Another Rainy Month

While we were in Ohio earlier this month, we had nearly two weeks of sunshine.  I had almost forgotten that September is still the rainy season in Mexico.

Last Saturday, we had another one of those downpours that result in flooding in parts of the city.  There were some places, particularly in the eastern district of Iztapalapa, that were flooded with a meter (a little more that three feet) of water.  Nearly 300 homes suffered damage, and some motorists were trapped in their cars.  Fortunately here at the apartment there were no major problems.

Here are some pictures taken from the internet of Saturday night's deluge...

As you can see from this chart on the Weather Channel yesterday, Mexico City has had over 16 inches of rain in September with another day to go.  That's nearly three times the normal average for the month.

The flooding that has occurred numerous times this summer is a negative, but the bright side is that the reservoirs that supply the city's water are being replenished.  The Cutzamala System which is a major source of water is now at 88.79 % of capacity, up by 15% from the end of August.  In comparison, in June of 2024 when experts were predicting that the city was going to run out of water, Cutzamala was at only 27% of capacity.

In October, the rainy season generally comes to an end.  I am hoping that holds true this year.  I am happy to see the city's water crisis averted, but I am tired of the rain.  I look forward to sunshine for the events leading up to Day of the Dead.

Ready to Bloom

You may remember that before we left on our trip to Ohio, my orchid plant had sprouted a flower stalk.  After more than a year, it seemed that at long last it was going to rebloom.  However, I was afraid that it might flower and fade while we were away.  When we returned to the apartment last week, we found that the orchid had not yet bloomed but that the buds had developed into large globules that appeared almost ready to open.

There are four large buds and at the end of the stalk another smaller one.  That makes me wonder if the stalk will continue to grow and produce more blossoms.

In any event, we did not miss the long hoped for reblooming!

Flying Home

Last Wednesday we flew home to Mexico City.  Our flights generally went smoothly.  The worst part was getting up at 3:00 AM to return the rental car and go to the airport to check in for our 6:20 AM flight.  Even though there is only a two hour time difference between Ohio and Mexico City, the next day I felt as jet-lagged as if I had flown from Europe.

The only snafu with our flight itinerary was that our flight from Houston to Mexico City was delayed by about forty minutes.  Because of thunderstorms near Houston, the flight plan had to be revised to avoid the storms.  We finally took off.

Our detour could not have been that drastic, because we were soon heading south over the barrier islands that separate the Gulf of Mexico from the Texas coast.

After following the Mexican coast for a while, we then headed inland toward Mexico City.

The flight from Houston to Mexico City is just under two hours... not long enough for a meal service, even if you are in first class.  Before long we were making our descent into the city.

In the lower right corner you can see part of the oval of the "Hipódromo de las Américas", Mexico City's horse track.

As we continue our descent, we can see the first and second sections of Chapultepec Park (A & B).  Beyond that, in the haze, you can barely make out the skyscrapers along Paseo de la Reforma (C) and the World Trade Center (D) close to my apartment.

Now we are flying over the largely undeveloped third section of Chapultepec Park (A), and in the distance you can make out the Ferris wheel (B) at the Parque Aztlán amusement park in the second section of Chapultepec.

At the bottom of the photo are the Plaza México, the world's largest bullring (left) and the Sports City Stadium (right), which for many years was the home of one of Mexico City's professional soccer teams, Cruz Azul.  Above them, the blue building with the white screen, is the World Trade Center.

If you know what you are looking for, you can now make out the iconic skyscraper, the Latin American Tower (A), the towers of the Metropolitan Cathedral (B) and the National Palace (C).

Moments before landing, you can see the the Chamber of Deputies (A), the lower house of the Mexican congress.  The TAPO Bus Terminal (B), is where buses for the eastern and southern parts of the country depart.  Its dome is slightly larger than the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.  In the background, the Sierra de Guadalupe mountain range (C) forms the border between Mexico City and the State of Mexico.

We passed through immigration quickly.  Now that I am a Mexican resident, I can pass through the line reserved for Mexicans.  The luggage for our flight was unloaded very quickly.  By the time we got to the carousel, the suitcases had all ready been removed from the conveyor belt.  One thing I like about Mexico City is that an airport employee compares the luggage tag with the number on your claim check before you leave the area.

Lake Erie Sunset

During our stay in Ohio, one early evening we decided to drive to Lakewood Park, located in the Cleveland suburb of the same name on the shore of Lake Erie.

 

The skyline of downtown Cleveland as seen from the park

A relatively recent addition to the park (2015) is a feature known as the Solstice Steps.  The concrete blocks rise thirty six feet in a series of tiers.  It has become a popular place for locals to watch the sunset.

