This morning we saw dolphins- well I only saw the spray from one, Everardo & Polo saw them ore than me. Then we saw something floating and it was our morning mystery. Polo is 13 and came over to help with painting again today. He said what if it's something scary? What if it's something we never saw before! I saw it first...oooh what is it? Then I guessed a net, wrapped onto something. At first I thought maybe a dead whale but then we reasoned there's be birds and stuff around it. Then Everardo said maybe a big tree trunk. Then we saw somebody swimming out to it. It was Gencho who was out fishing, we watched him get closer & closer- me thinking wow how'd he get out there so far past the breakers, but Polo and hubby thought nothing of it. Finally he made it to the thing- it was a huge tree! Or else a really long piece of wood- off a boat maybe, but probly the tree. He climbed up and sat on it. We had to use the telescope to see him. I SO want to invest in a nice pair of binoculars! I can't really even hold the telescope still. It was my Dad's a long time ago. It's cool to be using it, but I have a feeling that now there are binoculars that see further more clearly. Let's see, he died in 1980, so they are at least 30 years old, but I remember them when we went on vacation, always camping and he had them then. I stopped going camping with them probably in high school, so early 70's...Well they're most likely around 40+ yrs old- I'll have to show them to my sisters & brother- whoever comes to visit first.

The painting is almost done for the main part of the house- the living room and bedroom is mainky the inside living space. The colors are so amazing- for the bedroom, yellow, orange, red, purple. For the living room, which needs a small can of purple & small can of red to finish- so tomorrow, is orange, purple, red, green ( the 4 walls are actually 8 sections cause this room was added- there was just an upstairs big bedroom, 20x20, and underneath was to be a garage altho' apparently they never used it as a garage. So these round pillars held up the building. There are nine of them; three sets of three- which go down each side- except for one right in the middle of the room. That one I want to put small shelves around, maybe 3 high, edges rounded for knick knacks. Anyway it divided 4 walls into 8: 4 purple (lavender), 2 red, 1 orange, 1 green. 3 of the purples are in a row, then the rest are separated. The the pillars are also painted- a different color than the two they connect. Sound crazy- looks totally cool!

The kitchen is next, probly orange & yellow, and the bathroom in our bedroom- which ever color is left over- the room is mostly tile so it's just 5-6 inches around the top of the wall. We have to paint the outside cause the ocean air- salty- everybody paints at least every 2 years. The top half will stay green since people call us Casa Verde, next to the light house (El Faro), but the bottom will probly be yellow, or again, whatever's left....Most people wait to paint the outside until Oct after the rains, but it just hasn't been raining so Everardo will decide what he wants to do after we finish the inside. Funny I posted on FB a photo of the bedroom because at first, where the bed is, along one side was orange, the back wall red, and the other side wall yellow. (Then the rest of the room was orange and yellow and looks great. But he yellow wall just didn't look right next to red. I said as much and got about 15 comments on what I should do- oh and I had painted a line of green & a line of purple on the yellow next to the red to see how it looked. Lots of comments- mostly voting for purple, which ended up being what we chose- again- looks great. Once we're finished I'm gonna post photos of both rooms because I'm so happy with them.

Now I would be in the hammock, Everado's napping inside, but the workers building the road have been right outside our house since yesterday so I'm hiding inside. We had English class today, the girl I think who really wants to learn wasn't here again even tho' she told me the time was fine. She may be answering what she thinks I want to hear. So with hubby or someone else who speaks Spanish better than me I'm gonna figure out what's happening- I know she has to help her mom with the other kids, and maybe I can teach her by herself if we can figure out a time we can both make consistently. The other 4, they come, but I teach them the same stuff over & over. They don't practice at home -obviously, cause they can't remember anything and do not get the concept of words like "where" means "donde", so it works for "where do you live" and "where is your nose" . They are actually starting to remember the first two sentences, where do you live & what is your name, but that's it. They don't remember the numbers past 10 (which they already knew) and we count to 30. They don't remember the days of the week even though we say them over and over. I added pointing to eyes, ears, nose, mouth, butt, hair, head. The only one they remember- of course is butt. I try to make it fun, or funny so they remember, but they only remember for about 5 minutes. When we say and point 5 times in a row and then I ask where is your nose- blank stares. I think I understand- I mean they have nowhere to use English, nobody else in their families speak English and they has to come down it has to come down. Anyway we could use the tiles to repair/replace any form the roof and I think we already need some on the kitchen roof. Wow some other huge machne has started up ohe whole time.

