San Lorenzo Zinacantán and Casa Na Bolom

Zinacantán is very close to Chamula geographically and the people are closely related linguistically. However, they have reacted very differently and we were told that the two groups do not mingle or intermarry. In Zinacantán, they have adopted a more or less orthodox Roman Catholicism. Outside the cities, all the indigenous grow staples, such as corn, beans etc. However, the groups have different specialties for cash crops. In Chumala, they grow vegetables, especially for San Christobal. In Zinacantán it's flowers. As you come down into the valley, you see dozens of plastic covered greenhouses. The flowers are taken, not only to San Christobal but also into the tourist cities and resorts in the Yucatan. While traditional weaving is carried out by women in all the indigenous groups, women in Zinacantán also embroider white cotton blouses around the neck and shoulders.

The biggest event in Zinacantán was our visit to Maria's house. This was an opportunity to get some insight into daily life of Maya families. The adobe house is a single room, about 15 feet wide and close to 30 long. There is a single door with no windows and no chimney even though they cook on an open wood fire with a flat iron surface. However, there is a gap of several inches between the top of the walls and the roof, which provides ventilation and exit of smoke. We were told that 11 people (3 generations) live in the house. There was only one bed; most of the family sleep on mats woven from reeds on the ground. In one corner is this family altar (see photo above). One of the features of the visit was to experience the basic diet. In the background behind the pink covered table you can see Maria’s daughter-in-law cooking on the wood fire.She is making tortillas in the (almost) traditional way. Corn is cooked and then mashed rather than using corn meal. Finely ground calcium carbonate (limestone the same as used in such preparations as Tums) is added in small amounts. This helps in digestion and in the absorption of nutrients from the corn. With small amounts of water, this is mixed into a paste. Our cook rolled some into a ball. Then, she placed it in a small hand press that smoothed it into a flat tortilla shape.

She is making tortillas in the (almost) traditional way. Corn is cooked and then mashed rather than using corn meal. Finely ground calcium carbonate (limestone the same as used in such preparations as Tums) is added in small amounts. This helps in digestion and in the absorption of nutrients from the corn. With small amounts of water, this is mixed into a paste. Our cook rolled some into a ball. Then, she placed it in a small hand press that smoothed it into a flat tortilla shape. Of course, traditionally, the women worked the dough between her hands, much like pizza makers in Italian restaurants. The tortilla was then placed on the iron plate over the fire and cooked. When cooked, we were given a tortilla; beans had also been cooked and we could spoon some onto the tortilla, roll it up and enjoy. These home made tortillas were thicker and had more texture than the machine made tortillas that we buy or are served in restaurants. I’m not sure if it was just an effect of it being early afternoon and we had had no lunch, but it was rather tasty. Of course, most Mexicans would normally spice it up with generous amounts of picante salsa.

The children are, I think, members of the family, but I’m not sure if all live here. The other photo shows some of the beautiful textiles that Maria had for sale. Near the top, you can see a few of the adobe blocks of the house. More and more, cement blocks are being used, but they are not really as good for temperature control as adobe.

Casa Na Bolom

After our return to San Christóbal in the afternoon. We went to Casa Na Bolom, House of the Jaguar rebuilt and expanded by Frans and Trudi Blom. It is a large, beautiful property that functions as museum, Maya research center, hotel, restaurant and tree nursery. (Google search of Casa Na Bolom has about 15 photos under Images.) There is a large garden behind. One of the statues in the garden is a funny tribute to Diego Rivera the famous Mexican artist who had stayed here as a guest. From the front it just looks like a statue of Rivera, but from behind you see Rivera with a bottle of booze and a prostitute on each arm, a tribute to his well earned reputation as a drinker and womanizer. The Bloms devoted their lives to the Maya and the Lacandón. Trudi had a decades long, close friendship with Chan K’in Viejo, the spiritual leader who lived to be almost 100 years old (see the post on the Lacandón).

San Juan Chamula

In Chamula, the people have developed a unique religious syncretism of Catholicism and earlier religion. At first glance, this looks like a Christian cross; in fact, it is a Mayan cross and is displayed frequently in Chiapus! The symbol in the shaft of the cross is for maiz (corn) which was the basis of mesomerican civilization. BTW, the Mayan cross (there are a great many versions) is now the basis for a religion and kind of astrology if you do a Google search. The fact that the Maya were already familiar with the cross as religious symbol undoubtedly helped the Maya descendants to accept aspects of Christianity. As usual the Spanish assigned a patron saint for each village and the monk missionaries built a church. The original church, whose walls still stand without a roof, burned and was replaced by the current church in the photo. The other photo shows detail of the decoration around the door.

