The weather cooperated enough for us to make it to the ranch this afternoon. There was some blowing, drifting snow, and there were icy patches even on I-25, but the sun was shining. The big electronic sign at the Cheyenne Frontier Park showed 25 degrees as we passed by.

Mona made borscht for dinner with some elk and a few beets she had saved from her garden.


The deer are hungry now, and not very shy. When I walked out to enjoy the sunset, about a dozen does and bucks were helping themselves to some hay near the heifers.

We plan to finish loading up Mona's Suzuki and start the drive to Reno at 8 or 9 in the morning. It is usually a sixteen hour drive, so we should get in about midnight or 1am. Pat may have to travel, and I didn't want to leave Mdog behind for two weeks or more, so she is going with us. It may complicate things a bit, but I know I'll be glad to have her with me.

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Out for a walk this morning with the Mdog around the neighborhood. The sun was almost penetrating the fog enough to throw a shadow.

Now with all the snow on the ground, I am hearing that January is the coldest month here in Northern Colorado, and this could all stick around for another four or five weeks.

During the 25 years I lived in Northern California, whenever I would see news photos of this sort of winter weather in other parts of the coutry I would recall my own experiences with it back in New England and upstate New York. I would give thanks that circumstances gave me a better choice of domicile, and wonder that anyone would willingly put up with such discomfort and inconvenience.

Of course, along the Front Range of the Rockies the winter snow is infrequent, and usually vanishes by noon in those 300 days a year of sunshine. The Chamber of Commerce says so. So does the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Listen to those who say live in a place a year before you buy.

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It looks like the title and URL of this blog once again make sense. After our first-ever foray into Mexico together, and due to an assortment of circumstances and mysterious functioning of the universe, we seem to be on the verge of a trial run of full-time life outside the United States.

The Lake Chapala region was surprisingly appealing to us, especially when we discovered close-in alternatives to the gringo ghetto of Ajijic.

While we were in Jalisco, we met an architect from San Francisco who had recently purchased a house in Guadalajara. In the course of our conversations with him, he expressed grim anticipation of catastophic decline of life in the US in various social and economic parameters. It was eerie to hear my own misgivings echoed by him, but we really want to move south for the positive reasons based on what we have observed and experienced, not because of our fears about where the US is headed.

Before we can proceed with our plans, I need to head to Reno with sister Mona to work with her and Becky on dismantling my late father's material leavings - a house and the contents accumulated for the conduct of his and his also-late wife's lives over the past ten years or so. How odd, to have to empty a house to the bare walls, with every item either hauled off for auction, donated, or discarded into a 12-cubic-yard dumpster. Then, we will hand the keys over to a realtor, and leave. Probably a two-week visit.

I'm taking the Mdog, because Pat will probably have some travel requirements while I am away. It should be an interesting couple of weeks.

Good thing I don't have a job. With the resurection of our Mexican plans, it's also a good thing we didn't buy a house here. After all the frustration and disappointment while we really tried to find a house, it makes me realize that there has to be some trust in the universe, as things work out the way they were intended to.

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As we walked the Mdog around the neighborhood here this afternoon, it was hard not to think back just a few days ago to our time along the shore of Lake Chapala in Jalisco


The street where we live - if you look closely you can see Pat and the Mdog near the center. The winter landscape around here is sort of nice - for a day or two. People told us that while it does snow occasionally here, it usually is gone by mid-day. They lied.


A little neighborhood grocery we passed by while wandering around the Lake Chapala shorline villages.


A luscious hibiscus flower in a garden of Ajijic.


A small portion of the gardens and grounds of the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic.

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Feliz Navidad - this is an eight-foot tall Poinsettia, and my Christmas card for anyone who has happened to look in on my passing story this past year.


An alley in Ajijic - people place their trees here so everyone passing through can enjoy seeing them.


A ficus tree in front of a home that is decorated with bows fashioned from snack food packages - if you look closely you may be able to read 'Doritos' on one.

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This is a view of our house this morning from across the street.

We want to go pick up Mdog at the ranch, but there are still road closures up that way due to blowing drifting snow.

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Its time for the tradition I try to observe after each trip of presenting the rattiest or most peculiar car encountered. Here, then, is the honoree.

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Last night we went to visit friends in Guadalajara after returning from Jocotopec in the Chapala area. We were invited over for dinner, for Noche Buena (Christmas Eve), and what we failed to realize until too late was that the tradition is to begin dinner after midnight. As a result, we found ourselves wandering back to centro and our hotel at 3am, with a long and full day of travel ahead of us. In the morning, we got about three hours of sleep, and then started preparing for the journey home.

We walked from the hotel to the old central bus terminal, where we caught a Chapala bus that stopped at the airport. For those willing to fugure out the bus system, this replaces a $17 cab fare with a fifty cent bus ride of similar duration.

