Tag Archives: pets

Mar19

Last Sunday Post From Ags

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Last Sunday Post From Ags

It’s crunch time. I’m into my last week here this winter. And it’s the time I like the least. One last taco here, one last churro there, one last lunch with friends, one last walk around the park. I think you get the gist. Even though I am planning on coming back next winter, it gets harder every year to say goodbye to friends and familiar places.

No matter how organized I am, there’s always last minute things to do that can’t be done ahead of time. Like packing. I should be the master of this by now but I’m not. I must admit that the packing cubes help and I’m glad I’m using those now. Years ago I used to leave a suitcase in Mexico but I don’t do that anymore. No heavy books and teaching materials necessary now.

Apparently I am now coming home to seven chihuahuas and a golden retriever. Christina has been telling me for a long time that she wants a golden retriever. And she just got one yesterday that is only eight weeks old. I wonder if the puppy will be at the airport to greet me along with Christina and Danny next Saturday.

I’ve been watching the weather closely this past week. It looks like I’ll be flying over the California snow en route to Sea-Tac from Guadalajara. Hopefully the weather will cooperate between Sea-Tac and Wenatchee and the plane will fly barring any fog or blizzard conditions.

I’ve also been reading the news. Disintegrating Chinese rockets, unauthorized aircraft flying over Canada and the USA, drones being shot down and North Korea preparing for war…………………. no World War 3 next weekend while I’m traveling please. And aggressive passengers please stay off my flights. Too much garbage going on there too.

Friends here are asking me what the first shop I will hit in Washington is. If you’re guessing Bath and Body Works or Victoria’s Secret you’re wrong. Not Marshall’s or Ross or Burlington Coat. Hint and smile…….it’s in Cashmere and it’s not Sure To Rise or Agave Azul either.

Have A Great Sunday!

Feb26

I’m Just A Little On Edge

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I’m Just A Little On Edge

A month from today I’ll be back in East Wenatchee. I’ve warned everyone that they snow better be gone. I don’t expect it to be 85 like it is here, but I don’t want to see any of that white stuff either.

Charlotte arrived in Calgary the other day to -37 and her car buried under snow. Sharon arrived in Portland after a detour to Seattle because there was too much snow in Portland and the runways were a mess. In the news all I read about is the cold and snow up north and as ready as I am to head home, I don’t want to experience another winter up there.

Yesterday was Koal’s birthday. It’s hard to believe he’s been gone for over fourteen years. I would love to have a dog again but it’s bad enough that I deal with three different Immigrations every year and I can’t fathom doing it with an animal. Of course I do have seven chihuahuas waiting for me in Washington lol.

Today is Madeline’s fifth birthday. It seems like yesterday that I flew to Ontario when she was born. As I recall an ice storm greeted me there. Happy Birthday Madeline! Grandma loves you and we’ll party when I come to visit you in Kelowna this summer.

I’ve been on Zoom a lot this week. The Writer’s Workshop was most informative. The bible study I do with Church of the Rock focused on forgiveness this week, very thought provoking.

Of course in person is still better. I’m looking forward to the next SAIL training in April in Wenatchee. I really miss teaching those classes when I’m here in Mexico for the winter. It’s much more enjoyable to be with other people.

I’ve been listening to a lot of country music while I’ve been writing this week, mainly from the 60s and 70s. I alternate between Spotify, You Tube and of course Alexa. That genre seems to go well with the stage of my main character’s life right now. Of course it also inspired me to revamp the chapter I’m working on.

Have A Great Sunday!

Mar20

Why Am I Here?

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Why Am I Here?

I was sitting outside the other day enjoying the warm Washington sunshine and wondering why it is that I’m meant to be here. Have you ever done that? Wondered why you found yourself in a certain place or in a particular situation? I mean, you know how you physically got there, but it’s the why you came to be there that is so totally fascinating.

I vividly remember sitting in a bar one night in Guadalajara with my then boyfriend more than one decade younger, listening to a Mexican band playing music from the British invasion. As a teenager back in the 60s listening to the same music while living in Canada, never in my wildest dreams did I envision myself ever having this experience. It’s now several years later and I still wonder why I was meant to be there at that time, other than the obvious reason that I was teaching ESL in Guadalajara.

Just last month I was in Culiacan with my Mexican family. Although I am not Catholic, I always go to mass with them when I visit. My nine-year-old grandson did a reading and I was so very proud of him. The service was outdoors in the evening and I found myself distracted from the priest’s sermon by the stars twinkling above. It was as though they were smiling down at me and telling me that I was meant to be there and there was no need to even ponder the why.

