La cuenta

Domingo 16 - Sábado 22 Mar 2014  What a start to this week! During the night a windstorm arrived. We had to get up and check it all out with a flashlightt, due to the rattling noise from the roof. We were okay, our property was okay -- turns out the noise was from our rear rain gutter, well affixed in place but the galvanized metal made sounds when buffeted by the gusts. What a surprise! Thought for sure we would lose some roofing from the third story mirador, but all was secure there.

As we were finishing our breakfast of french toast, Ania and Frank stopped by to see if we would like to go to the huge second hand car tianguis (temporary market) which is every sunday not far from here.  This is THE place in the region to buy a used car, and we had passed it many times but had never done a walk-thru. Frank was looking to replace his old pickup. It was rather enjoyable to check out prices and models of the several hundred vehicles being privately sold. Since the thermometer hit near 90 today, we had to water everything twice. Carmelo stopped just as we were leaving in the morning. He still thinks that he can talk us into buying many plants. Carmen is determined that we will buy very few more – just no room to put them. And – we will absolutely not adv                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     ance him any more money for future deliveries. After some arguing about the situation, Carmelo finally believed Carmen. He can always talk Dan into believing his sob stories, not so with Carmen. She can be most hard hearted if necessary. We finished our 1500 piece jigsaw puzzle. It is a beauty!

Carmen controlled herself on sunday and did her cleaning on monday. Ania keeps telling her to leave our doors and windows closed during the sugarcane burning months to keep the air-borne soot down in the house. Carmen is unable to do this. Not only do we like to leave doors ajar for our sweet kitties to wander in and out at their will (though we had a cat door installed, we have not gotten them used to it). Also – we lived in an area previous to this where it was just too cold to let the outside air in except on the very rare hottest days of Pacific Northwest summer, and we are greatly enjoying the ambiance of the outside doings and breezes, what ever the ocasional smells or dust it lets in.

Monday we roasted the pork butt we bought a few days ago. We invited Ania and Frank for the meal, but there is still a large amount of meat left to eat and eat. Yum, yum. Carmen made cinnamon rolls for the first time in four years. She bemoans the fact that she did not put enough butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in them to make them perfect. It would have been nice if the oven had not darkened the bottoms too. Will practice again soon. After dinner we watched the movie “Footloose” which Dan had recorded a few days ago. Rather a bouncy affair.

Tuesday Dan studied the internet to learn how to cut a glass bottle. Not a perfect job, but now Carmen has a new flower vase made from a distinctively-shaped rompope bottle.  He wants to make a jig to cut some wine bottles we have been saving up.  A great tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus) sat on the fence and chattered to Carmen as laundry was being hung out. We believe it to be the same bird that was on the front porch a few days ago, and then walked up to our back gate when we had it open, working on the roof tile. It might also be the same one that threatened Gardi when we first moved here. We think that's likely. Perhaps it wants to be part of our family?

Carmen took it upon herself to take a cuenta (count) of all the plants we have surrounded ourselves with. Some in planters, some single in a pots, many orchids just tied or hanging from limbs, and many in the ground in our new front garden.

• Upper terraza outside the master bedroom: 103, plus a planter with catnip & other little things.  Most of our cactus collection is here.
• Backyard/patio area:  61, west & north of the house, including hanging orchids & plants in ground, plus ground cover of wandering jew or traveler jew, plus black mondo grass clumps.
• Inside:  8 plus four 4 african violets in an east bedroom window
• Front garden & porch:  124 in ground plus 158 hanging (many orquideas) & in pots, including a longish branch full of  many orchids and several herbs for cooking & teas.

Total:  458+ plants to care for. But still we do not have one of everything (an impossible task in this area of floral glory), and we do have several of a few favorites. Chances are, there were some plants missed in the count, and we are sadly way behind with the goal of ID-ing them all and getting them on a spreadsheet listing. Though all plants are loved, they are not loved equally -- we both definitely have favorites we watch out for.  When we chance to lose one, due to not understanding it's particular care needs,  it just gives us a chance to try again, or perhaps fill that space with something new.