After we checked in for our flight, we went out and had a bowl of pozole at a little cafe outside the airport terminal where the employees have their meals. After we went back in a cleared security we wandered around the terminal until it was time to board our three and a half hour flight back to Denver, where we had to clear snow plowed up behind the car in the long term lot where we left it. Back at the rental house in Fort Collins, Pat had to dig out a place to park, because the plows just left us a single lane cleared in the middle of the street.

We intended to head directly up to the ranch to spend this Christmas night, but found that the interstate North of Cheyenne was closed due to drifting snow. We'll try again in the morning.

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Yesterday morning we went to the main market of Jocotopec, after waking up to some pretty loud fireworks the church sets off for special religious occasions. At 6am. Followed by the usual peal of church bells signaling the morning mass.


A small portion of the main market near the Jocotopec plaza. The rest spills onto the sidewalks around the area.

The market area is crowded with fish, meat, fruit, vegetable, and poultry stalls. There are also dozens of little specialty stores and restaurants. The fish were so fresh they were still flopping around and gasping (a little disturbing) and the chickens looked freshly plucked. The fruits and produce looked like they were recently in the fields, and it is easy to get fresh juice of pineapple, guava, papaya, orange, beet, and some I couldn't identify from numerous stalls. It would be really great to be able to walk down to such a market every day or two to shop for such fine ingredients for meals.


An old guy on his burro heards goats to fresh grazing just a few blocks up from the market area.


A horse waits for her rider West of the market.

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Gonna be a short entry tonight - bad Mexican keyboard at this Internet cafe, and I had a chance to chat with a few folks online before getting to work.

Also looked at the horrifying photos of winter excess in Northern Colorado, which we must return to on Monday. Today, we went to the South shore of Chapala to explore a few little villages. I didn't need a long sleeve shirt. After a week of banana trees and bougainville, Colorado will be a tough transition. I don't think we will be spending another winter there.


A horse grazes at the lake edge. Also commonly seen are cows and the occasional burro.


Along the shoreline at Chapala (the town), which we visited yesterday.


An abandoned adobe house on a hill we climbed today at Tuxcueca on the South shore.


Stairs up to the old church on the hill at Tuxcueca.


The old church at the top of the stairs.


A very nice house we looked at today just a block from the cathedral and plaza - $169k USD.


Our realtor Omar here in Jocotepec.

Today we arrived in Jocotepec, at the West end of Lake Chapala, here in the south of Jalisco. A nice hotel was easy to locate, and a relief after the roach-infested place we ended up in last night in a little charmless town called Villa Corona (more on that another time).

Before you look at all the pictures below, I have to tell you that I just read a headline from online news - "Messy Colorado - Snow Closes State", with pictures of people running snowblowers and digging out their cars with shovels. Guess which place we are planning to live during winters to come?


The Hotel Cocula, where we stayed a couple of nights ago.


Tonight's hotel in Jocotopec (or Joco, as it seems to be known locally), a bit grander than the last two nights.

We walked up to the edge of town along the bottom of the impressive bluffs that loom behind the town. There were a number of charming homes up there, and beyond the city we could see the vast expanse of Lake Chapala.


A house we figure belongs to a gringo, judging from the Wiconsin plates on a car behind the gate.


A cow loiters behind an especially nice home - note the lake in the distance.


More cows graze along the wall of a home at the edge of town. Note the colorful bougainville growing over the top of the wall - it grows riotously here.


Another home down in the lower part of town - we liked all the bird cages (filled with birds) along the upper balcony.

Tomorrow we'll probably go have a look at the towns of Chapala and Ajijic, which are ground zero for the US and Canadian expat community here. We are hoping that Jocotopec will offer the good weather and charming Mexican environment without so many pasty faces from North of the border. Then, maybe an overnight trip to a small village Mazamitla of pine forests farther South in the hills, or perhaps a medium-size city Sahuayo a little farther Southeast.

Then, back to Guadalajara for the last night, Buenanoche (Christmas Eve) and a party at our friends Thomas and Antonio's home before head for home Christmas morning.

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Last night we were walking down to centro from an Internet cafe to get something to eat, and I heard someone from a car call my name. What the %$/'?....who would know me here? It was a guy I used to hang out with in Hayward at the farmers market - where he would sell flowers. Guy named David, who another Mexican friend said had the nickname "El Rabinito".


El Rabinito - cruising for las chicas...

I´m about out of time for the moment. Here are a few photos from walking around today so far.


Not an unusual street scene here. We saw a guy delivering milk to homes from cans hanging from his saddle yesterday.


Festive public baño attendants from last night. Note the 3-peso price, which includes a few feet of ´papel hygienico´ as can be seen on the counter.