So Polo gave me an idea- prizes- candy.At first I thoguht no, if they don;t want to learn I can just keep teaching the same things every day. They are getting the colors pretty good. They love the flash cards & the dictionaries with pictures & the words in Spanish & English- but they retain zero.
But I gave it a try today- I said (in Spanish) who likes candy? me me me me me!!!!! So I said ok when you can tell me the days of the week, you may have a candy, and then so on & so on as we did the next things. They were paying pretty good attention when we did the alphabet, so maybe they will learn a little something ha ha. So this wknd I gotta pick up some candy. I will keep doing it as long as they come. It's an hour and it actually helps my Spanish.

I sure hope they finish the road before the big rains!! Otherwise we may have a rivier of mud- they have been bulldozing, and breaking rocks down into sand. We have a gate that has a top- decorative like the roof of the house with the same tiles. Everardo thinks the way they will do the sidewalks may end up making our driveway too tall and the top of the truck will hit the top of the gate. Wellif it has to come down it has to come down. Anyway we could use the tiles to repair/replace any form the roof and I think we already need some on the kitchen roof. Wow some other huge machne has started up out there, I hope hubby doesn't wake up. He worked hard today & deserves a nice nap. Well I sleep like shit always waking up and tossing & turning, going to the bathroom, and he says I never wake him up so maybe he'll be fine. It's funny, the ocean is so loud all the time. At nite I close the window closest to us & the tv so we don't have to turn it up to high. When we leave Playa Ventura is when I notice the quiet. hmmm a nap looks pretty good right now.

The internet comes and goes here. Living is paradise is not free...it can be very frustrating, and the language barrier doesn't help that's for sure! I have been fighting with the bank to get my name on our account. First they wanted a visa, so I got my residency card, and when we returned to the bank they wanted my passport. So we returned with my passport and they want proof of our address...I started to come unglued- hey this is just adding me to an existing account. But how do they know I live there- oh god oh god, the utility bill we showed them didn't even have either of our names on it! It was the next door neighbors! Each time it takes over an hour to drive there, and at least 20 minutes waiting our turn. Then when it is your turn, they answer the phone and help customers, and people walk up to the desk and ask questions/or for help, and they get it. Everybody smiles the whole time...so we went back with the utility bill, wait our turn, then it was about an hour of paperwork, they fill in forms, print them put, make numerous copies, make little piles which are checked & rechecked, and at the end told us, we will submit this and probably it will be accepted....apparently after this HCSB scandal with money laundering they are being very careful with foreigners. so I will be investigated. I guess I understand but SHIT! Mexico- hurry up and wait. Our furniture was supposed to be ready last Tuesday, last Friday, and today. Today we were busy painting so we didn't bother going ha ha. After 10 days of no phone & no internet, the tv changed- again a logical reason that if I would have only been TOLD it woulda been fine. So Friday they said ok your good, if you don't have the stations by Sunday, come back on Monday...nobody does anything by phone or email- we pay our bills at the post office, and go to any place of business to find out things. So we didn't go back until Tuesday, cause on Monday we were at the bank and 2 hours away trying to put the PGE bill in our name, of course that didn't happen, we have to return with the title to the house...so on Tuesday they said- oh you have to pay first, then come back. We paid, but when we came back the guy wasn't there- out with his boss. So they said come back tomorrow 9 or 10am. So back this morning, and ha ha they were closed. But we went out to breakfast and to the store for more paint brushes and when we came back- yipee, so we have paid all our bills, even the one that is not in our name yet, and have tv, phone & internet. The house is half painted, reds, oranges, yellows, and purple to come tomorrow...so what the hell am I complaining about?

