Plantas Y Maderas - Garden Benches

Here we are...es mucho calor verdad!  Ya bastante...waiting for some rain.  The ants are marching profusely, looking for food. the plants have produced seeds and have dropped awaiting the arrival of rain....There comes a point when the humidity agrees with your system and I am actually cooled off  wearing jeans when I go riding or cleaning up the manure, watering and feeding the horses...that' sounds crazy but the sweat from my body actually cools me off. I always wondered when I first moved here how the Mexicans wore jeans or long sleeved shirts when working outside in the heat...hmmm, ..what a concept. There has been little to no breeze until yesterday evening...awe.  Thank you... phew. ..now today back to nil.  We have been sitting on the edge of lands end waiting for the arrival of rain, preferably life giving rains,...but at this point, I hate to say it...so I won't.  Any rain won't do...still holding out for the life giving rains.

The munchkins are back to school, so we are back to the daily coast rides, always a beautiful view.  They both have great teachers and we are so pleased with the community of La Playita/ La Playa.  It is obviously getting darker earlier and light comes later.  Fall for some folks up north must be near.  Down here we are waiting for our hurricane season.  You are celebrating labor day weekend and we are preparing for the big Aniversario de la Independencia on the 16th of September....200 years, should be a big fiesta.

Lastly I would like to share with you our yellow corn maiden we brought home from the Taos Pueblos made by a Hopi relative of one a beautiful woman in the Pueblos.  Her presence is a prayer for corns, she also honors Mother Earth and her continuing ability to feed her children.  She reminds us always to be thankful for the gifts we receive daily from Mother Earth.  On that note, bout time for a rain dance........anyone up for it?  May your lives all be blessed with good seeds, life giving rains and a bountiful crop.  May we always have respect in our hearts and give thanks.

This would be the man that encouraged me to take a leap of faith....Before I first set foot on Baja soil and waters.. I  do recall countless times saying to myself "I am ready for my destiny"  Wow, I had no idea what was in store for me...."Trust the Universe for it will provide"  ok , after we met he encouraged me to stay longer.."What's two more weeks gonna do?"...well, for us we got married after 5 weeks .......Ya just never know.... we are nearing 8 years since, and Bubba I've got to tell ya, you are still the man beyond my wildest dreams.......Happy Birthday Babe!  Thank you for being in my life..., there isn't another soul on this planet like you...Thank you for introcucing me to La Pura Vida.....  I love you bud.  "Awe the good life, is out there somewhere"  That's right!  And I do believe we have been circling it for almost a decade.....Gracias A Dios

Just recently a strong beautiful friend had requested that at some point I add in these entries as to how I ended up here...well, the short version...this post is also dedicated to you Diana.....

It was a year ago today that we had one hellofa scare. 
see :

Miracle in Motion category and scroll down to Oct 17 2009...lots of scrolling, guess we have been experiencing lots of miracles in motion these days. Or click on:


http://www.plantasymaderasgardenbenches.com/1/post/2009/10/post-title-click-and-type-to-edit3.html

Life can really give you some blows, but this was a huricane/tornado/road wave all in one.  None the less here we are ...what's that saying "If it don't kill ya, it just makes ya stronger"...yep, so that's how that works.

With perseverence and endurance, Gene has overcome all odds...along with great doctors, therapists and support from family and friends....my man is back at it....like Lee Majors the bionic man, stronger than ever. 

To add a little spike to the punch, 5 months to the date after almost losing his life in a serious accident in the shop, he' had an unexpected invasive surgery for skin cancer. A carcinoma cell had developed into a serious situation...where our same doctor...Dr. Juan Licaga had to remove 1 3/4 inch by 2 inches on Gene's lower lip...phew.  Just when we were thinking we were back at it..."Here we go again"  Hard to take.  although we did and tumbled through it, but survivors none the less.

Today we celebrate and give thanks for all of our prayers have been answered.  Live continues to throw things all of our way and so unexpected be it a burden or a blessing....sometimes they are one or the other in disguise.  So ...just roll with it.  Ya just never know what will happen next.

Yes, and as far as the Milagro Ranch ....we have acquired 3 horses this past week...we call the Mama Milagro, if she makes it ...it will be a miracle.  Her 1 month old filly Warrior needs her as well as yer pregnant yearling Cherokee...What are you gonna do?  ...but embrace it full heartily.

My apologies with the lack of photos, but the camera has been taking a sabbatical on it's own...hence missed all the epic moments of our Oklahoma, New Mexico journey...but hope my words can take you along with us.

This past week upon our return to our new found roots of Old Mexico :) we have seen a bobcat, rabbits, desert chipmunks, a king snake, road runners, road iguanas, lizards a school of dolphins and various native birds.......cardinals, blue jays, hummingbirds, doves, cactus wrens and red headed woodpeckers to name a few.

Although the desert continues to be bone dry, the occasional morning you can wake up with water dropping off of the tin roof and during the heat of the day you can see the lawn boy tree spitting out water.  It is truly amazing how these plants and animals survive.

