Sparky’s first book signing & Maxie flys to Arizona

Sparky's first book signing.   

Sparky was the cutest, and definitely the shortest celebrity at a recent Make a Difference fundraiser in support of the Ron Brown Scholarship Fund. 

On Tuesday this week a generous group of people gathered at Curtis and Ashley Blogins’ beautiful Villa la Bella B&B to raise money for the charity. Since its inception in 2010 the scholarship fund has helped seventeen island students to achieve degrees as veterinaries, dentists, graphic artists, engineers and many move occupations.

Richard Lock introducing some of the graduates of RBSF

This year Sparky and I received an invitation to participate with a book signing and a draw for the lucky person who will be ‘Killed Off’ in my Isla Mujeres Mystery Book #4. 

The lucky winner was Patti Packard. She will get a choice of being either a good person or a bad character in my next novel, due out late in 2018. (Book #3 Tormenta Isla is just a couple of weeks away from being published!)

Diego, Thomas and Lynda 

I was delighted to add a healthy donation to the fund on behalf of both myself and my friend Diego Medina. Diego is the talented illustrator of our bilingual book for children – The Adventures of Thomas the Cat / Las Aventuras de Tomas el Gato. We have been setting aside a portion of our book sales for the scholarship fund, and this was the perfect event to present the donation. According to Gwen Brown the fundraiser brought in a little over $8800.00 Canadian. All of the funds will be used for assisting students, nothing is spent on administrative costs.

Thank you everyone who made the event so successful. You can find out more about the Ron Brown Scholarship Fund at http://ronbrownscholarshipfund.org/ Please be sure you click on this link for information about the Isla Mujeres Mexico scholarship program as it is easily confused with the similar sounding name that supports students in Africa.

~

The day after the fundraiser our other little pooch Max and I went on an odyssey to his new home in Arizona. As I mentioned in a previous blog, Lawrie has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease – PSP, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. The left side of his body doesn’t get the messages from his brain as quickly as the right side does. PSP creates serious stability and mobility issues for him.

Max waiting for boat ride to Cancun

Having two energetic dogs underfoot is too risky for Lawrie, and as much as we loved the fuzzy little guy Max had to find a new home. Fortunately for us our friend Janet Cummins sent our blog post to her friend Dianne in Arizona. Dianne Stocks who has had other rescue dogs, including her current beautiful girl Willow, agreed to adopt Max.

Wednesday was a tough day for Max and I. He left his island in paradise for the first time ever. Even though I have been giving him an anti-anxiety medication for a few days in preparation for the trip, riding on the Ultramar passenger ferry frightened him. But, by the time we got him loaded into the CARM van and headed to the airport he had stopped trembling and seemed interested in his new adventure. A special thanks to Denise and Mike Burton who helped me get from the boat to the CARM van on the Puerto Juarez side of the trip. Mike, you looked so handsome carrying my purse!

Max - keeping an eye on our wheelchair

At the airport the porters and wheelchair assistants were a huge help to us, bustling us to the head of the immigration line, the check-in line, then outside for a doggy pee break before he had to be surrendered to the baggage handlers. I had to use the wheelchair service because of course two days before I was due to make the trip my sciatica decided to act up, making walking or standing extremely painful. (Perfect timing!)

The American Airlines folks were delightfully kind and accommodating with Max and me. By the time we reached Phoenix he had adjusted to his international traveler status, and was doing just fine when I reclaimed him. My assistance wheeled us both out to meet Dianne and her friends, Laurie and Chris, who had come to pick him up. It was a very emotional meeting for me because I knew my time with Maxie was coming to an end, and Dianne because she was just beginning a new adventure with him. After tearful hugs and goodbyes I slipped away leaving Dianne to get to know her new guy better.  

Dianne and I at Phoenix airport

My return flight via American Airlines was just as easy and trouble free, only this time I was checking an empty dog travel case. That really confused everyone – porters and customs officers alike – wondering if I had an invisible dog. I had the same crew on the flight back to Cancun, and would like to mention Teri who took the time to make my return flight very pleasant and comfortable.