Yesterday after a little painting we ate around 5:30, and we eat outside so we didn't notice the electricity went out. Washed the dishes and went for a walk on the beach. Our friends Gencho & Rosa and a bunch of kids were on the beach, Gencho in the surf, digging after the waves came in. He was catching these little-well some kind of crab I think, shaped like an army helmet but more narrow, and only about 2-3 inches long. Underneath white, little crawly legs, he throw them up the beach and the kids had to grab them quick before they burrowed back into the sand. It was fun. When we got down near Chela's; where there are no rocks, I jumped into the surf with Rosa. She and I were laughing as I couldn't get my footing & would get knocked over by the next wave. Then finally Gencho was done and everybody jumped in the water. Then they walked back down the beach and Everardo, Sam & I stayed in the water awhile- Sam gets exhausted but keeps going poor puppy dog. Then we walked up to Chela's and they were in the pool, so oh boy a nice relaxing time in the pool. As it got dark we found out there was no electricity- so why hurry home?

We stayed until around 9pm and then walked home on the beach. The amazing thing is how much light the moon gives. And it was just a sliver- but I think it's close to the earth- like the sun is too. I mean we could totally see. It made me think of my Mom, cause the moon- well it was full the night she left us, I prayed to the moon that night before I walked back in. When she left, her face was so beautiful, smooth, not a wrinkle or a line on her face. Her hair was straight back, she looked like a native american woman, she was so peaceful. For the first few months the full moon filled me up with emotion, sadness, but peace because she had a good life and she was ready to be with Dad.

So I googled how close we are to the equator here, I google everything ha ha. We are about 2400 miles away, but to San Francisco it's another 1700 so we're alot closer than we were. And I think the equator is where the earth is closest to the sun...hmmm better google that too.

So I had to stop Sam from being in a street fight with a donkey today! He was barking at these 2 donkeys outside our fence, but the gate was open and they were gonna come one in. Sam ran at this one donkey who put his head down for a head bunt- but then really fast turned around and I think he was gonna kick Sam in the head. I was running toward them and screamed (not yelled- screamed), so Sam retreated, the damn donkey was still gonna come in but I closed the gate real quick. It was just the small side so it was easy- but damn I never have the camera when I need it ha ha! Another day in Paradise....

Yipee not going to Morelia tomorrow after all! Everardo's aunt is apparently not that sick since her children left for a trip to visit in the US. We want to go there, but his sister and one brother live in the area, too and we need to visit with them, so it's better to wait. This would have been too rushed. Drive 8 hours. Visit next day. Drive 8 hours back. And I'm worried about Sam. He's just getting used to being here. I mean he's fine but still kinda clingy. Just starting to wolf down his food like he used to, and bring us whatever he's currently chewing with tail wagging. He chases coconuts like balls on the beach. He still doesn't like to sit outside too long by himself, wants to be inside with us- but in Petaluma he'd sit on the porch for hours- altho' he had a dog door to the front porch and the backyard so he could go in & out as he pleased. Hmmm something to consider.

Anyway we have lots to do this week; start the painting (maybe finish), figure out how to get the PGE bill in our name, find out if the place we pick it up is actually a post office box that we could receive mail from the US, hopefully the furniture will be done, oh get the tv straightened out since still don't have the stations we chose. Altho' they want us to pay in 8 days ha ha. Oh and the lady who's making me 2 shirts is coming too.

The ocean is spitting up alot of debris today, not safe for swimming or even for Sam to go in past wading. Must be storming somewhere. The water's coming way up again too. Yesterday we bought some material for curtains but I don't like it so I'm just folding it over the rod, not sewing it, and we found out today the place I bought the blankets a couple of years ago is in Marquelia every other Sunday, not today so hopefully next week. They are thin blankets, almost like a bedspread and the deep blue one is very cool with a peacock design; I'm thinking a red one and a green one for the two other windows.

