I would like to report that the chubby red squirrel navigated its way up the pine tree to the fifth level of branches with no assistance from me whatsoever.
You may be amazed to learn — as I was to see — that Red carried a small pinecone in its jaws while performing this feat.
Look, I know squirrels do this sort of thing very well without me. But it just seemed so important to me at the moment.
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After waking up around 8 a.m., leisurely packing, and enjoying a nice breakfast, it occurs to me that our strategy for hiking the West Highland Way here in Scotland is a good one.
Instead of chewing up the entire 96 miles in 6 or 7 days, we are taking ten. This means later starts most days, a leisurely pace, side trips to curiosities, and an early arrival at our destination. Best of all, time to recover from the previous day’s exertions. Oh, yes, and a wee bit more pub time after we cross the finish line.
Take today for example. We set out to cover the nearly eight miles between Drymen and Balmaha. It is mostly a leisurely uphill stroll through farmland, fallow fields, forests, and fern breaks — until you reach Conic Hill.
Continue readingSunday, Aug. 11
10:30 a.m. – Noon — Ecstatic dancing
San Miguel’s longest-running ecstatic dance community Danza de Alma meets at The Nautilus Chamber with the music of DJ Grandpa setting the swirling dervishes in motion. Here’s a map to Nautilus.
Danza del Alma is a scent free zone. Suggested donation is $150-$400 pesos ($8-$20 usd). paypal.me/JoanElenaGoldberg.Can’t make it in person? Zoom in: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6777780270 (Zoom Passcode: Danza, Meeting ID: 677 778 0270)
Sunday, July 14
8 a.m — 4 p.m. Bomberos Flea Market
After 40 years of protecting San Miguel de Allende, the local fire department still counts on this monthly flea market to make ends meet. Crazy, huh? But this is our life! You will find new and second-hand clothes, glasses, perfumes, lingerie, toys and collectibles, and much more.
Where? At the firehouse on Salida a Queretaro, next to Real de Conde plaza.
10 a.m. — Play ball!
Baseball game between the San Miguel Paric and the San Miguel Pirates this Sunday at the Stirling Dickinson Stadium. The Pirates will try to break the undefeated record of the green-feathered Pericos De San Miguel De Allende. This is quality baseball, up-close, on the region’s finest baseball field. Located at Avenida Las Américas #113.
Within a month’s time, I have taken two driver’s license tests in two countries and passed both. But not exactly “with flying colors.”
My California driver’s license expired on April 10 and I tried unsuccessfully to line up an appointment to renew it in person. I just turned 74 and needed to take a new photo and the written test (and I incorrectly assumed that I’d need the driving one, too).
The problem was two-fold: My phone number is from Mexico and the DMV will not allow foreign numbers when you try to sign into the system. After repeated attempts and working with a human (I think) who promised to send me an access form to fill out and send back – he/it didn’t — I lost interest.
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Quincenario en honor a San Antonio de Padua, the two-weeklong celebration of Saint Anthony began with a locos parade on Saturday, June 1, that ended up at the Parroquia San Antonio de Padua in Colonia San Antonio, as they will each night.
For two weeks, pilgrimages by groups of Locos will leave each evening from a different place in San Miguel and parade toward the Parish of San Antonio de Padua.
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This week starts off with not one but three locos parades. Each leaves from a different location at staggard times but they will emerge and find their way back to Parroquia San Antonio de Padua where a towering soundsystem is set up.
There will be dancing food and music into the night. Don’t miss it.
At the other end of the week, the long-awaited memoir and photography of Ojala Ninos founder Elsmarie Norby, “It Is To Wonder,” is published and she will talk about her journey on Friday. Take my word for it: It is too wonderful.
Continue readingHow can you tell if a parade is about to break out in San Miguel de Allende?
Sadly, if you are a gringo, you’re probably the last to know. Parades and processions, for the most part, are cultural. You may not be connected to the network that announces such things. So, pay attention. Follow these tips and you may end up on the sidewalk watching one of the most unique and exciting things to happen in this city.
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That must have been some party.
Early this morning, the limpia crew was all over the square in front of the Parroquia de San Miguel de Arcangel with brooms, buckets, and tanks of water. The bucketers would scoop and splash water on the stones and the sweepers descend on the water like hungry birds, sloshing it left and right, until only clean damp stone remains.
Splash and repeat. In the early morning breeze. The first in what feels like months.
While this is cleaning writ large, all over San Miguel de Allende in the morning, women (mostly) wash the sidewalks and streets in front of their homes. Same routine — water, bucket, and broom — as they have been doing for centuries.
Why the public square on a Sunday morning? I can’t say.
A messy party? Too much spilled and melted ice cream? Too much dust? In anticipation of the arrival of a wedding princess or social media queen? Simple hygiene?
You just never know, do you?
Unless you ask.
But why spoil the fun?
A few days ago, I watched a documentary on the human digestive system. One thing these scientists and nutritionists kept repeating when asked about food choices: “Listen to your body.”
OK, what does that even mean?
Since puberty, “listen to your body” has been the siren’s call leading me down a path to only one place, a place filled with regret, remorse, shame — and maybe a little “wowzer!”
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Musings, Magic, San Miguel and More 