Back on Isla at the Ultramar ferry dock I was faced with a not too long, but still painful walk from the boat to the car park. I turned to one of the baggage handlers that I recognized and asked, “Would you give me and this empty dog cage a lift to the parking lot?”

He laughed and said, “Sure, hop on!”

I finished my two day odyssey riding on a diablito, Isla-style.

Willow and Maxie - worn out by excitement

I’m very happy to be back to Lawrie and Sparky. Thank you so very much to all of our friends and family who looked after my guys while Max and I were traveling. It’s the caring people around us that makes our lives so rich.

Our best wishes to Dianne, Willow and Maxie. We hope life is good to you as well.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

~

Book #3 Isla Mujeres Mystery

Tormenta Isla 

Soon!

Hectic time in paradise!

Sunrise from our upper deck - March 3rd

It's been a hectic week but Wednesday was probably the craziest day. Our house was busy with friends coming and going from early morning to late afternoon.

Eileen Regn, H.A.L.O (Helping Animals Living Overseas) stopped in to help with the paperwork for our second dog Max to travel to his new home in Phoenix. Maxie and I travel next Wednesday. It's a bittersweet goodbye to the little guy. He's a sweet boy, but two dogs are too much for Lawrie to have underfoot with his medical condition, PSP, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. 

Ismael Yam installing our new doors in bedroom/bathroom

Our friend, Neil Fox dropped by in the morning to try and sort out my Facebook account. A nasty virus came through on "Messenger" from one of those - please pass this important information along to all of your friends - group messages, that I never open nor do I pass along, yet my account still got the virus. 

Neil and I are still hopeful we can resuscitate my account with his top 10-hit list of how to kill a virus. In the meantime I can neither answer anything on messenger, nor comment on anyone posts. Please my email address instead: lock.lynda@gmail.com

Beautiful new barn-door for our bathroom

As Neil was working on curing my computer, Gerry Haas and Patty Magrini arrived with a batch of her home made pirogis - she thought we were looking skinny. Yummy treat!  

Thanks Patty! And thank you too Gerry for being her chauffeur.

Richard and Linda Grierson, Lawrie's sister and brother-in-law, popped over to see how things were progressing. 

Then a wonderful surprise in the form of Lyn McGrath appeared at our front gate. She was walking from Centro to her home in South Point and just thought she would stop in for a chat. What a delightful gift to spend some time with her. 

While our various friends were arriving, chatting, helping out, fattening us up and then leaving, two ladies were valiantly trying to clean up the construction dust and grit. The changes and renovations to our lower floor are 99% complete and we are mostly moved in and organized. 

It's odd, we have lived in this house for almost ten years, but now it feels like a whole new location. We have to re-think where to put things. Do we really need to keep that? When was the last time we used a particular item, a piece of clothing, or an odd-ball serving dish? Many, many things have found new homes this week.

Sparky and Max, insecure and hiding under computer desk

Our two dogs are apprehensive about the changes. Why are you moving my bed? What did you do with my toys? 

Max has a new fur-ever home in Phoenix, and I am taking him there next week. He doesn't know of course, but his new roommate is a beautiful young lady by the name of Willow. She has to be one of the prettiest dogs I have ever seen. We are hoping it is love at first sight.

And finally, just as we waved a thankful goodbye to the cleaning ladies for leaving us with a fresh, dust-free home again our good friend and contractor Patricio Yam, and his son Sergio showed up with the new air conditioner for our bedroom.   

Waiting for Max to arrive.

The house had been clean for at least five minutes, and now the chip, chip, chip starts again!  

For those of you that are not familiar with the construction of houses in Mexico almost everything is made from concrete. 

Any changes involve a lot of chipping, noise and dust. We all had a good laugh over a glass of wine about their timing.

That's what we love about living here, the caring and helpful family, friends and neighbours. 

Cheers Lynda & Lawrie

Lawrie - trying out our new bistro bar stools in the kitchen

~

Make a Difference – Tuesday March 13^th

An evening of support of the Ron Brown Scholarship Fund.

