Winding Down Our Time Here; The Future For This Blog

A few butterflys flying above us.

As of today, we have about two weeks left in La Huacana Mexico. Our plan is to head for home on Wed. March 18th. For the next two weeks, I will continue posting more on how we are spending our time and what I think you might want to know and see. I am excited to answer some questions that a friend had sent to me by email. One was "what will you miss about Mexico" another "what will you NOT miss". I am currently polling my entire family because I know that these answers will vary. Each member of my family has had a their own unique experience.

Once I return to my home town, I plan to finish off the blog. I will post on our travel across Mexico and then into the US, and finally our arrival to our home town. This blog will continue for a short while as the Lord leads. Since I can't predict the future, I am guessing that I might blog about readjusting back into the US, lessons we have learned, how God has changed us, and the like. You can imagine how much we have all learned and how many great stories there are to tell! Eventually, this blog will come to an end, just as our stay in Mexico has to come to an end. I do believe, however, that our time in Mexico will impact us all forever.

Stay posted for the results of the poll.

Monarcha Mariposas (Butterflys)

This is at the top of the trail right before we reached our destination. Isn't this beautiful. Jake snapped this picture. That is the beauty of having more than one camera. Each person takes their own kind of pictures and sees things from a different perspective. I am usually surprised at my kids' ability to foresee a good photo.
On the way up the trail. The teens seem to doing fine with the elevation issue....
These tree limbs are hanging because they are heavy laden with millions of butterflys. Since it is close to sunset, they have nestled in for the evening. Unfortunately, our group reached the top at too late of an hour to watch them fly around.

Mariposa Monarca ~ Monarch Butterfly

During our most recent trip Morelia our friends, Enoch and Raramure took us to the easternmost part of the state of Michoacan to the Monarch Butterfly Reserve. This is the home of millions of Monarch Butterflies who travel from as far North as Canada and all over the United States to hibernate for the winter here in the Mexican highlands. They travel an amazing 3,000 miles at a rate of 7 mph at an elevation of 500 feet above the ground. Most arrive in October or November. March begins their breeding season. Males die shortly after breeding and females are left to make the treck back to the U.S. Interesting enough, the females will fly north but not reach their orignal destination. Their offspring will continue the journey northward. It may take up to five generations to make the complete mirgration from Canada back to Mexico.

After riding in the car for over 5 hours (we had taken the scenic route) we were ready to ascend the mountain to see the butterflies. Within the first minute of hiking, Tammy and I felt like we were going to pass out. We had to stop several times and take a moment to do deep breathing exercises. We then learned that the elevation of this mountain was equivalent to Mount Hood (11,000 feet). After reaching the top and enjoying the mass quantity of butterflys, we thought it worth the climb.

Had A Scorpion in My Hand the Other Day

I picked up a pair of shorts that had been sitting out on my patio waiting for stain treatment for a couple of weeks. As I looked closer, there was this little creature sitting there on my shorts; slowly but assuredly I determined it was a dead, baby scorpion. The curved tail was a dead give-away. Flicking it off my shorts with my hand, the critter went flying through the air and landed on the patio beneath me. As it crash landed, the thing started crawling frantically to the closest pile of rubbish to hide under. (Their favorite habitat). This sent shutters through my body - the venomous creature was alive and had been in my hands and very close to my face!

Last weekend I was on a mission interviewing our friends to find out how many times they had been stung by a scorpion in their lifetimes. Sadly, it is a cruel fact here in Mexico and something these people have to live with. But, to my surprise, the Mexican people do NOT appear afraid of them. It is true that scorpions have the power to take lives and do successfully every year. During my interview with Enock, he told me that a person has 2 hours from the point of sting to total loss of respiration; the stung must immediately rush to a nearby hospital to be treated with the anecdote. The statistics are online on how many people die each year of a scorpion sting, and the percent is remarkably higher in Mexico than other places.

The results of my interviews:

• Fernando- 5 times
• Raralamee- 6 times
• Esther - 5 times
• Enock - 10 times

Eeek! To me, that sounds like it is just a matter of time before... I think it is the scorpion, the lizards, and all the creatures in Mexico that would never allow me to make a home here permanently. I am still not sleeping well at night, full well knowing that all of them come out at night crawling the floors and the walls. It is always an adventure to use the bathroom or grab a drink of water in the middle of the night. I make sure that several feet in front of me is well lit while walking through the house like a detective. The entire family has learned to inspect the floor in front of them with every step, night and day. One night I looked up from my bed, and there was a lizard right above me on the ceiling. I have seen them on the wall above my head where my bed connects to it (we have no headboard that places a barrier between us and the wall). As I toss and turn at night, I am afraid to smack my hand or arm against the wall to bump up against with something that is breathing. Mike reports that I will wake him up at night requiring that he take care of something on the wall. I do not know what he is talking about. I cannot imagine a better means to stretch this American woman than for her to have to co-dwell in the same quarters as scorpions. Well, maybe venomous snakes could be worse. Oh, yeah, they live in Mexico as well.

