January gone...

Somehow the month slipped away with no more posting. A lot going on, some relaxing, some fun, but I’ll start with a work report.
Have now built all our kitchen cabinets, adding three more over the stove. They each have recessed lighting under their lower lips.
And I built drawers, two banks of drawers, one on each side of the sink. This was the first time I had ever done drawers. Had to learn how they all went together. Only three of the seven drawers are cutlery-sized, the other four are quite large, so I went with heavy duty all-metal sliders. And I learned how they had to be built within tight tolerances for the slides to work -- like within a 1/16 of an inch side to side.  With a lot of measuring, and a little shimming, they work!
We're not done yet, as we haven’t designed / chosen / built or ordered to be built the cabinet doors and drawer fronts. We have spoken to a local cabinet maker (Marcos, the guy who last year built and installed our doors). I’m sure he would give it a dandy final look, but somehow I am reluctant to give up, having brought the project this far myself.

But no parkas...

For our recent visitors, my sister and her husband from Alberta, the weather was just right. They were more afraid of it being TOO hot. So the sub-60F (15C) mornings were fine for them. They are not drawn into the water either, though we did find one lovely afternoon for a stroll and a brief dip into the sea along Yan Ten.  And it was good weather for sight-seeing without getting wilted.
Even on 5th Ave, most people were in jackets.
They chose two major outings - a day at Xcaret, and a bus tour to Chichen Itza.
Xcaret is just a couple kilometers from Paamul, so we dropped them off and they took a taxi home. They loved it, lots to see, lots to read about, lots to eat ( they indulged a bit at the buffet, and while they are small eaters, they sampled almost everything). The highlight for them, as it was for us last year, was the evening show. It is a two hour musical extravaganza with a cast of hundreds depicting the whole history of the country and its culture.
The bus tour to Chichen Itza worked out well too. I dropped them off at a pickup point in Playacar at 8:20 and they rode in a big comfortable bus. The price included an entertaining commentary along the ride, a stop for a buffet lunch, with some dance entertainment, guided tour of the famous Mayan ruin, and a stop at a cenote on the way back. Return to Playa was about 7:30.
Just in time for a late dinner at one of our favorite Mexican eateries, El Fogon.

Winter, here too...

In the two weeks since I wrote about perfect weather, the cold that has been drifting down the Atlantic coast reached us and settled in for a spell. We were in long pants and sweaters for days on end. When the sun was out, we went for walks, or moved our chairs out into the yard and absorbed the rays.
It was reassuring some to know that we were not alone in this, that we were not singled out for this chill.
From last week’s news:
“...travelers emerging from Miami airport were hit with 2.2C temperatures, beating an 82-year-old record on the 10th consecutive day of startling lows in South Florida.”
And in other parts of Mexico -
“The state-run National Meteorology Service (SMN) has forecast that temperatures would be as low as minus 8 degrees Celsius in the northern states of Durango and Chihuahua....Freezing weather has killed at least 22 people across the nation since last week, including deaths caused by hypothermia and gas poisoning.”

Have some madera... (my dear)

I am building more cabinets, and thought I would add some more detail of our local supply of wood/ lumber (in Spanish: MADERA).

There are at least a half dozen lumber marts in Playa. Each one has a variety of dimension lumber and plywood -- each with slightly different variety and qualities. I think the prices are comparable to those up north. Following are some examples:  (I’ve converted to Canadian dollars, for US discount another 5%)
Dimension lumber: Mexican lumber seem amazing for their quality and variety. I remember looking through piles of lumber in Canadian lumber stores to find anything that was straight and not full of knots.
In these madera stores, the main lumber supply is pino (Mexican pine). Their “prime” quality in very clear, with very few if any knots.
The boards start out coarsely cut to full dimension. ie, a 1x6 is fully 1” x 6”. They are then run through two planers -- the first to straighten any irregularities along the edges, then through a planer to smooth the flat sides. Then, if you buy a board, they will run it through a table saw to any width or variety of widths. Today, I bought a 1x6, and had it cut down to 4 narrow pieces, of different widths - more trim pieces for more cabinets. All the planing and cutting is included in the price of the lumber.
These prime dimension lumber boards seem to all come about 8 1/4 feet. 1x6 $4.75; 1x10 $7.20; 2x4 $5.20; 2x6 $9.60.

Plywood: There are at least as many choices in plywood with construction grades and fine finishes as I remember from our Canadian lumber stores.
(plywood comes in 4’ x 8’ but are in mm thicknesses just like Canada)  These are good G1S sanded paint grade.
6mm $14.80; 12mm $22.40; 15mm $25.15; 18mm $32.80

Did you want to know all this?
Some wood I guess. Others woodn’t.

Some like it Hot.

