More from San Miguel...Dec. 2007

I was just thinking I should have published some of the "before" photos for those of you that did not see the original property so I will do that in the future. The facade is almost completed and our little house has arisen out of the rubble. Though our house is small next to many other homes being built by gringos , it looks like a mansion in our Mexican neighborhood. This has caused some concern for Ron and I as we, too,have become a part in the changing of our neighborhood and the way of life for the natives of this city. Our neighbors have been warm and friendly on our little callejon (narrow street) and we hope the rest of the neighborhood will be as accepting.

The workmanship in Mexico is wonderful and we have lovely curved arches, boveda ceilings, and stonework throughout the house. We have been busy picking out tiles for the 3 1/2 baths and 4 fireplaces as well as lanterns. Every door, window, lantern,ironwork, etc. is hand-made. We found out our lowest level workers only make $95.00 per week for their hard labor. The head-man doing the daily supervision(and works) makes $145. weekly. One might think money goes further there but when we went shopping for towels, a nice bath towel costs about $35.00, a set of sheets around $100. It is true, many things are cheaper but many are more expensive. It is no wonder extended families live together. It is the only way they can survive.

Another good reason to count our blessings............

San Miguel de Allende Dec 16, 2007

I'm having technical difficulties with this site and posting! However, here are a couple of quick pictures of the house and more will follow soon! Ron and I are heading out to shop for appliances . The weather is gorgeous and all is going well. Lots of snow in the east, I hear. Enjoy!

Christmas in Telluride, 2007

Merry Christmas to all! Telluride is all decked out for the holidays and even the snow has cooperated! It has been snowing since last Friday with the exception of Sunday. I have never seen so much snow! When we get 6 inches in the town, the mountain looking over the village gets 2-3 feet! The store fronts are beautifully decorated with garlands, ribbons, and lots of pine cones. The biggest Christmas tree in town belongs to the family I work for and it is shown in the first picture all lit up. The temperature changes so much between day and night; it is often around 1-5 degrees in the early morning but by late morning, it may be close to 50 in the sun. Asi t is very dry and there is a lack of wind, even the low temperatures do not feel uncomfortable as they do back home.

I had a great time skiing on several occasions but then, managed to fall on the hot top while walking. I think I probably sprained my wrist so had to lay off for the week. I am leaving here tomorrow and driving to my cabin in Austin where I will spend the night. On Thursday morning, I leave for Mexico and will be dragging two full suitcases and my computer so I knew I had to mend my wrist.

Ron has been sending exciting pictures back of the house in SMA and it will probably be complete by the end of Jan. One of my suitcases is filled with household items as we will need to furnish both the main house and the casita....pretty exciting. I'll write a blog from there and include some pictures.

I'll be in Mexico from the 13-19 of December and then I'll head home for Christmas. I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season!

A Perfect Day December 2, 2007

Boy, am I tired!
I imagine by morning, I'll be feeling muscles I forgot I even had........
The snow of yesterday continued most of the night but when it dawned, the clouds rolled away, leaving another gorgeous day in Telluride. The snow continued to hug the trees all day despite the temperature rising in the town to the 40-50 degree range. The ski mountain stayed considerably colder, though very comfortable.

I picked up my new K2 Love Bugs this morning around 9:00 with th bindings mounted and ready to go. Teddy joined me and she became the teacher today and took me up the gondola to "teach me the ropes." It is such a big mountain, I was grateful for the guidance. Only a few of the trails are open so far, but it was some of the best skiing I ever remember. Maybe that has a bit to do with my age and simply forgetting, but I don't remember ever skiing with such beauty all around me. The mountains tower and surround you while skiing from Mountain Village.

The free gondola takes you up the mountain and you get off at a ski trail called Village Byway. This slope takes you down to Mountain Village, the hub of the ski resort. It was bustling today as everyone is so excited to have the mountain open and the official ski season underway. The snow was awesome and the weather, perfect.

I only skied for a couple of hours and was amazed at how quickly it all came back. Of course, the cute new skis with the sculptured shape and short length surely helped. As I reminded myself of shifting weight, weight on the downhill, etc, I kept hearing the voice of my junior high boyfriend and how patiently he tried to make a skier out of me. How proud he would be to see me skiing Telluride!

After walking back home, I spent some time doing yoga and then relaxed in a hot bath but I'm afraid I'll still be stiff tomorrow. However, trust me, I'll be right back out on the slopes!

I hear the east is expecting some snow tonight........enjoy!

