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Saw you in the Ojo
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D IRE C TOR Y
Index...
PUBLISHER David Tingen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Victoria A Schmidt
EDITOR EMERITUS Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Reyes Diana Parra Morales Special Events Editor Carol D. Bradley Proofreader Jan Manning Theater Critic Michael Warren Book Review Panel Margaret Van Every Margaret Porter Clare Gearhart Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart
Sales Manager Bruce Fraser Carmene Berner ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9 am - 5 pm Sat. 9 am - 1 pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528 Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago www.chapala.com elojodellago@gmail.com
18 COVER STORY Robert Bruce Drynan shares chapters of Mexican Artifacts and Short Stories and Antidotes from his book: “Mirage de El Dorado”
8: Part two of Janice Kimball’s story of her heroic experience when she was diagnosed and sent to the “Polio Ward” in 1957. 12: “The Day We Met George” Linda Steele reflects on meeting a baby goat who came to find to shelter during a blizzard and adopted the family.
Photo by Maloy Murdock
16: “Judge Less; Love More” Christy Wiseman shares her opinion that equity divides us rather than unites us. It leads to destruction of our right to be wonderfully different, unique, amazing human beings who make differing choices depending on our values and talents.
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24: “Bandit on Board.” Rosamund Levy entertains us with a mysterious passenger upon her boat.
14 Vexations and Conundrums
28: Libby Colterjohn explores “Growing Orchids at Lakeside.”
20 Profiling Tepehua
34: Dr. Lorin Swinehart examines a short story “Life and Death on the Two Hearted River,” Where a young veteran seeks relief from PTSD in the Michigan wilderness. He offers a review of Earnest Hemingway’s story and wonders all through, if the book was somewhat autobiographical and points out examples of early PTSD before much was known about it. 40: “Road Trip” by Lillian Norma tells the story of travelling after the famous Route 66 a young couple keep getting lost and argue throughout until they stop at a local diner and are surprised by the owner. 42: “Senor Tope” Mark Sconce shares a story explaining the myth of the origin and wealth associated with the invention and use of the Tope. 48: “You Are Never Too Old to Go For the Gold” Don Beaudreau shares an amusing philosophical debate on whether you are ever too old to paint or to fullfill your aspirations.
Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: 376 765 3676, Fax 376 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over the first five days of each month) Certificado de Licitud de Título 3693 Certificado de Licitud de Contenido 3117. Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.
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COVER IMAGE
VOLUME 38 NUMBER 2
El Ojo del Lago / October 2021
COLUMNS THIS MONTH
22 If Pets Could Talk 26 Verdant View 30 Lakeside Living 38 UnSung Heroes 44 Los Insurgents 46 Astrolynx: John Saclli
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COLUMNIST
Editor’s Page By Victoria A. Schmidt
Insurance Miseries
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hey sit there glaring at me from their pile in my inbox. It seems no matter how hard I try they won’t go away. Insurance claims. At a time in my life when I should be healing and mourning my husband’s passing, they consume my time with unnecessary and repetitive questions. A friend whose husband passed shortly after mine did expressed the same feelings. I try to call the companies and they just play round robin with their menus, music, and announcements of other products. When I finally get an answer, a real human being, they cannot hear me, bad connection. Please call back. “Do you realize how long it has taken to get through?” “Would you call back, the number is:” “No! That is a Mexican number! Use our 800 number or the website? “ “No, Mexico doesn’t allow 800 numbers to be used. Can I call back? On a plain USA number?” “No!?” They don’t talk to one another by USA numbers. Ha! I am lucky to get this far into most conversations because I get disconnected because they can’t hear me. Or the phone just disconnects, and I had to attempt another time. I’m down to one company. Two
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people, my attorney and I, two telephones, and the internet. We spent four hours yesterday and we are still not done. I understand they are just pre-printed forms. But there are two pages dedicated to the funeral. After the death certificate, they want the funeral home bill, and the cremation certificate. By my way of thinking the death certificate pretty much proves death. Then where was the funeral, when, they want a prayer card or copy of the printed obit. Did I attend the funeral, and if not why not? Send copies. I have written COVID on the forms. There was no funeral. Oh, and if there had been a funeral, I would have to include the name, address, and signatures of two witness not related to the deceased. So, every morning I start with the pile just for this company. I’ve used up a reem of paper with all our correspondence and copies. So be prepared. And there are more pages if you send the body and/or cremations to the USA. They want to know flight numbers, etc. I know they are screening for fraud. I get it. I’m the one filling out the forms. But I’m not liking it. Other widows have shared other horror stories. One in particular was about her home. Her husband and she shared joint tenancy. But because of the use of ONE wrong word in the title, she had to go through probate. It didn’t automatically go to her just because she was his wife. This was in Mexico. My experiences above are USA companies. Be diligent if you own property. Thank God we rented. Disclaimer: I don’t like completing any kind of forms. Bet you haven’t already figured that out. Victoria Schmidt
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THE POLIO WARD University of Michigan 1957 PART TWO By Janice Kimball
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he incessant pushing of air into the lungs of helpless children, then sucking it back out, in mechanical deathdefying beats. ‘Phew-Whooh, PhewWhooh’ continued through the days and the nights when I was thirteen years old and laying on my back, feet strapped upright on a board at the foot of my bed in the hospital’s pediatric ward. The heartbreaking cries of seemingly endless children housed in tight rows that filled the inside of the gymnasium echoed up the walls and pierced my soul. I internalized spatters of conversation from parents who lived in the northern part of the state, and those who lived in Upper Peninsula, saying goodbye to their children knowing it might be forever. My adult size bed was conspicuous among the cribs and junior beds that surrounded me. It sat near the entrance to the gymnasium next to where the bank of iron lungs began. Mother came alone to visit me that first day in the pediatric ward, as she had every day since I had been admitted. Once wild, pretty and curvaceous, with the added weight of a hundred pounds, she became a doggedly unrelenting woman. Her stoic gait, tough and indomitable, gave the effect of a tank rolling in ready to do battle. Mother’s look of suffering was even
more expressive than usual. I turned my head away. I could not bear to see Mother’s expression of martyrdom on my behalf again. In a display of affection that I knew was the best mother could offer, she patted the back of my hand. At the same time Mother furtively assessed the bleakness of the gymnasium setting. Although I was angry that she seemed unable to make any rational decision, indeed was a master at making any situation worse, I did not blame her for my Polio. Not acknowledging the existence of other children in the ward, Mother paced up one aisle and down the other in a demand for attention. As her anger grew, the screaming of babies became louder. In frustration her aggression grew. As if she were Godzilla, she shook a stack of sheeted metal partitions leaning against the back wall. She requisitioned them, and complying with her orders in a desperate attempt to keep the entire ward from turning into mayhem, the staff stopped what they were doing to construct a private wall around my bed. I cringed each time the screen had to be clumsily unfolded then refolded when a nurse came in or left. They would trip on the stand of my makeshift screen, almost knocking it over, as they scurried around in exhaustion taking care of the needs of suffering children, like it was a never ending game of musical chairs. I played possum faking deadness, an effect that was to get me through many hard times in my life; I turned, emotionless, to face the wall when asking for a bedpan. I had dreaded buzzing for one because of the nurses’ hatred for me. Once I waited too long and wet the bed. The nurses cleaning it up had such contempt for me that I felt their disgust as they lifted my limp body, feet trussed to the footboard, to change the sheets. The overhead lights had been dimmed to simulate darkness. I laid awake that first night in the pediatric ward, in spite of the sound of babies crying, not imagining what was to come next. That quiet period became what I continued on page 10
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From page 8 now think of as the ward in mourning. Crisp shadows backlit from the wall lights behind the iron lungs cast eerie, stencil-like images against the curtain that circled my bed. I lay awake listening to the sound of feet tied in blue paper wrappings as they shuffled against the gymnasium floor. The doctors and nurses were so close to me that if the soles of my feet were not strapped down, I would have been able to reach out and touch their uniforms. Although I had been separated, I felt a party to the hard decisions they whispered about: which children should be left in the iron lungs and which should be taken out to die, to make room for another child who maybe had a better chance to survive. I desperately needed to see what was happening in the tragedies of which I had become a part. Staring at my sheet room-divider out of the corners of my eyes, as if I could miraculously look through them, was fruitless. My stiff neck kept my head flat on the pillow-less mattress. Soon, however, the discussion would end and I could hear and the doctors shuffle out, followed by a period of silence before the gurneys arrived. The aides, almost silently scurrying about, bumped against my curtain as they removed Polio victims from their mechanical tombs. One less whooshing would be heard from the bank of iron lungs as a child pumped their last breath. I could hear the wheeling of a gurney leave the room as it was pushed down the long hall. I would strain to follow the sound of it and when I could no longer hear it, then silently cry. “… I supposed the gurney entered a room somewhere down the long hallway. Maybe it had a delivery door, like the one through which I arrived. Maybe a hearse was waiting for the body. Maybe one had not been ordered; maybe the children weren’t dead before they reached that room. Maybe, the hospital needed to wait
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until the child’s heartbeat stopped. Maybe it still pumped after taking them off of their breathing machine. Maybe they were conscious when they were rolled down the hallway, maybe…” I thought. I had never been so alone. I wanted to communicate with another person who understood this tragedy. I needed to share a tear, share the hopelessness of what I had heard, and help me pay recognition to the children’s suffering, pay homage to their deaths. I needed to do something, anything, even if it was to cry out. But I was ashamed to call attention to myself, my needs, have my sounds heard in this secret midnight tryst that I had so much became a part. Night after night, as I lay mute, this life and death scene played out. Scorned by the staff for the extra attention mother had demanded they give me, no one said goodbye when at last I left. I heard their snickers and sighs of relief as I was wheeled out, accompanied by my mail order catalogs. I wished it could have been otherwise. I wished I could at least have had a paralyzed arm, or some other disability to alleviate my shame for leaving the other children behind crippled and suffering. Mother, through her most grand efforts, was never able to get me transferred to the adult ward. Possibly it was in another building. For her, it was a bitter defeat. A whippoorwill called out. It was a fall day as I waited at the curb in the wheelchair for Mother to bring the car around. I breathed in the fresh moist air, felt it fill my lungs, a sensation I had never remembered feeling before. That short span of time laying in the polio ward ended my childhood. Incredibly, I was encouraged to continue to make my own decisions, and I continued to make bad ones. That is, until I reached the age of 59 when I moved to the paradise of Lake Chapala, twenty two years ago. Janice Kimball
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THE DAY WE MET GEORGE By Linda Steele
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ebruary 12 of 2021, a record-breaking winter storm hit the Texas Hill Country in Central Texas. The folks living in this part of the country were not equipped for such a cold and long-lasting storm. Wind generators froze, livestock and wildlife succumbed to the cold. Once electric services were all shut down, water pumps froze and suddenly the homes and ranches everywhere in the area lost heat and water! A strange and unexplainable thing happened at 5:00 on that first morning. The security alarm on our front door sounded! We hurried to the door, quietly looked out the
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peephole, but we could see nothing. Next, we turned on the porch light. What did we see? Only a tiny, fuzzy, white being bumping against the door so we opened it. There, standing right in front of us, was a tiny newborn kid goat, white, with big droopy brown ears and the sweetest, innocent little brown face you have ever seen! He was so new that his little umbilical cord was still attached and he was crying frantically. We quickly wrapped him in a bath towel and searched for his mother, to no avail. He was inconsolable. “Maybe he’s hungry,” my daughter suggested.
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“Maybe he is,” I agreed as I searched the cupboards for a suitable piece of equipment for feeding a baby goat. At last, I located a condiment bottle that looked like it might fit the bill, so I warmed some cow’s milk and he gulped it happily, tail wagging, as I dripped it into his mouth. Soon as he emptied the bottle, he cuddled up in my daughter’s arms and slept soundly. He was safe and secure! How did he manage to get through our tight, barbed wire fence and walk half a mile in from the road and how did he manage to set off the alarm? I have never seen any goats anywhere close to us. “We asked two ranch families if they might want a nice, healthy little goat. Apparently, no rancher finds a newborn orphan goat that will have to be bottle fed for six weeks with expensive goat milk replacer a welcome gift. It appeared that we had just adopted our very own house goat! By the second day after “George” came to live with us, we realized that he would need to have a house. Every house goat should have his own little house, so we searched through our storage building until we found a collapsed doggie carrier that was just the right size. George loved it right away! After he had his own home that had several bath towels folded inside, he slept through the night and enjoyed long morning and afternoon naps. By the time we had George for three days, he was already potty trained. He seemed to know exactly what he was supposed to do when he was placed on grass and we had no more accidents in the house! The internet was invaluable for teaching us the care and feeding of baby goats. One malady we read about put great fear into us. It was called, “floppy goat syndrome!” Oh no! How could it be avoided? Apparently, it comes from overfeeding
the baby! That information was the impetus for our feeding chart posted on the refrigerator door! Georgie was only allowed six ounces, carefully measured, of goat replacer milk every four hours. The time of feeding was marked each time and all formula was carefully measured into a plastic soda pop bottle with a goat nipple installed at the opening. We warmed each bottle to 98 degrees so it would be like mother’s milk and George loved it! One day George learned how to jump! What fun! He would run a few steps and jump, sometimes giving a little kick at the same time. Sometimes he would jump so high that he would land on his little bum! He didn’t mind. After a few days, our George could jump up on the coffee table. He could stand on his little house and jump onto our daughter’s bed. One day he jumped up on the coffee table and then did a spring jump over to my husband’s lap and up to the back of his chair. Hmmmm, this was beginning to get serious. Maybe he needed a nice, big field with special fence for goats and a few goat friends to enjoy. The internet told us that he was a Boer goat and that eventually he might weigh as much as 200 pounds. It might be that having a house goat was not going to work out. Georgie was three weeks old and had gone from a seven-pound infant to a fourteen-pound kid. He was growing up fast. We had to find a good place for him where nobody would turn him into a tamale. After searching for a week, we found a rancher who was interested in bringing new blood into her herd. He was just the guy she needed! She has a nice big field for her goats and a 10-year-old girl who loves all of them. The storm had caused many of the new mothers to be unable to feed their babies so feeding one more was no problem. No, they would never eat our George, they promised. We felt like we were taking a fiveyear-old to kindergarten on the first day when we took George to the ranch, but he immediately checked out the other goats, was welcomed, fluttered his tail happily, and didn’t seem to mind when we left him. Now, we are regular visitors at the ranch and George comes running when he sees us. He always jumps into my daughter’s lap, happily. He thinks he is still just a little kid, you see. He likes his new goat friends and his little ten-year-old human girlfriend, but he still loves us. I think we’ve got a good thing going here!
