Our beloved twins are returning!

Well, we got back home from Canada yesterday about 5 p.m. safe and sound. We flew from Halifax to Toronto on Wednesday and stayed with Barb's sister, Faye, for a night. Thus, we spread the trip each way over 2 different days. Faye and Keith picked us up and delivered us to the airport both times even though we were staying only a few hours. Faye and Keith were extraordinarily generous. We had planned to stay 2 nights on the trip to Nova Scotia, but the delay had shortened that. Apparently, we were very lucky on our return trip. We left Toronto at 7:40 a.m. Later that day, creditors in the US and Canada pushed Mexicana Airlines (with whom we were flying) into backruptcy and froze all assets there. If we had not gotten away, the plane may have been seized and we might have been stranded, at least temporarily. Flights were still operating in Mexico and our flight from Mexico City to Guadalajara left 30 minutes late but got there only a little behind time. We are sorry to learn of Mexicana's trouble as we were impressed (actually complimentary hot food) and cheaper than Air Canada. We were able to avoid going through the US and the insane security etc. Actually, it was different in another way. On the return, we were processed for immigration, but not for customs in Mexico City. Our checked luggage was marked as international and forwarded all the way from Toronto to Guadalajara. We then did the customs check in Guadalajara and Barb got the green light. Although we are very tired and will probably be a couple of days recovering, we are very glad to be home.

It is continuing to rain here. This morning between midnight and 7 a.m., there was another 0.3 inches but not lightning etc. (Stan, the house/dog sitter, said that there have been grand thunder storms); however, we did get sun from the late morning to mid afternoon and Barb was able to wash clothes and get them dried. It is very cloudy now in the evening and we shall probably get more rain tonight. It rained for 26 out of 31 days in July and so far has rained 4 out of 6 days in August. The yearly total is already well above the total rainfall for 2009 and the level of Lake Chapala is above the highest point last year. Although it is not a torrent, there has been a steady flow of water from Upper La Floresta down Paseo de la Pesca (our cross street) all day. There are warnings that some areas in the mountains are water logged and there could be mud slides etc. As we were coming in for a landing at Guadalajara airport, we did notice how green the mountains are; also, the plants and shrubs in Barb’s garden are growing like crazy.

This evening Barb called Alvia in Love in Action to say that we won’t be going to LIA tomorrow as we are too tired. However, she did ask about the Dareli and Dariana; it is very good news as Alvia says that they are expecting the family back next week on Monday or Tuesday. Barb has been so worried and upset that this is a great relief. We have become so attached to the girls and they to us that our imaginations tended to work overtime when we know how delicate their mother’s mental state is; we could not imagine how they would be safe. We can hardly wait to see them.