It's Warming up in Chacala

Summer is definitely on its way to Chacala. I am sleeping with one sheet over me, and the fan on and windows open. People are talking about it getting warmer quickly, and they are right. I have been looking for a thermometer for months, and haven't found one. I like being ab;e to see how hot it actually is around here during the summer. I know it was usually 95 during the day last summer, but it's not that hot yet. I am going onto my summer schedule though. I do some errands and gardening and housecleaing and dish and clothes washing in thenmorining, anbd visiting after about 6pm,
Whenb the sun is down far enough to make the roads shady. Yesterday I had some photos to take and a small gift for a friend of mine here in Chacala. She is very ill, and I wanted to cheer her up. This woman helped plant the coco palm grove along the beach more than fifty years ago, when she was a girl. Anyway, I took some photos of a new vegetable garden one of my neighbors is growing, and then went on to my friend's house. It turned out the health class for older women in Chacala was taking place at her home. The topic was Menopause, with visual aids and a speaker. The speaker was a local woman who had taken a class with the IMSS. that's the public health service here.We all sat in plastic chairs under the trees and listened and talked and joked. When the teacher explained that caffeine is bad for people in Menopause, everyone took the opportunity to comment on my supposed excessive Coke consumption. It's a common joke around here.

Anyway, it was fun to be hanging out with women my age. More or less.I sat next to my friend and we held hands and she whispered to me. After the class I passed my gift to her, and she fel asleep. Her husband and I went out to the sweet bread (pan dulce) truck and picked out some treats for her and for the people that were still visiting, after the class. We visited a little more, and I headed home.

I was anxious to get to the shortcut though a little ravine before dark. But I got sidetracked at Beatriz's. She now has a little store/fast food stand in front of her place. Some of the women from class were there and some others. We laughed and made jokes for awhile. Beatriz just got a microwave, and she said I can use it to make popcorn!!! Hooray.

Then I headed home. There were some lights shining on the path. The new little furniture shop on the paved road has a light that goes right on the path, so it was easy to get up the hill. And then head down the paved road for home.

When I got home I remembered Juan at the tienda said he would have a case of apple juice in glass bottles for me tonight. So I went down to the store, and the juice was waiting for me. Another Juan walked up the hill with me, and helped me carry the case of 24 bottles. It was pretty heavy and it was nice to have help. The horrible "circo", which was here for about 10 nights, finally left town. As I am writing this, at 10pm, it's quiet in Chacala. No really really loud music and loudspeaker.

Of course, the dirt trucks were still coming down the road. Whatever.