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The Fall
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all, not the season upon us, full of Walt Whitmanesque descriptions of vibrant colors and crisp air, but the kind of fall where gravity asserts itself. This topic is suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the topic du jour, the topic of the year. First, I noticed that lots of my friends were experiencing tumbles. There was the unseen crooked sidewalk on a dark street, the step missed coming down a long flight or something as simple
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as an uneven floor. Some missteps resulted in minor injuries; others required surgeries due to shattered bones. Some accidents required physical rehabilitation and changes to wardrobe. For example, the first thing to go were glamour shoes, especially the type with higher heels. They were told to seek sensible shoes, usually not as pretty. Women tend to have Cinderella complexes where they collect pretty shoes, so this is not what they would consider
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a delightful point in their personal footwear history. I had my own stumbles, but nothing resulting in a major event. I tend to walk too quickly, eyes forward, not down. I think this walking method was drilled into me in my younger days when I walked a few runways, as an amateur model. I don’t recommend this style of walking in one’s later years. One must take the long and the short view when moving to ascertain dangers ahead. Recently I had a need to seek medical attention during the pandemic and a new nurse practitioner was going to interview me. Lo and behold, she asked about falls. I told her I was doing fine, hoping she would move on to a new subject. “Do you have a grab bar in your bathtub?” she casually queried, pen poised to complete her paperwork. “Why would you ask me that?” I responded. “Oh, that question should have been asked on your sixty-fifth birthday.” I assured the nurse that I was safe in my bathtub for the time being. I failed to mention that I had devised my own unique sawhorse dismount technique which I’d developed to leave the tub. I had also just installed a gorgeous granite finish tub which would not look as pretty with a giant grab bar mounted on the side.
The next time I saw one of my good friends I mentioned this troubling medical conversation. She looked at me without hesitation and stated that she had those bars mounted throughout her home, leaving me to wonder if I was late to the grab bar party. I still resist. My mother had a specialist come to her home to do risk assessment. My mom plans to stay in her own home as long as she is able, with assistance hired to help. However, the home must be safe. Her clipboard-carrying expert walked her house, making copious entries, and frequently muttering to herself. When she saw my mother’s pride and joy, her over-a-hundred-year-old bed, four feet off the ground, no steps to get up, she froze. She pointed to the bed and just said, “NO!” I can only imagine the mental image she had of my mom making a running jump, at eighty-eight years of age, to mount this towering structure. Now mom has a short single bed alongside the antique monster. Much safer. I decided we would do our own version of an inspection in our home. We moved any slippery rugs and replaced them with rubber backed, non-skid types of floor coverings. I placed my heels high on a shelf and put sensible shoes on the lower shelves. We now leave lights on, without regard for saving electricity. The new concern is to prevent medical bills, far more costly than savings for operating in the dark. Our daughter-in-law is in the lighting business. She sent us battery charged lights to mount along the wall. The lights sense movement, so that if we get up in the dark and step out of the bed, they flick on and light our path. This is so ingenious; I highly recommend them. Now that we are more prepared, I feel ready to face the season ahead. May we all enjoy a lovely fall, complete with floating leaves and a sweet Katina Pontikes chill to the air.
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Judge Less; Love More By Christy Wiseman
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recently heard a beautiful interview with Paul Mitchell (for those of you who don’t know, he was the retired representative from Michigan, who went into office as a Republican, but later left the party for the Independent party, as did I, and for the same reasons) It was on CNN Sunday night - August 22nd. Now if you’re still with me, question this: His wish was to give an interview from his hospice bed, but not to have it aired until AFTER his death. Why would that be? It bespeaks a sadder, but growing situation in the United States and perhaps elsewhere as well. When I first came to Ajijic, I was told it was a “gay free” city. I didn’t care.
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My first husband was “gay.” No, I didn’t know it when I married him, but I soon found out after and stayed with him for ten years. Why? He was a good man, a loving father, a caring person and a good friend. Plus, a priest told me that were I ever to be with another man I’d be excommunicated. After ten years (I’m a slow learner) I gave up as did he. In my naïveté I thought I could change my husband and he did want to change or thought he did and could. We were both wrong. Eventually we decided that a gay man and a heterosexual woman can be dear friends and can have a lot in common, but that differing sexual identification does not make for an ideal mar-
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riage AND what one is, one is. We divorced which allowed us each to find more suitable partners. We could still appreciate and value one another as human beings without either of us needing to change. I can sympathize with the challenges being gay or a varied lifestyle choice brings, but I can’t empathize, because I’m not gay. “Walk a mile in my shoes” conveys the idea that what is part of one person’s identity is not necessarily what is part of another’s. That shouldn’t diminish the value of each. In today’s age, “fitting in” which translates to “having the same mentality” isn’t so much a sexual thing as it is a political thing in many circles. Now when you meet someone, the first question no longer seems to be your sexual preferences, (who really cares what two consenting adults choose to do in private.) The first question seems to be, “Are you Republican or Democrat; liberal or conservative” and if you are what I am, maybe we can be friends, but if you aren’t, we will be enemies as then I’ll know you’re stupid or worse. The damning assumptions seem to be, if you are conservative you are a “Trumper and buy the whole package and only watch Fox TV” and if you are a liberal, you never watch Fox and anything related to Democrats is good and kind. Be cautious of such broad strokes with such a judgemental brush. Name calling can result, which belittles you and gives the person calling the names the seeming right to harm you, destroy your business and sometimes your life because of his or her fancied superiority. Where is the love or peace or joy in that? Some lovers of violence might find it, but hopefully you wouldn’t. Now in schools in the U.S., the Critical Race Theory or CRT is being pushed, which divides us based on our skin color. If, by chance you are white, heaven help you. You’ve obviously had “white privilege” and are the oppressor. If you aren’t, you are the oppressed so I guess
that means you’ll find it almost impossible to become successful; examples to the contrary. In truth, harder, maybe, because in some areas or companies, there IS still systemic racism practiced, perhaps without intent or even awareness. There is also nepotism, illegal but practiced. The solution offered by CRT is creating equity. That is a simple solution for a complex problem. Creating equity creates a dangerous attitudinal difference because it gives credence to “righteous hatred.” Face it - hatred is never righteous. Life is not always fair. Accept it. Do your best anyway. It will give an example to someone in need of it. Find your passion. Make a difference with your special talents and hard work. Equity divides us rather than unites us. It leads to destruction of our right to be wonderfully different, unique, amazing human beings who make differing choices depending on our values and talents. Hopefully they are the right ones for us. Equity also negates the possibility of appreciating that uniqueness and beauty and value in another. I chose my profession because it was the most meaningful to me, certainly not because it was the most financially rewarding. Does that make me “less than?” or mean that by fate or by your professional choices you have an unfair financial advantage? Continuing that line, should you then be obliged/forced to give me some of what you earned. You choose your path, good for you. I’m happy with mine and with its consequences. Good for me. Can we overlook our differences and still value one another in order to come together to find solutions for common problems? Kahlil Gibran once said, “Your work is your love expressed. May that also be true of our Christy Wiseman lives.
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El Dorado The Legend The Muisca Raft By Robert Drynan
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iscovered by peasants in 1856, it is the center piece of the Gold Museum in Bogotá, Colombia. The raft is a single unit made from a lost art using a clay mold. It portrays the rite of propitiation of the God of Lake Guatavita, located north of modern-day Bogotá, and the initiation of the priest-king of the Muisca people. Gold to the Muisca was not a symbol of material wealth, but bore a powerful religious significance; the recipient of the sun’s energy, a life-giving star, and the source of fertility. When Spanish invaders got wind of the ceremony, it gave rise to the distorted legend
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of El Dorado. European greed led eventually to enslavement of the Amerindian people and terrible acts of cruelty. European diseases wiped out millions who had no natural immunity to them. Pursuit of the wealth of El Dorado drove exploration of the South American Continent to permanent European settlement. *** The aurora of the rising sun outlined the high tree clad ridges surrounding the banks of the Laguna Guatavita, casting a green-golden patina on its smooth surface, a result of the morning light and algae. The population of the Muisca pueb-
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lo, clad in cotton finery, adorned with brilliant plumes of feathers and many wearing golden crowns, plaques and armlets, gathered at the edge of the lake. Near-by priests entered the cave where the aboutto-be-anointed king-priest had been fasting, isolated from light and human contact since the death of his predecessor. They led him to the edge of the water where they removed all of his clothing and initiated the ritual of smearing his body with a viscous clay mud. When he was completely covered, but for his face, gold dust was sprinkled over him until he sparkled and glowed as the golden orb of the sun surged into the morning sky. ***** The golden one, soon to be anointed as the new Zipa was led to a balsa, a raft made of rushes, moored to the shore. On the raft four braziers began to spew smoke of burning moque, incense, drifting a fragrant cloud across the lake. The people began singing and dancing to the music of pipes and flutes. Additional braziers were lit along the shore. The golden one was led onto the balsa and heaps of golden ornaments and emeralds were placed at his feet.
He was joined by four subchiefs, also stripped to the skin, but decked in plumes, golden crowns, bracelets, pendants and ear-rings. Rowers boarded the balsa and it set out for the center of the lake. When the balsa arrived, a flag signaled the end of the singing and dancing. As silence fell, the anointed one cast all of his golden treasure into the depths of the lake, and then he leapt into its waters. The accompanying chiefs threw all their adornments into the lake and waited as the golden mud dissolved from the body of the new Zipa. Once the priest-king had returned to the balsa it began its return to the shore, and the singing and dancing resumed. Saguipa became Zipa of the Muisca in the year 1536 of the Christian calendar. His rule of the Muisca people lasted less than two years. The arms of a distant empire were reaching out to crush Saguipa, his counterpart, Aquiminzaque of Hunza, leader of the second branch of the Muisca, and their culture . . . and to enslave their people. Robert Drynan
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COLUMNIST
PROFILING TEPEHUA By Moonyeen King President of the Board for Tepehua
moonie1935@yahoo.com
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020 was a year of challenge, but it had prepared the front liners in Tepehua Community Center a little for the challenges of 2021 although they were different inasmuch as everything intensified. We can all name people around us who have contracted Covid. Especially in the barrios. Work to alleviate some of the problems the villages face, like shortages of potable water, food and material for home repair was going on before the pandemic and is still a major need in the barrios, except more-so, and related illnesses are still the same, only more dangerous. Tepehua Community Center is a major source of strength for the people. The Medical Center is open approximately three times a week for family medicine, gynecology, etc. as is the dental unit. Potable water is delivered when required with distribution for the poor every Saturday. Food distribution occurs twice a month. Education is at the whim of the Government which is opening up the schools and with luck will stay open. Most households are not conducive to home teaching and study, especially for on-line classes when the poor only have cell phones to rely on. Our team is getting as many children into the general school system as possible. The public have reacted enthusiastically to the appeal for home improvement donations, for which we thank you. You have no idea the joy a simple commode can bring to a family. Your help to stop open defecation, to bring health and dignity to a people who want to change is priceless. People are aware their environment plays a huge role in health. Keeping our waters free of human waste pollution is essential. We are all involved in the environment issue because what affects one affects the other no matter
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your status in life. Bringing hygiene to the home has a domino effect and it spreads to the world around us. All the above labor is being done by the home-owners, and if they do not use the material within a month, it is taken away and given to the next person on the waiting list. Where the home does not have labour available, it is supplied to them. Although the communal toilet opening has been put on hold because of the continuing rise of Covid in the area, the program continues. We are opening, but quietly. Progress reports will still be sent as we monitor the scene. Where we can, we are placing toilets in homes, along with home repair such as roofs and floor tiles to finish the cement floors that stay damp in the rainy season and weep with sweat in the hot dry season in an attempt to dry out. There will be a call for all used toilets and related items until as many homes as possible have toilets. As soon as funding is found there will be another experimental communal toilet built to see if this is the way to solve the problem. One step at a time. Covid testing is everywhere, and we must take our health in our own hands. If you feel any or all of the symptoms go and get tested, THEN STAY HOME until you are sure it is not Covid. Prices for the test are all over the map. This author took some foreign visitors for their preflight test and it was over 800 pesos each. Soon after, in the same place a local girl was taken for testing and it was over 700 pesos. The very next day in the same place we sent her Dad to be tested and they charged him 400 pesos. Above all else, do not live in fear, just adapt and conquer. As the prayer goes...’Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.’
