Tuesday at the Tiangus

Went to the tiangus (market) today - it was huge - kinda like all the souqs in Damman on Thursday morning. All sorts of things for sale - from clothes to food to hardware to whatever. It was fun. Found a handful of things - honey, some branding irons, fried plantains, etc. One thing that disturbs me, but I saw this in the Dammam markets, as well, were the song birds in cages for sale. Birds like mockingbirds, cardinals, green jays, orioles, vireos, starlings and some of the local parrots. There were, of course, the array of normal cage birds: canaries, budgies, parrots, finches, chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, etc. It was the captured wild birds that I hate to see. My best birding companion and friend, Nicole, would have been aggast. Carolyn, likewise, could not bear to look at them. For me it was taking stock of what would be a very illegal market in wild birds back in the US.

Back at the apartment I worked on another painting. It is the Port Isabel Lighthouse (I think that this is the last of the Texas lighthouses). I hate the paper that I am using - it bleeds when the wash is too wet, so I have had to go with gouache (opaque watercolor). I will salvage the painting for the principle. I should finish it in the next day or two.

The attached painting is a quick watercolor of some more boats in Zihua. I did this last night before dinner. More than a study, but less than a finished full or half sheet watercolor in my normal style (tight - illustration).

A fun day

Friday was a really fun day. It started out bad - couldn't get my debit card to work - had to call the credit union and release the lock - too many attempts (forgot the damned pin #). After that the day began to improve. Went to the Fabrica de Aurora to visit and meet Victoria, an encaustic artist. The place was getting ready for the monthly Art Walk. It is an old fabric mill that has been adapted to a art and design center. A quick trip around made me sure that I would return in a few hours for the Art Walk. Hurried back to the apartment to do some artwork and change clothes in time to rush back to the Art Walk - what a great time I had. Met lots of really good artists that I will get to know. There were several other encaustic artists, a really good traditional artist ( he also plays an awesome blues harmonica), a number of other good realists, but most were abstract contemporary artists.

After the Art Walk we went to the Buganbilla restaurant for dinner and a good margarita, and to listen to Jack & Francis play some awsome classical guitar. They work so well together, so I bought their CD.

After that we headed over to La Malinche to listen and dance to salsa before the Monroy Blues started up at 10:00 PM - this group is great. They are all one family (brothers, cousins, aunts, etc.). An old bull fighter quit the ring and got into music, so now, at 82 years, he is a leader of this fantastic group. Will get thier CD, as well.

I do believe that I had one too many of Joe's margaritas - but it was sure fun. Wish all of you could have been with all of us in the crowd there that night - it was rockin"!!!

Another painting finished today- a watercolor of pangas in dry dock.

The First Week of December in SMA

Here are the other two studies that I did not attach to the last post. These are scenes along the highway in Michoiacan as I remember them. Lots of imagery like this is in my memory bank. I have the colors a bit too green for this time of year. Any finished painting will have a lot more yellow ochres.
A birding note: while I was in the Zihua area the one bird that I did not see was the common house sparrow!! I have seen that bird everyplace else that I have gone in this world, but for some reason it was absent there.
At any rate, life is good. Am in a really nice apartment in Colonia San Antonio, with a great view if the western half of SMA.
Lots of pigeons in this part of town. Someone must have a pigeon coop around here or otherwise encourage those darned birds. They do get rather nervous when a raptor is working the area. Makes me think of the homing pigeons back home that they sell and race out of Quality Feed Store in our neighborhood. There is a small group of Homer enthusiasts in the Houston area and they race their birds almost every weekend. They will take them out for 50 to 175 mile races. It is amazing how fast those birds return home (of course some don't make it back - killed enroute or enticed into the feral pigeon population). It was a big sport (gambling) back in the old countries of Europe not too many years ago - still is. There are other breeds of pigeons, just like chickens, that are bred for show (fantails for example) or meat (white kings, for example). As a yoiung teenager, Ray Loomis (married to Pamela Woods Loomis, twin sister of Cynthia Woods Mitchell) built large pigeon coops or cages for each of us boys in the neighborhood and gave each of us a breeding pair and a 50# bag of feed, with the intent that we would raise squabs for the restaurant market, thereby learning business skills and keeping us occupied with worthwhile activities. I was different, as I wanted to raise quail and pheasant, so I was provided with a long run pen for my birds. I had bob white quail and silver pheasants. The project did not keep us occupied for very long, unfortunately. We all lost interest when we realized how long it would take to get any payout. It was a neat idea, though, and it did teach us a lot.

More Zihua and Michoaican studies

Here are the remaining four studies form my trip to Zihua.

