Back to the Cold and the Snow

Our flight aboard Old Cattle-Coach #5 ended at about 8:45 am Montreal time today. Well, maybe the airplane wasn't as bad as that but it was certainly not AeroMexico's finest to which we have become accustomed. Also, sleeping for brief periods slouched and humped over in a snug airplane seat is something one can enjoy for only so long.

We stepped out of the airport into mighty frigid temperatures, found Andrew waiting for us in his van, and soon were back unlocking the front door to a familiar place. At this point of course this much is also true: We now know parts of Mexico as a familiar place.

All right ... now what?

Quote of the Day:
“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.”
- Frank Herbert

Gone

It is after 11:00 pm and Carol and I are sitting in the departure section of Terminal 2 at the Mexico City airport. We await our red-eye flight to Montreal leaving at 1:30 am. Who dreams up these absurd schedules anyway?

This morning we sat for a while on the beach and contemplated the crashing surf for the last time. As arranged, Wayne Bourdin picked us up at 11:00 am in his Volkswagen which we burdened to the maximum with our luggage. The day was filled with customary sunshine and we enjoyed a pleasant ride to the airport which included a last tour through Zihuatanejo. He and Nancy are a very kind, friendly couple and we hope to see them again next year.

On the flight from Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo to Mexico City our assigned seats were in the very last row. I said to Carol, "I hope this ride isn't as bumpy as the back seat of an Ixtapa bus." It was worse. Initially we soared smoothly but as we closed in on Mexico City we began to rock and roll, and shake, Baby, shake. We hit the runway with a bang but after the retro-jets cut off things settled down nicely. We especially enjoyed the settling down that followed debarkation.

My brother, Dan, who lives about a 2-1/2 hour bus ride away from this airport did us the honor of paying us a visit for over four hours. Heather was unable to come but the three of us had a supper together seasoned with a good, quality chat.

Carol captured the moment in Gino's Italian Restaurant.

Dan left around 8:30 pm and by the time he's home we'll still be waiting for our flight. It was exceptionally kind of him to go out of his way like that. It brought a great dose of cheer to our otherwise drab interval at this airport.

And so we continue to wait ...

Quote of the Day:

"Kindness makes a fellow feel good whether it's being done to him or by him."

- Frank A. Clark

Leaving, Leaving, ...

We're mostly packed and ready to leave. We'll tidy up a few details this evening. Naturally we reserved a few last hours of afternoon for the pool. And in the pool, today, Carol took an opportunity to give some positive food for thought to a woman who started conversing with her. The woman said she is very anxious about how badly things are going in the world. Carol mentioned how the Scriptures give us reason to be confident about the future, that the worsening situation will soon be resolved permanently.

I also learned this afternoon that we may expect to spend a number of hours, and a supper, with my brother during our extended wait at the Mexico City airport for a connecting flight to Montreal. He will take a return bus trip to make possible this visit which is a very welcome gesture indeed.

The scene from our balcony as we ate supper

outside this evening.

Wayne Bourdin has kindly offered to drive us to the airport tomorrow morning. And then it's ride the skies to the Great White North and who-knows-what.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"Farewell! God knows when we shall meet again."  
- William Shakespeare

Farewells

Last evening the Internet was down and so here is this blog's first morning post.

Yesterday we said goodbye to Jack and Linda. It was their day to return home.

First they took a last wistful look at the beach they were leaving. With their permission I post the above photo I took from the poolside restaurant where I had just finished breakfast. Below is a collage that includes, at left, the original photo from which the above was cropped ...

Then they posed for a parting shot ...

From the Montreal weather reports I've heard, there's no way I'll be wearing short pants on our return flight. Next, the condo agent asked if we'd like him to photograph the four of us ...

He did well.

Packing the taxi.

... and away they went.

Carol and I prepared for the meeting at the Kingdom Hall and on the sidewalk, as we approached the Hall, I took the photo below. Things to trip over on the streets of Zihuatanejo are more than abundant as commented on at length in last year's blog. But this assemblage of steps, angles, slopes, protrusions, and warps takes the cake. It is thoroughly unwalkable and one must take to the road where risk of injury is less.

