Month: March 2024

The days continue to go by rather quickly. Carlie settled after a few days. However today she began to shake with pain once again. I ended up giving her Gabapetin and after a few hours she relaxed. Once she did, she came and found me and licked me all over 😥  They are so very helpless. She was once again shaking with pain with her tail tucked under. I don’t know if it was the correct thing to do but I could not leave her in pain.

Once Carlie settled ( she was so restless and moving around & around ) Ciela came to sniff her and kiss her a few times. Then she laid close to her sister, giving she some comfort.

This Easter weekend is called Semana Santa here in Mexico.Semana Santa translates to “Holy Week,” and it is the annual tribute of the passion of Christ, an event referring to the week of the crucifixion (execution) and resurrection (rebirth) of Jesus in the Bible. For many here in Mexico it’s a vacation, a time to travel, to hit the beach, like Spring Break. However, prices are inflated and roads are congested. You will pay double for a hotel and sit in traffic for hours. 

Chivos, to our left – facing the shipping channel. Their beach was full of umbrellas and of course people.

So very true even here on our tiny Isla. This year they made the main road a one way circular road  to try and help control traffic. Yet there were line ups from our road to to exit the community the last few evenings  All part of the fun. Those of us who live here know to stock up on pesos y liquidos y comida. We only leave our compounds for walks among the hordes. Some do crossover to Mazatlan via the lanchas. Most of the morning and from 5 pm on, there are long lines waiting to cross the shipping channel.

The following photos are from the Isla beach. SO very many banana boats out on the water.

Colin and I love the energy of the whole experience. We have had dense fog the past few mornings  but it usually clears by 10AM. Good news for the up coming eclipse 🙂

In other news, Colin and I visited our Mazatlan this past Monday, First we had to go pick up the results of all the tests we had done last Saturday. We are both in wonderful health. I can’t say perfect as I have a bit of high cholesterol – Colin as always is perfecto.

People were everywhere.

We both were shocked when our MD said that the medical insurance company we had chosen was not reputable. They often did not pay. I called the three main hospitals here in Mazatlan and only Alhma accepted the insurance company but the fellow who submits the claims told us that it took very very long and sometimes even much longer to settle a claim and many times, not due to a variety of issues 😳 Well that was the end of that company. You may recall that we have spent over a month doing medical health insurance. So back to the research. It just did not make sense.

Why would we pay on average pay an annual fee of $16,000.00CAD for the two of us to have a policy?  Then we would have to each pay a deductible of $13,500CAD for the first time we use the insurance. If you do the math it adds to a large pile of dollars. FYI this is the lower rate of the hundreds of insurance policies out there. If you manage to find a lower price, it turns out the once you read the VERY fine print that you won’t be covered for much. Such as an  accident, ie vehicular or just a fall, you must have multiple trauma. It took me several hours and phone calls to define that. It means not just a broken hip but also a wrist. The policy only covers two or more traumas per accident 😡  Severe burns need to be third degree and over 30% of your body!!!!

And then there is the sepsis clause. My Dad died because of sepsis 😥  The criteria to be covered for this condition is:

Sepsis can kill in less than 12 hours.

As the attack spins out of control, it can damage the heart, lungs, kidneys and other organs. It can even be fatal. The disaster unfolds quickly. It can take as little as 12 hoursfrom the earliest signs of infection to organ failure and death.Aug 3, 2023

No way for this to be processed for an insurance claim.

Our home is to the left of this photo. We only saw two empty tables. So many people here to enjoy the Isla.

At this point Colin and I are thinking that It might be better for us to self insure. That means that we pay as we go for anything medical. As we are both healthy, why spend so much on an insurance policy for “just in case”. We are also considering joining IMSS so that if we have an accident or other trauma we can present ourselves and be able to be seen by a doctor. It is not ideal and certainly not a top hospital but you will get treatment.

At one point during the afternoon I counted 14 banana boats our on the water.

