no shelter in the often stormy nights. I found them a few days ago just as an electric storm was moving in. They were huddled under a tire set against the wall of an empty house. Morning, noon and night, I brought them kibble and water to get them used to me. Their hair is matted and full of sandburs, their bellies swollen from lack of food and parasite infestation. THEY’RE BABIES !!!!!!!!

I managed to bring one in yesterday, the other too skittish and running so fast I couldn’t catch her. As I was writing this last night, Keiko was in the bodega crying her heart out for her sibling. Earlier in the day, I’d gone to Tequis to the veterinarian pharmacy to buy Frontline for the fleas and medication to rid Keiko (and hoping to catch Bobbi) of parasites. On my way to Tequis in the “camion” as we call it—it couldn’t qualify as a bus, the driver made a sudden turn while I was standing up and I fell over the armrest of a seat bruising or perhaps even breaking a rib. (How I long for a vehicle…) I couldn’t sleep all night from the unbearable pain. It was a blessing in disguise as I kept hearing Bobbi getting ever closer to the front fence crying pitifully for her sister. Finally, at 5 o’clock this morning, she reached the gate that I had left open and that I closed once she was in. Then I went to grab her. She bit me but I kept hanging on and she eventually calmed down. I took her to Keiko and the few hours left of the night were peaceful and quiet both finding refuge and warmth in each other. I doubt that they can ever be separated.

Last week Yvonne found a 5 to 6 month old puppy—female—of course, her eyes oozing pus, ribs as a washboard, her nostrils completely blocked with caked mud. Probably attempting to get a drink from a mud puddle. And it’s the second puppy she rescued from the highway. A year ago she took in Chloe. now it’s Nikita’s turn. We all try to do what we can in that desperate situation.

We both thought of starting a non-profit organization to rescue and shelter animals, dogs mostly as they are sorely in need. But this would be a long protracted process with certain language barriers to begin with. Then how could we turn our head away from the little ones in such dire straits RIGHT NOW?

There is no animal protection service in Tequis. I guess the locals are exposed to so many animals emaciated, forlornly traipsing in search of a morsel, that they have become inured to the sight. I do love Mexico and have no regrets moving here. But the sight of these poor animals is the stuff of nightmares. I admit to quite a few of them and many tears of sadness and desperation.

If you can find it in your heart to give any kind of help, I promise that any donation will go STRICTLY toward animal welfare provided by either myself or others whose heart is broken by such suffering. And it will be reported on my blog. There’s a DONATE button at the bottom of the screen. I think that it goes through PayPal with either credit cards or bank transfer.

Now, a word of warning to those readers whose sole interest is the building of my house. I will continue to report any progress in that direction but will write extensively about the animals that need and find a shelter with people who think much the way that I do. I am asking for your indulgence as I share my thoughts and the yearnings of my heart. We can’t save them all. But it will certainly make a difference to those that we do. And I may be able to sleep better at night.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

BTW The post titles will clearly indicate construction topics for those whose main interest is finding out how we’re progressing.

LiveJournal Tags: Lack of Concern for Animals Suffering in Mexico,Asking for Help

Getting Electricity–a Continuing Tale of Woes

 

Sorry to report that the promise of getting the electrical network for our little piece of land has fizzed out. Here’s what happened…

I cannot recall exactly what date in March, somewhere around the middle of the month, we got the notice on a Friday afternoon that there would be a meeting at the Presidencia (Town Hall) on Monday at 8 a.m. to decide who would qualify for getting electricity as part of an ongoing program to provide electricity to all of Santillan. We needed to present at least 18 signatures with relevant documents by Monday morning.

Reyna, my neighbour to the north, took the initiative of finding all those who were ready to participate and collected everyone’s signature and required documentation over the weekend (an undertaking that was both demanding, time and energy consuming). The chance would pass to another group should we fail to qualify. She collected 19 names with ready documentation. We were excited and apprehensive, all at once. If our hope and prayers had been candle lights, the night should have been bright as day…

Then on April 2nd, Reyna got a visit from an electrical contractor who had come to have a look at the layout of the land; most likely mandated by the Municipality or there would have been no way that he would have known on what to base a quotation. He stated that our chances were in the order of 99.9 % that we qualified to get electricity and probably at no installation costs to us. The work would commence by the end of the following two weeks.