What makes perfect winter weather? This past week and the beginning of this new year the days and nights have been great. The days drift into the low 80’s (27+C) and the nights dip into the high 60’s (20C). We have been sleeping in the loft and with a light breeze, it is like sleeping on a cloud. This morning it was 68F and it felt cool. I remember when 68 / 20C was promoted as an ideal room temp. Not warm enough for me.
Yeah, temperature is quite subjective, but very real.
I grew up on a small farm on the Canadian prairies. Up to my teenage years, in the winter we got to town with horses. Even when snowplows cleared the roads, and block heaters helped get the cars running, winter existence was dealing with the cold. Though I came from hardy nordic stock on both sides of my family, I have often wondered what happened to me. I have never liked the cold.
A couple of years ago, I was speculating with Susan about our future and how we might find somewhere nice to settle, like in a winterized cabin on a lake in Southern Ontario. Near enough to a town for our essentials, etc. Susan’s response was clear. “I’m not living through winter in Canada.” Perfect answer. Now we live the winters in Mexico, how great.

My Top Ten of 2009

As this is a season of lists of Highlights, Best of’s, I have compiled this list of memorable events for the last 12 months. In no particular order:

• Snorkeling in the Caribbean, beautiful water, pretty fish, turtles, coral -- saw my first squids this week. Yes, squids are pretty in the water.
• Palapa Life: We have gone from being homeless (home-free) to building a new home from scratch out here on the edge of the continent. (For more step-by-step detail than you may ever want to know, go back through the archive of this blog) This leads to:
• Sharing our palapa life -- Now that we have a Mexican home we can have visitors. Last winter, Glen’s sister Gail and Walter, our daughter Juliet, Gerald and Martina; and already this fall, Cathie and Howard, and Susan’s brother Rob and Cheryl.
• Managing to stay active - Playing tennis and biking with friends in Guelph, On. Our team, Rockwood 1, won the inter rural league for the season. Also playing tennis and volleyball with friends in Paamul. I am a late bloomer in volleyball but am determined to master the “bump”.
• Roger Federer - won the French Open (career Grand Slam), won Wimbledon (most Grand Slam singles titles ever), regained #1 ranking. I am a fan, Roger is my man, and this is my list.
• Health (getting older): Susan had both eyes “done” (cataracts) We both got new glasses and see the world much better. On the less positive, in the work up to the surgery, Susan was diagnosed with type II diabetes. She has become a model patient in her dietary regime, as well as her exercise, biking and swimming. She is looking great, her numbers are good, but suffers from arthritis too.
• Getting together with the Myrfield clan (my mom’s side) for a reunion at Sproat Lake BC. About 70 uncles, cousins and young’uns spent a lovely weekend catching up and re-bonding. It was especially inspiring to be with our family elder, (eldest) Uncle Willard, still going strong. Thanks to Lyle and Cheryl and all who did so much work.
While out west, we spent some time with Susan’s family and her mom, now 95 and slowing down.
• Anniversary: 30 years with Susan. We passed 3 decades of making our life together. Mmnnn, good.
• Anniversary 2: Also for me: 20 years without alcohol. Been there, done that, struggled, gave it up. This is better.
• The birth of our first Grandchild, Amelia. We were delighted to be on hand at the hospital in Toronto to welcome her, August 29. We had many visits before our fall departure and a few on skype during the winter. Can’t wait for spring to see them all again.

Holiday Spirit

This morning the temp was in the 60’s (high 60’s) and with a breeze I distinctly felt something like wind chill. So I have been in long pants the whole day.
While I worked on getting more lighting up around the place, Susan cheerily put up our tree. Yes it came out of a box (the box said 6 feet), but it was the first “tree” larger than the 6 inch miniatures we have enjoyed inside the RV for the last six years.
We ran extension speakers from the tv out into the palapa and have been listening to Channel 940 - Traditional Seasonal music all afternoon.
Now where do I set up a chimney for Santa?

Tinker, Tailor, Cabinet Maker

I have always tinkered, even tailored a bit, but this was the first time I set about to build kitchen cabinets.
Once again, the tres amigos were in action with ideas and support. Dale was way ahead, having taken measurements home to BC and in his fully equipped shop, prebuilt some upper sections and had them installed quickly. Dale also brought down a little table saw which we installed behind Bob and Dot’s. While I was busy for a week or two with my “sticks” project, Bob launched in to fabricating shelves and drawers for their lower cabinets. I managed to get some lower shelves installed and we have added a temporary store bought drawer unit.
But the upper cabinets beckoned and along with Bob we had "shop class" for several days. We had fun consulting and comparing our styles and plans. And commenting, encouraging and adapting our work as it went along.
My project will not make it into the pages of Fine Woodworking, unlike Susan’s brother, Richard’s work. However I am pleased with the results made with my little cordless Ryobi skil saw and drill set.
With 3 upper units painted in two colours and installed, it is still a work in progress, but we have most of the plates, bowls, mugs and glasses on display. Still not sure about doors.

Getting old together.

