Canada de la Virgen

This archaelogical site was discovered in 1998 and excavated since 2002.  It is 30 minutes from San Miguel de Allende.  We took a tour with Albert Coffey, an archaelogist who worked on the site.  The Otomi people developed and lived in Canada de la Virgen from about 530 to 1050 AD.  The Otomi were sky watchers and the site is oriented to the sun, moon, stars, and planets.  The site has controlled access via private property.  The tour was incredibly interesting.

After returning to San Miguel de Allende in the afternoon, we had a late lunch and took a siesta, before returning to the Jardin for ice cream and people watching.  By 6, a parade of very dressed up people started entering the cathedral... hundreds of them, with teenage girls in long dresses and platform heels, with their families or escorted by young men in their finest suits.  The parade of people continued for over an hour.  We sat on a bench in the Jardin for another hour, and then after brief applause, everyone started streaming out of the cathedral, with mariachis playing just outside the cathedral gate.  We had no idea what was happening, but later were asked by two girls if we would take their photo.  We asked what was going on and they told us it was a wedding.  

"We have one every week," they told us. 

Second Day in San Miguel de Allende

We had a wonderful second day in San Miguel de Allende.  We were in the hunt for local markets.  Along the way, we stopped at the Biblioteca Publica, where we enjoyed conversation with a 

local man who had returned to San Miguel to retire, after a career as a professor at a university in northern California.  He suggested several places to visit, drawing maps for us.  We found 

the fruit and vegetable market, as well as the artisan market.  Both were wonderful 

and teaming with local people buying for their families.

Our next stop was an old textile factory converted to artist studios and galleries, called Fabrica Aurora.  We enjoyed seeing photos from early 1900's to the factory close in 1991.  The factory had been the largest employer in town, until 1991, when its jobs moved to China.  Fabrica Aurora is a beautifully renovated space with talented artists.  We spent time with a woodworker, born in San Miguel with an American mother and Mexican dad.  His work was thoughtful and beautiful.  

The professor had suggested we visit Bellas Artes.  It was an amazingly beautiful space with a center courtyard surrounded by two story porches, and murals from the 1940's painted along long hallways.  While I was taking photos, Papa started a conversation with a man from Tennessee, visiting with his uncle, also from Tennessee, who has had a home in San Miguel for many years.  The uncle is an immigration attorney in his late 70's, with long relationships with people from the area.  We had a wonderful conversation, from the Everly Brothers to a law school friend from
my hometown in Kentucky to current politics.  

Our next stop was an ice cream cart and then a visit to Museo de Allende, with history of Ignacio Allende, who had built the hacienda on the square in San Miguel in the late 1700's.  We walked through the Banamex building earlier in the day, another hacienda on the square, built 

by the Canal family, in the early 1800's.  Both hacienda's were quite ornate.

After lunch and a siesta, we went back to the Jardin for more homemade ice cream and to listen to mariachi music.  We were struck by how local families were out for walks in the park, stopping to listen to music and have an ice cream.  We've seen similar "regular" evening activities in Spain and Portugal, in South America, and a few other places.  We aren't aware of similar "regular" evening activities in America, where it seems most families turn on the tv after dinner.  We had a good day!

San Miguel de Allende

Papa and I arrived in San Miguel de Allende this afternoon, to spend a few days being tourists 

before going to Doctor Mora for Sabrina's quinceanera.  SMA is a colorful city! 

First Visible Fire of Season

Late yesterday afternoon, I noticed smoke in the Rincon Mountains.  This is the first visible fire of the 2016 summer season, most likely started by lightning.  It is probably 15-20 miles away.  We had an afternoon rain and more rains are expected this week, so hopefully, the fire will be put out naturally.  Oscar, Pablo, and Doc are oblivious to the fire, chowing down on new grass.

Giant Mesquite Nymph

I saw this giant bug this morning, while Papa and I were out on the ranch.  This bug was well over 1.5" long and quite colorful.  She was in a hurry and moving rapidly. I looked it up later, and found that the one I saw was female and without wings, thus a nymph.  I also read:  "Giant Mesquite Bugs feed only on the sap, tender leaves, and green seed pods of mesquite trees, and are only found in areas with plenty of these trees. Giant Mesquite Bugs are especially common in southern Arizona because of abundant Velvet Mesquites.  Giant Mesquite Bugs do not do any significant damage to mesquite trees." 

First Rain of 2016 Monsoon Season

Big clouds brought .60" of rain to Winchester Ranch on Jun 24, 2016, our first rain of the summer monsoon season.  The earth quickly sucked up the moisture.  There's no runoff from this rain!

New Roof Coat

Every two to three years, Papa rolls on a new roof coating, on the flat sections of our house and garage.  He did that job this week. 

Strawberry Moon

The Summer Solstice coincided with a full moon this year for the first time since 1967.  "According to "The Old Farmer's Almanac," the strawberry moon was given that name by the Algonquin tribes because it occurs at the height of the season when strawberries are harvested." 

Agave Garden

I have three agave blooming in my garden by the front door. 

Deer in the Yard at Dusk

As the sun was setting last evening, a herd of deer came within six feet of the house and felt at home.  I stepped outside to photograph them and they didn't budge.  One deer was in the back yard, eating my red yucca.  All the others were grazing in front of the house.  It was nice to see them so near and comfortable with us.