Lynda L. Lock's Blog, page 21

It’s a sweet, sweet life living by the salty-sea – unless it’s metal!!

Still standing 2010.    
A formerly intricate statue lay in a pile of unrecognizable rust. 
We had first seen the still upright-structure in September 2010, when we visited the sculpture garden located at the southern tip of Isla Mujeres Mexico.Reading the plaques at the base of each statue we had noted the artists were from various European countries as well as Mexico.  In 2010 many of the statues had weathered the abuse of salt, water, and wind but two or three had already collapsed. 

Same statue - September 2018

From what I remember, the garden was created a few years earlier with the intention of the showcasing metal sculptures the first year, wooden statues the second year, glass creations the third year. But according to my local source the original artists didn’t get paid and the entire project came to an abrupt halt.A few weeks ago I decided to take Sparky for a walk, and see how the sculptures were holding up. Not well in many cases.
Sparky - September 2018Neither have the wooden railings that line the pathway leading down to the famous, if somewhat battered sign declaring the location as the most eastern point in Mexico. This is the first place in Mexico the rising sun strikes. The location where still-partying New Year’s Eve revelers toast the dawn of the new-year.I have many photographs of the railings, painted a brilliant turquoise blue, then black, and then a muddy brown. Now the railing are almost non-existent, broken or missing altogether.  
Punta Sur railings - 2012This is Mexico. You are responsible for your own actions. You can’t sue anyone if you get hurt.  I repeatedly remind visiting family members not to lean on railings, any railings, there is no guarantee that they will hold your weight.  The inside of the wooden railings could be hollowed out by termite infestations, but painted to look pretty. This country’s safety standards are somewhere back in the 1940’s or 50’s as far as most North Americans are concerned. In a weird way I find it refreshing as opposed to the over-protective, litigation-prone society that we left behind.  September 2018 - statue gardenThe southern tip of the island is also famous for two more things – it is the highest area in the exceptionally flat State of Quintana Roo, and it has an authentic Mayan ruin probably used as a lighthouse or watchtower structure. The centuries old ruin has survived storms, salt, and water far better than the modern day metal sculptures.
May 2018 - Mayan ruin in background
















~
Isla Mujeres Mystery series
A big thank you to one of my favourite authors, Jinx Schwartz for her review of Tormenta Isla, Book #3 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series: Click here to purchase
Jinx SchwartzAuthor @JinxSchwartz  Click here to connect to Jinx
RecommendedReasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed Easy-to-read Entertaining Page-turner
Photo credit - Linda MaddenTormenta Isla:Murder and mayhem on a tiny island in paradise (Isla Mujeres Mystery Book 3) Lynda L. Lock.
Crime Fiction, Action And Adventure
A mysterious disappearance of a local man and the looming threat of hurricanes headed towards the peaceful Caribbean island of Isla Mujeres create havoc in the lives of Jessica and her rescue mutt, Sparky.Available on Amazon, Nook, Kobo, iBooks and paperback here on the island or via Amazon.

Paradise Lost - Lawrie Lock March 3rd 1942 - September 3rd 2018

Lawrie and I smooching at Sergio'sLawrie discovered as a teenager that dancing was the best way to make a girl fall in love!
Anne Murray: Could I have this dance for the rest of my life?
We danced to this song on our wedding day

I'll always remember, the song they were playing
The first time we danced, and I knew
As we swayed to the music, and held to each other
I fell in love with you
Could I have this dance, for the rest of my life
Could you be my partner, every night
When we're together, it feels so right
Could I have this dance for the rest of my life
I'll always remember, that magic moment
When I held you close, to me
As we moved together, I knew forever
You're all I'll ever need
Could I have this dance, for the rest of my life
Could you be my partner, every night
When we're together, it feels so right
Could I have this dance, for the rest of my life


Lawrie dancing with the carnival troupe Elmo-Lawrie dancing and waving at local kids




Lawrie and daughter-in-law Maia


Michelle Wright - another favourite
I just realized tonight
You're not like all the others
Till now I never wanted love I only wanted lovers
Now me and you have things to do
And no time to be wrong
'cause life is just a circle and the circle ain't that long

You get one time around
One roll of the dice
One walk through the garden
One quick look at life
The time that you lose
Can never be found
The world keeps turning
You get one time around
You get one time around

Lawrie and his sister Linda Grierson Brother in law Richard and Lawrie John (Travolta) Lawrie Lock 

Dance on my love, dance on!

Mi romance de cuarenta años con Lawrie Lock (Spanish version of yesterday's blog post)

Normalmente se considera el paraíso como un lugar.
Para mí, el paraíso es una persona; mi esposo, compañero de aventura, viajero por el  mundo, amante y mi mejor amigo – Lawrie Lock. Nos conocimos en Junio del 1975, y para 1978, estaba completamente enamorada, mucho antes que él si diera cuenta que yo era mujer.
Estoy flotando en nuestra alberca de Isla Mujeres mientras planeo este artículo en mi mente, estoy mirando a Lawrie durmiendo en la recamara recientemente construida en la planta baja. Él está en la etapa final de “Rapid Onset ALS” o “Lou Gehrig’s Disease,” una enfermedad horrible que apareció en su cuerpo al final del año 2017.
´El está descansando en su cama estilo hospital que  se ajusta eléctricamente. Este hombre que ha tenido un rango de carreras diversas y negocios, es casi incapaz, solamente tiene el uso extremamente limitado de su brazo derecho. Su habilidad para hablar está disminuyendo rápidamente aunque su mente está activa y agudo todavía. También tiene dificultad para tragar. Su maldito cuerpo no hará caso a su mente. Sparky, Lawrie y Max disfrutando un abrazo en el patio
 Construimos esta casa con las recamaras arriba nunca considerando que uno de nosotros no podría subir la escalera de caracol de 19 escalones al segundo piso.  Estuvimos muy orgullosos de poder subir y bajar la escalera una docena de veces o mas – haciendo cosas de la casa – sin cansarnos ni quejarnos de las articulaciones.
Nuestra recamara grande del segundo piso con su terraza amplia cubierta con techo de palapa fue nuestro escondite, nuestro nido.
Fue un lugar para disfrutar la belleza del Mar Caribe para platicar acerca de nuestro día , o quizás solo disfrutar una copa de vino y la comodidad familiar de estar cerca uno al otro. Hemos compartido este patio con nuestros gatos y perros; Tommy, Chica, Sparky, Perla, and Max.

