Camoflage

I was standing in line to use the ATM at Banamex the other day and this attractive black woman behind me asked what part of  Canada I was from. I whispered to her "the hats just camouflage, I'm not really from Canada, I'm trying to fit in" , " why would you do that ?" , " well I'm really from Alaska and even though its been 6 years all people ask about is Sarah Palin" , " oh of course, well I won't blow your cover", "thanks, and I've noticed that people are really nice to Canadians"....she said " yup I've noticed that", " oh, you're from Canada ? " , " I can't tell you, it's a secret", " Oh, really....well it's my turn at the machine, I'll see you around", " I doubt it"....

And I guess as we were driving home from Dimas the other day  as I ruminated the importance of my place in the world I figured out my role with Team X...I'm like the team photographer/ biographer/ morale officer ....maybe just the Team scribe to steal a phrase from the days of yore. My friend Slah is an incredible surf fisherman, he can turn a slow day into a spectacular day with just one bite like he did the other day. And he'll cast until he gets that bite, he reminds me of the time Ari Lyendyk won the Indy 500 when the car in first place ran out of gas on the last lap. When asked if he got lucky Roger Penske replied " people that work hard get lucky".  So here's a pic of Slah and Adrienne with a couple of the prettiest yellowtail Corvina I've ever seen. Watching Slah and Ramon land that fish in the rocks was like watching Tiger Woods shoot out of the rough.  Slah takes his time, at one point lets it swim away with slack line because it was caught in some rocks, then 10 minutes in he steers it into a crevasse and hands the rod to Ramon as he climbs 5 feet down with the gaff hook and walla....fishing perfection.

 Around here we've got tons of sunset experts. It's a  Mexico ritual, everyone meets on the terrace 15 minutes before and then predicts the sunset quality, green flash ? sailboat assist ? rebound effect ?  But me...I like the sun ups best. It's simple they signify the start of something and not the end, that's where I wanna be in life. So I'm up every morning...and I mean every morning to celebrate the break of day. I guess it's part of the hardcore fisherman's DNA. The other morning I took this shot so all the people that listened to me play music the night before and were still in bed could enjoy it to. 

 

Here's the deal at the Shrimp ladies. No matter how hot it is, no matter how effected you are by smells and diesel exhaust...here's what you do. You walk the entire line-up judging size and freshness mostly, some ladies mediums are another ladies smalls and of course you notice who has ice and who doesn't. Then like all roadside stuff in Mexico the biggest thing is to notice who's moving product and who isn't, if it's being turned over whether it's a taco stand or a shrimp lady it'll be excellent.  Then after you have the price you say....those ones....right there...and walla, wonderfully fresh ocean shrimp for 160 peso's a kilo, about 7 bucks a pound.

Music is every where here in Mazatlán and unlike our part of the world where they only dish up one course at a time around here you can get music from all directions as you walk the street. In the restaurant I'll give the Mariachi 100 peso for a nice love song for me and MPeasy and they'll play it to the accompaniment of a loud techno sound from kids partying on the beach right outside. I've often played for folks in a bar with the TV playing loud Mexican Soup Operas...it's just the way it is and I love it....all except that techno sound of course....and I really don't understand the romance of playing the ' Blues' in Mexico. I mean you're wearing shorts, sipping a dollar beer with a lovely woman...and you're listening to the blues??? hold it a second now....well that's another story. But behind it all is the Mexican culture of big and brassy and bold and ....well this boom box for sale at the local Coppel store illustrates the deal. Is that a beauty or what? And yup, that's all on system, I promise.

As we walked one morning we came across these messages, left on the beach stones and undisturbed. MP says they are some kind of Novena, a special prayer in special place for a special person or circumstance....mmm...Lately we lost my aunt Lee and I have an 8 year old nephew fighting Hodgkin's disease, one of our oldest and best girlfriends got pancreatic cancer and...well....sometimes I just wonder, what did I do, how did all this happen, why am I personally so lucky and always have been...just the fact that I'm alive is enough...a recipient of that Novena I'd say. So if I was scratching out a message on those stones I'd tell the world....I'm trying really hard to be a good guy, I know the frailty and shortness of life and I hope some how some where I've helped people learn it along the way, have fun and be healthy, create and keep love, respect and try to understand, be true...  maybe this could be my gift to the world.