Mornings in Mexico

(Title borrowed from a D.H. Lawrence book).

The Thursday before Halloween found us driving to Jacksonville (because for some reason flying out of Tallahassee costs a lot more $$$$$  than flying out of Jax--even if you figure in a couple of night in a hotel) to catch our early-morning flights to Oaxaca, Mexico.

Why Oaxaca (which, by the way, is both the name of the city and the state, rather like New York, NY)?  Well--we've been there before.  I went some 10 years ago on a fiber arts tour, led by Eric Mindling of Traditions Mexico ( http://www.traditionsmexico.com/ )  (OK, Eric--there's your plug ).  Eric has now been living outside of Oaxaca city for some 20 years, first as a pottery buyer and then as a tour guide.  He gets people out of the city and into the tiny rural towns for experiences you could never get on your own.

I loved the tour so much, and thought that Oaxaca itself was so beautiful that I took Bob there about 7 years ago for Christmas.  Then we got a chance to do the tourist things--go to the museums and churches, trips to the reconstructed ruins.

We've always wanted to experience Dias de los Muertes (Day of the Dead) in Mexico.  But the places that the tourists can get to are, well, really filled with tourists.  Then we saw that Eric was offering rural Day of the Dead tours.  We would have loved to take the 10-day one, but Bob couldn't get that much time off work.  Maybe after retirement.  For now, the short tour.

Flight was uneventful--but flying isn't the glamorous thing that it was when I was a kid.  You're sort of packed in like sardines--for the flight from Atlanta to Mexico City (so this was still US flying) they ran out of room in the overhead racks so my bag was on the floor under my feet (which meant for the trip I had my kneecaps in my ears).  No music, no movie, no bad airline food.  Flying now is just transportation in a cattle car.  But it gets you there.  In Mexico City airport you just have to be a little zen--because they don't post the gate numbers until about 10 minutes before boarding time.  Everyone is in one big waiting room staring at the "departure" board--then when the number magically appears there is a mass rush to the gate (where you sit and wait some more)

So--long story taking too long to get started--we went to Oaxaca (dateline: Friday, October 28).  We stayed at the Hotel Oaxacalli, conveniently in walking distance to anything we wanted to see (which also meant that we could come back for siestas).  Everything is being decorated for Day of the Dead--paper banners with designs of skeletons, marigolds (more on the marigolds later), skeletons, and some US-inspired jack-o-lanterns.  Here's the courtyard of our hotel. 

  We opted for a short siesta--short because they're adding a third story to the hotel, hence much construction noise. Fireworks, traffic, and the occasional marching band outside. Seemed like it was time for a stroll. Oaxaca is a good place just to walk and look--the architecture has a lot of both Spanish and French influence, along with a lot of Catholocism. I am entranced by what I called "nichos" (not an exact use of the term which usually refers to artwork with little niches)--little niches in the walls with a saint or the vigin in them. 

 We wandered a store calls "Los Ninos de los Posadas" which is where you can find all things religious--vestments, holy water fonts, crowns, rosaries, statues of saints, priests, Jesus (both on the cross and as a baby) in riotous profusion. What we rather irreverently called "blue man Jesus group" (I guess that you dress him).

And in case you realized that you forgot to pick up a baby Jesus while you were in there, another store had a whole case of them.

By now it we were tired--grabbed a light dinner from a corn on the cob stand (they're everywhere)--they rub it with lime, salt and chili (yum).  The corn they grow is field corn.  Eric later told us a story about when he took some native potters to the states and they were invited to a barbecue.  They launched into the "familiar" food--corn on the cob and beans.  Then took a bite, made a face--"Don Eric--the corn is sweet!!"  Then went for the baked beans, and another shocked "Don Eric--the beans are sweet!!"  So we happily ate our starchy chilied corn, and off to bed.

October

It started well, that month.  Nice and quiet and under control.  Not normal circumstances in my world . . .

Because Bob and I had planned for a long-awaited trip to Mexico for Day of the Dead, we gave up doing the haunted trail at the museum this year.  It was not a last-minute decision; I had told Jennifer (my boss lady) a year and a half ago that last year's Halloween Howl would be our last.  Love it much--but it takes months of planning, the entire month of October to build the trail, and then most of November to take it down and put it away.  A friend of the Museum's director volunteered to run the trail this year.  All was well.