The only missing feature is a camouflaged

pit. And I may be wrong about that.

An interview during the Service Meeting.

During the discussion of the Bible reading highlights I put my hand up repeatedly. The young brother handling that part kept calling others, undoubtedly because he didn't remember my name. After the meeting the brother behind me said, "I'm going to give you an 'A' for effort in trying to give a comment." Then he asked me to tell him what I had planned to say. I thought it was quite nice of him even to remember this an hour after the fact.

So I told him, and I'll tell you too. In Genesis 40:15 Joseph describes the unjust treatment he suffered to a man he thinks could help him. He says he was "kidnapped from the land of the Hebrews." What he does not say is that he was kidnapped *by* Hebrews and, in fact, by his own brothers. But he refrained from saying anything to dishonor his people or his family. It is an admirable example of handling injustice. Do and say what is necessary to try to remedy matters but do not needlessly dishonor people you are a part of by divulging details to strangers who do not need to know.

After the meeting we said our goodbyes to the many friends we have come to know here. Then a few of us went to a particularly good sidewalk restaurant for eats.

Wayne Bourdin started with Aztec soup. Following his lead I tried it as well. Jumpin' Jiminy, what a delicious soup! I am delighted not to have missed that! I wish I knew about this treat weeks ago.

And now our final full day in Ixtapa is unwinding. It has been a wonderful, stimulating, learning experience.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” 

- Henry Miller

Winding Down

Just a few days left. In fact, Jack and Linda leave tomorrow. It appears that on Sunday, when we leave, we'll be returning to major snows ... and cold ... and a Mercier Bridge closed on weekends ... and a search for new living quarters. Wait a minute, what is the reason for leaving Mexico again?

Today I walked into the men's room near the pool and was impressed by sink decorations:

Wait a minute, who decorates a men's washroom like this? Not the men methinks. Hello? Hello? Anybody here?

With supplies running low and our departure approaching, some meals are now happening in the restaurant here. Linda joined Carol and I at lunch and I took the opportunity to photograph her hair, braided this morning, Mexican style. Wait a minute, aren't braids Bavarian, or Scandinavian? Aren't we four thousand miles from Braidland? Maybe I have that wrong. In any case, a neat arrangement.

Carol photographing the pastel sky of a setting sun.

We will certainly miss the sunsets we see so regularly here. It is a glorious treat that never grows old.

Carol's Photo.

And so it goes.

Wait a minute, where's the Quote of the Day?
Oh, right, here it is ...

Even if you think a Big Bang created the stars, don't you wonder who sent the flowers?
- Robert Brault.

Okay, so they're everywhere.

A Shorn Sheppard

We beetled back into the hills of Zihuatanejo this morning inside the Bourdin's VW one more time. Carol and Nancy returned to a woman who is not only studying the Bible but surprising her neighborhood by letting everyone know she is doing this. Apparently her past makes this development seem very unlikely to many.

Wayne and I re-visited a mother of two who shows interest and who today asked about the condition of the dead. I showed her Ecclesiastes 9:5, "The dead are conscious of nothing at all" and asked her how she understood that. She understood it just fine although the contrast with what she has long been wrongly taught about heaven and hell took some digesting.

This woman and her husband need a new front door on their very humble dwelling. She said they are saving up to buy wood, and have one made and installed. Wayne told them he has years experience as a carpenter and if they buy the wood, he'll make and install the door for them for free.

Later we paused for essential liquid refreshment.

You can see my choice of drink in the above photo. It is fizzy mineral water lightly flavored as lemonade and for me a cold one of those is the perfect beverage for a hot, sunny day. The large calculator is used to show English speakers the amount due. This man was amused when I asked if I could take this photo. During the moment I took out my phone/camera his face had returned to neutral.

When I alluded to my discomfort over needing a haircut the Bourdins brought me to Perla's shop. She is studying the Bible with Witnesses and is the one who decorated the toenails of Carol and Linda. As you might imagine, I had initial misgivings about having my hair cut by a toenail painter. But she is also a hairdresser, and a barber, and did excellent work.