You may begin your application online or by visiting a local IMSS office in your community. Premiums depend on age. For those aged 50 to 59, IMSS currently costs about $63 per month per person.For people 60 to 69, it is $89 per month, and 70 to 79-year-olds pay $93 per month.Jan 6, 2024

So you have not heard from me because because we have been involved in all of the above. I did take yesterday, Good Friday off and Colin and I did a beach walk and I read half of a mystery novel. The photos in this post come from that wonderful walk. Colin will take Carlie to the vet on Monday. We have an extra special guest coming the 2nd of April ( we also have two wonderful friends arriving that day as well but we will see them on the 3rd).  We need to be back to normal by very soon.

I am trying to say up to date with my posts but as you can see life gets in the way. I hope that you stick with me as there is so much more to come.

First of all I am almost back to normal between my computer and the blog. However your comments are not reaching me via my inbox. At this point I can go to the post itself and see if I have any comments. But it really would be so nice to work properly for me. So be sure to leave comment as I will see it. Meanwhile there are folks behind the scenes working on this.

Sadly in other news Colin had to take Carlie to the vet this morning. She was spasming with pain and you could tell by her eyes that she really was suffering. So hard to see her in such distress. Carlie ate her breakfast and about 15 minutes later she was in agony.  We wondered if she had a blockage. Our regular vet was too far away. In the end it turned out that the vet Colin took her to had just moved and was even further away. About a 42 minute Didi ( like Uber ) ride. So the ride there and back was only 250MXN which is about $20.00 CAD. Plus it was much quicker than driving there ourselves.

Colin took Carlie in her carry bag, well padded with blankets so she did not bounce around. I had given her a pain pill about 90 minutes before she got to this vet. She was having a bit less pain. Within ten minutes the vet had it all sorted out. You can Google ‘bad absorption syndrome’. Not sure if that is the problem. We have her on 2 pain pills, antibiotics and Meloxicam. The latter is a great medicine for doxies who have back trouble. I refuse to travel without it. Thank goodness I have a full bottle with us. The main differences between meloxicam and ibuprofen are: Meloxicam is considered a stronger medicine than ibuprofen. Meloxicam is only available on prescription and ibuprofen is available over the counter as well as on prescription. Meloxicam is a long-acting medicine that only needs to be given once a day.

Long story short we have her on all these meds for a week. Some a bit less and one a few days longer if needed. Seven days after she stops the antibiotic ( very strong one ) we are to bring in a stool sample to a special lab in Centro. Based on that result, further tests will be done including blood work. This is putting us to almost a week before before we leave. One day a time, poco a poco.

Ciela was so very upset with her sister gone. She would not leave the gate where Colin walked out carrying Carlie. I gave Ciela a bed and made some shade for her. She was whimpering as to being separated from her sibling.

About ten minutes after Carlie was being examined by the vet, Ciela let out a loud shriek and crouched to the ground. She let out a sharp bark and then seemed normal again. Was that a twin thing? I think so. She was feeling Carlie’s pain at being physically manipulated.

Once home Carlie slept the day away. Ciela stayed pretty close to her. It was quite the day for us. Most unsettling. She is almost pain free tonight and of course they will both be in bed with us tonight. Updates tomorrow.

Stayed tuned for more news of our continued que pasa.

We has some special visitors near the end of February. So nice to see Dennis and Marilyn and their sweet pup Lea.m Our few hours together passed quickly.

I did publish a post on March 10th called Harsh Reality & Que Pasa.  Click this link to read that post. Despite writing blogs since 2010 I somehow managed to hit the wrong button or link or whatever. I actually rewrote the entire post via copy and paste but it still would not publish. I have recently been informed that I may have published this post twice. Time to move on with tonights post.

Last week we had nine boats in. The vessel 6th from the left has a red hull. They stopped in one day just to say hola. They have been sailing in that boat for 24 years and even brought up their children as they toured the world. They were stopped here for a few days waiting for the weather to clear so they could sail over to the Baja and up north.

My computer guru was occupied with work until Sunday. She graciously was able to sort out the problem. I still have no idea what I did wrong. But here I am once again.

This one is becoming a regular visitor. Should we give him/her a name?