It was a really fun and relaxing trip. I am so glad that Kathie posted that notice on the Civil List here in SMA. I did get to go fishing for half a day on one of the panga fleet. It was with Fernando Ignacio. Aother guy, Salvador (Angel) was supposed to come along to share the cost, but he had a bad eye infection and couldn't make it, so Fernando and I headed out into the Pacific. So great to be out in those big oceanic swells streaming across from the far side of the Pacific. I just love being out there in small vessels. The coastline of Mexico's Pacific coast is spectacular with the mountains crashing into the water and jungle growth on the mountainsides. At any rate, we caught about 20 Sierra mackeral about 3-4 lbs each and about 6 0r so Bonita or Black Tuna trolling jogs behind the boat. we would troll through breaking schools of the Sierras and would usually hook one or two each time we made a pass. One boat next to us hooked a nice Dorado (Dolphin or Mahi mahi) and it was jumping all over the place. I was hoping to hook into one, but we never did. Lost several fish to sharp teeth or the stiff tackle that we were using. I would have preferred to have my light level wind tackle that I use back on the Texas coast, and to stop in one of the schools to cast into them. Would have been even more fun to use a flyrod. Next time I want to take one of the larger boats way out to the deep blue waters, well offshore for bill fish. Nevertheless, it was a very fun time. I took three of the Sierras home to have cooked at Carmargo's little restaurant down the road from the Hotel Irma. I emailed Kathie to have her meet me there for dinner and to listen to Michelle Lavallee sing. It was a lovely evening. There was a young couple from New York there on their honeymoon, a couple from Norway, a coulpe from Austin, TX, and a couple my age from Vancouver, BC (he was a sailor). Of course there was Carlos and Perla, the proprietors, and Michelle and her family (she lives next door). What a great last night in Zihua!

The drive home was pleasant, but Kathie seemed to put us on all of the back roads of Michoiacan, Guererro, and Guanajuato. Nevertheless, we were back into SMA before dark - a prime concern. Stopped off to share a dinner at the Golden Dragon on the edge of SMA before getting to Maricella's B&B. I just had the time of my life - added 55 new bird species to my Mexican checklist (now at 174), saw small caimans (like alligators/crocadiles), beautiful big iguanas, and tons of small racerunner lizards, a lot of Mexican Gray Squirrels, and so many different butterflies. I wish that all of you could have been along.

Spent the heat of the day sitting on the the beach front doing some watecolor studies and listening to Michelle sing some wonderful songs in french, spanish and english. These are four of the studies. I'll post the others in my next post.

The sun is setting over the mountain as I write this - just so pleasant to hear the surf crash, to feel the air cool down, to smell the salt air and to see the boats coming in to the harbor after being out all day long with the sun setting behind that mountain across the bay. What I wish I had was a really good margarita to top it off (one of those really good margaritas that they make at Rogorios in San Miguel de Allende).

The cruise ship anchored out in the bay is shuttling those last few passangers who still are onshore. When all are onboard, it will weigh anchor and head back north in a few hours, leaving us back to normal, until it returns with a new load of tourists on Friday for a day stop. That ship is a monstrosity. With all those decks - it looks top heavy and just ugly, particularly with all it's lights aglow. Give me a good sailing ship any day.

Over on the beach front today where I was painting, the local fishermen are loading up thier pangas and pushing them on logs to launch them into the surf for a night of handlining for whatever they can catch, and bring that bushel or two of small fish, with maybe a couple of bonita or a dozen mackeral back to the beach front fish market for the morning sale. You can see their little lights bobbing up and down out at the head of the bay and beyond, into the Pacific. There is usually 2 or 3 men in each boat and by morning they will still be there trying to get that last few fish before heading in.

Last night, while I was talking to Steph on Skype, I had my door open to the outside porch, and a bat flew just into the door and out. Kathie, who is renting a large house up on the mountain in back of me, said that they get bats in that place every night (the living area that is not closed in). I can see them in the failing light right now flitting around trying to find a few morsels. I have also seen a number of squirrels, but don't have a field guide to identify them (will go to the library in SMA and find out what they are). No other mammals have I seen. I think that I just found out where there is a small colony of bats in an old building next to this hotel. That is where thy arepouring out of. I'll check it out tomorrow.

Oh, I did find a freshly killed (by car) vine snake, a rear fanged snake, slightly poisonous, that I had to examine to find the fangs way back in it's mouth, They are a long, very thin green snake, with a long head, adept at climbing trees and vines in search of small lizards, birds, and insects. Cool find. Just wish it had been unhurt, :(

Zihuatanejo, Mexico

The Bahia (Bay) of Zihuantanejo is one of the best anchorages along the Mexican Pacific coast. It is a beautiful bay, not huge by any means, but large enough for cruise ships to call on the port. The Sierra Occidental drops right into the Pacific, and by nature's work this bay was created

Away for Thanksgiving

I have been enjoying my stay in Mexico. San Miguel de Allende is a town for the arts: dance, theater, visual art, music, etc. There is always something going on at the plaza, or Jardin, in front of the Parroquia, or parish church, in the center of town. I have been doing a lot of artwork, making contacts with galleries, writing, and networking. I have also been able to do some virtual consulting work. Have not had a lit of free time to just have fun, but what the heck, my work is fun.

