We are now on the final leg of our journey. Only eight more days in Mexico! We’re getting a bit weary and homesick, but we haven’t slowed down in our adventures. The past week was one of water and molten metal – and where we learned that the old adage about “Death and Taxes” isn’t such a clean cut rule.
The main project Julia and I worked on was sowing 300 feet worth of bright-red fingerling potatoes into weedy grass-choked soil. After days of pick axing, shoveling, turning, measuring, aligning and planting, the result was a beautiful thing to behold. The whole thing got covered in a straw-mulch, fenced off, and the result is what you see before you. We also planted just as many feet of peas, though that was less labor intensive because of soft soil and a lack of rows. There were also the mandatory picking days, in which we picked mountains of lettuces, arugulas, root plants and herbs for a restaurant.
As you might imagine, life on a farm can get repetitive and predictable. We won’t bore you by going into the details of things already mentioned. Still, over time one notices new things in their familiar surroundings that they didn’t before. For example, Julia has fallen in (mutual) love with PorqueNo, the half-wolf pet of the Sheppards. Whenever we drive anywhere, she plays Wolf-Queen with a regal and peaceful wolf perched on her lap. She loves to have long discussions with PorqueNo, as well as with Peep-Peep, the adolescent gosling, Peepers, the baby gosling, and all the loving cats
that prowl the property; Tzin, Tzan, Tzun, and Sweetie Cat. I have probably become the most tan I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve acquired a taste for eggs in the morning, and (to Julia’s amazement) cookies in the evening! We also decided to take a count, and after Julia learned how to make granola from scratch on Sunday, we were amazed to find we’ve acquired recipes over 40 new dishes during our stay in Mexico! If that’s not something valuable to take home with you, I don’t know what is.
On our day off, we visited lovely Uruapan. We enjoyed a nice wi-fi spot, a delectable steak lunch (with chips and tortillas…!? Only in Mexico.) We then went to the Parque Nacional, a gorgeous shaded park with acres and acres of fountains, waterfalls, streams, and pools. It was a much-deserved relaxation after our hard work week. We spent our afternoon there until they kicked us out for closing.
We also got an extra evening off to travel to Santa Clara with a friend of the Sheppards. Juan (whom we met and served at the dinner party) invited us to tour his copper-works and shop in the nearby Santa Clara. He even took the 30 minute drive to come pick us up. We got the tour of the shop, a chance to hammer red-hot copper, and marveled at the incredible craftsmanship. We definitely ended up taking home more copper art than we intended to for friends and loved ones.
As I mentioned, we’re still chased by IRS even in Mexico. We attempted to file for an extension with the help of my family in Austin. Regrettably, we’re missing one W2 and that throws everything off-balance. It’s a tricky thing trying to get your life in order when your life is in a storage unit and you’re isolated on a farm in the middle of the forest. The internet here is quite slow, and often doesn’t work at all. Our phones are unable to get reception. Nevertheless, taxes are inevitable and we’ll need to find some way to appease Uncle Sam.
All this thinking about taxes eventually led me to think about the other inevitable thing. And, interestingly enough, death seems to be a little less inevitable here than we had thought! Upon our arrival here, I immediately began work on a smokehouse. The plan was that Bertie would be going to that green pasture in the sky two weeks later. Well, that date has come and gone, yet Bertie’s still here eating and eating! Remember that duck rodeo two weeks back? The day after the rodeo the ducks were scheduled to be shipped off to slaughter. But if I go check the stall, I’ll definitely see 12 bored, blank duck faces staring right back at me. It’s kind of funny, really. If I had to guess, I would’ve thought it would be harder to get a new lease on life than to get a tax extension. Shows what I know.
All this thinking about taxes eventually led me to think about the other inevitable thing. And, interestingly enough, death seems to be a little less inevitable here than we had thought! Upon our arrival here, I immediately began work on a smokehouse. The plan was that Bertie would be going to that green pasture in the sky two weeks later. Well, that date has come and gone, yet Bertie’s still here eating and eating! Remember that duck rodeo two weeks back? The day after the rodeo the ducks were scheduled to be shipped off to slaughter. But if I go check the stall, I’ll definitely see 12 bored, blank duck faces staring right back at me. It’s kind of funny, really. If I had to guess, I would’ve thought it would be harder to get a new lease on life than to get a tax extension. Shows what I know.
(See if you can find little Peepers running with the flock above.)Until our final Mexican update, take care, enjoy the spring sunshine (or snow) and finish filing those taxes!
Love,
Philip
Love,
Philip
This is a great update - Philip you're most definitely taking on the bandito look - is your mexistache actually sort of lilting up at the ends now???! Between the mustache and the brown skin, you're going to look like an immigrant when you're back here!
ReplyDeleteDon't tell Bertie and the stall-full of ducks about Uncle Sam, he might come after them even if the grim reaper seems to have other things on his agenda right now.
Love you guys! see ya soon!
4/9--Little Peepers is the color of the ground--good camouflage.
ReplyDeleteWe hope you're enjoying every last minute, and we'll be so happy when you're back on US soil.
Today G'dad is 88--the "piano man" he insists. Love, G'ma