Log #83, Rushing Into December

Occupancy Rates Are Up

Friday, 18 December

Gale, Chivo and Bucky in
the kitty condo; little Bucky asserting herself, Gale observing
like a good alpha male, and Chivo being silly and socially inept

Now that the weather is perfect, kitties have awakened from their summer-time, heat-induced stupor. It's very active around here, these days.

Indoor cats, they're never bored cuz they have so many things to play with -- and each other. Little Bucky terrorizes the two young boys, Chivo and Picudo, even though she weighs-in at half their size. Gale lords it over all, and takes no guff from anyone, even though both young boys outweigh him, too.

Swarming

Thursday, 10 December

Swarm of quakes off the coast of Colima/Jalisco

Usually, we hear the earthquake rumbling at us, sounding like a truck coming up the hill, then it shakes the house and we former-Californians receive an adrenalin rush. Not so with our latest swarm. They've been fairly benign, at least for us in the Manzanillo area. We actually haven't felt any of them in the RanaQuemada holler. Is that the difference between land shakes and sea shakes?

The swarm in the graphic covers two days and the quakes have ranged from 3.8 to 5.2 in intensity. That close to us, 50 to 60 miles offshore, you'd think we'd have felt something.

Dome building on the volcano on the Colima - Jalisco border

An interesting side note to our increased earthquate activity is that the active volcano north of Colima, Volcán de Fuego, has been building its dome. That volcano spews smoke and ash most of the time, and has blown its top as recently as 1913.

Even more recently, in the past few years, the volcano has spewed fiery debris and created quite a light show. Our friend Jupiter from Comala, at the volcano's foot, reported that the display was such a pretty sight at night that many families packed picnics, drove up the road as far as allowed, and enjoyed an evening of fireworks.

What's a Pre-Posada?

Tuesday, 8 December

Stan caught in the
act of abusing Sponge Bob

Three very tough pinatas, an endless supply of pozole, beer, a guitar strummer and a rousing game of Spanish Pictionary. Don't know why they called it a pre-posada.

Two days later and it's obvious that the long dress and repellent were no match fer ravenous 'skeeters. The little buggers unceremoniously climbed to knee level and chewed their way back down, feasted on toes, then across the bare back and down arms and desserted on fingers. You'd think I'd have noticed.

MJ taking
after an armored pinata

Skeeters carry Denge; it's a big deal. The city has been lax in the control arena, so carriers abound. Being surrounded by lagoons doesn't help. Centro de Salud sends out door-to-door prevention armies. They carry verbal warnings and sacks of poison to submerge in standing water.

We don't have standing water, but we do have a few friends in the neighborhood who've suffered the bone-breaking pain and itchy rash.