It rained ALL DAY yesterday. Not a heavy gully washer, but steady. Maybe 10 cm. about 5 -6 inches.
Just when you thought it couldn't get greener or wetter or any more steamy, it is all of the above.
2 days to go, October !!! We can anticipate rain thru the 1st week or 10 days, until the "official " end of the rainy season. Gracias a Dios. It's been a particularly hard one.
One of our neighbours is recovering from Dengee, a young man about 14 years old. He is up and about now, but he looks like he got hit by a steam roller. He's going to be fine, and already is looking better, but
he'll remember this summer for the rest of his life.
I'm quite certain I had Dengee a couple of Septembers ago. 10 days no food, just water, splitting head ache behind my eyes, bones feel as if they are fire. Can't sit up, stand up, walk. Very very bad.
I never did go to the doctor, so I don't know if I had it or not.
Another neighbour had it just before me, she was tested, and then i got the same sickness.
I'm told it would show up in a blood test.
I have also had the Yelapa Baptism, Scorpion Sting Experience also in September .
First time I got stung twice, on my fingers and right hip, second time on my eye lid ! two days before
my birthday, in January.
It was already half drowned on my face cloth, but still.
That was also the day Lily had to go to the Vet for her abortion.
Another neighbour, Jaime helped me get her there.
Gracia a Dios.
So long September....and Happy Birthday Beautiful Cate ...
I'll keep learning how this Blog works. I'd like to have different sections for different content, pictures
maybe, and a place for feedback and comments.
Pretty high exposure, but it's time to walk thru the dark curtain, jump in with both feet, go for it .....
My Poetry is my main focus, and want to have both books available for purchase in the next few weeks.
Still some work to do on them, after all this time, but I'm almost on the other side.
In the meantime I will keep posting little tid bits of Yelapa life, as I see it, for those of you who would like
a little taste of your home away from home.
And for my family and friends to get a better sense of this Alternative Lifestyle, and what we mean when we say " Gourmet Camping"
much muchness says the Mad Hatter ...
k
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Thursday, September 27, 2012
September Evening
No power yesterday. Hell of a storm around 5 pm, heavy winds, thunder & lightening up the mountain.
Cooking Fresh Tuna in the dark, just like the good old days ....
Downton Abbey on the computor with battery charge, so it isn't all that bad, except no fan.
The rain cools us off real good, but it doesn't take long to get back up to muggy and steamy.
Somehow the power came back on around 2 am,are they really up there in the Jungle in the middle of the night ?? I guess so, Himito does it all the time !!!
The ocean is brown, no relief there. If it doesn't rain for a few days it can clean itself up pretty good, but
with rain everyday, you don't want to get in ....trees, branches and all, logs, and dirt , coconuts floating around like little heads bobbing around. Whatever falls or gets thrown in the Canyon, will make it's way to the ocean, eventually. Unleass you have people like Jim & Rich cleaning out the creek by Casa Vieja, one
year they collected 70 bags !! Rich is gone, and now Jim pays Jose to clean it up once a week.
There is less and less garbage every year, a very good sign. It also has made a huge difference once we got weekley garbage pick up.
Every Thursday at 7 am, we all haul our garbage to the pier, to be brought over to Boca. It's quite the Social Scene ...wheelbarrows, dogs, kids, men & women ....some days the boat is full to the brim, and how
they keep all those bags on board is beyond me . Sometimes one falls off the front, but not very often,
thankfully.
Poor Jose has been fighting an infection in his leg recently, so not able to work. His wife explained to me it's something that will heal itself at home, with bed rest and keeping it elevated, the Cure All Lime, and frog juice; Live Frog Juice!!
Get a live frog from the creek, wash it off good, then rub it over the infected area .... once a day !!
It seems you will need a new frog every day, since after the treatment, the frog will take a hop or two
then drop dead !! Fortunately, we have no shortage of frogs ....unless Jose needs them all !
