Well, we had the most exciting week when it comes to big improvements on the house. The crew to build the palapa came at 2 in the afternoon and started working. They were from Acapulco and didn’t speak much English at all. That didn’t matter because they were pros at their job and got busy right away. They had a trailer full of materials and unloaded it in the driveway. There were 7 young men which each had a specific job or jobs. They used Chile’s scaffolding to climb up to the second level to avoid going through the house. They hoisted the long wooden beams up to the second level and from there up to the roof. It was amazing to watch these guys work. They were a finely oiled machine! They took a dinner break around 5. They had brought a cooking stove and one guy made chicken while the others continued to work. They ate together and resumed shortly after the break. They worked until 7 pm. They got the structure done and had started putting the leafy palm leaves on. Larry and I couldn’t stop watching so we set up our camp chairs and just enjoyed it. They used a chainsaw to cut the beams and a machete to do the finish work. The man who seemed to be in charge, worked barefoot!!! It was a spectacular event! They were back at 7 am the next morning to finish it!
We were very surprised when they were done by 2 p.m. Their clean up was interesting too. They just threw everything, including the scaffolding off the roof 2 stories down into the vacant lot next door! We were so happy to see it done. It’s better than we could even imagine. The workers were very nice and considerate especially when entering the house to walk through or to use the bathroom. Larry gave them beer each night at the end of their work day.
We immediately got our new patio furniture up under palapa which we had in the spare bedroom for the past few weeks. Now the roof, that was too hot to enjoy past 10 am is our favorite place to be. We start our morning up there, tan in the afternoon and eat our dinner there too. I love the view of the neighborhood, my mural wall and the mountains. The mountains are ever changing with the sunlight and clouds. I say to Larry, it’s our mountain TV channel. We both feel like this made a huge difference in the house for not that much money. It’s big! 16 feet by16 feet plus we sill have more sunny roof place for lounge chairs. So happy!
Larry and I bought two more paintings from Chile to go with the gift he gave us of the deer and hummingbird painting. Larry hung all the paintings up so when you walk inside that is the first thing you see. The living room/kitchen is a most finished. I just have one wall to find something for. We’ll figure it out. I want something unique but not sure what. Lol
Chile has been making great progress with filling in the cracks and putting the thin layer of concrete over the whole wall. By the end of the week, my old red wall was covered with a nice white coating. What a difference!
He came on Saturday with his wife, Miriam and his kids Leonardo and Manuel. I appreciate how he brings his family with him. His boys have a lot of energy and I feel like they get bored in our tiny yard. They play in the gravel out front and we’ve walked to the beach once. We decided to go to a secondhand shop and find some toys for them to use when they come. We really scored at my favorite store. I found two boxes of building blocks, some cars and trucks, several action figures and a ball that you can balance on!! Cheap too! They were so surprised when we gave them the toys to play with….plus Miriam was happy too! Manuel is non stop so Larry plays with him. They climbed on the scaffolding like a jungle gym. Larry is still a big kid. Ha ha ha!
We got to go on one big hike to the cross in Jocotepec. It’s a 30 minute drive from the house in the morning without traffic. We haven’t done this hike since we have been back but did it pretty regularly when we were at Roca Azul. I had gotten bored of it and it was so hot and dry. This time since we’ve had some rain, everything was green and sprouting new growth plus many wildflowers. It was just as hard as it was the last time, maybe harder! It took us longer to get to the top but it’s always worth it. I especially like the view of the lake from up there.
I was super happy when we got home and Lyn, our neighbor, invited us to swim/soak in her pool. I always love that after a hard hike. We used to go back to the pool at Roca Azul and I miss having a pool. Someday perhaps if we buy the property next door….. fingers crossed.
I keep in contact with Thelma from Aquascalientes. I was excited when I got tons of pictures from Abraham’s graduation and party. We will get to see them again soon. Their house is finished being built in Guadalajara and will be moving there in August. They will be a short hour away. We are looking forward to seeing their new home and spending time with them.
On Sunday, July 11th we celebrated our first wedding anniversary together! I can’t believe we made it. It’s been a busy year with traveling through three countries, fixing up Darryl’s lake house, fixing up my California house to sell and buying a house in Mexico! Wow! I’m surprised we are not in marriage counseling already! Lol... Well, we did celebrate our day with a dinner out. We enjoyed the evening at La Cima. It’s up on the hill overlooking the lake. It’s beautiful and we have enjoyed eating there before. It was clear and sunny when we left the house. We got through dinner just as the dark clouds took over the sky. As we were waiting to pay, the heavy downpour began. We were sitting outside under a palapa but had to dash inside to pay the bill. It’s crazy how the rain comes in so fast. It was a super evening to end an amazing week! We are loving Ajijic our new home…..when we aren’t traveling in the Airstream.
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