Globos

Globo is espanol for balloon. We spent Saturday afternoon with our good friend Sharon watching the globos from her patio,  overlooking Ajijic while sipping really good Margaritas. This is the beginning of the week long festivities leading up to Mexican Independence Day, September 16th, which is this Friday.

The balloons are launched from the bull ring (excellent use of the facility, IMHO) right off of the carretera (main road). The balloons are made of tissue paper draped around some kind of light weight support, maybe chicken wire. They can be any shape or size. A 'Christmas Star" shaped one looked really cool.  Some are small and some are really large requiring step ladders in order to set them up. The balloons are unmanned, or unwomaned if you prefer. A small can or bucket, depending on the size of the balloon, is fastened to the bottom of the balloon. A coil of cotton roping is placed in the can and soaked in kerosene, and lit. The hot air causes the balloons to rise of course. They lift off and most rise quite high and drift with the wind, westward toward Jocotepec. Sometimes the balloons are ungainly, top heavy and or battered about by the winds. The flame in the can then usually sets the balloon on fire! It usually burns up completely and is gone long before anything falls to earth, except the small can. Sometimes, Sharon says, a balloon has caught fire early in flight and has landed in someone's yard or on a roof before completely consuming itself. It drives the expats crazy when that happens, the Mexicans take it in stride. All roofs in the Lakeside are either mission tile or concrete, and no house has ever caught fire. Can't imagine this event taking place NOB (north of the border). We went for pizza after the balloons launches finished in the early evening.

Sandy, Sharon's sister is still in the hospital slowly recovering from her intestinal cancer surgery. Monday will be two weeks since Sandy was admitted. There have been some complications. I'm sure that this was a joyful diversion for Sharon and we are pleased that Sharon invited us over to her beautiful home for this event. The "sisters" are our closet friends here. Sandy told us to enjoy ourselves, and for Sharon to return to the hospital on Sunday to help her with her walking. Sandy has an IV in each arm and two IV trees to wheel around. It's easier and safer for Sharon to help with guiding an IV tree.

Sandy is not out of the woods yet. I won't go into the uglier things that have happened, but her intestinal tract still seems to be in shock and hasn't wanted to start up. It is doing so reluctantly. The surgery has held up and is not leaking, however, there is some concern that maybe some of her small intestine may have died and may have to be removed surgically......we should know in the next day or two.....

We think about Sandy every day. She could really use a break about now. If you have a moment or two, send some good thoughts her way. Those of you who pray, say a prayer or two for her. It all helps, I believe, in my human secular sort of way.

Buenas Noches