Sally goes postal today, 10-4.  Tomorrow is travel-to-town-day, re-filling the larder and getting parts-for-projects.  We go every two weeks now.  Trying for three.  Hoping for eight.  Town is so hectic, know what I mean?  ‘Course, the longer the times between visits the more hectic it is so it is a vicious circle this ‘going to town’ thing.    

Wednesday is yoga, market day and a giant social engagement later at a neighbours.  Last night we had guests for Happy hour.  The beat goes on.

One of Trev and Judy’s comments before leaving yesterday was, “It was lovely visiting you guys but, perhaps, a bit too isolated for us.” I laughed.  We feel about as isolated as a downtown Starbuck’s barrista.

To be fair, it is hard to get a sense of the overall ‘social activity’ simply visiting for a day or two.  And there are no buildings to see, buses going by or sirens in the background.  I remember that initial  feeling of isolation.  I felt that years ago when we first landed on the beach surrounded by rocks.  And more beach.  But company comes.  And, after awhile, you realize that you have company in one form or another a great deal of the time.  We do have space.  We also have a degree of remoteness/distance (but that is diminishing somehow).  But isolation is a myth. We have more guests, visitors and social engagements now than when we lived in Tsawwassen.

I also read a great deal and I check up on the news.  But most of it is all lies, I am sure.  So, you may wish to disregard the pathetically ignorant opinion that follows as the rantings of a loon, the opinion of an outlander, the musings of a madman.  I may be all of those things (it has been said).  But I see the economy as one that is again headed for yet another tumble.  The state of the US economy has and will continue to hurt us as they have hurt everyone else and it seems unlikely that we in Canada will somehow replace our largest trading partner with the EEU or China in time to avoid the continuing repercussions.  Globalization isn’t working so well, it seems, and I think we are going into a protracted period of stagflation if not deflation.  If Ciudad Juarez (CJ) is any kind of harbinger, we may face much worse than that.   

I say this only to share my thoughts, not to make argument or give advice.  With few exceptions, I am usually wrong about most things.  I don’t know squat.

The strange thing from my perspective is the economic activity up here!  Houses are being built.  This is a community of 60 people and the few who actually work in construction, are busy.  Real busy.  We probably have at least five ‘house projects’ being built and, in a group of 60 mostly retirees, that is a lot.  Adding to that are the local resorts and outfitters.  They were fully booked this year, too.  Even though the sports fishermen are an endangered species (gas prices), the water taxis have been going and the Senora Lodge helicopters have been buzzing.  This has been a medium-to-good tourist year.  I have no idea what that means.

One of our friends runs a kayaking adventure tour from the comfort of a beautiful 60 foot, old style cruiser which is used as a Mother-ship and relocates the kayaks to different settings during the ten-day adventure.  They don’t market much.  Don’t have to.  100% booked.  And every day we see gaggles of kayakers from other outfitters.  I can’t say it is a hive of activity but there are mores signs of life out here than you’d expect.  This year there was even more pleasure boat traffic than the last few (much higher percentage of sail boats, tho).  So, I don’t know.

The appeal of here and the fear of there has curbed my desire for travel somewhat.  I used to consider Mexico safe.  I don’t anymore.  Last year 3000 people were murdered in Juarez and that was more than Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia.  And CJ is just one of several ‘murder centros’ in Mexico.  Maybe the increase in summer traffic and activity here is a result of more people staying home.  Again…………I don’t know.  Just something to think about.

Which brings me to the last paragraph.  Thinking.  One of the delights of living up here is that I have time to think.  The results of that may not ever be apparent but it is definitely a delight for me.  I never realized before how I had to ‘think on my feet’ so much.  I would react rather than plan and pro-act.  But here, I can close my eyes, lie in bed an extra half hour and just quietly run through the thoughts that come up.  Mostly these are project plans or project dreams that occupy my time but sometimes it is planning getaways, vacations, things China……….that sort of thing.  Just as much time as I want to think things through.  I had no idea what a luxury that was.  It is truly a gift.

Now I ask you………who would have thought having ‘thinking time’ would be such a treat?