The funny thing was that I finally got my computer working again to my satisfaction for the first time since February 8th. So I wrote the post and it all fell apart. Sorry for the inconvenience. I am back on track. If any of you have any issues with my post please send me an email.

Before Colin left for Culican I asked a friend in the ‘hood’ to use her washing machine. Between the two Isla lavenderias I am having issues. This time I wanted to wash several sundresses. It all worked out and I had a lovely visit with Nancy and Randy. I just may have to get my own machine next fall. As I walked back with my wet clothes I realized that Colin would be on the beach with the girls. However he so very thoughtfully set up the clothes line, the clothes pegs and a table to put my basket on. Oh and hangers as he knew I dried my dressed on them. I was overwhelm with his helpfulness.

We figured out a way to give Carlie shade as she surveys her kingdom. The girls so love being here. However I am unable to walk them on my own on the beach with all the various distractions. They missed two days of walking on the beach but they were fine with it.

The last seven days have been busy. Colin went to Culiacan last Wednesday to stay with Maestro Heriberto. He was back home by 9PM Friday. His bus was delayed 90 minutes in both directions. That is a first, in all the past years the bus has been one time. Regardless he got there and had a wonderful time. That left me with the girls which was fine except for the feral cats. We are constantly working on that and have different approach since Colin returned. Basically speaking to them quietly asking them to be quiet and if they don’t then spray them in the face with water. Thanks for that suggestion Russel. We would spray them but not in the face.

Last Wednesday, first night Colin was gone.

Instead they sat at this window waiting for a cat to walk past. Sunset thru the window but you first have to get past all of the dog nose prints:)

Last Thursday’s sunset. They don’t get much better than this. There was some moisture in a few of the clouds, hence the grey shades.

I used my iPhone for this one and I think it went rather over the top in the colours. Still dramatic and beautiful.

Hopefully you are all able to open this post. So sorry about any errors but Colin’s dinner is ready and it smells divine.

Test post. I did a post yesterday which appears to be out in the universe somewhere. Perhaps this will get things moving again.

This post replaces the glitch post published March 10th. This is the new correct March10th post. Thank for your comments on that non post!! Just to further confuse you, this was supposed to have been published March10th but I only published it today, March 13th. However as you can see it is not dated, March13th. Oh the magic of blogging.

This is the blog post that disappeared. I finally figured out how to redo the blog with a lot of cut and pasting and an extra hour. It was to have published March 10th. I wish I could’ve repaired it in the blink of an eye. But I will backdate this March 10th even though today is March 13th.

A daily event.

Sorrowfully, we only have 41 more sleeps here on the Isla before we head North. Will this be the last time? We definitely hope so but have many more things on the to do list once we get back to Canada. Regardless we will be back here before the end of October.

Three is our maximum.

Hope to see Kirsten and Randy somewhere along the road. Loved having you between us.

Colin has begun the task of sorting out the RV basement, figuring out what we will store here ( that means more room for “stuff” to come back with us ) and what will be discarded. That included bringing the rest of our wine out of the basement.

Early morning incoming.  We have had overcast skies and much wind the last few weeks.

..and the photographer. Unfortunately my Photos program is no longer working so I can’t crop any photos. Actually I can’t do anything in Photos at all. GRRR

The last of our wine has been brought up into the RV from below. It was my job to count the days until departure and the bottles of vino blanco remaining. This was the harsh reality. We have a departure date and we certainly won’t have enough wine until we get to the USA 😥 Very serious indeed.

We had four friends leave on this vessel this past Wednesday. Our almost next door neighbours and their neighbour’s. Going to spend a few weeks in the Baja enjoying the whales and other sites.

In the Que Pasa department, my computer issues remain unresolved. I am now upgraded to iMac OS Ventura but that has brought a few glitches. Such as not being able to have a newly opened tab connect to Safari. The worst issues are that my Time Machine will not work nor my Photos program. Jorge has sent me some suggestions of things to do but that is above both of our pay grades. Even with Goggling his suggestions we have no idea where to start. So now I have to wait until he can find a spare 30 minutes in the next two weeks 😮 Needless to say it is most frustrating and takes double the time to work on anything online.

