My driver’s license from Texas expired so I acquired a Mexican license. It was a bit of a hassle but ultimately I was able to procure one. No eye test, no written test, and no driving test. Paid my eighty dollars and that was that. I won't have to worry about it again for 5 years.

We had to have one of our dogs put to sleep. He developed a neurological disorder and was in a lot of pain. He was born with several defects so we suspected his life might be short but when the time came; it was tough. Coby was the best dog I ever lived with. He was also the first dog that I never struck. Coby was kind, patient, very loving, and extremely loyal. It’s been months since his passing and we still miss him dearly. We buried him close to the house to remember him daily. Coby watched over our property like it was his. He used to sit on the front steps and just watch. There was always hell to pay when a stray dog wandered into our yard. His goal was never to kill, just to run off the intruder. Coby was with us for three years. The saying that dog is man’s best friend fit Coby to a tee.

This picture of Coby was taken in June 2017. 

Scooter is over fourteen. We got him as a pup and brought him down when we moved. He mostly just walks around, sleeps, and eats. He’s always been a bit of a loner but it’s gone to the extreme. He has lost his hearing but we've had him so long he picks up on our body language and his loss is not an issue. He's a tough little guy. The eye was lost tangling with a German Shepard back in 2013. 

One of our hens disappeared for a while and came back with a brood of chicks. We’ve had trouble keeping chicks alive so we gave them to a friend. They are a blast to watch though. We decided to keep the latest brood. There have been twelve chicks wandering around the property. Hard to believe there are twelve chicks under the hen. You can see that the chicks are pretty big. She is a great mom.

For quite a few Sundays I saw the same dog, usually lying next to someone that was selling fruits or vegetables. I always petted and talked to him. He looked like a chocolate lab and had a few years on him. A few weeks ago I ran into him again at the feet of a woman selling pineapples. After petting him I told the woman how beautiful he was. She then told me how unfortunate it was that his owners had moved and had left him to fend for himself. There are lots of stray dogs in Tlacolula, many on the edge of starvation. Because this dog looked pretty well fed, I assumed he had an owner. Apparently, others felt the same as I did and decided to feed him. With the permission of the women, I coaxed him to my truck with pork rinds. When we got to the truck, I tried to coax him in with the pork rinds. He wasn’t afraid. I concluded that he’d never been in a vehicle. I picked him up (wearily) and put him on the back seat. If he was afraid, he didn’t show it. He was very trustful. When we arrived home, he climbed down and immediately faced Lucky who was unhappy with his presence. Lucky has since accepted him. He suffers from a little arthritis, probably from years of sleeping on a cold surface.  He sleeps in our protected patio now on a padded carpet. Because of his age I kind of think of our home as a retirement center for him, although after cruising around our property, he is limbering up and acting much younger.  He’s already a part of our family and he loves to accompany Beth on her walks. He has also taken on the responsibility of protecting our home. He’s not aggressive but lets his presence be known. In many ways he’s like Coby. He’s a big old loving dog. We had a rooster once that we named Big Boy. Our new dog is now Big Boy. I hope we will have him around for years. 

About a week after I wrote the above paragraph I made a trip to Tlacolula. While there I discovered that a woman had been inquiring about Big Boy. I’d been misinformed. The dog had an owner. I brought him back the next day. I ran into him a week later and could tell he was glad to see me. I missed him terribly. The following Sunday I again ran into Big Boy again. After playing with him for a while we continued on to the market. We took a mototaxi  back to the truck. On the way back I saw Big Boy in front of his home with his owner. I asked the driver to stop so I could speak with the owner. I explained to the owner that I was sorry and that I’d been told that he’d been abandoned. We talked for a half an hour. As we were about to leave the owner asked if I was still interested in taking the dog again. The family lives in town on a busy street. She felt that Big Boy would have a better chance of surviving if he returned with us. The whole family was in tears but they all understood that Big Boy’s quality of life would be better with us. They were concerned that he would be happy with us. I assured them that he was very happy with us. I was asked if they could visit us and answered that they could visit any time. I could tell that Big Boy was happy to be at our home again. After two days he seemed totally content to be with us. We did learn that his name is Canelo (or Cinnamon in English) because of his color.               

Unfortunately, the story doesn’t stop here. Two days after bringing Canelo home the former owners showed up. They’d decided they wanted Canelo back. We were crushed but gave him up. What a disappointment!                                                          

Incredibly, the Canelo saga continued. The Sunday after we’d given Canelo back, we ran into the owner at the market. She again asked us to take him. She said that the whole family was in agreement. This is the last time. If they change their minds, I simply won’t let him go. I don’t believe this will be the case though.         

If it seems a little odd that we pursued this dog so diligently, it’s because Beth and I took such a liking to him. We both feel like he’s been searching for a home like ours. 

This is Big Boy. What a great companion!!

We’ve never had good internet here. We are thankful when we have it, which is often confined to early in the morning. Sometimes there is no internet for days. We have a Netflix account and often watch YouTube. When the internet is down, we read more. If we are both in the middle of good reads, we’ll continue reading until current books are completed. There have been stretches of constant and acceptable internet.  Thanks to Telcel, we have just obtained great internet. I tested the speed and discovered that it varies close to 9mps. That’s screaming for us. The price is about nineteen dollars a month.

