Sandia time in Pinal Villa

Lots of people working in the field either weeding, picking or watering. Haven't seen any kids carrying watermelon around the neighborhood trying to sell them like in years past. Will keep my eyes out.  

Papaya for 10 pesos

Glen and I were sitting on the beach yesterday at Tito's when this young kid came by selling papayas. He wanted 10 pesos each for them so yeah I wanted one. The people next door had just bought one and the kid still had 10 pesos in his hand when he talked to me. All I had was a twenty so I made sure we did an exchange because I thought he could very well walk away with 20. Not a big deal but better to keep him honest.

Cotton in Mexico and Pacific coast

Someone said it was Kapok but Mexicans know it as Algodon

Cotton in Mexico and Pacific coast

We were over at Centro de Salud in Jaluco for one of the kids. While there Lori noticed what looked a cotton plant except this was 10 feet tall. Having never seen a cotton plant except driving by cotton fields in the south I had my doubts. When I got home I checked the Internet and sure enough, it was. I cut and pasted a few bits of info I found on Cotton, Mexico and it’s history. Always something interesting around the corner.

[Comment from reader] – A friend who is 3rd generation “Melaque” born and raised told us that the entire area was once home to cotton fields. The crop was profitable but risky (depending on weather, etc). That is why eventually the locals diversified into current crops which were not as profitable but far more reliable!

The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico

G. hirsutum

The oldest evidence of Gossypium hirsutum in Mesoamerica comes from the Tehuacan valley and has been dated between 3400 and 2300 BC. In different caves of the area, archaeologists affiliated to the project of Richard MacNeish found remains of fully domesticated examples of this cotton. The Tehuacán Valley lies in southern Mexico in the state of Puebla near the region where maize (corn) was first domesticated 7,000 years ago.

Recent studies have allowed the comparison of bolls and cotton seeds from excavation in Guila Naquitz Cave, Oaxaca, with living examples of wild and cultivated G. hirsutum punctatum, showing that they might come from the same species, originally domesticated in the Yucatan Peninsula.

In different eras and among different Mesoamerican cultures, cotton was a highly demanded good and a precious exchange item. Maya and Aztec merchants traded cotton with other luxury items, and nobles adorned themselves with preciously woven and colored mantles.

Pro Animal Melaque

We hope to see you at Restaurant Esmeralda in Melaque for Bingo & Silent Auction. You do not need to pay Bingo Admission to bid on our Auction items. We have some really great things this year, including:

1 Night Stay at Grand Isla Navidad Resort
MexEco Tour to Cuzalapa Coffee Cooperative (for 2)
Whole Chocolate Cake from Vainilla Pimienta
Authentic Homemade Lasagna from Hugo
Dental Cleaning, Optician Services, Massage, Salon Services
Handmade Textiles, Purses, Jewelry
Meals at local Eateries
Wines
Artwork & Artesanias
Puzzles
Pet toys, fashion items, life vest
And much, much more!

Auction bidding will close by 2:30PM. Bingo play starts at 1:00PM. We need your support to continue our mission of helping the animals most in need, and providing free spay & neuter to our community with three annual campaigns.

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Cleaning the beach

The opening of the lagoon really made a mess of the beaches around the bay. This is west Melaque and don't know if they are doing everything. Barra had a lot more lirio and that beach may be harder to clean. Then there is the Barra lagoon  that will take a different kind of machine

Lirio on the beach

Villa Obregon beach

Barra's main beach

The previous post shows water leaving the lagoon. These two fotos are of the beaches in Melaque and Barra de Navidad. A whole lot more in Barra than Melaque and it's filling up the canals in the Barra lagoon. Must have opened it due to the very heavy rain we had a little over aa week ago.

Opening Laguna del Tule

After that huge rain, it must have filled the lagoon and they opened it yesterday morning. We were on the beach at Tito's and could see some of the lirio in the bay. Wasn't any near the West end but there probably is today. It's always a huge project to clean the beaches after an opening. 

Festival Gastronomico

This Friday, the 9th on the Melaque plaza from 5PM to 11. Restaurants from around the area will display their best seafood dishes. Looks like a few other things as well. 

Getting ready to plant

Farmland in Pinal Villa that has been too wet to plant for almost two years has finally dried out. Two very large sections look like this now. A large section of Milo closer to town was just left to die last year and I assume it may be next. Crops here are tomatoes, chilies, tomatillos, watermelon, papayas, and corn only when it is shared with other crops. 

Fund raiser for Centro de Salud

This is a fundraiser to help the Melaque Centro de Salud. Funds from the government are nowhere near enough to keep these centres running the way they should.

This is going to be a very Mexican event but will be fun with music and dancing. Even if you can't go maybe buy a ticket and give it to a neighbour and help out this centre that has helped so many over the years.

Tickets can be purchased with Dr. Oscar Rubio in the mornings directly in the Centro de Salud, or if you want to come by my office I can call him to come here with tickets.