The Real Maiden Voyage

       

—The Real Maiden Voyage —

I did a wonderful first overnight in my new (to me) little Rialta motor home over a month ago. Peter and Mary Gealey, who have a very neatly appointed Vanagon, went for a weekend outing to Westport. We explored the shoreline below the Howard Creek Headlands camp of the Union Landing State Park facelity. One would never know that such wondrous sites existed just below those headlands we drive by so innocently on the way to Usal or Leggett to reach Highway 101.  Skip would have loved knowing about the outcrops and waterfalls that abound with flowers and shoreline specimens We went to the newly refurbished and beautified Westtport Hotel and met friends for Saturday night dinner. It makes a great roadhouse and the food is wonderful. We showed our friends the newly "done" rooms upstairs because they had relatives heading this way who would enjoy staying there. All in all a fun way to start my life with my new "home away from home." I thank the Gealeys with gusto for keeping me company on my first time out on the road and overnight. It was great.

Now, I am in Gold Beach, midway through a one week trip with my friend Sandra to visit her son here. We stopped and spent our first night in Trinidad at an apartment I had reserved so that Sandra could wake to the spectacular view of Trinidad Bay. But, alas, as sometimes is the case, the whole bay was socked in with fog you could cut with a knife.

We went with Kathy, Danny and Elena to Larapin's for dinner and spent the next day having breakfast at Kathy's, playing in Arcata with Kathy, meeting Patti for a mid-afternoon salad and spending the night at the Patrick's Point State Park. #104 had an easy walk to facilities and a perfect overlook to the shore which was still socked in. The next morning we did a good tour of other areas in this huge, beautiful park, finishing up with an overlook that miraculously opened up for a yummy view of a south facing point in the shoreline.  From there we headed north yesterday, stopping at many of the sights I wanted Sandra to see, such as Big Lagoon, Dry Lagoon and others. We tried finding a place to eat at Klamath but absolutely nothing revealed itself to us, so we drove on to Crescent City where I indulged in the most delicious fish and chips with salad for the chips. We shopped up a storm at a Rite Aid in Brookings, buying everything from nail polish and remover to mini clip-on lights for saving the electricity in the Realta. We bought cleansers, scentless candles, foil and plastic wrapper to answer some of the other forgotten necessities to a little traveling home.

I'm beginning to thoroughly enjoy driving this little vehicle. Actually, "little" is a relative description for a motor  home that is just under 22 feet long. I had to tell myself for some weeks as I was trying it out and exercising it in the Fort Bragg area that it is longer than my Dodge Caravan and that I must think "wide" turns if I want to clear things in one go of it. But now I'm experiencing the rewards of those trial runs. It drives like a dream on the highway. Thanks to Steve who urged me to buy this one with it's 2002 VW motor, it has absolutely no problem on hills up or down. Every "savy" male  who has advised me has said to use the gears when going downhill to save the brakes which are evidently notorious in all RVs for being rather borderline for the kind of vehicular weight they are serving. I'm doing it and overcoming the fact that I would have to look down to the gearshift on the floor to see the designations. Of course, I'm unwilling to take my eye off the road, so that was bothersome at first until I trained myself to do it by feel instead of sight. —  I'm getting there! And I'm feeling quite joyful trucking along out on the road in this lovely, beautifully designed automobile.

Sandra's son, Jesse,  lives on a knoll high above Gold beach with a spectacular view of the shoreline as well as  the mouth of the Rogue River.

9/30 Continued: 

Yesterday afternoon we took a walk high atop Cape Sebastian …… another breathtaking view and tunnel like trail in thick coastal greenery. Jesse's two children, Marisa, (9) and Ben, (6), were always ahead of us, then hiding behind some lovely trunk and popping out with screams of joy if we hadn't discovered them. What a fun and lively little pair. We returned from that tour via a great city park where more calories were burned along with more screams with their friends.

Jesse cooked an organic chicken, made cucumber and tomato salad with yummy fingerling potatoes from his garden. Totally delicious. Jesse may be a judge in his workday hours, but he's a great tour leader, father and cook in his leisure time.

