Mountain High

Yesterday we took a drive to Monterrey - through the mountains. It was beautiful! We wove up and down the curvy roads, through valleys, over ridges, and on top of the mountains. In some places, the road was very narrow, allowing only one car at a time. There were huge potholes, small bridges, and tight turns. We drove through towns and villages and past waterfalls. Here's some pics:

We have not seen this much green since we moved to Mexico! Beautiful.

I like taking pictures of these yellow diamond signs for some reason - some of you know about this strange desire. Anyway, this sign was not an understatement on this road.

Apparently, this truck driver does not share my interest in yellow diamond signs. Perhaps going a little too fast around that turn?

There really were cows on the road, but I never got a good shot.

A very common sight in Mexico. And so dangerous. Often a one-car accident results in multiple deaths because of the number of people riding in the backs of pick-up trucks.

We stopped to check out this waterfall. This little swimming area caused quite a traffic jam.

A lot of people were climbing up the slippery rocks.

Yes, another yellow diamond. This one was frightening, considering the number of steep cliffs with loose rock. Not to mention, they do not reinforce the embankments.

When we got back in the car after checking out the waterfall, I noticed that one of the front tires was extremely flat. Thank goodness, there was a good spare in the trunk.

Think it's time for new tires?! These are literally ripping apart. There were three spots like this one in the tire.

At least I had a nice view while Michael, and our friend Kyle Jansen, fixed the tire. Kyle is here for about a week from Innotec Zeeland. I worked with him during my JVP days at Ventura. In this picture, you can see a little yellow spot in the mountains. It's one of many butterflies fluttering around. Some were brilliant colors, but I had a hard time getting a good picture.

We stopped at this popular waterfall, as well. Cascada Cola de Caballo means "Horsetail Waterfall" in English.

A horse, of course.

It started to rain hard while we were visiting the waterfall, but the sun never stopped shining. It felt refreshing.

Beautiful - it does sort of look like a horsetail.

The road through the mountains ended and we were in the middle of busy downtown Monterrey. So close to where we just were, but it felt like worlds away.

Growing Up

Thought I'd post a few pictures of two of our youngest animals - our puppy, Rita, and our kitten, Noche. They've grown quite a bit since I last posted pictures.

BEFORE - Rita struggled to eat out of the bucket.

NOW - Not struggling so much. Apparently, she has no problem reaching the food - look how big she is getting!

BEFORE

NOW

She loves the camera!

BEFORE - Little Noche sitting on the sofa.

NOW - Look how much he has changed.
This picture is a little bleary - but it's more appropriate than the following images. Really? I take the camera out and you decided to do THAT?

Showers

The past couple days have been a bit cooler here. It's refreshing to drink a cup of coffee without breaking a sweat. Yesterday another storm rolled through. The storms come quickly here. I hear a low rumble in the distance, and in a matter of minutes, the rain swoops in along with sudden gusts of wind. Before I know it, my curtains are blowing wildly, knocking Tupperware off the counter top onto the floor. Rain sprays inside the house as I quickly close windows - but not all the way because I love the sound of thunder and rain falling on pavement.

On Sunday around 6 pm, a storm brought a torrential downpour. When it rains here, water accumulates everywhere. The ground is too dry and hard to absorb it and the drainage system is nearly non-existent, causing roads to be flooded. We were planning to go to the market in Arteaga, and decided to head out despite the rain. By the time we reached the market, the storm had subsided and the sun even came out. It's amazing how quickly storms form and fall apart.

Rain water splashing over our car from the flooded roads

The water rushes by like a river because the drainage system is not very good

We bought a large chicharron (pork rind) from Pedro - who owns a restaurant near the market

After the storm

Yesterday, we once again had problems with our power. Flipping the breaker switch has become a common part of my daily routine. When the electric goes out, it also causes the water to go off. Which is mainly a problem when I'm in the shower. I have come to appreciate taking showers in Michigan. I usually get hot water - which is a rare thing here, since the pilot blows out everyday. I don't have to check for large spiders or gigantic moths. I have water pressure and don't have to struggle to find a tiny stream of water strong enough to rinse the soap out of my hair. And most importantly, I don't worry that the water will shut off without notice. This is the most annoying aspect of showers in Mexico. Of course, it usually happens when I conveniently have large amounts shampoo lathered in my hair. As I lean my head back to rinse it out, the water stops. It's like some cruel joke. The first time this happened, I nearly burst into tears. It was a cold day. I was wet. I had an enormous amount of shampoo in my hair, and running down my back. So I grabbed my towel, ran down the hall, slid across the marble floor - which was now doused with water and shampoo making the surface much like a skating rink. The cat found this to be a wildly entertaining new game and began to chase me, swiping at my towel with his front claws, missing, and scratching my leg. When I reached the other end of the house and switched the breaker, it turned on, then off. On, off. On, off. That's when the tears came. Finally, after a few more desperate attempts, the electricity clicked back on and I hurriedly rinsed off, appalled at what just happened.

Yesterday, I flipped the breaker and nothing happened. Everything was dead. No electricity and no water for most of the afternoon. I spent the rest of the day reading. The electricity is back today - so far. The water, too. However, I have yet to take a shower because I'm terrified the water will go off for good and I'll be stuck with soap in my hair.

Go Fly a Kite

On Friday at 5:30 am, Michael and I left for South Padre Island in Texas with our friend, Steve Grant. Michael recently adopted a new sport - kite boarding. South Padre has a nice bay with a lot of wind and calm waters. The bay is very shallow - you can walk a long way out before it gets deep. I hear it only gets to about 4-feet deep.

We got to the island around 11 am. Michael and Steve set up their kites and I took a lot of pictures. Michael is still learning how to get up on the board. He was able to stand up quite a few times. He did crash his kite hard on the first day and ripped it. So he bought another one. This one is bigger and he found it easier to get out of the water and up on his board.

We camped out on the beach in tents. It was beautiful. The sand was a little hard, which made sleeping a bit uncomfortable. But I love falling asleep to the sound of the ocean. And the stars seemed so much brighter there.

After another day of kite boarding - and me, trying not to fry on the beach - we headed back to Mexico around 6 pm. Here are a few pictures of our trip.

Setting up the kites

Other kite boarders parked on the beach

On the second day, the beach was flooded. We parked where this kite boarder is standing on the first day

Steve flying his kite in the sunset

The next few pictures are of Steve - he started kite boarding in December. He's getting really good!

Michael preparing to get on his board - keep that kite in the air!

Oops - a lot of crashes happen when you're learning!

Face plant in the salt water

That's better!

Looking good

The wind took Michael far into the bay. Good thing it's shallow so he could walk back to shore.

I started to get a little bored so I started taking lots of pictures. Here's a little hermit crab I found in the water.

Then I found a bigger hermit crab and put the smaller one inside. It wasn't as exciting as I anticipated.

My shadow

I found a pair of bird prints, then walked by them. Hey, I was entertaining myself.

The ocean in the morning - beautiful. I love taking walks along the shore, looking for seashells.

Michael showed me how to fly his practice kite. Not as easy as it looks. I crashed it a few times.

It was fun, though. Maybe someday I'll try it in the water.

Put your arms up to get the kite above you - out of the power zone.

Here's our campsite on the beach. We just drove our car until we found a secluded spot.

Footprints in the sand

Walking out in the shallow - and very warm - water

Walking on water?

I played around with these images

Another beautiful sunset on the island