 El lado de la familia de LawrieJohn Lawrie Lock nació el 3 de Marzo 1942 en Winnipeg Manitoba. Ha vivido la mayor parte de su vida en Columbia Británica.

Cada persona que conoce a Lawrie, mantiene una parte diferente de este hombre en su corazón - todos con memorias diferentes de cada etapa de su vida.


Sus padres John y Evelyn Lock, hermanos Linda Grierson y Richard Lock y sus familias.
Su hijo amoroso John, nietos Ethan, Evan, Caitlin y nuera Maia. La familia de mi hermana Val 
Mis hermanas y sus familias en conjunto con las familias mezcladas de sobrinos y sobrinas, sobrinos nietos, sobrinas nietas.
Los viejos amigos, algunos a quienes Lawrie ha conocido desde que tenía 15 años. Los compañeros del trabajo que valoran su amistad y su perspectiva optimista de la vida.
Y los nuevos amigos que hemos descubierto desde  que nos mudamos a Isla Mujeres.
Cada persona piensa en imágenes diferentes de este hombre increíble con una sonrisa gigante.
Él tiene la habilidad para hacerte sentir que eres importante, que tus opiniones importan. Que tu eres su amigo.
Francia, Un tour de Europa en un Aston Martin Algunos lo recordarán como un hombre de carros, un hombre obsesionado con los carros clásicos, especialmente los carros temperamentales ingleses como los Aston Martin, Austin-Healey, Jaguar, Bently, y Triumph.
Otros lo recordarán como un voluntario bombero dedicado y asistente de ambulancia sirviendo por diecisiete años en Bowen Island en Columbia Británica.


Jefe de bomberos Lawrie Lock Bowen IslandÉl fue Jefe de bomberos por los últimos seis años antes de mudarnos a la ciudad de Vancouver. Él también fue el representante del área para el Distrito Regional de Gran Vancouver a mediados de los años 1976 y el presiente para la cámara de comercio varias veces.
Algunas de sus multiples carreras incluyendo ser gerente  de algunas tiendas de negocios de la familia como Blink Bonnie Cosmetics, y Sight & Sound. Sight and Sound vendía instrumentos musicales, discos (sí 45’s y LPs), cámaras y televisiones. Sus familiares y él conocieron a celebridades como Bob Lummin, Conway Twitty, Ike and Tina Turner Bobby Curtola, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, Lulu, April Stevens and Nino Tempo, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, John Gary, Santiago. (Las estrellas muy famosas a mediados de los 1960. Chécalos en sus celulares inteligentes.)
También Lawrie fue el representante de ventas para Panasonic por la mayor parte de Columbia Británica a principios de 1970. Y trabajó para la compañía que cesó su actividad actualmente la tienda departamental Woodwards.  

En Prince George, él estaba encargado de la construcción y las operaciones de la mueblería Ron Newson.
Se mudó a Bowen Island en 1974 con su primera esposa Pat e hijo joven y era el agente en Chevron Oil y el encargado de la gasolinera en Bowen Island.
Cuando nos juntamos a principios del año 1980, él inmediatamente pensó en varios nuevos negocios para que empecemos.
Bajo del nombre Snug Cove Enterprises, éramos dueños de Rusty Duck Antiques, Howe Sound Freight, y un mini-almacén. Glen Wolfe fue el encargado del servicio de reparaciones de autos en nuestra propiedad rentada cerca del estacion de bomberos.
Lynda manejando el camión de Rusty Duck AntiquesMe junté con el departamento de bomberos de Bowen Island en 1980 como la primera, y la única bombera  hasta ahora.  ¡Nadie iba a pelear con Lawrie sobre mi participación al departamento porque el era un trabajador por mucho tiempo del departamento!
También obtuvimos contratos del Distrito Regional de Gran Vancouver por la colección municipal de basura en adición al contrato por el mantenimiento y desarrollo de Crippen Regional Park.
¡Sí, es correcto! Él y yo con un empleado mas, incluyendo a su hijo John durante sus vacaciones del verano, levantamos los botes de basura por 8 años en Bowen Island.
Mil paradas cada lunes por ocho años. ¡Con sol, lluvia, granizo o nieve!
Mientras los amigos adolescentes del hijo de Lawrie estaban disfrutando sus vacaciones muy tranquilas, el hijo John aprendió a manejar camiones grandes de basura, tractores cortagama y un barco de carga Sealander.
Lawrie también fue el gerente del proyecto para la nueva primaria de Bowen Island en ese entonces y completó otro proyecto grande de una escuela en Telegraph Creek en el norte congelado de la Columbia Británica en 1980.

En su tiempo “libre” a Lawrie le gustaba restaurar y pintar los carros clásicos como una manera de relajarse. Una vez, nos sentamos con un lapicero y papel intentando de hacer una lista, incluyendo la marca, el modelo y el año de los vehículos que tenía, pero nos rendimos cuando el numero total alcanzó las centenas.
En los años antes de las llaves con alarmas (para indicar donde está el carro) muchas veces saldríamos de un centro comercial perplejos en el estacionamiento preguntándonos que vehículo manejábamos ese día. ¿Un carro? ¿Un camión? ¿Un SUV? ¿Qué color? ¿Qué marca?