Sea Turtles "Tortugas"

The Knutz family got a real treat this last Sunday when we went to the coast. Our host, Enoch and his family took us to a sea turtle conservation project where local fisherman in cooperation with the University of Michoacan are working to protect sea turtle nesting grounds. The site was less than a couple acres in size. But what a joy to share in the this conservation effort. We were able to watch as one of the fishermen and Enoch's son Erwin dug up a nest of hatchling turtles.

Sea turtles begin their lives as eggs buried by their mothers on a sandy beach. After 45-70 days of incubation, baby sea turtles emerge from their sandy nests and immediately head for the ocean. They reach maturity in 25 to 50 years. After mating, adult females often cross ocean basins back to their original nesting beaches to lay eggs and renew the cycle. They are excellent navigators, able to sense minute variations in the Earth’s magnetic field. The chances of surviving to adulthood are extremely low, so turtles lay up to 150 eggs per nest and may nest up to three times in a season. They nest every two to three years.

The Black Sea Turtles that we released have declined globally 80 percent over the last 150 years. Breeding populations of black turtles off Mexico are listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In the 1980s, black turtles at their major nesting beach, Colola Beach in Michoacán, Mexico, declined significantly from 5,500 nesting females to a low of 171. The population is now increasing, though numbers are still well below their natural levels.
There are two other varieties of sea turtles that nest at this site, one of them being the leatherback sea turtle. Since 1980, leatherbacks have declined by 95% at their major Pacific nesting beaches. If current trends continue, Pacific leatherbacks will go extinct within the next few decades and there is a 50% chance they will be gone within 11-12 years.

This was our eniter party. Enoch and Easter have three sons who are gentlemen with a heart to serve others. Enoch and his family have really befriended us and have invited us to several outings. Enoch teaches welding and physical science. He always has smile on his face and a good attitude.

The two girls are Karen (in the red shirt) has been a wonderful translator for us. She has also become good friend to Molly. Her sister Adeline is a joy to be with as well. They live in L.A. but are spending this year in La Huacana with their aunt who is also in our group photo (left).

Household Responsibilities Take Alot More Time

I am including a second post on laundering and about my Mexican dishwasher -by request.

Caring for my families clothing takes a large part of my day. I am fortunate enough to have an electric clothes washer but how I wash and how others wash here in Mexico are two different things. I wash 2-3 loads each day, as many that will fit on the clothes lines. With six of us wearing adult-sized clothing added with frequent changing due to the climate, this demands a lot of washing. I use my washer for every single load but most people only use their washers only for jeans -those that own washers that is. Instead, the cement cistern (I do not know what else to call it) serves as their washing machine. Mexican women scrub everything on the rivets you see here and with a scrub brush. I am impressed with how every one's clothes look. Meticulously clean and pressed. I asked Lupe why she doesn't wash all her clothes in the machine but she didn't explain. Could it possibly be because this is the way it has been done for generations or because their machines don't clean very well. I think it may be both.

In the center is where a large amount of water is held; on each end is the deep square wholes. One end serves to wash clothes, the other for washing dishes. Each end has a drain for the soiled water. There are many living creatures swimming in that water and grasping onto the bottom and side walls. Madeline has made issue of it several times trying to show me but I have had to turn my head and look the other day. (What I don't know won't hurt me!) After all, my kitchen dishes are being washed in this water.

This end is where my kids wash the family dishes. The water is scooped up out of the cistern into large wash and rinse containers. The dishes dry outside in these drainers. All the water is room temperature. This cistern can be handy. I haul out all the dirty dishes and scoop water into them to soak. They can wait outside until someone is ready to attend to them. Meanwhile, the kitchen inside is clean!

Once I am back in America I will kiss my dishwasher and my washer and dryer! I have heard my kids discuss how incredibly disappointed they will be if they learn upon their return that our dishwasher has broken down. They say it with a giggle. However, I wouldn't mind having one of these handy things on my deck!

What is It About the Knutzs?

For the fourth time since our arrival in Mexico, an unwelcomed quest from the arachnid family paid us a visit. Timing was perfect as usual, about an hour before bed. The scorpions are making their rounds, each time showing themselves in a different location. This time, the location was the wall of my bedroom. Two weeks ago a scorpion visited Madeline's bedroom. Consequently, that room has been abandoned.

Would someone please explain this to me? Lupe shared with me that she has never seen a scorpion in her house. In her humored sort of way, she joked that scorpions like us and aren't we so lucky! Well, aren't they just friendly, welcoming this US family to their country? No, thank you. Why can't the little stingers stay outside in their cozy wood pile?

Last night's visitor was a smaller scorpion. The smaller scorpions really bug me. If it is baby, that might mean there is a whole litter of siblings waiting till big brother declares the coast is clear. Or worse yet, where is mother and father?

