Wood, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It is always sad when a grand old tree falls during a ferocious winter storm........the end of  many years it spent providing comfort and shade, rustling in the breezes, a haven for critters large and small, its leaves exploding in color in the fall......

....but cutting, chopping, splitting, stacking, and drying will keep it around for at least another season to bring warmth from a wood stove on a cold winter's evening. I know there are concerns about burning wood and the pollution from the smoke. On the bright side, at least wood is a renewable fuel source unlike coal, gas, and oil.  And a well designed wood stove, properly used with good quality firewood can minimize such pollution. The bottom line however, is that no source of heat is without some cost - even "clean" solar and wind power require the processing of natural and unnatural materials to manufacture the turbines or panels to generate the power.  Being warm and surviving requires using the earth's resources - no one has figured out a way around that - yet - except for living in a year-around-warm climate.  Food for thought.

Vegan Pizza, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

In my sometimes series about eating vegan food, here's a pizza idea. Start with a whole wheat foundation, a 450 degree oven and a pizza stone and you can't go wrong.  Cover the cooked dough with your favorite pizza/pasta/marinara/tomato sauce.  Sprinkle some herbs and spices to your taste.  Then add the toppings.  It might be planned or it might be "clean out the refrigerator pizza."  You really can't go wrong with tasty vegan toppings.  In this case I added black beans, sugar snap peas, green peas, sliced zucchini, diced onion, and vegan "cheese" (made from non-animal sources).  Cook for  7-10 minutes and eat.

But before eating, of  course I add guacamole.  There are very few meals on the planet that can't be improved by the addition of guacamole (or pieces of avocado).

Bench and Snow, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The bright low slanting rays of first morning light hint at spring days to come. The snow pile in the background is all that remains and since it spends most of the time in shade, it is slow to melt.

Ten hours later, the low slanting rays of late afternoon light.  The snow pile is a little smaller. Hopefully, this is the last snowpile for this winter........

Plymouth Harbor, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

A stiff breeze blows across the nearly empty harbor.  It is still cold here but, there is a hint of the coming spring.  Soon many of the boats will return to their anchorages in the protected harbor after spending the winter elsewhere.

Model Shoot, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

If you think a model has it easy, think again.  On this blustery winter day at the former "Bert's" at Plymouth Beach, with air temperature in the mid-thirties, and wind chill well below freezing, this woman was posing for an entourage of photographer, art director, producer, and gofer. I only got out of my car long enough to snap a few shots of her - it was too cold.

Public Library, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

This view is on the front of the main Plymouth public library. I think one might call it a collonade in architectural terms.  I've always enjoyed the brickwork here. Public libraries are one of the greatest achievements of humanity.  The ability to share written information to one and all is mostly free (although taxes and/or donations have to pay for the books and infrastructure support).  It is puzzling to imagine what the future holds as we increasingly rely upon the internet to provide our source of all information.  Does that mean that the idea of  "free" access to the world's accumulated knowledge will someday only be available if you can pay to access the internet?   What will we do if public libraries close for lack of use and lack of books and internet access becomes unaffordable to regular  folks? An interesting idea.

Winter Storm, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Strong winds and rising seas like this were the prelude to a winter storm which arrived just days after our return from warm and sunny Mexico - a nice welcome home......of sorts.

A few stubborn leaves still cling to the branches of this oak tree as the snow begins to fall.

Just a few miles north, it was a wet, heavy deep snow with a lot of wind.

Branches bend to the ground under the increasing weight of the snow.  When all was said and done, some communities near Boston received 22+ inches of snow.  Manomet maybe two inches.

It may not be warm and sunny outside here but, a fresh snowfall is still one of nature's most  beautiful and majestic gifts.

Home Again, White Horse Beach, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

It is strange to be home after being away for a few months.  Familiar and foreign at the same time. This sign for White Horse Beach is near Gellar's corner on State Road in Manomet. The church in the background is the  Second Church of Plymouth at Manomet established in 1738 with the current building constructed in 1828.  The adjacent Manomet Cemetery surrounds the church on three sides. I have always noted this sign because it seems like it doesn't quite belong in this location. The dissonance between the concept of beach and the reality of a church and graveyard is vaguely unsettling.  Oh well - it is cold outside in the wind on this day, winter's grip has not yet left for the year. But soon it will leave us- as predictable and reliable as the rising  sun.