Today he took us to Port Orford where we had a classic brunch spread. I had spinach salad with salmon, Sandra and Marisa had eggs plus the works, Ben had fantastic looking pancakes with blueberries and Jesse had eggs Benedict. The children ran down a path toward the beach when we were done and they discovered the most densely fruited blackberry patch I've ever seen. What a kick to watch Ben chomping them down like a steam engine.  We moved on to a museum/historical site of an old coast guard station. Port Orford Heads State Park is well appointed with diorama and model boats from all eras plus real boats and outdoor waterfront sites of the old rail track on which the coast guart used to launch their rescue boats when heading out to save a ships and boats in distress along this rugged shore.

  

We headed back, some of the time on the old highway as many of you know to be my favorite way to go. Saw Jesse's first tiny abode where he lived without heat but close, close to surfing water. That's obviously what counted most back in those days.  Reminds me a lot of Danny when we were first getting to know him. We're back at Jesse and Kelly's on the knoll and so far only talking about leaving. Jesse is making a great smelling soup using the stock from yesterday's chicken and I know Sandra wants to stay  ….sooooo … stay I'm sure we will. Then, we're hoping to wind our way down to Harris Beach state park.  Just received the "soup's on" signal, so onward, onward. A totally good and satisfactory day was had by all.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

I'M BACK.

I've been on several single track modes over the last several months. The usual obsessive work toward finishing our building project of creating a little campus at Pacific Textile Arts moves steadily ahead. Though we haven't formally received our final inspection, we have held our first rummage sale and it yielded enough to keep us afloat. We held the first small class in the large classroom several weeks ago. Sandra Lindstrom shared her secrets for making the gorgeous embroidered needle books that she sells at North Coast Artists gallery. In the process, the class also learned to dye silk ribbon and perform a small selection of embroidery stitches with both yarn and ribbon in order to adorn the covers of their books with lovely little flowers and leaves. This was a very productive first class and we owe thanks to Sandra for all her effort and expertise.

Last week we held our first actual weaving workshop. Four days with Mary Zicafoose were spent learning the basics of ikat dyeing for tapestry and rugs and then proceeded to weave our newly dyed warps on five front row looms in our new classroom. What a joy it was in every way. Mary is a superb teacher and an inspiration in oh, so many ways. It couldn't have been a better way to inaugurate the room and our impressive collection of small and medium sized looms accumulated over the years.

In the next several days I will attach some pictures of these two classes to complete the picture. I'm just forging ahead with sharing a few words with the airways right now because I can't stand the much too long hayatis from sharing my thoughts with you. Whoever you are. I know now that it's important to my health and my very being to just write and share at least several times each week and I'm vowing to do it more regularly.

Several textile events came and went during my silence. Convergence in Long Beach took place and I actually had a great time. I took two workshops. One with Terry Flynne using Braiders Hand's new core device to enhance Rodrick's introduction to core braiding. That went well and I learned a lot but still haven't been back to the city to retrieve my braiding equipment and table loom which Richard Sutherland and Michael Hattori so kindly transported by car for me. I hope to spend a weekend in the city soon to retrieve them. Thank you for your patience, Richard.

Before going to Convergence I drove Highway 20 to Immigrant Gap and on to Echo Lake to deposit Bobby with his much loved Cayotes (Kathy and gang) who first brought him over the Mexico/California border to live in the north country.  Then, after Convergence I spent six days at Echo and then brought Bobby back to his coastal paradise.

I'm off to a meeting and will continue later. Much love to all of you.

May 4, 2012

Life is Full —

The Feather in the Cap dinner is over and we enjoyed our visits with Maj-Britt Mobrand who helped us tremendously with her intimate knowledge of the eccentricities of the Glimokra Swedish looms we are trying to reassemble. Thank you so much Maj-Britt! We also enjoyed an evening with Mary Zicafoose who came to the dinner with Richard Kilday after teaching a class at the Art Center.

The saga with the building departments for the county and city continue — or I should say, refuse to come to a final signing because of the ADA requirement we have agreed to. Now all is approved for a five year period if we pave the handicap area all the way to the fence at the property line. But the man who is supposedly in charge of doing the paving says that Baxman Rock and Gravel Co. doesn't have a single order for a large paving job. They can't do a mix for our little job, so — wait we must. I talked with the building inspector and he assures me that the wait will not create any penalties against us. Obviously I need to relax a bit and not be in such a hurry to get the final.  Let go Jackie. OK.