I am currently in Zihuatanejo, Mexico for the week of Thanksgiving. A woman in San Miguel was driving over to Zihua for the holiday and put a note on the local chatline for anyone wanting to come along. I responded, and it turns out that I was the only one that could travel on her dates. Kathie and I drove here on the 19th. Seven hours on the road, sharing the driving and talking alot, it seemed to pass rather quickly. It was a beautiful drive through the Mexican countryside and mountains to the Pacific coast. We stopped in Patzuaro for a quick sandwich and chips. Outside of Morelia was a great birding wetland associated with a large lake. I think that I will try to organize a birding trip there out of San Miguel in a few weeks.

So what about Zihua? Well, it is an old fishing village on the Pacific Coast southwest of Mexico City. About 30 years ago, the Mexican government built a resort area about five miles up the coast and called it Ixtapa. Today Ixtapa is large resort area with lots of big hotels, restaurants, and golf courses. I was over there today and found the general atmosphere rather not to my great liking. I much prefer the atmosphere of Zihua (except for when the cruise ships port for the day and all the people come ashore to shop and look at the sights.) So today I went into the cneter of town (Zihua), across the little slough that is the main harbor for most of the panga fleet (little 26' open fiberglass craft that are seen all over the world.). I went there to gather sketches for possible paintings. Wow, was there a lot of stuff to work with. It would sure be a lot easier to capture all this with a camera, but where is the challenge. When I was in architecture we were not allowed to use a camera for the city centers project and that's what I am doing now en pleine aire work.

Trying to drum up a fishing trip. Can't seem to find anyone to split the cost. Darn-it. Also don't know about a dive trip. The visibility isn'r but about 5 meters. might just do some snorkrling and free diving around some of the nearshore rocks. There is some coral and a lot of small fish, but nothing like then Red Sea or Belize.

Consulting work: ups and downs

Last week I was told that I will not be returning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to work on the Aramco UPDC project. That is two of us learning designers who are not returning and I am sure there will be more. I am convinced that it is a business decision, based on the meager output of the team this past year due to uncertainties around SME input and availabilities, organizational structure, management, and leadership. I believe that upper management expectations were not met, so the thing to do was to reduce manpower and reorganize and alter expectations for the coming year. Perhaps there will an opportunity to return when they get their act together, but in the meantime, I have clients to find and service. There are opportunities out there and I will find them. Networking and research are the two most important activities right now, and I have been doing a lot of that since I was told that I was not coming back. Here in San Miguel I am also tempted to complete the illustrations that I started when I first arrived, but I need to focus. There will be time to do art again. I am confident that income producing work will result if I continue to expand my network. This is the life of a consultant - up and down :)

Exciting sunsets on the rooftop terrace.

I find the rooftop terrace of Maricela's Guest House such a great place to work on my artwork. From the terrace I have a wonderful view of San Miguel de Allende. I am in a place very close to the center of town on the fourth floor, so the panorama is 360 degrees. The Parroquia (main church in town) is about two blocks north. East is up and over a small mountain covered with centuries old homes of Spanish architecture. South looks over a similar array of structures. Finally, west is the view out into the valley and in the distance are two mountain ranges. That is where the most beautiful sunsets occur (obviously). Last night was one of those special times. Maybe it was because it was the Dia de los Muertos, and all the deceased were kicking up dust into the clouds as they came to the dinners placed out for them in almost every household and business in town. Whatever, the sky evolved into absolutely the best sunset that I have experienced here. As if the sunset itself was not enough, the birds, all kinds of them, I think, realized that it was the Day of the Dead and they needed to hurry home to greet their dead relatives, for out of the grey of the high sky finches dropped almost directly at me in quick flitty flight to land inches and feet away from me in the big hackberry tree in the yard nextdoor (realize that I am positioned almost in the canopy of that tree - not ground level). I would spot a tiny image in the grey sky and it would quickly grow in size and appear to be headed right for me and at the very last minute it would seem to dodge me to land in the dark understory of the leaves of that hackberry - dozens and dozens of them - all talking to each other, excited to chat with their bedmates about the great times they had that day in the grass fields of the hillsides and valleys around SMA. There was flight after flight of egrets (mostly cattle egrets) heading from the day of feeding in the farmlands to their roost on the large presa, or lake, just out of view from the terrace. Then too, were the 5 varieties of flycatchers active in this immediate couple of blocks that flitted around chasing each other and claiming the best spot to perch and scan the darkening sky for the influx of small flying insects that began to emerge as the day was closing down. Thier characteristic flight up into the apparent empty sky a few yards from their perch would surely yield them the rewards of some small morsel - I could never see the small morsels that they were after. Then there was the quick smooth flight of a bat falcon right in front of me a few yards away as he headed for the bluffs and the bats that hang around there feasting on the beatles that use the thermals rolling up the bluffs of the mountain carry them into the valley to feast on the crops there.