Daylight Savings Time begins today. Now that spring is near, it's time to pick up the thousands of twigs, sticks, and branches that were a casualty of the past winter storms and wind........and enjoy the slow but steady lengthening of the daylight hours.

Final Thoughts, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Whether it's a father and son out for a sunset sail on a small boat.......

....or a couple on a catamaran......

...or a larger group of folks on a midday party cruise, everyone enjoys the dazzling warm azure/turquoise seas and warm weather of the Riviera Maya......

..........even those that stay by the pool. (Processed in Snapseed)

********************

So, here's the roll-up of useless but maybe interesting info about this trip.

Total Days in Mexico - 78
Total Days in Quintana Roo State - 77
Total Days in Yucatan State - 1
Total Days in the town of Puerto Morelos - 28
Total Days in in the town of Puerto Aventuras - 28
Total Days in the town of Cancun - 22

Number of days with a rental car - 21, spread over three separate rentals. Each vehicle was the cheapest model available and all had manual transmission (average cost $38/day USD)
Number of times I stalled the engine using poor clutch technique - 1
Number of times I was honked at when driving - a few
Number of "topes" driven over too fast - 1
Number of bus rides - 25
Number of taxi rides - 5
Exercise kilometers walked - 230+

Number of avocados consumed - over 300
Number of papayas consumed - over 20
Number of days without papayas or avocados - 0
Number of tortillas consumed - over 250
Number of blue corn tortillas consumed (the best ever) - not nearly enough
Number of meals in restaurants - 20
Number of meals at home - 200+
Number of days with intestinal upset - 1

Number of days when temperature was cool - 5 (twice it went below 60 F)
Number of days overcast almost all day - 6

Number of times scammed - 1 (by a Pemex gas station attendant in Tulum - he charged us for more gas than the car could hold by not zeroing the pump when he started - we weren't quick enough to catch him and we couldn't prove it)

Number of times treated unkindly or inhospitably by locals in any setting anywhere (except the scammer) - 0

Number of times I butchered the Spanish  language - Every Single Time I Opened My Mouth
Number of times Amy was mistaken for being a native Spanish speaker - Frequently

During the Northern Hemisphere winter, the Riviera Maya region of Mexico is warm, it doesn't rain much, it is sunny most of the time, it is windy much of the time, it offers good value for both accommodations and food, and has friendly people.  Many people speak or understand some English.  They are geared for and focused on tourism (mostly US and Canadians).  We might go back next year it was such a winner!

The single biggest lesson I take home with me from this trip is this:

A personal goal to take the time to be more helpful and understanding with anyone who doesn't speak English in the US but is trying to communicate with me.  There is nothing more frustrating than not being able to speak the native tongue when in a foreign country - I know this from experience. Folks here appreciated my efforts to try to speak their language (even badly) and were very patient and tried to be helpful to me.  I want to do the same to others. A few words, a few smiles, and a few hand gestures can accomplish wonders in any language.

 ¡Adios, Mexico, Hasta Luego!

Random Roundup, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

It's getting to be that time of the trip where I pull together random unrelated and unused images that didn't make earlier blog posts but images that I still want to use.  This red pepper stem was so real it looked artificial. (Processed with Snapseed with the focus centered on the stem's base).

This is the view as you leave the Zona Hotelera and approach Cancun Centro (downtown).

They are just finishing installing this fountain in the rotary at the intersection of  Avenidas Tulum and Kukulkan.

Print journalism is still alive and well in this part of the world. How they keep the papers from flying around in the mostly relentless wind here is an ongoing challenge.

An incomplete oceanfront dream sits idle. They appear to have used some sort of pre-cast concrete beams and columns to assemble on site - it reminds me of a Kenner girder and panel building set when I was a kid fifty years ago.

Old tractor wheels are used to define a parking lot perimeter. (Processed in Snapseed with center focus).

Lizard art in an empty garage.

I'm not sure why someone wears these shoes on a running/walking/cycling path but I didn't ask.

A father and son pose in one of the fountains at La Isla shopping center.

It is nice to see that the tobacco industry does not control the marketplace and politics in Mexico like it does in the United States.  I think the message is pretty clear. These were in the duty-free shop at the Cancun airport.