Last Day of 2011 - Flying Kites

My third blog posting for the day – getting caught up finally.

The last day of 2011 – I for one will not be sorry to see it end. A real up and down year.

We started the year in Mazatlan and will end it in San Blas, Mexico. Two very different areas. It was the part in between that wasn’t so pleasant. We hadn’t been home for very long when our oldest son called to tell us his wife of five months (they had been together for over 15 years but just married) had suddenly passed away. She was such a loving and vivacious person it is hard to comprehend that she is gone. A month after that Bill had his heart attack and had a quadruple bypass. One day he was fine the next they were telling us he had a heart attack. How quick things can change. Most of the very hot humid (broke records for heat) Indiana summer was spent with me being a not so patient nurse and his recuperation. It took longer than we thought it would. Kind of drives home that we are not that young any more.
We did get a new member of the family this year – a great granddaughter. Born in June.
But the bad continued as in November our oldest grandson was hit by a car while he was walking. Had to be flown to Las Vegas by helicopter from his home in Arizona. Thankfully he is now recovering and should have no lasting problems. At least we got to see him and his mother and sister for a few days as we were in Vegas at the time. 
Come fall we loaded the Alfa up (after putting a new roof on it) and left again for Mexico where we are today – enjoying the sea and sun. Its 29 degrees at home in Indiana! We are surrounded by friends – John, Carol and George – what more could we ask for.
Enough of that – a new year is just around the corner.
Yesterday the wind finally picked up enough to get the kites up. Carol has been trying to get her mermaid kite up for a while – in fact even talked John into going up on the hotel roof to see if there was enough wind up there to get it to fly.

Nope there wasn’t.

But then later in the afternoon the wind came up enough to get a bunch of kites in the air. Bill setting up one of his – that is Ms Tioga parked next to us.

Carol’s kite is airborne. Up up and away!

All four kites up. Yes four of them. Three of Bill’s and the mermaid.

Oh, oh suddenly the wind stopped and the kites came nose diving down. One of Bill’s disappeared completely. Didn’t know where it came down. Traced the string to the roof of the hotel. John went up there and found it tangled in the rebar and hanging over the side of the building. Rescue complete. Everything put away till next time.

John and Carol invited us to dinner – John BBQd rib eye steaks from Idaho. Delicious, Carol fixed salad and baked potatoes. Heavenly meal. Thank you guys!!!!

Sunset at the beach.

After eating we all drove into town to see what was going on in the plaza. Lots and lots of families and kids. The kids with their new clothes and toys. Lots of laughter and chasing each other around. One boy had a skateboard that the wheels lit up when he moved.

One interesting thing at for me and I forgot to take a picture. On the main street next to the plaza is an area where the taxis park and wait for passengers. While we were standing next to them I heard a phone ringing – loud ringing. Up on a pole was a telephone – push button type. The door to the first taxi in line opened and the driver got out and answered the phone. After listening a while he got back in his cab and drove off. A customer had called. No central dispatch – just a ringing phone. The next driver in line pulled up next to the phone …..waiting. I will have to look for that the next time I see taxis lined up waiting.
Then we watched some young gringos put on a show with flaming poles. They were pretty good but not as good as the show we saw last year in Mazatlan.

By then the bugs were out and it was getting cool so we headed for home.

Well the beach is starting to fill up and its only 10:30 so imagine it will be really busy the rest of the day. Tonight the restaurant will have a band so will go over there and check it out.

Till then.  Happy New Year to all.