When I started this blog I flaunted it as a daily blog, and pretty much it is. But don’t set your clock by it. I’m on vacation, and I write as the mood strikes and events happen. Thus said I headed out on my morning walk at daybreak with a bag of kitchen scraps for the flock I feed. At home the Senor is the “chicken meister” with a flock of about 20-24 chickens, so I am in the habit of saving kitchen scraps for chickens. I have adopted a small flock of chickens just over the bridge to La Madera where the “coco man sets up”. I think they are his chickens. He taught me how to call them, not here chick chick chick, but something like adow, adow adow,. Anyway this morning they were still in bed when I arrived and I had to call them down from their tree limb. I wish our chickens and one rooster at home would sleep in that late! Chicks are fed and I head back to walk along the beach.
Here I encounter a street dog with big sad eyes. It’s his lucky day I have a steak bone and meat scraps for him. He is very thankful. street dogs in Mexico are sad, but very sweet tempered, they don’t bark or bite and appreciate anything you have for them. I was once chastised for “encouraging their begging. I never see them beg, but just stand around looking hopeful, and my answer will always be. I choose to feed them directly rather than wait for them to root through the garbage that is set out each night
I continue on to the other bridge at La Noria and up the cobblestone roadway, where I encounter a dad walking his young sons to school. This is one of my favorite scenes and it is the way most young children arrive at school each day, hand in hand with one or the other parent. You can’t help but think what one to one special time this is for both.
On to my quest for my morning newspaper, as there is an english language paper produced out of Mexico city which is neither republican or democratic, enroute I see a young boy, he can’t be more than 10 wielding a
very large knife scraping cactus thorns from the leaves to be sold in his parents stall. Then on to the Mercado to get 2 avocados “un por hoy un por manana” One for today and one for tomorrow. A good vegetable stall will help you pick them out that way.
Our afternoon quest is to replace our broken micro wave platter and replace my watch battery. With help from the local web message board, I’m off to find the “electric repair shop that deals in ‘Micro ondos”. The senor and I find it and he backs off to let me manage the deal. I tell him I need a microwave turntable. plate, which comes out ” yo necesito un plato por micro ondo” surprisingly enough he dug through his many old microwaves and came up with a turntable plate. I asked how much I was told 10. So I got out 10 pesso ,about $1 no, he said “cien” meaning $10. Now some one else would have bargained, but we were happy and paid and took our prize home.
Now onward to the “batteria” problem. I’ve already been to a half dozen places which all indicate many blocks away at what now seems like a mystical watch shop. The senor and I head that direction and with only 2-3 false stops and inquires we finally reach the “Relojeria” where a young boy about 15 or so appears to be apprenticing a watch maker. That problema is now solved and we are on to cena (lunch) at a new coffee shop that gave us a promo brochures. Good lunch, but too much food for us and we are back to the apartment for a well deserved siesta.
We will dine in tonight with a big chef salad, call it a day while watching the lightening storm that is brewing tonight through the clouds. The senor is insisting I come in off the balcony. I might as well as I’m just not quick enough with the camera to catch the flashes. Noisy but beautiful.
Zihuathyme 