John and TR6John heredó un poco del amor para los carros de su papá, siendo dueño de unos carros interesantes cuando era adolescente, un Chevy de 1955, una Barracuda, un Buick convertible grande y negro y un Triumph deportivo rojo TR6. 
Ahora John prefiere montar las motocicletas de Harely Davidson en vez de los carros. (No estoy segura quien está mas loco, Papá o hijo.)

En Vancouver, mientras yo era la supervisora del Centro de Control SkyTrain, Lawrie y yo decidimos vender nuestras varias compañías  en Bowen Island.
Entonces, él intentó su primera vez para jubilarse.
Su jubilación duró exactamente 26 días antes de que estuviera super aburrido y me estaba volviendo loca.
Luego, él consiguió un trabajo con Air Limo manejando una limusina gigante gris. El vehículo muy largo fue demasiado grande y pesado para los frenos. Lawrie siempre era un conductor muy bueno, anticipando problemas antes de que pasaran pero a veces ese maldito carro fue muy problemático.
Él me ha dicho un montón de historias cómicas que podrían llenar un libro sobre personas regulares celebrando eventos especiales incluyendo las travesuras de varias celebridades, conductores de carreras, estrellas del cine y músicos. Es un libro que no era una prioridad mientras lidiamos su crisis de salud.
Desde Vancouver, nos mudamos al interior de Columbia Britántica, al Valle Okanagan, cuando empezó a ser famoso por el vino, vino verdaderamente extraordinariamente malo.  Actualmente el valle tiene mas de cuatrocientas bodegas, algunas que consistentemente ganan premios internacionales.
15,000 galletas para los huéspedes!Mientras vivíamos en la región de Okanagan empezamos un boutique premiado Castle Rock Bed and Breakfast, sirviendo desayunos muy grandes de cualquier cosa que querían los huéspedes y regalándoles galletas horneadas cada día. Él era el master chef. Mientras yo era la mesera torpe que olvidaba todo, momentos cómicos.
Cuando su hermana Linda y cuñado Richard Grierson se mudaron al Valle Okanagan en 1994 nosotros 4 empezamos la cervecería Tin Whistle Brewing Company, que actualmente existe todavía, preparando “ales” del estilo de Inglaterra.
Junto con Lawrie, contratamos a su hijo John y al sobrino Jim Stansfield para ser nuestros representantes de ventas para nuestros productos. Richard, Linda, Lawrie y yo hicimos todo que teníamos que hacer: la contabilidad, preparando la cerveza, embotellando, la venta de la tienda, publicidad, limpieza, pedidos, festivales de cerveza, pruebas de tiendas de licor, y, y, y… Hasta que sus padres de ochenta años estaban pegando las etiquetas en las botellas.
Ales mas Kiler Bee en adición a Durazno y CremaPara promocionar nuestra cervecería asistimos al Festival de Cerveza en Victoria en 1995. Lawrie estaba tan emocionado sobre el evento que le sugirió a nuestra buena amiga Donna Briggs que Penticton necesitaba un festival de cerveza. 

Donna y Lawrie combinaron sus energías y realizaron la idea. Lawrie estaba en la junta directiva por varios años.
La junta directiva que es muy capaz permite que siga el festival año tras año. El Festival de Ale Okanagan está celebrando su festival numero veintidós o veintitrés.
Lawrie limpiando los drenajes en la cerveceríaEventualmente, nos dimos cuenta de que ser dueños de una cervecería fue una experiencia de aprendizaje muy intensa, con muchísimo trabajo físico. Físicamente, movimos, cargamos, y cambiamos de lugar muchas  toneladas de grano y botellas y barriles. Nosotros, los 4 socios Lawrie, Richard, Linda y yo, teníamos entre los finales de los cuarentas hasta a mediados de los cincuentas. ¿Qué diablos estábamos pensando? Por fin, nos pusimos inteligentes y vendimos la compañía en 1998 a su dueño actual.

Todavía Lawrie no pudo aceptar la jubilación, así que su próxima carrera era ser gerente de restaurantes en el área de Penticton. Primero fue Villa Rosa, luego lo contrataron para ser gerente de Magnum’s on the Lake, y finalmente lo contrataron para ser el gerente general de Hillside Estate Winery y The Bistro en el distrito de vino actualmente famoso de Narmata Bench.
Mientras él estaba ocupado con los restaurantes, regresé a la industria de hospitalidad, siendo gerente en los hoteles.
El ultimo trabajo de Lawrie fue en 2008. Era el Director de Operaciones para una urbanización de condos y hotel, el Skaha Beac Club que fue propuesto para la parte del sur de Penticton. Entonces, la crisis económica llegó a los Estados Unidos y los fondos para los proyectos desaparecieron por todo el mundo.

Estuvimos en México en ese entonces disfrutando 3 meses sabáticos de nuestros trabajos en Canadá, experimentando la vida en nuestra nueva casa de la playa.
Septiembre 2007- Patricio Yam, las llaves de nuestra casa
Él recibió una llamada de su jefe que era un buen amigo también.
“No tengas prisa para regresar a Canadá.” El hombre dijo, “Mi proyecto está muerto. Diviértete y regresa cuando estés  listo.”
Nos encogimos de hombros, no estábamos preocupados. Él tenía 67, yo tenía 58. No teníamos deudas.
Regresamos a Canadá el 10 de Marzo, saliendo de un país soleado y caloroso, llegando a nieve hasta las rodillas.
Lawrie me miró y dijo, “Por qué estamos haciendo esto?”
“¡No lo sé!” repliqué con una sonrisa grande.
Agosto 2018-Lawrie y John compartiendo un buen single malteY aquí estamos. Durante los últimos cuarenta años hemos viajado entre treinta y cuatro y treinta y cinco países – dependiendo de quien está contando.
Tenemos familias fuertes y amorosas y amistadas profundas de apoyo que me sostendrán a pesar del hueco grande y negro que me dejará en mi universo por su fallecimiento eventual.



