April 30, 2005 - Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Living on the edge of leaving
Good weather is everything when you sail. We've been on the lookout for it, so we can begin our sail down to Panama. Yes, Panama. We're planning to load the motorcycle onto a boat we're delivering there, and then ride back to Mexico. Seems like it would be a great journey, though we're still not a hundred percent sure if we'll take the bike.
posted by Mahi at 5:40 PM
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There is a fluidity to my plans these days that is unparallelled to anything I've ever known. My tentative summer plans include driving out to the Western US, sailing north to Maine, or crossing the Atlantic to visit Europe. But talk to me tomorrow and I may be headed for Honduras. Really. Summer is approaching at a frightening pace and Isla is starting to feel the heat, but it will be at least another month before I'll know where I'm going for the season. First, we need to have good weather (and a motorcycle on deck) for our Panama adventure.
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April 16, 2005 - Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Wahoo
Saturdays in Isla go like this: we listen to the cruiser's net at eight, which is a short, moderator controlled VHF radio interaction between all the foreign boaters who are currently anchored or docked in Isla. Highlights of the broadcast are weather forecasts, who can take mail to some place where it will be sent more efficiently, crew needed for passages, and buy, sell and trade. We have oatmeal with cinnamon, raisins and almonds and toast for breakfast. We take Chepa for a walk on the south end of the island. She goes for a swim, rolls around in something stinky and tries to eat either a coconut, a dog she particularly dislikes or the bunny that lives in one of the neighborhood yards. She has a fabulous time until we hose her off at the marina. As we return to the boat, the distorted sound of the Mexican navy band blows into the bay. If one -in a bout of reckless and irresponsible curiosity- should take a dinghy accross the water to get a closer listen, one would find the music to actually become more distorted as one approached the naval base. We have decided they must only have one practice session every week. They have chosen a twenty minute time slot somewhere roughly around nine every Saturday morning. Twenty minutes, because that's when the entire horn section starts to hyperventilate, and because twenty minutes is about all the conductor can take. Jim works on varnishing and I work on web projects. We run the generator and the watermaker and I make bread for lunch. We read our books for a while, then we go to see the puppies on the south end of the island. We find an adorable little long-haired dog that is so densely populated with ticks, that we make a trip on the motorcycle to the local vet, where Jim buys a vile of anti-tick medication. We hope it will work - the poor puppy is a walking microcosm of blood-sucking parasites. Then we ride to North Beach, where we find the Saturday afternoon live music at one of the hotels' beach fronts to be cancelled. So we re-route to the San Francisco of Asissi supermarket for some groceries. We eat ice creams in the town square and find our way back to the boat, where I make guacamole and mango salsa for the evening. I wrap up the remainder of the bread I made earlier, we pack up a couple of beers, a bottle of rum and a bottle of coke and head for Marina Paraiso. We are going to grill out with our friends Rick, his Thai wife Rung, and Steve and Debby from Minnesota. Rick has five pounds of frozen wahoo he wants to get rid of. Rick also has a DSL connection on his boat, which makes writing and publishing online journals just a little easier! I'm going to rejoin my friends now, it looks like we're going to have some good food in good company. (Wahoo!)
posted by Mahi at 6:41 PM
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April 9, 2005 - Isla Mujeres, Mexico
I dreamed of Lucy last night
I was at my new house, which stood on the side of a cliff in Honduras, half of the structure supported by long columns extending into the water breaking on the rocks below. She walked into the room unannounced and we were both elated to be reunited. I flung myself on the couch, she jumped on top of me and I petted her just the way she likes. She purred like a motorcycle and offered the top of her head to my lips for lots of long overdue kisses.
posted by Mahi at 4:11 PM
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Then she took a walk around the house. She tried to jump onto the balcony railing, but not being used to the house yet, she overshot the jump and landed in the water. I knew she would probably be able to get out by herself, but I ran down the rocks and supported her hind legs as she climbed out of the water. I gently peeled the drenched-yet-happy kitty off the side of the column and carried her back into my house.
We cuddled until morning poked its head into the portholes.
The dream was so vivid that during the few moments I found myself gliding through the mist that separates sleeping from waking, it seemed to me that Lucy had really been with me that night. It felt wonderful and magical and I hope that someday she may come to live with me again. It sure was great to have her visit.
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April 1, 2005 - Isla Mujeres, Mexico
More new work
Some paintings have very long gestation periods. I started this piece more than a year ago, and just finished it yesterday. It consists of acrylics, tempera and ink on paper, and it's called Float Away.
posted by Mahi at 6:06 PM
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