The Spanish assigned John the Baptist as the patron saint of Chamula. When the people learned the biblical story that John had baptized Jesus, they decided that he was more important than Jesus. The main painting at the front of the church is John, while Jesus has his icon relegated to a corner at the entrance; he is respected but not regarded as preeminent. All mesoamerican religions were polytheistic and the people here (as is common among most of the indigenous people of Mexico) have pragmatically adopted the pantheon of Catholic saints; both sides of the sanctuary are lined with images of about 40 saints, each with his/her own specialty. Thus far, this adoption of the catholic saints as replacement of pre-Christian deities is fairly common for the native peoples in Mexico. For example, there is a good case that the worship of the Virgin of Guadalupe, the most revered saint in Mexico, was really a continuation of the pre-Christian, mother goddess Tonatzin.

However, the people in Chamula went much further. At some point, they expelled the priests and the story is that they took the confessional into the square and burned it. Now, individuals and families communicate and make their requests directly to whichever saint they wish. There are no pews and the tile floors are spread with fresh pine needles, renewed frequently. The church is open 24/7; individuals and families come in, clear on the floor in front of one of the images, and fix candles with wax to the floor. Sometimes, it is only a few, but we saw other cases where the worshipers had fixed rows with 50 and more candles. They then pray and make their requests. Some brought in chickens, perhaps because they were making especially urgent requests. At some point the chickens are killed by breaking the neck. No one was allowed to take photos inside the church, but this blog has a photo from the web (scroll down 15 photos).

Scattered throughout the municipality are what we might call individual prayer houses for each of the 40 saints. There, special custodians (majordomos, not exactly priests) burn incense and offer frequent prayers to the saint; people can go to these places to show respect and pray. This certainly seems to be a continuation of pre-Christian religious practice. As part of the religious ceremonial both in church and the prayer houses, they drink posh as well as Coca Cola. Posh is distilled from sugar and thus, in plain form is much like rum (powerful with 40% alcohol or more); however, they also combine it with other flavours in liqueurs. We were treated to a taste. On our last morning in San Christóbal, Barb and I tried to buy some, but the poshería (posh store) wasn’t open.

Chamula has its own municipal government, which is elected; the president (mayor), a few other officials and the police (gobernadores) wear a distinctive 'uniform' consisting of long, black vest reaching to about the knees and a light coloured hat (like a cowboy hat). The police carry a staff or cudgel (about 3 feet long and 1.5 a inches thick) as their symbol of authority--no guns! These men serve without salary for a year. As we were entering the large central plaza, a public meeting with officials was just ending.

The people of Chamula have been very resistant to assimilation; although men and younger people are now adopting some western clothing, most women still wear traditional costumes and clothing. Women weavers are famed for their woollen textiles. Sheep are almost sacred; they are used only for wool and are never eaten. A Google search of ‘Chamula clothing’ had a link to Images, which has a large number of photos which Google has accumulated from many websites. In both religion and culture, those who depart very much from the group’s norms are required to leave. As we were driving out of San Christóbal, our guide pointed out a neighbourhood going up the mountain that is populated mainly by people who left or were required to leave Chamula.

Chiapas trip

After a hiatus of almost a year, I have a great deal to talk about from our recent (Jan. 10-18) trip to Chiapas. I’ll pretty much follow our itinerary in my posts.

Chiapas is the most southerly of Mexican states and shares a border with Guatemala. The state was much in the news in the 1990’s because of the Zapatista movement. The indigenous people had suffered increasing marginalization and exclusion in the 20th C as a result of settlers and logging companies taking more and more of the land. As noted in the Wikipedia article, the Mexican government eventually negotiated and has made considerable efforts to improve the conditions and standards of living of the indigenous people of Chiapas. However, they are still among the poorest in Mexico. After being fairly quiet, just a week or so before we went to Chiapas, the Zapatistas organized silent demonstrations. The next day, a communique from Marcos stated, “We’re still here; did you hear us?” As in the earlier period, the leaders rely on non-violence and have a real knack for generating publicity for their cause. From what we saw (signs and posters), the Zapatistas are very popular with the indigenous people.