Until the middle of October.  She had a lot of enthusiasm and still thought it would be wonderful--but hadn't actually gotten around to doing anything.  The loss of a haunted trail would seem like no big deal--but the Halloween Howl is a big fundraiser for the museum (we made about $30,000 in the two nights last year) and a huge part of that--the part that brings in the college kids and the teenagers and a lot of adults, and not just families--is the haunted trail.  The museum budget is tight enough without taking a big hit.

So . . . two weeks before the Howl I designed Trail Light (no elaborate scenes or special effects) and gave the big puppy dog eyes to Bob and asked for a day of building from him.  The stars smiled upon us, because Jennifer was able to hire a marvelous carpenter/man of all trades named Jason who really put his heart into the building.  And Brother Michael, who flew into town for our father's birthday got to spend two days of quality time with his sister--building the trail (he is a really good sport).  Then I let him take the weekend off (because, after all, it was Dad's birthday).

Sort of off--he's never been in a kayak, so on Saturday we took him to Wakulla River and put him in one (did I mention he's a good sport?)  It's one thing to see Wild Florida from a riverboat tour; another to see it at eye level.  It was a beautiful day.  A bit chilly so we didn't see as many animals as usual, but one alligator cooperated and posed nicely.   He looked comfortable so Mike decided to admire him from a discrete distance and not disturb him.

Sunday was a bit more sedate--if you can call going to a museum gallery show called Cute and Creepy sedate (http://www.mofa.fsu.edu/).  There are some "interesting" pieces in that show (I admire them--wish I had the skill and imagination to put together stuff like this)

Then we went to take Dad his birthday gift (his birthday was Saturday but we couldn't fit the gift into the truck with the kayaks and the three of us)  We couldn't resist getting Dad a radio controlled flying fish.  Seriously--it's a mylar balloon with a movable tail and a weight on a track so it can go up and down.  Here's a video of one in action (we got the clownfish):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIJINiK9azc

Mike decided that the only way he was going to get some rest was to go home, so he hopped on a plane Monday morning.  Bob and I--went to work.  I also worked Tuesday morning--then back to the Museum to work with Jason to finish the trail.  Bob and Rob and Jeff joined us that night to tweak the lights.
Wednesday--errands.  Thursday--some made housecleaning and packing and off to Jacksonville (because it's a heckuva lot cheaper to fly out of Jacksonville than Tallahassee) to hop a plane ourselves for Mexico.  Because after such a nice quiet month--we were ready for that vacation!

FAZED

I was able to attend a FAZE (Florida Association of Zoological Educators) at the Jacksonville Zoo.  It's great to be able to meet talk with people with venues extending from Disney World to small town zoo/museums. We had three round-table discussion--how to offer premier/VIP programs (to bring in money), how to present to large audiences (to get the message/education out) and adult programs (how to get them to come in even if they're not bringing kids).  Brainstorming with others is always good.

And then the really fun stuff. Tim Lawrence, one of their volunteers with a background of creating sculptures and special effects (sculpting for the Shrek movies, among others) talked about making life casts of some of the museum animals. When they have to be anaesthesitized for procedures, he works with the vets to quickly take molds of faces, hands, feets, shells, whatever). The casts can then be used as study aids, props, or cast into metal. For instance, you get to see exactly how big a gorilla's hand can be. This process can also be used for functional items as well as art. One of the zoo's little wading birds had lost part of his leg in an accident. Tim took a mold of the remaining leg and was able to sculpt a little prosthetic leg for him (it works).  And, as a favor for coming to the conference, we each got a casting of a lion's teeth (how cool--you normally get a pencil or bookmark)

After dinner we went on a behind-the-scenes night tour (we were asked not to publish pictures).  Again--amazing.  Rhinos are much bigger when there is only a fence between you.  And giraffes are very tall indeed when you are standing right beside their stall.  It's funny how your brain refuses to acknowledge that an animal can be almost 20 feet tall--I kept checking be to sure he wasn't standing on a platform.

In the morning after breakfast we were able to hand-feed stingrays (they have very soft flexible lips that can create quite a vacuum to suck the food up.  The big thrill of the conference came after the morning round-table discussion: we were able to watch (up close!) the gorilla training.

Gorillas can be big--really big.  And strong.  And intelligent.  In order to keep them healthy, zookeepers do have to give regular checkups and sometimes medication.  Traditionally, the animal has to be darted, hauled inside (and they can weigh 500+ pounds) and anesthetized .  This can be pretty rough on any animal.  Instead of this, they work with the gorillas to get their cooperation.  We watched the keeper put the big male silverback through his daily routine.  He comes up to a (very sturdy) fence, and, upon request, will push his chest up to it (they've even given him ultrasounds this way), hold up his hands or feet, turn an ear to the wire, or open his mouth wide.  Now if a vet needs to give him a shot or check a sore spot on his foot, Qinto (the gorilla we watched) will simply put his shoulder or foot up to the fence.  Far less traumatic for both him and the vet than the old "knock him out" routine. 

