From this to this

It's hard to believe that yesterday morning I was sitting on our terrace looking out at Banderas Bay, and now, 24 hours and a rather annoying airport experience later, I'm looking at the wet schoolyard of Everett Middle School.

What a lovely trip, and how I needed it. The temperature was about 80 every day. We spent most of every day at the beach, usually at the Beach House on Los Muertos, where Marco, Esther, Jerry and Roberto saw to our every need (towels, iced tea, blackberry daquiris, beers, cheeseburgers, salads, moving our seats to more shade, etc) with great care. One day Robert rented a car and drove us to Sayulita, north of PV, around the other side of Punta de Mita, which you can see jutting into the bay from the right side of the first pic.

Robert, Marjeanne and I have been good traveling companions to each other for nigh on to 20 years now, and this trip continued our convivial tradition. We did crossword puzzles together, cut up, explored the town, soaked in our private dipping pool, made fun of each other's bad Spanish, ate, drank and laughed (a lot). Like I said, I really needed it, and I'm eternally grateful to both of them for giving me such a week of fun.

I'm equally grateful to my friend Astra, who conquered Junie's recalcitrance and made sure both cats got their meds, leaving me free to enjoy myself in the sun.

In a couple of weeks, my little town shoes will be straying to the city that never sleeps.