We were part of a tour organized by Karuna; she is a fabulous woman who is organizing a number of tours--eg., Mexico City and Oaxaca--although this was the 1st time to Chiapas. Profits from her tours go to support the fish farming coop that has been started in Mexcala which is towards the east end of Lake Chapala. It is hoped that this is a model for other fish farms in the future as over-fishing is rapidly depleting the wild fish stocks. This would provide employment for the fishermen who are losing their livelihoods as fish decline as well as provide the fish protein that many people in the area depend upon. This tour concentrated on the Maya, both ancient Maya from the impressive city ruins that they left and their modern descendants. The latter are divided into 8 groups speaking different languages and having distinctive cultural features, which I shall be expanding on in future posts. Including Karuna, there were 24 in the group. We flew from Guadalajara via Mexico City to Tuxtla, the capital city of Chiapas which we didn’t see as we were taken by bus directly to San Christóbal. The latter is high up (about 7100 feet above sea level and in a bowl surrounded by mountains. The bus trip involved very impressive views from the mountains.

San Christóbal has very narrow, one way streets, although paved with flagstones. Our bus driver had very little margins in making turns at intersections. Nevertheless, cars and the many vans that provide public transport really whiz along. In San Christóbal we stayed at Hotel Bo --first 2 nights and the last night of our trip. It is a medium sized, new or recently renovated hotel as its amenities are very up to date (the first photo is our bedroom). About 5 (after some lunch and a short time to get settled), we all went to a small Regional Textile Museum (see photo).

The manager/guide is known locally by the indigenous as the ‘white medicine man’. He spoke accented, but quite good English; he was enthusiastic and funny. The Maya descendants living in Chiapas are divided into eight distinct groups with their own languages/dialects, distinctive clothing and cultural features. One room of this small museum had both male and female clothing examples for each of the 8 groups; our guide pointed out and explained the features of each group (note the blue, Mayan cross on the wall). In 2 or 3 other rooms, he had various artifacts produced by indigenous artists and artisans. His nickname comes from the fact that money he raises is used to purchase and import medicines for the indigenous people. This was a very interesting beginning for learning about the indigenous peoples.

Afterwards, we explored the downtown area with the usual square and gazebo/kiosko; this one was unusually high (see photo in Wikipedia website). This building was still sporting Christmas and New Year lights and decoration. Radiating out from the central square are at least 3 streets that have been converted to pedestrian walkways for 3 or 4 blocks with stores and many restaurants. One of the interesting features was an ice rink under a large tent on the plaza in front of the cathedral adjacent to the square. From a distance with people circling around, I first thought that it might be roller skating. It was clear that most people had little or no experience of ice skating. However, despite many falls, everyone seemed to be having a good time. Although we did not go until the morning of the last day, there is a large textile market on the grounds of Santo Domingo Church. There were at least 40 stalls with only tarps on the roofs and sides. These were ‘manned’ almost entirely by native people, especially women. In Ajijic, Barbara has trouble getting light cotton blouses with long sleeves. There was a good selection here and in all, she bought about 5!

I must tell of the experience our last day as we were returning home. Approaching the airport in Tuxtla, we noticed a large fire with black petroleum smoke just off the runway. On arriving we learned that a small private plane had crashed; 5 passengers and the pilot were killed. For a few hours the airport was closed so that our plane was not able to land. We were uncertain whether we would have to remain for the night. However, later another plane did arrive to take us to Mexico City and a connecting flight brought us to Guadalajara, arriving at 11 p.m. instead of the 7:30 that had been originally scheduled. The airline, Interjet, reacted very quickly and efficiently. Although a bit late, we were certainly grateful to be home. Our 2nd day was spent visiting 2 municipalities which border San Christóbal--Chamula and Zincantán; they are fascinating because their peoples have developed very different responses to the intruding religion and culture brought and imposed by the Spanish. I’ll discuss these in the next posts.