If you are interested in the history of Mexico, an enlightening read is T. R. Fehrenbach’s  Fire and Blood. I usually don’t read a book for pleasure more than once.  I’m just about to finish up my third read. I honestly believe this book has been very instrumental in understanding the Mexican mind set. Losing is one thing; losing face is another.

After six years, Beth and I have finally realized that our comfortable SAS sandals are impractical.  They are very comfortable but the soles are soft and cushy. They’ve proven to be magnets to the wide variety of thorns and stickers. I hate wearing closed shoes which is why it took six years to make the logical change. So, Beth and I have switched to low, hiking-type boots.

This is the sole of a pair of sandals. The white spots are thorns that have been broken off. This photo doesn't show the hundreds of thorns I was able to remove.

I spend hours listening to audio books. I have found these headphones to be the most comfortable. The hook fits over your ear and the spring loaded speaker lays against your ear. No discomfort whats so ever.

Last December we made our first visit to the Radish Fair in Oaxaca City. It’s held in the Zocalo (main square). People create statues and scenes from radishes. Some of them were pretty incredible. For most of the work radishes were used although corn husks and flowers were also used.

A fire that got out of control came a little too close to our property. Our property is cleared and it’s not likely that a fire could make it to our house; nevertheless, it was spooky watching the fire come closer and closer. The sound of the crackling didn’t help. I have a one inch hose outside just in case.

In February Beth and I were at the post office in Tlacolula. After we’d finished, I was getting in the truck when someone asked me for directions in English. Jonathan was from Sweden and ended up staying with us for four days.  He’s quite a traveler. The Americas were his final visit. He’s been on and hiked on every continent except Antarctica. He had great stories and had to answer lots and lots of our questions. We hope he comes back after he finishes his travels in Chiapas.

Coming back from Cuajimaloyas the other day, three travelers from Germany asked for a ride to Tlacolula. We obliged, but soon regretted it. Neither Beth nor I were prepared for their insulting behavior. After minutes of listening to what we thought were bizarre positions such as there should be no borders in the world, I suggested that we listen to music. They reminded me of the videos of students protesting at colleges. I suppose in a way the three have gotten their wish. Ignorance knows no borders.

We've met many tourists from all over Europe. Most speak English very well. Apart from the three travelers from Germany, we've found them to be very interesting. 

This is Jonathan.

During a trip to Walmart, Mexico was playing against Germany. There were televisions all over the store being viewed by workers and shoppers alike. When Mexico scored or made a good play, there was yelling throughout the store. Reminded me of Superbowl Sunday.

Beth and I were invited to a baptism in San Bartolo which is a Zapotec village. I believe that the majority of men from this village are in America. I couldn't help but take this shot of this gentleman. Later I'll clean up the background. 

This is a help wanted sign that stipulates that they are looking for a young woman. These kinds of signs are very common here. Often help wanted signs include the type of worker they are looking for.

Beth has been crocheting beanies and blankets for newborns. It’s something she enjoys and there is certainly a need. She’s given away five sets so far. She recently finished a quilt for our queen-sized bed that she made with scraps from the many clothes she made for her two granddaughters.

 Beth just booked her flight to Lubbock for a week in November to visit with our son Chris, his wife Danielle, their daughter Aly Marie who just turned 4, and their son Wyatt who turned 1 in June. She will get to celebrate Danielle’s birthday on Nov 8^th and hers on the 12^th before returning home to Oaxaca on the 13^th. Beth has been so anxious to see her grandchildren face to face instead of on Skype. I'm sure she'll produce a blog over her trip.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Here is her beautiful quilt.

I passed this couple on the highway coming back from Oaxaca. I had to pull over and get a pic. It's not unusual to see whole families on a scooter.

I just finished a book called A Prayer Before Dawn (a somewhat deceptive title). A Brit serves time in a Thai prison. He’s allowed to serve the last part of his sentence in a prison back in England. The book is a quick read and the story is interesting, but what I found intriguing were his observations about the prison and prisoners in England. He found the prison to be very comfortable and the prisoners to be very whiny and ungrateful. After being held in deplorable conditions for years in Thailand it's easy to see how he would perceive the English prisoners in such a manner. Beth and I find ourselves in a similar position. I'm not comparing being in Mexico to being in a Thai prison, but I am comparing the difficult conditions here to conditions in the US. The sacrifices that some parents make to get their children an education is very humbling to see. Beth and I are usually invited to graduations every year and we always attend. This year we had four. Watching these young people graduate with pride and being aware of the challenges they face demands respect and elevates their accomplishments. 

Beth and I have learned some lessons here. We've learned that you can be tolerant without being accepting, a lesson that seems to be lost in much of America. We've learned that life works much better when you use what you have to help others. We've learned to be nicer to each other. We've learned to value life more and how important it is to be grateful for our good fortune. We've re-learned the importance of having spirituality in our lives. We've learned to overcome new obstacles. We've learned to respect and appreciate the lives that our sons are living.