As the sun was gliding behind those distant moiuntains flight after flight of white-winged doves coming in from all directions headed, bullet-like, to a group of trees in Parque Juarez a few blocks from my perch, and over to the north was a flight of white-faced ibis headed, I am sure, for the same roost as the egrets out someplace on the Presa.

Cowbirds and grackles, swallows and hummingbirds, feral pigeons and house sparrows - so many birds were, for some reason, more evident to me those few precious moments then any evening that I have spent in that wonderful place that I call my retreat - the rooftop terrace of Maricela's Guest House - was it the physical manifestation of the many souls coming home for their annual return home to the feasts that have been placed for them by their living loved ones. It was the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) all over Mexico.

How I wish that I could have shared that wonderful experince with my birding compadres - my loved ones - my family - God has been truely good to me!

Good night and love to each and everyone who reads this post!

San Miguel de Allende, GTO, Mexico

I need to write some enrties in this blog!!

Tonight is Halloween and a part of the Dia de los Muertos celebration. This is such a big thing here in Mexico. I have been about the center of town since about 5:30 pm and just needed to get to bed, as it is now 10:30 pm (or rather 11:30 if didn't move my clock back for daylight savings time). I wish that I had a camera, but my three were taken in two bags last month shortly after we arrived here and I have yet to get any replacement camera. Therefore, I will try to describe the scene verbally, particularly for those of my followers not at all familier with Mexican culture. I cheated and found some images on the internet that represent some tiny bit of what I saw :(

To begin with, El Dia de los Muertos has its roots in the beliefs and rituals of the Aztecs, one of the major indiginous peoples who lived in central Mexico over 500 years ago. The Aztecs believed that dead relatives returned home once a year to seek nurishment and community. Basically, Dia de los Muertos is set aside to remember those who have died. The custom is to invite the deceased to come home on this day to visit the living, so an altar is created and certain items used in it's construction, each item playing a significant part in the whole structure. There are marigold flowers - the floral carpet leads the souls back home and the marigold is believed to carry the smell of death, incense of copal (a woody aroma) helps lead to lead the departed to the Ofrenda or offering, candles also provide a guiding light for the soulsphotos or images of the deceased give the dead a feeling of being back home again, and there are objects that the deceased liked, salt is displayed to remind us of the basic elements that we will all return some day, foods, alcoholic beverages and candies (sugar skull and catrina figures remininding us of life's fragility) are placed to feed the dead - it is believed that the spirit receives nurishment from the smells and then the food is shared by the family, and then there are hundreds of paper sheets that have cutouts of skeletons, flowers, birds, and coffins and they are hung overhead or on the backgrounds.

So these altars are in many of the stores, homes, and public places around town (actually all over Mexico). On the public square (El Jardin) there are altars for many of the national heroes and figures. These are larger altars are manned by people dressed as the hero or as guardians. Each of these larger altars is layed out on the pavement in a 12 x 12 square and images are created using corn and other grains, beans, etc. The images are them edged with yellow marigolds.

The next thing are the catrina dolls and costumes. When the dead return they return in thier finest clothes, but they are only a skeleton. Therefore, a popular costume for this day (and halloween is a big costume day here) are the catrina costumes - most of the catrina women wear a long dark colored dress (often of Victorian vintage) with large brimmed hats sporting feathers and stuff. As you recall these represent the dead, so the face is painted white in the image of a skull (black for eye sockets and teeth showing) the arms are often white with bones drawn on them. The men typically are dressed in tuxedos or black suits and a white skull face is used, as well. These catrina characters will parade into the square amid clamorous music and pomp and then mill around the crowds in the square. A large majority of the people with costumes will have their faces painted. Usually it will be one side of the face with the white skull and the other side normal. There will be other costume, as well.

Then there are the costumes of the indiginous people dressed in the garb of the Aztecs with incredible feather headdresses - today feathers are predominately pheasant, peacock, and other domesticated foul, but originally the feathers were from some of the spectacular birds of the region. The rest of the attire is a mix of leather and colorful woven fabrics. Then there are the indiginous tribes of northern Mexico, particularly the Apaches, and their garb is quite different. They are clad in animal skins, skulls, and horns and eagle feathers. Their dances are more primative than the dances of the Aztecs. In both cases there are sounds eminating from these groups that are immitating sounds of nature: flutes and whistles and drums and rattles and horns and clay vases - all used to create so many different sounds in an erie kind of way. Around their ankles are large wraps that have attached dozens of large seed pods that create a rattling sound when they walk. This part of the square is in front of the parroquia or main parrish church of the community. Mingling all around the square until midnight are children in costumes and bags begging for candys and treats (So now I know why the hispanic trick-r-treaters in our neighborhood come around so late). It is quite a festive scene.

