Christmas happy hour on the beach with friends.

Over the years the group that originated in the Las Jaibas RV park has met on the beach for a Christmas happy hour and picture. Some of us are in condos or houses now but we remain friends.  

This year, as she has in the past Carol rallied the troops and we all met at the beach.  We usually gather just off the beach road in front of the Torres resort but this year the beach access is torn up and repairs are being made to previous weather damage. We gathered farther south between the 360 tower and the Park Royal at 4pm.

          2023

         2021...Covid and a small group.

              2018 and we were a large group!

Here the tallest person..Eric is putting up a Santa hat so people will know where to go.

Park Royal in the background.  A quiet area which suits us.

Marilyn and Marion in their "babushka" Santa hats😂...Aren't they cute!

Helene on the left and Connie with Mitzi.

Quite a few of us this year. 19 ....I think.

Lots of visiting while we have happy hour.

Connie and Helene.

Doug kneeling.

Longtime friends Dennis,  Manny and Eric.  Dennis just had successful corrective neck surgery here in Mexico.

Looking north.

Carol managed to get a guy passing by to take our photo.

Whoops..no Carol.

A few of us.  This is what "old timers" look like when they winter in Mexico!

There we are.  We're missing Helene's husband Hal who had to come late.  The picture was a bit tight but we all squeezed in.

Pat chatting to Marion and Marilyn.

Connie and Mitzi.  Mitzi is so tiny and doesn't have much hair so she's cuddled up.

Manny chatting to Marilyn.

Manny took the "wear something red memo" seriously...even his underwear is red😃

Manny and Frank.

I was trying to take a picture of Marion taking a picture😉

Steffi,  Helene, Pat and Pam.

Robert and Steffi just arrived in the RV park.

Hilarious photo..Eric and Randal are tall but the camera made their legs look like giraffe legs!

Cloudy but warm and this family is enjoying the evening.

The sun is getting ready to set and everything takes on a glow.

Hal and Helene.

Eric and Connie.

Some headed to the water for more photos.

The clouds make the sunset spectacular!

Looking south.

Frank wanted to be in the beach picture so...here he is!

Dennis and Eric.

Down goes the sun.

Richard.

A group of us on the beach.

Happy😊

A picture of me taking a picture😂 Doug beside me.

Hello all !  Doug, me, Carol, Pam, Steffi, Robert, Marion, Richard,Hal, Pat and Helene.

By 5:30 we were all done and ready to head home.  Great fun.  Thanks for organizing us Carol!

I forgot to post the Nutcracker Ballet😳

 It's been years since I've gone to the Nutcracker ballet here in Mazatlan.  Linda and I went downtown a few weeks ago to get tickets for us and Ruth but there was very few left.  A popular Christmas ballet.

We were off on the bus at 5pm so we could have dinner before the 8pm performance.  We arrived at he Topolo restaurant at 6pm after a crowded, convoluted bus ride downtown.  It was the weekend of the huge marathon and streets were blocked off everywhere.

We three. It is restaurant with lovely ambiance, excellent waiters and good food.  

We shared two entrées and there was plenty to eat.

A couple of drinks, some chat and dinner.

Dec 1st was the first night the Plazuela Machado was lit up for Christmas.

Beautiful and very busy.

It's been really warm here so the evening was just lovely.

Teatro Angela Peralta.

All decorated for Christmas.

It is a lovely old, restored theater.  

Ruth looks surprised about something😊

The orchestra pit.

Eric and I come to the theater over the winter and usually sit in the first balcony.  This was the only place we could get three seats together, second balcony but our view was obstructed by the lights.  I wasn't happy about this but how would you know ahead of time.

I managed to crop the lights out of some photos.

The performance was wonderful as usual.

The ballet was lovely as always and it was almost a full house.  The next day, Saturday and there was not an empty seat.

We managed to get a pulmonia home and it's a ways home to Cerritos.  About 18km.  It was a lovely evening.

My rather bad selfie😃

Along the malecon which runs beside the ocean and there were people everywhere.  I'm never out at night and I was amazed at how many people were on the streets everywhere.  

A lovely evening with the ladies😊

First Ladies Lunch and we started with Panchos on the Beach.

 

We're a bit slow getting started this season and there are a few reasons.  Number one has been the heat and humidity and also everyone seems to be busy.  Also, it takes a while for people to all get here and some have been sick.  Today we were to be 11 and we ended up with six which is a good number for chatting.

Pancho's has become our go-to first lunch of the season. Lovely venue, excellent service and good food.  Always a good choice.

They start you with complimentary chips and salsa along with marlin stuffed jalapeños.  The camera made that a really tall beer bottle!

From the left Susie, Marilyn, Cathy, Sandi and Linda.

From the ocean side with me included.

                             Isn't that pretty!

We're in the Golden Zone or zona dorado where there are lots of hotels, shopping and restaurants.

A favorite avocado shrimp salad for me and a couple of others.

Susie looks suspicious but...she wasn't 😉

Shrimp Caesar salad for Linda.

Marilyn had a chicken Caesar as did Cathy.

Her's came last!

We started with appetizers and drinks, moved on to lunch and finished up with the small complimentary kahlua and milk.  Lots of laughter and good chat between long time friends...what more can you ask for😊

The decor in Pancho's is colorful and very Mexican.

The ladies are on the other side of this cabinet.

On our way to the street and the alleyway is lined with small shops with jewelry and anything else a tourist might want.  We've all been coming to Mazatlan for so long that not much of this is interesting to us. Most of us were off to catch the bus home.  Another very warm day and we were ready to go.

A very enjoyable first ladies lunch!

This and that!

 It's now Dec 1st and we've been here for three weeks.  The temperature has finally dropped and we are much more comfortable.  I'm slowly getting the house cleaned up and we're feeling more at home. 

Last Saturday was chili night at our house and we had fun.

Good food, friends and family.

Eric and I sat at the counter and Frank/Sandi, Dennis/Marilyn and Ian and Linda were at the table.

Last week Eric saw something on our outside wall.  At first glance he thought it was a bat as it was so large.  At least a six inches wing span. A black witch moth I think...not a good omen in Mexico if it gets into your house!

Tree trimming time.  One guy trims the bottom and sides with a gas powered trimmer and Rueben trims the tops with a machete! A huge job as there are a hundred plus trees in the complex.  

I finally started walking this week and here I'm heading to the overpass over the canal. 

From the top of the bridge looking north.

Still pretty and green.

Almost home and you can see the pile of dirt where they've dug up the new walking path to add more services for the thousands of condo units being built at this end of town.  Everything is dug up everywhere right now!

Tranquil in our complex most of the time😉

We decided to run the dehumidifier this winter to see if it would keep the mold from forming on the ceilings.  Cooking with propane generates lots of moisture as does the dishwasher, showers and laundry.  The A/C units dehumidify but they aren't running much now. The water in the bucket is from less than 48 hours!

Eric will put the hose back in the downstairs bathroom and the water  will drain away like it did all summer.  The dehumidifier is set to 65% which is not very low.

Eric has been out on his new motorcycle a few times and now the small bikes are waving because he's not on the Harley!

Tonight Ruth, Linda and I are going out for dinner at Topolo downtown and then... the "Nutcracker" ballet!  It's been a few years since I've been and it was hard to get tickets.  Should be a lovely evening😊