Count down to October. It is so quiet here, it can get deafing. Everyine is hot, tired and ready to put
some clothes back on. We are ready to dry out our lives !!
Slowly the part timers will start to arrive. Already many have their return dates and calling us for wish lists from Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc. At this point it seems i crave very little from the North, making my
home here and adapting pretty good. I always want the Toms toothpaste though ( not Cinamon ) and
i miss the Saturday Globe & Mail , N.Y Times comes in second best.
I'm going to get working on a poem about October, the anticipation of feeling normal again.
Truly, at times it's so hot and humid for so many days, it's hard to feel normal, and you can tell by the looks
on the faces of the people passing by, they're not feeling normal either !!
But, soon, very very soon, we will be enjoying warm sunny days, swimming in the ocean, soft blankets on the bed, and all the men will have put their shirts back on !!
Cooking Fresh Tuna in the dark, just like the good old days ....
Downton Abbey on the computor with battery charge, so it isn't all that bad, except no fan.
The rain cools us off real good, but it doesn't take long to get back up to muggy and steamy.
Somehow the power came back on around 2 am,are they really up there in the Jungle in the middle of the night ?? I guess so, Himito does it all the time !!!
The ocean is brown, no relief there. If it doesn't rain for a few days it can clean itself up pretty good, but
with rain everyday, you don't want to get in ....trees, branches and all, logs, and dirt , coconuts floating around like little heads bobbing around. Whatever falls or gets thrown in the Canyon, will make it's way to the ocean, eventually. Unleass you have people like Jim & Rich cleaning out the creek by Casa Vieja, one
year they collected 70 bags !! Rich is gone, and now Jim pays Jose to clean it up once a week.
There is less and less garbage every year, a very good sign. It also has made a huge difference once we got weekley garbage pick up.
Every Thursday at 7 am, we all haul our garbage to the pier, to be brought over to Boca. It's quite the Social Scene ...wheelbarrows, dogs, kids, men & women ....some days the boat is full to the brim, and how
they keep all those bags on board is beyond me . Sometimes one falls off the front, but not very often,
thankfully.
Poor Jose has been fighting an infection in his leg recently, so not able to work. His wife explained to me it's something that will heal itself at home, with bed rest and keeping it elevated, the Cure All Lime, and frog juice; Live Frog Juice!!
Get a live frog from the creek, wash it off good, then rub it over the infected area .... once a day !!
It seems you will need a new frog every day, since after the treatment, the frog will take a hop or two
then drop dead !! Fortunately, we have no shortage of frogs ....unless Jose needs them all !
Count down to October. It is so quiet here, it can get deafing. Everyine is hot, tired and ready to put
some clothes back on. We are ready to dry out our lives !!
Slowly the part timers will start to arrive. Already many have their return dates and calling us for wish lists from Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc. At this point it seems i crave very little from the North, making my
home here and adapting pretty good. I always want the Toms toothpaste though ( not Cinamon ) and
i miss the Saturday Globe & Mail , N.Y Times comes in second best.
I'm going to get working on a poem about October, the anticipation of feeling normal again.
Truly, at times it's so hot and humid for so many days, it's hard to feel normal, and you can tell by the looks
on the faces of the people passing by, they're not feeling normal either !!
But, soon, very very soon, we will be enjoying warm sunny days, swimming in the ocean, soft blankets on the bed, and all the men will have put their shirts back on !!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
September Morning
No water in the Tank this morning ! Climb the hill in my pj's and Crocks to change to the old, cement tank we hold in reserve. Sometimes, this time of year can be just as tricky as the dry season..... pipes get blocked with sand , black plastic lines get broken from falling rocks, or fast growing roots and vines .
It's a very dangerous operation, climbing up to the waterfall and beyond to repair water lines. We have a man on the job, paid yearly to maintain the line, now I just have to find him !!
Village life is returning to normal, slowly, after the most recent tragedy. It's been 3 weeks since young Hugo died, and the pain and shock begin to lift.