Of course the square is also full of mariachi bands playing to anyone willing to toss some coins their way. So from one side of the square are mariachis and on the other side is the indiginous sounds, and on another are the sounds of contemporay music form a nearby bar and the sound of children. A constant change is focus.

The square is also adorned with cutout papers of every color imaginable. The whole sight and sound was an overload to the senses.

After I had enough of the festivities I headed to Joseph's place to listen to Bob Livinston play a solo set or two of progressive country and then to jamb with a great local blues band for the rest of his second set. Great, fun musical entertainment!

After a long time away

I must get back to my blog entries - I am so sorry for being so distant. I made it home to Houston from the Kingdom, but was there only a few days before I headed out for Mexico; San Miguel de Allende, to be precise. Anyway, Houston was a whirlwind of activities (haircut, credit unions, etc), but while there I realized just how much there is to do there, to get things back in order. That old house is just too much for a single woman, Carolyn, to manage well. When I get back there for a long visit I will have a ton of projects to get into (just on the outside). I do love that old house, though.

At any rate, the trip to San Miguel de Allende, was uneventful. The flight on Continental was delayed about 30 minutes so that the pilot could arrive to fly us :) Once to Leon it was an hour taxi ride to SMA. The driver was a student in architecture (4th year), so he was able to tell a lot about the architecture and the land, as well. He talked the whole way to SMA - which was great! The hotel was the Mirasol -I recommend it - on the edge of the Centro - our friends, the Hickey's told us about it. Stayed at the Mirasol for two nights and tthen moved to an studio apartment in Colonia San Antonio. It was marginable. Paid up until the 17th of October, at which point am heading for a B&B for a few nights, while I look for another short term rental on a studio apartment. Don't know when I will be heading back to the KSA, but I expect sometime in November or early December. I'll be here until it is time to go. Carolyn, on the other hand, is staying in Texas.

Weather here is beautiful - daily highs in the 70's and nightime lows in the upper 40's (although the last couple of nights have been in the low 40's). Days usually start off a little cloudy, but clear off by noon and the rest of the day is sunny. This is the Central Highlands of Mexico. About 5000 feet above sea level. The habitat is largely semi arid with numerous mountain ranges amid a series of flat valleys or plains. This is the bread basket of Mexico - lots of agricultural activities all around this part of Mexico. On the tops of the taller mountains ranges the habitat changes to a conifer forest (small conifers). The valley and plateau are a scruby savanah with numerous different grasses, cacti, and low trees, mostly of the acacia family (mesquite, huisatche, pepper tree, etc.). The density of the brush is greatest along the arroyas (creek beds) and up on the hillsides away from human development. Some of the scenery is quite beautiful and pastoral - wish I had a camera to capture the scenes.

So far my naturalist observations have been from the rooftop of this apartment into the neighborhood, a local park not too far from here, and several walks across some undeveloped fields to the Mega Store on the edge of town about a mile from the apartment; or from the bus on my way to Mexico City. Most of my observations have been focused on bird life - my only sightings of any other wildlife was a six-lined race runner lizard (or something akin to it) - no mammals or other reptiles/amphibians of any kind :(, and some of the native flora mentioned above. So here is a liost of my avian sightings so far: Flycatchers - Great Western Flycatcher, Great Eastern Flycatcher, Kissadee, Vermillion Flycatcher, Gray Flycatcher, and several yet to be identified; himmingbirds - Broad-billed and Rufous are the only two that I have positively identified, but there are many others, particularly the females, that are difficult to separate; doves - White-wing, Inca, and Common Ground Doves; Orioles - Altimira and Bullock's; Curved-bill Thrasher; Tanagers; Barn Swallows; several unidentified swifts and swallows or martins; wrens - Cactus and Benwick's; various inidentified field sparrows and warblers; Pine Siskin; Great-tailed Grackles; Yellow Capped Woodpeckers; Indigo Bunting (caged in a restaurant - sad); egrets - Snowy, Cattle, and American Egrets; unspecified Cormorants; White Pelican; Black Vulture; Raven; Cowbirds; unspecified Grebes and Ducks (too far off to see clearly); Grooved-bill Anis; and the typical human hanger-ons - House Sparrows, House Finches, Feral Pigeons, and Starlings. Interestingly, I have spotted no raptors.

I would like to get out into the countryside - up some of the creek beds and nearby lake and up to some higher elevations on the nearby mountains in the conifer forests; and a nearby ecological preserve. Better yet, I would like to travel down into Oaxaca and Chiapas for some of the true tropical and jungle birds found there. Then there is the Yucatan Peninsula and the Caribbean Coast and the Pacific Coast for seabirds, waders and other passserines. If I stay until January I will most definitely make one or more of those side trips. The busses here are fantastic.

