One and all,

Just checking in. Our social calendar has been too full. This Mexico deal is almost becoming like work! We are enjoying it, however.

Sunday Polley and I visited Gene and Gay Tennis, a couple that we met last year, from Atlanta. They are delightful and fascinating. Gene, a former Presbyterian minister who found himself in the world of serving as a consultant for fund raising programs for Universities. Classically educated, he is a wealth of knowledge. His wife, Gay, is a university business professor, also mostly retired, I believe. They are staying out at the large Holiday Inn Resort, about 15 minutes north of downtown. Staying on the 7th floor, that have a breathtaking view of the bay and look directly back at downtown Puerto Vallarta. Magnifique! They were kind enough to take us to lunch in a large Palapa beside the pool. A very nice afternoon. About 4 we had to tear ourselves away, as we have out standing reservation at Vitea for Sunday evening.

Monday was, again, a beautiful day. With a little over a month to go, we have now made it a goal to get down to the beach and into the sun regularly. With the earlier limitations because of my back, we are still relatively pale. I am sure when we meet people and they look at our white skin, they assume we have been here for 36 hours, not 5 1/2 weeks! After our regularly scheduled phone call to our friend, Rae,we made it to the beach Monday. We go to a very primitive Mexican bar on the beach, pull the chairs and table out from under the umbrella, into the sun and sip beer and brown for about 45 minutes to an hour. Then it was back to La Fuente for a margarita. However, as we say, the only thing to expect in PV is the unexpected, just as we were getting ready to leave and go home for lunch, other friends, Neal and Judy Higgins arrive at La Fuente prepared to try the food there. We have continually raved about it, so they were going to give it a shot. Suddenly, we had lunch guests and were eating out! We both had some excellent fish tacos and Neal and Judy were suitably impressed. Making food recommendations always carries with some anxiety about what people like. Neal said that he could see himself coming back once a week and working through the menu.

Monday night we met our friends from Salem, George and Pat,out on the Malécon. They were going to introduce us to an Indian restaurant. Called India Gate, it was delicious and had a very nice, quiet, peaceful ambiance. Food was very nice, as Polley had a lamb/spinach curry and I had an Indian wrap along with some intriguing naan bread. A new place to add to our list as we will begin to cycle through our favorite spots in the next month.

Tuesday, the beach again and lunch in. Our various social occasions has left the refrigerator full. We need a break to just eat on our own. However, tonight was not going to afford us that opportunity. We met our friends, Ray and Mary Anne for dinner at Balsamar, a Mexican place that we have visited a couple of times before. Ray and Mary Anne leave on Sunday so we are trying to touch base with them as often as possible in the next few days. We always enjoy their company and Ray is chocked full of jokes and good stories. The live right downtown Victoria B.C. and we hope to get up to visit them sometime this summer or fall.

So there are three days and an equal number of reasons for no blogs. Aside from the various social events, the days have become blessedly routine. Polley feeds her cats




As many as 11 at one time, in the dry wash just outside our gate. She waters her plants


And we continue to work our way through a pile of books. Life remains good and except for a slight cold, we are well. Polley’s eye is much improved. We have been on an every 4 hour routine of putting drops in them (6am, 10 am, 2 pm, 6 pm, 10 pm, 2 am!), but thankfully that all ends today. More news to come, if I can find the time!