Hello from Yakima

We have an amendment to our Christmas letter that you should be receiving soon. We got a call from Josh and Kristi last night at 8:50, November 27th. Josh asked us to put them on the speaker phone and he told us they were getting another dog. We remarked "ohhhhhhhh!!!" Josh then said, "not really, Kristi is pregnant!!" We were so excited and happy for them. Our 6th grandchild is on it's way!! Kristi is 8 weeks along and having a little morning sickness but she has been to the doctor and everything is perfect. She is due July 8th. Boy are there alot of birthdays that week in our family! Serena's birthday is one of them, July 10th. Maybe their baby will be born on Serena's birthday. Could happen! But, it would it be nice if baby J has his or her own day. This is such wonderful, long-awaited news. We are just so happy for Josh and Kristi. I just know this is one of the reasons why we bought the condo in Yakima. We will definitely be up north when baby J is ...

This "Elvis impersonator" is one of the top 10 in the world. He was really entertaining and sounded remarkably close to the original Elvis. Could this be him?? He was performing at one of the restaurants here in Maz, owned and operated by a lady from Canada, "Heather's Place". Her menu caters to the gringos here in Maz.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Torres yesterday. Here are some pictures of our Thanksgiving here in Maz. Also, a video clip of of this morning's feast. Enjoy! As we entered the grounds at Torres, they had a Mexican rendition of a pilgrim and and a basket full of squash, pumpkin, corn, apples and other foods. Also, a copy of the menu for Thanksgiving dinner. Quite festive!! Here we are! Thanksgiving dinner at Torres (our timeshare here in Maz) From left: Teri, Sharon, Greg, Ed & Rosella (they are all friends of ours from LasGavias) Pelicans feeding

Today is November 20 and the celebration of "The Mexican Revolution" of 1910. The day is marked with parades and civic ceremonies throughout the country. There is a large parade in Mexico City's Zocalo, as well as speeches and official ceremonies. In cities and towns throughout Mexico schoolchildren dressed as revolutionaries participate in local parades. In the videos below, please follow the parade with us here in Mazatlan. Here is a little history on the revolution and why it is so important to the Mexican people. ************************************************************************************ The Mexican Revolution of 1910 to 1917 was a time of political and social unrest in Mexican history. It began with efforts to oust president Porfirio Diaz and officially came to an end with the promulgation of a new constitution. Porfirio Diaz had been in power for over thirty years when he gave an interview with American journalist James Creelman in 1908 in which he stated t...

Many of you have asked " just, what do we do, with our days here in Maz?" Well, here is a description of " my " typical day living as a beachbum here in Mazatlan. Greg doesn't feel the need to tell everyone what he is doing. Whatever....... I think it is important to let you know. I, generally, wake up about 7:00 to a sunny day with a temperature of around 80 degrees and a cool breeze. However, in the summer we woke to more like a sauna. So, not so pleasant, but we won't be experiencing that anymore, since we will be in Yakima during the summer months. I try to start my day by taking a walk on the malecon with the other walkers, dog walkers, runners, bicyclists and rollerbladers. Along the way, I see fishing boats, oyster divers, swimmers and pelicans diving for their breakfast. I usually walk for about 30 - 45 minutes. If I don't feel like walking, I just have a nice cup of coffee on our terrace. Then I have breakfast, shower and get ready for the day. ...

We went for a drive the other day and ended up at this golf course/resort, Estrella del Mar. Thought you might like to see one of the fabulous golf courses in Mazatlan. It is about a 45 minute drive south of Maz on the way to the airport. Let us know if we can reserve you a tee time. Here is a website and video. Enjoy! http://www.estrelladelmar.com/ http://www.estrelladelmar.com/Media/Media_Video_Golf.html Driving range First hole Club house/restaurant Club house As well as palm trees, there are beautiful old banyan trees everywhere.