Heading home

This is my last day here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a while. I leave here and hope that my contract is negotiated to my liking, so that I can come back to work on this project. Nothing is certain until I sign the cantract. I anticipate about a month for the date that this current contract ends (27 September). In the meantime, I am looking forward to some quality time with my family, particularly, Carolyn. I will surely miss the people that I leave behind here, but I trust that I will be back, so this will be a brief interlude. If, though, I can't return, then I will be saddened by the separation from these good folks. Oh, have I had an interesting time here. There are so many things that I have availed myself to. Diving, fishing, birding, art, line dancing, natural history, architecture, writing, parties, etc. and etc. Through these activities I have made so many really good friends. Fortunately, things like Facebook, blogging and such make these separations more manageable and tolerable.

My plane leaves out of Bahrain at 11:20 tonight and I stil have a lot of things to attend to, so goodbye for now.

Gillian's home

Gillian Perrott, a very good friend here in Saudi Arabia, was full of Irish hospitality when Carolyn and vacationed there in July. She was so kind as to let us use her Saab to get around. To have such friends is wonderful and for that I did the two pencil drawings of her home there in Kinsale, County Cork. Gillian is a very independent and skillful person, tall and quite attractive, and very personable. Carolyn and I are so grateful to be her friend, and in return I drew these two drawings for her. She was astounded when I presented them to her, but they were a simple way for me reciprocate. The drawings are on 9" x 12" drawing paper using graphite pencils. Cheers - Gillian and thank you.

PADI Certification

Over the past three weeks I have been working on my PADI certification. Completed my final dive and final exam last weekend in Halfmoon Bay, where the water on the bottom of the dive area was 21 feet and the water temp on the bottom was 97 degrees F. The surface water temp was 107 degrees F!!! A hot bath. The dive site is a buoyed off section of the beach about the size of a football field or two. The bottom has a collection of junk items to make the otherwise featureless sandy mud bottom interesting. Junk items include old toilets, old oil drums, concrete blocks, old tires, several old derelict pleasure boats, etc. Water visibility was around 4 feet. Not the best diving place, but good enough to complete the open water dives. On my last dive, with Nicole as my diving partner, I was constantly dealing with hamstring cramps in both legs, so I was using a lot of air and stopping to stretch my hamstrings. Did see a nice big grouper under one of the boats on the bottom, but couldn't get Nicole to come over fast enough to see it. Once on shore and with all the equipment rinsed off and loaded into the vehicle I was totally exhuasted. When I got home I took off all my clothes and crashed on the bed for a short nap before heading back out to the Aramco Beach for Julian's birthday party with Nicole and Claudia. Nice night on the beach. So I am now certified as a recreational scuba diver. Frankly, I have been diving quite a bit (up to 120 feet on wrecks in the Atlantic off Delaware), but was never certified, as it wasn't required back then (in the Dark Ages), so this was like a refresher course.

The day before we all went down to the same place (The Halfmoon Bay Yacht Club - HBYC) to see how Claudia and Fraser were doing on Claudia's newly purchased Sunfish repairs. That work lasted until dark (Nic and Julian sailed until dark) and so we had a cook out there on the beach. Lots of easing down from the weeks work.

On Saturday I had a nice fun dinner at Tandoori with Nicole and some of her fellow nurses. I was able to surprize her with the gift of the Widgeon drawing for her birthday. Such a wonderful gleem in her eyes when she opened it up. Those reactions always make me feel so good when I am able to give a gift that I have created and it is appreciated so much by the person you give it to. The first image is the graphite pencil study and the second image is the pen & ink drawing that was the gift. I am planning on a watercolor painting, as well. That I will keep for myself.

The next couple of nights as a party and an Iftar dinner and getting Nicole's budgie to my room while she is on repat back home to Scotland.

Nicole's Punk Party (4oth B'day Bash)

Nicole does things up big for her major birthdays and her 40th birthday bash at the Diplomat Hotel in Bahrain was no exception. Dress code for the party (a brunch on the last weekend before Ramadan) was Punk. I decked out as Richard Hell, the founder of the Punk movement. The brunch itself was a huge party and we were a big group there. I drove over with Lawrence and Dan, stopping on the way for a couple of beers and a swim at the Dilman Club there in Bahrain. Once at the party we found Nic's tables and setted in. I promptly headed for the food - several plates of good seafood (lobster, crab, shrimp, clams suishi, etc.). With that taken care of my next task was to tatoo many of the women in our party. Lisa asked me to come prepared to do so. I knew that these girls had to work the next day in the hospital, so I found some washable markers and started to work. Fun for all. Nic was having a blast - good for her!! Dan, Lawrence and I headed back home around 4:00 pm to avoid the anticipated traffic on the causeway going back into Saudi Arabia. Had to stop by Ric's for some eats and another couple of beers and then headed out. The causeway was a nightmare - 3 1/2 hours on the causeway!!! Those damned girls stayed over night, since they did not have to work the next day - bummer for us - great for them! Some of the girls had their usual hangovers the next day - what's new? At any rate, we all had a great time - Thanks, Nicole, for a great party!