Amaré a este hombre hasta mi ultimo respiro.
Paris con el hombre a quien amo
“La vida no es un viaje a la tumba con la intención de llegar a salvo en un cuerpo bonito y bien conservado, sino más bien patinar al costado, completamente agotado, totalmente desgastado, y proclamar en voz alta: ¡WOW-- ¡Qué paseo! "

My forty-year love affair with Lawrie Lock (March 3rd 1942 - Sept 3rd 2018)

Lawrie and Sparky - before the ALS appeared.   (When I first wrote this article he was still alive although struggling with the rapid progression of his disease: Rapid Onset ALS. He left us on Monday September 3rd 2018.)

Paradise is normally considered to be a place. 

For me paradise is a person; my husband, adventure partner, world-traveler, lover and best friend - Lawrie Lock. We met in June of 1975, and by 1978 I was heart-over-head in love, long before he even realized I was a female.

While I plan this article in my mind I am floating in our swimming pool on Isla Mujeres, looking back at Lawrie sleeping in our recently built main-floor bedroom. He is in the final stages of Rapid Onset ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a horrific disease that first appeared in his body late in 2017. 

He is resting in a hospital-style electrically adjustable bed. This man who has had a diverse range of careers and businesses is almost helpless with extremely limited use of just his right arm. His ability to speak is rapidly diminishing although his mind is still active and sharp. He also has difficulty swallowing. His damn body just won't listen to his brain.
Sparky, Lawrie and Max enjoying a cuddle on the deck

We built this house with the bedrooms upstairs never considering that either one of us wouldn't be able to navigate the nineteen-step winding staircase to the second floor. We took great pride in being able to zip up and down the stairs a dozen or more times a day - doing household stuff - without any shortness of breath or joint complaints.

Our large upper-floor bedroom with its and spacious palapa-covered patio was our secret little hide-away, our nest. 

It was a place to enjoy the beauty of the Caribbean Sea, to chat about our day, or perhaps just enjoy a glass of wine and the familiar comfort of being close to one another. We have shared this deck with our various cats and dogs; Tommy, Chica, Sparky, Perla and Max. 


2015 - Lawrie's side of the familyBorn John Lawrie Lock March 3rd 1942, in Winnipeg Manitoba he has lived most of his life in British Columbia.  

Each person who knows Lawrie holds a different part of this man in their hearts - all carrying different memories from each stage of his life. 




His parents  John and Evelyn Lock, siblings Linda Grierson and Richard Lock and their families. 

His loving son John, grand kids Ethan, Evan, Caitlin and daughter-in-law Maia. 

My sister's Val's family waiting to surprise her for her 75th
My sisters and their families plus the blended families of nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces. 

Old friends some whom Lawrie has known since he was 15. Work colleagues that value his friendship and upbeat attitude to life. 

And new friends we have discovered since our move to Isla Mujeres. 

Each person holds different images of this amazing man with the huge smile. 

He has the ability to make you feel that you are important, that your opinions matter. That you are his friend.
1991 - France, on Aston Martin tour of EuropeSome will remember him as a car-guy, a man obsessed with classic cars especially temperamental British vehicles like Aston Martins, Austin-Healeys, Jaguars, Bentleys, and Triumphs. 

Others will think of him as a dedicated volunteer fire-fighter and ambulance attendant serving for seventeen years on Bowen Island in British Columbia. 


Fire Chief Lawrie Lock Bowen Island
He was Fire Chief for the last six years before we moved into the city of Vancouver. He was also the area representative for the GVRD in the mid-1976's, and Chamber of Commerce president for several terms.

Some of his many careers included managing a couple of the stores in the family-owned companies such as Blink Bonnie Cosmetics, and Sight & Sound. Sight and Sound carried musical instruments, records (yep, 45's and LP's), cameras and televisions. He and his family members met personalities such as Bob Lummin, Conway Twitty, Ike and Tina Turner Bobby Curtola, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, Lulu, April Stevens and Nino Tempo, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, John Gary, Santiago. (Big name music stars from the mid-1960's. Check 'em on your smartphones.)


Sight and Sound with guest Herb Albert and Tijuana Brass
Lawrie was also the area sales representative for Panasonic for most of British Columbia in the early 1970's. And he worked for the now defunct Woodward's Department Stores. In Prince George he over-saw the building and operation of Ron Newson's furniture store.

Moving to Bowen Island in 1974 with his first wife Pat and young son John, he was the Chevron Oil agent, and Chevron gas station operator on Bowen Island. 

When we got together in early 1980 he immediately thought up a fistful of new businesses for us to start.


Lynda driving Rusty Duck Antiques delivery truckUnder the name of Snug Cove Enterprises we jointly owned Rusty Duck Antiques, Howe Sound Freight, and a mini storage. Glen Wolfe operated his vehicle repair service on our rental property located near the fire hall.

I joined the Bowen Island Fire Department in 1980 as the first, and to date, only female firefighter. As a long serving member of the department no one was going to argue with Lawrie about my inclusion as a firefighter!

We also held the GVRD contracts for municipal garbage collection as well as the contract for Crippen Regional Park maintenance and development. 


Lynda, Carl, and Lawrie Yep, that's right!  He and I and one other employee, plus son John during his summer holidays, humped garbage cans for eight years on Bowen Island. 

One thousand stops every single Monday for eight years. Sun rain, sleet or snow! 

As a teenager while his friends were lazily enjoying their summer holidays, son John learned to drive big garbage trucks, and swath-cutting lawn movers, and a Sealander freight boat.

Lawrie was also project manager for the then-brand-new Bowen Island elementary school, and completed another big school project in Telegraph Creek in the far-frozen north of British Columbia in 1980.


1948 MG TC In his spare time Lawrie liked to restore and paint classic cars as a way to unwind. We once sat down with a pen and paper trying to make a list, including make, model and year, of the vehicles he had owned but gave up when the total reached into the hundreds. 