My Winter Home- November 28, 2007

Excitement is in the air around the small town of Telluride as ski season officially opened today! A foot of snow fell last Thursday which provided a base and the snow making equipment has been busy day and night as temperatures have dropped substantially in the past week. It is 14 degrees as I write and more snow is expected this weekend. I bought a new pair of skiis before Thanksgiving and they are in the shop getting the bindings mounted. They are the cutest skiis I've ever seen; pastel pink and blue, sculptured shape, and they only reach up to my nose! I can't wait to try them out even though I haven't down hill skiied for about 12 years. I imagine it is about like "riding a bike," at least I hope so!

I had a wonderful and quick visit to New England for Thanksgiving and moved to Telluride on Monday morning. The gray house in the picture is mine for the year and one of the rooms serves as the classroom. The home has been totally remodeled and is so comfortable and cozy. I am one house up from Main Street and everything is within walking distance which I am loving. I used to love to live out in "nowhere" and having land around me has always been so important. As I've gotten older, however, I've realized how much I love being near the center and being able to walk everywhere. This is part of the charm of San Miguel as well.

To go skiing, I will walk out my front door carrying my skiis and wearing my boots as the gondola is a short walk down a side street. This lift, which is free year round, takes you to Mountain Village where most of the ski trails are located. From the top, all levels of trails are available but I'll be staying away from the Black Diamonds!

This small but magical, snowy village appears to be the perfect spot to spend the winter.........

Bahia Magdalena- November 2007

One of my favorite days of our Baja trip was Sunday when Todd dropped Katie, the kids and I off at the little fishing village we could see from our boat. From the moment I had spied it, I wanted to go and visit as my favorite part of Mexico is visiting the "off the beaten path" places and really experiencing the culture. It was also a perfect opportunity for the children to practice the Spanish I have been teaching them. I told them I was pretty sure that if we went ashore we could find a little tienda and buy ice cream but they would have to ask for it in Spanish.

This is one of the poorest looking villages I have ever visited though at one time, it appeared to have been more prosperous. Several very large, ruined buildings were in the center but they gave clues that at one time this town must have had a larger population. Today, the 195 inhabitants include 56 children and the two schoolhouse must be pretty full. As usual, the best kept building in town is the church.

Large bones are displayed throughout the village as decorations as well as outhouse style toilets. Indoor plumbing did not appear to exist. Many homes (shacks) were boarded up and the streets were dusty and littered. People were friendly, however, and we enjoyed seeing some of the local catch of scallops and octopus.

My three were delighted to find a broken down playground and happily played with yelps of joy for at least a half hour. We walked and found several tiendas but none had ice cream! We had noticed at night that lights were sporadic on the shore and I found out they only have electricity sometimes. So of course, they can't count on any food remaining frozen. I was able to buy the kids sodas and snacks so all was not lost. Of course, they had to use their Spanish first.......I was proud.

Before leaving, I asked if they would like to live there. Teddy said "No." I asked why and she said because it was too hard to understand the people........ and they didn't have ice cream!!!

Baja beach November 2007

We stepped from the ponga onto the fine, white sand, devoid of any footprints except those made recently from the birds or other types of wildlife. In the distance, on one horizon, we could see the mountains and on the other, rolling, white dunes and a pristine beach, as far as our eyes could take us. A gentle breeze cooled the air from the hot sun and overhead, the sky was a lovely shade of blue, a few shades different than the ocean surrounding the bay.........more visually perfect than words can describe.
It felt as though we were the first visitors to this beautiful land but of course, we were not! We all approached the dunes and walked onto and among them. We immediately sank into the deep, soft sand, wiggling our toes in delight. I especially enjoyed standing and watching the dune activity. The sand is so deep and fine that with the gentle breeze blowing, the dunes are constantly being reshaped right before your eyes in slow moving action. You can watch the sand build up at the top and begin to slide down in miniature rivers and avalanches, quickly covering over any evidence on someone having been there before. This reshaping was mesmerizing and poetic in it's own way.
As the beaches are seldom walked, I enjoyed walking and picking up all types of shells and interesting bones. Some of the bones were too large to attempt to bring home but very interesting to see and to use as a lesson with the kids. We speculated as to what animal group they may have belonged to; fish, bird, mammals, estimated size, etc. What a classroom!
I brought home lots of sea urchins, sand dollars, and other types of shells which we are studying now but these are some of the ones I left behind. I'm really enjoying learning as I teach!

