And Now, Back to Paradise...

The water is warm and the waves are fun to splash in, but does that look like it might rain?

Look at those clouds billowing up...let's seek shelter.



Over here by this palm are dozens of thatch roofed umbrellas. Let's sit here a bit and enjoy the view of the sea.


Look--it's sunny again. Let's go play!*

*This winter break provided by the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, in conjunction with my generous Mother-in-law. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation had nothing to do with it...

President Barack Obama--Congratulations to All of Us!

Doesn't that sound good? It is almost so momentous as to be overwhelming: The first black president; the first thinker in a loooong time; the first really well regarded president by the world.

At this point, anyone taking office would be fantastic in that the only way we can all go is up from here. Bush absolutely ran this country into the ground. I don't know how anyone could do a worse job if they intended it. But, the fact that Barack Obama is a brilliant, compassionate man with solid ideas and good people surrounding him makes his ascent all the more incredible and reassuring. To think that as a collective, the American people said, "Enough!" We voted for reason, and calm, and thoughtfulness, and a spirit of mutual respect and common decency.

Today is a day of great pride for America. We can all look at each other and smile and meet each other's eyes and realize that we are truly one people and together we can accomplish a lot. Obama's presidency makes real the abstract ideas of unlimited possibility in America, of pursuing your dreams and them coming true regardless of racial background, ethnicity, socioeconomic standing.

Congratulations Barack Obama. Congratulations fellow Americans. Congratulations to all of the civil rights workers who gave so much decades ago to open up our society to the equality expressed in the Constitution that went unenforced for so long.

We are one people. All of our lives are intertwined for the good and for the ill. When we all have rights and opportunity it helps us all. When segments of society are kept down, it injures us all. Every one's own brilliance ennobles each one of us and creates further opportunities and connections that serve to strengthen our families, our communities, our relationships with the rest of the world. If we all are allowed to shine, we all are made greater.

John Dunne expressed it well:

No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; It tolls for thee.

John Donne, Meditation XVII
English clergyman & poet (1572 - 1631)

Well done Mr. President. We are so proud of you and your family. Good luck and all of our good wishes for your success!

Happy inauguration day everybody!

Coati Mundis/Yucatan Jays: Animals of a Different Feather

At the resort we stayed at, the boardwalk from the pool area to the beach wends it way through a tangled thicket of mangroves. In those mangroves are dozens of coati mundi. They are awake during the day and are always hopeful that someone will feed them. And, while they would approach us, they were still guarded and would scurry away at the slightest provocation--like say if some unnamed kid would try to pet them gently on their cute head...

They are related to raccoons and Jorge (a hotel worker who was from Mexico City and majored in TV production and is now a "friend" at this hotel) told me that they will eat anything when I asked him if they are vegetarians. They really behave very much like raccoons.

The kids adored them.






The mangroves host all sorts of animals. We found the iguana in the magroves lazing in a tree. Meanwhile these amazing startling blue and black birds were shrieking in the scrubby mangrove trees right above the coatis' heads. They are Yucatan Jays, as in jay birds as in blue jays that we get right here in Very-Republican-Town, Illinois. These are their southern cousins.






Aren't these such dramatic birds? They are beautiful aren't they? I think they are really striking.

As we would walk to the beach, a few coatis would come out onto the boardwalk and the yucatan jays would hop through the slender branches and we would hear the waves crashing to shore and the salty breezes would blow our hair. It was wonderful.

I don't know who this guy is, but I'll include him here because he was quite the magnificent fellow.

Hola Mis Amigos y Amigas!!!

Hola!

We are so glad to be home--we were very worried about our 23 year old cat, Daisy. We all were dreading getting a phone call that something bad had happened to her and we felt guilty for leaving her knowing that it would stress her out...but, she's fine! Hurray! Thanks Unnamed and M. for taking such good care of her while we were gone.

We did not miss the snow and record breaking cold here while we were down in warm Mexico. We don't mind coming back to it, but it was nice to take a break from it.

I've never traveled somewhere warm during the winter. I've just remained cold for 3 months and then felt heartened when the change of season has come. I like the different seasons, but I've discovered on this trip that I love the tropics too. It was soooo beautiful in Mexico. We saw plants of all sorts. Here are just a few:

Palms of all sorts...



Mass groupings of these purple/fuschia leaved plants
the leaves were purpley/pink!!



On the way to the beach, we saw an iguana lazily dozing and resting on a tree right next to the boardwalk.


It was grey for several days. We only had a couple of clear, sunny days, but the water was warm and inviting always.





And, there were flowers everywhere...

Amazing to go away to such a beautiful, warm, interesting place and then in a few hours come back to this.



Hello suburban squirrel footprints on our front step! Good thing I like all of the seasons.