Christmas in Ajijic

I should have reported on what happened on my return (Dec. 1st) with 3 satellite receivers and a DVD player. When my luggage was put through the x-ray machine, the young woman operating wanted me to open the big suitcase to see what was there. I showed her a receiver and explained; she nodded but asked about the other things. When I explained that there were 3 receivers, she gave me a long hard look, but then waved me to go ahead. Then, I had to press the button and got the red light (only the 2nd time in going to Mexico)! Again the young fellow who was to examine my suitcase wanted to know what the receiver was and then saw the DVD player underneath. He didn’t go below that where the other 2 receivers were. We were chatting about where I lived, how long and was I learning Spanish (I was able to do most of this in Spanish). Anyway, with this he concluded his inspection and I was allowed to continue. Although they could have required that I pay the customs duties, I think that they are told not to hassle ex-pats as long as they do not appear to be carrying anything really forbidden, like drugs or guns. Thus, it all worked out.

With regard to the TV, the antenna we have just gives us marginal reception for the HD channels (the regular ones are fine). A couple we can get most of the time, but others, especially the Oasis nature channel that we especially want, we get only intermittently in the evenings. Luis is supposedly trying to set up a much larger antenna, but I think is having trouble getting it to work properly. Shaw is on 2 satellites; thus, there needs to be 2 separate receptors to get the signals, but they have to be able to switch back and forth as one changes channels. Kate and Jack have one, but I don’t think that Luis has done one himself. He seems to be a knowledgeable technician so I expect that he will get it worked out.

At LIA, the big event for Christmas is Christmas Eve. There is a dinner after which there are piñatas and Santa gives a gift to each child. We are planning to have our gift-giving with the girls here at our place in the afternoon. Some things (clothes) they can take back to LIA, but other things we’ll keep here for them when they come. BTW, the kids love the big TV in the spare bedroom so they can lie on the bed while watching their movies. We found out that they do not get much time to watch TV at LIA. Only on weekends are they allowed to watch TV or a movie. Thus, watching a movie at our place is a treat.

For Christmas Day, instead of going to a restaurant like last year, Jack and Kate are hosting dinner. They are providing chicken, Barb is doing sweet potatoes and veggies, Sonia is providing hor d’oeuvres and Paul & Kay doing dessert. It should be very pleasant and Kate & Jack’s place is lovely with a nice view.

Raffle

There are many charities operating here and a great many fundraising activities. We try to give some support to as many as we can. Recently, I was approached by a woman selling raffle tickets on a TV for Niños Incapacitados (Children with Disabilities). It helps families to deal with and get treatment for such children and also do horse therapy for some (it seems to be very beneficial for many kids). I bought a single ticket for 100 pesos without any expectations. About 2 weeks ago, I got a telephone call saying that my ticket had been drawn as the winning ticket and would I please come and pick up the TV! The TV is a 40” LCD made by Sharp (actually assembled here in Mexico); Bev, who I mention below, told me that it is the very model he has been lusting after. The surprise was great and provoked the issue of what to do with it. It wasn’t as easy as you might suppose.

When we moved to Mexico in May 2008, we fully intended to buy a TV--doesn’t everyone have one? However, we had to plan our priorities in line with our monthly income. A TV was several notches down the list of things that seemed more compelling. After some months, Barbara and I decided that we were not missing a TV, remembering that in Nova Scotia it had been difficult at times to find anything that we wanted to watch in spite of large numbers of channels via satellite. Besides, we would have to decide what route to take for TV service. Mexican cable has some English channels (all American) or one can go to satellite service. There are a couple of American companies or Canadian Shaw Direct (formerly called Star Choice). With new, more focused signals, the American services are more difficult to get as there is less spillover into Mexico. So far, Shaw has the best signal. Also, one has to decide if you are going to get someone to set up an illegal receiver or go for a legal approach.

Well, we have decided to keep the TV and have had to find out our options. Shaw is the best choice. There is a local outfit linked with a small company in Ontario that ships Shaw receivers and installs antennas. This is quite an expensive route. I found that I could buy the Shaw receiver I want at Futureshop in Canada, on sale for $150, but would cost close to $400 here. I have had Larry buy one for me. However, there is the process of getting an account with Shaw. Because Shaw allows more than one receiver on an account, it is the custom here to share an account with 2 or 3 others, which means that you also share the monthly cost. A couple of individuals were advertising for people to share their accounts and we have hooked up with one of them, Bev. With another couple, there will be 3 of us on the account. When I talked with Bev, I mentioned that we wanted a couple of extra HD channels. This has stimulated the others to think in this direction also. They have asked me to get 2 more HD receivers for them. I shall have to take a carryon suitcase to bring them all back! Fortunately, these new models are smaller than the older ones. I also managed to find a fellow in Chapala who has the antennas for Shaw (it is different from most satellite antennas because it has to pick up 2 satellites). He came and installed the antenna last week.

