A Cold Shower

No, it wasn’t because Barb was mad at me. Yesterday morning before the ill-fated trip to Costco in Guadalajara, I was attempting to take a shower after my jog. Because the water heater is at the other side of the house from the bathrooms, it takes a couple of minutes to get hot water. However, after running for about twice as long, still no hot water. I think now that I should have treated it as an ill omen of how the day might go! I knew that our propane tank was getting low; the needle was in the red although it was still some distance from the empty mark. As a result, my first thought was that we were out of gas. Barb reported that the pilot light on the heater was out, but the stove started showing that we still had gas. She gave a try but could not get the pilot light and the water heater started. I was naked and wet and there was no help but to finish the shower in the cold water. It isn’t really cold, probably about 18 or 19 degrees, the same as our low temps in the early morning; nevertheless, it was not very comfortable. Once I was dried and dressed, I went out (the water heater is under a small roof over a veranda, but outside) and fiddled with it to get it going. Before we got the BBQ lighter, it was a real hassle. There is a small hole, but the pilot light is too far in to reach with a match; thus, you needed to light a rolled up piece of paper. At the same time you have to hold down a button on the side by the control. Thus, you needed at least 3 hands. However, with the lighter and a certain amount of digital dexterity, it is possible to get it lighted with 2 hands. I don’t know why the pilot light was out. It is only the 2nd or 3rd time since we moved in. Although it’s outside, we don’t get much wind and during storms when we do get some wind, it has never gone out. We seem to have no shortage of adventures in Mexico.

On Saturday afternoon as part of the independence day (next Tuesday 16 September) celebrations, people are coming to fly their paper hot air balloons at the field (formerly a bull fighting ring) just down the street from us. Apparently, some of these are really large in spite of being made of tissue type paper. Then, they put a fire at the bottom of the balloon so that the heated air gives it lift. Some fly quite high while others catch on fire and crash. We are told that it is quite spectacular and worth seeing.