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COLUMNIST
If Our Pets Could Talk By Jackie Kellum
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oes your pet have ‘whisker stress?’ Yes, there is such a thing. Whiskers serve a purpose for both cats and dogs. Whiskers are not like hair as they are thicker at the base and narrow toward the end and are three times deeper than hair follicles. They are located generally around the nose, eyes and under the chin, on the forelegs, near the ears, and they are in place at birth. The placement of dog whiskers tends to vary from one individual to another in an irregular and unpredictable manner. Whiskers follicles are full of blood vessels and nerves. Human’s sense of touch is in their fingers, while cats and dogs touch with their whiskers. They can sense distance, space and feel vibrations, much like antennas on insects. This is why if your pet is wearing a ‘cone’ after surgery it may act disoriented, as he cannot ‘see’ as well without use of his whiskers. These ‘tactile hairs,’ do not feel anything, they transmit information to sensory cells when they detect objects or movement. If air moves against them or an object touches the whisker, it stimulates the hair follicle nerves. The nerves are complex and can detect the shape, size and speed of near-by objects. When your pet is resting, so are his whiskers; when he is alert, they are too. A happy-curious pet will elevate the whiskers above his eyes, giving a wide-eyed alert expression. If the pet feels threatened he will flair the whiskers on the muzzle area and direct them toward the perceived threat. The theory of ‘whisker stress’ sounds reasonable if you are constantly touching a highly sensitive spot anywhere on the body. This fulltime alert system can fatigue the area, and in some cases, even cause stress. Both dogs and cats utilize their whiskers in a similar way, but dogs use their whiskers in a less pronounced way. Dogs and cats with reduced vision are especially dependent on
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their whiskers. Dogs are known for their great sense of smell and hearing. However, canine vision is better at a distance and can have difficulty focusing on objects up close. The use of whiskers helps them “see” things that lie right under their noses by constantly sending information to their brain. As a dog approaches something in his path, he stirs up air currents that bounce back when they hit solid objects. Whiskers detect very faint vibrations caused by these changes in air currents and act like radar detectors. When a dog approaches a narrow space, his whiskers help him determine if he can fit through the space. When at the groomer, be sure to mention that you do not want your dog’s whiskers touched, because this may decrease his special awareness and confuse him. No one has done a study on ‘whisker fatigue’ but it has been observed and reported more by cat owners than dog owners. These are signs that your cat may be experiencing ‘whisker fatigue’: refusal to eat or drink from their usual dishes, pacing in front of the food bowls and meowing like something is wrong or pawing at their food trying to pull it from the bowl and put it on the floor to eat. If you observe this, a possible solution: just change your cat’s food and water bowls to a wider flatter bowl with plenty of space for the whiskers on both sides of their face so their whiskers do not touch both sides of the bowl. Because issues with eating can also be signs of disease or other health problems, always rule these out by taking your cat to the Vet. Jackie Kellum
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Bandit on Board By Rosamund Levy
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y husband Michael and I have been boating together since before we were married. For many years we lived on the shores of Lake Ontario, in and around Toronto, but kept our boat several hours drive north, on Georgian Bay. For those who may be geographically challenged, Georgian Bay is a large body of water attached to Lake Huron, carved out of the bedrock by glaciers millions of years ago. It is rugged, wild, and incredibly beautiful. Our favourite playground was called 30,000 Islands, for good reason, a stretch of coastline filled with bays and inlets, and places with names like Frying Pan Island, Wreck Island, Echo
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Bay, San Souci (which means without care) or in today’s vernacular No Worries. Otters and fishers play in the shallow shoreline areas, and beavers change the landscape with their lodges and dams. Sightings of deer, moose and bears are not uncommon. Rattlesnakes keep everyone on their toes, and the loons sing their mournful song while the ospreys dive for fish. The boating season is short up there, from April or May when the ice melts, to the following October or November, when winter begins to set in again. But those summer months are glorious, and we spent as much time there as we could, forming lifelong
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friendships with other folks at the marina where we kept our boat. One particular summer, about 8 years ago, the marina was plagued by an unusual number of raccoons. We had all had our own encounters with the sneaky little thieves getting onboard and helping themselves to whatever goodies they could find, often with the boat owners present at the time of the crime, watching open mouthed as they were robbed of fruit, bread, snacks...anything edible. They can unzip zippers, undo snaps, open latches, and squeeze through very small spaces. They’re smart, and brazen, and pretty much fearless. They can cause thousands of dollars of damage if they decide to settle in for any length of time. And, if cornered, can become quite vicious. One Friday evening, Michael and I had just arrived at the marina, and loaded our weekend supplies onto the boat. One of our dock mates, being a good neighbour, had decided to open up his buddy’s boat across from us in preparation for their arrival. He climbed aboard, opened the canvas bridge enclosure, and went below to open up some of the windows. He came back out again very quickly, saying there was dog food strewn across the floor, and a raccoon asleep in the
forward cabin. A very big raccoon. Word quickly spread from boat to boat, and of course everyone had an opinion on what to do next, but the consensus was to wake it up somehow so it would leave the boat. We made sure kids and pets were safely out of the way, should the beast make a run for it along the dock. A few of the guys started to bang on the hull. No reaction. Someone suggested firing an air horn through the open porthole. Still no movement from Rocky. The crowd was growing by this time, shouting suggestions and encouragement, all liberally fueled by Friday night cocktails. Finally, three brave souls (Michael included) decided to risk the dangers of a cranky raccoon. Armed with a fishing net and a chair cushion (don’t ask) they were going in. It got very quiet on the dock as the rest of us waited with baited breath and drinks in hand. Suddenly, from on board, a flurry of activity, and a cheer from the three hunters as they appeared topside, the vanquished marauder displayed for all to see. His limp body was held aloft in triumph for us all to admire. There was moment of shocked silence from the spectators on the dock. We never thought they’d actually kill it. Just shoo it away. And then we began to realize what had really happened, and shouts of laughter filled the air. So our good neighbour, who only wanted to do his friend a favour, ended up the talk of the marina, and the butt of more than one friendly joke, for organizing a hunting party for a stuffed toy raccoon. And as for Rocky—well, he has moved up in the world, to a place of pride on the bridge! But the question remains—how did all that dog food get scattered around inside the boat, and who, or what, is to blame? How did it get in? And, most importantly, will it come back? Probably—now that it has a friend on board!
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COLUMNIST
Verdant View
By Francisco Nava
The Three Sisters
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orn, beans, squash…their universal language – food. Corn is the first born. It grows straight and tall and has a lofty goal—a strong stem for its younger sisters. Once planted in the moist earth corn seeds take on water quickly. The endosperm drawing water to it, creating its starchy contents. Corn the first to emerge from the ground. Corn is all alone at first, while the other sisters get ready. The bean focuses on leaf growth while the corn concentrates on height. The bean grows almost a meter a day, embracing the corn. The bean seed swells and bursts its coat and sends rootling deep down into the ground. Beans take their time, finding the light because they are well provisioned. Their first leaves are already packaged into two halves of the seed. The squash is a late bloomer, taking the longest and is the slower of the sisters. She extends herself over the ground, moving away from the corn and beans. The broad lobed leaves are bristly, giving second thoughts to nibbling caterpillars. The leaves grow wider, sheltering the soil at the corn and bean base, keeping moisture in and other plants out. The birth order is important to their relationship and to the success of the crop. Native people speak of this planting as the Three Sisters. During a long winter, when people were hungry, three beautiful women came to their dwellings. One was tall, dressed in yellow with long flowing hair. The second woman was dressed in green and the third wore orange. Food was scarce, but the visiting strangers were fed generously. In gratitude for this generosity, the three sisters revealed their true identities—corn, bean and squash and gave themselves to the people in a bundle of seeds so that they may never go hungry again. ‘Respect one another, support one another, bring your gifts to the world and receive the gifts of others.’ - Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall Kimmerer What to plant in October The weather turns cooler in Octo-
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ber and some rains persist. Think about plants that are happier with cooler weather. Root vegetables: plant beets, radishes, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and rutabaga from seed this month. For a colorful harvest try white, red, purple, and pink radish varieties. Carrots also come in a variety of colors, including yellow, maroon, and several shades of orange. Leafy greens and Brassicas: Lettuces, spinach, and Swiss chard can be planted from seed or from transplant this month. Plant members of the Brassica family, including broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, kohlrabi, and cauliflower from transplants. Kale can also be planted from seed in October. Alliums: The allium family features strong-tasting veggies like onions, garlic, shallots, chives and leeks. Besides spicing up savory dishes, alliums help deter pests from your garden. Peas: Plant sugar snap peas, snow peas, and garden peas from seed. Be sure to provide this vining plant with a sturdy trellis to climb and enjoy its lovely blossoms. Harvest frequently to encourage plants to produce more peas. Artichoke: Save space for this large, dramatic member of the thistle family (which grows to a full size of 2-3 wide and 3-4 feet tall) and you won’t regret it! Plant artichokes from transplant in October, and harvest the large flower buds in early spring (you can also leave some buds to open into brilliant periwinkle blooms.) The viveros have gerberas, fuchsias, petunias, pansies, asters, arcotis and calendulas. Plant sweet peas, nasturtium, larkspur, yarrow and viola seeds now for cool weather bloom. Set out gladiola corms. Divide Shasta daisies and start cuttings of chrysanthemums for next year. Prune, deadhead and clean up all plants in the garden, especially geraniums, which tend to become leggy and messy looking. Despite the sun lowering itself slightly in the sky, the soil is still warm and toasty. The bonus is that the flavor of many crops get tastier due to the upcoming cold winter temperatures concentrating the sugars. Francisco Nava
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Growing Orchids at Lakeside By Libby Colterjohn
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his can be a very interesting, challenging, and fulfilling hobby, especially if you are a gardener at heart and are looking for a way to do this without so much physical effort. As most of the orchids you are likely to want to grow are epiphytes, they will be grown in small pots or baskets and take up relatively little space, at least initially! Mexico is full of natural orchid species of many types growing in all environments from high mountains to coastal plains, arid deserts to ocean-side swamps. Sadly, many of these have become endangered, due to illegal harvesting, so it is important for us only to buy nursery propagated plants that we can nurture in our homes to enjoy the beauty of these incredible plants. Our climate at Lakeside is ideal for this, and we can grow a large range of orchids outside in our yards without a greenhouse and very little equipment. Certainly, some knowledge is important, and a background in gardening is helpful, but local growers are usually happy to help beginners. If you would like to try growing orchids for the first time, there are 3 genera (families) that I suggest you start with. They are very different from each other, so they will give you a feel for the variety available and you can branch out from there. As 10% of all the flowering plants on earth belong to, or are related
to, the orchid family, you will never run out of challenges. PHALAENOPSIS: These are the most commonly available from places like Costco and Home Depot, as well as from local viveros (nurseries). They are usually grown inside as they cannot take direct sun, are sensitive to cold, and will rot if the rain lies in the base of the leaves. They are easy to grow with a basic schedule and give many months of pleasure. DENDROBIUMS: These are mediumsized epiphyte plants, come in a wide range of species and colours, like mixed sun and shade, can take our winter temperatures in the garden, love rain, and flower for several weeks at a time. They can be hard to find to buy but are available locally if you know where to look. They are usually the basis of all orchid collections. CYMBIDIUMS: These are terrestrial, eventually grow into large plants, and need a permanent place in your garden with a mixture of sun and shade. The long flower stalks can have as many as 25 blossoms, come in a variety of colours, and flower for several months in the winter. Once they have settled into a place they like, they need very little care and make a spectacular show, particularly the large plants. There is a very enthusiastic club, The Lakeside Orchid Lovers, who meet monthly and it is open to new members at this time, especially if you have some experience and are seriously interested. Individual members will often be happy to offer advice to beginners, even if you feel you are not ready to commit to a collection, and you can contact me at the email below, if you wish to discuss what is involved. To start a collection, check all the local viveros and markets and you will be thrilled with what you can find, if you are lucky. Orchid growing is a wonderful hobby for retirement as it is addictive, but less physically demanding than regular gardening. I wish you lots of success! Libby Colterjohn
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Carol D. Bradley
Email: cdbradleymex@gmail.com Phone: 33-2506-7525 “The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you.” B.B. King The Lake Chapala Society hosts Open Circle every Sunday at 10AM, a popular community gathering in Ajijic, to enjoy a diverse range of presentations. For more information and to make reservations, see their website: opencircleajijic.org. The presentations will be on the south lawn, close to the gazebo, the entrance will be by the side door on Ramón Corona, chairs will be socially distanced. Gate opens at 9:30. During this period, and considering our schedule may be too fluid with cancellations and changes to the schedule to inform everyone through the press, please check our website and/or our Facebook page for updates and confirmations of presentations. We recommend bringing a hat and bottled water, and please remove containers upon departure. Attendance is limited to 80 persons, please make your reservation if you want to attend https://opencircleajijic.org/reservation_form. php Use of masks and temperature checks on entry is mandatory. October 3, David Rodwell, Climate Reality Leader With Don Aiken as a special guest. David first worked in the environmental arena with the Peace Corps with tropical infectious disease detection in Brazil. Upon his return to the US, he re-entered school, earning bachelor’s in environmental Geography and Environmental Biology. Mr. Rodwell then went on to graduate Engineering school to study Alternative Energy sources. In 2017 David joined Former Vice President Al Gore for a face-to-face training by the Vice President earning him the title of Climate Reality Leader and certifying him to present The Climate Reality Presentation, made famous by the film “An InconDavid Rodwell venient Truth” that went on to win the Academy Award. Mr. Gore’s work for the environment won him the Nobel Peace prize. David Rodwell has given this presentation across the US, Canada and even in Ajijic in 2019. He is one of 20,000, certified world-wide to do so. October 10, Dr. Richard Clucas Breaking Children out of the Cycle of Poverty Children raised in deep poverty rarely see life’s opportunities. By broadening their beliefs in what they can do and teaching them how to reach their goals, children can learn how to leave poverty behind. Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum (TAM), a non-profit located in the impoverished, crime-infested city of Compton, California, has been doing just that. Using airplanes, they take children as young as seven for a flight and give them the controls of the airplane. The shock of having flown an airplane–something so far from their concept of what is possible – they begin to understand that they can be or do anything. The Dr. Richard Clucas
methods of TAM can be used to help young Mexicans escape poverty. Clucas spent 40 years in marketing communications, advertising and public relations. He holds a Masters degree in Communications and a Masters and PhD in Education. October 31, Dr. Enrique López: Maintain your brain. A continuation from his March presentation. Dr. Lopez will provide practical tools and lifestyle tips for keeping the brain healthy and vital. Additionally, he will describe how the professional diagnoses and assesses cognitive disorders and differentiates between normal aging and a cognitive disorder such as dementia. Dr. Lopez is a psychologist/neuropsychologist and has been an allied health professional at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences since 2004. He completed a post-doctorate felDr. Enrique López lowship in neuropsychology at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital in 2000. Dr. Lopez attended Occidental College in Los Angeles from 1985 to 1989 with a major in psychology and minor in Spanish literature. Again, please check with Open Circle’s website and/or Facebook page for updates and confirmations. SAVE THE DATE: LITTLE LAKESIDE THEATRE will be presenting: THE MADRES By Stephanie Alison Walker Directed by Dave McIntosh Assistant SM – Sandy Jakubek Show Dates – November 5-14, 2021 Set in the 1970’s, in the early years of Argentina’s Dirty War against its own citizens. Tens of thousands of leftists, and anyone even casually associated with them, were “disappeared”. The human cost of these actions drove mothers and grandmothers to the streets to protest weekly, demanding the release of their loved ones. A painfully high number of them were never reunited. The women became known as Las Madres. Inside one Argentinian home touched by the brutality of the regime in the late 70’s. Powerful, heartbreaking, tragically real. At its core, THE MADRES is about the strength and resilience of women. Reviews: “THE MADRES most effectively succeeds in personalizing the plight of Argentinean mothers of “disappeared” children during the height of La Guerra Sucia
CAST l-r: Jeff Kingsbury, Marsha Heaton, Nicolas Cumplido, Angelica Guerra, Liz O’Neill. (The Dirty War) in 1978.” Gil Kaan – Broadway World.com. “It’s strong political theater that should not be missed. But don’t misunderstand; it’s also just strong theater, period.” Eric A. Gordon Tickets will be available in October at lakesidelittletheatre.com.
