Arroyo Seco rodeo even got the kids into the act

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - After a few hours of setting up the property - and getting a balky shower head to come through with the hot water I knew was in the pipe - we headed over the rodeo and got to see the cowboys riding some bulls around and around, and around.

Admittedly, they were mostly young bulls, but not exactly pushovers, either.

And after the rodeo (and a quick visit to the beach to see amigos Jim and Vickie) we had tacos on the square with most of the village.

Sylvia's first Arroyo Seco meal of the season

This year's fiesta is much bigger than last year's even features a merry-go-round for the younger  children.

And the rodeo and fiesta continue for the next two days.

Two more days of fiesta, food, rodeo and cervezas?

Arriba!

Adios Arroyo Seco and La Manzanilla - hello New York

PUERTO VALLARTA, Jalisco, Mexico - The Admiral and I said a very sad goodbye to La Manzanilla and Arroyo Seco today, sad because after more than 5 months here, we realized that this area really has become home.

And who wants to leave home, even if it is to go to a lake in upstate New York to watch one of your children get married.

We ended our stay in La Manzanilla by staying a week with Kate Fisher at her lovely home on the bay, taking a week of 'vacation.' Her downstairs apartments are exactly what you want if you stay on the beach. We considered asking her to adopt us so we would never have to leave.

We figured she would decline to adopt us, but she did say we can come back in November.

In Arroyo Seco, we ended our stay (and months-long adventure) by getting within days of completing all our projects on our downtown lot. Saddest of all was saying goodbye to our vecinos (neighbors) and good friends Chena and Chon who have helped us so much in understanding Arroyo Seco. They were the first people we met there and the last people we said goodbye to today.

Muy triste.

The highlight of what turned out to be a very busy week was throwing a fiesta for the workers (and other Arroyo Seco and La Manzanilla amigos) who have helped so much to get the buildings and structures going.


Getting the food ready for the fiesta at Chena's

A fiesta is just a big party, right?

Well, sort of. We had seven kilos of arrachera, a four-kilo bucket of ceviche, a huge salad, tortillas, chips, shrimp a la diablo and so many other kinds of food and eats on a big serving table I really can't remember them all.

The memory lapse might also be linked to the eight cases of beer that were consumed, along with a bottle of tequila. I didn't drink it all personally, but reportedly I did my share.

All the food was prepared in Chena and Chon's Arroyo Seco kitchen, right across the street from our new palapa. People pitched in and in less than two hours, a feast was ready for the 30 or so people at the fiesta.


Relaxing after la comida


Serious about the tequila


Fiesta table

After a few days here in Puerto Vallarta, we will head out to fly via US Airways to Seneca Lake, where we have a wedding to get ready for in mid-June, a pontoon boat to relaunch (The Spirit of Louise) and at least a dozen wineries to visit to get just the right vino for the wedding fiesta.

We could sure use Chena and Chon's expertise to help out with the fiesta there.


Chon and Chena at una quinceanara in Arroyo Seco

Adios, La Manzanilla y Arroyo Seco, regresamos en Noviembre.

Work crews hitting warp speeds at Arroyo Seco

ARROYO SECO, Jalisco, Mexico - What a difference a few days - and having a heavy equipment operator return from a stateside vacation - can make on a construction project.

The Admiral and I stopped by Arroyo Seco on our way back from Puerto Vallarta Wednesday and while progress was evident, it was short of what we had thought might be done. Amazing how much your imagination can boost the amount of work you think can be done is a short time.

But by the time we went back Friday afternoon, we were blown away at how much had been accomplished. The wall surrounding the property is done. The foundation for the bodega is in process. The holes have been dug for the poles for a big ramada over the trailer and - most impressive - there a huge hole in the middle of the property for the fosa septica (septic tank).


Michael down in the hole for the fosa

In good part, the projects leaped ahead because our neighbor Javier came back from the U.S. and fired up his excavation equipment, saving Arturo and his workers days of digging by hand. The work is still labor intensive - stacks of bricks to be placed by the maestro, bags and bags of concrete to be mixed - but with the holes dug, now its time for construction.


Arturo and the maestro work on the foundation for the bodega


Finishing touches on the back wall

One last-minute change - part of some suggestions from amigo Rusty (a retired architect from Grass Valley, Calif.) - was to put in a gate at the back of the property so we would have access from both streets. It will be used for whatever hacienda/house we put in the back next season. It also creates another gate project for our neighbor Chon, who said he is on the case and will put it together quickly.


Admiral peers around through the back gate

In the meantime, perhaps the biggest milagro (miracle) is that our worker guys are pushing forward while most of Mexico is taking a long weekend. Thursday was a national holiday and so is today and Monday. Sunday, of course, is a day of rest no matter what. Later today, we are taking out the makings for a fiesta for the crew to thank them for making us a priority.

The celebrations around here are pretty intense and in Cihuatlan Friday (about 20 miles away), we managed to drive right into the middle of a huge parade and fiesta on our way to do some shopping for a La Manzailla amiga who is about to give birth to a baby girl.

The whole city turned out to watch the parade.

Parade in Cihuatlan

Tractor float


Queen candidate on a pickup


Queen candidate


Somber sombero


College students dancing to the beat

Gridlock in La Manzanilla - and another retirement party

LA MANZANILLA, Jalisco, Mexico - I don't drive all that fast (ok, not any faster than my Mexican amigos around here) but I was moving pretty fast a couple of days ago, headed up the mountain to meet someone, when I rounded a gravel-road corner and found this fellow standing in the middle of the road.

Who has the right of way here?

I tooted my horn to get him to move, but he didn't budge. In fact, he came up and rested his head on the hood of the car briefly. Even when I got out of the car, he didn't move, until I gave him a loud cowboy yell (Yee-haw!). Then he ambled off, leading me slowly for about a quarter mile before wandering off into a ravine. I'll have to brush up on my Spanish for Horses.

The next day, on my way out to Tenacatita, to check on the beach lots (and Mario & Sharon's casa) I rounded another corner a little too fast, only to be greeted by several horses, blithely wandering across Highway 200, the major north-south artery for this entire coastal area.

I don't want to think about what would happen if I had a Trooper-Palomino collision.

Highway horses

But things haven't been all horse stories.

Wednesday night we had the official Jane Gorby retirement party at Palapa Joe's, with Jane's former employer, Joan Santana as hostess. Joan sprang for the whole party - drinks, more pizzas than a hungry crowd could eat, and a beautiful cake that everyone managed to chomp on, despite being full of pizza.

The retirement cake

There were no long speechs (whew!) just a few toasts and one rendition on the ukulele of "Jane Gorby has finally retired." The three Cuba Libres I had didn't help much with hitting the right chords, but because most everyone else had sloshed pretty good, too, I got away with it.

Jane & Jesse

The party table at Palapa Joe's