Three weeks later, having failed to receive any notice or to see any sign of impeding work, Reyna went to the Presidencia. She was told that the program of electrification would probably not take place before the municipal elections in July and that the costs were prohibitive for the time being. The clinching factor for holding off the works was that we were “… only 5 families” actually living in our house on the lots in our area, hardly enough to warrant the installation costs. The remaining 14 were lot owners who lived elsewhere.

So Reyna asked us to accompany her on a visit to the Presidencia to plead our case. It was to be pointed out that in our group, we were 3 senior women living alone for whom light was a matter of safety. The answer was the same. The Town engineer mentioned that a '’dressed up” cement post cost in the order of $40,000 pesos and that we needed 3 for a whopping $120,000 pesos for those alone. Based on prior quotations prepared for Yvonne’s place, a cement post costs between $3,000 and $5,000 pesos.

The whole exercise was debilitating and disheartening. We got $2,500,000 pesos worth of hot air, nothing else. Reyna was in tears and I had to restrain myself from either screaming or crying. To cut short of the repetitious exchange between our group and the representatives of the Municipality, I said that I wished to ask two questions and insisted that we deserved to get an answer to both, since the hands of the authorities were supposedly tied;

“What then do need to do to get electricity?” and

“How long would it take to get it?”

In the following 20 minutes discourse of the Delegado, we got a lot more of hot air and an annoying dismissive tone of voice claiming that we were asking too much of the Municipality since we were “only” 5 houses living in the small area. Request denied. No other answers would be forthcoming.

I suppose that the only alternative left to us, all of us quite poor I assure you, is to try to get quotations for the works and split the costs between those of us living in our house in the area. Or be ready to wait it out, regardless of when the electrification would take place.

The three of us in our senior years might be better off contemplating our demise in the dark since living with light represents such an ordeal for the Municipality. Please pardon the bitter tone of my comments…

And that’s where we stand at this point…

LiveJournal Tags: Getting Electric Power in Mexico,the Futility of Political Factions

The New Nicki–after 10 days

 

The jury’s out. Nicki may not remain crippled! Actually, I can hardly believe it myself. At first sighting, I thought that she was pretty close to death. But as amazing as it seems, at least to me, it appears as if not only has she learnt to live with her displaced cervical vertebrae, the signs of it have seriously abated. You can judge by yourself by these photos side by side.

Nicki shortly after her arrival                Nicki 10 days later

Now she can move her head up; and from side to side, even if in a somewhat limited fashion, without yelping out in pain. If you’ll notice her front paws, she has begun to fill out and her woebegone expression has been erased from her little face. It’s such a pleasure to watch her chase her squeaky ball and squeeze it to her visible delight, a task that she seems to take quite seriously. Taking her in has been SO rewarding.

This next one is quite graphic. It shows how mangled her throat was. One look at the photo above on the right shows a marked improvement. Her hair has even begun to grow. She’d been so flea bitten that a couple of baths did not completely eradicate the critters. I applied Frontline and they simply disappeared overnight.

I’m often asked whether I’m nuts adopting yet another dog. There’s only one answer to that question… What’s the alternative? Death is not the hardest outcome to contemplate, but the intense suffering that should lead to it. How could I live with myself if I simply let this tiny creature go her way with such injuries, her paws filled with sandburs, without any prospect of finding shelter, food, or water?

Put yourself in my place…

LiveJournal Tags: The Terrible Plight of Dogs in Mexico,Adopting a hurt puppy,Nicki

Latest Construction Expenses

 

Description	Cost
Bovedillas, viguetas, metal grid	5,105.
Cement, limestone	2,223.
Bovedero and helpers	2,500.
Hardware	150.
Cement mixer	350.
Labour incl. bonus	3,950.
Lunch for workers, a tradition	660.
Worker to water roof twice a day for 4 days	150.
Lunch for bovedero and helpers (tradition)	370.
Install hoses in roof for electrical wires	150.
	-------------
Total	$15,458.

LiveJournal Tags: Construction Costs-Boveda & dining rm roof

Update on Puppy Nicki

The news couldn’t be more troubling. Nicki is 2 months old. Her injuries became evident once Maria the veterinarian had gently washed the gunk and dirt on her throat. Obviously, she had been bitten by a large dog. There is a hole in her throat that is still open and is infected. She also has bite marks on her front paw. She’s on antibiotics.

