Getting Ready for Carnival

You know when you see the figures go up along the Malacon that the city of Mazatlán is getting ready for Carnival.  Tonight Sara, Joanne, Chris, Terri and I went for an evening drive and stopped at each character along the waterfront.

These forty foot tall figures are spaced along the 5 mile Malacon/beach drive.  Each year the figures change so it's fun to see what has been created for us.  I'll write more about Carnival when it starts in February.  It's a wild week here in Mazatlán.

Sara and Chris are holding up the mushroom for this kid.

Our car parked in front of this sea creature.

Another good day in Mazatlán with my sister and her friends visiting.  Sara will be here for 38 days, Joanne for 10 days and Chris for 6 days.  We'll be eating well and having a good time as usual. 

Life is good.

Here's a picture of Terri as we walked the Malacon last week.
Five miles of white sand beach.

Ordinary Life

Life is very ordinary for us this week.  We have no visitors in town so we are enjoying the nice weather, a beautiful beach, great music and cooking good meals.  It's not a bad life.

Lunch out on the deck.  Turkey sandwiches, chips and salsa and guacamole, ice tea and a warm ocean breeze.

 My third grade class was a little wild today but they calmed down and continue to learn English.  They are learning quickly.  I wish I could learn Spanish at that same rate.  Perhaps they are smarter than me.

The girls all had sweaters on today.... it must have been cold...in the low 80's.

Last night we went four different places to listen to music.  We ended the evening back at one of our usual places listening to a Canadian group "Rob and the Troubadours" playing old rock and roll.  We even danced a little, sort of exercise for old people.

Sunday we enjoyed the Seahawk game and yelled and screamed with other Seahawk fans here in Mazatlán.  The Seahawks have moved up to the super bowl on this billboard in our neighborhood.  Go Hawks!!

Playing with my camera.... a panorama of Marina Mazatlán from our deck.

Another awesome sunset this evening.

When you see the colors building you know that something good is about to happen.

In the end it fades to darkness.

A nice end to another fine day.  Life is good.

Finding Sea Shells by the Sea Shore

 

The beaches here change with every storm.  Sometimes there is only miles of white sand.  Following big surf there are pockets of beach that are covered in shells that the waves have rolled in.  Although last week the weather was normal the waves were again bringing in treasures to be found.

 

When you search hard enough you can also find sea glass that has been worn smooth by the moving sands.

 

Treasures hidden for the taking.

Here's last weeks shells and sea glass that we found along the beach just North of us.  Terri gets credit for having better vision, she seems to find more sea glass than I do.

Here's what I do with my shell collecting..... I keep adding them to several glass bowls I have around the house.

My brother Dave probably found most of the shells in this bowl.

The best part of collecting shells and sea glass is the beach walks.  Terri and I like the walks, Eva LOVES her beach time.

Life is good at the beach.  My sister Sara and two friends arrive in Mazatlán on the 26th.  We'll add to the collection of sea shells with their help.

Very Good Music in Mazatlan

Last night we attended the third in a series of country music concerts.  There are more Canadians that winter in Mazatlán than Americans, therefore many Canadian country singers visit and perform during the Winter season.

Michelle Wright was the headliner.  She has 3 gold records and 2 double platinum records and was a top female vocalist for the Academy of Country Music.  She was great and we enjoyed her performance.  She has written a bunch of really good songs and we all enjoy hearing them live.

She was joined by Patricia Conroy and Beverley Mahood, each great song writers and singers.



Local singers Brent Mcathey and Tanya Carrum were the openers for the concert.  It was a sold out crowd and the location at Playa Mazatlán was beautiful. There was a full buffet dinner before the show and we all agreed that the dinner was as good as the music that followed.  It was another great evening.

Canadian "Brenster" has been singing in Mazatlán
for the past 10 years.

 

Tanya is from Mexico City.

The 3 Amigas singing in a beautiful location.

Life is good and the music here is great.

On one of the last days of Sean and Charity's visit we drove to Concordia to wander around this small country town.  It is up in the Sierra Nevada Mountians so it looks a little different than our coastal city.


  A street in Concordia.

 The old church in Concordia.  An easy day trip from Mazatlán

Daughter Charity and Sean posing inside the cathedral.

Charity and Lucy parallel parked across from the town square.

Sitting in the town square in Concordia.

Life is good in Concordia or anywhere that it's 80 degrees every Winter day.
 

My Awesome Third Grade Class

I'm back teaching English at a third grade class in a new school this year.  "Primaria Estatal Jardines Valle" is a public elementary school that serves a neighborhood near the city dump.  It is definitely not a rich area, but the same as last year the kids are great.  After leaving class today I realize how blessed we are to have been born where we were.

Here are some of my smiling students.  They are excited to learn English.  I'm more excited to be their teacher.

She's very shy.  She's one of my favorites.

After class clowning around for the camera.

The group I work with "Friends of Mexico" has adopted this school and is responsible for most of what you see in the pictures of the grounds.  The school began a few years ago as a dirt field with a few class rooms.  The area between the classrooms was just an open dirt playground.  The covered basketball court, big toy, kitchen are all new additions.

An almost empty classroom during recess.

A selfie of me with the kids.... cool.

 

Life is Good.  I love my new students.  They seem to love me.  Awesome.

 

 

Charity & Sean Arrive in Mazatlan

 Our youngest daughter Charity and Sean are visiting in Mazatlán this week.  This is the second year they have come down.

One of the first things Charity wanted to do when she arrived was to get a wild new hair color.  As you can see she accomplished her goal.  She is now a red headed babe.

In front of the Hugo Galvon Studio.

We've already been eating quite well and have plans too eat our way through Mazatlán this next week.

Sunset over the Sea of Cortez.

We had a beautiful sunset the first evening that Charity was here.  Charity would have enjoyed it but she was taking a nap at the time.  Anyone that knows Charity will not be surprised, she loves a good nap.

Here are a few flowers to end todays blog.  Life is good.

Flowers from our yard.