We have decided to put the TV in the guest bedroom. Few people are coming to visit us anyway and the TV is thin and doesn’t take up much room. Also, with curtains, the bed and a big new wall hanging, the sound should be improved as a result of fewer echoes than is the case in the living room. With all the hard surfaces in the latter, it can be difficult to make out dialogue, especially if the actors have accents.

I mentioned a new wall hanging. Barbara gave away the very cheap painting that had been in the guest bedroom since we arrived. Finally, she decided that we should get Mexican hand made carpet for the wall. She spent a lot of time looking around Ajijic last week. We also went to the 3 day Feria (fair) for artisans in Chapala. The latter brings a large number of artisans, some from as far away as Oaxaca, to show and sell their wares. Anyway, although there was nice stuff, we didn’t see exactly the right colours, size etc. On Sunday, our usual friends were not at Open Circle, just Barbara and I. We went to the Garden Restaurant, which is one of our favourites, but not of the others. Next door is a small shop with knitted stuff and lots of woolen rugs. We found one that is the right size (about 4’x6’), good colours and a nice scene (a tree with many different coloured birds. We bought it.

The annual festival for Ajijic’s patron saint, San Andres (St. Andrew), began on Sunday. We are having lots of rocket bangers, morning, noon and night. Mexicans really party; the different groups who each sponsor the festivities for a day (entertainment and fireworks every night) have been planning and raising money all year since the last festival. By the way, I have watched people launching the rockets from their hands; the rockets are over 6 inches long and go up more than 100 feet. The guys hold the rocket with one hand and with the other light the fuse with a cigarette! The rockets explode with a deafening bang so there is a significant amount of explosive. I’m sure that there must be accidents, but the guys are so casual about doing it.

Catching up

There has been a long hiatus. I shall try to fill in the blanks in the next couple of days and then get back into the rhythm.
When we went to Canada in July, we had another break in. We had taken our computers, iPod etc. to Kate and Jack’s; as a result the thieves apparently didn’t find anything that they wanted to take! However, in the aftermath, we decided to do substantial upgrades (see photos). The thieves got in by using a large screwdriver to pop open the lock on one of the doors from the patio. We have added padlocks and screens that are very difficult to cut on all the patio doors. We put iron bars on all windows that open (these are almost universal in Mexico and we should have done it earlier). We put a new gate with bars on the front entrance; as you can see, we had the old solid door repainted yellow so the iron work on the new gate stands out. Now, we can see who is there before we unlock the gate. Finally, we had a sliding door with steel bars (like in a prison cell) installed on our walk in closet; that makes it a strong room with a heavy padlock. We now put money, computers, etc. there when we go out. All this means that thieves will now have to come prepared with heavy tools to get in. It is discouraging, but necessary and not just in Mexico.

After early predictions of heavier than normal rainfall this year (June and July were pretty good), rainfall in August and September was extremely low. Lake Chapala ended the rainy season almost an meter below the levels of the previous 2 or 3 years. There was a respite in October because of a hurricane that blew in from the Pacific. It did a lot of damage to some of the beach communities in the vicinity of Puerto Vallarta. For us, it meant 4 days of heavy cloud and rain--about 100 mm (4”). Nevertheless, rain this year (we are unlikely to get any more) is only about 750 mm. (29.7”) as compared to the recent average of 850 mm (33.5”). In spite of being careful, four days of cloud were too much for the solar water heater and we ran out of hot water after 3 days. I had to turn on the gas heater. But after 1 day, the sun was out again and I could turn off the gas heater. With lots of sunshine every day, we have oodles of hot water.

Love in Action wants to teach the kids English as a means of getting them better prepared for jobs. English is especially useful here where there are so many ex-pats, but is beneficial for many jobs elsewhere with foreign companies established in Mexico. They had several teachers last year, but most were snowbirds and the program practically ground to a halt when they left. I have volunteered to teach a small group (4 at the moment), one hour a week. I have been there 3 times and so far it has not been a roaring success. It has been a very long time since I was teaching at this level (9-10 year olds). Also, it has been difficult to get a schedule so the kids arrive on time. I’m sure that we’ll all get into the swing of things soon.