Today I just jumped in every conversation with Spanish. My speaking IS getting better, ha ha not so sure about understanding. Actually reading subtitles in Spanish is helping too. Gume commented this morning when he stopped by with little Tony to return the ladder, and then Chela said something this afternoon when we walked up there. We gave them the old fridge- it worked but was apartment size small, so last week we bought a new one in Acapulco. Now we need an ice chest ha ha because if we buy anything cold or frozen it will melt before we get home from Marquelia. So forget Acapulco- I bought some cheddar and swiss cheese- yuck when we got home it was gooey and gross. At first I put it in the fridge but later went back and thru it away. aha so ice chest goes on the list for this week.

I also have a big swollen scratch on my back right where all my shorts go so it sucks. Now I'm using neosporin and wearing dresses, it's been about 5 days and I think it's getting better....it's probly from swimming with Sam. The first time he made long scratches on my side and back of my legs so I learned how to swim with him ha ha. I think it's the same thing & I just don;t remember the blinding pain ha ha...if it doesn't get better this week I'll go to the doctor- it's certainly easy & cheap to do. ha ha I keep thinking of leeches, but that is not what this is- it's a SCRATCH! Ok I feel better...

Got internet- lost tv ha ha. Ok not really lost tv, but lost all the English channels. Thursday nite I was so happy to get internet & phone back, then woke up Friday morning to missing channels. Ha ha this is Mexico. But what actually happened is that when you first get Sky tv they give you all the channels the first month. Maybe they said that at the place but nobody translated it to me so I just thought those were our channels. Well apparently Friday a new month started. It's funny I thought I chose the packages that included the most channels in English but I did not. So we worked it out with them but it hasn't started yet. The guy said maybe today (Friday), or maybe tomorrow, and if not Sunday, then come back on Monday! Well we have a couple of stations and we don't watch that much tv anyway, mostly at nite while online...much more whole we had no online access or phone haha. One is Fox News- yeah I know- how can it be actual news when it's Fox? Well the weather is probably true, and maybe traffic...it kinda bothers me that there's CNN int'l, BBC World, and for US news only- Fox. I mean really doesn't everyone know that Fox is bullshit! That you know they're lying because their lips are moving??? But anyway I have those 3 news stations and one other station that's just movies, last nite the 2 movies were awful, a good one just ended with Robert Dinero whom I love.

So Monday is a new adventure- going to Morelia to visit Everardo's very sick very elderly aunt. It's about an 8 hour drive and we are not taking Sam. Leaving him home alone for the first tome for more than just 3-4 hours. But Eriika and Polo are going to sleep here at nite with him, feed him and walk him. The funny thing is it might be cold in Morelia, like needing a jacket!! Wow that would be the first time in almost 2 months! Let's see, this is the end of week 6 living here, and a week to get here (a hot long drive every day week). I'm dying to shave my head...not like I haven't done it before. And actually I met my husband when I was bald ha ha. Well not actually met cause he knew me, but I didn't really know him. He said "you always had this posse of women around you- I couldn't get close to you"...but he wanted to  ...
Maybe when we get back our furniture will be ready. We went over there Friday morning and 2 of 3 pieces were done, but we said no pressure, see you in a week. But I'm excited cause I liked the 2 dressers. They are narrow, 5 drawers each and in between we'll put a pole for my hanging clothes. Yeah the houses here have no closets.And we'll paint too if the big rains still haven't appeared. Tonite the sky was amazing! ha amazing has become my favorite word, I guess because I am continually amazed- and that's a good thing. I need to google to see how close to the equator we are. I mean I know the sun is closer to the earth here, but the clouds are so different here, they seem to be in layers, and the shapes! It's like an art show every evening as the clouds are different colors, the sky is different colors, and the waves come in different directions & sizes. Tonite they had this spray on top that you could see thru...never seen anything like it. And the tide was coming way way in. A guy down the beach told me that next month I'll see the water all the way up to our wall around the property. He said the sea was angry today (the huge waves and the water coming up so far). I found that interesting because Everardo called the sea angry earlier. Maybe it's a Mexican thing. Angry was a good word a few weeks ago after the storm and it was so windy- there was so much debris coming in, and tree trunks! The beach is changing shape too. Gotta get my clothes off the line- too bad I thought of it after it got dark but it looks like rain, and since I've been washing the clothes by hand the last couple of weeks..arrgghh. But now that I've used the shower next to the kitchen and seen how good the water comes out, I think I'll rinse the soap out of them in there next time.

