Bill Watterson, American author and creator of Calvin & Hobbs says: “When birds burp, it must taste like bugs.”

“A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken.”  James Dent (actor)

David has been spending A LOT of time on our porch.  Camera stationed on a tripod and focused on the lovely tiger lilies that dot our yard just off our porch and behind palm branches.

Let me step back a bit, one morning not too long ago David was working in the studio.  Our studio is up some stairs behind our house and overlooks beautiful Lake Chapala, glistening mountains ranges and swaying palm trees.  Inspiring, thought provoking, peaceful, enchanting are words that come to mind whenever we think of this fabulous studio.

On this particular day David let the door swing wide and air flow through, bringing with it an unexpected visitor.  As he pondered yet another array of photographs he had taken he heard this incredibly gentle sound, similar to a well-tuned motor, just above his head and to the left of where he was sitting.

He glanced up, his mind still on what he was doing (he can remain focused, something I’ve never been able to do) and lo-and-behold, there, right in front of him “stood” a hummingbird.  Anyone who has seen a hummingbird “stand” knows what I mean…straight up, wings moving with little effort he stared right into David’s face.  It was as if he was saying: “why not take some pictures of me and my friends?”

The photographs contained in this blog are ones I know you are going to enjoy, as David has managed to capture the character and essence of these divine creatures, as only he can.  They are a derivative of that invitation, for that is what I choose to believe that little hummingbird was doing in our studio that day.

We can sit quietly upon our porch each and every day and watch the lilies nodding their beautiful orange heads in the sun while an array of hummingbirds dip their beaks into the pedals’ lovely folds.

I can honestly say I have never seen birds with more character.  One afternoon I sat with him as he held his automatic snap-shot thingy (sorry folks, I don’t know the technical term) in hand and watched as these delightful and tiny creatures visited the lilies over and over again.  Often, they’d buzz in, test a few flowers and then stop in mid-air and look directly at David as if to say: “did you get that?”

Hummingbirds are amazingly tiny yet full of an exuberance for life, you can’t help but call them precious.  One more precious then the other, brilliant red heads, green feathers, tiny bodies and wings so clear you can see the flowers through them.

They may not be indigenous to Mexico.  They may travel the world.  However, we have been given the gift of time in this lovely, ancient Mexican village and so I say again, Viva Mexico!

[Note] Our lawn mower is broken and our gardener is cutting our grass with a weed wacker.  Needless to say, but say it I must, there is no quiet in Lawrence Land when the lawn needs mowing!

Can you see the flowers through his tiny wings?

He hovers just above the lilie.

Coming in for a landing.

Visit the BoomerstoMexico Photo Store at http://boomerstomexico.com/mexico-photos/ , to see more of the beauty of Ajijic Mexico in photographs.

Did you ever have one of those days when you are prone to out-of-body experiences, or, in my case, out-of-mind experiences?  I mean, your walking down the carretera in a small village in Mexico minding your own business when out of the blue someone mentions Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys.  Where the heck did that come from?  Well, it came from David as we strolled he thought of this great band from years ago he absolutely enjoyed that went by that name.  I believe his father, who was Jewish, introduced him to them.

He went on to relate that good old Kinky Friedman ran for Governor of Texas in 2006 against the current Governor Perry and placed fourth in a six person race.  Believe it or not, he went further with the comment saying he also wrote books.  Then the light came on.  I read at least two of his books and loved his “Jimmy Buffet” style of writing.  Detective novels are my favorite source of leisure and he never failed to make it an enjoyable experience.

Which, of course, led me to reminisce about home and how I learned an enormous amount of Yiddish words from some great friends I grew to know while working in Milwaukee?  Of course, and quite naturally, I thought of the pictures we took of the Hotel Italo (don’t ask…just go with my derailed train of thought).

Can you see how easy it was to go from Kinky Freedman and Texas to the Hotel Italo and its Romanesque statues?   Not a difficult leap…at least not for me and David is becoming more and more comfortable with my incoherency.  Perhaps he should be concerned.

Any who and according to David, a lot of the Romanesque statues and sculptures have little boys peeing as the subject.  I know this.  We have art and culture in Milwaukee too.  However he was saying this as I gazed upward at the statues you will see below (ha, ha).

Life is always interesting, often bizarre and frequently curious here in good old Ajijic, Lake Chapala area Jalisco Mexico.  I am sure I have probably added a little quirkiness to the picture since my arrival.  I have noted people often smile and say “hola” and continue smiling as they pass bursting into laughter as they’ve reached at least 10 cobblestones in distance away from us. As you’ve probably guessed, I take that as a compliment.  Also, I might add it helps many of our blog readers (Terry…you know who you are) recognize and follow David…..not stalk….follow!