Health

I recently reviewed with my physician my medical records from the Aramco hospital and Saad hospital in Khobar. I had a rather complete examination and the results are excellent. All my scores are just where my doctors want them to be. Even had a Cardio stress test and that went the limit and it was all normal. I thank God for my excellent health and just hope that it continues along this path. I do lead a somewhat active life. I try to watch my food intake. I should drink more liquids here (according to my good friends Nicole and Jillian and am trying to follow their suggestions). I get a good night's sleep usually (about 6 hours). Ride my bike a good bit around this compound. Walk a good bit (I have a reputation around here regarding my walking - "Beware", they say, "Richard will wear you out if you try to walk with him! He walks fast and far.") I get a good workout on Wednesday nights in the Country Rocks line dance sessions. Nicole frequently tells me to slow down - "you are not in your twenties anymore", but it is hard to slow down - there is just so much to see and do. I should spend time in the weight room working on my upper body. I hate to be around my son, John, with his well built body :( I have my weight standing at around 155 lbs., which is just near my running weight (150 lbs.) when I was in college. People constantly guess my age as about 15 - 20 years younger, so I must be doing something right. That has been my problem all along in my younger years when I was asked for my ID in bars well past the years that most everyone worried about it. So far life is good, thank the good Lord.

Ringing terns in Bahrain

My good friend, Brendan Kavanaugh, professor and birder extraordinaire in Bahrain asked Nicole and I to help with the ringing (banding in Americas) of tern chicks on some spoil islands about 45 minutes off the north end of Bahrain. After a couple of failed trips due to bad weather, Nicole was able to make a successful trip with Brendan and his team, banding lesser creasted tern chicks. I was unable to make that trip due to work back in Saudi Arabia. The next trip I was able to make. This time the target was bridled tern chicks and later some white cheeked tern chicks. We gathered at the Bahrain Yacht Club at 6:00 am and headed out up the long inland bay to the top of the island nation and then headed almost due north to several spoil islands about 45 minutes away from the tip of the main island. The water was beautiful - calm and green and clear, so the ride was comfortable. We finally arrived at the spoil island and unloaded the boat and set up a base camp (an umbrella). We promptly headed out in two teams to sweep the island looking for bridled tern chicks hidden under short bushes. I was a gatherer and scratched my hand and arm a good bit reaching in to gather up my chicks. Brendan and Nicole did the ringing. After about 45 minutes it was just too hot to continue, so we headed for the camp for water and rest. About 30 minutes later we headed out to finish combing the island and ringing the last of the chicks (about 200). I cannot understand how those chicks survive in the heat on that island. From there we headed out to another island to see if we could find some white cheeked tern chicks. On that island we were able to find and band probably 50 chicks. After a dip into the Gulf waters to try to cool off (in a hot bath!) we headed back in. It was a successful trip. The trip into the club was nice and smooth, but long. After a shower and a nice cold Carlsburg I headed back to Saudi Arabia. Nicole stayed to have dinner with a friend. I sure slept well that night.

Week one - post Ireland

Once back in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia I went into the office early the morning that I arrived. Spent half a day there, then met my birding colleague to go over the lesson that she had put together for me to present that night. She had done a really good job with it, so all I needed to do was take it and run with it later that night. And it turned out just great - addressing migration and then focusing on four common birds around the compound. I just have more fun doing these little presentations and getting people engaged in nature.

Then, later that week, I gave a presentation to the Arabian Natural History Association : "The Serpents of the Arabian Peninsula" and that was a resounding success. There was a good crowd in the room and when, at the end, I pulled out a small Hardwick's Rat Snake to show folks, they really livened up. People came up to touch and some to hold the snake (a mildly venomous kind) that was introduced here to control the rat population (that was also introduced). At any rate he did manage to bite me once, as well as a Saudi girl who came up and wanted to hold it. (No harmful effects at all). The girl brought her blind brother over to touch the snake, and to see the smile on his disfigured face was such a thrill to me. My best surprise of the night was to see my dear friend in crime, Nicole, ask if she could hold the snake, without any proding from me. That made my night. Of course she was terrified, but she took that huge step toward relieving that fear. Some day, if I ever find a something like a friendly sand boa, I think I could make another huge step with her fears and dislikes of snakes. Won't ever be a total acceptance, but a relaxed tolerance of the creatures - even a dangerous one at a respectable distance. As I anticipated, I have had numerous requests to provide information and talks about snakes to various groups in Aramco who venture out into the desert. Interesting note: can you believe that in the time that I have been here I have yet to see a snake in the wild!! When I was here back in the 1990's I saw several sea snakes in Halfmoon Bay. The density of snakes is nothing compared to the density that I have experienced back home in Texas - just too blazing hot here! After the past few presentations to the ANHA group I feel that I am making a contribution to the Aramco community beyond the learning design work that brings me here. I trust that if my contract is renewed that I will continue to do these kinds of services to the community.

