Ouest received an unexpected invitation the other day to play the Virgin Mary in some sort of production—an invitation she eagerly accepted, despite having no idea who the Virgin Mary is, or what the play might entail. Ali and I are always amazed at her moxy. Ali says when she was a kid there is absolutely no way she would have agreed to such an invitation, especially coming from what was essentially a stranger to her.
In the end it wasn’t a play so much as a sort of procession. A bunch of us walked slowly through the campground while Ouest led the way riding on a burro. Songs were sung, a sort of adult comedy skit was performed, and four kids kind of stood around a coconut husk manger. Then the fun began, the piñata came out, the kids all took a few whacks, some candy was eaten, Santa’s helper said Merry Christmas, and we rushed off back home to get to sleep before the real Santa came zipping into town.
It’s Christmas Eve. Grab some fireworks, light, and throw very quickly in the general direction of a crowd that includes a little girl on a donkey.
Santa’s sleigh left big tracks in the dirt directly in front of our bus. The reindeer ate almost all of their carrot, Santa drank his milk and ate his apple, and then somehow he snuck into our bus and delivered the presents onto our dashboard, out of sight behind the curtains. This led to some nervousness in the morning when all they could find were two tiny stockings with a pack of Lifesavers in them. Back outside, investigating further, we spotted the gifts through the windshield and abruptly woke the neighbors with screams of delight.
It was a pretty chill Christmas. We didn’t have any big exciting gifts this year, just the few little things they had asked for.
Ali on Christmas Eve: “Do you think they’ll notice this is the same wrapping paper (from birthday)?”
Me: [incredulous] “Not a chance.”
Ouest Christmas morning: “Look mama, the same wrapping.”
Ali: glares at me with an I knew it look.
Ouest finally got her sewing kit. Well, two of them actually, one sewing kit and one needlepoint. We’re expecting lots of crafty “stuff” very soon.
A compass with a built in flashlight. We don’t need no stinkin’ GPS.
Lowe’s gift to Ouest. Killer new lid.
Oh, yeah, then there is this. The day after receiving the good news that Brownie had been adopted we went to the beach as usual. Ali was on high alert looking for her, and it didn’t take long to spot her with her new owner. She was a twenty-something girl with two other big dogs already.
I was out surfing with Ouest when Ali went over and said hi. When I got out of the water Ali basically said, “I don’t like her.” No particular reason, just a woman’s intuition I guess. I figured it could have been the Dog Whisperer guy and she would have said the same thing. I went over and said hi as well, and kind of came away with the same impression, but tried to explain that away by the fact that she was from Quebec. I joke. I mean, nobody goes into a shelter and adopts a dog that they don’t want, right?
Well, Christmas Eve we got an e-mail from the shelter. The girl had backed out. Three dogs was too much for her. The lady at the shelter was irate, and angry at herself for not heeding her own feelings. The girl brought Brownie back to us at the campground and left in tears. Oy, what a day. We were all happy to see her, gave her a bunch of loving, and then let her run off to the beach to catch up with her friends. She ran around a while then came back and spent the night on the neighbors outdoor couch. Back to square one.
23 Comments on “Christmas 2015”
Great pictures again. Love that Lowe is in his underwear even in the evening in front of a big crowd. Also love the Quebec joke!!
You know that dog was meant to be with you. Brownie is a blue bus kind of canine. I’ll bet Ali and the kids would agree.
I’m with Shane, Ouest has an exciting invitation to star in a production and her brother shows up without his pants. I love it!
Brownie is meant to be yours! How many more signs do you need? lol
No, we all know that isn’t going to happen, and everyone is okay with that. We’ve got plans this coming year that a dog doesn’t fit into at all. Our lifestyle just doesn’t support a dog. In another time and place, maybe, but not now.
This is the first time you’ve had to leave a dog behind if memory serves me correctly.
Remember Libre? https://www.bumfuzzle.com/2008/02/01/february-2008/
Plans? I thought you were sort of allergic to those… 🙂
Hope you have a good year whatever and wherever!