I’m having great difficulty putting the finishing touches on this post as I have an Australian sheepdog and a cuddly cat vying for my attention. Thank goodness the fish are in their own tank. I wonder why I’m pet sitting in a home along the river in Peshastin, Washington aside from the obvious reasons that my friend needed a pet sitter and I needed somewhere to stay. Six years ago I’d never even heard of Peshastin, Washington.

I guess I’m always going to wonder why I’m meant to be where I am.

And that’s okay.

Because I have complete faith in The One who does know.

Jun25

Nomad Not Now

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Nomad Not Now

I’ve been here in Aguascalientes for 8 months now, with the exception of a few days in Culiacán back in December. I haven’t stayed in one place that long in the past 10 years without traveling on holidays and weekends. The term ” nomad” when describing my lifestyle is apparently no longer appropriate at this time.

COVID-19 has quite effectively grounded me for the time being. I’ll just have to wait and see what transpires. In the meantime there is still new territory to explore right in my barrio.

Pets are different down here in Mexico. They’re not the usual dogs, cats, hamsters, turtles or fish. The other day my neighbor posed for me with his pet rooster.

I was out for a walk the other evening when the clouds began to roll in. I captured this shot of an apartment building. The church I attend occupies the main floor. No elevator and the apartments are on the second to sixth floors.

One of my neighbors sells candy, frozen chocolate bananas and chips. Here is a new colorful sign on their house.

This friendly little one sleeps on the sidewalk or in doorways in an attempt to find shade during the day. Temperatures have been hovering in the 90s for weeks now.

I always enjoy looking at the artwork on buildings around here.

The flowers are blooming everywhere.

This nomad will continue to roam only in Aguascalientes for another month.

Feb25

February 25th

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February 25th

I know exactly what I was doing on February 25th, 1994. It was Koal’s first birthday and I was baking the first of many cakes for him.

The tradition was an uniced confetti cake. Icing was messy and made for sticky fur. You see Koal was a dog.

But Koal was much more than a dog. My kids referred to him as their baby brother. I called him mommy’s little sweetie. And we were all quite certain that Koal never realized he was a dog.

He was quite young when he declared himself a vegetarian. This resulted in numerous road trips to Grand Forks and Fargo to find vegetarian dog food. Amazon didn’t exist back then. I must admit we all enjoyed those trips down to the USA.

Koal was exceptionally intelligent and the kids delighted in teaching him new tricks. They had him running around furniture and rooms as well as jumping through hula hoops.

While my kids were never happy being carried around in snugglies when they were babies, Koal was quite content to be carried around in this way. I took him shopping and even to doctor appointments.

He also loved car rides. He sat in the front passenger seat next to his mommy. In the summer his nose was glued to the air conditioning vent.

When the kids moved out he really missed them. I’d tell him that his brother or sister was coming over and he would plant himself in front of the living room window watching for them.

The years went by and we were blessed with his presence in our lives until December 7th, 2008. He always slept in bed with me and that morning I was startled awake by Koal having a seizure. Hours later, I lovingly held him in my arms when the vet gave him the injection that would bring him peace.

We miss you and love you Koal and you are always in our hearts.

Happy Birthday in Heaven!

Dec11

Animals Are Different Here

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Animals Are Different Here

When I lived in Canada, I had a dog named Koal. He was an adorable toy poodle who as a puppy was black but his fur changed to silver when he grew older. He was spoiled by myself and my children. They complained that Koal didn’t know he was a dog. Of course they are the same ones who also referred to him as their baby brother. And we were all guilty of buying him way too many toys and treats. He had a wardrobe of t-shirts and sweaters. He was a finicky eater and we used to drive down to the USA regularly to buy him the vegetarian dog food he preferred. Koal was a very special part of our lives and we were all devastated when he passed away on December 7th, 2008. It’s been ten years and I really miss having a dog. But the way I constantly travel in three countries regularly is not really conducive to having a pet.

Here in Mexico dogs do not have this type of pampered lifestyle. Dogs more commonly are found roaming the streets or barking loudly from rooftops, although there are some households where the dogs actually live inside. Cats are quite a problem as they wildly reproduce in this country. Spay and neuter clinics have evolved in some areas to deal with this. Animal shelters are slowly springing up in some places and the fostering of dogs and cats is becoming more common.

Here in San Luis Potosi, I have taken some photos of other animals people keep in their yards. This noisy pig lives in Aquismon.

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This animal is a neighbor who lives down the street from the hotel where I’m staying.

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I was wandering through the streets in Rio Verde when I saw these.

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And right here in San Ciro I snagged this photo.

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Isn’t this just the cutest photo to end this post with?

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