I am thankful that scorpions are relatively easy to kill. They just sit on the wall unknowingly as the hammer is coming down. They take their destiny rather well. There was one exception. The scorpion that was found on the ceiling of Madeline's bedroom took off on a dead-run after Mike climbed to the ceiling with his hammer in tow. The ugly varmint torpedoed to the floor and Mike had to chase it down, slamming the hammer multiple times before killing the little buger. Bam, bam, bam! You think smashing a spider is gross?

Every night when I head for bed I feel a tightening of all my muscles. There is something about finding a scorpion in your bedroom. Getting up at night requires all of the lights to be turned on, a thorough scan in all directions and the shaking out of my slippers. The hardest task yet is to fetch a drink of water at night for my parched throat. My need wins out over my fear. This will require me to stick my hand behind my refrigerator to turn on the kitchen light. I have yet to figure out how to communicate to them I'd like them to quit their night job.

I am constantly on duty, inspecting day and night for these creepy crawlers. This may sound silly to you, but ask my family how I handled seeing a daddy long-legged spider in my bathtub as a little girl. Four more rooms, and the scorpions will have successfully greeted the Americans in every single room of this house. Once Lupe moves back into her home at the end of March, she will never have to worry about these litter critters; they would have used up all their appearances.

God Protects His People, Again . . .

Another Unwelcomed Visitor

We learned the importance of wearing your shoes in Mexico. Every time Lupe has come to visit and has caught one of my children meandering barefoot, she has practically thrown a fit. She points at her shoes and in her broken English shouts, “Shoes, shoes, shoes! You get sick!” Lupe will grab her throat and squeeze to signify sickness. Skeptically, I tried to reason it out. Are there parasites in the soil that can be absorbed through the skin? In faith, I began to warn the kids in the same alarming manner, adding, “I may not be able to explain it but we are going to do what Lupe says.” I decided it was likely some old wives tale; Lupe had also told Madeline not to drink cold drinks due to her Asthma. Her throat would swell shut. The kids were to play it safe but more importantly, honor Lupe.

Now I can see how God had been using Lupe to warn us about bare feet. Last night, Jake walked to the kitchen and returned with Madeline following him. I heard a loud, fearful screech. Madeline had stumbled upon a scorpion that Jake had just crunched with one of his shoes seconds prior, unbeknownst to him. The scorpion was wiggling, half alive. Thankfully, Jake and Madeline were wearing their shoes, having been admonished frequently the prior two days. There had been regular traffic between the kitchen and living room by all of the family the entire evening. Josh presently sat on the couch in his socked feet.

I thank God for using Lupe to warn us. Of course I took the opportunity to use my mothering skills and pointed out the fact how easily any one of them could have been barefoot at that moment. God had truly gone before us knowing that scorpion would visit. I still don’t know about parasites, but scorpions alone are reason enough to wear your shoes in Mexico. In the future, I doubt that mom nor Lupe will be needed to warn kids to keep their shoes on.

God protects His People!

The Mexican Dishwasher/clothes washer

No, I am not referring to Molly but the cement cistern sort-of-thing you see here. Every home sports one of these in a patio or courtyard. It is filled with water in the middle. We scoop water out of there into wash and rinse pans. The dishes are washed and dried out of doors. The water dispenses underneath. Most people use the cistern to wash their clothes as well. See the other end? Women's courtyards serve more as their kitchens a being equipped with these and wood-burning stoves. It is refreshing to wash dishes in the heat of the day.

*Notice the kitchen window behind Molly. All the "windows" are like this with netting. It's a joke though since it obviously doesn't keep any critters out. Dishes have to be washed after and before use since lizards crawl around in the cupboards.

The Knutz's have many new chores:

1. Washing Dishes

2. Hanging clothes on the clothes line

3. Making home-made salsa daily

4. Making refried beans often

5. Pressing wrinkled clothes

6. Shopping in the market place daily

7. Burning garbage and recycling plastic, glass, and metal.

8. Doing scorpion checks before bedtime

9. Keeping tile floors clean! (A big job with all the dusty roads!)

10. Tanning in the hammock daily

This is NOT the Average Mexican Home in La Haucana

We truly are blessed to be living in such a fantastic house. It is much larger than the one back home. There are four bedrooms and three baths. The upstairs is unfinished so basically the kids only sleep up there. The bathrooms aren't plumbed yet. (Bummer!) We are well equipped with conveniences many Mexicans don't have, like a microwave and washing machine. The backyard is a good size with a patio attached. I discourage the use of the yard since we saw a scorpion in the wood pile. A single mother of two owns this house. Lopae is a kindergarten teacher. We like her very much and are thankful she has been so willing to share with us.

Within the first week of living in La Huacana, we had some unexpected house guests. The Scorpion was a bit alarming, but he met Mr. Hammer and we all felt much better. We weren't too sure about the lizard either until we learned that those kind eat scorpions.