The cardons, pitia, biznaga and cholla have given a random bloom since the first of June....I have to get the old girl back in action, my trusty camera that is...so much easier to see it in a photo.

Please check back at will.

Blessings upon our Milagro Ranch...may the light continue to shine upon us.  As well as all of our friends and family and those good folks we have yet to cross paths.  Gracias A Dios/ Thanks be to God/ Thank you Great Spirit.

The oil continues to leak out of the Gulf of Mexico uncontrollably...meanwhile folks are pointing fingers as to who is accountable...the life in the sea and on the coast lines continues to diminish....phew, too much to take..! Perhaps too little too late, but that will be up to our Great Grandchildren to voice....... When will we us/US AS A HUMAN RACE/ start to be accountable for our own actions, and once we see those folks that are responsible aren't accountable...when by God do we realize it is up to us to Do Something.  My head shakes with frustration and sorrow....bring home the troops

Meanwhile here at the homefront we have not only have a mother horse/Abuelita...which I have recently renamed her Milagro...aka...en english...Miracle if she can pull thru...comig our way with a 1 1/2 week old fillie and her young mare (pregnant) of all things..."Be carefull of what you wish for, you just might get it"  I have not yet had a horse here in Mexico since I arrived... we are now looking at 4....

In La Playita...The inspector of all schools of the area managed to find a new teacher (maestro) for the 3 rd grade...just goes to show what  a few good folks can do, when they/we put our foot down.  It doesn't take money, just a solid foundation.

The fair is setting up for the Dia de La Marina/La Playita festivities.  Tomorrow Ellie will be joining with the chosen few to be a part of a collage painting starting around 8:30 am at Puerto Los Cabos's Marina.....Preparing for the big day... 1 Junio 2010.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, the tranquillity is abundant.  With Paciencia..Disfruta...nuestra espacio...*with a little patience, you are invited to enjoy our space... fyi, the best video is toooo big to post here :) what can I say, come by for a short visit and see for yourself !

T

It's pretty classic here no doubt...always something to celebrate or a special event.  As my children's Great Grandmother Hazel put it recently.  "Ya'll sure do celebrate a lot"  Yes we do.  Given that our summer session out of school in La Playita is  July 1 through August 18th....I for one am grateful for all of the celebrations and holidays during the school year.  Somehow it keeps up the momentum through the heat of the summer and the daily momentum of loadin up and hauling ourselves up and down the coast road...perhaps only a few miles, but the rugged roads optuire 2 hours a day...there and back.  In addition it is an 1 1/2 waiting in La Playita from Primeria (1st thru 6th grade) and the kinder.....such is life...We all have our endurances...For our Family going to the Public School System in La Playita is priceless. 

On the 16th of May we celebrated Dia de la Maestro...Teachers Day.  This involved a day out of School at La Primeria and a few festivities on the following Monday. 

Coming up June 1st...A special event celebrated annually in La Playita.  ...This year should be something spectacular...given that the bridge to no where is finally complete...From Puerto Los Cabos the new development/ Marina in La Playita connecting high over the arroyo to San Jose Del Cabo.  This bridge has been in the making for years.  The grand opening was Monday the 17th....

Things are sure to change......

What can I say...sometimes, these things just find me....

This past week or so we've celebrated Children's day the 30th of April. Mexican Labor Day 1st of May..because it was on a Saturday it was officially celebrated on 3rd of May, the following Monday. The 5th of May is..Batalla de Puebla, celebratead throughout all of the Pueblos.  According to Maestra Vickey when I asked her the signifigance of the three days off 3rd,4th and 5th.."What is the signifigance of the 4th?  She said with a smile "It's just another day, but since it lies in the middle,  we take it off too." ...como no, verdad....:)  Folks go to the beach, the Mexican flags are raised it's a big celebration throughout all of the pueblos, all of the schools are out for 5 days (weekend included).

When returning to school in La Playits on the 6th, I was greeted with big smiles...Everyone  I asked,Mother, Child and Teacher .."How did your vacation go?".....believe me you wouldn't need to know a lick of spanish the response of a big heartfelt smile is universal....


....Maesta Bernice  "como fue su vacaciones"  Con un Grand sunrisa..."Una Vez Mas"   With a big smile "one more time"  Ellie's teacher is one of the best teachers I have ever come across..she puts everything she has into those children..she truly enjoys it...therefore, that was some response.

...even Fatima at the local La Playita tienda showed me her tan lines on her sholder..."we passed your place..we went all the way up to Cabo Pulmo to stay on the beach"...unusual to say the least, Fatima and her husband work everyday, all day.. at the corner store near the schools.....nice 5 day break for us all..  "Do you know where we live, please stop by next time"..."yes Terri we were at Fort's first birthday celebration"  That's right :) almost 6 years ago. November 20th aka Dia de Revolucion.....and what a party that was..............Just wait for Ellies quinceniera...a celebration when a young girl turns the age of 15.  No doubt it will be here before we know it.  But I'd like to enjoy this youthful age of Fort and Ellie as long as I can...no rush, enjoy the ride.