Hard to say "goodbye."

We had a wonderful visit from my son Jeff and his family from the 13-18 of this month. Their two little girls (Josie - 7 and Amelia - 9) had a great time at the beach every day and especially enjoyed their dolphin encounter at Vallarta Adventures. Jeff and Kim are starting new teaching jobs in Wuhan, China soon - they have spent the last year there teaching English in a high school in Huangshi. We had a great time comparing our unique cultural experiences in China and Mexico. I think their cultural adjustment is a little steeper than ours, but the people of both countries are courteous and welcoming. It was such fun sharing some of our favorite places with them and it was so hard to say goodbye. They have made a two-year commitment, so I will be making a trip to China sometime in the next year.

New member of the family...

Given the number of abandoned and stray animals in Mexico, I was sure it would only be a matter of time before we added to our gato family. I didn't think it would be quite this soon, however. Two nights ago, we were having dinner at our favorite beach restaurant, about a 1/2 block away, and Jerry spotted a little black kitten under a nearby table. Turns out that the chef had found three little kittens thrown away beside the road in a bag and rescued them. He has been taking very good care of them, but was happy to adopt one out. So after Jerry cuddled this little fellow for awhile, we brought him home. He has settled right in, and the other cats are tolerating him remarkably well. The chef had already named him "Negro", so that is what his name will remain, I guess. Very sweet and affectionate little kitty. And very happy to have a new home. Only in Mexico - in the US, kitties are not allowed to sleep under tables in restaurants. One more reason we are glad to be here!