Last Sunday, the speaker at Open Circle was Richard Rhoda; he is coauthor (both are geographers) of a book, Geo-Mexico published a little over a year ago. It’s a fascinating book which I read in just a few days. Much of his statistics are in the book, but he did update some in the presentation. He was pointing out how significant Mexico is in the world in terms of size and diversity of its economy and of its population, its diversity in languages, animal species, climate zones, cultural aspects, etc. It has made enormous strides in many areas in the last 20 years or so. Since its meltdown in 1994 when it required a $48 billion bailout (completely repaid earlier than the terms), Mexico’s governments have been very careful in managing its finances; it is coming out of this recession faster and better than the US--in fact not unlike Canada. It is certainly no longer accurate to think of Mexico as a 3rd world country, although some of the native people still live in 3rd world conditions (as indeed there are pockets in Canada and the US). It is only a couple of years behind the US in terms of life expectancy (a huge jump from earlier in the 20th C), but is also 2nd in the world behind the US in terms of adult obesity! He pointed out (he’s an American) that based on last year’s statistics, an American is 25 times more likely to die in traffic in the US than in visiting Mexico. Furthermore, as long as they don’t visit or connect with drug gangs, their chances are further greatly reduced in Mexico. The ignorance of people NOB (north of the border) is truly astonishing; I know from myself before I came here.

I am leaving for Windsor, Ontario on Thursday (Nov. 24th) to visit with my family there. Dad seems to be having problems with balance and has fallen several times in the last 2 or 3 months, one requiring 6 stitches for a cut on his head and another requiring an x-ray on his hand. He is 95 now and in other ways his physical health is pretty good. As last year when I went at the same time, I shall be there for Rosemary’s birthday on the 27th. I return on Dec. 1st.

The Spirit Level

The solar water heater is working well, lots of hot water. We are certainly pleased. In addition, the company that sells the heater, also sells a gismo, called ScaleWatcher. The water in this area is fairly hard; the water in La Floresta is not as bad as other areas, but still it can be a problem. Most water softeners use salt and require a lot of maintenance. This product involves putting a wire coil around the water pipe directly after the pump; the gadget then passes a current through the coil to create a magnetic field. It rapidly changes direction and fluctuates the frequency. This then changes the ionization of the calcium and magnesium molecules in the water so that they don’t stick and pass through the system. The effect lasts, so they claim, for about 48 hours, long enough for the water to go out and down the drains. It also claims that it will remove existing scale from pipes gradually over a 3 month period. I don’t know for sure, but the water does seem ‘softer’ and soap lathers very well. We don’t want the heating coil in the water heater to clog up with scale.

Well, the rain has started as about the 7th of June. That means that from Sept. 29th we had only 1 modest rain in April. However, we have had 4 rains now in June for a total so far of 3.5 inches. Most have been mild rains, but last Friday we had a really strong storm with high winds and 2.4 inches in less than 4 hours. The high winds drove the rain against our north facing windows and a lot of water came in under the windows as they are not designed to keep water out. I did some mopping and by morning the rest has dried out. Other people were not as lucky; some developers divert the drainoff channels and this causes some houses to get inundated in heavy rains. The temperatures are cooler now--most days in the high 70s or low 80s.

We have gone regularly to the Sunday morning forum called Open Circle. I had offered to do a presentation on the book, The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. It finally got scheduled and I did my presentation on Sunday, June 12th. The authors are British epidemiologists; they bring together the results of over 200 studies, the majority of which show that greater inequality in a society leads to worse outcomes on a number of health aspects (life expectancy, mental illnesses and addictions, obesity, children’s educational performance, homicide rates, imprisonment rates, etc 9 measures in all). What is astonishing is that in comparison with 22 other rich countries, the United States, the richest country on earth, comes out at or near the bottom on every measure. Average incomes do not seem to matter; it is the degree of inequality within each society that largely determines how well or poorly each country does. This in fact is a stark contradiction of the claims of laisser-faire liberals/neoconservatives that inequality is ‘good’. If you would like to read my presentation, use the link for MY WEBPAGE and then click on the link there.

We shall soon be making our trip back to Canada--leave July 7th & return July 24th. We are going to Toronto first to spend 3 nights with Faye and Keith; then to Nova Scotia. We shall be spending part of the time in the next 2 weeks at White Point Beach with Jeff, Tara & the boys the first week; then with Angie, Matt and Sam in the 2nd week. The rest of the time we’ll be in Halifax doing errands.