In addition, the other vet noticed that there was a slight protuberance on the side of her neck very close to her head. He exclaimed that she should have died when she got shaken by the big dog. The first vertebrae was pushed sideways by the violent shaking action; this usually results in instantaneous death. Her case appears to be less than 1% of such a young puppy surviving. In addition, he thought that this occurred probably a month ago; it means that this tiny puppy had to survive (how I don’t know) with terrible injuries for a number of weeks. He says that the vertebrae has now “soldered” itself in the position of the luxation.

This means that she’s now a cripple, barely able to lift or move her head to one side, and in a way, is paralyzed in a position that her head does not align with her body. I gave her a bath to help rid her of fleas and plenty o’dirt. It may take a few more to do it well because she has to be handled so very gently or will cry out in pain. There is no way that she would be considered for adoption. I guess a Higher Power put her on my way. I’ll take care of her for the duration of her life, hoping that mine is long enough.

She’s still very fragile, alarmed and frightened by anything new. I’ll postpone taking photos until she has recuperated and feels a bit more certain of her improved living conditions.

LiveJournal Tags: Nicki,the Plight of Dogs in Mexico,Luxation of the neck vertebraes

A Puppy in Distress

This is going to be a short post. Last week, on three separate occasions, I’d heard a dog crying loudly as if being hurt. I tried to get a location but was unsuccessful. The cries were so pitiable that it made my blood boil with the impression that someone was hurting the small animal.

Then last night, I noticed this puppy back of my lot shuffling slowly head down and threw it a handful of kibble. The puppy noticed nothing. So I ran outside to try and locate it and shortly caught up with it. A little female with severe bite marks on her throat and her front paw. Emaciated and barely aware of her surroundings. I took her in my arms and brought her home.

I gave her some oats cooked in light milk and spaced out the feedings at regular intervals so as to avoid a hurt stomach. I prepared a “nest” with a cardboard box on its side and lined it with an old soft blanket. And there she spent the night.

At first glance, she appeared to be between 6 weeks and 2 months old. However, this morning I noticed how her eyes were lacking focus just like a younger puppy. I thought that I could attend to her caked up wounds but her pain is too great and I’m afraid of hurting her more. Last night she had a hard time swallowing and cried out often. So I’ll be taking her to the vet today at 1 PM.

I’ll keep everyone posted. I’ve already named Nicki.

LiveJournal Tags: The Awful Plight of Dogs in Mexico,Saving a Puppy,Nicki

A Boveda

Last week and a few days before were jam packed with work. I had spoken with Pedro, the bovedero who worked for Yvonne and had done all the dome ceilings or bovedas at her house and school. He had already given me a quote and told me what supplies were needed. Finally we had fixed a date for his coming to do the work but when I checked with him on the 28th for beginning the work on the following day, he announced that he was coming only to have a look… I had to make a quick decision.

Fortunately, a pueblo renowned for famous bovederos, El Zaus, was a few kilometers away and many bovederos had their work displayed on YouTube. This is how I contacted Juan Mejia after seeing him work on his video. He came within the hour, had a look, gave me a quote, and agreed to complete the boveda within two days. On Saturday March 31 and Sunday April 1st, he was here with his team and did a marvellous job. Since Juan has posted a video of him at work. Here it is:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvZJ4UGaGcA

Here are photos of the boveda. It was impossible for me to catch a photo of the entire ceiling. On the left is the center design. On the right is an arrow that is found at the four cardinal points.

Believe me, it is a work of art. The ceiling still has to be scraped and covered with a sealant. That way, the bricks will stand out more. So will the design.

 

 

Now let me backtrack to explain how the whole installation is first erected. It is a temporary installation and once the ceiling/roof finished, the platform will be returned to its original purpose; encasing pillars or cadenas in which concrete will be poured.

Quite simply, this is how it starts. The bovedero moves from one corner to the other. His skill at shaping the bricks is amazing and the speed at which he “glues” them remarkable.

This is Juan at work and below is

 

 

 

 

On the left is a view of the work in progress. Below right shows the four corners completed at which point the work will be handled towards the center.

I have sharpened the photos to better show the brick design.

 

 

 

 

Later, the outside will be scraped, after which a layer of pure cement will be spread after a waterproof compound will have been applied. Or… it may be the other way around. I’ll find out.

Once the boveda was finished on Sunday April 1st, the team was brought in to erect the roof over the kitchen/dining area. It was laid out in identical fashion as the one over the bedroom.

In a later post I will be showing what costs I incurred.

LiveJournal Tags: Construction in Mexico,Dome Roof,Boveda