We bought some material for curtains for the 2 windows that look towards the ocean in the living room (sala)- but I'm just gonna hang it over the wood poles hubby bought cause we both decided we like the window where we put a blue Mexican blanket with a pattern of a peacock, so we're gonna try to buy 2 more blankets with the same idea, colorful and some pattern..yippe means I don't have to sew anything....oops the clothes!

OK!! Just got internet AND telephone!! Yipee! I'm chatting with my daughter who's on a trip with friends in Europe for 17 days and talking on the phone to my other daughter! Just this morning Telmex said there was nothing they could do, that someone would have to come out and climb poles. We gave up sitting home every day and so we left...ha ha! We're back up and running! uh oh ok knock on wood!
Monday was our anniversary, it was a wonderful day. Woke up to some lovin' then he made my favorite breakfast (potatoes and eggs over easy), a walk & a swim on the beach, nap in the hammock, and finally a great dinner at out friend's restaurant, I had shrimp and he had something really spicy. How great is life???

I love that I'm overcoming my fear of the ocean. I mean a healthy fear is good- and to be so shocked at the power of the water, well it's a good thing and I'm just thankful it worked out ok. But now I want to go back to loving being in the sea...ha ha afraid only of sharks! So each day I walk a little closer to the rocks, and playing in the water not near the rocks is a gas. The first time was the other day, and altho' I loved it, I stayed close to Everardo. Then yesterday I took Sam for a walk down to Chela's but she wasn't there so I started back. Then this young woman, Carol ran up to me. She's here for a month, then back in Dec with her kids. Her husband is from here and is working on a house or a hotel they're building. They came from Fort Bragg! Less than 100 miles (I think) from Petaluma. They also drove down but thru Tijuana, Sonora, Sinaloa, etc. We went to Texas and crossed next to Juarez. But she said it was uneventful. The US does a really good job scaring people away from Mexico trying to keep the dollars spent in the US. But I have been about 4 times now to Acapulco, and seen nothing dangerous, and the news was just showing record crowds at the beaches there.

Anyway she and I started chatting and then decided to go in the water. It was great, and funny thing is, after it gets about waist deep then it gets shallow again for about 200 yards. The waves are amazing, they start to go back out and run into the new ones and make a big crash, it's fun to get caught in that. I've never seen this before, maybe it has to do with the currents & the rocks. It's funny if you go in one area, the waves pull you one way, and a few feet away they pull you the other. The waves cross each other and go in different directions.
So today we went swimming again with Tony, 3 yrs old and fearless. And I was pretty fearless too. I hope I go swimming every morning. Altho ha ha afterwards it feels like naptime! The only bad part was that Everardo lost his wedding ring in the ocean while we were playing. And to add absurdity...we looked for it! ha ha! He noticed after we got out and walked up the beach. So we went back into the water to look! Hmmm maybe somebody in Hawaii will find it with a metal detector!! Totally sucks- it matched mine...but oh well what can you do.

Maybe tomorrow our furniture will be done. It was supposed to be Tuesday...but this is Mexico...but anyway having furniture "made" is pretty cool, just saying, well we want three drawers across the top, and cabinets underneath....we gave width length and height, and that's it. Of course there's a chance I won't be ecstatically happy...ok knock on wood again. 

