why I love my life

end of the march

I had a great day today.  Back in my youth, I’m actually a little younger than Mick Jagger but only a little, I was wont to say pretentious things like “do whatever you want, just don’t bore me”.    In fact, that was more or less my motto for life in the 60′s and 70′s.  OK, let’s be honest, I’ve continued to feel that way right up to the present.  So, having a great day really means I wasn’t bored.  It doesn’t always mean that everything went well.

blue skies peeking through the clouds

Last night was pretty great too.  We went to an art opening with tons of people, wonderful art, and lots of friends.  Two people came up to me and talked about this blog.  That always catches me a little off guard, I’m not sure what to say but they were very complimentary and it does make me happy that people enjoy it.  It makes me a little shy and embarrassed too.

Respect life in whatever form!

I got up early this morning and went off to the Slow Food Market.  I think it is wonderful that my city has such a thing.  I did spend many years living in Marin County which means I picked up a lot of trendy food ideas by osmosis, hanging out at Trader Joe’s, and getting bombed touring wineries in Napa.   So, I know the lingo but I couldn’t really pass the sniff test as a true believer.  You know that sniff test where they smell all the cheeses in your refrigerator and if the dog will eat it you fail?   Still, I feel all comfy and at home around a bunch of cheese makers and bread makers and organic gardeners.   So, I went and perused the organic squash and the home grown herbal tea booth and the kim chee lady with the smelly Korean stuff.   I was actually looking for the woman I bought the mysterious brown liquid bacteria from last week, it did wonders for clearing my pond.   Alas, she didn’t show up.   I came home with some fresh dill, a couple of huge whole grain english muffins and some unknown tea herbs that smelled pretty good.

men and women, I was happy to see that.

Mimi and our friend that is visiting went off to check on our RV and I put my suit on and hung out in the pond and the pool.   It was sunny and hot and wonderful, just exactly why I live here.  I’ve abandoned my moldering pool hammock in favor of the best pool float ever that was given to me by Gary from Loco Gringo.  It’s the perfect size, it keeps just a little of you in the water, enough to stay cool but not so much that it interferes with the tan rays.   I loafed, I floated, I worked on tan maintenance, I got out and trimmed some stuff in the pond, I watered everything (that was one mistake) and I filled all 3 ponds to their proper full level (my other mistake).   It was glorious.

Mimi and friend returned and we putzed around the yard some more, I watered the plants on the open deck upstairs.  That’s a pain but they were looking a little limp and there were only white puffy clouds in the sky so I hauled the hose up there and watered.

when we turned at the remate I got a pic of the head of the march

Then, out of nowhere, a huge black cloud moved in.  Then it began to rain, really hard.  Then… Mimi got busy with the sand bags and started pumping down the outside pond that I had just filled to the rim.  I was doing the same for the roof pond.  Too late for the downstairs one, we again had fish swimming in the garden.  We again had water lapping at the front door and coming in the garage.   I was running around on the roof trying to siphon water out with a fairly large hose but it was just barely keeping up with the rain.  Luckily I was still in my swim suit because it was very much like being under water just trying to walk across the roof.  Then the thunder started rattling everything and I had the brilliant idea that I should get my wet self out of the pond and stop being the highest thing on the roof.

Stop Animal Abuse

Eventually it stopped.  We chased Mollies around the garden and got them back in the pond.  It’s like herding cats, they don’t want to go where you want them to go.  They’d rather poke around for food in the dirt and debris of the garden.   By then it was almost 5pm and we had a protest march to go to.

We got into dry clothes and waded through the water to the bus station around the corner and caught a cab to the Monumento de la Patria on the Paseo Montejo, the starting point for the march against animal cruelty.  This is my second time marching down the Paseo Montejo in a white shirt with a lot of others.  The last one was the Paz en Yucatan silent march, that one was very emotional and the silence and the candles were inspiring.  Oddly, I don’t think I’ve ever been in a demonstration type march – as opposed to a parade type – in the USA.  I was much too cool and laid back to get involved in those in the 60′s and then I got this job where I was on the other side trying to keep the marchers from breaking windows and cars.

The soul is the same in all living creatures although the body of each is different. No to animal abuse.

Anyway, this is a cause that is close to my heart and when I heard that a local group was organizing it I knew I had to go.  I think the impetus for the march was a bad case of animal cruelty in Mexico City that has been on the news.  I don’t care, I’m just incredibly impressed that almost 500 people showed up here in my city a mere 30 minutes after a huge downpour to protest cruel treatment of animals.    There were all ages, all classes, home made signs and professional signs, loudspeaker trucks and police guarding the route and even an ambulance following – not too sure about the implications of that.   We walked and clapped and they played music and talked over the loudspeaker and we took over one whole side of that big boulevard.  Cars going the other way honked and waved and cheered,  it was a fun and lively walk down and back the length of the Paseo.

cute dog head

I loved the signs and have some of the pics I took with my iPhone here, they were heart felt and touching.   At the end we were back at the Monumento, everyone lined up in front for pictures.  I saw a few other obvious foreigners but less than 10, there could have been more but the overwhelming majority of the marchers appeared to be Mexicanos.   Technically, foreigners are not allowed to participate in political activities including protest marches.  I suppose this could be seen as a political activity but, like the silent march, I felt it was outside the politics of government and more in the area of humanity and caring.

Enough/Stop the mistreatment of animals

As it happens, on the far side of the glorieta around the Monumento is the best tamale seller in the city outside one of the best bakeries.  So, we walked over and bought some tamales and sweets and caught a cab home.  We waded back into our house which is surprisingly dry inside although the street is still flooded, Mimi’s sandbags worked great.    It’s cool and fresh from the rain, I’m full of tamale and iced tea.  It was a great day.

and you, how would you feel? (the picture shows a man tied like a dog or a horse in the sun and the rain)