The Baja, Mexico Nov. 2007

Spending 5 days on a boat in the Baja was a very different experience for me. On previous trips to Mexico, I have always been on the land so it was a bit difficult to be sitting on a boat. However, it was an amazing opportunity to view an abundance of wildlife and to appreciate the beauty of uninhabited beaches, the ocean, and the wonderful night sky.
When we first arrived, Ted was there with a brother-in-law so there were 10 on board the first night. There are 4 staterooms below, three additional sleeping areas within the boat and the top deck, under the stars. Often, the top deck is the desired sleeping quarters so I joined 6 others and slept on top the first couple of nights. It was magnificent! I woke a couple of times and lay on my back and just enjoyed the moment, the stars, and the vastness. In the morning, we woke to beautiful sunrises and warm days.
Ted and James left with Dennis to go hunting on the mainland so 7 of us remained for the rest of the trip. We stayed in Bahia Magdalena for the first two days and then moved the boat to another bay, Santa Maria. It was much windier there and we couldn't get close to the beach in the ponga but we were able to do some fishing and lots of schoolwork!
I especially enjoyed seeing the wildlife....so many pelicans, terns, osprey, and seals to entertain us. I learned the names of many varieties of fish and we kept a fish log which we will graph today. Speaking of that, it is time for school! More to follow soon!

Return from Baja November 12, 2007

Hello folks,
I took this picture this morning of the sunrise before we got picked up in the ponga by a local to take us across Magdalena Bay which was an 1/2 hour ride. A taxi picked us up from there and we traveled for another hour to get to the airport in Constitution on the Baja where Dennis, the pilot, was waiting to take us home. We had to go through customs in the states but it is quite different in a private plane and only amounts to checking passports and a little paperwork...no baggage checks or security so it is quick. We arrived in Telluride around 2:00 and we had school for a couple of hours. We also did school work on the plane so we accomplished quite a lot today.
The kids and I were all feeling lightheaded this afternoon because of the drastic elevation change and tonight, I'm struggling with an elevation headache. I'll be fine tomorrow after a good night's rest.
I have a lot of catching up to do on my blog so I'll be posting lots of tales this week if "blogger" cooperates!
Hasta pronto!
Patti

Just a few quick words.....Nov. 6, 2007

Hello all,
I've been trying to sign on to Blogger for the last hour and was about to give up as I still have to finish packing. We leave at 5:30 am for the Baja. Probably will not have any access to a computer so I won't be in touch for a week. Then, I'll catch you all up on the happenings.
Have a great week!
Love,
Patti

Halloween in Telluride October 31, 2007

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The day started early as Jan, the girls, and I met Dennis at the airport for a 7:00 flight to Telluride. I had woken at 4:00 in anticipation of getting up at 5:30 as I was the one in charge of the alarm clock. It was a clear morning to fly and I got to sit in the co-pilot seat. It was a thrill to be able to see the plane make it's way through the 14,000 ft. snow-covered peaks on our descent into Telluride.

Telluride really knows how to celebrate Halloween. There are lots of decorations, a big parade and over half the adults and dogs all in costume, too. I managed to pull together a quick Zorro (Zorra) costume from among my belongings. Hundreds of adults and children roamed the streets for several hours tonight, trick or treating. There is a real feeling of safety in this closely knit community and children are also able to go out without adults, much as it was for many of us in days gone by. It was lots of fun.

Tonight, I'm feeling a little altitude sickness as we have been below sea level for the past 9 days and are now at 9,000 ft above sea level. I expect to feel better after a good night's sleep. After arriving, the decison was made that we would stay here until Sunday and then head to the farm for a few days. We will need to reorganize and repack as I found out yesterday, that we head to Mexico next week (mid-week). We will spend time on their boat in the Baja....such fun!

Happy Halloween! Tomorrow we will celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos.

Rattlesnakes, Scorpions, Black Widows.....and Roadrunners October 28, 2007

It's interesting to me to be seeing so many unusual creatures here in the desert and in Colorado some harmless and some not so harmless! Since arriving here in La Quinta, we have found several Black Widow spiders right here in the house. We also have one back at our school house...talk about an unusual classroom pet! I also found a scorpion in my cabin but he was already dead. I'm told they are not really dangerous as their bite is not much more poisonous than that of a wasp. I did like examining it though, and added it to our class collection.

The most comical wildlife I have seen is the roadrunner and today had my camera along at just the right time. I had gone out for a morning walk and spotted this funky little bird. He didn't want to pose for me but I was able to get one quick picture. Isn't he cute?

Besides being cute, what an interesting bird.....no wonder one was chosen by Warner Brothers to star with Wile Coyote. Roadrunners are about 24" long and reach a height of 10-12 inches. I was surprised they are not longer for this large body. They can become airborne for a short flight but prefer to run. Members of the cuckoo family, they are carnivores and eat spiders, scorpions, and even rattlesnakes! So, I figure encouraging them to stick around here in the Southwest is a pretty good thing.

Jan got a call yesterday from Todd to tell her that they would be leaving the Baja and picking us up here today around noon. We packed our things last night and had the morning to swim, walk, etc. I stripped my bed and found out after that the maid would be coming to do the cleaning.(not used to the maid thing....) Todd called when they hit the mainland and headed for the plane. When they got to the plane, however, they discovered engine problems and called to say we would not be leaving today.