In the years before remote key fobs many times we would exit a shopping centre and stare in bewilderment at the parking lot wondering what we were driving that day. A car? A truck? An SUV? What colour? What brand?  

John inherited a little of the car 'thing' owning a few interesting cars while still in his teens, a 1955 Chevy, a Barracuda, a big black Buick convertible, and a sporty little red Triumph TR6. John now prefers Harley Davidson Motorcycles instead. (I'm not sure who is crazier. Dad or son.)


John and his TR6In Vancouver, while I was the supervisor at the SkyTrain Control Centre, Lawrie and I decided to sell off our various Bowen Island companies. 

He then tried his first stint at retirement. 

His retirement lasted exactly twenty-six days before he was bored silly and driving me nuts.

He then hired on with Air Limo driving a huge grey  limousine. The stretched vehicle was too large and heavy for the braking system. Lawrie was always a good driver, anticipating problems before they happened but at times that damn car was a tense handful.

He has told me a book-full of funny stories of just regular people celebrating special events plus the antics of several well-known personalities, race car drivers, movie stars, and rock stars. It's a book idea that is on the back burner while we deal with his health crisis.


15,000 cookies for guests!From Vancouver we moved in 1992 to the interior of British Columbia, to the Okanagan Valley, when it was just beginning to become known for wine; admittedly extraordinarily bad wines. The valley now has in excess of four hundred wineries - some that consistently win international awards. 

While we lived in the Okanagan region we started the award-winning Castle Rock Bed and Breakfast, serving huge anything-you-want-breakfasts and sending our guests off each day with freshly baked cookies. He was the master chef. While I was the clumsy forgetful waitress; the comic relief. 


3 Ales + Killer Bee plus Peaches & Cream




When his sister Linda and brother-in-law Richard Grierson moved to the Okanagan Valley in 1994 the four of us created the still existing Tin Whistle Brewing Company, making British-style ales. 
Along with Lawrie we enlisted son John and nephew Jim Stansfield to be the sales reps for our products. Richard, Linda, Lawrie and I did whatever else needed doing: book keeping, brewing, bottling, store sales, marketing, cleaning, ordering, beer festivals, liquor store tastings, and, and, and.... We even had their eighty-year-old parents hand gluing neck labels on the bottles. 


Lawrie scrubbing out drains in breweryTo promote our new brewery we attended the annual Victoria Beer Festival in 1995. Lawrie was so enthused about the event he suggested to our good friend Donna Briggs that Penticton needed a beer festival. Donna and Lawrie combined their energies and got the idea off the ground. Lawrie remained on the board of directors for a number of years. 

The very capable board of directors keeps the festival ticking along year after year.  The Okanagan Fest of Ale, is celebrating its twenty-second or twenty-third festival.

We eventually realized that owning a micro-brewery was an intense learning experience, with tons of hard physical work.  We physically moved, carried, and shifted many metric tonnes of grain and bottles and kegs!  We, the four partners Lawrie, Richard, Linda and I, were in our late-forties and mid-fifties. What the hell we were thinking?  We finally got smart and sold the company in 1998 to its present owner. 


2000 Lawrie and I - Santa Claus for hotel staff partiesStill not able to cope with retirement Lawrie's next career was managing restaurants in the Pencticton area. First it was Villa Rosa, then he was hired away to manage Magnum's on the Lake, and finally he was hired as the general manager for Hillside Estate Winery and The Bistro on the now-famous wine district of the Narmata Bench. 

While he was occupied with restaurants I got back into the hospitality industry, managing hotels.


Sept 2007 - Patricio Yam, the keys to our casaLawrie's last job was in 2008. He was the Operations Director for the condo-hotel development the Skaha Beach Club that was proposed for the southern end of Penticton. Then the economic crisis hit the USA and funding dried up for projects world-wide. 

At the time we were in Mexico enjoying a three months sabbatical from our jobs in Canada, trying out life at our new casa on the beach. 

He got a phone call from his boss who was also a good friend. 

"Don't rush back to Canada." The man said, "My project is dead. Enjoy yourself and come back when you are ready."

We shrugged, we weren't concerned. He was 67, I was 58. We were debt free. 

We returned to Canada on March 10th, leaving a warm and sunny country, arriving to knee-deep snow.

Lawrie looked at me and said, "Why are we doing this?"

"I don't know!" I replied with a big grin.


August 2018 - Lawrie and John sharing good single malt And here we are. Over the past almost forty years we have traveled somewhere between thirty-four and thirty-five countries - depending on which one of us is doing the counting. 

We have strong loving families and deep supportive friendships that will sustain me despite the large black hole this man's eventual passing will leave in my universe.

We have loved deeply and lived an amazing adventure.  I'm not ready for it to be over, but his body says otherwise. He is slipping away a little more each day.

I will love this man until my last breath. 




2012 Paris with the man I love.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming:
                       WOW-- What a Ride!"



Attributed to Bill McKenna, Anonymous and in a Nissan ad.

My forty-year love affair with Lawrie Lock

Lawrie and Sparky - before the ALS appeared.   Paradise is normally considered to be a place. 

For me paradise is a person; my husband, adventure partner, world-traveler, lover and best friend - Lawrie Lock. We met in June of 1975, and by 1978 I was heart-over-head in love, long before he even realized I was a female.

While I plan this article in my mind I am floating in our swimming pool on Isla Mujeres, looking back at Lawrie sleeping in our recently built main-floor bedroom. He is in the final stages of Rapid Onset ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease, a horrific disease that first appeared in his body late in 2017. 

He is resting in a hospital-style electrically adjustable bed. This man who has had a diverse range of careers and businesses is almost helpless with extremely limited use of just his right arm. His ability to speak is rapidly diminishing although his mind is still active and sharp. He also has difficulty swallowing. His damn body just won't listen to his brain.
Sparky, Lawrie and Max enjoying a cuddle on the deck

We built this house with the bedrooms upstairs never considering that either one of us wouldn't be able to navigate the nineteen-step winding staircase to the second floor. We took great pride in being able to zip up and down the stairs a dozen or more times a day - doing household stuff - without any shortness of breath or joint complaints.