Next Carol and Nancy had toenail decoration maintenance. 

The above photo shows Perla's shop (with curtain on the right and Wayne seated at left). As you can see it is a concrete cubicle with a metal door that comes down at closing time, same as at right.

Further to the right a dog approached closed doors, sniffed at the narrow slit at bottom, lay down on one side, and began clawing and struggling his way sideways through that tight space. It was a very tight squeeze but he made it. I caught him halfway through, hind legs wagging.

Then we all said goodbye to Perla. Below is Wayne waving to her husband ...

This evening we were invited to Jack and Linda's for supper, which was excellent, and we enjoyed the sunset from their 17th floor balcony ...

No visible sun this evening but no shortage of fireworks either.

Carol and I also took one another's picture while on the balcony ...

To give you some sense of being on the 17th floor balcony I offer the photo below ...

Alas, we became too absorbed in conversation to remember to take a photo of everyone at supper.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"Why don't you get a haircut? You look like a chrysanthemum."
- P.G. Wodehouse.

A Few Fun Photos

Business from home pressed upon me this morning and kept me at the computer, but this afternoon I took a few photos while on a walk:

Coke Bottle Through a Window.

Sun-tipped Palm Tree.

Junior Trees in the Sun.

Old Mr. Sunset Once More.

 Afterglow from the 11th Floor.

Quote of the Day:

"Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times ... I just shoot at what interests me at that moment." - Elliott Erwitt

People & Things

Bravely, I accompanied two power shoppers, Carol and Linda, aboard a bus for Zihuatanejo, destined to enter the hard-sell world of Mexican artisans. When embarking on such an adventure, first one must steel oneself against a relentless onslaught of, "Hello amigo," "Step in and look around," "Good prices, señor," "What color you like?" "Look at this, amigo," "Hand-made in May-hee-co. No made in Sheena," "Come this way, señor," "How many would you like?"

I once read that the key to success is the ability to go from disappointment to disappointment without losing enthusiasm. These folks have nailed that.

 The Ladies Prowling the "Indian Market."

That's Carol window-shopping on the left, and

Linda doing likewise on the right.

One readily dehydrates walking under the Mexican sun and, with my tongue hanging down to my belt, we sought vital fluids at a bay side restaurant. Two sips of my cold and delicious orangeade and I recovered sufficient strength to climb back onto my hind legs and snap this photo of the two unwavering and indefatigable ladies ...

Next we sought out the shop of a weaver of blankets, place mats, and wall decorations shown at center in the photo below ...

Scrutinizing the Merchandise.

Following this I discovered the ladies intended to shop for food in the market place a few blocks away, then go to the "Commerciale" supermarket. I felt magnitudes more inclined to place my ligaments into a state of repose, making it advisable to part ways. I headed toward the nearest bus stop for a ride home.

On my solitary way I snapped this

architectural specimen.

While crossing a street I met Wayne Bourdin crossing the opposite way. He invited me to accompany him on his way to a flower shop, following which he would drive me home. We both bought flowers for our wives. I'm not sure how many gold stars we win for that but it decidedly brightens the premises with a dash of cheer.

 The Coffee Table Cluster (in a milk jug).

The Dinner Table Dozen.

Wayne drove me back and I invited him in for a chat and a beer on the balcony. He left just as Carol was returning.

As a final note for today, right above me is a light fixture endowed with the unique ability to go on all by itself whenever it chooses. It is not on a timer, it can go on at any old moment, day or night. It just went on as I was writing the above. Sometimes it's not the light that goes on but the fan. The agent promised me it will be fixed. Based on his facial expression when I described the problem there's a possibility he might call ghostbusters.

Nobody turned on this light.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase."
- Erma Bombeck

Clouds

Below is a rare view of a cloudy day in Ixtapa ...

I think today marked only the second one we've seen here.