I saw a sign in the baño of a cafe we had lunch in today..."Si vas a orinar - HOMBRES - lavanta la capa por favor". Hint - the employees were mostly chicas, and there was only one baño.


The place we had dinner last night - a corner taco stand. People said they had the best tacos de carne asada in town.


One can always find religion on a public bus here...as well as music of Jalisco.

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Guadalajara has been more inviting than either of us expected. While the city can be a bit overwhelming at times (especially after a bad red-eye flight), after we visisted the wonderful home of a friend there it all seemd more viable as a place to live.

Our flight and arrival were quite an ordeal. We had a window and center seat on a very full (and hour late departing) flight. In the boarding lounge we spotted a HUGE guy, and joked that he would come and sit with us. After we boarded, and took our seats, we saw him coming down the aisle, and he looked directly at Pat (in the center seat) and smiled, nodding his head and pointing at the little empty aisle seat. I think it quivered in fear as he approached.

He had to get a seat belt extension, and as he settled in (and spread out) we chatted a bit with him. He was apologetic, but we were not going to give him a hard time. Pat (and I) had a rough few hours, not getting decent rest on the overnight flight. In Guadalajara customs and immigration were really understaffed for the arrivals in the early morning, but after we finally made it through and stopped at the Starbucks in the airport lobby, things started to look up a bit.

We took the bus from the airport (5 pesos each, compared to the 170 peso cab ride most tourists take), and found our hotel in the center of the city with no problem. They allowed us to have our room upon arrival instead of the afternoon check-in time, so we were able to grab a little nap before going off to the mercado and other dowentown places good for just wandering.


We thought these pedestrian lights were a hoot - they are animated, and as the countdown to a red light proceeds, the little guy speeds up from a leisurly stroll to a fast sprint.

We enjoyed some random walking, and the usual odd array of sights. I was a little disappointed in myself for turning away a guy who asked for some money for food - I think he really was hungry. I should be able to give a few pesos here and there without being selfish. I made sure later as I ran across a young legless mother with a child in her arms and various old and blind beggars that I shared a little more and didn´t turn away automatically.


The possible reincarnation of "Conehead", who was retired from the ranch when she became unable to conceive calves and went to the market this year.


The "Death Cow" - would you want your child to be pictured on this thing?


A nice bus conversion from an old 727 at a limo company we passed by.

Tomorrow, more on Cocula, where we are spending tonight. Probably going to Jocotepec, on Lake Chapala tomorrow afternoon. Then....???

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When my dad died a week ago today, it was no surprise to any of us who spent time with him in recent months. When I left him in Reno around the first of the month, after spending about five days there, when I said goodbye - I hoped it was not the last time I could say this in his presence, but I knew that it might be.

And it was.

Pat and I had been planning our firsty visit to Mexico for a long time, and as I looked at all the arrangements for travel we had made, and the inability to do much to resolve my dad´s affairs until the end of the year, we decided to proceed as we planned. Thanks to everyone who urged us to go, because in fact I really didn´t feel up to it.

So we left on the 16th, and after a night in Wyoming, where we left Mdog in the care of Mona and Clark at the ranch, and returned to Fort Collins for one more night during which we attended a very nice holiday party at the home of friends. Early the following morning, we headed for DEN airport and a flight to Oakland for an overnight stay. We attended a Christmas party there with Arlene, at the home of friends who have had us over for the same event about ten years running. Then, the following day in San Francisco we had lunch with niece Serena and her husband Cole, and later attended a wonderful dinner theater for Pat´s company Christmas dinner.


Niece Serena and her hosband Cole in Union Square San Francisco, where we had coffee.

Being in Oakland and San Francisco with the riot of grenery and blossoming color was quite a shock after the shriveled brown of the Colorado Front Range we left behind.


Arlene in front of a house in her neighborhood, where we stayed - bamboo, palms...Fort Collins does not look like this in December.

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Edgar Horace Wolf
1930 - 2006

The freezing temperatures here in Fort Collins are finally letting up after a full week of icy roads and snow everywhere.

I try to time my afternoon walks with the Mdog as the sun sets, so we can enjoy the sky.

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The latest twist with rebate offers is to send you a debit card linked to an account pre-loaded with the amount of the rebate - IF you comply with all the intricacies of the rebate terms. I recently bought some software, which was essentially free after a rebate for the purchase price. Jumped through all the hoops and eventually received a card.

I tried using it at a gas pump tonight - "See Attendant". Next I tried using it at a post office stamp vending machine - success! So I used it again to buy more stamps - we are almost out of the two hundred dollars or so of stamps that Aunt Alice had hoarded in various places in her appartment. Then I stopped at another gas station, and pre-ordered $16 worth of gas to nearly fill the tank, as I had to specify an amount in advance. This left a balance of just under six dollars, so I picked out an ice scraper/snow brush (stop laughing!) and a bag of Fritos, and charged them expecting to pay the difference as I exhausted the remaining balance. Somehow the total amount with the overage was approved.



