the verdict is in

I've been back on the Sea of Cortez for two weeks and I am happy to report that I am happy to be back. The manana life suits me. I now have a place where I can sit outdoors and read, away from wind and prickly ground cover. The park is half full and I like the remaining group of snowbirds. Just enough but not too much socializing.

I like the challenge of living here. Not just the language thing but the fact that the town is so small that on shopping day we have to hit every Mini Super Market to fill up one small bag of groceries. Buy eggs there, meat there. OMG, fresh mushrooms from this little abarrotes and when did the meat market start carrying granola?! The simple things delight us.

But you do not want to be a Mexican dog in Mexico. The dog's life sucks here. As I sat on a chunk of cement waiting for nice young men to pull a nail out of my tire at the llantera, a skinny, mangy dog lay in the sun next to me. He had a newly broken foot and tumors hanging from his belly. The RV park dogs are so lucky to be living amidst gringos.

Gringo dogs, however, have been a big problem in the park. At the height of the season there were 33 dogs and most were ill-behaved snapping, biting, snarly little shits. And the owners were even more ill-behaved, not picking up after their little darlings. Because of this, many of the snowbirds who have been coming here for years may opt to winter over in Arizona at a park that has a separate area for pet owners.

This afternoon I will start painting my porche and then I will plant bougainvillea. I'll post pictures when finished. On Thursday The Landlord will be here for the night and I can't wait to see him.

Yes, I am very happy to be back on the Sea of Cortez.

back on the sea of cortez

People keep asking if I'm happy to be back and I honestly don't know what to say. Yeah, I guess. The thing is, I didn't want to stay where I was and I didn't know where to go. So I came back here. The first time I've ever gone back to a place once I left. Ever.

I am happy the towing is behind me. The drive wreaked havoc on my trailer. The pipe to the toilet sprung loose and now I have a leak. I have to find a plumber who is small enough to fit in my bathroom. A plumber with itty-bitty hands who can get to the errant pipe.

All in all I like my new space, the screened-in porch and locking bodega. I like having all my shit out of the van.

Sadly, I've been here since Saturday and still haven't gone to the beach. It took me two days to get settled and then I worked all day today. Plus, there have been numerous parties to attend. A bunch of snowbirds will fly north in a day or two so the park parties will die down a bit.

I don't know if I'm happy to be back in Mexico. I think so. Give me a few days and I'll let you know for sure.