 I haven't had telephone or internet for a week. The entire town. Maybe tomorrow...anyway we came to another town and I'm at my first cyber cafe ha ha!
This morning was amazing!! There was a town election for a new Commissioner- kinda like the Sheriff...anyway it was an "open vote" so everyone could see how each person voted. There's only about a thousand people in the town and most of them were there. Lots of yelling, arguing, jostling of people trying to get up to the front. Then when it's your turn you are given a marker and you mark a 1 on the side of this huge whiteboard for your choice (between two candidates). I couldn't understand most of what was being said but it was VERY lively! It was very exciting to be a part of it! After everyone voted they counted up the tick marks and the difference was 1 vote! Very cool. A huge argument ensued when my friend Chela took me by the hand up to the front to vote! She and Rosa were arguing that I was a land/homeowner and was entitled to vote. I had to show my residency card and then was handed the marker to vote. Of course that all took some time and lots of "lively" discussion between several people but it's funny my husband was able to just walk up and vote. He left Mexico when he was 16 and so never voted here before, and never in the US. It was my first Mexico vote too. This is a small town and so elections are held in the manner decided by...I guess the equivalent of the town council, I was told they are not usually "open", but sometimes they are. Ha ha Chela yelled at me "Tu errres Mexicana!!"

I wish I would have kept track of things while we had no internet all week. We went to Acapulco yesterday and brought Chela's daughter Eriika with us, 16 yr old. We bought a fridge! yippee! Since the one we had was apartment size and built in about 1950! We also bought paint for the inside of the house, but not the upstairs yet. I am very excited about it; to see it when it's done. Lavender, oranges, yellows, and one red. Also, Everardo built 2 tall bookshelves that we put on each side of a window and they look great! He also made shelves for towels and sheets for the bedroom.  ha ha too bad I didn't see how good he is at this before we went to a guy and bought some furniture. Well it's pretty inexpensive for wood, and we got to choose what we want it to look like and it will be ready next Tue (well in 3 days now). We ordered a "chest" for the kitchen; 3 drawers across the top, the shelves below with sliding doors- and the top will also be a work space. Then two 5 drawer dressers for the bedroom. Then we bought a small table and a taller one with 2 drawers and a shelf low underneath that we put the tv on...these are the 2 pieces I saw last week when we decided we wanted this guy to build some for us. And it's all good. Hubby is gonna build another shelf below the window in between the 2 bookcases and also a cabinet to put next to the bathroom in our bedroom and put the small one we brought with us in the upstairs bathroom for guests. Both Rosa and Chela really liked what he built and were asking for pieces for their houses- he said sure- you buy the wood, so we'll see. 

English classes are going slowly, the kids don't always show up & to be fair, last Monday I was stuck at the bank...but another mom asked me for her daughter so I expect 6-8 kids tomorrow...And I have 2 teens now. I'm thinking tonite I'm gonna try to make them something about regular and irregular verbs...then try to give them homework like writing sentences using verbs, present & past tense and the personal pronouns...

I find myself struggling sometimes with my own language issues. I know it takes time and I've only been here 5 weeks. But it's hard to sit inside my pea brain, alone, isolated. So last week with no internet or fun was especially sucky. With the phone I can call the US for free, and with internet, well I can do this, or Skype, or online AA- all of which are really good for me, I need outside stimulation ha ha and it's not fair to my husband to expect all of it from him. But my Spanish is getting a tiny bit better every day, so I need to concentrate on my intent (learn the language) and practice some humility..it's hard for me not to be in the middle of things- but I am JUST NOT, so need to get over it. Acceptance, humility....hmmm well good, just writing this stuff down helps...alot. ha ha I guess that's why people keep a diary! duh! 

I went swimming again in the ocean. I saw the cutest goat ever! (not in the sea). All white with a black head and one black leg. Oh and found out something else interesting! If you hit a cow (or any livestock) on the road with your car- the owner has to pay to fix your car! Maybe you can work out a deal with him and keep the meat...or some of each...it's like HAVE YOUR COW AND EAT IT TOO!

I went swimming in the ocean today! Sam too- he's a natural, when he sees the white foam of the wave coming he turns towards shore- a true surfer dog!

