Gloomy and cold New Years Eve

Happy New Years Eve
As you can see the weather here is very unMazatlan weather. Be glad when Friday gets here. We made a grocery run this morning and the traffic is horrid. According to the papers the hotel occupancy is 100% as are ALL restaurants for tonight. Before, when it has been really busy here, a lot of people camped on the beach - not a good option for tonight. We are planning on staying in, turning on furnace and watching movies or reading. MIGHT cook dinner tonight,  might just pick. I fixed paella last night so have already used up my once a week cooking day. I have to remember to buy more Saffron before we go home. It is so much cheaper here!

 The sky around noon.

Noticed this strange little bush right next to us - have never seen a bloom like this before. First little balls.

Then they do this. Split open and get fuzzy. Wonder what happens next. Will keep an eye on it.

Our garden continues to grow and get prettier daily. My cactus is really growing. Hope it fits in its cupboard so we can get it home. 
This hibiscus continues to amaze me. It is so pretty. And it has another bud on it. 

 The reddish bulb on the banana tree continues to open up with these little flowers under each petal. The hummingbirds love them. But they don't produce a banana, they just wither and fall off.

 But the bananas we do have are growing they are about the size of a big mans thumb. We have this bunch and one more lonely one underneath these. You can just see it at the bottom of the photo. 

 And this poor bougainvillea is still trying to live. With no water over the summer they all had a hard time. Three of them are okay. This guy...Those are his only leaves. Bill had to trim some leaves off the banana plant because they were keeping the sun from the plant. After that he got the leaves. So maybe he'll make it.

The other two in the front. They are doing great. This one we planted to fill a big hole that appeared after the bad rain. Just had to add dirt and plant - and hole was gone!

 And this salmon colored one is starting to get its colors too. 

The garden at the other end of the patio.They are all doing fine too. The little mum type flowers between the big plants are starting to get a lot of buds on them too. And the hibiscus has a couple of buds. It isn't real happy though, seems to be struggling. Bill is giving it a lot of TLC.

 This one is a pale pink, very pretty. 

So enough about our garden. It is really starting to get dark clouds out there now. Ones that look like there is a lot of rain in them. 
And the rain has started. 

Busy time at Cerritos

Thee day after Christmas we took the short drive to the Cerritos beach area. I wanted to see if the vendor there had any of my favorite blouses in stock. He didn't but said he'd have some soon after New Years
That cat is enjoying every bite of the fish. Usually there are four or five cats here. He got lucky this time.

This area is where a lot of the small fishing boats bring their catches to sell to the middle man who then sells them to markets or restaurants. Don't know if these are rejects or just not sorted yet. 

The boats are "parked" up along the rocks. We were there a low tide. In fact I don't remember seeing it this low before. This is a popular beach for the National tourists who flock to Mazatlan during the Christma/New Years holidays.

The restaurants put sun shades out on the beach so people can eat on the sand. 

They look so regal just sitting on a rock watching everything that is going on. 

More of the boats. I've written some blogs on watching the boats come in from their fishing and how they get them to their docked area on the beach.

She wanted no part of the water on her feet. But was content to watch it while in Dad's arms.

A panoramic view - clicking on it should enlarge it some. More and more umbrellas and canopies going up. More and more people coming out to enjoy the weather, water and food.

Lots of people having fun in the water. 

Oysters right out of the bay. Yum - NOT!

Man and wife selling fresh fruit cups and raspados - kind of like a snow cone. He is cutting up the fruit.

She does the raspados. 

Doing a good business in both the fruit and the raspados. 

Sauces to pour over the fruit. Mixed fruit cups or all one type of fruit. 

She shaves the ice then puts it into a cup then pours the flavoring over it. 

The device she uses to shave the ice also collects it to make it easier to put in the cup. 

We asked what flavor the one in the video was and told us vanilla. That is either evaporated or condensed milk she pours on last. 

Some one is inside this refrigerated truck and is tossing fish out to this man who puts them into his bag. A lady was also choosing fish to take home or to a restaurant. 

And here come another man with fruit cups he is heading down to the beach. 

Lots and lots of people enjoying the food and shopping and swimming. 

There is always something to see or do here in Mazatlan.
Haven't had to use the AC here for the last two days, but had the furnace running all night last night. Starting tomorrow it is supposed to rain for three days. Guess well know for sure if the window is really fixed.

John Richard Sirimarco

He wished no one a last farewell,

nor even said goodbye. He was gone before we knew it,

And only God knows why.

They say time heals all sorrow,

And helps us to forget,

But time so far only proves

How much we miss him yet,

God gives us strength to face it,

And courage to bear the blow.

But what it meant to

“love” and lose him

No one will ever know.

John Richard Sirimarco   May 1965 - December 29, 2006

Continuing our search for Tico the potter

We got a surprise last night - RAIN - heavy for a while. And the window DIDN'T leak. Thank goodness because we are expecting a lot of rain in the next week. Not going to be a nice New Years Eve or day here. Today is going to be overcast and quite cool all day.

But back to our search for Tico. We finally found him. This is his house. Bill following him inside. See the unfired bowls on the porch.

A closer look at the bowls and the laundry drying on the fence.

Inside the house a lot of little stacking bowls and pestles on the floor waiting to be fired.

A closer look at the bows and pestles. Notice the cross hatching on the bottom to help with smooshing - technical term there. 

One of the bowls with a pestle in it. 

Another group that has been fired and some waiting to be put in the kiln. Tiny bowls and coffee cups. 

Showing us some of the new things he is working on that are drying in the back yard. 

I love them. Little piggies - but they still have to go in the kiln. For sure will get one next time we go there. 

Love the curly tail!

I asked about the kiln and told us it was "over there" and he was pointing at the mound on the left side of this picture - the one with the bowls surrounding it. So I'm not sure if I missed something, or the translation was wrong or if that is really his kiln. Again something to check out next time we are there. 

The only decent shot I got of Tico - he is explaining something to Bill. 

More of the small bowls. 

Bill going back to ask Tico if he worked for Johnny demonstrating bowl making. He doesn't. 

Showing Bill a huge gourd - no idea what that was about. 

Back inside to check out something else. 

The house he lives in is a couple of hundred years old. They built them to last then. Notice the beam and the ceiling. 

No idea again of what they were talking about, but it took two or three times of Bill turning around and going back to talk to Tico before he made it to the car. 

This is some type of bougainvillea plant. Never saw one with such a big cluster of color. 

Another tree in bloom, this with yellow flowers. 

Heading back down the hill into the town. 

The plaza was all decorated for Christmas. Lots of colorful decorations.

I remembered the leather signs that were posted on some of the buildings so took pictures of the building and then the sign. 

This sign says, "Colonial House Osuna     Home of Don Daniel Osuna, Founder and owner of the tequila distillery Santa Clara."

Another house with a sign. There was an older women on the porch rocking. Checking me out as I took the picture of the sign. 

House of Mina   Hostel and museum with antiques from the 1800's

As we were leaving I saw another couple of signs. Next time will get them. Especially now that I know more about the origins of the town. 
I am kind of behind in writing - we met Tico on the 20th.