It's not as if I don't have other pressing items on my mind. A Pacific Textile Arts newsletter needs to come to completion Waiting on two workshop dates to be established. Be patient, Jackie.

I try to do something in the yard and house each day toward the Taurus party which is almost upon us. I'm so looking forward to seeing the Larochettes and others who will be gathering. It's always a fun party. We're going to have friends from Teotitlan del Valle visiting us prior to visiting the Mendocino County museum. We have invited them to have an exhibit at the museum sometime in the future. They are bringing some rugs to the Taurus party and most of them may be purchased. I never tire of Zapotec tapestry and rug weaving — Altogether next weekend will be a time for celebration.

April 23 — Que bonito mi jardin!

It's a beautiful morning. The Tulip Magnolia is leafing out and dropping flower petals like a candy cane carpet. The Cerenthe has multiplied to a patch three times the size of last year. I brought one stalk home the year before that. I had been weeding with Kendal Smith at the Senior Center and I came upon this lively purple flower invading the bocci ball court. Of course we couldn't have that so I pulled it up. It came out of the ground easily and had a nice little root system still attached. Well, I certainly couldn't dump it with the other weeds, soooooo, I took it home and popped it into the mound out in the middle of my garden. It didn't look too perky for the next few weeks and then I lost track of it. But last year.......wow! It formed a patch about four by four feet. This year it's more than three time that big and those gorgeous little shingled flowers are a symphony of purple floating two feet above the ground. The lilac tree is more magnificent than it has been since I planted it fifteen years ago. It must be that everything in my garden actually likes the icy cool weather we've had at the end of this winter. The Noyo Chief Rhododendron is a vibrant jewel. The new Weeping Elm given to me by the MLPA has all kinds of blossom like growth just as the beautiful fanlike leaves are sprouting out.

I walked to the river with Bobby. It took me twelve minutes to go down and nineteen minutes to return. The river is still flowing quite generously. Bobby waded out about two feet in the shallows, looked at the current just beyond him and wisely returned to shore. There are still a few Trilliums standing with stubborn petals in tact both inside and outside my back gate. The little pink blossoms on the beds of redwood sorrel are like tiny sparkles that call out to you on your way up the steep hill from the river. Bobby was so watchful of my progress. He stopped and waited each time I paused to catch my breath. What a little trooper. All in all, a delightful return to a walk I haven't taken for a long time. There are a dozen reasons one can call on to avoid that walk. The occasional wild cat. The occasional individual shooting his gun out there in the forest somewhere. The huge dog on the loose from the new house built just south of us several years ago.

But all went well and it encourages me to visit it again soon. The minute I walk anywhere near the back garden gate Bobby looks like he's going to explode, he gets so excited. The next trip will be sooner than later if he has anything to do with it.

I made another trip to the river to show it to my friend Maj-Britt who was visiting from Berkeley. We each used a cane which I have decided helps quite a bit in the climb up the steep hill. Most likely it also helps while negotiating the  descent  because of the amount of gravel that has been placed  to protect from gullywashers that can cause instant revines in the steep roadway. We had a good walk and Bobby seemed thoroughly pleased to be showing us the way.

April 22, 2012  — Much water under the bridge

I've finally hit the high mark for non-communicating, I think. Everything moving at a rapid pace. Events, obligations, promises. That's life — sometimes. i'm a huge believer in pacing one's self so I mean to slow down. Actually I give myself some special quiet moments  each day.

I've been working hard try to meet all the demands of the city and county to final our building project at Pacific Textile Arts. The ADA requirements for handicap parking top the list for being complicated and difficult to be in compliance. We've finally reached an agreement allowing us to do it our way for a five year period. Then we have agreed to somehow make adjustments that will better satisfy the City's idea of what is required. Whew! 