Return trip from Ireland

Our return trip home from Ireland was a very stressful affair. We missed our scheduled flight on Aer Lingus from Cork to Amsterdam due to a long delay in Security. I apparently left my Leatherman tool and a pocket knife in my carry on baggage - a no no for sure, but when they found that, they began to tear into all of our carry on stuff and by the time they were through and we were able to pack things back into the bags the gate had closed. From then on things got so hectic, stressful and costly. I was going back to Saudi Arabia from Amsterdam in the afternoon, so my connections were easier to change, but Carolyn was connecting to a non-stop flight about an hour and a half after our scheduled flight was to arrive. In order to try to make those connections we were told to catch a Ryanair flight to Dublin that was leaving in 15 minutes! The hassles of buying two tickets, checking and paying a lot of money for overweight baggage and then for extra carryon baggage when the plan is full and waiting for us to board, was just stressful to the hilt. I do not like Ryanair and will never fly them again. While we were dealing with Ryanair an Aer Lingus agent was supposedly getting us both lined up with our approprriate flights back home from Amsterdam. We were running back and forth between the two agents. Once in Dublin we went to the Aer Lingus agent to get our baggage checked for the flight over to Amsterdam, but had to go in and out of passport control several times to finally get our tickets and baggage checked. Remember our baggage was just a little over for international flights, but for domestic flights it was way over and we had to pay for that (a lot of money). Fortunately, the agent in Dublin noticed that we were supposed to be on a through international flight, he over looked the overweight on our baggage. We had to rush to get to the plane to Amsterdam - it wasw all rush, rush, rush. A quick flight o0ver Britain and into Holland where we find thaty we do not have our tickets home for here. So more frantic going in and out of passport control and going from arrivals to departures and back again, only to find out that whiole my ticcket home was ok and leaving in minutes, Carolyn's ticket was not. She missed her flight from Cork and the Aer Lingus agent in Cork apparently did not cancel her booked flight, nor did he schedule and book a later flight for her, so that she was a no show for her scheduled flight and that cost us. Then, this being the high season, she had to find a seat on a flight home. All this was going on with her, when the KLM agent told me to run to my gate or I would miss my flight to Saudi Arabia. I had to leave Carolyn there with the agent to figure all of it out by herself. Gave her a big hug and kiss and had to run back through the passport control (a long slow que) and security control to just make my plane (they were holding the plane for me). Carolyn had to sleep in the terminal overnight on a bench, but was able to able to find a seat on a Delta flight with a change of planes in Minneapolis. Finally, she made it home late at night. I really worried about her. My flight to Bahrain was ok - I did have a really nice and helpful middle aged woman from Kuwait in the seat next to me. We talked about a lot of things and tried to sleep some. After a refueling stop in Kuwait I had a short flight to Bahrain - the young woman who sat next to me on that leg was an Iraqi woman working with the State Dept. on woman's issues in Iraq - very good conversation! Got to Steineke around midnight and just crashed for a few hours before heading to work at 7:00 am. What a day for me and what a couple of days for Carolyn! And costly - over $1200! So I made a list of what not to do when you travel and will post them later. Happy travels!

Good bye, Ireland

We sure hated to leave the Emerald Isle. It was so wonderfully beautiful in the summer array of greens, ochres and yellow. The people were so pleasant and enjoyed talking to us. We spent the whole time in County Cork - the home of my mother's ancestors (Kennedy and Callahan). My birding checklist numbered 66 different species of birds. Carolyn saw so many wonderful fabrics, and just loved the plantlife and gardens. Kinsale was our base and was a perfect place to spend our time - daily excursions to the rest of County Cork were easy and filled with places to stop and visit and get to know the character of the Irish countryside and small towns. OUr forst week was accompanied by the round the world saling craft on their tour. The crews were all over the town and the craft filled the harbor - beautiful sleek sailing craft designed for voyaging and racing. The second week was the beginning of the Kinsale Art Week. We went to gallery openings every night for the week, meeting artists and patrons and art enthusiasts from the South Coast of Ireland. A few of the artists were skilled and talented and stirred my passion to return there to spend a few weeks or months creating my artwork. Even in the rain Ireland was wonderful, but our visit coincided with an incredible string of beautiful days, so I cannot complain.

Rainy Day in Ireland!

The morning started out nicely, but by noon the rain began to fall. A nice slow steady light rain that I considered a blessing (I am coming from he desert, remember), but the folks here disliked. We have had absolutely beautiful weather here in Ireland since we came, but today the luck changed. It was really beautiful, anyway. The fog or low ceiling hanging on the tops of the mountains with the conifer forest hiding scores of hobbits in the deep dark forest shadows was magical as we drove along. Down in the midland pastures dairy cattle (mostly Holstein) continued grazing the lush green grasses in the rain like nothing bothered them. Once around the coast the fog made driving interesting and the views of half visible shorelines across the bays mystical. It was a rather nice day in spite of the rain and fog. West Cork is a wonderful place!