When I was a kid, we used to tie strings to the legs of June Bugs and they'd buzz around our heads like little motorized kites. I don’t remember who taught us how to do that. We caught Yellow Garden Spiders in glass jars filled with toilet paper soaked in fingernail polish remover and pinned them to boards for show & tell. We shot pretty much anything that moved with our bb guns and reloaded them from cardboard tubes. Of course this has nothing to do with where I am today, sitting here typing at midnight listening to dogs barking and trucks clattering along the Libramiento. Becky’s sleeping and Guinness is lying in a grassy patch in our courtyard. The moon’s almost full and I’m thinking about dinner and laughing with friends. We watched the most amazing fireworks exploding up and over Plaza Chica.
Back at it one year later. Landed safe and sound in Patzcuaro after the four day drive from Nashville, after the flood. Not sure why I didn't keep up this blog thing. So many good things have happened over the past year, and many sad things. Just decided it would be a travelogue. Our adventure south began last week without our dear sweet Nemo. Hate to start up again on such a down note but I miss that little guy so much it's been hard to breathe sometimes. Can't quite believe he’s gone, that happy, manic, busy little dog: Nemo, Buddy, Bud, Little Brother, Brud, Little Guy, Bro, Little Man, Crazy, Boo Boo, Mister. He traveled to Mexico twice only to be hit by a random car on our quiet little Nashville street. Best little companion ever. I missed seeing him in my rear view mirror on our drive down. Came close to canceling our trip but finally realized we would miss him wherever we were.
We headed south last Wednesday, just one day late, and spent the night in Texarkana. Traveled to Laredo the next night and met up with our friends, Susan and Andy. Crossed the border bright and early the next morning into Nuevo Laredo only to drive straight through customs without showing passports, receiving tourist visas, or vehicle permits. We were encouraged right on thru and traveled on for almost an hour before it occurred to me: "Um, we ain't exactly driving here...legally. How did that happen?” So I pulled over and Susan called the embassy, and Ms. Embassy said: “Get your butts back to the border!” We promptly returned and were properly processed. Some time passed and we headed south again. Drove onwards towards paradise with all the requisite stickers in place. Saw some stuff along the way, including a double rainbow. Spent the night in Matehuala at the crappiest motel in the country with doors that partially locked and curtains that partially closed, and things that go bump in the night kept bumping and rattling chains. The next day was full of beautiful scenery and women selling dried snakes and cactus and red birds, and strawberries and caramel and watermelons. We saw one million Joshua trees dancing and boxing, and almost as many retread tire shacks. And we faired well while passing down the middle.
