Yep, I'm looking at you! Have you read about me yet?

Yep, I'm looking at you!

I'm Sparky, and I'm one of the main characters in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series. In my opinion, I am the main character. That will be a future negotiating point with my author. Does anyone know a good contract lawyer?

I digress. 

I am a handsome pure-bred Mexican low-rider, beach dog, and I have an extraordinary sense of smell that helps me solve mysteries.

I have curly white and grey terrier fur, with long, dark, Spaniel-type ears, and expressive brown eyes. (That's what my author says.) Pretty cool, right?

My author and me, "Gotta Day"

I am also fiercely protective of my humans - real and imaginary - which occasionally gets me into trouble in the novels. I haven't actually bitten anyone, but I would to protect my family. I might be short, but I am fierce. 

When I was about a year and a half old, my first owner left me to fend for myself. I was afraid of humans, covered in fleas and ticks, and hungry. 

A very nice lady named Yumiko and her friend Andy convinced me I was safe taking food and water from them. They also untangled the knots in my fur, gave me a haircut, and pulled off a whole lot of those painful, nasty ticks.

Unfortunately, they didn't live here in Mexico; they were only here for a short time, so they played a trick on their friends.

Thomas' books arriving at our casa

While their friends were on holiday from their home here in paradise, Andy babysat their two cats, Thomas and Chica. But by the time the friends came back to their house, they had the two cats and me! 

I thought it was a great trick. I had a nice home to live in - and the people gained an amazingly brilliant dog!

Even though Thomas was the big star in those days, he was nice to me, the new kid. He has his own bilingual book for children, The Adventures of Thomas the Cat. Chica is also in the book. 

I wasn't part of their family yet, so I am not in that book, but I am the star in all of the Isla Mujeres Mysteries. 

Boo, doing what cats do best, sleeping!

Thomas and Chica are both gone now to pet heaven, and I have a new roommate, a black female cat named Boo. Nope, we didn't name her. Someone else in the neighbourhood did. She adopted us and comes and goes as she pleases. She isn't as friendly as Thomas or Chica, but she is learning.

In the sunlight, her fur has dark red and orange tones, so she isn't a pure black cat. She also tried to come with us this morning on a golf cart ride. Silly cat. Golf carts are for dogs, not cats.

I'm keeping my eye on you!

Gotta go help my human make lunch. I'll chat again another day. 

Cheers, Sparky 
(The Sparkinator!)

Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance.

Isla Mujeres Mystery series

Grab your copy today! 

Available in online book stores.

Accurate weather forecasting, island-style

Good morning - what's the weather today?
 

Our weather forecast for the next ten days is a chance of a thunderstorm, with temperatures ranging from 31°Celsius to 36°Celsius.  That’s hot! 

And maybe it will be true, and maybe it won’t.

We’ll let you know at the end of the ten days.

Photo from internet, summer snow storm BC

Being Canadians, we are obsessed with the weather. In Canada, the conditions can vary tremendously in one day from hot and sunny to downright cold with snow and ice, but hopefully not in June, July, August, September, or October. Although driving through the high-mountain passes of British Columbia in August, we have experienced snow. Not our idea of a fun summertime road trip!

Getting wet - but sunny in 15 minutes

On Isla, we compulsively check two different internet weather sites. I like Intellicast, and Lawrie prefers Weather Underground. Other island friends use Windguru, Accuweather, plus a relatively new one called WeatherSpark. From May to October, we also check NOAA, the American-based National Weather Service, for potential tropical storms.

The strange thing is, the forecasts are only about 50% accurate, even with satellite images and computer modeling. The forecast might be for a chance of thundershowers with the possibility of 117mm of rain (4.5 inches), but we’ll have a hot sunny day with absolutely no rain.

From Isla towards the storm over Cancun

If we look toward Cancun, a few miles to the west, they likely will be experiencing the forecasted rain. 

Now that’s a very odd thing because there are no mountains in the state of Quintana Roo. It is a relatively flat piece of land with the highest point in the entire state located in the southwestern region, and rising a grand total of 230 meters above sea level, or 750 feet. 

There is nothing very tall in the entire state to ‘snag’ the clouds to hold them over the city, yet Cancun seems to get more rain than Isla.

Showers are headed our way

Over time, Lawrie and I have become amateur weather forecasters. We look toward the ocean; if the clouds are dark and the horizon is hazy, we have ten minutes to shut the windows and pull in outdoor cushions. 

Then twenty minutes later, we open the windows and put out the cushions. It’s a tough life!  

When making your vacation plans, don’t be put off by the forecast of grumpy weather. It may or may not be accurate.

Sign near the naval base.

There was, for a short time, a humorous sign, complete with a large stone suspended from a rope, posted near the Isla Mujeres Quinta Region Naval base. 

It summed up weather forecasting on Isla Mujeres. 

The stone is wet: it’s raining.  

The stone is dry: it’s not raining.  

The stone is swinging: it’s windy. 

The stone is still: it’s not windy. 

There is no stone: it’s blowing a hurricane. 

There are two stones: you’re drunk.

The moral of the story: you’ll know what the weather is going to be when it happens.

Hasta Luego from paradise, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Max

Isla Mujeres Mystery series