For me overcoming some fear- hadn't been all the way on since a wave snatched me off a rock and smacked me onto another. In those seconds I thought crap! I'm gonna be dragged out to sea. But luckily I realized to crawl sideways so when the next wave hit I was pushed up the beach, not into another rock. I only got cut up on my legs, and not too bad, but the fear stayed. That was 2 years ago. It was the first time I really understood the power of the ocean, and I've been swimming in it all my life. In fact as a drunk ( I quit drinking 11 years ago- now a friend of Bill W), anyway once when I was totally bombed and on a 110 foot yacht off the coast of China in the Sea of Snakes...I jumped off the boat!! ha ha I was like a cartoon character - the ones who run across the top of the water! When I hit the cold water I was instantly sober and aware I was in the ocean- and not near land! I got back in that huge boat so fast!!! This yacht was so big it had 4 speedboats on it that they lowered to take little side trips I guess...anyway it was the biggest boat I'd ever been on. It was for work, needless to say there was much talk about the crazy American woman who jumped off the boat. That was in the early 90's and you just never know what impact your actions an have. In the 2006 I got another job traveling to Thailand and the Operations director at a dinner told us about this crazy American woman who jumped off the company boat of this company he used to work for,....soooo...we chatted since his old company was a company I had worked with...anyway we had a good laugh and he understood why I was not drinking at dinner. ha ha. Not sure about now, but in the late 80's, 90's and early 2000's, business in Asia always includes a lot of dinners, drinks, drinks, etc But the truth is when I went back to Thailand sober, I really got into seeing the sights. I was blessed by a monk who came to do the blessing at the company. I got to know a couple of my counterparts well, and one guy, Sarote, and I are still friends, email & Facebook. And he came to the states once and it was cool to host him.

So anyway I started my day with a swim in the ocean with my husband and my dog. I love love love my husband for not pushing me, we've been here a month and all I've done is play on the shore. Well really altho' it hasn't been raining, the ocean has not been too inviting. Huge logs and debris some days, choppy waves other days. But it's been beautiful for days now. Everardo went swimming last evening on our way to our friends. I was laughing cause I had put my suit in my bag at the last minute thinking of their pool. We did end up in the pool, but I was looking at the waves, so this morning, and not in a suit- just my shorts and tshirt, I DID IT! I was nervous at first. That incident with the rocks really scared me. I probably should have gone back in right away, but I hadn't even ventured down to the part of the beach with no rocks, wow what was I thinking?? I was down here with my girlfriend and when it happened she was sitting with her back to me reading a book way up on the beach. ha ha I was screaming and she didn't hear me. Some other people further up than her told me later they saw me get knocked down initially and thought I was ok. Then when it happened again and I started getting dragged, they stood up. Again I was a cartoon character with my fingernails dragging in the sand- the undertow was strong. What happened was I was walkin around the rocks to see, then I saw the wave coming and thought i don't know whats on the other side so I'll just press against the rock, let the water hit me, then keep going, HA HA HA HA The water ripped me off that rock like I was tissue paper, first bloody scrape to the knew, then banged onto a smaller rock, scrape scrape, then I tried to stand up and go up, but the next wave just banged me again, somewhere in there I  broke my toe, but realized to crawl sideways away from the rocks. You know there's a moment in the waves, every so often when it quiets just for a moment, no wave...I don;t know how many seconds it was but I crawled so when the next one hit I was not thrown into a rock but pushed up the beach. By then those people were halfway to me...hmmmm would I have been saved??

Then as I stumbled up the beach I was crying; Veronica still hadn't turned around, the lady with those people got to me, and I had wiped my face after touching my legs so I smeared blood all over my face ha ha so she was pretty scared too. Anyway 2 years later I have a small scar on my knee and my toe is always sore, the one next to the big toe so it's pretty protected ya know? But I respect the sea. I understand the power of water. I love to sit and watch the waves hit the rocks on my beach. The tides
are amazing, the water is different every day. I love it and am so grateful to be living next to it and with it!