Living on the beach not for the faint of heart!

Sparky - checking the weather situation

Yesterday, history was made. An out-of-season hurricane, Hurricane Alex, was named as the first storm of the 2016 hurricane season, which incidentally doesn’t officially start until June 1st.  

Historical! Who needs it? Or wants it? 

The good news is Alex is a long way out in the Atlantic, more of a problem to the American Eastern Seaboard than it is to our tropical paradise. 

Sparky, Perla, and Lawrie - M.Watt photo

The possibility of lots of snow and high winds is a big concern for anyone living on the eastern side of the USA and Canada. Living on a tropical island in Mexico, on the other hand, we have our challenges.

There is the ever-present sand sifting across the floors, sticking in hair, collecting in clothes, and beds. The two dogs, one cat, Lawrie, and I have sixteen paws or feet between us. We track sand into the house, car, and even the golf cart. The space under our computer desk is always gritty with sand, left behind by Sparky, who likes to nap at our feet while we write. (Yes, two dogs! We are fostering Perla until we find her a new home.) 

Stump the iguana, snacking

Critters like iguanas and hermit crabs surround us as soon as we appear on the beach; mooching for food. 

Okay, maybe we are to blame. We like to feed the critters.  

Then there are the beach dogs and feral cats who move in at any opportunity.  Yeah, they like food too, but want love and attention more.  

The more serious stuff is the salty ocean spray, called salitre in Mexico. It sneaks into everything, oozing into computer ports, appliance wiring, light fixtures, door and window lock mechanisms, and the sliding wheels on patio doors. 

That damn sand! 

Eventually, the salt spray causes the demise of all electronics.  It coats stationary objects, including, much to our surprise, our inside Christmas tree.  

When we took the tree down this year, the branches, lights, and decorations were wet with salt and condensed humidity.  

Everything had to be washed and dried before storing for the next Christmas season. 

Lawrie - suffers from Beach-Inertia Syndrome

However, one of the biggest challenges with living on the edge of the warm, salty sea is Beach-Inertia Syndrome, the desire to never live in cold climates again. In the advanced stages of this condition, you lose the desire to go back north to visit family and friends.  It’s just so much work to find real clothes and real shoes; besides, the shoes just won’t fit after wearing sandals for months. 

And the final challenge of living in paradise, the ever-present salitre will taint your wine unless you quickly drink it. Okay, maybe it won’t happen that fast, but it might!  So, you see, just packing up and moving to a tropical island should be thought out carefully, without alcohol involved, or you might find yourself a victim of the dreaded Beach-Inertia Syndrome. (BIS)

Happy sunny thoughts!

As for Alex, that grumpy weather system that is threatening the Atlantic Coast of America and Canada – maybe we can all think happy sunny thoughts, as our new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau likes to do, and make the hurricane go away.

Hasta Luego

Lawrie, Lynda, Sparky, Perla, & Thomas

Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

Or

Death in the Vineyards Mysteries

Beautiful illustration by Diego Medina, 

from our children's book written in both English and Spanish: 

The Adventures of Thomas and Sparky