When I got home, I logged onto the rebate web site to see the balance:

Transaction Details - Last 30 Days
Date Acct# Memo Type Fee Amount
12/8/2006 XXX1726 DIAMND 4103 SHAMROCK - FT COLLINS, CO
Pending No Fee -6.07
12/8/2006 XXX1726 DIAMND 4103 SHAMROCK - FT COLLINS, CO
Pending No Fee -16.00
12/8/2006 XXX1726 USPS 0731689552 - FORT COLLINS, CO
Pending No Fee -14.04
12/8/2006 XXX1726 USPS 0731689552 - FORT COLLINS, CO
Pending No Fee -14.04
Account Balance: $-0.15

I called the card service people, and they said they they cover small overages (under a dollar).

Rebate checks were a lot easier.

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Well, the often-repeated claim that winters in Fort Collins are mild, and that overnight snowfall will be gone by noon under the sunny Colorado sky has proven to be a load of crap. Following the storm of Tuesday, going on five days now of sub-freezing (occasionally sub-zero) temps, and all the local streets remain covered by an inch of ice covered by packed snow. The main grid of streets are relatively clear, but even those have black ice patches except for the hours of mid-day sun (if any). There is ice everywhere, and walking is a real hazard.

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The purpose of studying Buddhism is not to study Buddhism, but to study ourselves.
-Shunryu Suzuki

Mona and I had quite a visit to Reno in the days following Thanksgiving. Pat got us to the airport as planned, and other sister Becky picked us up as usual at the Reno airport. We stopped on the way to our dad's house to shop for the makings of a belated holiday dinner for him.

When we arrived at his home, what we found was unexpected. It seems for various reasons the service that was helping him around the house had discontinued their visits, and as a result he had not been getting out of bed or eating enough. Some good-hearted neighbors continued to look in on him, but he just wasn't getting enough attention to do well in the face of his treatment schedule at the hospital and his general condition.



So we realized almost immediately that our plan to drive home on Sunday was going to fall apart - he needed us to be around and get things in shape. There was some heavy housekeeping required, although he had been keeping up with the day-to-day stuff. We had to re-establish his services with a reliable provider, and be able to leave feeling that he would be looked after.

I booked a flight home on Southwest for Monday, which I later pushed out until Tuesday - the day Pat had to fly off to Seattle in the pre-dawn hours. As it turned out, we literally were down to the last minutes I was there arranging the home care services with an outfit we felt we could trust that had the staffing for the hours we wanted. Mona remained behind, helping him around the house, accompanting him to treatment appointments, and continuing to get the house into better shape. She plans to drive home in about a week if all goes according to plan and the weather cooperates.

I arrived in Denver yesterday just as darkness fell. A light snow was falling, but there was none visible on the ground. I found Pat's car in the vast Pikes Peak lot where he had left it twelve hours earlier, and as I drove North, the snowfall increased. It began to stick, and while it initially melted, the post-darkness cold began to re-freeze it into slick patches. Traffic on the freeway began to slow, and occasionally cars would fishtail. Twice, this happened to me, for no apparent reason as I was not braking or accelerating on a straight stretch of road. Scary. Finally, after a very tense hour on the freeway and fifteen more on slick surface streets, I pulled up in front of the rental house in Fort Collins, and celebrated my safe return with an Mdog walk.



This morning, I awoke to find an additional several inches of snow had fallen - enough to require shoveling the walk and drive - the first time I've done this for about in about forty years. I didn't mind, because I need the exercise and it was a lovely morning to be out there doing it. I even did the drive and walk next door for the overextended single mom who lives there.

With today's low of 4 degrees and high of 19, I figured I couldn't count on the sun for much help. Mexico in December is sounding better every day...

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Here at the ranch for Thanksgiving, and Mona and I are off to Reno tomorrow for another visit with our dad. Pat will drive us to Denver for a flight out, and we plan to drive back in Susan's old car, which Mona is buying. Hope we beat a cold front that will be blowing through...

Quiet day here with unseasonably warm weatherhere in Wyoming. Pat helped Clark a little with the new fence along the road, and Mona and I got dinner together.


The fence crew


Mdog in the driveway. She seems to enjoy spending time here. A good thing, since we need to leave her here for a week while we are in Mexico next month.


Mdog in front of a firewood pile


Clark's gas engine/hydraulic wood splitter

A few days ago I posted a picture of the evening sky and described the eerie glow from the gold-lit clouds. Mona observed the same thing that night all the way up here in Wyoming, and got the photo below.

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