Our large upper-floor bedroom with its and spacious palapa-covered patio was our secret little hide-away, our nest. 

It was a place to enjoy the beauty of the Caribbean Sea, to chat about our day, or perhaps just enjoy a glass of wine and the familiar comfort of being close to one another. We have shared this deck with our various cats and dogs; Tommy, Chica, Sparky, Perla and Max. 


2015 - Lawrie's side of the familyBorn John Lawrie Lock March 3rd 1942, in Winnipeg Manitoba he has lived most of his life in British Columbia.  

Each person who knows Lawrie holds a different part of this man in their hearts - all carrying different memories from each stage of his life. 




His parents  John and Evelyn Lock, siblings Linda Grierson and Richard Lock and their families. 

His loving son John, grand kids Ethan, Evan, Caitlin and daughter-in-law Maia. 

My sister's Val's family waiting to surprise her for her 75th
My sisters and their families plus the blended families of nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces. 

Old friends some whom Lawrie has known since he was 15. Work colleagues that value his friendship and upbeat attitude to life. 

And new friends we have discovered since our move to Isla Mujeres. 

Each person holds different images of this amazing man with the huge smile. 

He has the ability to make you feel that you are important, that your opinions matter. That you are his friend.
1991 - France, on Aston Martin tour of EuropeSome will remember him as a car-guy, a man obsessed with classic cars especially temperamental British vehicles like Aston Martins, Austin-Healeys, Jaguars, Bentleys, and Triumphs. 

Others will think of him as a dedicated volunteer fire-fighter and ambulance attendant serving for seventeen years on Bowen Island in British Columbia. 


Fire Chief Lawrie Lock Bowen Island
He was Fire Chief for the last six years before we moved into the city of Vancouver. He was also the area representative for the GVRD in the mid-1976's, and Chamber of Commerce president for several terms.

Some of his many careers included managing a couple of the stores in the family-owned companies such as Blink Bonnie Cosmetics, and Sight & Sound. Sight and Sound carried musical instruments, records (yep, 45's and LP's), cameras and televisions. He and his family members met personalities such as Bob Lummin, Conway Twitty, Ike and Tina Turner Bobby Curtola, Stevie Wonder, Roy Orbison, Lulu, April Stevens and Nino Tempo, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass, John Gary, Santiago. (Big name music stars from the mid-1960's. Check 'em on your smartphones.)


Sight and Sound with guest Herb Albert and Tijuana Brass
Lawrie was also the area sales representative for Panasonic for most of British Columbia in the early 1970's. And he worked for the now defunct Woodward's Department Stores. In Prince George he over-saw the building and operation of Ron Newson's furniture store.

Moving to Bowen Island in 1974 with his first wife Pat and young son John, he was the Chevron Oil agent, and Chevron gas station operator on Bowen Island. 

When we got together in early 1980 he immediately thought up a fistful of new businesses for us to start.


Lynda driving Rusty Duck Antiques delivery truckUnder the name of Snug Cove Enterprises we jointly owned Rusty Duck Antiques, Howe Sound Freight, and a mini storage. Glen Wolfe operated his vehicle repair service on our rental property located near the fire hall.

I joined the Bowen Island Fire Department in 1980 as the first, and to date, only female firefighter. As a long serving member of the department no one was going to argue with Lawrie about my inclusion as a firefighter!

We also held the GVRD contracts for municipal garbage collection as well as the contract for Crippen Regional Park maintenance and development. 


Lynda, Carl, and Lawrie Yep, that's right!  He and I and one other employee, plus son John during his summer holidays, humped garbage cans for eight years on Bowen Island. 

One thousand stops every single Monday for eight years. Sun rain, sleet or snow! 

As a teenager while his friends were lazily enjoying their summer holidays, son John learned to drive big garbage trucks, and swath-cutting lawn movers, and a Sealander freight boat.

Lawrie was also project manager for the then-brand-new Bowen Island elementary school, and completed another big school project in Telegraph Creek in the far-frozen north of British Columbia in 1980.


1948 MG TC In his spare time Lawrie liked to restore and paint classic cars as a way to unwind. We once sat down with a pen and paper trying to make a list, including make, model and year, of the vehicles he had owned but gave up when the total reached into the hundreds. 

In the years before remote key fobs many times we would exit a shopping centre and stare in bewilderment at the parking lot wondering what we were driving that day. A car? A truck? An SUV? What colour? What brand?  

John inherited a little of the car 'thing' owning a few interesting cars while still in his teens, a 1955 Chevy, a Barracuda, a big black Buick convertible, and a sporty little red Triumph TR6. John now prefers Harley Davidson Motorcycles instead. (I'm not sure who is crazier. Dad or son.)


John and his TR6In Vancouver, while I was the supervisor at the SkyTrain Control Centre, Lawrie and I decided to sell off our various Bowen Island companies. 

He then tried his first stint at retirement. 

His retirement lasted exactly twenty-six days before he was bored silly and driving me nuts.

He then hired on with Air Limo driving a huge grey  limousine. The stretched vehicle was too large and heavy for the braking system. Lawrie was always a good driver, anticipating problems before they happened but at times that damn car was a tense handful.

He has told me a book-full of funny stories of just regular people celebrating special events plus the antics of several well-known personalities, race car drivers, movie stars, and rock stars. It's a book idea that is on the back burner while we deal with his health crisis.


15,000 cookies for guests!From Vancouver we moved in 1992 to the interior of British Columbia, to the Okanagan Valley, when it was just beginning to become known for wine; admittedly extraordinarily bad wines. The valley now has in excess of four hundred wineries - some that consistently win international awards. 