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CAST l-r: Jeff Kingsbury, Marsha Heaton, Nicolas Cumplido, Angelica Guerra, Liz O’Neill. THE PENTHOUSE GALLERY presents: FANTASMA- Exhibition in Celebration of Color Friday, October 22 from 2-5, through Nov. 23 at the Penthouse Gallery. Visual artists and colorists, Geraldine Classen, painter and multi- media artist, and Janice Kimball, author of The Joy of Art, along with weaving Maestro Francisco Urzua, look forward to showing you their newest work. You are asked to come dressed in your best, frankly funky, or wearing your every-day duds. Even though the gallery space is mostly open-air, masks are required. For those who forget, they promise to have one for you. Appetizers and wine will be served in a separate terrace kitchen. There will be door prizes, and a special event. This promises to be a lively Friday afternoon celebration. Don’t miss it. Penthouse Gallery 232 Carr, Pte, West Ajijic (near Yves and Dental Express) e-mail janicekimballmx@gmail.com. for more information. FOTO- Geraldine and her drawing of Janice and Francisco’s weaving studio. This was to become the painting that motivated the artists to celebrate the joys of color with the FANTASMA exhibition. Diane Pearl Gallery, Arts & Activities Center BEGINNING WATERCOLOR: WET & TRANSPARENT With Elaine Frenett October 8, 15, 22, 29 & November 12, 19 Fridays, 10am-12pm, 6 classes In this series of 6 classes, we will dance through pigment basics and practice seeing differently. Some drawing skills needed. Limited to 6 students. For more information and pricing, please contact Elaine: elainefrenett@ live.com, www.elainefrenett.com IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU! REVELATION OF THE HIGHER
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SELF THROUGH CREATIVE EXPRESSION 3 PART WORKSHOP October 13, 20 & 27, Wednesdays, 11am – 1:30pm, 3 sessions Renowned instructor Gayle Temkin will teach you to calm your nervous system through the optimization of your Vagus Nerve. This process will nourish your health and creativity, as well as facilitate deep self-reflection and the expression of your higher self through your choice of fine art, movement, or music. Cost for 3 classes: 800 pesos; 6 participants. STUDIO TIME - BRING YOUR OWN PROJECT Every Tuesday, 2-4:30pm Get inspired to create and participate! Enjoy complimentary use of our indoor and outdoor studio spaces with plenty of room for six participants to work on their creative endeavors in good company. For details and registration, please contact Diane Pearl dianepearlmexico@gmail.com, 376-766-5683, www.dianepearl.com Sta. Margarita 23, Riberas Del Pilar (The New Downtown), Mon-Sat 11-4 One block up from Pancho’s Market, Turn mountainside at ORMA’s Auto Parts, then first right. Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo: Located in the beautiful Old Train Station at Ave. Gonzalez Gallo 1500 in Chapala. One of our main goals as Museums, Exhibitions and Galleries of Jalisco is to decentralize so that our exhibitions and activities can reach every corner of Jalisco. Follow very close our billboard because very soon we will be closer to you. Waiting for you at the Gonzalez Gallo Cultural Center with the Nudalia exhibition! # Lo s M e s e o s M á s Ce r caDeTi #EspaciosMEG For updates and coming events, find them on Facebook at: Centro Cultural Gonzalez Gallo.
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LIFE AND DEATH ON THE BIG TWO HEARTED RIVER A young veteran seeks relief from PTSD in the Michigan wilderness Dr. Lorin Swinehart
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he recent PBS series created by Ken Burns has caused a resurgence of interest in the life and writings of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway is not an easy person to categorize. As a man, he was bombastic, sometimes bullying, self aggrandizing, too often intoxicated and never loathe to turn on his friends and benefactors. Many men appear to admire Hemingway for all the wrong reasons, and many women despise him for all the wrong reasons. They simply do not get it. Underneath all the boasting and bellicosity, Hemingway’s writing
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reveals a man for whom pain, anxiety and fear were never strangers. His most potent writing is saturated with angst, perhaps no more so than in his early collection of stories In Our Time, particularly the iconic “Big Two Hearted River”. Hemingway always denied that his protagonist Nick Adams was his alter ego, but the parallels between the fictitious Nick and the real life author are difficult to overlook. Nick is wounded on the Italian Front during World War I. Hemingway himself was wounded on the Italian Front when he was struck by an Austrian mortar shell that left frag-
El Ojo del Lago / October 2021
ments of shrapnel in his thighs, right foot, knee, hand and scalp. Two Italian soldiers beside him suffered more grievously, one killed and the other having his legs blown off. Hemingway, then only 18 years old, carried a wounded comrade to safety at an aid station, for which he was awarded the Italian Croce de Guerra. In one of the vignettes preceding “Big Two Hearted River”, Nick has been wounded and finds himself propped against a wall, his legs sprawled out in front of him. Nearby lies a dead soldier. The scene is too similar to Hemingway’s own experience to be coincidental. There are other parallels; Nick’s and Hemingway’s boyhood lives in the forests of northern Michigan, the tyrannical mother figure with her twisted logic and hint of sadism, experiences of love and loss. World War I has been referred to as the first modern war. The unexpected horror it unleashed spawned some of the most powerful literature exposing the true cost of modern warfare: Erich Maria Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front;” Dalton Trumbo’s “Johnny Got His Gun,” the gritty, realistic poetry of Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon, and Alan Seeger. Nick’s and, by implication, Hemingway’s period of recuperation in an Italian military hospital was traumatic. In the wee hours, he was terrified by a sense of levitating out of his body, looking down upon himself. In order to maintain his grip on reality, he imagined all the trout streams of his boyhood in Michigan. He found that if he focused hard enough on fishing, his spirit remained anchored to his body. Big Two Hearted River, Parts I and II, comes at the end of In “Our Time” and cannot be truly appreciated without taking the complete book into consideration as well as the entirety of the Nick Adams stories. The vignettes that intersperse the chapters could easily be overlooked by readers. Most highlight incidents of disappointment, abandonment, violence, pain, death, insanity. Hemingway opens his book with a scene of horror that occurred at the end of the war as the Greeks were evacuating Smyrna. The author describes mothers refusing to part with dead infants, pack animals with broken legs left to drown in the sea. Later, the vignette separating the two parts of “Big Two Hearted River” describes in horrific detail an execution by hanging. In Our Time opens with the story “Indian Camp”, in which a very young Nick accompanies his physician father by canoe across the waters of a northern lake where a Caesarean delivery is performed with a pocketknife. During the course of the procedure, the woman’s husband commits suicide by slit-
ting his throat with a straight razor. All too much for a young boy to witness. “Indian Camp” sets the stage for more nightmarish scenes to come. While the term did not exist in 1925 when Hemingway published his story, Nick suffers from severe case of what today is labeled post traumatic stress disorder. His backpack is a heavy one, far more so than those toted into the wilds by more recent trekkers like Colin Powell and Cheryl Strayed. His gear consists of a canvas tent, no less than three blankets, a skillet, a coffee pot, an ax, his fly rod and fishing gear, mosquito netting, even canned goods. However, his spiritual backpack outweighs his physical one. It is overflowing with dark memories and thoughts visions he cannot erase from his psyche. One can survive a trauma, but one can never escape the memory of it. Nick makes his post war journey up the Big Two Headed alone, but ghosts dog his footsteps all the way. Try as he may, he cannot extinguish the horrors he has witnessed on the battlefield, his own brush with mortality, and very likely too many vivid memories of boyhood traumas. He concentrates as obsessively on the sticks and pieces of setting up his camp—staking down his tent, preparing a meal, filling his water bucket, making coffee in just the exact right way—as he ever did upon trout fishing when back in the hospital. Such a determined focus may keep the ghosts at bay. For a while. However, the past intrudes. It always does. As he tries out his newly erected tent, he struggles to convince himself that his wilderness sanctuary is inviolable. He muses, “Nothing could touch him. It was a good place to camp. He was there, in the good place. He was in his home where he had made it.” As Nick sits down to his campfire meal of canned spaghetti and beans, he exults, “Geez! Jeez Christ!” All is settled. He has survived the terrors of war and has found healing and peace in the safety and sanctity of the arms of Mother Nature, or so he wishes to believe. The ghosts will not be dismissed. They come slinking back again and again, a reality that Hemingway recognized all too well, a reality that all of us must confront, whether or not we have been in a war. There is no final escape from the ghosts. They will continue to whisper their dark messages despite one’s best defenses. Some say that if a thing fails to kill you, it makes you stronger. That item of ersatz wisdom does not appear to be true in Nick’s case. Not in Hemingway’s either. Others say that if a thing doesn’t kill you, it simply doesn’t kill you and that is all you get, probably nearer the truth. In Nick’s case, even the scorched Continued on page 36
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From page 34 country and the blackened wreckage of the town of Seney, devastated by a forest fire, that he traverses on the way to his campsite is reminiscent of the battlefield, a place of death and destruction. He has survived, but he has not been made stronger. Not yet. Darkness descends, and Nick’s feelings of dread grow as a mist rises and begins to obscure the riverbank opposite his campsite. Soon, the bank is blanketed by the mist. What dark presences lurk in the mist, fell things that continue to haunt Nick. Given the earlier stories, the reader has a good idea. Nick reflects upon friends who have vanished from his life, particularly a fishing pal named Hopkins. Hopkins struck it rich in the oil fields. He had great plans to take Nick and his other friends fishing along the north shore of Lake Superior the following summer. We are not told what happened to Hopkins, only that his friends never saw him again. Was he killed in the war, or did his new riches sentence him to a bloated meaningless life as an effete, Gatsby-like fop, a life in death and a death in life? Whatever became of Hopkins, it does not seem to have been a good thing. The fate of Hopkins is a dangerous subject for Nick to think about, “His mind was starting to work. He knew he could choke it because he was tired enough.” Through Nick, we learn that there are many forms of death; death in battle, death in the bull ring, death of relationships, death of the mind and soul. Nearly all of Hemingway’s stories involving Nick focus upon death. In some of the stories from In Our Time, Nick and his closest friends equate marriage with death, the end of carefree lifestyles. Craving a simple life and panicked by the threat of marital and parental responsibilities, painfully aware that he would live a life of ennui among his one dimensional in-laws, particularly his toxic future mother-inlaw, Nick brings one love relationship to a quick, cruel end. Later in the story “Cross Country Snow”, Nick, having fallen victim to the biological trap that the author seems to have feared all of his days, reluctantly departs from a ski trip in the Swiss Alps in order to return to America where he will take up the responsibilities of husband and father. There is a sense of doom in the story, the loss of Eden, reentrance now forever barred by flaming cherubim. The story ends with Nick fearing to fish in the river where it flows through a dark swamp. The old familiar feelings of dread reappear as he considers the branches meeting closely overhead, and the chest deep water creeping
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ever higher as he wades after the elusive trout. The fishing there would be “tragic” the author tells us, and Nick decides to put off the swamp until another day. Nick’s greatest psychic energies are exhausted in his struggles not to probe the darkest waters of his consciousness. While the water and the wilderness provide some healing for the ravaged soul, it seems that Nick’s ghosts may accompany him after he returns to civilization. We need to be careful about which dark streams we cast our lines into. Nick Adams is Everyman as he navigates his way through life, experiencing moments of triumph and tragedy. The “Our Time” of Hemingway’s book highlights the menaces posed by the recently elapsed twentieth century and suggests the threat of similar challenges during the course of the present one. Human history is not typified so much by one nightmare after another as it is by the same nightmares repeated over and over again. Perhaps Ernest Hemingway was on to something when he sent Nick Adams off into the wilderness following his wartime traumas. There is a growing understanding that immersion in the wilderness, most recently labeled ecotherapy, can be helpful to those suffering from PTSD. A recent publication by Cindy Ross, entitled “Walking Toward Peace: Veterans Healing on America’s Trails,” includes stories of those who have conquered depression, nightmares, flashbacks, extreme vigilance, feelings of guilt, even thoughts of suicide, the standard symptoms of PTSD, by hiking the Appalachian Trail. As for the great author himself, he obviously failed to find the peace that he sent Nick in search of. On July 2, 1961, at his home in the mountains of Idaho, suffering from severe physical pain and emotional turmoil, he shot himself in the head with his 12 gauge shotgun, ending his tortured life. Perhaps he would have been a happier man if he had remained in his beloved north country, content to pen his many short stories. Success, fame, celebrity often extract a high price. As a footnote, my wife and I have passed the town of Seney, Michigan on several occasions, and it is still there. It was never destroyed by a forest fire. Too, the real Big Two Hearted River meets Lake Superior about thirty miles east of Seney, while it is the Fox River that passes the town. Lorin Swinehart
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COLUMNIST
Unsung Heroes By Tom Nussbaum
H
