Looking for the Backroad to Quiriego

Buen Dia. It is a very cloudy afternoon here, but no breeze and very pleasant temperatures.

Here is a little red bird that Senor caught snoozing on a plumeria branch. I have been bad to wait so long to write, but I have been very busy. Spanish classes started for me week before last and I have already had eight hours of 'in class' Spanish and alot of homework and while I thought I was an intermediate speaker, now I think I am not. I am less than that.

My goal is to be able to understand my Spanish speaking friends better. I think that is already happening, as I have been thrown into a different way of learning than I had anticipated. We are learning from the Madrigal Spanish book. It is not a book that begins at the beginning, rather it begins at the end with learning past tense verbs. It is all very interesting and exciting as I learn the past tenses of the verbs I already know and can tell my friends what I did yesterday. No problemo that I can't tell them what I am doing today.....................

This morning we went in search of the back road to Quiriego. We are intrigued by the town, and the back road out of town and on to Alamos mystifies us.

By computer satellite, Senor determined that the road on the map does not exist. If it did, all would be simple. I saw this also, but I am somehow convinced the road is there. I wanted to go my route. Senor Sabe le Todo said.................no, we are going my route because your route does not exist.

So, I packed cookies, water, and camera and we drove north to the town of Mocusari. This is where the reservoir, dam, and river all connect to make CFE, the electrical company, and where our electricity comes from. Senor said the satellite showed a road there, somewhere, that will cross the river and continue north to our beloved new old town.

In the area of Mocusari and Concuri are several small villages. All of them had dirt roads that went nowhere. Some of the roads turned into tracks for horses or walking, while others ended at the foot of the hillsides.

some villages had old adobe casas and some had newer construction and free roaming pets..............

one had an old basketball court and the next village also had an old basketball court................

below are photos of the old stone dam.......................

Finally, Senor turned the truck around and said...................ok, i think i know where it is.............
.........................it was a good thing it was daylight as that road ended in the river.


By then, after two or more hours of driving around, I was really convinced that my road is the right road. I tried to get Senor to take my road and he said it was his nap time.

So, back at home, you can see some progress. Dirt is slowly filling in the spaces between the portal columns and eventually the floor will be on top. The kitchen will be about where the blue and green buckets are. But, look at that square that will be outside under the portal. Don't you think a little swimming pool would look nice there?

Below you can see where the adobe wall will be.

Then you can see the opposite direction. I am still waiting for more varro blancos to be delivered so I can finish the fence.

We are off to the movie at the Museum tonight. They are showing Julia and Julie.

Festivities are getting under way already as the Alfonso Ortiz Tirado (FAOT) Music Festival begins on Thursday. Many of the hotels are booked and people are renting out rooms and even tent spaces here and there. You can google FAOT and see what you are missing. As the festival goes on, I will try and get as many photos up on flikr as possible, as quickly as possible. The flikr connection is www.flikr.com/glasspondstudio ................i think.

okay, gotta go. adios! linda lou