This place ain't for everybody....

but it's just right for me. A lot of people would have freaked out when their cupboards fell off the wall after having the backs ate out of them by termites. And I have to admit if  you had told me that Mexico has termites that can bore through concrete walls I would have called b.s. . But they can and they do, particle board is like termite candy so the next cupboards are going to be hand made Cedar and will look a bit nicer than this....I'm just glad MPeasy wasn't washing dishes when they finally colapsed...they literally fell off the wall....unbelieving...

That picture right there is a mini-split and all of our years here at mile 5014 we had never needed it for cooling but we had used it a lot for heat. So.... we show up and it 90 degrees with 90 % humidity and we're just melting. I grab the remote control and walla....nothing....busted ....kaput. But it has to

be the batteries and I hustle up to the OXXO store for some Energizers which just makes me sweat more and it's magic, our house is livable and we get about 10 good nights out of it ( the air conditioner at night is a must after the ocean breeze lays down) until it breaks for good. A capacitator goes out, on a friday night of course. So around here it goes like this....wait till Monday, guy comes Tuesday, yup you've got a problem, part comes on Wednesday, installed on Thursday and all is cooooool again the next Friday.

Don't Give Up....I'll get to the fish pics soon, promise.

Mazatlan is gearing up for Christmas and it's just a bit different here. We were at the store and it was just all so festive. You talk about your Burl Ives....or was that Currier and Ives Christmas... well they got going on here. How about this center piece for your Christmas dinner, just puts me in the mood for sure. And when I saw these babies I suggested to MP that we decorate out tree with donuts, why not try something new eh ?....Well she pointed out to me that all the sugar would attract bees and being hyper alergic like I am the last thing I need is another bee sting. So, bad idea Jethro.  And don't ask me about the Harrison Ford donuts, I got no idea.

So we sit down for breakfeast at LaFonda Chalio on Olas Altas the other morning and it's a sidewalk deal and the town is coming to life and the temp is 75 so we sit down next to the bushy fence and there BEES EVERYWHERE.... Like I say, this place ain't for everybody. So , in a semi panic I tell the guy I'm alergic and we move to a safer table and our host is concerned so he puts out this plate of bait and it sure did work, I think it was green donuts. But the weirdest thing was that I seemed to be the only one a little worried....2 feet from this plate a guy was reading the newspaper and enjoying his coffee.  I kinda figure if he can peruse the sports page with that 2 feet away he wouldn't mind getting his watermelon from this guy.

All morning I can see schools of these Barraleta push bait fish to the surface, Sometimes way to far out of casting distance, sometimes 1/4 mile down the beach. It's so strange, these fish are so fast that the water will erupt as the bait panics and then instantly they're gone. But if you're lucky and have the right metal on at the right time you can get em... I was, Alejandro wasn't, He had a popper on when it erupted just 30 feet in front of us. I had my Trusty Hardware P-line Lazer Minnow and got the tug.

The next day found us out at my favorite fishing spot at Oceanica. It's close to town but it seems so far away. Here's the view to the north with my friends Alberto, Ron and Bernardo hard at work.

And the view to the south...my house is about 3/4 of the way to the left of this frame. It's a huge part of what I love...the quiet, the sloshing of the surf. the cackle of the birds, the horn of the railroad engine.....ooops....

I guess I'm turning into a grizzled veteran of this surf fishing deal. I've finally gotten to have a little confidence in the rubber swim fish that is by far the most popular bait on the beach. It's the strangest bite, they nibble and take a second just like a fish eating a real bait. Odd. So I've learned to repress my instinct to hook set and just wait until you feel better pressure and walla....Corvina down.

Before we left Mile 14 Trusty Hardware has selfie sticks on sale for 5 bucks. I gotta thank ya Brian and Scott for getting those things in, it's a gas. The selfie stick is the perfect tool for a vain, egotistical expert fisherman like myself....and I guess so is writing a blog about yourself....oh well....