The resiliency in this Community is amazing.
This small village is so interwoven , you are never alone in your pain or your joy. Parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. This connection must provide such a grounding experience growing up, so many examples of strength and courage and will to live on.
Two days, no rain. The black clouds are forming up river, and the air is thick and wet; you could slice it.
Days like this it feels like 8:00 am, even if it's noon ... the bay is flat, and steel, the jungle so green it permeates, the air still , but not for long .....rain is on the way, but how long will we have to wait ??
Everything gets packed up at the first sound of thunder, the start of the rain. Computor, printer, cd / ipod player. The wind can blow the rain into the house from any direction, the roof could spring a leak,
the electricity could surge, you jusr never know and have to be prepared.
From my Palapa I'll watch the fisherman bail out their boats. Many times they are out there in the pouring rain, in thunder and lightening storms, trying to keep their boats from sinking, They just can't wait till the
storm is over, or they'll be fishing for the boats instead of Tuna !
Already this year, a large sailboat came off it's mooring, and crashed into the rocks below Garcia Rentals.
Sad, but not unusual around here. The boat that crashed in Boca a few years ago has finally been washed out to sea. I hope we don't have to wait that long for this boat to disappear.
I have yet to get over to visit all the amaxing women living on the other side of the river. I haven't heard but i wouldn't be surprised if Patricia, and The Oasis got flooded, again this year. Last month the Lagoon looked larger to me than I can ever remember...but I'm sure Patricia & Valentine have seen worse.....
Ahhh .. Thunder begins ... The weather watchers tell me we have a Tropical Storm coming our way, but
predicted to go up and away.
Well, I won't fool with Mother Nature.
I will sign off so i can prepare for what may come at us today.
k
It's a very dangerous operation, climbing up to the waterfall and beyond to repair water lines. We have a man on the job, paid yearly to maintain the line, now I just have to find him !!
Village life is returning to normal, slowly, after the most recent tragedy. It's been 3 weeks since young Hugo died, and the pain and shock begin to lift.
The resiliency in this Community is amazing.
This small village is so interwoven , you are never alone in your pain or your joy. Parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles. This connection must provide such a grounding experience growing up, so many examples of strength and courage and will to live on.
Two days, no rain. The black clouds are forming up river, and the air is thick and wet; you could slice it.
Days like this it feels like 8:00 am, even if it's noon ... the bay is flat, and steel, the jungle so green it permeates, the air still , but not for long .....rain is on the way, but how long will we have to wait ??
Everything gets packed up at the first sound of thunder, the start of the rain. Computor, printer, cd / ipod player. The wind can blow the rain into the house from any direction, the roof could spring a leak,
the electricity could surge, you jusr never know and have to be prepared.
From my Palapa I'll watch the fisherman bail out their boats. Many times they are out there in the pouring rain, in thunder and lightening storms, trying to keep their boats from sinking, They just can't wait till the
storm is over, or they'll be fishing for the boats instead of Tuna !
Already this year, a large sailboat came off it's mooring, and crashed into the rocks below Garcia Rentals.
Sad, but not unusual around here. The boat that crashed in Boca a few years ago has finally been washed out to sea. I hope we don't have to wait that long for this boat to disappear.
I have yet to get over to visit all the amaxing women living on the other side of the river. I haven't heard but i wouldn't be surprised if Patricia, and The Oasis got flooded, again this year. Last month the Lagoon looked larger to me than I can ever remember...but I'm sure Patricia & Valentine have seen worse.....
Ahhh .. Thunder begins ... The weather watchers tell me we have a Tropical Storm coming our way, but
predicted to go up and away.
Well, I won't fool with Mother Nature.