Todd, Jack, and their friends took a 6 hour taxi ride to reach another airport with commercial planes and will fly into Denver tonight. They will stay in a hotel and another of their pilots will fly up tomorrow to get them. Dennis, the pilot in Mexico, will spend the night in a small Mexican community and fly the plane to Oklahoma tomorrow for repairs if he can get it to go or a mechanic will fly to Mexico to fix it.

I remade my bed....as we are not going anywhere yet! We will wait to hear from Dennis tomorrow as to whether or not it will be a quick repair. They think it might be as simple as bad fuel in the fuel lines. Otherwise, Jan will book us commercial flights out for Tues. morning. The girls are anxious to be in Telluride for Halloween so I expect we will leave somehow. Jan suggested we sit tight, not fly commercial, and wait for the plane repair and asked the girls if they would like to do a Disneyland Halloween instead.... they still chose Telluride.

In the meantime, life is good in the desert!

Not so easy.....Oct. 26, 2007

My apologies for how that last blog looks! I thought I was getting so smart and attached three photos. However, I seem to be having layout issues that I am unable to correct! Sorry for how strange it looks.....I'll keep trying!

La Quinta, CA October 26, 2007

Life in the desert continues to be grand! The grounds are so lovely and I enjoy walking each day. Yesterday, I was lucky and spotted a roadrunner. What a comical bird! I wasn't sure what it was when I first spotted it darting along the maze of pathways between the rooms and gardens. When I approached, the little bird fluffed up his feathers and the plume on the top of his head and stared at me for a moment before running away. I unfortunately didn't have my camera as it was such a delightful picture. In the evening, I spotted a hummingbird; a wonderful green with a rosy pink neck. I had my camera but she didn't stay still long enough to photograph.

As La Quinta was built in a Spanish style, I am having a great time looking at all the talavera tiles throughout. The stairway you see pictured here is the style that one of our stairways will be built in in the Mexican house. Each riser will have a different tile.

Tonight, we went to the outdoor restaurant which appears in picture three, though you see more of the garden than the restaurant. Live Peruvian music entertained us while we sipped margaritas and enjoyed the lovely evening. The weather continues to be great although there is a slight covering of smoke hovering above that has drifted in from the coast.

We still don't know when we are going home as it will depend on when the "guys" decide to leave Mexico and come back in the plane to pick us up! I'm told it will probably be by Halloween. Plans change quickly with this family so I always have to keep my bag partially packed!

Enjoy the weekend!

Love,

Patti

La Quinta, CA October 24, 2007

Wow...I've loaded two pictures......
It was a beautiful day with temperatures around 90 but without the humidity, it was enjoyable. At lunch break, I went to the pool and stepped into the hot tub simply because they are a passion of mine and it was there. I didn't last long before heading to the pool which was so warm...perfect for me.

I am learning so much while in this position. Today, I researched the Salton Sea. Todd had pointed it out when we flew over it on Monday and Krakauer speaks about it in "Into the Wild," a novel I'm reading. (When I had gone to the Telluride Film Festival, I saw the debut of the movie and this prompted me to read the book and find out more about Chris Mc Candless.) The Salton Sea lies just to the east of La Quinta in the southwest corner of CA. It is the largest lake in CA and is of environmental concern as the salt content is getting greater each year and threatening many species. Little water falls from rain so the bulk of the inflow comes from agricultural drainage which carries an abundance of minerals and salt. Forty-four parts per thousand are salt while the Pacific Ocean is 35 ppt. Currently, the lake is teeming with wild life but as the salt level increases, the species will not be able to live. I love how names of places are coming alive to me and my geography is really improving.

I also found out a little about the resort I'm staying in. Many homes are private as is the one I'm in. However, the resort originally started as a hotel with 20 rooms in 1927 at a cost of $150,000 to build. La Quinta means "country retreat" and the area has long been considered a sacred site by the native Cuhuilla Indians. Many movies were filmed here and movie stars such as Ginger Rogers, Clark Gable, John Wayne, and Katherine Hepburn were frequent visitors.
Now, La Quinta has hundreds of motel rooms built in the Spanish hacienda style, condos, private homes, tennis courts, golf courses, and health spas. The gardens are magnificent; a mulititude of colors and layouts. Check it out online.

Jan had hoped to take a day trip to San Diego while here but the fires will keep us from doing that. We are a couple of hours away from the coast and many people are evacuating and coming here until it is safe to return home. It is a shame that while here among this beauty, their hearts are so heavy.

Thinking of all of you!
Love,
Patti

Arches National Park, Moab, Utah October 20, 2007

Hello again friends,

Hopefully I will have better luck with this site in terms of loading pictures. I have seen so many beautiful things but have been unable to load pictures for the most part. I will try this site out for a few times before cancelling the other so check both for awhile!

Love,

Patti