We held our annual "Feather in the Cap " dinner last night in the new weaving studio. We honored Fernando and Francisco Diaz for their always good natured work at PTA. Karen Inwood found hats that were perfect and she placed lovely new turkey feathers in them before they were presented………Food was as tasty and creative as ever. The joy of holding this event in our own space was palpable. Mary Zicafoos had just finished teaching here class at MAC and came to the party with Richard Kilday. Such fun to have her and the Diaz family there with us for dinner and the mini auction, which had its usual mirthful moments.

I'm going to join the boule group in Mendocino no matter what happens today. It's a beautiful day. Blue sky, sun, slight breeze. Perfect for a trip to Mendocino Village.

What's ahead soon? Should complete a Pacific Textile Arts newsletter by the end of the week. Award a scholarship at the college on Thursday and receive a visit from Maj-Britt Mobrand. She's giving a lecture for the guild on Saturday and will help me to solve some of the assembly mysteries for our Glimakra looms on Friday.

Plans are moving ahead for hosting some weaver friends from Oaxaca at the Taurus Party in May. I'm really looking forward to their visit. Jean Pierre and Yael are bring another Zapotec weaver friend to the party. Fun to think of all the good conversations. 

This year we'll celebrate good health and longevity. I doubt I'll ever adapt to the idea of chronological age because I don't feel a day over sixty. But I'll definitely celebrate my good fortune despite what the numbers say. They simply don't matter to me anymore.

March 8, 2012  —  Trip home  (Sorry, but this was just found and gleaned from draft notebook long after the writing)


Home and the gone. The trip home was characterized by quick shopping spurts, fetching our stored luggage from Los Arcos, and a pleasant ride to the airport sprinkled with conversations about the changes in Vallarta with our driver, Ervin. The plane was declared to be two hours late with no explanation. Eventually Kathy's brother in law, John Shea, who was to be one of the pilots for our flight home, explained to us that problems had nothing to do with the state of the airplane (A very smooth Airbus), but the fact that United Airlines and Continental had chosen to complete their merge at 1:00 am that morning and had experienced strange and annoying computer glitches that managed to bring everything to a halt for some time. We were treated very nicely by the attendants and finished our ride with after dinner kaluha and creme even though there was no dinner served on that flight.


Larkin picked us up very promptly at the airport and after dropping John off at his apartment, we stopped at a late night pasta cafe and had delicious salads. Kathy and I drove that night to Marina Bay because we had a brunch date the next morning with family. Lovely to see them all and to get caught up a little on Mira's activities since she returned from being in Italy.

We moved on up the hill after a great breakfast to see Jenny's show at the Berkeley Art Center. I could have stayed all afternoon it is such a rich and captivating exhibition. I'm thrilled for her — and also so proud. I've heard that it has been declared by some to be the best we parted ways and both t show they've ever had there. Of course, there never is such a thing, but just to hear it said is lovely. Ths a beautifully matched three person show. I would urge anyone living within a reasonable distance to take it in before it closes and the end of March.


Kathy and I caravanned to Willits with a salad stop in Healdsberg. After filling our tanks in Willits at the Safeway station we parted ways and both had last hours winding separate ways home filled with thoughts of our time together as well as all the little things we needed to begin thinking about as we returned to our lives at home.


I've had two good swims since I returned but since the Star Aquatic Center is closed due to economic shortfalls, the lanes at the health club are filled to the brim. The good news is that the people ofFort Brag just voted to their sales tax to cover reopening and maintaining the Center under the control of the city. The pool is scheduled to open some time in June or July. That will be a big relief  to all concerned.


I came home to a huge pile of t and mail and managed to do a first and second sorting before taking Bobby for a long ride back to Marina Bay Wednesday afternoon The reason being that Sachiyo had bought tickets to se Garrison Keellor at Zellerbach Hall. After dropping Bobby off and feeding him I picked Sachiyo up and we searched for parking. Had dinner at a great little Japanese Tapa style restaurant on Telegraph Avenue. Then we did a fast walk to Zellerbach, reaching our seats just in the nick of time for two and a half hours of spellbinding stories by the master of the craft, with well timed drifts into song both alone and sometimes with a charming. long legged beauty who often sings with him on Prairie Home Companion. It was definitely worth driving bak down here for this performance. Heard nothing but awestruck raves as we walked out into the cool, Berkeley evening.