I will sign off so i can prepare for what may come at us today.
k
Monday, September 24, 2012
poem : yelapa creatures
yelapa creatures
scorpions spiders mosquitos bats
gekos lizards skunks and rats
crickets singing giant bees
roosters sleeping in the trees
land crabs termites scrawny cats
donkeys horses and their craps
badgers squirrels little weasels
mice and ticks large flyinfg beetles
armadillos lots of frogs
cows and bulls and barking dogs
butterflies and fireflies
dragonflies and fleas
ants of all description
are everywhere they please
burning garbage burning gas
sure hope this trip is not my last
poem : hot august night
hot august nights
the ground rumbles
under my bed
true grit heading my way
down the canyon
bones and rocks shrink
in anticipation
earthquakes split the sky
snap me open
like a beverly adjustment
munchkins climb my spine
one thousand
two thousand
white blue yellow green
flashing zapping bolts
short circut my world
leaves me breathless
deaf
and blind in one eye
Sunday, September 23, 2012
wet + hot = steamy
and off we go ....
By this time of the year, ALL of us are in a holding pattern, of hot and wet, and steamy ...
Wanting and needing as much rain as possible, in these last weeks of summer, and yet, we ALL
have had enough.
The smell.
Dirty wet dog, rolled in dirt and mud, with a mixture of caca, and rotten fish guts thrown in.
It doesn't smell like that all the time of course.
Most of the time, especially after a good " gully washer " it's so rich and green, you can smell deep into the earth, and she smells sweet.
Light, Texture, Smell ....
It all makes me feel very awake, grounded, connected to the cycle of life and death and life.
The beauty in the moment. The moments are the journey.
To live so close with Mother Nature, hummingbirds come face to face with you at breakfast.
The sea is calmer, this time of year. Like glass most of the time. The Water Taxi rides are exquisite,
as long as you don't get caught in the rain.
You can see it sometimes, a black curtin pulled from the sky, heading right towards you, or you
towards it. A 3 minute downpour and we're thru it, .... or not ....
You can hear it too. Coming down river, like a wave. It can take a while, but it gets closer and closer,
louder and louder. Dash around to move furniture, cover /unplug electronics, clothes off the line,
hurry, hurry , because , here it comes.
It is so loud, sometimes you can't hear yourself think. Really.
You have to stop thinking, and just sit back and love the rain.
Without it we would never cool off !!
I can watch the Banana Tress in the yard grow, maybe 6 inches a day.
The Bouganvilla, about the same.
Take cuttings and just stick them in the dirt to grow. Pull weeds by the roots as easy as carrots.
Now is the time for planting. The ground is soft and welcoming and almost anything will grow ....
The dampness begins to get on my nerves. Everyday another blouse or dress or bolsa to clean.
Nothing will be dry again until mid October. Luckily, clothes are a minimal requirement, so many are
still packed away, like blankets and curtins and extra accessories.
Summer living made simple.
I used to put all the books in plastic zip lock bags, but i don't anymore. Now that I'm here full time I just
check them once in a while for termites, and mold.
Fans .... How did they do it without them .... Most days, especially now, we all stick close to the fans.
The locals will burn the large cardboard egg cartons to keep the bugs away.
Unlike the dry season with so few bugs, they make up for it now.
Sometimes forced to go to bed shortly after dark, safe in the net with the lights off.
Termites swarm, Fireflies, look like candles flickering in the yard.
Beetles who crash themselves into the light until they finally collapse, on their backs, and wiggle around till they die, which can take a very long time.
The land crabs, who come early in the summer, by the hundreds, just after the first rains.
They are my favorite, except when they climb into the Palapa. I really hate that, hearing the Crabs fussing around in the roof. I can usually spot them, and we battle it out with the broom, and I usually win.
Poor crab hobling off with a missing claw or two. They seem to get on just fine like that .
There's more, and more, but for now I'll take a break and post a poem and hopefully a photo...
much muchness !
k
By this time of the year, ALL of us are in a holding pattern, of hot and wet, and steamy ...
Wanting and needing as much rain as possible, in these last weeks of summer, and yet, we ALL
have had enough.
The smell.
Dirty wet dog, rolled in dirt and mud, with a mixture of caca, and rotten fish guts thrown in.