e works 65 hours a week at the restaurant. It seems like he’s always there. Always. But Café Negro is a family-owned restaurant and Tomas is the manager. And restaurant managers put in long hours. Tomas Rowen Nicola Delangre Rojas didn’t always spend his days at the San Antonio landmark. He was too young when his mother founded the eatery 16 years ago. But a few years later, as a young teenager, he began participating in the family business, first as a busboy, then as a waiter, and eventually as manager. The road to management, however, had a few bumps and sharp turns. Tomas took a detour. He dropped out of school at 14, which caused great tension between his mother and himself, and found himself making other poor choices in life and in friendships. By 16, no longer living with family, he invited several older acquaintances to move in with him to split costs. They proved to be more problematic than helpful. By 19, Tomas had recognized the errors he had made and redirected his life. The fourth of six children, Tomas, with his easy smile (generally hidden now by COVID-masks), charm, and positivity, had always demonstrated a natural intelligence. It would come as no surprise, then, when he learned English by listening to restaurant customers, television, and video games. No classes or teachers were needed. He speaks without an accent, even mastering idioms and common colloquial phrases. While two siblings live in the United States, Tomas has never been to the US. In fact, his travels are limited. The Chapala-born Tomas thinks the farthest he’s traveled has been to Puerto Vallarta. He, however, remembers as a young child dreaming of world travel. Today his goal is to visit Alaska. The cold and layers of clothing, he says, don’t scare him. But he admits he’s never experienced real cold and may be in for a surprise. A doodler and drawer in his moments of free time, Tomas is intrigued by fantasy films like the Lord of the Rings Trilogy and Game of Thrones. He also has an interest in computer programming, but the restaurant and life
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Tomas Rowen Nicola Delangre Rojas have left him little time to pursue it. A generally happy, positive person, Tomas finds his least favorite aspect of restaurant work is dish washing. But on the other hand, he is fascinated by the variety of people he has met through his work. “Whether they were extremely successful before they came here, or struggled through life, facing challenges and rough circumstances,” he observes, “they all have interesting stories and, for the most part, are decent people.” He pauses. “For the most part,” he repeats. “Even the customers who throw food at me.” He is serious. Customers have pelted Tomas with food, usually for questionable reasons. He’s been hit, for example, with chunks of a disliked fruit from a fruit cup. Tomas shrugs his shoulders. “You wonder,” he adds with a laugh, “why they think that is OK. Were they teenage trouble-makers like me, only they never grew up?” On the other hand, some customers have even given Tomas the shirt off their back. Literally. Many of the tee-shirts and baseball caps he wears sport the names and logos of professional teams from his customers’ U.S. and Canadian hometowns. “They just give them to me, knowing I like them, and wanting to share their team pride with me,” he says. Tomas has a girlfriend, Lupita. They’ve been together six years and live near the restaurant. Neither a wedding nor children are on the horizon, he points out rather quickly. That might be because Tomas knows making a marriage work and raising kids requires a lot more than 65 hours Tom Nussbaum per week.
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Road Trip By Lillian Norma
M
y boyfriend cast me a sideways glance as he asked, “You’re not using the guide book again, are you?” “Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I?” “Because, by now, you should realize the book is wrong.” “Wrong? How could the book be wrong?” “The maps are printed backwards. It’s like looking at a negative.” “Well, they don’t look like negatives to me,” I snapped. “Then kindly explain to me why we get lost every day. Every day.” “Look,” he implored, “take your eyes off the damn book for a minute and look out the window. The river is on my side of the road. In the book, it’s on your side of the road. The book is wrong.” White knuckles gripped the steering wheel as he reiterated, almost shouting now, “The. Book. Is. Wrong.” Shaking his head and heaving a deep sigh, he muttered under his breath, “How many times do I have to say it?” “No,” I insisted, my voice rising to match his, ”you’re looking at it all wrong. It’s a published book. A published book. Don’t you think the editor would have noticed if the maps were backwards before it was sent for printing?! Jeez.” Tired of arguing, I slammed the much dogged-eared book shut, rolled up the window and reclined my seat in split second speed. One last jab, though, before I closed my eyes. “Oh, shut up, okay? Just shut up.” Stony silence enveloped us like an early morning fog bank as I squirmed to find a comfortable position. My mind flashed back to how the day had begun in Springfield and I wondered how we had come to this stalemate. The cerulean sky showed no
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remnants of last night’s thunderstorm and by mid-morning the temperature had climbed to the mid 80s. We had decided not to use the A/C but to roll down the windows instead. Like a couple of giggly teenagers, we stuck our hands out and rode the air waves. Formally called Main Street of America, and no longer useful for the big rigs on a rigid deadline, most of the time ours was the only vehicle in sight for miles. Just the way we liked it. But now here we were at each other’s throats arguing over a damn guidebook. I couldn’t discern which was worse, the anger simmering inside my head or the heat inside the car! Luckily, our first stop of the day, The Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, was only a few miles up the road. The clicking indicator signal jolted me out of my reverie. I reached for the book on the dashboard but he grabbed it first and exited the car. “Maybe, after a coffee and a treat,” he said through a forced smile, “I can point out all the discrepancies between the book and reality.” My sour mood matched the searing heat rising from the walkway leading up to the restaurant. I shook my head in consternation. “Yeah, I don’t think so.” Once inside, the proprietor welcomed us with an outstretched hand, “Come in out of the heat,” he greeted us. Finally, a friendly voice, I thought. As we reached the counter, he noticed the book. He reached out, took it out of my boyfriend’s hand, and with a flick of his wrist, threw it along the counter like a frisbee. “I bet that book has caused many a marital argument. The maps are printLillian ed backwards.” Norma
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Señor Tope By Mark Sconce
W
hile dining in Paris last year, I had the great good fortune to run into Sr. Tope, originally of Chapala, Mexico. He was sitting alone in Au Pied de Cochon, a restaurant famous for its pig knuckles. Elegantly dressed, mustachioed and reading a past issue of El Ojo del Lago, he welcomed my arrival at a table adjacent his. Although a very wealthy gentleman, he seemed down to earth, rather shy and noticeably rotund. When he found out I was living in Ajijic, he lit up and asked about his former pueblo. I assured him that everything was fine Lakeside.
Javier Tope Moreno made his fortune when he was able to show that his invention, the eponymous speed bump we all love to hate, was much more effective and less expensive than semáforos, or policemen packing radar guns. The Sleeping Policemen, Sr. Tope affectionately called them. The Federal government saw a cost-saving device and signed a contract allowing my dinner partner eight pesos for the standard tope and ten pesos each for the insidious little ones that can launch your vehicle airborne. As they became more and more ubiquitous throughout Mexico, Sr. Tope became wealthier and wealthier. He was now a perma-
nent resident of Paris, France. I asked Sr. Tope if he missed Chapala, lakeside pueblo of his youth. “Oh, yes,” he assured me. “Look what I’m reading. I’m very happy that the folks at El Ojo del Lago decided to print a Spanish edition.” As we were savoring a smooth Bordeaux, the famous pig knuckles arrived, and we set to work with the little forks they provide for digging into the tender joints. After our exquisite meal, I thought to ask if there was any particular event that shaped his life back in Mexico, something that perhaps accounted for his success and happiness. “Ah sí,” he replied and launched into a remarkable tale. When Javier Tope Moreno was a young, ambitious man, he decided to leave his pueblo and journey to a town with a better economy and better prospects. His parents gave him their blessing, and he set out on a long trek. Midday, he came to rest near a little farm community that featured a cemetery along the main road. Young Tope soon found himself walking among the headstones interested to read the inscribed names and dates. He soon realized that he was in a children’s cemetery where none of the children exceeded ten years of age. For example, Juan Carlos Zamora lived eight
years, six months, two weeks and three days. Alejandro Pacopancho, lived five years, eight months and three weeks. What terrible thing happened here, he thought? What evil befell this community so that its citizens felt obliged to build a children’s cemetery? Suddenly, an elderly native appeared and, reading the young man’s mind, assured him that there was no curse to worry about. “Sereno Moreno. Here we have an old custom. When a youth attains his 15th birthday, his parents gift him a notebook, which he carries from that day to his death. Whenever he experiences some intense joy, some exhilarating moment, some blessed event, he writes it down on the left side of the notebook. On the right side he notes how long the intense enjoyment lasted. His first kiss, for example, his wedding day, the birth of his first child, the marriages of his friends… Then, when the person dies, we take his notebook and add up all the times of his intense enjoyment and inscribe them on his tombstone. We think that this is a unique and better way to tell the true time of life.” “That experience influenced the rest of my life,” said Sr. Tope and ordered another chocolate éclair. “Intense enjoyment has been my goal ever since. Don’t you have a similar saying, something about taking your breath away?” “Yes, I think we do: ‘Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breaths away.’” When I told Herlinda Diaz, my Spanish teacher back in Ajijic, about my meeting with Sr. Tope, she laughed and said that that was a famous, old story written by Jorge Bucay, an Argentine writer in the last century. To my chagrin, I suddenly realized that Tope had once again stopped me in my tracks. Mark Sconce
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COLUMNIST
LOS INSURGENTES By David Ellison
I
“
nsurgentes” means insurgents, or revolutionaries. Like everything else in Mexican history, the War for Independence (not to be confused with the Mexican Revolution against Porfirio Diaz) was, as the historian Lesley Bryd Simpson quipped, “as complicated as chaos.” Was it truly a war for separation from Spain, or just against the current, local government? Did the insurgentes fight for a democratic republic, or merely for an independent, Mexican monarchy? Was the struggle for real social and political reform, or just to replace the old Spanish oligarchy with a new, Mexican one? Well, it
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depends when and whom you asked. About the only thing the insurgentes agreed on was that Mexico would remain an exclusively Catholic country. At the time, Mexico (New Spain) was divided into strict racial/social castes: At the top ruled a few Peninsulares (Spanish blood, born on the Iberian Peninsula of Spain) who held most positions of power in both the government and the church; chafing beneath them were the Criollos (Spanish blood, American born); next came the Mestizos (mixed Spanish and Native blood—comprising most Mexicans today); and exploited horrifically at the bottom suffered the Natives and African slaves. Fierce
El Ojo del Lago / October 2021
frustration had long simmered just beneath the surface of Mexican society. Meanwhile, Napoleon had invaded Spain and forced the Spanish king to abdicate; but many Spanish resistance groups called juntas had formed to fight for the king’s return. So, who ruled the Spanish colonies—the exiled king, the newly-installed French puppet, or the juntas? Political chaos ensued in New Spain, pregnant with exciting, dangerous possibilities. When Peninsulares suspected that the Viceroy with Criollo leanings might declare independence, they overthrew him. Criollos were furious, and many of them began to plot an uprising of their own. Thus, ironically, by attempting to thwart an uprising, the peninsulares inadvertently ensured it. The most famous insurgente, now considered the Father of Mexico, was a Criollo priest named Miguel Hidalgo, who began the struggle with his famous Grito de Dolores on Dieciséis de Septiembre (September 16th), 1810. But, perhaps because he’d been forced to begin months ahead of schedule, he proclaimed only vague goals: “Long live religion! Long live Our Most Holy Mother of Guadalupe! Long live [Spanish King]
Fernando VII! Long live America and down with bad government!” Defying co-conspirator Ignacio Allende who hoped only to overthrow the Peninsulares, Hidalgo later expanded his objectives to include land reform as well as an end to the castes and slavery (radical propositions that turned most Criollos against the revolution). When Hidalgo and Allende were captured and executed, however, Hidalgo’s bold goals died with them. Ignacio López Rayón and José María Morelos (a mestizo priest) succeeded Hidalgo as leaders of the revolution. The former, like Hidalgo, wanted to remain loyal to the Spanish king. The latter, however, was a better military leader, and far more radical with his many objectives, which included independence, the establishment of a republic, and equality for all. Morelos succeeded in formally declaring independence and in ratifying a constitution; but he, too, was finally captured and executed; and his inspiring political proclamations perished as well. Vincente Gerrero of predominantly Native descent kept the revolution alive, resorting to very effective guerrilla warfare against the Criollo general Augustín de Iturbide, fighting him to a statemate. When Spain, having expelled the French, reinstated a liberal constitution that threatened the privilege and wealth of the church, even Iturbide decided it was time for New Spain to go its own way. He proposed the The Plan of Iguala, the cornerstones of which were three guarantees: Mexico would remain a Catholic country, it would establish its own constitutional monarchy, and every Mexican would enjoy equal rights. (Afterward, Mestizos and especially Natives still wallowed in oppression.) Guerrero agreed. After eleven years of bloodshed, Mexico had finally won its independence—but little else.