Post script: Just before leaving the hall, we made our way to the balcony lady's room. Funny comments and conversations reminded me so much of nights waiting in similar lines at Berkeley Rep. In those days, I vowed that some day I'd write a one act play taking place in such a line with all the feet showing behind the short door stalls. Such a wealth of visual moments and one liners. Who knows, if I don't write it, someone else might. — May I will.


Pictured below: Remembering the view from #5, our room on the beach in Yelapa.

March 2, — A relaxing day

March 2 — A relaxing last day —

We've had a relaxing last day in Yelapa. Rather fitting since we walked to the village waterfall for breakfast yesterday and then walked all aroundtown lookingfor several things we thought we needed. After that we took the south side trail back to Christina's along the river. We had done the same walk Wednesday as i think I have mentioned. Only this time she was open for customers. We each chose a drink and took them to the edge of the water where the tables were neatly arranged…… Our instructions were to choose our desired food from the menu, have Kathy go back to the kitchen and declare our choices, then return to me and the river. After that, we were to listen for a loud bell that would tell us the food was ready for Kathy to return to and deliver to our table. After some time, we thought we heard the bell. lNot so, but Kath stayed up there and helped bring it down a while later. We each ordered a plate featuring a mole with soy nuggets, small green salad and cup of black bean soup. We shared an order of curried lentils with rice. All was spicy and delicious. As I write this, I am hopelessly reminded of the T.C. Boyle book I rescued from the Lagunitas trading library. It's called The Road to Wellville." Not to say that good food isn't always a pleasure, but the listing I just provided makes me chuckle when I think of the book and its hilarious spoof on righteous eating in the early years of obsessive health concerns in the early twentieth century as only Boyle could present it.

This was the second day we'd walked over five miles so I was more than ready for a good swim when we returned. I'm so happy we did the return trip, though. I saw things along the river trail that I had missed the day before and also found the walking easier the second time around. Every bend in the trail brought us to a new photo event. A rooster, the adorable calf, the wonderfully spotted black and white dog, the baby chicks really free ranging, the idealic pools between giant boulders, the unexpected gardens. One thrilling surprise after another.

we've loved our #5 palapa at Lagunitas. It has such a good feel to it and we've both slept well in this round space. It's the same room Holly and Roger had when they were with us several years ago. I get the same vibes from it that I did when I was teaching a fiber program for Paolo Seleri at Arcosanti in Arizona many years ago. That program was a joint effort by two major art and craft centers and was called "Haystack at Arcosanti." I slept in a round room with round windows for half my time there and the other half I spent sleeping on the roof over the library. From there I could hear the coyotes across the dry river as the pups woke early and played around the caves in the side banks. From this roof top I could see a lightning storm hundreds of miles away. Funny I should be experiencing some of the same feelings here in this tropical paradise as I did in that wondrous, dry desert. You never know when something like the roundness of things can set you off into a deep moment of recollections.

Sofia Sutherland introduced us to Angelinas Gardens, just two stops down the beach. Absolutely delicious fish tacos with an incredible mango chutney salsa on top. Yumm. Sofia came over this morning and Kathy and I had a fun visit with her. We've enjoyed everything about Mexico on this trip — the people, the scenery, the swimming, the food. What more can you ask for?

Kathy just brought drinks for us to have in our palapa before walking over to the dining area for our last dinner. Ir's sheer pleasure to be in a place where the people are so simpatico and life seems so reasonable. Thank you Mexico and all who've made our stay so pleasurable.

Wednesday, February 29, 2012— Tough time in Yelapa

Wednesday, February 29, 2012 — Tough time in Yelapa

As usual, time is flying. Kathy and I had three nights together in Vallarta before catching the boat to Yelapa. She arrived Friday in the late afternoon after which we had a nice swim in the warm waters of the Los Arcos pool. Saturday we took our morning swim after early fruit plates from the hotel buffet. I called Jean Pierre to make sure I understood the hours for the Peter Gray Museum and then we engaged a taxi to take us there and wait while we went in to see the lovely exhibit of Zapotec weavings by a group J.P. had assembled to show at this prestigious location. The exhibit was breathtaking and we only lamented that we had not invited the cab driver to join us in our viewing.