When the plans are big enough, even we have to bow and make some. 🙂
Happy birthday, Pat!
PS. The https://www.bumfuzzle.com/2008/02/01/february-2008/ HTML got mangled in the conversion:
Can you fix the link to the https://vimeo.com/58822746 video below Ali’s picture with Libre?
Psssttt, Roland, Pat’s birthday isn’t until the 4th of January. I got the video fixed of Libre being rescued. Thanks for letting us know. Happy 2016 to you and Shakira!
Dude.
You blow me away.
Been following you and reading you for a year now and I have to say I’m so grateful to you for what you’re doing here. Great photographs, simply astoundingly good, and a life that has helped inspire me and my wife to sell it all and go full-time, which we did in November.
Hope to cross paths with you in Mexico someday soon, or up here somewhere.
What you’re giving to those kids is beyond priceless. What you and your wife are doing is an inspiration to so many people and the kind of thing that this world needs more than anyone knows.
Namaste.
Scott
Thanks for the nice words, Scott. Congrats on getting out here yourselves. Hope to see you on the road.
Maybe Brownie could go visit with Grammy until you get back from the next adventure……..?
I will confirm for Lowe that Superheroes do NOT need GPS. They just “know” were they are at all times. Great photos. I just come to love Mexico a little more every time I see how your family has been accepted, and vice versa. BTW my opinion is that you are now dog owners. You have this dog adoption thing all backwards. Clearly, Brownie has adopted you “and that’s that”.
Pat …. Give up man, you’ve got a dog! or the wife and kids have ….. which is even stronger.
Santa brought cameras for my nephews, 3 and 5, here in Santa Cruz. As soon as they came out blinking on Christmas morning, the 5-year-old yelled, “Cameras! Just like Ouest and Lowe’s!” Success. Thanks for the recommendation. It’ll be awhile before they figure out how to use them, but it’ll be a good experience for them.
The Virgin Mary and Captain Underpants in the same shot! Only on the Bumfuzzle site. 🙂
LOVE the Wonder Woman costume! Awesome!
Ali,
Well, I got what I wanted for Christmas – Brownie is alive and well and right back where she belongs. No, I don’t mean with you guys, I mean running free on the beach in Sayulita.
When I first read the email you posted from the animal hospital, I had a bad feeling . . . I’ve worked in dog adoptions too long to really believe it had worked out so easily and perfectly for her. My first sinking feeling was that they had put her down because they didn’t expect the gringos to come back for her and because their town already has lots of stray dogs.
It was her previous scar from being spayed that made me doubt that outcome, though.
Clearly, someone had already cared enough to have her spayed and I imagine the animal hospital surely recognized that she is in obvious good health – so someone must be tending to her needs (even if that’s a collective group of locals and not an individual). I was concerned, though, that there was, in fact, someone (maybe another child) who was missing their free-roaming dog.
I’m happy to learn that she’s right back where she started, still in good health and free to roam Sayulita, meeting all the people and other dogs she encounters in her carefree wandering. If you stick to your plans and they don’t include Brownie, I hope you will be content in remembering her as the happy, friendly, free spirit who belongs to all those who live in or just visit Sayulita.
TJ
Your blog is immediately read the minute I’m notified of a new posting. It is wonderfully well done in photography and writing style. Plus your family seem to be perfect subjects. Your most recent posting on Christmas made me smile, especially seeing Ouest as Virgin Mary riding the donkey. Too sweet for words.
I have neighbors and friends, Laurie and Fred, who are the developers of Tierraluz, an earth built and sun powered community in Sayolita. I let Fred know, who is there now, that you’re camped in town (apparently very close to where they camped before their home was finished). I hope he will track down Bumfuzzle, and you, soon. I’m certain you would like one another.
I live in Langley on Whidbey Island. We now travel too, but not like you and your family. We manage a few months every year.
Thanks for your inspiration and sharing your lovely family’s adventures with your us.
Fran
The picture of Ouest with the bokeh tree in the background is outstanding!
Ouest had her first posada!