Our meeting today included a lively discussion of Jehovah as King, reviewing outstanding ways he exercised his kingship over earthly affairs in the past and leading into what lies ahead in the near future. An interesting point is that God's kingship has not always been conspicuously obvious. Just as clouds can obscure the sun, Jehovah's patience and the prevalence of wickedness can obscure his kingship. But cloudy days do not signal that the sun has ceased shining, and when necessary for his purpose, God's asserts his kingship as he did in the time of Noah and Egypt's Pharaoh. We will miss next week's continuation of what is impending for our day because our schedule calls for us to be airborne and northbound at that time. Actually we'll be in Mexico City's airport waiting for a connecting flight to Montreal.
     sigh.

When we came out from the Hall we passed a planting project. A low flowery hedge was being tucked around the new septic tank buried below the parking lot.

The sunsets continue to get later in the day.

Once back, we walked straight through the lobby to the pool and caught a post-sunset photo ...

The darkest clouds also often fail to obscure the sun's light.

And so it goes.

Quote of the day:
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1.

Quiet Saturday

We did discover why our rental agent never showed up for his appointment with us yesterday. He sometimes works seven days a week and the company gave him last minute approval for a day off yesterday. He asked a colleague who was coming to this building to arrange his appointment for another day. His colleague let him down.

Carol and Linda hiked along the beach to the massage cabins this morning for another loosening. I caught a photo from our 11th floor balcony. The top photos are cropped details from the bottom photo ...

While they were gone I investigated the real estate situation in Ixtapa. One can buy a house here within a range of $75,000.00 to a million dollars. Permanent rental properties run from $500.00 per month to around $1500.00. The agent I interviewed is from California and has lived here for 6 years. I cannot confirm if that's because he likes it here or if he's a fugitive from the law, but according to him, an Ixtapa summer is nothing to fear. It just gets 10 degrees warmer and more humid. His business cards are solid plastic, like a credit card, "because otherwise it gets wet." In my shirt pocket it sure would. He asserted that the location of Ixtapa is such it has never experienced a hurricane.

One ground floor condo here has a sculpture shown below left.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"If things start happening.
Don't worry, don't stew.
Just go right along and
You'll start happening too."
- Dr. Seuss.

Papa Loca

We waited this morning for this building's agent to come for his 11:00 am appointment. We were to discuss possibilities for next year. By noon he hadn't arrived. We gave up and went down by the pool to complete our preparations for tonight's meeting. I hope we find out tomorrow what went wrong today.

As usual, the meeting was lively, well prepared, and commenting rolled along at a brisk pace. One brother has a habit of saying "Thank you" first when called on to comment. An interesting innovation but a good thing everyone doesn't do it.

The review of highlights of the weekly Bible reading went very well. It's amazing how many lessons can be taken from brief accounts in the scriptures.

Afterwards Wayne and Nancy took us to Papa Loca, which means crazy potato. The folks in this sidewalk snack bar prepare a variety of baked potatoes dressed up to be a meal in themselves - see below ...

 Carol's potato

 My potato

La Papa Loca Dining Room.

In the above photo, left of the hefty fellow in the striped shirt you will notice (from right to left) Nancy, Wayne, and Carol. The potatoes were fantastically delicious.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"What I say is that, if a man really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow."
— A.A. Milne

The Bourdins

This afternoon Wayne and Nancy Bourdin came for a visit carrying a game of Sequence in a box. We played it poolside until the score was three games won by the ladies, one game won by the men. Clearly something is wrong with the design of this game.

Nancy took photos using her Mini iPad ...

 

 The Game Players

Linda & Carol Enjoying Refreshment

Supper was at our place. Carol made a chicken dish which is one of her outstandingly delicious culinary masterpieces in my humble opinion.

Nancy & Carol Contemplate the View.

As you can see, supper was served on the balcony. Jack and Linda came along later for desert and coffee and we all enjoyed lively conversation into the late evening. The entire afternoon and evening was all highly enjoyable, except for being resoundingly trounced at Sequence.

And so it goes.

Quote of the Day:
"Remember, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose; what matters is whether I win or lose."
- Darrin Weinberg