And that is exactly what we did.  We sat on one of the steps and watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon.

At the Farm Market

While we were in Ohio, we wanted to buy some pure maple syrup to take back to Mexico.  We could have bought maple syrup in any supermarket, but we decided to drive to the Cuyahoga Valley and go to Szalay's Farm Market.

Szalay's began in 1931 as a roadside stand selling sweet corn, and expanded over the years into one of the largest farmers' markets in northeast Ohio.

There were still wagons full of sweet corn, probably some of the last of the season.

This time of year, the star of the show are the pumpkins... large, small, and even painted decorative ones.

Inside the barn there is a large market selling fruits and vegetables, baked goods, and, yes, Ohio maple syrup.  We also bought a jar of strawberry rhubarb spread, and a small strawberry rhubarb pie to eat back at the hotel.

Halloween decorations outside of the market

Halloween Is Coming

Yesterday we returned home to Mexico, but I still have a couple of entries to write about our trip to Ohio.

Even though it is not yet October, we found that many houses were already decorated for Halloween.  (At what point did Halloween equal or even surpass Christmas as a holiday for elaborate displays?)  While we were running some errands at a shopping center, we discovered a temporary shop that was devoted entirely to Halloween.  We went inside and looked around. At the entrance there were a number of large, animated figures for sale.

Another day we went to Sam's Club, and of course they had Halloween decorations out for sale.  But, even worse, the Christmas decorations were already out.

A Blind Cat

Last weekend we stayed at the home of Katie, a good friend and former teaching colleague of mine.  Katie has two cats, Fantine and Cosette.  Fantine was a feral cat and Cosette is her daughter.  Katie's mother had taken them in, and when her mom passed away, Katie inherited them.  Although Cosette is very affectionate and loves to snuggle, Fantine was very mean.  On a visit to the vet, it was discovered that Fantine was virtually blind and was suffering from severe glaucoma.  The vet said that, because of the glaucoma, the cat was suffering from excruciating pain similar to an extreme migraine.  The doctor gave Katie two options... put Fantine out of her suffering, or surgically remove her eyes.  Animal lover that Katie is, she chose the second option.  Once Fantine was no longer suffering from pain, she become very docile and loveable.

During our stay at Katie's house, Cosette was skittish and would run away from us.  However, I managed to become friends with Fantine.  When I approached, she sensed my presence and was apprehensive.  I held out my hand, and she sniffed me.  I was then able to pet her and scratch her ears.  The "purr machine" was going full force.  For the rest of the weekend she enjoyed attention from me.  However, I am slightly allergic to cats, so after petting Fantine, I always washed my hands thoroughly.

Fantine, the eyeless cat

  

A Happy Occasion

On Sunday, the day after the funeral, we had a much happier event to attend... a birthday party for my friend Irma.  Irma turned 94, and her son John and his wife Glenda held a party for her at their home in Berea, Ohio.

Over the years, Irma has appeared numerous times on this blog. I have known her since 1970 when I began my studies at Baldwin Wallace College in Berea.  Irma was the wife of one of my Spanish professors, and she would frequently invite the Spanish students to their home for get togethers.  Irma was born and raised in the city of Jalapa, the capital of the Mexican state of Veracruz.  You might recall that a couple of times we traveled to Jalapa when she was there visiting family.

We were so happy that the birthday party happened to coincide with our time here in Ohio.  

¡Feliz cumpleaños, Irma!  

Funeral

You may have noticed that for the first time in quite a while, I have not been faithfully writing a blog entry on a daily basis.  Although I have some topics from this trip to write about and photos to post, the fact of the matter is that with the news of the death of my dear friend Carol, I have simply have not been in the mood to write on the blog.

(Photo from Carol's obituary)

It was a coincidence that we happened to be here in Ohio at the time of her passing.  Although we did not have a chance to see Carol before her passing, we were able to attend the funeral.  

Every day so far during our stay in Ohio has been summery and sunny.  It would have been depressing to attend a funeral on a gray, rainy Ohio day, but the weather was once again beautiful.  We got up early to drive across Greater Cleveland to the next county.  Visitation at the funeral home was just an hour in the morning before the services.  There were several colleagues from the high school where Carol and I taught, although I had hoped to see more.  We had a chance to meet a number of Carol's family.  Earlier this year, before Carol's illness, I had done a painting as a gift for her.  I never had a chance to give it to her, so I gave it to her family.  There were also members of the family of her late husband, Gary.  Gary was my best friend, so I already knew many of them.  However, I had not seen them since Gary's funeral more than fourteen years ago.

