Pre-Alaska Week

I've had the most amazing pre-Alaska week.  I leave in one day and this week has been nuts.

Our Canadian friend who are staying in Kissimmee came over for a visit.  Their parents came from the Netherlands (Holland) and they told of stories they heard from their parents about WWII, the resistance, eating tulip bulbs.  Many interesting stories.

I decided to start a Meet Up Group called "Just Having Fun" and we are the "Funsters".  57 people have joined and I've responded to each one individually.  I've posted 8 different events -- with our first one being a "Meet up Burger and Beer at Red Robin", right around the corner from us.    I had to ban one lady who wanted to join our group - she seemed to be into S&M and bondage and I just didn't think her definition of fun was the same as ours.  Have scheduled April 1st Sunset Drinks; coffee; picnic with scavenger hunt; Dunedin Highland Games meet up (can't wait for that).  Also we'll go kayaking and I am going to try to paddle board (SUP).  So that has kept me busy and out of trouble.

Then we have a couch surfer named Larry staying here.  He's 69 years old and from Missouri.  He is visiting his brother in the next city over.  Had some nice visits in the evening.

Last night we had our sweet Polish girl, Magda, here cooking Polish dinner, two guys from France who are living/working here - who made a wonderful apple tart - tangy and buttery.  Another lady was here and we just had a real feast.  After dinner we went downtown Dunedin to a bar that had a super band and I love its name "Raised by Wolves".  They played oldies type music that just suited me.  "Kids" all had "chocolate" beer - I had a taste and it did taste like chocolate.  So after the one drink John and I had enough of the night life (now this is around 8:30 p.m. - not like our old, wild stomping days) and we headed home.

Our Polish dinner - we all tried to make

pirogi, we had knishes and borscht, kielbasa

Now I'm thinking about packing.  I had to buy a huge suitcase for all the clothes I need. 

Big suitcase

My boots did finally get here and they seem pretty comfortable. I'm trying to figure out what to wear on my long plane ride.  I want to be comfortable.  Guess I'll just put my heavy coat on top of suitcase and get it out when I get there.

Didn't "pick" red boots, it was all I could get

I'm getting nervous and excited at the same time.  I'm not used to not having John with me -- even though I have traveled by myself a lot, but I will miss him.

Bought a real old fashioned wind up alarm clock today due to my crazy schedule.  Most of my tours pick me up at 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. and we stay out half the night.  I will get back, sleep and then will have to get up to eat and then, as far as I'm concerned, back to bed.   I'm going to get exhausted, but it will be a good tired.

I won't have aurora pictures since I don't have the right kind of camera/tripod and really don't even want to mess with it.  I will keep the pictures in my mind.  When I come back I can look for some similar ones people have taken and show you the "types" of auroras/colors I've seen.

As the song goes,

Intro: 


Way up north (north to Alaska)

Way up north (north to Alaska)

North to Alaska
You go north, the rush is on
North to Alaska
I go North, the rush is on 

Big Sam left Seattle in the year of ninety-two
With George Pratt, his partner and brother, Billy, too
They crossed the Yukon River 
And found the Bonanza Gold
Below that old white mountain 
Just a little south-east of Nome ...................

North To Alaska 2:47
(Franks, Horton)
Johnny Horton
Pop Chart # 4 Sept. 19, 1960
Columbia Records #41782
Album: 'Johnny Horton 16 Biggest Hits'

Pre-Alaska Week

I've had the most amazing pre-Alaska week.  I leave in one day and this week has been nuts.

Our Canadian friend who are staying in Kissimmee came over for a visit.  Their parents came from the Netherlands (Holland) and they told of stories they heard from their parents about WWII, the resistance, eating tulip bulbs.  Many interesting stories.

I decided to start a Meet Up Group called "Just Having Fun" and we are the "Funsters".  57 people have joined and I've responded to each one individually.  I've posted 8 different events -- with our first one being a "Meet up Burger and Beer at Red Robin", right around the corner from us.    I had to ban one lady who wanted to join our group - she seemed to be into S&M and bondage and I just didn't think her definition of fun was the same as ours.  Have scheduled April 1st Sunset Drinks; coffee; picnic with scavenger hunt; Dunedin Highland Games meet up (can't wait for that).  Also we'll go kayaking and I am going to try to paddle board (SUP).  So that has kept me busy and out of trouble.

Then we have a couch surfer named Larry staying here.  He's 69 years old and from Missouri.  He is visiting his brother in the next city over.  Had some nice visits in the evening.

