I did it! In all honesty I don't even know how. Sitting on the front porch on the evening of June 9, 2021 all I felt was a stunned realization that somehow, surely with a lot of grace, I managed to design and build a home in under six months. Only now, after a few weeks of living there has it slowly dawned on me that it was a massive undertaking. Without a thousand details cluttering my head I've relaxed enough to realize that my exhaustion was well earned.

There are still many details to finish, I just put a deposit on the front driveway gate and the back door to the garden. The staircase to the loft, kitchen cabinets, putting in the wood stove chimney pipes and a privacy fence around my small backyard patio with a shower. Oh! I will say my first bathing experience was under the shower on a sunny day, I washed my hair and then laid down for a afternoon muse. Getting this all done I promise myself to relax for the rest of the rainy summer. I just re-read the last statement and thought ha! there is a whole garden to landscape and I do have plans.


Last night at sunset on a rainy evening, whose going to come visit?


Bed set up for my first night.


The living area still in disarray, everything is fairly ordered now.


The Dude looking out the window wondering where he is. His curiosity had him run out the front door after about 5 days, he seems to have adapted well and is home every night to sleep with me.

The other cats, Big Fred, Mimi and Friend all made the perilous journey in my Jeep. Mimi and Big Fred stayed under the sofa in the living room for ten days! They'd eat when I was upstairs at night. Big Fred climbed out the front window three days ago and only comes to eat when no one is around, I see little sign of him but know he's fine, he's always been an outdoor fellow. Friend, who is blind, is living in the cat cage and I am wondering how to give him a real life. The problem is that there are this a rivalry between my neighbor's dogs on both sides of the property. At the same time every evening about seven dogs meet coming from both entrances and bark at each other until I yell "PERROS" and then they all run off. I don't mind at all but don't think Friend will survive if there are dogs loose on the property ... so in two weeks the gates should be in and I can let him wander.

P.S. Hey Cristian, nice pic of me... that was a magical journey.

It's still raining here in Central Mexico, the energy has turned soft and quiet which is suiting my current mood. Quietude, observing the insanity from a distance. It won't stay that way for long for there are palpations of thunder in the air that are advising of something even more tyrannical in the works. We are dealing with entities that are long dead to life and they know nothing other than spreading more destruction, their food.

After talking about the felines I realized I had forgotten to mention Luci. My friend Marcy kept her and moved out to the country too so Luci has now achieved her single most desire, to be Queen Cat with no other gatos around to bother her. She's amazingly content watching horses graze and having so much to explore.


Waiting patiently at the screen door to go outside.


Luci realized in her own version of heaven on earth.

"Work in progress is such a forever phrase..."

We had so much rain this year, it started early and didn't end until well into October. Much needed but now that the sun is shining again I am pleased. It's been a very challenging few months for me, I'll delve into that later on another thread. Now I want to celebrate the cold crisp mornings and the near freezing nights, I need to get my wood stove installed soon but have been procrastinating.

We cleared the land of all the overgrown brush and now I can see enough to begin planning the landscaping, other than close to the house it will stay true to the terrain, magueys, organos (tall straight cactus), some local grasses and trees. I did add some pines and they have taken off like weeds.

The biggest single completion was getting my kitchen cabinetry, I now live in my kitchen and have started cooking again. I am finding something very sacred about the art of cooking. My diets changed and it's mostly salads and soups, all veggie except the occasional goat's cheese or yogurt. Eating healthy and taking care of me has finally become an imperative.

November has always been a month of life review and this one is no different. I honestly can say I rejoice in everything I've experienced, one of the great gifts I have given myself is my writing and the videos we made... I am being called to speak again, it's so weird listening to what I shared years ago, the message inside of me hasn't changed.


Morning drive into town.


Front gate that I designed, it really gives me pleasure every time I open and close it.


Kitchen with cabinets, I got some great hardware on now and am working on the stain color. Just need time to do the work.


The Dude looking out the window at sunset while Midnight, a rescue cat my friend Michael kept looking at the laptop screen.


Sunset view out the kitchen window as I cook my dinner.


Curry soup with every thing on the top! It was delicious.


After dark the Moon and Venus rise. Being in the country again is soul food.