coral seas

We set sail—or rather, Miguel started the motor—in the morning. After passing a couple whales, we reached the Marietta Islands, place of blue-footed boobies (or patas azules), deserted beaches, bright fish and vicious coral. There we dropped anchor and threw ourselvs overboard. Antonia snapped this pic before I got the cuts in my foot.

vacation from vacation

So the Motelier told me tto visit the Hotelier, a friend from parts north.
And we did. More anon.

where r u

Where is everybody? I'm back in semicivilization.

senores at work

The senores start pretty temprana in the manana, long before we are planing to be awake. But given that this view of them and the girders they're assembling with welding torches and hammers is right out the window of the kitchen, where I'm sleeping, they have become like members of la familia. They seem to believe me to be the cub's madre rather than that of the wolf child. And they deplore the fact that I sit around reading while my daughter-in-law scrubs the wash in the pila.

white people swimming

another scene altogether

Yep. Uh huh. Si senorita. Yo soy en Mexico con mi hija. Wolfen and the Cub were having a fine time opening all the credit card offers that had come across my transom in the past few months, sticking the stickers all over their heads and legs, filling out mail-in forms and planning for life back when they're ex-ex-patriots.

okey dokes

All is Okay at the OK Corral—and this really is the OK Corral even if you can't read it—and all is really Okay at my own personal corral. Checked into the Coastal Resources Management Council website today and found out that MY PERMIT HAS BEEN APPROVED! Yes, the very same permit I began applying for for in October of 2004.
The only permit I need now will presumably come from the buildings offical. Who I believe will be forced to issue it to me against his better judgement. Well, maybe not. But when he finds me in his office day after day he may well relent.
Anyhoo.
OK!

these old trees

The old dudes, the Rat Pack types who used to live here, were deeply into symmetry.
It's awfully hard to imagine what my weather links tell me is happening in New York and the Island. Called BI Bro to see if they were still standing. He said, while they lost power for a while, it was back on before major harm was done. I guess the house plants I put outside on the windowsill in New York are dead. Apparently, given the tiniest crack, snow is filling the living rooms of the D line.

house tour

We walked around the neighborhood and looked at the houses. Elvis owned the one at bottom, and apparently honeymooned there. Right around the corner is Marilyn Monroe's former cottage, with it's overly lavish plantings. And closer still is one of Liberachi's several houses in the area. It's for sale. Statuary included. The top house, a new one but more in the classic mid-century modern style, is said to have been purchased by Madonna. Yes, there are Living Stars here too, although many of them, like Lily Tomlin, are getting on.

mid mod

This is what alternative energy looks like in Palm Springs. The wind farm is one of the first things you see as you drive across the hills from L.A. Row upon row of collossus—colossi?. But you would think that there would be acres of solar panels as well where the skies are not cloudy all day and the roofs are flat as is so appropriate for mid-century modern desert architecture. Mid century modern, by the way, means 1950s brightly colored molded plastic (like those ahem pink chairs in my living room so much disparaged by some of the fans), a lot of futuristic parabolas and long, low, glass- curtained buildings. More pix anon.

grandpuppy

It's important to wear white when painting masterpieces. The grandbaby learned this from Nana J, who learned much of HER sartorial wisdom from Milena Says. Nice that it's being passed up and down the generations like silver patterns.

sorry, moxie

I already have a boyfriend. His name is Louis L'Amour. Kind of says it all, doesn't it?

lola has a bath

Safe and sound—well, pretty sound—at Ruby Zee Montana's fabulous CORAL SANDS INN in Palm Springs, Calif. Nobody here but me and the dogs and Her Fabulousness in person. One of the dogs is very clean, if not that happy about it.

the new sweater

OK, cats and kittens, you won't be hearing from me for a day or so, and thus I render unto you Another Doggie Picture, hoping it will keep you happy until I'm back witcha from Ruby Montana's Coral Sands Inn where there's always doggie action. Yes, pet lovers, from here on out it's all chihuahuas all the time. And—oh yeah—they have some bitchin' outfits too.

woman of mystery

NEWARK An unidenitified woman in the Ironbound area refused to allow me to park my truck in her 5000 square foot loft. However, swirling her cape like a matador, she seduced me down the street and into a row house where a Portugese woman in pyjamas, for a hundred dollars cash money, directed me to a parking space I could call my own for the next month. The driver of the car in the next stall will not be amused when he or she tries to get out without clipping our fenders. I woke up the next morning and for a second, I didn't know where the truck was before remembering—ah, yes—steelbound.

aloha, amigo

Received the picture and the following message from Antonia this morning:

"Well, I guess Moxie has overheard us talking about going to Mexico, and he has his own ideas about it. He came down this morning dressed like this. . .
I guess he heard Sayulita was a surfing town—maybe slightly confused w/ the whole Hawaii/Mexico logistics."

knife and gun club

So in answer to J's question, right outside of the peace zone, there is a little war zone, with the Afgani rug, the Nachtway photograph of the Sudan and the detention bench. If you can make it through these obstacles, you can bathe in serenity and light.
Or you could, before men with power tools started carving up the other side of the wall.
To add to the cacophany, the knife-sharpening man came by the other day with his dingadingadinga. I gathered up all the knives that somebody has been too busy taking care of puppies to sharpen and ran downstairs in the rain, climbing into the 1951 refitted Chevy van with all the knives and sissors I could immediately lay hands on. Wish I woulda had my lawnmower blade.
Anyway, in this place we can really protect ourselves now."
PS J, note the height of the narcissus in window.
PPS Thank all of you for clicking on so many ads in January. We made $42.59! I won't be doing another fundraiser for a while, so rest easy.

un-design

In honor of the Year of the Dog, I re-fengshui-ed the NY digs. Despite the use of the year's auspicious colors and directions, however, I haven't had a good night's sleep since changing my bedroom around. I may have to un-fengshui it—maybe in October or so, when I return.
Yes, I know. Not the greatest advert for my new career. Want me to do your house?