Safely back at Playa Los Arcos, we swam, shopped and visited until it was time to take Kathy to Archie's Wok for dinner. She said she thinks it may have been the best dinner she's ever had. No question but that it was wonderful food, very simpatico service, charming music provided by a woman who sang softly, played the harp and flute and occasionally schmoozed with the diners as she came and went. The engaging and skillfully executed paintings that adorn this very artfully appointed, three leveled space, are by a woman Kathy and I met in El Tuito while on a visit (Kathy's first) to the Larochette compound on Sunday. They remind me of Bill McGrail's work in a tropical way but they definitely have their own flavor and work extremely well on this restaurant's walls.

Sunday Kathy and I set out to catch a bus to El Tuito for a posole lunch Yael and JP invited us to. We missed our bus by a couple of minutes, watching it turn the corner while we still had one block to go before reaching the bus stop. After waiting 30 minutes for another bus I decided to hail a taxi and fortunately found "Felipe" who was happy to make the drive into the mountains. We arrived just as Jean Pierre invited the other guests, a group of art students from the university in Vallarta, to a presentation in the studio about tapestry making and concentrating on a discussion of how he and Yael collaborate in their work. A rapt audience hung on his every word and asked very good questions. After Yael discussed her part of their work together, she asked Kathy and me to join her downstairs to finalize the serving plans. Kathy was awestruck by the beauty of their house, studio and grounds that I have traveled to for ten years. I was so happy for her to see why I had been drawn to it for such a long time. After our great meal out on the porch, Yael and I showed Kathy the plaza and neighborhoods that are so dear to me. Just before catching our bus, we enjoyed a quick, chance meeting at the El Tuito home of the painter who did all the great work on Archie's walls.

We returned by bus, but I can't say happily so. The driver didn't look like he could possibly be even 18 years old. The first time he put his foot on the brakes, I shuddered in concert with the brakes. When we hit the down hill areas he seemed to do everything to avoid using the brakes, but was going too fast to shift to lower gears. It soon reminded me of my midnight run from Guadalajara with the driver who was obviously on something and who cut 40 minutes from the trip time. I was sure I wasn't going to survive that nightmare and I began to have similar feelings as we careened down Highway 200 at breakneck speed around marked for caution turns.When the boy who was riding the front window and looking every bit like a 14 year old brother to the infant driver, I knew I wasn't alone in my fears. The look on his face spoke volumes. The rest of the passengers were amazingly stoic. That seems to be the Mexican passenger credo. "Vaya con Dios." After the driver stopped one time, got out and looked over the axels, I knew i had a case. The open door allowed the smell of unhappy brake pads to waft inward. He got back in, continued his way into town and I'm here to tell about it, so what can I say? Should I check for ID before I attempt that trip again? Or take a taxi, or engage a friend ????????

We boarded the Yelapa taxi boat at 11:00 a.m. Monday morning. Much easier than anticipated because the sea was unusually calm. Just as easy at the Yelapa end. Since then we've been swimming and reading and eating. All very enjoyable. We're happily ensconced in #5 and all the waiters in the dining area remember us perfectly and greeted us warmly when we first entered the dining area. They asked about the whole family, especially Elena because of all the origami cranes she made for a baby shower her four years ago. Amazing. Such warm hearted people here ….one and all. Marcos was at our table with his earrings and bracelets and rings as we finished our first meal. I have to wonder if he sits over at his house across the bay with his field glasses waiting for people he knows. He was crushed to hear about Skip and we quickly changed the subject he looked so distraught.

We've taken the names of the three girls who received Elena's cranes before and we plan to send some of her miniature crane earrings to them via Luke at Lagunitas. Hope that works. They are such precious people.