While we lived in the Okanagan region we started the award-winning Castle Rock Bed and Breakfast, serving huge anything-you-want-breakfasts and sending our guests off each day with freshly baked cookies. He was the master chef. While I was the clumsy forgetful waitress; the comic relief. 


3 Ales + Killer Bee plus Peaches & Cream




When his sister Linda and brother-in-law Richard Grierson moved to the Okanagan Valley in 1994 the four of us created the still existing Tin Whistle Brewing Company, making British-style ales. 
Along with Lawrie we enlisted son John and nephew Jim Stansfield to be the sales reps for our products. Richard, Linda, Lawrie and I did whatever else needed doing: book keeping, brewing, bottling, store sales, marketing, cleaning, ordering, beer festivals, liquor store tastings, and, and, and.... We even had their eighty-year-old parents hand gluing neck labels on the bottles. 


Lawrie scrubbing out drains in breweryTo promote our new brewery we attended the annual Victoria Beer Festival in 1995. Lawrie was so enthused about the event he suggested to our good friend Donna Briggs that Penticton needed a beer festival. Donna and Lawrie combined their energies and got the idea off the ground. Lawrie remained on the board of directors for a number of years. 

The very capable board of directors keeps the festival ticking along year after year.  The Okanagan Fest of Ale, is celebrating its twenty-second or twenty-third festival.

We eventually realized that owning a micro-brewery was an intense learning experience, with tons of hard physical work.  We physically moved, carried, and shifted many metric tonnes of grain and bottles and kegs!  We, the four partners Lawrie, Richard, Linda and I, were in our late-forties and mid-fifties. What the hell we were thinking?  We finally got smart and sold the company in 1998 to its present owner. 


2000 Lawrie and I - Santa Claus for hotel staff partiesStill not able to cope with retirement Lawrie's next career was managing restaurants in the Pencticton area. First it was Villa Rosa, then he was hired away to manage Magnum's on the Lake, and finally he was hired as the general manager for Hillside Estate Winery and The Bistro on the now-famous wine district of the Narmata Bench. 

While he was occupied with restaurants I got back into the hospitality industry, managing hotels.


Sept 2007 - Patricio Yam, the keys to our casaLawrie's last job was in 2008. He was the Operations Director for the condo-hotel development the Skaha Beach Club that was proposed for the southern end of Penticton. Then the economic crisis hit the USA and funding dried up for projects world-wide. 

At the time we were in Mexico enjoying a three months sabbatical from our jobs in Canada, trying out life at our new casa on the beach. 

He got a phone call from his boss who was also a good friend. 

"Don't rush back to Canada." The man said, "My project is dead. Enjoy yourself and come back when you are ready."

We shrugged, we weren't concerned. He was 67, I was 58. We were debt free. 

We returned to Canada on March 10th, leaving a warm and sunny country, arriving to knee-deep snow.

Lawrie looked at me and said, "Why are we doing this?"

"I don't know!" I replied with a big grin.


August 2018 - Lawrie and John sharing good single malt And here we are. Over the past almost forty years we have traveled somewhere between thirty-four and thirty-five countries - depending on which one of us is doing the counting. 

We have strong loving families and deep supportive friendships that will sustain me despite the large black hole this man's eventual passing will leave in my universe.

We have loved deeply and lived an amazing adventure.  I'm not ready for it to be over, but his body says otherwise. He is slipping away a little more each day.

I will love this man until my last breath. 




2012 Paris with the man I love.
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body,but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming:
                       WOW-- What a Ride!"



Attributed to Bill McKenna, Anonymous and in a Nissan ad.

We’re signing off - with heartfelt thanks to everyone.

Us - a long time ago, 1980!    It is time for us to take a break.

Our weekly blog Notes From Paradise started as an email sent in June 2009 to twelve members of our immediate families.   
Over the next two years the list of followers grew to 500, and then in September of 2011 we switched over to an internet blog page. 
We have had almost 630,000 page views, since 2011.  About a year ago we changed the name to Notes From Isla Mujeres Mexico, to make it easier for new readers to find us.

Hacienda Mundaca ParkWe’ve written blog posts highlighting the island’s intriguing history and the enchanting Mexican culture. 
We’ve introduced ourselves to many of the old-time islanders to listen to and to recount their fascinating stories. 
We've traveled to several cities in Mexico and written about their history, culture, and attractions. 
Izamal near Merida 
We've described the lavish and laughter-filled quinceaños, weddings, and the baby's first birthday-baptism parties.

We’ve narrated some of our more memorable experiences like watching the chaotic Carnaval parades, or trying to stay awake for the New Year’s Eve bash in Centro only to be outlasted by the three-year-olds. 
We have written several times about being Mickey and Minnie Mouse in both the annual the Christmas Golf Cart parade and the Day of the Kings festivities. Putting happy grins on the kid’s faces is the best reward.
Mickey, Minnie and Sparky 
We've bragged about Isla’s sugar white beaches and the endless sun, and then grumbled about tropical storms and hurricanes. 
We’ve written about swimming with whale sharks, the sea turtles nesting on our beach, helping friends rescue a trapped mama turtle, the roaming crocodile, and our lounge of lizards lounging in our backyard. 
(Apparently a group of iguanas hanging out is called a lounge of lizards. I love that expression!)
We have promoted many of Isla’s hardworking charity groups, such as Isla Animals, HALO (Helpling Animals Living Overseas, Isla Has Talent, the diabeties clinic, the free dental clinic, Helmets for Kids, Ruben’s Kids, Plogging for Isla – exercise and trash pickup – and many more.
If we liked a new business or restaurant we happily gave them a free ‘plug’ in the blog. Neither one of us ever asked for anything – no discounts, no freebies, nothing. We enjoy the successes of our fellow islanders.
We were told several times that we should ‘monetize’ our blog and make some cash off of the advertisements, but quite honestly we couldn’t be bothered with writing articles that pleased our advertisers. 
We wrote what interested us. We did however try Goggle Ads, and are happy to report that in total we made about $109.00 in revenue!  Woo-hoo! Impressive!
 The Adventures of Thomas the CatThe discipline of writing a weekly article has given me (Lynda) the confidence to self-publish four books. My first book was a bilingual book for children, The Adventures of Thomas the Cat, followed by the three Isla Mujeres Mystery series, Treasure Isla, Trouble Isla and Tormenta Isla. Book #4 Temptation Isla will hopefully be launched late in 2018.
And we’ve tormented our family and friends with being included, photos and all, in many of our weekly ramblings. We have had hundreds of people tell us they really enjoyed reading our weekly articles, but we are signing off with this post.

