Our first 3 wks here have been extremely full starting with the Dia de los Muertos celebration (10/31-11/2). For (yet another) look into how seriously people party here, I have a true story: In the middle of the day on Sat. I was waiting outside the bank on a busy street in Chapala. There was a big line-up of cars waiting for the light to change. Finally, 2 or 3 cars were able to get through the intersection and the next car didn't move. Car trouble, right? No. People were honking loudly, and continuously. No response. Closer look at the 20 something driver, alone in the car, shows his head thrown back and eyes closed. My first thought was that he had been shot, but we would've heard that. The local policia came to the window (after someone had actually rammed the guy's car!) and began banging on the window. He suddenly sat up and looked around. He had passed out in the middle of traffic!! The photo in the upper right is a beautiful altar set up to honor a storekeeper's mother who had passed away the weekend before the holiday.

The next photo is an amazing example of the weather we've experienced since we got here. That is a huge rain cloud that gathered above the lake in just that one spot. Hope you can see the column of water in the middle...Within minutes it was over us and dumping torrents of rain which lasted for an hour or so. This was the second time we'd had serious rain so far. It's statistically unheard of here to have measurable rain this late in the year. Although we have a pool here, it just hasn't been warm enough to use it much of the time. We also have get-togethers with our neighbors, weather permitting, for our version of "happy hour". Great group of people here. More about that later, as there are lots of stories to give you insight into living in Ajijic.

We also volunteered at the Feria Maestros del Arte again this year. It too was plagued with heavy rain one of the three days. I/we were so busy during our volunteer stint that I didn't get photos of the amazing artwork and craftsmanship that was there representing all parts of Mexico. Please look at their website in the absence of my photos, at mexicoartshow.com. I also reconnected with my wonderful and talented group of jewelry making friends and "competed" in a challenge called "Opposites Attract" where we were given a few guidelines and limited to two colors usually not paired with each other. The 11 pieces were all very different from each other. Lots of good-natured fun, and it was good being "challenged" to get back into producing jewelry again. Below is another wonderful sunset just the other day as seen from our veranda. This is what it is supposed to be like every day here on Lake Chapala, as the story goes ...