Come join Sparky and Lynda Lock

5 – 7 p.m. at Villa la Bella B&B

$25 USD per person

- Book signing by Lynda Lock, author of the Isla Mujeres-based mystery series. Enter Lynda's contest to be the next character to die in her new novel.
- Music by Jeff Current
- Cash bar; one free margarita or beer courtesy of Villa la Bella.
- Appetizers 
- Meet some of the RBSF graduates

The Ron Brown Scholarship Fund has been set up to honor Ron’s memory and his commitment to the island of Isla Mujeres and its people. On his behalf, our goal is to provide financial assistance to promising, dedicated students in order to further their education and enable them to improve their lifestyle. We feel this opportunity will not only benefit the students, but also their families and in turn, the whole community. To date, the fund has helped 17 young Islenos fulfill their dream of higher education.

How to get tickets:
In Advance
http://ronbrownscholarshipfund.org/donatenow/

RSVP Here: https://makeadifference.rsvpify.com/ (Cash collected at door)

Contact Gwen Brown at gwen@ronbrownscholarshipfund.org

Can't make it but still want to help: 
http://ronbrownscholarshipfund.org/donatenow/ 

Coming Soon Book #3 Tormenta Isla

Sometimes life throws you a curve-ball

Max - September 2017

About nine months ago we adopted an adorable black and white part-terrier part-whatever dog, because he looked like a cousin to our almost-famous Sparky, plus the new guy desperately needed a home.

He was known in his neighbourhood as Max, although I think he should be called Hoover because the dog enjoys his food. He had been living rough for five years, sleeping in the street until someone accidentally ran over him in January of 2017.

Max - Janaury 2017

Dr. Delfino Guevara and his dedicated crew at Clinica Veterinaria de Isla Mujeres patched him up, and Eileen Regn of H.A.L.O. (Helping Animals Living Overseas) found him a caring, but temporary foster home on the island with fellow Canadian Sylvie Staines. Then when Sylvie returned to Canada in May, Eileen began actively looking for a new fur-ever home for Max. We said sure, we’ll take him.

He’s a very affectionate little guy. He worships Lawrie as the first man who ever treated him kindly, and Lawrie loves him.

Lawrie and the boys! Sparky and Max

But in January of this year my sweetie, Lawrie, was diagnosed with a debilitating disease – PSP, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. The left side of his body doesn’t get the messages from his brain as quickly as the right side does. PSP creates serious stability and mobility issues for him.

Max likes to run and greet Lawrie with his paws on his knees, or to spin in happy circles. It’s just too risky for Lawrie having so much activity while he is trying to move around in the house. 

From existing on the street for five years to living inside a house Max has progressed well in nine months that he has been with us. The funny thing about street dogs is that besides not knowing how to behave inside a house they don’t know how to play. We have taught Maxie to play fetch with a tennis ball, and he enjoys it. He swims in the oceans, runs up and down the beach and fetches anything he can including discarded plastic bottles and other bits of ocean junk.

Max - learning to swim

He is housebroken, which he wasn’t, but he will have to adjust to your schedule. We are early risers and the boys zip out for a quick pee before we have our morning coffee, then we do a longer walk before breakfast, later a short afternoon respite for them and writing break for me, and finally a quick pee before bed. Once he settles into the new routine you will find that he is quite capable of ‘holding it’ for quite a few hours. He just needs to know what to expect from his new family. If you have a fenced yard, well, that would be doggy heaven for him!

Sparky and Max in our carito de golf

Maxie is still a little timid with new people until he gets to know them better. Having said that, we have recently had eight men working in our casa on Isla Mujeres for two week, creating a main floor bedroom and bathroom for us to accommodate Lawrie’s reduced mobility. Max has been totally calm and accepting of the guys coming and going all during the day.

The first time I tried to put a harness on Max he was very nervous, but now he knows that it means he is going out for a walk or a ride and he is happy to cooperate. He walks very well with a leash and harness, better than Sparky who likes to pull me where he thinks we should go. The biggest difference that we notice between the two male dogs is Sparky will add his ‘mark’ at least thirty or forty times on a pee-walk, while Max usually has a huge pee and just gets it done! The look of pure relief on his face is comical.

