Life at the Hacienda

It has been a week since we returned to Hacienda Contreras and the weather has not cooperated one day. WE got in last Thursday afternoon in time for a Spanish lesson. When the lesson was over and we headed back to our camper we felt the first rain drops. Some of the campers who have been coming to Mexico for the winter for 17 years remarked about how unusual it was to have any rain at all this time of year. There would be a half day of rain on rare occasions, but that was all. This odd situation we are in has been called an early season tropical storm system. This is akin to having a hurricane forming around Florida. Very, very rare in February
.

This picture show the weather pattern a couple of days ago, but today's picture is almost the same.

This picture is not as good, but it does show our spot in Mexico and how we seem to stay in the middle of things.

Dark clouds coming over the mountains. The day gets lighter and darker as the different clouds pass over, but it's not the cloudless blue skies that we have enjoyed since November 15th.

I guess it's the same story all over, odd weather patterns. Most of our fellow campers are from Canada, and most of them are from British Columbia. The story they are getting from home is that there have been periods of unusual cold and unusual warm, but almost no snow at all. How unusual! I confess that I check the weather for Inverness every day and compare it to what we have here. There were a few days when Inverness was better, but those 27 and 29 degree mornings do not occur here. having said all that, we are not hiding in the camper vegetating. Barbara, the campground hostess and activity director organized a hike to the waterfalls on the other side of Mazamitla. She is the one in orange in the middle of the next picture. I didn't go because I was waiting for a much needed delivery of propane. Helen will comment from here on.

This is our group just heading out on our hike. Sal (in the center)

provided everyone who wanted them with walking sticks.



Here we are at journey's end, at the base of the Falls.



Due to the heavy rains of the last several days, the water carries the

red pigmented sediments from the surrounding mountains.



The water fall..............our prize at the end of the trail.

Passed some beautiful gardens along the way. Couldn't resist

this shot of a Calla Lilly in it's prime.

Stopped at "Charo's" in Mazamitla after our hike. Of course we had

to replace the calories we just worked so hard to lose!!