A few weeks ago there was a 6.1 earthquake in Port Au Price in Haiti which is one of the poorest countries in the world. Normally, when disaster strikes there are neighboring communities that can pitch in but such is not the case here. Everyone is very poor and thousands of people were killed. Thousands more left homeless, hungry and desperate for news of their family and friends.

Help poured in from many countries and, of course, the US, but it took some time to coordinate the immediate needs and the best way to access the airport to get aid to the people.

Food, water, blankets were vital and shelter and protection for the children left without parents.

Medical attention was crucial and workers to help find any survivors and dig them out of wherever they were trapped. They had neither the manpower nor the equipment necessary for such a mammoth undertaking.

CNN’s Dr. Sanja Gupta has been there from the outset and has joined other medical teams in providing whatever help they could to those who needed it but the numbers were overwhelming.

Aid organizations have been trying to organize who was going to what and (more…)

Here we are in October already. Summer and the rainy seasons are behind us and now we are preparing for Canadian Thanksgiving (October 12th), Halloween (October 31st), The Day of the Dead (November 2nd) and US Thanksgiving (November 27th).

All of these holidays bring their special joys and traditions.

As Ajijic, Lake Chapala has a large Canadian and American population it only makes sense that both Thanksgiving Days are celebrated. Most restaurants offer Thanksgiving dinner specials for both Canadians and Americans. A listing for these dinners and their locations you might wish to consult the (more…)

The other day my daughter and I were leaving the house. We were facing the mountains and she said “Look, Mama, you can see the yellow flowers in the mountains.” I remember 15 years ago when my friend and then neighbor said the same thing to me.

She went on to tell me that once you could see the yellow flowers in the mountains it meant that the rainy season was almost over and invierno (winter) was coming. She said it always made her a little sad because soon the mountains would lose their lush green color and would become a little brown.

This year I am not at all upset to see the yellow flowers. We have had a very hot September this year because of El Nino and the smog in Guadalajara and I, for one, will not be unhappy to feel cooler temperatures.

The days will still be warm and sunny but it might be a little cooler at night which is always pleasant for sleeping. We will continue to enjoy outdoor living without any bugs and we can still swim (more…)

Yesterday, September 22nd, was the first day of Autumn.

This day, when we lived in Canada, evoked very different emotions than it does here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

In Canada, once Labor Day was upon us, it brought an intense feeling of melancholy. Yes, the leaves would soon be turning and would be a vibrant collage of fiery colors which would be enjoyed by many but also it meant that another winter was on its way.

Soon there would be cold temperatures and snow, rain, hail and sleet. Driving would be precarious and clearing the ice and snow off our cars and roads would be an almost daily challenge. Canadian Tire would do a brisk business in snow tires, chains and windshield scrapers, snow blowers and snow shovels and of course, bags of salt for melting ice.

Children would be going back to school with new clothes (including snow suits, boots, mitts, hats and scarves) and, of course all manner of school supplies. Agendas would have to be (more…)

The rainy season (June 15-Oct. 15) is off to a slow start this year. Normally, when the rains start after about 6 weeks of the rainbirds heralding it’s onset it rains every night. Not just rain but magnificent and dramatic storms that are enjoyed by all.

Thus year the rain is about 62% below normal and unexpected troubles for residents and farmers are possible.

Meteorologists are attributing the lagging rains to El Nino which is causing above average temperatures throughout Jalisco and the surge of smog in Guadalajara.

Lake Chapala levels at this time of year are usually on a steady rise but have flat-lined for a full week. Lake Chapala has only gained 14 centimeters since the start of the rainy season as compared (more…)

April in Ajijic, Lake Chapala was very pleasant. Most of May was lovely too. However, it did start to get a little warm towards the end of May and June brought the heat with a vengeance.

I don’t know why I bothered to go to the hairdresser during this time as the heat had caused my hair to fall flat before leaving the salon.

In the past the hunt for fans was quite a challenge unless you went to Guadalajara as all the fans lakeside flew off the shelves. Now that we have Wal-mart (albetit still a contentious entity for some) purchasing a fan is as easy as going to the store and making your selection from many models available in all price ranges.

Although we do have overhead fans in most of our rooms which do provide much needed relief I still find free standing fans necessary for other parts of the house.

Fortunately our house is very cool as we have marble floors and a very large (more…)

One of our best kept secrets from the snowbirds (people coming here from November to April) is the magnificence of our rainy season.

The word is out the first of the rainbirds have been heard by locals. These rainbirds, which are actually large insects, trumpet the onset of the rainy season in about 6 weeks. Having said that we did have a lovely thunder storm last week.

April was a wonderful month this year without the heat that is usually associated with it.

May on the other hand is warm but now that the rainbirds have been heard relief is on its way.

We are beautifully situated on Lake Chapala and those of us who are lucky enough to have lake views we marvel at the dramatic ribbons of lightening that run the length of the lake and we can (more…)

Today is the first day of Spring. The sun is shining, birds are singing, flowers and trees are blooming and everyone who is allergic to the Jacaranda trees are sneezing. All is right with the world.

This is a beautiful time of year in Ajijic. The temperature is perfect. Days are warm and nights are comfortable for sleeping. Soon the rains will come and the magic of the rainy season will be upon us.

Basically, however, every month has its wonderful and exciting charms.

The first day of Spring up north is a very different situation. Yes, Spring is here but it can still be cold, wet and gray. Summer being a distant dream and oh such a short time before the chill of autumn and then the deep depression of winter.

One of the things I love best about Ajiic is the weather. Everyday is fantastic. We have so many things to deal with in life it is so nice that the weather is such a beautiful constant that is so calming for the soul. (more…)

It is that time of year yet again when I am so grateful that we live in the best climate in the world. (Some say Kenya is also good but the political unrest there makes it a distant second choice.)

I was born in Toronto, Canada and never really thought much about the weather. It was always awful.

The winter was cold, snowy with a low grey sky. If there was a pretty snowfall it was soon grey slush. Black ice was always a risk and deicing your windshield with a scraper (if you were lucky enough to have one that had not broken) or a credit card was commonplace.

February was the month with the highest suicide rate and I usually entered into it with resigned depression if not suicidal tendencies. I called it my February slump as did most everyone else. (more…)

Have you ever wondered why with the tax benefits, the perfect weather and the visual beauty of Ajijic, Lake Chapala the population is 2500 not 7 billion? Why would any sane person live anywhere else? I will level with you. It’s the Anthropods (aka Hempitera insects bugs, lawyers whatever scientifically defined as anything you can kill with Newsweek magazine. Not only do we have many types but they are of Japanese horror movie proportions.

So bugs are the topic of the day. I think it is safe to say that in most homes the job of exterminator falls to the man of the house. (In our case that would be by son. Although I don’t wish to offend any feminists who enjoy grinding beetle parts in the carpet.) (more…)