Unfortunately my $35.00 worth of wild flower seeds from Canada that I had planted did not survive. It likely had something to do with some soil we were gifted from a parcela ( ejido piece of communal land ) that was full of horse manure and weeds. The tiny seedlings were suffocated. It was a dream that I had, to have wildflowers all over but then I had to go with Plan B.

We went to four viveros/nurseries and finally at the 5th one we found exactly what we were looking for. I have never had trouble growing bougainvillea here on the Isla. These are supposed to be short bush type plants, not like the tall ones I had back in the RV park.

Colin did the hard work while I cut the plastic covers off the plants. Of course I placed each plant in the exact perfect location as required. You can see Genie and I walking away. The very next day a herd of goats complete with a papa, some mammas and a baby were walking down the road to feast on my new plants. Joe chased them off. So now he can add rooster wrangler and goat herder to his resume. Fingers crossed that those critters stay away.

How many sets of sheets and towels do you travel with in your RV? Personally I always have a fresh set out and in use and another set at the lavanderia. Here on the Isla we have a laundry service off the Main Street at R’s. There is another lavanderia in the Colonia at A’s. We have used him since 2009. We have tried R off and on but there have been errors here and there. This year it is a new machine that is leaking oil into my clothes. Sadly the laundry in the Colonia is so popular that it can’t meet promised deadlines. Even with a full week to do our laundry we have been left 3 or 4 times since Christmas having to sleep directly on our mattress and use beach towels to have a shower with. He does a fabulous job but is too busy to follow through on his promised dates. Instead of Thursday noon we got our laundry back a full 48 hours later. Plus he will be retiring in December. Not sure yet how we will handle this. I do plan on now having 3 sets of linens.

We no longer have to deal with time change here in Mexico. But it would be lovely if the price of groceries decreased sooner than later.

We continue to navigate the complicated world of international health care insurance. Each company has something different to offer. It is not as easy as comparing apples to apples. In our case we have until Colin’s 75th birthday to settle on the company we will be using. Any suggestions you might have will be appreciated. Once we are out of Canada for seven months we will no longer be covered for health insurance. I have read that the US will cover their citizens no matter how long you have been out of country. We are not looking for international coverage but mostly for Mexico with the option to purchase a week or two in the US when we decide to travel there.

We have had some lovely sunsets in the past few days.

Not me 😳 My computer is 🙄  The computer tech came out today and could not figure out what my “helper” had done on February 8th to bung it all up. After a few hours he decided to upload two files to Colin’s large hard drive in the hopes of saving all my photos from over the years.

It was going to take from 3 hours on one file to 71 days on the other file to upload.

Jorge went to help another client here on the Isla who turned out to be good friends of mine. By the time he got back the file update was still as slow as molasses in January. So he stopped the file uploads but then it turned out that it would take at least a few hours to stop the transfer to the hard drive. He was frustrated. No need to tell you that I was also. He left to deal with his other appointments.

After another few hours I had a computer that I could sort of work with. Jorge will be back Monday morning to try and get me running normally ( pun intended )  😎

A few weeks ago Colin was in a newly discovered ( well to him ) hardware store in Centro. Great place he says. As he walked down an aisle his eye picked up a pile of boxes of flea pills.

This is a great flea product and we have used it since day one with the girls. The price at our vet in Canada is $23.00 per pill – good for one month. That is for each dog. The price here in Mazatlan is 270 MXN which is $21.45 CAD. However that price is for six pills. Good for three months for both girls. Now that is a real savings. Click here to read about this product.

Then we had a pop up happy hour. One person was coming but he was over an hour late and then the others all arrived just as he was leaving. It was a fun way to end the long day. Then I came in and did last nights dinner dishes while Colin changed the sheets on the bed. Never had time during the day. We had about nine visitors today 😀 So here we are at 9:50PM about to make veggie burgers for dinner. I have tried for two days to make soup. Perhaps tomorrow I will be successful.

Another stunning sunset last evening.

I turned around and then saw we were having another 360 degree experience. This is facing east. Love the colour.

Lucky lucky us.