I turned 63 my last birthday. Pippin has just turned 9. So if we apply the commonly used multiplier of dog years = 7 human years, we are the same age. However, he is a shih tzu, and like many small breeds, may likely live many more years than typical big dogs.
Certainly he seems young, but is older and wiser too. We have finally gotten him to be a “home” dog. When we go out walking, he is not a natural heeler. Instead, he wants to explore in all directions. When we travel, we keep him on short or long leashes. This winter, we gave up on the leash and he is accepting his place sitting on the doormat and watching the world go by. He has developed quite a vocabulary for expressing his needs and I am happy to take him for walks when asks.
He also has specific words for, “its time to feed me”, “my water bowl is empty”, “can I come too?”, and when we do leave him and then return, we are greeted by a long chorus of, “where have you been and why were you gone so long?” followed by the best expression ever, mostly in body language, “I’m so glad to see you, and everything is wonderful!”
Yes, we are a little dotty. And everything reminds us of our dog. On the way into Playa a couple of days ago, I shot this cloud through the windshield. It IS the spirit of Pippin.

More converts.

We have just had our first guests of the season. Susan’s brother Rob and his wife Cheryl were here for 12 days. It was their first trip outside of Canada and the US. They went quite native in a short time. Cheryl turned golden brown and Rob sort of mahogany.
It has been glorious weather, if a little warm. They slept in the newly set up guest loft under a net with a fan. Of course, the beach and the Caribbean were enjoyed virtually every day. A couple of times they went for a second, late afternoon cooling dip. Rob and Susan are of the water baby species and would go out for long swims. Cheryl discovered she could float in the salty sea.
We showed them around town and to a couple of our favorite eateries. Of course, tortillas, aracherra and papayas were in regular rotation at our table as well as daily doses of avocado.
They also rented a car for a week, and headed out several places on their own, including a overnight trip to visit three of the main Mayan ruins and a night in the small Mexican city of Valladolid.
The third photo represents a cultural leap. Rob and Cheryl brought back this sea fan from the beach one morning. It was a beauty, and sort of looked like the maple leaf. Since we will be absent during the 2010 Olympics, I am sending this out as a “Go Canada!”

Critters

We have a regular parade of four legged friends through our house and back yard.
The prettiest is this little gray fox, who comes by a couple of times a day. She is usually on her own, but sometimes is joined by the male. She is only the size of a cat, very timid, and when we throw out bread crusts, retreats to the jungle, then trots out and sometimes passes within ten feet of where we are standing, loading up her jaws with two or three pieces and heading back out of sight. We keep Pippin under control and while he is curious, is okay to wait on the palapa step.

The most plentiful are the little geckos, from the smallest, barely an inch to perhaps 5 inches long. They climb about our walls and ceiling and are busy catching flies and bugs. They also chirp quite a bit. One morning, we opened our fridge and found this little guy nestled in our egg tray.

My other favorite are the iguanas. I have photographed many and even have one as my laptop screen saver. I admire their wise, inscrutable expressions. They do look like they have been here for thousands of years, and we are the green horns.
There are a couple dozen iguanas resident on and in the rocks that make up the boat dock down at the beach. Others scavenge around the park. Their only sins are eating flower petals and leaving their poop. They are sometimes tamed by regular feeding, but are wary of dogs. There has been one climbing around our place recently, and when, a couple days ago, he came down the stairs from the loft, Pippin gave pursuit. The little lizard got his windmill legs in motion and was well ahead before we stopped Pippin. P remained on smell alert for several hours. I think it may have been the first creature he has successfully chased away.

Sticks and more sticks.

Giles (pronounced: heelays), are sticks of about 3 to 5 cm thick (+/- 1.5”), 3 to 4 meters long and are sold in bundles of 10 for 95 pesos.

Giles are one of the essential building materials in Mayan style construction. They are part of what makes up the thatched roofs of all palapas, from the smallest beach umbrellas to large meeting halls. After the post and pole framework goes up, a lattice of these sticks are added and on these, the grass is attached.
Giles are also used to make decorative fences and walls.
This is what we have been up to this week. Ever since we built the loft, we have been planning to add a low wall all around it.
I first brought home 3 truckloads, 18 bundles to this point. Then we set up a painting station where Susan has gone through a gallon and a half of varnish. I have been measuring and sorting, then cutting them to length, getting 3 pieces out of each. I’m drilling a small hole in each end and screwing them to the framework around the loft. As the sticks are quite small, I have calculated that the job will take close to 600 pieces, so that will be over a thousand holes drilled and screws driven. At this point I am half way through the install.
It has also been warm and humid with very little breeze. I don’t remember when or when I have sweated so much that it is running into my eyes and dripping off my nose.

The two photos are Susan at the staining, and part of a new 1 meter wall. In the background, you can see the sticks used in the roof construction. So far it looks promisingly great, I think.