 

Max on left - Sparky on right. 

Max had to figure out how to climb or descend stairs, which were a big mystery to him. Learning to get into a golf carts or a car was another new experience, and going for a ride has become one of his favourite activities. He will play fetch for hours with a tennis ball. I say “Ready?” Then toss the ball and he will bring it back. “Drop the ball.” I pat him, and he’ll do it again, and again. When he’s had enough running he will keep the ball and carry it back to the golf cart.

 

Sparky and Max not sure about the renovations to their house

He enjoys his big comfy bed and his toys, which would go with him. He still carries his very first toy that Sylvie gave him a year ago. The blue and grey elephant is dog-eared and dirty, repeated washings are unable to remove his loving slobber. It’s his favourite. I have to check his mouth before we go out for a walk otherwise the elephant might be dropped and forgotten when an interesting bird or crab claims his attention.

Lawrie with Max greeting him at ferry

As for kitties, we had a black feral cat E.B, who tried to move in about the same time that we adopted Max, but she decided that the rules were not to her liking and moved on. In the meantime she frequently clawed Maxie in his delicate the nose as she was passing by, so he has a healthy respect for cats, especially black cats. He hasn’t been a barker, but he likes to play-growl when excited. 

He needs someone who is kind and patient, and he will return your love a hundred-fold. Giving him up is a heart wrenching, but unavoidable decision for us.

Max is one of the characters in my next novel, Book #3 Tormenta Isla, as a dog rescued after the hurricane that hits the island. So, he'll be a semi-famous pooch that someone can brag about to their friends. ​I will include a couple of complimentary paperback copies of 'his' novel for his new family.

Max gets a cameo appearance in #3

We have asked our friends at Isla Animals and H.A.L.O. to help us find him a new home as soon as possible, as Lawrie’s condition is changing daily. Both of the animal rescue societies have the experience to get him to you, with the proper health certificates, anywhere in Canada or the USA. He has to be out of Mexico before the airline heat-embargo deadline in late April or early May. After that, pets aren’t allowed in the cargo hold until later in the fall.

We would really prefer it if Max could be re-homed off the island as we don’t want him trying to find his way back to our house, but that condition is very negotiable. 

We’ll do anything to find Max a happy place to love and be loved.

If you are looking for a devoted pet, who yearns to be your very best friend – let’s talk, as soon as possible.

Life tossed us a curve-ball, and we have to whack it back.

​

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

 ~

Are you missing your little piece of paradise?
Get your Isla 'fix' with the exciting Isla Mujeres Mystery series!

There's Trouble on Isla, Big Trouble!
  

Book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series

5.0 out of 5 stars

Fast and furious

By CA reviews on September 26, 2017

Yasmin and Jessica are back and the gold they found in Treasure Isla is still haunting them, especially when Carlos, their boss at the Loco Lobo, and Yasmin’s new lover, is kidnapped. No spoilers here, but his captivity and the girls’ efforts to free him, with the help of Carlos’s pals—including local Isla Mujeres fishermen and a Mexico City cop—are the crux of this fast-paced story. Lock has created not only a compelling and authentic setting, but a well-developed ensemble cast. The next Isla mystery can’t come fast enough.

Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD
or Paperback $11.99 USD

Paperback are also available on Isla Mujeres at the Jenny Penny Boutique, Art Fair on Thursday evenings, or from the author. 

E-books  available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords

 Treasure Isla - where it all began!

5.0 out of 5 stars

Captivating and authentic

By CA reviews on September 26, 2017

This was a truly fun in the sun kind of mystery, with an authenticity that was simply captivating. Set on the island called Isla Mujeres, not far from the better-known Mexican resort of Cancun, it follows the misadventures of two girlfriends, who on a drunken binge manage to wander onto the grounds of a cemetery and find a treasure map stuck in a crevice of an old pirate tomb. Jessica, from Canada, and local pal Yasmin both work at a tourist bar/restaurant called the Loco Lobo. Soon their boss Carlos and a handsome attorney named Luis are involved in the girls’ illegal hunt for pirate gold. Toss in a bad dude running from a string of crimes in Key West, and it’s the start of an addictive new mystery series.

Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD

or Paperback $11.99 USD

Paperback are also available on Isla Mujeres at the Jenny Penny Boutique, Art Fair on Thursday evenings, or from the author. 

E-books available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords

Just another day in paradise!

Just another day in paradise.    

Sparky and Max, our two island rescue-mutts and I wander down the sidewalk in the semi-darkness. 

It’s the early morning pee-walk-for-pets, the one that happens before I get to enjoy my first cup of coffee. 

I prefer to stumble along the seashore in the morning with the dogs off their leashes, but at this time of year, the beach is a minefield of mama sea turtles digging nesting holes. Some of the holes are four-feet deep, and sometimes the mama turtles are still in the holes.

Sparky and I are restless sleepers. 

Max and Sparky - checking out the turtle smells

He noses me awake well before dawn. Lawrie and Max, on the other hand, could sleep through a category five hurricane and an 8.9 earthquake. 

It takes both of us, Sparky and me, to wake up Max and convince him he has to go for a pee. 

He’s not a happy camper.

Lawrie's photo early in morning

The next fifteen to twenty minutes are a comedy routine of Sparky pulling me, and me dragging Max.
“Come on, Max. Walk a little faster please.” I exhort, followed by “Sparky, slow down. Wait for Max.”

Sparky flips me one of those looks, “Really. Slow down? He’s nearly motionless.”

“Well, Max is just not a morning guy like you, Sparky,” I tell him.  We continue our pull-drag pace a block south and turn to make our way back. Finally, Max is awake enough to pee.

Mama turtle - digging, digging, digging.

As we near our house I can see Lawrie standing in the street, waving frantically at me. “Hurry up!” He shouts quietly, trying not to wake up our neighbours.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” I am about to pick up Max’s hefty twenty-eight-pound body and run home.

“No, no problem. Unless you think a turtle digging in our yard is a problem.” He says with a happy grin.

Sparky watching from our upper deck.

“Come on boys, let’s go!” And surprisingly Max breaks into a run. Maybe he thinks I said let’s eat. The dog likes his food.

We barrel inside the house, scrambling to remove dog leashes and harnesses, but keeping the dogs locked inside. 

We discovered a few weeks ago that mama turtles don’t like being sniffed by inquisitive canines. 

The boys will have to watch with us from the upper ocean-side deck.

This photo has been shared and reshared on web.

And there she is, digging up the back yard. 

During the night she has wandered from side to side, front to back testing the ground before she finally located the deep sand at the bottom of the yard.

Lawrie had, uncharacteristically, woken up when I left with the two dogs and wandered out onto the upper patio to check our neighbours’ beach. 

A few seconds later - same turtle.

There is usually one or more fresh holes every morning. 

Instead, he spotted the mama tossing sand in our yard. He grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos without a flash, but it was still too dark to really see her. 

By the time the dogs and I had returned home the light was perfect for photos. We watched while she dug yet another hole, then moved along and dug another and another.

"What do you want in your coffee, mama?" Ken Jost photo

Familiar guests, Norma and Ken Jost, were staying next-door at MarVillaCaribe. They are also early risers and noticed the commotion in our yard. Ken took some amazing photos as well as videos. 

Eventually, the mama turtle lumbered down the path towards Casa Luna, and then turned right and headed towards the water.

And away she goes around 7:30 a.m.

We don’t know if she laid eggs, but we are watching and counting down the sixty days of incubation. 

Fingers-crossed everything goes well if there are eggs.

So, yeah, just another boring day in paradise. What did you do this morning?

Cheers

Lynda & Lawrie

Lawrie tidying up the beach.

~
Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Available as e-books on Amazon, Kobo, Nook, or iTunes.
Paperback copies available at Amazon, or on Isla Mujeres at Jenny Penny Beach Boutique and Casa Sirena Hotel.