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ASTROLYNX By Juan Sacelli
S
ince the Lynx first appeared in my dreams many, many years ago, it has followed me into all areas of my life, as my totem animal, including here into the subject of Astrology. Hence the title of this blog, ASTROLYNX (AstroLinks), which will be a monthly sketch of some of the themes which reflect ‘in the stars’ and are likely to be influencing our world. Today’s column will feature the Astro-weather from the September Equinox through October. But first, why astrology? What is its claim? Life is full of twists and turns. So is Space-Time, Einstein’s term for the relativistic environment in which we ‘live and have our being’. Imagine,
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for instance, that you are young and single and that someone very attractive to you passes to one side. You can feel not only your eyes, but your whole body is drawn that way. On the other hand, suppose it is someone menacing, or whose appearance you find repulsive; your body will pull away. We are continually pulled by attractive and repulsive forces. As is the earth itself in a larger context, and that larger context creates our Astro-weather. Or ‘Astro-whether’—whether to act, whether to rest, whether to approach, whether to flee. I’ll talk more about WHY things happen as they do as we go on. But for now, let me return to WHAT is happen-
El Ojo del Lago / October 2021
ing, and WHEN it is happening. The Fall Equinox Sun, Sept 22, entering Libra, influences the next 3 months and deals with themes of harvest and balance. In other words, what we harvest from the last three months of the year depends in large part on the balance we’ve achieved in our lives - balance between our personal needs and the needs of the world around us, between self and other. If we have found that harmony, the rewards, the fruits, will appear. Looking for clues as to what might be going on in our world in general, we note that the Sun is conjunct Mars, while the Moon is passing through Aries, the sign governed by Mars. We are acting, doing, and very immediately feeling the consequences of our actions. Mars is vitality, energy; but it is also anger and aggression. As a collective, we are experiencing fear and anger and conflict. The pandemic. Global warming and consequent weather issues. Rich vs. poor. Racial issues. Things are heated up. The wider world around us may be out of kilter. Yet for those of us here in Ajijic, our local chart shows that we are seeking balance. Perhaps between Mexico and its visitors from abroad. In October the Libra New Moon Oct 6 drastically underscores the picture of a ‘world outta whack’. Sun, Moon
and Mars are not only conjunct, but combust - an astrological term which means ‘on top of each other’, their energies fused. The ‘martial’ (or ‘Mars shall’) energy is peaking. Challenges, conflicts, acts of heroism, acts of aggression or repression, tempers flare, and divergent points of view assert themselves. Meanwhile, every single planet with the exception of only Venus and Mars is retrograde. Retrograde means generally ‘under review’. While this season is usually a more retrograde time of year, looking back on our year as a whole, it is unusual to have these many planets retro at the same time - Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, Chiron, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto. (‘Retrograde’ means ‘appearing to move backward in the sky.’) How did we get into this situation? Whose fault is this? Are empires falling? Can we still turn this around? By the Aries Full Moon Oct 20, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto have all turned direct. We’ve been shown our situation. This Full Moon squares Pluto. Pluto in the astrological model represents the underworld, the forces that underlie the world of appearances. For instance, the motives and actions of the soul which underlie those of the personal self, as well the deeper currents of the planetary collective soul which sweep individual souls along. An astrological square is a sign of conflict, forced choice. Whatever choices we’re making, it’s time to get on with them. In that, we may not have a choice. We are becoming spiritual warriors, being asked to respond to the world as it is, not what we think it should be. As we hone our skills to stay in the present moment, we are given opportunities to change the direction of things. If we are not ready and alert, we will become the victims of the conflicts we hoped we could avoid. John Sacelli <salynx@me.com>. Feel free to send your comments or questions about astrology; they may show up in the next month’s column.
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You’re Never Too Old To Go For The Gold! Self-Fulfillment at Lakeside By Don Beaudreau
T
he athletes at the Tokyo Olympics inspired the world with their life stories of hard work, determination, struggle, support from others, and eventual success to become an Olympian—and for some of them to win a gold, silver, or bronze medal. All of these athletes, whatever nation they represented, had a skill they were able to develop and utilize. They believed in themselves! Indeed, each of us has skills, too, some we were able to develop and utilize. Years ago, I read an article by that iconic American humorist Erma Bombeck who wrote about attaining skills she had yet to utilize. It made me contemplate some of my own unutilized skills, many of which I learned in childhood; skills that I now have time to share with others during my Lakeside retirement — whether or not anyone wants to witness these acts of selffulfillment (or as some critics might view them, self-flagellation). Consider that day of arrested development, when my career as a portrait painter ended. I was thirteen-years old, and in Miss Law’s eighth grade class in a suburban junior high school, only 7 miles from the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. It was 1958. The Unites States was in the “Space Race” with the Soviet Union. So Miss Law wanted us do a creative project that honoured the “American Spirit.” She asked us not to tell her or anyone else what our project was until the actual day we displayed our creative endeavour to the entire class. We had a month to complete our individual task. I chose to paint an oil portrait of Abraham Lincoln, and just knew that I would outshine the other students. So I sequestered myself in the damp and dank basement of our house and went at it! Never having had a lesson on how to paint, I decided this little fact didn’t matter in my case because I knew I was born to be Leonardo da Vinci’s successor, and I would create a masterpiece – somehow! So I worked on my portrait of old
Abe day and night for a month, refusing to show my magnum opus to anyone until the day it was due. I was so absorbed by what I was doing that I was certain the feeling I had was the feeling the great art masters must have felt: of being lost in the ethereal realms of inspiration. Or something like that! At any rate, the day came for us to show our creative talent to the class. I was ecstatic, knowing that once I removed the old Army blanket that hid my portrait of the 16th President of the United States—the blanket our cocker spaniel Glenna used as her bed—everyone would exclaim in wonder and appreciation! Still, I had to wait my turn. I had to sit and watch others exhibit their socalled “talents” with a flour-and-salt map of the Battle of Bunker Hill, an accordion rendition of God Bless America, a tap-dance to Yankee Doodle Dandy, a home-made cake depicting John Wilkes Booth shooting my man Abe at Ford’s Theater. I thought the latter project was quite tasteless. But finally it was my turn! I decided to be as dramatic as possible, so I took my time setting up the easel and carefully placing the unveiled painting on it, lecturing about the creative process and pointing out my special relationship with the divine forces of inspiration. And then I was silent, just long enough for everyone to move forward an inch on their seats in eager anticipation. Then slowly and meticulously, I grabbed one end of that smelly blanket and whisked it away, revealing Old Abe in all his glory! Stunned silence ensued! Nobody knew what to say! So I knew then I had achieved great success! But the silence didn’t last for long. As if by consensus, the entire group of yahoos, including Miss Law—let out a big guffaw! They were laughing at Old Abe! No! They were laughing at me! At my talent! How dare they? What did they know about great art? About a thirteen-yearold boy’s creative genius? About how he was horribly hurt by their derision? Continued on page 50
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From page 48 I did not paint again until I was 61-years-old and only did so because I needed a cheaper way to have paintings to cover the many empty walls of my flat in Liverpool, England, the hometown of the Beatles. And they had to be large paintings that would coordinate with the 27 pieces of wobbly Ikea furniture that I tried to put together, but failed to do so as easily as I was led to believe I could by the assembly instructions. I guess something was lost in the translation from Swedish to English. A symbol of my less-than-complete success at this task of following directions is evidenced 15 years later in our kitchen drawer in our Lakeside home, a drawer that rattles with the leftover nuts, bolts, screws, hinges, what-nots, and odd bits that didn’t match the doit-yourself directions. Unfortunately, when I left for a new job in the States, I couldn’t afford to bring those 19 huge abstract paintings (all masterpieces) I had created. Quelle tragedie! So they were lost to the dark, dusty storage bins of a Liverpudlian friend’s basement, with a vague hope of mine that I would retrieve them one day. But maybe by now, my mystical messages of intergalactic oneness, dis-
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played in swirls of color and texture are hanging on the walls of London’s Tate Modern Museum. I must admit that nearly 50 years after my debacle with Abe Lincoln, I was inspired to paint again not only because I was too cheap to buy paintings created by others, but also because I finished off numerous bottles of Yellow Tail Wine (mostly Shiraz) from the vineyards of New South Wales, Australia during the process of my intergalactic swirling. Indeed, once I got going, the flame of my long-delayed love affair with paint, turpentine, horse-hair brush, and canvass was lit and blazing. I was possessed, working many a night until the sun rose; resurrecting my Leonardo self—becoming one with my art—beyond time and space and Miss Law’s eighth grade class of unappreciative oafs! I can never prove I painted those masterpieces. But I know I did, and for me, that is enough. In truth, as John Lennon, a lad from Liverpool said of dreams and skills that might not be fulfilled: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” And yet! Those of us who are now retired at Lakeside and can enjoy our “golden years” have time to pursue those dreams and skills we once had glimpses of when we were younger. So never mind the comments of those who are heirs to the critics of Miss Law’s class. Even Leonardo had his detractors! Never mind those selfappointed adjudicators who say that you and I are not good enough to go for the gold—to achieve our self-fulfillment. Instead, for those of us who are now “chronologically gifted” (i.e. we have earned our wrinkles and heart stents), we need to listen to what that child inside us is saying: the child who has waited a long time to follow the passion that has been denied. The child who tells us: Now is the time! Just do it! Go for the gold!
