Juan putting in laja rock floor on patio

We started by getting rid of all the shell we so painstakingly brought in buckets for our patio...then Juan built the garden bardito...then we dug up a few inches of sand and levelled out the floor area with a slight drop towards the blowhole. Then the fun began this afternoon with choosing and placing the laja rock.

cheap labour

Bob H's amigo Shami helped bring rocks in too...and ya don't have to ply him with tecates!

puzzle pieces

the fun part is piecing together the puzzle...it goes fast with peices this big! It's tecate time now so work will resume tomorow as Juan can't work caracol due to the large swell the last few days. Is this rock called flagstone in english?

Shari, the Piso de Piedra Laja is looking good.

I cant wait to see what Jaun is going to do next

Excellent price Shari!

We pay 4 times more than that (when we're lucky to get it)for a load that fills up an 8ft truck bed about half way. Our "suppliers" have to excavate and carry , or put the pieces on a burro down the hillside. Well, at least that's what they've told us, but I tend to believe them

Then it's a 30 mile slow trip (bottoming out freqently) down the terraceria to make delivery. Considering the labor involved, I sometimes wince, but can't complain about the price.

One rock man in particular is the most motivated and possibly ingenious salesman. He had his entire family with him on a delivery once when they were in town for "San Juanico days". With him were some brothers and nephews, and he was very proud to introduce his esposa, and son in his best cowboy hat, and daughter in her finest frilly dress. Cuter than sin, those kids are!

Since then, whenever his son or daughter "needs shoes or school stuff" or he "needs a new transmission" etc , he'll collect a truck full of laja and just appear at our gate looking dirty and pooped-out from his laborious excavation.

He knows I love the stuff and needless to say, even though I don't have any stone projects currently, my stockpile of laja keeps growing. The times I haven't had enough cash on hand he'll say "that's ok, you can pay me the rest next time". Hmmm... one smart cookie!

You've got some beautiful, big pieces there and the makings of a lovely patio to match your walls.

rock dreams

Ah Dulce...I see you are slowly becoming mexicana...nearly all mexican homes and lots have a nice pile of rocks...you can never have too much rock! We have several piles here and there. We are fortunate to have a nice red rock mesa close by and laja hill a bit further, but you can drive to it.
NOw, just to let you know Juan isn't sluffing off today, here is the latest patio picture as of noon today...
nice to hear from you Sunny...Shami wants to play with your dog now that she's her size! She's tied up at the moment so we don't have paw prints in the cement!
It's a gorgeous day here today...no wind yet, sunny and the swell is going down to about 6.5' today but still lovely.
Juan is getting antsy as there are rafts of birds just off the island meaning FISH!!! I'm gonna hide the binoculars so he keeps working on the patio!

Truly is very lovely. I'm sooooo homesick

work slows down

Well, Juan's half way now...work slowed down the last couple days as Juan's helper went back to diving for sargasso as the swell & wind has gone down a bit. But he's pluggin away at it solo...anyone wanna come and mix cement in a wheelbarrow and carry rock...something like those popular "chop wood, carry water" programs!!
Tomorrow Juan has to work sargasso too and then Sunday is party day..Dia del Padre...AND voting day for our new mayor...it will be a very close race between 3 popular hombres...then to top it off, there is a big horse race in the afternoon....whew...lots of tecate's to be swilled.

Saluda a Juan, Shari, and tell him he is doing a wonderful job. Maybe someday I will shoot down from El Rosario for a couple of days and we can play and sing the 4 or 5 Ranchera songs I know.

shari,It's looking good.

And we could get Kevin to play the sax again

I am patiently waiting for the official (when Juan says so) opening of Asunsion YELLOWTAIL SEASON. Sounds like a good excuse for a big Nonmad fiesta.
So please let Jaun troll through the birds!
I'm still trying to get to Bola for there season. I figure another week is better anyway. I'll fish with Jose Rosas for sure. And I'm going to the big island this time too!
So just put one of your excellent yellowtail pictures up and I'll be there.
Where shall I stay? I need private quarters( you, know incase I get "lucky").