Here's a couple more pictures.  The first one shows the conflict I have about zoos.  I love being able to see the animals, and learn about them--but no matter how well they're cared for, and how nice the habitat is, it's still captivity.   But the other one shows his editorial comment about the guests.

Indigo

Just in from caring for the critters.  Things are mildly out of hand--I released my two opossums, but got two more and six squirrels.  The squirrels were at the "finishing stage"--almost off milk, and about ready to prepare for release.  And they're a royal pain.  I love raising squirrels, but didn't do any tiny babies this year.  So this is getting the adolescents without the fun part.  They'll be going out in the release cage today. 

But that's not today's blog.  Today I'm talking about my indigo workshop that I gave last week at the museum.  Indigo is just a fun dye to work with--because the dyebath is green (or greenish-yellow) and when you pull the items out they react to the air to turn blue.  And no matter how many times I see it, it's still magic, and I like hearing the "oooooooo" as others see it for the first time.  I also like the expressions on their faces when I explain that historically in Europe stale urine was used to develop the color (we bypassed this step in favor of modern chemical assists)  And just to keep things interesting we did tie-dye on various samples, and finally they all got a silk scarf to dye and take home.

And here is today's eye candy.  While the historic collection that I'm trying to deal with is a right royal mess, I am enjoying the treasures that I find.  My big love is the late 1800s--they just got so carried away with piling on the decorations.  Here's a little capelet to just finish off an outfit.

New Toys

Neither Bob nor I are into shopping (as in going to stores and seeing if there's anything we want).  But things have a way of finding their way into the household from other sources (such as the 104 model kits in the last blog entry).

A few such newcomers have joined our household recently.  First, this lovely antique spinning wheel that niece Amanda found in an antique shop (she now lives in Mons, Belgium).  There are a couple of

pieces  missing but my brother is willing to make them (I have parts of two so they shouldn't be too hard to re-create--the third one I still have to figure out what it would have looked like.  Meanwhile I'm just enjoing having it around.  If you click on the picture to enlarge it you'll see little bone buttons on the hub of the wheel.

The next new inhabitant of the house is a dressmaker's mannequin--in a size that I have never been!  Due to budget cuts and reorganization, the department no longer has a fashion design major.  I miss it--I miss the energy of the kids and the wild creations and the impromptu fashion shows.  So this is a souvenier.  I plan on displaying various items--at the moment she's wearing my silk brocade bathrobe that I got when we lives in the Azores.  Bob has tucked in a picture of my 21-year-old self wearing it.

And the last new toy is a gift from brother Mike.  It's a coffee scoop (or, in our case, a tea scoop) for measuring out the morning brew.  It's just a ridiculously beautiful way to start the day that it just makes me smile every time I see it.  And he was thoughtful enough to make a hook to hang it on the wall so it doesn't get lost in the kitchen clutter.

All for a Good Cause

(A few weeks ago a guy came to the scale modeler's meeting.  He said that he had a lot of models that he would never build, and was interested in selling them to finance his Very Good Cause:  He collects paperback books and sends them to the troops overseas.  The money from the sales of the models was to help pay the postage for this.

Of course Bob likes to encourage reading (he recalls reading the details of some stranger's wedding in the newspaper just to have something to read when he was on training manuevers), and wants to support our troups.  So he went to see this guy, with the following result:

(And this isn't all--just all that would fit in one picture).

Such a noble person, to make such a sacrifice for the cause.



He scores!!

Classes started today--thousands of eager young students wandering around aimlessly, eyes glued to their cellphones.  They are often oblivous to their surroundings--bumping into each other, or into buildings, or street signs as they text away.

Bob was trying to drive across campus, going slowly because a student was walking down the middle of the street texting.  Something interesting must have come up on the small screen, because she stopped walking.  Bob drove up to a few inches behind her, waited a few moments . . .

And hit the horn.

She didn't drop the phone--we suspect that the student have them surgically attached to their hands to avoid this possibility--but she did suddenly look aghast and grab her crotch.

It's extra points if you get them to widdle on themselves.

What will the rest of the term bring?