Oh yes, back to the sculptures atop the Hotel Italo in downtown Ajijic.  Fortunately for those passing underneath said sculptures there is no water connected to these urchins as the streets of Ajijic would turn into fountains that turn off and on at no given time, in no given order, to celebrate no given event….like most of the other fountains here.  (I know I’m off on another tangent – however believe me when I say the fountains all seem to have water but you never know when they’ll be turned on…I love it!!)

Okay, dear reader, I think I out-of-minded my self enough for one day.  (If you read and understood that sentence you are either mad as a hatter or ate a breakfast burrito and are suffering the consequences!) Below you will see the pictures we took of the Hotel Italo and its sculptures on one of our many travels through this lovely village.  Enjoy.  No le estés dando vuelta al malacate porque se te enredan las pitas. (Things shouldn’t be made more complicated than the way they really are.) Viva Mexico!

I rest my case. Please note...he is taking careful aim! I absolutely love the look on his face.

Another of the scluptures that adorn Hotel Italo.

A fierce lion with a porch background.

Another lion.

I leave you with these lovely bougainvilleas having fallen to ground and resting gently upon the cobblestones.

“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”  St. Augustine, theologian.

“We eat a lot on trips because we feel our bodies are less likely to become bored if they can pass the time converting food into fat.”  Dave Barry, American Best Selling Author and Humorist.

There are so many things to see no matter where you go in Mexico.  Mazamitla is no exception.  No surprise there.

As Dave Barry says, food is an essential part of traveling and we whole heartedly agree – so much so that we pack a snack to get us from point A to point B…even if it will only take a couple of hours.  With water and iced tea in hand, as well as our “traveling pretzel sticks” we headed up the mountain to Mazamitla.

Our first post showed the beautiful church in the plaza and the surrounding gardens.  This post will give you a glimpse at the buildings and people visiting and living in this lovely village.  It will also give a look at where we ate.  We could not justify eating more than once so we walked around looking at everything as well as keeping an eye out for the best choice in restaurants.

Mexico has many interesting restaurants and Mazamitla is no exception.  Because of the piney woods theme, you will find (and notice by looking at the pictures herein contained) the village fathers carried this theme into the structures that circle the plaza…including the restaurants.

However, the menus were not of the piney woods variety.  Understandable as Mexico has its own wonderfully Hispanic foods.  Oddly, however you will notice – though the theme was piney woods, and the place was decidedly Mexican (as was the food) the name on the restaurant is “Vito’s Bar”.

Throwing caution to the wind and since David was driving, I decided instead of my usual lemonade I would go with a screwdriver.  However, I did not know how to say “screwdriver” in Spanish.  I’m only on Lesson Two of Rosetta Stone…sorry.  The waiter, who spoke no English and me, with my questionable Spanish, did this little dance of words and hand gestures trying to figure out what each of us might be trying to communicate.  I ended up with three glasses….one with ice and two tiny straws…..one brandy sifter with a lot of vodka and one long cool glass of orange flavored drink.  I now know the word for screwdriver is destornillador.  I have been cautioned to realize that I might not receive a drink using this terminology.  I might, with good cause, get an even more confused look from the waiter and could possibly receive a gentile suggestion that I would perhaps want to go to a ferreteria (hardware store) for said screwdriver.  I’ll keep you abreast of what happens in the future.

Getting back to the story at hand, David and I had a lovely lunch on the balcony of Vito’s overlooking all the action in the plaza.  We then walked the streets seeing the places of business, the people enjoying the lovely weather and the sights and the sounds of yet another wonderful adventure in old Mexico.

[Note: We did not make it to the waterfall in the Los Cazos neighborhood in Mazamitla nor did we stop to take pictures of the cabins nestled in the pines on the mountainside on this trip.  Our next trip will take us to those places.  Driving at night can be treacherous on the mountain roads after nightfall – even though well-paved.  Further adventures await us!]

Vito's Bar

David enjoying the screwdriver debacle.

Lovely buildings with Alpine exteriors.

Lots to choose from.

Potted flowers line the porches.

The fountain on the plaza.

The creative fence blends in so wel with the building.

A street full of activity.

A sidewalk eatery.

Event room at a hotel. What is unique about this is the open ceiling and how it blends with the outdoors.

A blend of planters and children's toys.

Flowers and unique pottery.

An entrance to a hotel with open ceiling and welcoming design.