My daughters Jenny and Christy arrived for a visit in July. This was Jenny's first time and Christy's second, and it was great to see them both again after being away for so long. Along with a bag full of wish list items for me (especially the Portland microbrew), they brought plenty of great expectations for a caribbean getaway. I think the highlights were the perfect beach in Tulum and the Mayan ruins at Coba.

I also got a chance to visit with my Portland sailing buddies Jack and Bridget who passed through town this week. It's always great to see my friends here!

September and October are the low season here because of the weather, but there are still quite a few tourists to keep the businesses afloat. I am happy to report that unlike 2005, there have been no hurricanes this year. But the season ends in another month and I hope the trend continues. For the last few weeks we have had rain almost daily, mostly at night, which brings along the first mosquitoes of the year. During this time of the year there aren't any of the hated Tabanos who visit us periodically. This year many of my friends and I were treated to a special gift from the mosquitoes - dengue fever - which eliminates two weeks and several pounds from your life. Oh well, I recovered quite well.

I've just completed a few weeks of repair cycles on my truck, computer, and jungle wireless internet connection. To you, this means that you can now waste some corporate time and call me anytime with Skype (bbarton) to keep up with the latest gossip. I will make sure I have it turned on if you send a date/time by email first.

At this point I have reached a sort of angst phase in my long term plan. A possible next step is to build a house on my lot in Pueblo SacBe. But my sense of remoteness and tranquility in the village has been diminished by rapid growth in the surrounding area, and the mix of personalities in the community is not moving in the direction of my preferences. So I have been thinking a lot about selling the garden paradise lot and looking for the next choice. Who knows? So many choices, so little time.

I am still having a great time with my good neighbors at my favorite places, and in Mexico there is always more to explore. Come and join me for a visit! For now, its time for a trip to my solar powered energy efficient refrigerator to grab the last Bridgeport IPA.

Hasta la proxima,
Bill Barton