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The Ojo Crossword
ACROSS 1 5 10 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 23 26 28 31 32 33 34 37 39 40 42 45 49 50 53 54 55 56 58 60 61 63 69 70 71 72 73 74
Baths Braved Recommend Every Marry secretly Was looked at Central American country Took to court Pressure unit Hiker’s trail marker Had a speed contest Plant louse Business title ending Three Bother Also Boastful person Correct Rope fiber Boot (Sp.) Iranian’s neighbor Fervently Rabble Coins Gorilla Legume “__ makes waste” Roadway instructions Fire start Reverend (abbr.) Danish physicist Separate Dunking cookies City Always Berths Called attention to Cook quickly
DOWN 1 2 3 4
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Meet Buddy American Cancer Society (abbr.) Form
5 Hindu goddess, consort of Siva 6 Wing 7 Pole 8 Eras 9 Run off the rails 10 Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 11 Bring together 12 “To the right!” 13 Terminate 18 Drug 22 Envisage 23 Bone 24 Atmosphere 25 Central Intelligence Agency 26 Retired persons association (abbr.) 27 Pacific Standard Time 29 Not (refix) 30 Fish 32 Pig meat 35 Military headquarters 36 Japanese entertaining girl 38 Male 40 Soft cheese 41 Poem 42 Scamp 43 Fish eggs 44 Embarrassed 45 Feign 46 Children’s game 47 Licensed practical nurse 48 Aye 51 Forgive 52 N. Canadian dweller 56 Part of a min. 57 Crawling vines 59 Experts 60 Byway 61 Move up and down 62 Unrefined metal 64 Rested 65 Her 66 Avenue 67 Oolong 68 Make a mistake
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Service
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
directory.chapala.com
DIRECTORY
- SO CHIC BOUTIQUE Tel: 331-762-7838
* ADVERTISING / DIRECTORY - EL OJO DEL LAGO Tel. 376 765-3676
Pag: 20
* CANOPIES
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Pag: 51
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Pag: 40
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Pag: 06 Pag: 40 Pag: 14 Pag: 49 Pag: 28
* BAKERY
Pag: 09 Pag: 11
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- TRANSITIONAL DIRECTIONS - Life Coaching Tel: 376 766-2928, +52 331-435-7080 Pag: 13
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* COMMUNICATIONS
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- ISHOPNMAIL Tel: 376 766-1933
Pag: 03
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Pag: 13
* HARDWARE STORES
* COMPUTERS Pag: 47
* CONSIGNMENT SHOP
- FERRETERIA Y TLAPALERIA GALVEZ Tel: 376 766-0880, 387 763-0341 Pag: 58
* HEARING AIDS Pag: 20
- M.D. CARLOS ALONSO FLORES VALDOVINOS Tel: 376 766-5126, 376 766-4435 Pag: 09
DENTISTS - AJIJIC DENTAL Tel: 376 766-3682, Cell: 33-1411-6622 Pag: 09 - CHAPALA DENTAL CARE Tel: 376 765-5584, 376 766-3847 Pag: 37 - DRA. ANGELICA ALDANA LEMA DDS Tel: 376 765-5364, Cell: 331-351-7797 Pag: 36 - MOJO DENTAL - Dra. Cristina Barreto Tel: 376 688-2731 Pag: 24
- STEREN Tels. 376 766-0599, 376 766-0630
Pag: 14
El Ojo del Lago / October 2021
* LEGAL SERVICES
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Pag: 02
* MEDICAL SERVICES - BESTLAB Tel: 376 688-1174, 331-042-1411
- BEST MEXICO MOVERS US/CANADA: (915) 235-1951 US Cell: (520) 940-0481 - LAKE CHAPALA MOVING Tel: 376 766-5008 - STROM-WHITE MOVERS Tel: 376 766-6153
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* MUSIC / THEATRE / EVENTS - D.J. HOWARD Tel: 376 766-3044 - TEQUILA TASTING TOUR Tel: 33 3407 8193
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- RAINBOW NOTARY & NUPTIALS Tel: 904-333-7311
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* OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT - MAQUINARIA Y HERRAMIENTAS PROFESIONALES Tel: 387-763-1232, Cell: 33-1892-2142
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* PAINT - QUIROZ-Impermeabilizantes Tel: 376 766-2311 - QUIROZ-Pinturas Tel: 376 766-2311
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- FARMACIA EXPRESS II Tel: 376 766-0656 - FARMACIA MASKARAS Tel: 376 766-3539
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* REAL ESTATE Pag: 44
* MALL / OUTLET - CENTRO LAGUNA Tel: 376 766-5514
* MOVERS
* PHARMACIES Pag: 45
* LIGHTING - L&D CENTER Tel: 376 766-1064
* FISH MARKET - COSTALEGRE Tel: 376 108-1087, 33-1173-6144
- HEALTH INSURANCE Tel: 376 766-0395, 1-888-449-7799 Pag: 19 - HECHT INSURANCE Tel: 376 109-1694 Pag: 40 - LAKESIDE INSURANCE - EDGAR CEDEÑO Cell: 33-3106-6982 Pag: 12 - PARKER INSURANCE SERVICES Tel: 376 765-5287, 376 765-4070 Pag: 13 - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 Pag: 10 - TIOCORP Tel: 376 766-4828, 376 766-3978 Pag: 08
- FELIPE GONZÁLEZ-Atorney at law Tel: 376 688-4563, (33) 3632-4689 - SOLBES & SOLBES Cell: 331-520-5529, Cell: 333-676-6245
- DERMIKA Tel: 376 766-2500 Pag: 11 - DR. BEN - CERTIFIED PLASTIC SURGEON Cell: 333-105-0402 Pag: 15 DR. GABRIEL HERNANDEZ NUÑO - Plastic Surgery Tel: 376 766-5513, 333-813-3081 Pag: 51 - DRA. CLAUDIA LILIA CAMACHO CHOZAOphthalmologist Tel: 33-3403-3857 Pag: 18 - HOSPITAL SAN ANTONIO Tel: 376-689-0911 Pag: 31 - PLASTICA LIFT Tel: 376 108-0595, 376 688-1820 Pag: 39 - REUMA - Rheumatology and Internal Medicine Tel: 331-093-2681 Pag: 28 - RIBERA MEDICAL CENTER Tel: 376 765-8200 Pag: 25 - SCLEROTHERAPY-Dra. Patricia Estela Jimenez del Toro Cell: 333-808-2833 Pag: 40 - UNITED AMBULANCE SERVICES Tel: 376 688-3315 Pag: 27
* NOTARY SERVICES
* INSURANCE
* ELECTRONICS/ TECHNOLOGY
* BOUTIQUE / CUSTOM SEWING
* GARAGE DOORS OPENERS
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* GARDENING
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- COMFORT SOLUTIONS Tel: 33-1228-5377 Pag: 26 - GENERAL HOME SERVICES - Amancio Ramos Jr. Cell: 331-520-3054 Pag: 24 - MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 376 766-1306 Pag: 41 - PISOS & AZULEJOS Cell: 331-250-6486 Pag: 42 - SERVICIOS AGUILAR Tel: 333-393-4991, 333-021-0753 Pag: 38 - SIKA Tel: 376 766-5959 Pag: 42
* BEER & LIQUOR STORES
- LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 376 766-5131
- PROFESSIONAL WINDOW WASHING Tel: 376 765-4507 - STEAM CLEAN Tel: 33-2385-0410
- FUMIGA Tel: 376 688-2826, Cell: 331-464-6705 - MOSQUITO CONTROL Cell: 331-498-7699
- AUTOMATIC GARAGE DOOR OPENERS Tel: 376 766-4973, Cell: 332-213-8933 Pag: 14
Pag: 33
* BED & BREAKFAST
- BETO’S WINE & LIQUOR Cell: 333-507-3024
CLEANING SERVICES
* CONSTRUCTION
* BEAUTY
- CASA TRES LEONES Cell: 331-350-6764
- LOWELL STEPHEN BIRCH, D.C. Cell: 331-319-1799 Pag: 8, 29, 38, 46, 55
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* BANK INVESTMENT - INTERCAM Tel: 376 766-5978, 376 766-4055 - MULTIVA Tel: 376 766-2499
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CHIROPRACTIC
- TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 376 763-5126
- COLIBRI GARDEN Tel: 376-765-4412, Cell: 333-156-9382 - EVA ANTUNEZ Tel: 331-604-8309
- CHRISTINE’S Tel: 376 106-0864, 376 766-6140 - EDITH’S Cell: 33-1310-9372 - HILDA WORLWIDE Tel: 33 1717-2784 - NEW LOOK STUDIO Tel: 376 766-6000, 33-3950-9990 - PANACHE Tel: 376 766-2228
- LONAS MEXICO Tel: 376 766-0045, Cell: 33-3956-4852
EMERGENCY HOTLINE 911 CRUZ ROJA 376 765-2308, 376 765-2553 FIRE DEPARTMENT 376 766-3615 POLICE Ajijic 376 766-1760 Chapala 376 765-4444 La Floresta 376 766-5555
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- AJIJIC HOME INSPECTIONS Tel: 33-3904-9573 - AJIJIC REAL ESTATE Tel: 37 6766-2077 - AZABACHE HABITAT Tel: 331-845-0587, 333-405-0089 - BAUERHOUSE PROPERTIES Tel: 33-2164-5301, 33 2672-2236 - BETTINA BERING
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Cell. 33-1210-7723 Pag: 21 - BEV COFELL Cell: 33-1193-1673 Pag: 42 - CIELOVISTA Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - COCO WONCHEE Cell: 333-117-2927 Pag: 41 - COLDWELL BANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 376 765-3676, 376 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 Tel: 376 766-1152, 376 766-3369 Pag: 60 - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 376 766-1994, 331-366-2256 Pag: 37 - CUMBRES Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05 - EAGER REALTY Tel: 333-137-8447 Pag: 22 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: +1 720-984-2721, +52 33-1395-9062 Pag: 48 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 376 766-1804 Pag: 44 - FOR SALE BY OWNER Tel: 55-2717-5657 Pag: 36 - JUDIT RAJHATHY Cell: 331-395-9849 Pag: 15 - LAKE CHAPALA REAL ESTATE Tel: 376 766-4530/40 Pag: 59 - MÓNICA LÓPEZ Cell: 331-424-2638 Pag: 50 - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 Pag: 03, 49 - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 33-2002-2400 Pag: 05
* RENTALS/PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
* SATELLITES/ T.V. - AJIJIC ELECTRONICS S.A. DE C.V. Tel: 376 766-1117, 376 766-3371 - SHAW SATELLITE SERVICES Tel: 33-1402-4223
- HOW TO USE YOUR MEDICARE BENEFITS IN MEXICO! Tel: (916) 601-7128 Pag: 12
* SOCIAL ORGANIZATIONS - FOODBANK LAKESIDE - LOS NIÑOS DE CHAPALA Y AJIJIC Tel: 376 765-7032
- GANESHA SPA Tel: 376 766-5653, 331 385-9839 - SPA GRAND Tels: 387 761-0303, 387 761-0202 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 376 766-3379
- AIMAR Cell: 33-1741-3515
- CHAPALA TREE SERVICE Tel: 376 762-0602, Cell: 33-1411-0242
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* STAINED GLASS
* RESTAURANTS / CAFES /BAR
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* SPA / MASSAGE
* TAXI / TRANSPORTATION
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*SEMINARS
- COLDWELLBANKER CHAPALA REALTY Tel: 376 766-1152 Pag: 52 - FOR RENT Cell: 333-667-6554 Pag: 49 - ROMA Tel: 33-1075-7768 Pag: 41 - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 376 766-1152 Pag: 48
- AJIJIC TANGO Tel: 376 766-2458 - CASA LINDA Tel: 376 108-0887 - GO BISTRO Cell: 33-3502-6555 - HUERTO CAFE Tel: 376 108-0843 - MANIX Tel: 376 766-0061, 331-065-0725 - MOM’S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 376 765-5719 - YVES Tel: 376 766-3565
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- ARTURO FERNANDEZ - TAXI Cell: 333-954-3813 - OMAR MEDINA Cell: 33-1281-2818
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* TREE SERVICE Pag: 40
* TOURS - CHARTER CLUB TOURS Tel: 376-766-1777
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* WATER - TECNO AQUA Tel: 376 766-3731, 376 688-1038
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* RETIREMENT/REST/NURSING HOMES - CASA ANASTASIA - Care Home Tel: 376 765-5680 - CASA NOSTRA-Nursing Home Tel: 376 765-3824, 376765-4187 - NURSING HOME LAKE CHAPALA S.C. Tel: 376-766-0404, 333-969-8677 - SACRED HEART - Nursing Home Tel: 331-027-1501
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CARS
FOR SALE: VW. 2007, jetta special edition, motor. 2.5, leather, a/c, Jalisco plates, 139. Kms, sun roof, all paid, am the owner. Only $89 thousands pesos, oils filters, just donne. 3330346557. Moving sale. WANTED: Low mileage, full records, Mexican plated SUV. Nissan / Toyota / Renault / Honda / Mazda. crjd01@gmail.com or P.M. FOR SALE: Honda Pilot 2010 EX leather seats. 170k pesos or USD equivalent. Accept USD transfer to US account. Send PM. WANTED: Seeking a New-To-Me Used Car. Mexican plates, Japanese preferred. I’ll wanna take it to a couple of mechanics. 120,000p/6k tops FOR SALE: 1979, Mercedes Model 116120, 5 cylinders, 300 SD, 347,933 miles fourdoor, excellent condition, no rust, and new tires in 2/08/2019. Garaged last year due to not being able to return to Mexico. Special Mexican Antique Plate FR-37, with all paperwork certified. Included with the sale are all original official manuals of repairing the car, and all repairs done to the car since new. This engine is known to go to 500 thousand miles before any repairs are necessary. Price listed from outside sources at 12 to 15 thousand dollars. OBO. Contact Captain Joseph L. Naselli. Phone 376 766 5687. captnaselli@netzero.net WANTED: Anyone out there can give me info on an upholsterer? I want to put in a new cushion in the bench seat in my Grand Cherokee. Thank you in advance.