It doesn't smell like that all the time of course.
Most of the time, especially after a good " gully washer " it's so rich and green, you can smell deep into the earth, and she smells sweet.
Light, Texture, Smell ....
It all makes me feel very awake, grounded, connected to the cycle of life and death and life.
The beauty in the moment. The moments are the journey.
To live so close with Mother Nature, hummingbirds come face to face with you at breakfast.
The sea is calmer, this time of year. Like glass most of the time. The Water Taxi rides are exquisite,
as long as you don't get caught in the rain.
You can see it sometimes, a black curtin pulled from the sky, heading right towards you, or you
towards it. A 3 minute downpour and we're thru it, .... or not ....
You can hear it too. Coming down river, like a wave. It can take a while, but it gets closer and closer,
louder and louder. Dash around to move furniture, cover /unplug electronics, clothes off the line,
hurry, hurry , because , here it comes.
It is so loud, sometimes you can't hear yourself think. Really.
You have to stop thinking, and just sit back and love the rain.
Without it we would never cool off !!
I can watch the Banana Tress in the yard grow, maybe 6 inches a day.
The Bouganvilla, about the same.
Take cuttings and just stick them in the dirt to grow. Pull weeds by the roots as easy as carrots.
Now is the time for planting. The ground is soft and welcoming and almost anything will grow ....
The dampness begins to get on my nerves. Everyday another blouse or dress or bolsa to clean.
Nothing will be dry again until mid October. Luckily, clothes are a minimal requirement, so many are
still packed away, like blankets and curtins and extra accessories.
Summer living made simple.
I used to put all the books in plastic zip lock bags, but i don't anymore. Now that I'm here full time I just
check them once in a while for termites, and mold.
Fans .... How did they do it without them .... Most days, especially now, we all stick close to the fans.
The locals will burn the large cardboard egg cartons to keep the bugs away.
Unlike the dry season with so few bugs, they make up for it now.
Sometimes forced to go to bed shortly after dark, safe in the net with the lights off.
Termites swarm, Fireflies, look like candles flickering in the yard.
Beetles who crash themselves into the light until they finally collapse, on their backs, and wiggle around till they die, which can take a very long time.
The land crabs, who come early in the summer, by the hundreds, just after the first rains.
They are my favorite, except when they climb into the Palapa. I really hate that, hearing the Crabs fussing around in the roof. I can usually spot them, and we battle it out with the broom, and I usually win.
Poor crab hobling off with a missing claw or two. They seem to get on just fine like that .
There's more, and more, but for now I'll take a break and post a poem and hopefully a photo...
much muchness !
k
Introduction
This is the beginning, but it sure took a long time to get here .
I have been writing since i was a young girl, but it was only when i reached my 40's , when the fear of rejection and the need for approval became less of an obstacle in reaching out, and sharing my poems and stories.
Yelapa was a big inspitation to get me moving in that direction. So rich and diverse and unique.
My intention is to blogger !! every Monday Afternoon ....
I'll share my experiences of living in a Palapa in Yelapa, stories of village life, and community.
I will also be posting some of the poems, from both of my Poem Books, as well as new poems,
and stories, new and old.
I am excited to be starting. I hope everything works out as I imagine.
I will be setting up a gmail account to receive comments, and feedback.
Vamos a ver ...
kelley
I have been writing since i was a young girl, but it was only when i reached my 40's , when the fear of rejection and the need for approval became less of an obstacle in reaching out, and sharing my poems and stories.
Yelapa was a big inspitation to get me moving in that direction. So rich and diverse and unique.
My intention is to blogger !! every Monday Afternoon ....
I'll share my experiences of living in a Palapa in Yelapa, stories of village life, and community.
I will also be posting some of the poems, from both of my Poem Books, as well as new poems,
and stories, new and old.
I am excited to be starting. I hope everything works out as I imagine.
I will be setting up a gmail account to receive comments, and feedback.
Vamos a ver ...
kelley
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