Waiting for Dirt

 Buen dia. It is just a beautiful day here. Autumn has always been my favorite season and it really is a pleasant time of year here in Alamos.

We are back now from our terrific two week road trip to north Texas where we spent time with family and celebrated my autumn birthday, and Senor is out in the yard waiting patiently for his dirt to be delivered. It will be placed on that black tarp, right in the middle of the pathway to the stable and to get out there I will need to walk way around the other side of the yard because to the left of that tarp are piles of sand, gravel and ladrillos.

Humberto has skipped out on us this morning, maybe at home carving his wood statues or painting a new design or maybe he has another tooth ache. I was expecting him to start moving the dirt as soon as it arrives, maybe to clear at least the pathway so we can come and go.

The dirt will go here, in Senor's garden. While we were in the states, Senor supplied himself with the vegetable seeds he plans to grow. This is what Humberto did in the garden while we were gone, lined it with old ladrillos, getting it ready. Eventually concrete will add some height to its edges and make it easier to tend. But October is prime growing season here in Sonora, so it is all about getting the dirt.

 While he waits this morning for the truckload of arroyo dirt that is heavily mixed with loam and manure and should smell wonderful by mid afternoon, he is working on his irrigation system for his garden. Here he is out in the stable, in the shade, so he can see the fire from the butane lighter and avoid a trip to the hospital for burn care. You already know how 'construction smart' he is. Believe me, he is just as smart about irrigation.

Note that I say, his garden, not mine, not our garden. He is planting all the tall plants, sweet corn that sister in law, Yennifer, sent from Minnesota, tomatoes from seeds he harvested from our seven foot monster last year tomato tree, and the huge assortment of seed packets he got from Freddie's Farm Store in Texas. He says he will be taking care of it. I am sure I will not be able to keep my hands out of it, but I will try.

Vegetables and fruits are very cheap here in Alamos. Our neighbor said................ linda, it is so cheap to buy them, why on earth would you want to put in a garden. Well, anyone who has ever had a garden knows the answer to that. Now, next year I might ask him to build me a raised flower and herb garden out of the rest of the recycled ladrillos that will soon come off the old wall he and Humberto will be tearing down. And if the casa is done by next summer, by autumn he will surely be looking for something new to do.
Whoooohoooo, I smell manure. The cowbell on the gate is ringing and Cookies just did a nose dive under the bed. The dirt has arrived.
Hasta luego................linda lou

Clean and Sweet Smelling New Old Car

Buenas tardes.
I keep threatening to cut down this jumble of cactus vines. Straggly, and part yellow, part green, and a little hairy, it entertwines around and up the mesquite tree, and does nothing else.
A Mexican friend said...................... be patient, it really will bloom, for one night out of the year. 

 And finally, it did, around midnight. I knew it was happening. I kept running outside in the dark to take photos as the blossom unfolded, and then, much to my surprise, it lasted into day break but by 8am, it had closed back up and shriveled into nothing. Maybe I'll keep it.

 I have decided to keep Senor, too.

One of his Mexican friends asked him to go fishing up at the Mocusarit on Sunday. Senor went to pick up his friend early Sunday, and there were other friends of his friend waiting to go as well. Each of the friends had a six pack of Tecate and aluminum cans wrapped in fishing line with a hook. Senor had a coca cola, a bottle of water and his fly rod. Instead of driving to the lake, the friends decided Senor should drive over two hours to the river on the back road to Queriego where they caught six little tilapia fish and most of those were caught by hand when some of the friends of the friend walked out into the river after much Tecate and not much luck on their lines.

When Senor finally got home he went directly into the bedroom, turned on the fake mini split and laid down on the bed. I followed him and this was when he said he was so pooped because they drove to the river instead of the lake. So he had a little nap.

The next day I had to drive all the way across town, which is all of about five minutes, to visit a friend. New old car smelled strongly suspicious, a combination of beer, fish and muddy, slimy river water. There was so much mud on the windshield I could barely see. I pointed this out to Senor when I got home and tried not to act too unhappy about it all, but it was annoying to think my friend may have thought I had been drinking beer at nine in the morning because certainly the smell had permeated my body in those five minutes. It was then that he told me about the friend and friends and their Tecate, much of which spilled on the floor during the bumpy, rough ride out on the back road, the slimy river water and the fish. I smiled and went and looked under the seat for any left over fish.  I did see Senor's empty coke can sitting nice and proper there in the cup holder.

Overnight Senor left all the car windows open and I noticed when I left for a short while the next morning, which by the way just happened to be our anniversary, that the fish smell was gone, but the beer and dirty water were lingering on. I took out the floor mats and sprayed them down and left them in the sun to dry.

Later I was looking around for Senor and I found him outside with soap and water and rags and he scrubbed that car inside and outside for hours. It even has a little coconut smelly tree thingy on the dashboard and well, that's the story........., after thirty-six years he is still a keeper............. and now new old car is beer, fish and stinky water free, sweet smelling and sparkling clean and ready for a road trip to Texas on Thursday.
 YeeHah! Look out Texas, new old car is coming to town!!!!!!!!!!