COMPUTERS
FOR SALE: Shaw HDDSR 600 Receiver and a Model XKU LNB, I am moving to a home that already has a Shaw receiver and Satellite dish. I have a 2 year old HDDSR 600 series Shaw receiver ( HDMI connector cable to the TV is included) and also a 2 yr old Model XKU LNB for the satellite dish, which is compatible for Shaw 600 and 800 series receivers. I am asking 1,200 p for the receiver and 1,000 p for the LNB, both which I bought new. Send PM. WANTED: Needed working older win-
dows 10 laptops and desktops and older larger TV’s for Have Hammer Will Travel CAD room and students. We are starting up our classes again after this long shut down, Have hammer will Travel A.C woodworking and CAD school needs older window 10 desktops and laptops that work. Luis Algarin from lakeside computer shop, will clean and reboot the computers for our school, with latest version of windows 10. the school is setting up our CAD classroom. we need four more working computers, and we need computers for the students to take home. The students will make projects in wood then a create the same project in CAD. These are under privileged boys and girls who need a step up in life. Who cannot afford a computer. We are creating a work stations with two monitors one a larger tv to create there CAD project. other one they watch a lesson.. We need older TV’s since we use older computers. The current CAD software we use is TINKERCAD on the cloud, so all we need is a computer that will connect to the internet. Some Desktops without keyboard and mouse ok. Thank you for your generous donation. Please drop off at HHWT school Hidalgo 231-1 in Riberas de Pilar next S&S auto. I can come and pick larger tv’s Wayne 376 688 1282 HHWT back office. if you have any experience with basic CAD and want to help set up classroom or teach 4 hours week please come by the school. www.havehammer.org WANTED: Wanted Touch monitor for CAD school Have Hammer Will Travel. We getting a new high graphic computer, need there touch monitors for students to use. Wayne 376 688 1282 HHWT office phone can leave message FOR SALE: IPAD Air (4th gen 2020) or IPAD Pro 11” glass screen protector. Bought by mistake when looking for a screen protector for my Galaxy (android) tablet. Box was opened, but everything is new and unused. $200. 332-617-3588. FOR SALE: Android. We have upgraded to fire cube and no longer need the android. Will sale for $1,000 pesos. This is a H96 Pro Ultra HD TV Box. I am now reducing price to
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$800 pesos. You need a good Wifi signal for it to work properly. Send PM. $500 pesos for it now! FOR SALE: Mac Mini 2014 + Magic Keyboard 2 and Magic Mouse 2. Asking 10,000 for it. The monitor is not included in the price, and I wont be selling it. Any information please call or email, 3221499217. gonzalez10diego@ hotmail.com FOR SALE: iPhone 6, 64 Gb gray, for sale only for $3000 pesos, excellent conditions, bring headphones and charger, 64 gigabytes of storage and ready for any cell phone operator, If you are interested please contact me at joencoza2019@yahoo.com
PETS & SUPPLIES
FOR SALE: Backpack tote for small dog. Soft nylon fabric. Screen window or pull string top opening. Fits up to 8 lbs. Wear in front or back. 350 pesos. Send PM. FOR SALE: New in Box from Amazon dog harness, size small. Has LED lights on, off, blinking settings. Color neon green asking $27US or equal in pesos. WANTED: Have five young canaries and three young red-rumpled parakeets ready for new homes. Canaries ready for new homes now. Red-Rumps still being fed by parents so will be another week or so until they are weaned.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE: Etched, stemmed Wine Glasses. Set of nine etched wine glasses. Lovely for special occasions. 400 pesos Call 331539-5491 WANTED: I am looking for a Schwinn Aerodyne Bike in excellent condition. Also need 20-25 lb dumbbells. JesseMichaelMorris@icloud.com FOR SALE: The Guide to Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America by Steve N.G. Howell and Sophie Webb 250 pesos Call 331539-5491 FOR SALE: Champion Juicer 1500 pesos. Great for making juices from carrot to celery and for making nut butters. Call 331539-5491 FOR SALE: Roland E-16 Synthesizer 61 keys with stand for sale 3500 pesos Call 331 539 5491 FOR SALE: In Time for Cold Weather. Flannel Sheets. Queen size, two sets of good quality fabric in excellent condition. 500 pesos. FOR SALE: Resmart 3B CPAP machine. In excellent used condition with new hoses. Needs new facemask breather piece. 1,500 pesos. Send PM. FOR SALE: Hyundai 3500W generator for sale. Almost new, maybe 10 hours run time. $12,000 pesos. Cel/Whatsapp 331 453 6800 FOR SALE: Twin sofa bed in clean, likenew condition. The love seat measures 52”wide by 39” high (back) by 39” deep (132 cm X 100 cm x 100 cm). Upholstered in a durable polyester multi-colored, block-patterned fabric. The back and seat cushions are reversible, zippered and filled with thick foam. The mattress is a spring-filled, twin/cot size with a taupe damask cover, measuring 36” wide x 70 inches long x 5” thick (92 cm x178 x 12 cm) Photos are available on request. Asking 4800 pesos. 376-766-1648 or chkmex@ yahoo.com FOR SALE: Kenmore Elite 800 Series Vacuum. This vacuum is Very Powerful. Has all of the attachments and the power brush head. Vacuum has some minor scratches. Bags can be purchased from Amazon MX. Takes the 5055 bag. Info from Sears’s website. Retails at $449.00 US Asking 200.00 US or 4,000 pesos. Email: peteredwards052@gmail.
com or call 331-761-1784. I will be unavailable from 09/16 till 10/06. FOR SALE: Black & Decker Electric Mower. 30cm Cut 1000 watts. Grass catcher for easy cleanup included. Excellent condition, great for small spaces. No gas, no oil just plug & go. Price: $4500 pesos. El Dorado. Call Roy 331 360 1589. WANTED: Storage shed for Have hammer Will Travel woodworking school in Riberas. We can pick up and clean it up thank you for your generosity and helping the kids. Plastic home depot type ok, please pm me or stop by the school, we are located next S&S auto on the mountain side, 376 688 1282 or 333 260 8389 FOR SALE: Ham Radio Antennas, parts and old short wave radios. Send PM. FOR SALE: Set of six Ojeda steak knives with engraving. 4800 pesos WANTED: Have Hammer Will Travel A.C woodworking school in Riberas. New semester starting. Tools needed. Have Hammer Will Travel A.C woodworking school in Riberas. If you some tool you are not using we need them. 5 hard steel tenon hand saws, 5 manual hand drills with drill bits ok chisel point ok, 1 wood vise, 5 ¼ wood chisels, 5 mortise gauges, 5 striking knifes. Donation excepted, but can give you 501c3 IRS tax donation, some money available to buy. Please drop off at school next to Hildalgo 231-A, next S&S auto mountain side. Volunteers welcome. Special class for women starting in Sept. Phone 376 688 1282 or 333 260 8389. FOR SALE: Rosetta Stone Español. Spanish level 1,2,3,4,5 Used once $100 dollars . Cell. 333 9665657 FOR SALE: Absolutely gorgeous abstract fused art glass plate/sculpture. It has a beach scene with ocean and seagulls. Measures approximately 12” inches diameter. Signed by the artist - M. Masten (whose art glass studio is in California). His original works can be seen on his website Masten Art Glass and are being sold for around $400-$450 dollars in this size ($8,000-$9,000 pesos). 100% authentic and original one-of-a-kind display piece! It does not include a stand. Like-new condition with no damage whatsoever. Selling for only $800 pesos. Price is firm/non-negotiable. Please email for a quick response or you can call/text to 332 921 6096 (Pics Available) FOR SALE: KEN GOSH WATERCOLORS. Ken has his paintings available for sale at his temporary casa till December, then they will be at his casa in Mexico City, PM me for location to VIEW. Email me at kgosh365@ hotmail.com. we can then schedule viewing. FOR SALE: Smooth Fitness UB4 Upright Bike, excellent condition, features-Distance, RPM, Watt, Speed, Calories, Pulse, Age, Heart rate,etc. Preset Programs include, Steps, Hill, Valley, Fat Burn, Mountain, Intervals, Plateau, Random, and more. Manual included, Can adjust all programs to your specs, paid $800.00 us, asking $200.00 us.Moving. Vista Allegre, 331 763 5597. FOR SALE: Books & Entertainment. I’m downsizing in preparation for my next move! Feel free to message if you have any questions. Price range from 10, 50, 100 with the Far East 3000 dictionary (new) at $500. Varios precios pregunta por los libros que te interesen! FOR SALE: I’m downsizing in preparation for my next move! Feel free to message if you have any questions. Original Hamanako Music box plays ‘Yesterday’ $350- delivery pending. Bags $ 60& $50, Japanese lunchbox $ 100, Tea infuser $ 40, Magnets in snack form $25 each, Face roller $50, Red bag new $50, Silk fabric new from Japan $100, Hair ties new $50& $100.
FOR SALE: I’m downsizing in preparation for my next move! Feel free to message if you have any questions. Sit-stand desk $500 (new, only used twice), Mexican dishes $100 (all 4), Shelf (blue streaks on one side, pink on other) $100, Shower curtain $100, Toilet seat cover$50, Glass display boxes $100 for both, Picture frame $100, Blue frame $ 50, Curtain hooks $60, Shower curtain $100, Wood rack (can be for shoes or plants) $100 ( shoes not included), Agenda $50, Towel rack $25, Kitchen organizer $60, Lid organizer $60, Dish rack $80, Metal bicycle $50 ( has a holder for a small pot), White frame $25, Box $25, Seafoam green decor $50, Spot dot cushions new $100, Cetaphil new $200, Pizza cutter$50, Gift bags and paper $80 ( for all), Jewelry box $100, Plastic container $30, Wooden music box for pictures $150, Eiffel tower $50, Salt& pepper birds new $50, Chinese design cushions $ 150 ( both), Mini travel box from Japan new $100 each, New inflatable ball & pump $50, Cooling Aloe vera gel $50, 5 lb weight $50, Wooden box $ 30, Mirror new $50, Snoopy metal box $100. WANTED: Artist Canvases, Any size! PM me, please FOR SALE: Serta Radiant Memory Foam, 2 years and 5 months old. $7,500 pesos. Contact Boyd at 376-763-5038. Thanks. FOR SALE: Waring/Acme juicer powerful able to juice any fruits or vegies. This juicer works great, heavy weight and powerful. $1150 mn. Send PM. FOR SALE: Black leather living room set 2 pieces, a 2 seater and 3 seater. Black leather liv-
ing room set 2 pieces, a 2 seater and 3 seater. excellent condition, clean real leather, come check it out, $18,000 pesos for both Todo Bueno resale and consignment store, next to S&S auto FOR SALE: Six seater glass table and chairs. Todo Bueno resale and consignment was $14,000 pesos reduced 60 days in store $7000 pesos great deal should go fast, the glass itself is thick and cost over $7000 pesos.Todo Bueno resale and consignment store next to S&S auto. 331-016-0619 open Tues to sat 10 am to 3 pm. FOR SALE: House of miniatures, doll house furniture over 25 pieces, will sell quick must see. Todo Bueno resale and consignment store Next to S&S auto. House of miniatures, doll house furniture over 25 pieces discount $160 US dollars or $3100 pesos. Average price $6 each, buy whole batch with assembly tray, with parts and magnets. Estimated retail value $320 or $6200 pesos. Must see to appreciate all new pieces in boxes. If bought separately $250 pesos a piece for kits. If bought separately $250 pesos a piece for kits. FOR SALE: Dirt Devil Vac & Dust. Used, with one used and one new mophead. $800.00. FOR SALE: Set of 16” tires. 6 ply heavy duty. Set of four Continental “Contivancontact 100” tires. Removed from a brand new VW Crafter with only 1250 kilometers. Size 205/75 R16. Good for many vans or truck’s. 6000 pesos for the set. FOR SALE: Proform 325 CSX recumbent bike. One year old and very little use. Works
and looks like new. $9,500 pesos . can deliver ( $15,000 new on mercadolibre ) FOR SALE: Colección de 24 tomos del autor Emile Zola; préface de Henri Guillemin. Tomo I a XX: Les Rougon – Macquart. Tomo XXI: Therese raquin la confession de Claude. Tomo XXII a XXIV: Les trois villes (Lourdes Rome - Paris). Idioma francés. Editorial Rencontre Lausanne. Fasquelle Editeurs Paris 1970. Portada de piel fina italiana y diseños de oro. Ejemplares sin ningún uso, totalmente nuevos y en excelentes condiciones.. Precio negociable de $50,000 pesos. Contact: mikenan@prodigy.net.mx FOR SALE: Colección La Comédie Humaine del autor Honoré de Balzac. Es una colección de 23 tomos en Idioma Frances. Editorial Rencontre Lausanne 1959. Portada de piel fina italiana y diseños en oro. Ejemplares sin ningún uso, totalmente nuevos y en excelentes condiciones Precio negociable de $55,000 pesos Aceptamos ofertas en el precio!!! Contact: mikenan@prodigy.net.mx FOR SALE: 2017 Yamaha MT-03 Mexicana. 42,000 km and rising. 38hp/22 ft/lb torque at 360 lbs curb weight. Norton levers, Racetech suspension front and rear, Hicapacity radiator, tail rack for luggage, Saddleman seat, frame sliders, and rear spools included. Jalisco plated. Original owner with factura and all fees paid in full. Never dropped or wrecked. Needs nothing. A sportbike with compact frame and ergonomics fits vertically challenged riders well. 80,000 MXN OBO. Will consider trade for a 70’s Brit bike or BMW airhead
FOR SALE: Schwinn suburban 1970 collection bike, all original components, ideal for the ciclovia, very comfortable. It just needs a little maintenance. Price $ 5,000.00. Call Alma Rivera 3310053109 FOR SALE: Original Prada Shoes, size 24.5 Mexican, Only 1 time was used, price $3,000 pesos. Call Alma 331-005-3109 FOR SALE: Individual Brass Headboard, Price $2,200.00 pesos. Call Alma 331-0053109.
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