There's a place here where they make the best meat you could ever find.  We have to make a few trips, and for sure on the weekend when they make pork carnitas.  Anyway, the owner of the place is a huge man.  Probably 7 feet tall.  And his feet are size 17.  You just don't see a lot of really tall mexican people.  So we heard through the grape vine that the owner Tamo, had a real hard time finding any shoes to fit him, so we thought we'd get him some.  17's  are not super easy to find here either, but when we went to California, Kate and I drove down to the Rainbow store and got him some good flip flops.  Then Kelley went to Nordstrom Rack and found some nice
Air Jordan tennis shoes.  It about took a whole suitcase just to fit those huge shoes in!!  Ha!  

So when Mark went to get the Carnitas, he took Tamo the shoes.  This is what Tamo gave Mark in return.  Pretty cool!  The painting on it was really intricate and beautiful.

Beto is such a good guy.  He was having kind of a rough time while we were down there.  He has had a lot of trouble with his teeth and has decided to just get them pulled out and get dentures. That's so sad...he's still a young man.  Robin told us she took him to Cabo to get a few pulled a few weeks ago.  When he came out they wanted payment so he traded the work for his atv.  He went a couple more times while we were there and they would pull a few more teeth each time.  I felt so bad for him. I guess that's how they do in Mexico.  He acted like it was no big deal. 

We tried to work out a few times while we were there.  The top of the garage was the perfect spot.  KC takes it to a whole new level

Katie flew home on Tuesday so KC, Kelley and I drove up the Arroyo again. KC hadn't gone up to the neat  pond with the waterfall last time we were there because when they started walking up to the pond, there was a big dead cow laying there that was super stinky so they didn't go any farther.  

Well we hiked up to the  pond, but the closer we got, we could see it wasn't like it was when we came there in october.  There had been a swampy area the closer we got to the pond,  now it was all dry.  There had been a lower pool, but now it was just dry cracky ground.  When we got closer we also did not hear the waterfall pounding down into the pond.  So when we finally got to the pond, there was no water coming down the rocks at all.  The pond was low and murky.  Did not look fun for swimming in. We were kind of disappointed but figured it was just the season when everything dries up.

 These trees that grow right out of the rocks are so cool!  The roots just mold themselves to the rock and break it apart.  It amazes me how strong the roots can be.

We decided since the pond was a no go, we'd go down to the beach and go snorkeling

 I was grateful for my little pink hat.  I about lost it a few times...once when we were out fishing, it blew off and Kevin rescued it, and a couple times riding the motos.  It kept the sun off my face and hid my hair (which I think I did twice in the 9 days we were there!  Ha Ha!  I love Mexico!  No hair, no makeup)

 There are geckos running all over the walls and ceiling of Marks place.  They make a loud noise that sounds like a bird chirping!  They are pretty cool though cause they eat all the bugs!  I had a cool video of a gecko chasing a bug around but it wouldn't upload.
This little cutie was on the back of Kelleys shirt.  I thought it was a spider till I got closer. We enjoyed it's cuteness, then set it careully back on the wall. 

I loved to just sit and listen to all the noises around Marks yard.  The birds would carry on squacking back and forth at each other. If you listen to them you can just imagine the conversation they are having.  Mark has bird books and has identified all the different birds that come around.  Beto feeds the quail and mourning doves every day to fatten them up so he can eat them!  Ha! NO!  They are really fun to watch.  There was an oreale (spell?)  that would do back flips on the wire.  There was a gutsy little bird  Mark had named broke beak that would come right in his kitchen and hop around looking for something to eat.  

Theres a big iguana that lives in the hollow tree that gives them fits cause it eats their plants but I think they like to have something to cuss at.  

Theres some really cute bunnies that live in his yard too.  I guess they are jack rabbits...their ears are bigger than their whole body.

Anyway, I can see why Mark loves it there.  If you just slow down and sit and listen and see all the life and beauty going on around you, it's pretty amazing.  I could get used to that life pretty quick.  

Robin told us that it was fine to go down to Los Palmas and swim in their pool so one afternoon Robin and Kevin said they were going down there so we decided to join them.  It's  a beautiful resort and the pool was wonderful.

Kelley can't ever sit still so he kept busy cleaning and mopping Marks floor.  Turns out it's a job you can do every day cause the wind just blows the dirt right back in.  But it looks good for a while anyway.

This was the funniest thing...We went to El Pirate one night for dinner and there was a cute little kitty going around to the tables mooching food.  I think she would have been right on KC's lap if he would have let her.  The owner had her little 10 year old daughter waiting on the tables and she was just as cute as could be. In between her duties she would go sit under the counter and play with her Barbies.  I think she got more tips than the owners did.