Kathy and I walked up the river several miles, planning to eat at Christina's vegetarian restaurant. It is situated ideally overlooking the river with all it's gorgeous boulders and greenery. But alas, she's closed on Wednesdays. So tomorrow we're thinking we'll go to the village in the morning, climb to the "cascade" (waterfall) and have breakfast there at the top of the trail overlooking the pool under the falls. Then we'll roam through the village and walk up river again in time for lunch at Christina's on the river. Sounds tough, huh? Especially with a little swim before we leave in the exquisite boulder laden pool situated here at Lagunitas, with it's peepholes that look down on the beach and surf. We're just about sure we can handle it. Guess you can tell we're having fun.. — Until Later — Pictures sometime tomorrow —

Much love to all.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012 — Oh, that wifi

From Vallarta with wifi off and on —

Doing this by hand first in my notebook because as is so often the case the last few days, the wifi is DOWN! Or Safari just isn't connecting to it. But I have faith — it shall return — Always seems to eventually.

I'm sitting near an open glass door to my second floor terrace at Playa Los Arcos in Vallarta. My first night here was a huge letdown. A room with one window, only to the outer hall. The next day, before I could begin to complain, the woman at the counter said to me, "I have a room overlooking the pool for you now." "Is it one on this side with a balcony?" "No, it's on the other side." "Frown." "Would you like to see it first?" "Yes, thank you." I had so wanted to get one of the rooms Skip and I had shared. I looked and it was one with the big balcony that we had so often looked over at. I said, "I'll take it." By the next day I realized it was much better to start with a clean slate and this room does that. This morning I thanked the hardworking lady at the desk profusely. This is luxuriously spacious both indoors and on the balcony. I said, "¿Es mas caro?" and she said, "No, it's the same price." A new era has begun at Playa Los Arcos for me.

I've had five good swims already and walked to Hotel Rosita for a Cob salad at the other end of the completely refurbished malacon. The salad wasn't as good as I remembered it. They have closed the street that used to parallel the malacon beyond the river and made the whole thing a walking street, part of the malacon. At my end of the walk, the pier for the boat to Yelapa is nonexistent and being reconstructed with huge pillars rising out of the water. Looks like it will be a long time in the making.

I can't get Safari to connect right now, as I said. So I don't even quite remember where I left off with the blog entries from Oaxaca.

I almost missed my flight from Mexico City to Vallarta because when I looked for my gate assignment, the board told me #75 for that flight. So I walked a long distance with my heavy armful of rugs to the area where gate #75. A very nice young man on his way to Leon France insisted on giving up his seat to me. He was born in Costa Rica, living in France and visiting Mexico City. As the long time layover closed in on 15 minutes before my takeoff time, I got nervous and went to the nearest counter to ask about my flight since I hadn't heard any boarding instructions yet. They told me my gate had been changed to #67. Back to the other end of the huge corridor. Half way there I decided I wasn't going to make it with those bags. I asked for help at an info kiosk and they called a wheel chair with pusher into action. The man motioned for me to sit and I said it was for the bags, not me. So we took off running and made it to that gate just as they were closing it. Whew! I thanked him and gave him the only 40 pesos I had at hand and boarded.

We seemed to take a long time after that before we rolled out to the takeoff runway. The engines roared and we moved a few increasingly fast meters and then came to a complete halt. From that time on until we eventually cruised into the area by the facilities for an engine check, I did not once catch a glimpse of a single flight attendant. They just evaporated until we were once again on the move. It must be rough on them to walk the aisle and get the very same questions thrown at them over and over. Long story short — We took off again with everyone holding his breath and arrived at Puerto Vallarta one hour late.

Primo was right there smiling and greeting me. I was happy to be on terra firma and happy to see that he hadn't given up and left the airport. He didn't seem perturbed at all and we made three quick stops before leaving town for the drive into the mountains and up to El Tuito. Stops: #1 Sams to buy Chaio some flowers, #2 the store where Primo buys his drinking and cooking water and #3 Pemex for gas. Then off we headed along the coast and into the mountains along the river.

It was a lovely feeling to be on that road again and Primo is a good driver so I could relax and enjoy the ride.

Time at El Tuito flew by. There were four thoroughly engaging guests there before me. One had been the very first student Jean Pierre had at the San Francisco Tapestry Workshop many years before. Melanie Berry and her husband Duncan were still up when I arrived. Liked them immediately. Found that among others, we had friend Pam Patrie in common. That old six degrees of separation. the next morning I met Duncan's mother, Win, and David. What a group to set off with the next morning for a trip to Playa Perula via a side trip to a Ricea still at a remote ranch up a nearby river I've always wanted to explore.