Last night we had our sweet Polish girl, Magda, here cooking Polish dinner, two guys from France who are living/working here - who made a wonderful apple tart - tangy and buttery.  Another lady was here and we just had a real feast.  After dinner we went downtown Dunedin to a bar that had a super band and I love its name "Raised by Wolves".  They played oldies type music that just suited me.  "Kids" all had "chocolate" beer - I had a taste and it did taste like chocolate.  So after the one drink John and I had enough of the night life (now this is around 8:30 p.m. - not like our old, wild stomping days) and we headed home.

Our Polish dinner - we all tried to make

pirogi, we had knishes and borscht, kielbasa

Now I'm thinking about packing.  I had to buy a huge suitcase for all the clothes I need. 

Big suitcase

My boots did finally get here and they seem pretty comfortable. I'm trying to figure out what to wear on my long plane ride.  I want to be comfortable.  Guess I'll just put my heavy coat on top of suitcase and get it out when I get there.

Didn't "pick" red boots, it was all I could get

I'm getting nervous and excited at the same time.  I'm not used to not having John with me -- even though I have traveled by myself a lot, but I will miss him.

Bought a real old fashioned wind up alarm clock today due to my crazy schedule.  Most of my tours pick me up at 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. and we stay out half the night.  I will get back, sleep and then will have to get up to eat and then, as far as I'm concerned, back to bed.   I'm going to get exhausted, but it will be a good tired.

I won't have aurora pictures since I don't have the right kind of camera/tripod and really don't even want to mess with it.  I will keep the pictures in my mind.  When I come back I can look for some similar ones people have taken and show you the "types" of auroras/colors I've seen.

As the song goes,

Intro: 


Way up north (north to Alaska)

Way up north (north to Alaska)

North to Alaska
You go north, the rush is on
North to Alaska
I go North, the rush is on 

Big Sam left Seattle in the year of ninety-two
With George Pratt, his partner and brother, Billy, too
They crossed the Yukon River 
And found the Bonanza Gold
Below that old white mountain 
Just a little south-east of Nome ...................

North To Alaska 2:47
(Franks, Horton)
Johnny Horton
Pop Chart # 4 Sept. 19, 1960
Columbia Records #41782
Album: 'Johnny Horton 16 Biggest Hits'

Ajijic - Part III -- The Decorative Mexican Spirit

Memories of cobblestones float in my head, constant vigilance against falling and breaking Lord knows what.  My trusty flip flops quickly traded for the sturdy walking shoe.  John and I with constant reminders to watch for the uplifted sidewalk, holes, drop offs.  There is no OSHA here and you better be watching out for yourself at all times while walking around.

Beauty is everywhere, sidewalks, iron bars, doors, murals that seem to be everywhere, tiles in the most unexpected places.  Mexico is a feast to my eyes and I never get tired of seeing the beauty, colors, textures.

Below are some photos I took showing some of the interesting things we saw.  I could have taken thousands of photos to try and capture each item of beauty, but I spare you that:

Fantastic sink and tile

Huge mural 3 stories in staircase

Chapala

Turtles carved into stone.  This is

the bottom part of the Central Plaza

Not an inch of the Centro Plaza

was plain.

Tile on a wall

Too beautiful

Carved in stone - the detail is amazing

Church door

Sloped walkway to Central Plaza in

Ajijic.  Fish carved into stone.

Mural, downtown Ajijic

Mural down by the lake

Ajijic

More stone carving - amazing detail

Bottom stone, top mural

This tile was in the women's bathroom

All brick

Weaving

Beautiful woodwork

Día de Muertos art

Virgin of Guadalupe

Tequila legend mural

Tequila, Mexico

Bronze sculpture

Tequila, MX

Lovely decorated bench

Tequila, MX

Close up of bench

A blue agave

Angel sculpture in front of church

Tequila, MX

Colors of Mexico

Plates on our patio

Candelabra

Painted door

Up by the roof

House with fun paint and decor

This was just painted on a house wall

A sidewalk

sidewalk

So fancy

Sidewalk

Old carved cherubs by main gate

Sidewalk

Sidewalk

I could not even believe this

section of sidewalk

Sidewalk

Lovely stone work

Such detail, each small rock chipped

to fit into the pattern

Amazing brick, rock wall

Every place they inserted a rock they had

to carve out the area of brick

Probably my favorite wall

Brick and stone

Glass shards put on fence arch to

keep intruders out

We thought this was an unusual brick fence

Small mural

How they place their street sign 

- on buildings

Fun mural on a bar

Decorative bars

Beautiful carving

We enjoyed Ajijic's beauty at every turn in the road -- be it sidewalks, houses, walls, fences, bars, or the magnificent murals.  Mexico does speak in colors and it speaks loud.  I love this place.

\