From the funeral home, we drove a short distance to Carol's church where a funeral mass was celebrated.  Her nephew gave a beautiful eulogy.  Then there was another short drive to the cemetery where prayers were said.  Then everyone went back to the funeral home where a luncheon was served.

I was a long day, but I was glad that I was able to attend the farewell to a dear friend.   

Arts Fest

The Berea Arts Fest is held each year the second Sunday of September.  More than 100 artists and craftspeople participate in the event.  Surprisingly, it has been held for 35 years, but this was the first time I have ever been to it.  We met up with a couple of my former neighbors and spent a couple of hours looking at the variety of work for sale.

Normally the festival is set up along Front Street, Berea's main street.  However, this year, due to construction work, it was held in Coe Lake Park.  (Coe Lake is another former quarry from the days when Berea was the "Sandstone Capital of the World".)

The weather was warm and sunny, and the event was well attended.  The participants were selling all sorts of arts and crafts, including hand-made jewelry, paintings, pottery, and photography.

We bought a few items for ourselves as well as unique gifts to take back to Mexico.  So, it turned out to be a good shopping experience as well as a chance to spend some time with my former neighbors.

A Walk in the Park

 A trip back to Ohio would not be complete without a visit to the Cleveland Metroparks.  Late one afternoon we took a short walk in the Mill Stream Run Reservation which is just minutes from downtown Berea.

Located in the park is Wallace Lake, the site of one of the quarries that made Berea the "Sandstone Capital of the World" in the late 1800s.  In 1941, after the quarries had been closed, the site was flooded to create a lake.

Just across the parkway is Baldwin Lake,  A dam across the end of the lake has created a small horseshoe waterfall.

Northern Ohio has been suffering from a drought this summer, and as you can see from the photo, there is just a trickle of water falling over the dam.

A Tribute to a Dear Friend

On Saturday evening, after attending my high school reunion, I received a phone call with very sad news.  Carol, a former teaching colleague and a beloved friend, had passed away that morning.

I have known Carol for more than fifty years.  When I began my teaching career Carol was the French teacher, and she also taught an occasional Spanish class.  Eventually she became the chairperson of the foreign language department  Our ties of friendship grew even stronger when, later in life, she married another member of the faculty, a colleague who was my best friend and like an older brother to me.  So Carol was very much family to me.

Her husband, Gary, passed away fourteen years ago.  it was a great loss for her and the many people who loved him.  But Carol was a strong and independent woman who continued to live by herself in the house that they had bought.  In spite of her strength, she was a soft-spoken woman who never had a bad word for anyone.  Behind that mild demeanor, however, there was also a very quick and sharp wit.

Carol was an extremely intelligent and talented woman.  She was a prodigious reader (we often traded books that we had read), and she kept her language skills keen by reading magazines and novels in French and Spanish.  She loved to paint and took classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art.  She also loved classical music and had season tickets to the Cleveland Orchestra.

She kept very active, working each summer on her flower beds.  She and Gary used to take trips out West where they would hike in the mountains.  Right up to the end she would take walks in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park which was close to her house.

You might recall that last spring I painted a picture that I was going to give her.  (You can read that post HERE.)  I took it with me on our previous trip to Ohio in June.  However, I did not have a chance to give it to her.  I think that her health was already declining because she said she was not up for a visit from us. Later, in July, I repeatedly tried to call her to wish her a happy birthday, but there was no answer.  I finally called her stepson.  He told me that he had to take her to the hospital, and from there she went to a nursing home. I hoped that on this trip we could visit her there.  I was going to call her stepson on Sunday to see if we could schedule a visit... but on Saturday I received the call from him that she had passed away.

The last conversation that I had with her on the phone, I said, "I'm just checking up on you.  After all, you are my surrogate sister."

She laughed and said, "OK, bro."   

Satisfying a Craving

 A few weeks ago, I saw a hilarious video on the internet in which British high school students are offered biscuits and sausage gravy for the first time.  The students were incredulous because in Britain a biscuit is a cookie.  The white, lumpy gravy looked disgusting to them.  But when they tried it, almost all of them thought that it was delicious.  After watching the video, I had a craving for biscuits and gravy, something which I had not eaten in ages.

Although biscuits and sausage gravy is primarily a breakfast dish served in the Southern states, Bob Evans, a chain of restaurants that originated in Ohio, has it on their menu.  Our first morning in Ohio, we went to the Bob Evans not far from our hotel.  I ordered a breakfast platter that included biscuits and gravy topped with eggs, with bacon, ham and home fries on the side.

It was typical of the enormous breakfasts that Bob Evans serves, and my craving for biscuits and gravy was satisfied for a few years.