They're here!

Arrived at the Cancun airport to pick up Maggie and Ingrid and it was decorated very nicely to welcome all the tourists for their Christmas vacations! Had a bite to eat at the restaurant and then headed to Terminal 2.









A full mariachi band was at the ramp where visitors walk out of the airport and it was great - sang and played and entertained everyone who arrived.









And here are the stars of this show - WELCOME to Cancun, Maggie and Ingrid!!!








We took them to their condo, dropped the bags and headed to La Terraza for a lovely dinner. So good to have our buds here - tomorrow they will see it all in the daylight!

dogs. cats and kitchens....

Botas says "if you are going in the car, I am coming too".....and does, on many trips, including an evening at the bookstore.......trips to the recycle....shopping......!









Mariposa says "you go for a ride, silly dog, I will stay home and curl up for a nice nap......!"

















The outdoor kitchen area is ready to roll - great counter, propane stove and barby all set up, and lots of storage below. Sweet!

town activities

The main square Christmas tree was laid out this morning - on its side - so the 4 men could decorate it with lights. Makes sense, really, no falling off ladders, no stepping on strings of lights as you walk around the tree - and although it took them all day, and it was still on its side tonight, it will be glorious once it is placed in the gazebo behind it and surrounded by the nativity scene and all the lighting in the square. Stay tuned.




One of our Quebec locals feeds many street dogs throughout the year - here is how he does it - puts out piles of dogfood on the sidewalk and everyone gets some. He feeds the cats, too, and our 3 bookstore cats looked like Garfield after last summer, but I think he has stopped feeding them so much, as there are 3 businesses who also do, 2 of which are restaurants.



After we closed up the bookstore tonight we went around the corner to the Cantine Bistrot to listen to some awesome blues. Jimmy is the main man in the Men in Blues, who plays at David Lau's all winter, starting in January, but he gets together with Manuel, a local bass player, Kenny, drummer from Quebec, and Diego, an awesome guitarist, to entertain between now and then. Great music!!!

Guadalupe........

This little group of kids now has our number - they come to our house every night to sing their song and gather coins for the church to use for poor families.









There were 3 groups at the bookstore window tonight, but missed taking a pic of one as we had customers...a good thing to have at the bookstore.







Group 2 - they are all so sweet, all sing exactly the same songs, and always appreciative of the coins we drop in their boxes.

Guadalupe and Peace.......

Ok, I am sorry - this is a dreadfully blurry picture, but this huge butterfly landed on the ceiling of the bookstore tonight and I snapped this pic in too much of a hurry. Turns out it sat there for an hour or more......lovely.







The Guadalupe kids were back tonight - another group at the bookstore. Very sweet.







Today there was a Walk for Peace on the beach (we were painting, so didn't make it) but tonight there was a quiet demonstration for peace which involved lovely peaceful music, crafts for sale, ribbons which you could write a message on and tie to the Peace Pole in the main square.........






And at the end of the evening, we all joined hands and sang John Lennon's Imagine, then hugged whomever you were standing near. It was very moving - all that collective energy is a very powerful thing. Give peace a chance!

cats and town life

We have a beautiful new face on our wall.......not at our food bowls yet, tho......











You can tell Mariposa has truly settled in - her first nap on a human....she and Miki bonding......:-)







Ah, we are getting close to the Guadalupe celebrations on December 12. All over town and in our neighbourhood, kids come door to door with their donation boxes, sing a song, and get a few coins for the church social service programs. This group came to the bookstore window on Saturday.






Saturday night was a dance performance in the town square - traditional Mayan dancing in original costumes - always dramatic and very wonderful!!!!

outdoor kitchen

Raul and Ramon put the finishing touches on the counter - a smooth stucco-like finish called "masilla".










Applying the final coat of cement.....










Isn't that wonderful...!! It will hold our barby, our outdoor stove and room for storage underneath for cooking tools and a cooler.









This surface is so smooth, you can almost see yourself in it - the boys did a wonderful job!!!