Swam at Perula. Delightful! Had a great lunch on the beach at the usual place. Ice cream bars and coconut stops on the way home. Next morning — one sick Duncan. Still don't know exactly what that was caused by. He was up and about but definitely feeling bad when it was time for the cutting off party. Very game for a sick man, I must say. The last I saw of this lively foursome, they were boarding one of the boats for Yelapa the way one used to from and to Yelapa — the hard way — over a fast rising and falling transom in the rear of the boat. I held my breath for them as each hopped up the undependable entry. They they were off and running on their way down the coast.

Backing up just a little bit — After making the preparations for the cutting off party we walked to Mario's for a late lunch. Delicious. Wish Duncan, who bravely came along, could have enjoyed more that his mineral water. He even went along for the quick trip to see Louis and his ceramic setup at the south end of town.

The opening celebration was lovely and Jean Pierre's last minute call to witness drew just the perfect number for an intimate party with old friends. I screeched with joy when Bonny and Pat popped around the corner. They are so dear to me. Suzanna from the Peter Gray Museum and Vicki and Hank answered the call also. A really good time was had by all.

From the dining room at Play Los Arcos I've seen three fantastic sunsets over the last evenings, including the one tonight during which I could swear it included a green flash. Each night I've wondered if they've been glued to the same view from Yelapa that I've been enjoying from here. There's no better place to watch sunsets from than Yelapa. I hope it's been magnificent for them. (I'm getting sleepy and the pictures aren't on yet — maybe just one, so come back and there'll be many more when the gods make their latest wifi decisions.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 — Leave Oaxaca Manana

Almost ready to leave Oaxaca —

That's probably not really true. I could stay in Oaxaca much longer and still not be ready to leave. This will be a very quick review of the last days as they went by like a flash.

I had my last day at the class on Friday and was treated to lunch by Juanito and his partner at the Organic Market. What a treat. I bought a small pendant from a vendor while I was there. He introduced me to "Piedra fossila" or fossil stone. It is micro fossil embedded stone that looks like abstract mini line drawings on a beige to grey background. Skip would have loved these and I feel a need to collect a few. I'll try to get a decent picture of one soon. My friends escorted me back to the Institute just in time for my last intercambio session. All these "lasts" cast a mixed veil over the day.

Saturday I walked everywhere and tried to see as much as possible. The amazing figures in cement which have been displayed on Calle Alcala since I arrived are still here and I'll talk about them in a few days when I sort through my pictures for the best ones. These are amazing tributes to the many immigrants who have died while trying to cross the border from Mexico to the U.S. They were done by artist Alexandro San Dieto, from 1999 to 2003. There are 2501 of them, each representing one of the known victims. They are arranged in groups, standing in the walking street (Alcala) for several blocks. An incredibly moving public exhibition. I promise to give you some examples in a day or two.

Sunday I was picked up at Las Mariposas by Jacobo Mendoza and taken to his home/Studio in Teotitlan del Valle. I spent several hours there with him and his wife Maria Louise looking at their beautiful work space, talking about their processes and how they feel about their work. Then they each sat at their looms and worked for a few minutes so I could get a few photographs. I bought three more rugs from them; One by Jacobo, one by their son, Jacobito and one by their daughter, Sylvia. How I'm going to get them on the plane tomorrow is another matter. It was a thrill to be with these lovely people and see their beautiful new work space.

Today I squeezed in a tour of the Ethno-Botanical Gardens. What a treasure! I had almost decided to put off going there until next year, but something just compelled me to do it today. I'm so happy that I made the effort. It seems to have been one of the longest tours Carol Turkinin has given there. Two and a half hours of walking in about six acres of wondrous planting representing the Oaxacan botanical history from thousands of years ago to the present time.

I'll post some pictures from the above activities and then must get some sleep before tomorrow's van from the collectivo comes to take me to the airport for my flight, first to Mexico City and then on to Puerto Vallarta. Primo is picking me up in Vallarta and taking me to El Tuito. More from there soon.