Well, we went out to this beach in search of the surfers but, to our surprise, there weren't any. Guess maybe they were working or maybe taking a siesta. The waves were incredible so we aren't sure where they were since this is suppose to be Maz heaven for surfers. The margaritas at the Playa Bruja Restaurant were so so but it was still an enjoyable afternoon spent on the beach watching the waves. We also met a family from Seattle at the restaurant. They were staying at Torres Mazatlan which is our timeshare down here. What a small world! Here is a video and a couple of pics of this beach Also, a pic of some seashells Greg found. Entrance to restaurant and stairs to the beach. View of restaurant from the beach. Lots of interesting rock formations around this beach. The seashells Greg found. We haven't seen any of these on our beach.

This morning we woke up to hazy skies. We can hardly see the islands, but the waves are really loud and just huge - stirring up lots of white foam on the beach. The temperture at 9:00 am is 78 degrees and 79% humidity. So, a little humid this morning but again a nice breeze from the ocean. Here are a couple of videos we took this morning during our coffee time together on our terrace. Ohhh the life of beachbums! We are headed out to a beach called Playa Bruja (translated Witch Beach). This beach, just north of Maz, is Mazatlán surfer heaven. Should be lots of surfers there today riding these huge waves.

We enjoyed the sunset this evening with a nice glass of wine and dinner on the terrace. We had arrachera on flour tortillas with fresh salsa and guacamole. The waves have been very big and crashing today. The sun sat at 5:30 and the temperature was 85 degrees with a cool breeze off the ocean. Just perfect! Wish you could have been here with us. Enjoy the videos below.

On November 2, the first Friday Artwalk began here in Maz. The first Friday of each month through May, you can view the work of resident artists, between 4:00 and 8:00 pm. The self-guided/free walking tour takes you to their homes and/or studios in the Historic district. We met many interesting artists but will need to take this tour again to see all of them. One artist we met is actually from Seattle. Among her work she had an interesting painting on display of a man whom I recognized. If any of you have ever walked through Pioneer Square in downtown Seattle you will recognize the man in this painting. He has been an icon of the square for many years. We also met this lady's son who is a local mural painter. Very interesting fellow, as many of the artsy folks in Maz are. Icon in Pioneer Square, Seattle, Washington The artist studio is also her home. Very beautiful patio areas. Local mural artist.

The celebration of the "Day of the Dead" is an event you won't want to miss if you're ever in Mexico around Halloween. The best way to describe this Mexican holiday is to say that it is a time when Mexican families remember their dead, and the continuity of life. It is not a morbid occasion, but a very festive time. November 1 and 2 are Mexico holidays. Families spend the night of November 1 in the cemeteries with the spirits of their dead loved ones. Hence, schools are closed on November 2. On the evening of November 1, about 7:00 pm, we joined in a promenade through the streets of old town. Before that hour, as we arrived at the Plazuela Machado, you could hear the bells ringing from the cathedral. These bells had been ringing all day signifying the arrival of the spirits of the dead. It was a very festive atmosphere as we awaited the hour to begin the promenade which lasted about an hour. Here are are a few pictures and videos we took of the evening. We hope the sh...

On Halloween night, we went to the Plazuela Machado in El Centro (old Mazatlan) to see if there were any trick-or-treaters. Before we went to the plazuela, we stopped by the orphanage. We found that the children there were not celebrating Halloween. We understand Halloween has not made it's way to all parts of Maz or Mexico. So to our surprise, there were quite a few children in costume when we arrived at the plazuela. Also, there were a number of alters set up around the plazeula to honor lives of loved ones who have passed away. Here are a few photos we took. Enjoy! Today, November 1, is the "Day of the Dead" here in Mexico. It is said, today is the day the spirits of deceased loved ones return and the families meet them in the cemetery for a day of festivities. They will spend the night and the the spirits will leave by mid-day tomorrow. We are planning to join in a festival through the streets of old Mazatlan tonight. We will be viewing the many alters, set up by fami...