We would like to thank our families, friends, and faithful readers for your support for the last eight years.




Thank you all!
Cheers from Paradise
Lawrie, Lynda and Sparky
~

My Great Canadian Adventure – by Sparky

All set to go on a Great Canadian Adventure.   My legs twitched, my eyelids fluttered, my lips pulled back from my fangs. I moaned and groaned in fear. It was awful. 
Then Servant reached down to pat me, to stop my nightmare.
A month ago my humans, Driver and Servant, started packing their suitcases – and then a dog cage appeared. I didn’t like that one bit. 
The last time a dog cage appeared my roommate, Max, went away and never came back. Now there is only me living with my two humans and I was pretty sure that this carrier was meant for me.
Good view from upstairs on UltramarI had been having nightmares for several nights wondering where I was going to be sent. I really like living here, even though I am a bit of a Divo at times. I am a very picky eater. I like to sit beside my humans on the sofa. However, I do come when I am called - most of the time. Well, okay, I come if it suits me.
But all of a sudden we are all leaving, with suitcases, the pet carrier and me! Driver and Servant kept telling me we were going on a Great Canadian Adventure, whatever that meant.
First step was a golf cart ride with some of our human friends to the big blue and yellow boat. It’s the same boat my humans drive our winter friends to every April and then pick them up again in October. 
I usually get to come along to woofgoodbye, or greet them when they return. My buddies Skipper the dog and Jax the cat met us at the boat with their humans. All of us four-legged folks were given the nice upstairs view seats, while some of our humans had to sit inside on lower deck.
On the big tube stuffed with peopleNext was a ride in a big white van to a large scary place called the Cancun International Airport. I pretended I was an experienced traveler, and not bothered by the crowds and noises. I wasn’t even afraid of the weird little room with the sliding door that moved us to a different area. I think it is called an elevator.
Servant had to carry me through the Security area so that the grumpy people in uniform could check my tummy for recent incisions. People have a lot of strange ideas. They should have had the other dogs sniff me and confirm I wasn’t carrying anything illegal in my stomach. As if! Famous dogs like me don’t do bad things like that.
My bed and blanket kept me warmThen we walked inside a big tube-shaped thing stuffed with people. I was a bit nervous for a few minutes, but the WestJet staff made such a fuss over me, telling me how good and brave I was, I pretended it was nothing unusual. Oh sure, I ride in jets all the time.
Many hours later, after a long and boring time without even one pee break we landed in a dark and cold place. 
I was sure we had travelled to the North Pole for a visit with Santa Claus, it was that cold!  Driver and Servant said we were in a place called Kelowna, and would be spending the night at Skipper and Jax’s house. I was so relieved to get to their house with the big yard, where I could pee, and pee, and pee some more.
View from our place in WestbankNext day we moved to another pretty house in Westbank. 
Servant and I walked all around the neighbourhood, but I had to be on a leash all the time. We went every morning to a special park where dogs are allowed to run free and play. 
I met many Canadian dogs who loved swimming in the lake. I put the toes of my right paw in the water, then quickly pulled it back. Brrr, they must be nuts! It was freezing cold. This water is cold! Not going in there.
Canada is not like my colonia in Mexico where I can run up and down the beach visiting my friends Izabellaand Luna.
The funny thing was, my good friend Luna who we waved goodbye to the week before on Isla, was also living nearby. I really liked Luna’s yard! I spent one whole day playing with her while my humans did things they called appointments. One of their 'appointments' was lunch at Quail's Gate Winery 
Driver and Servant took me for lunch with Servant’s cousins, then we drove for an hour up a mountain so that they could introduce me to snow. 
I was excited because I thought Snowwas the name of another dog, but no, snow is cold sand. Very cold sand. I sniffed and got back in the car. 
Shut that door please!
Open that car door, and turn the heat on!
After teaching me about snow, we drove to another city, where we stayed at the Days’ Inn in Penticton. Servant used to work there before she and Driver moved to Mexico. The people there were very nice to me and the owners invited me to their house! It must be because they know how famous I am.
I also got to meet two more dog that my humans have known for many years. Cleo and Sophie were friends of Thomas the Cat when he lived in the nearby city of Summerland. 
I met the family, plus Caitlin who is missing from photoWe stayed several days while Driver had more really boring appointments. 
The really great thing was while we were there I got to visit with more of our family, John, Maia, Caitlin, Ethan and Evan. 
It was really fun to see them, and to meet the younger generation for the first time. I liked them a lot, and I think they liked me too. They gave me lots of tummy rubs.
Brrr. Still cold. But at least I tried it.In Penticton I finally had a quick dip in Skaha Lake. 
It had been a month since we had arrived in Canada and with weather had warmed up enough that I decided to try a swim. Once! Still too darn cold for this low-to-the-ground Mexican.
After our time in Penticton we drove back to Skipper and Jax’s house in Kelowna. Lots of people, plus my friend Luna, came to a fun party to say Buen Viaje.
Nicole, Lawrie, Linda G., KaraThe next day we flew from Kelowna to Edmonton, where I got to stay in a beautiful hotel. 
Then we went through the same procedure of being walked through Customs, onto the plane and home to Mexico. 
The WestJet staff let Servant hold me up to see out the window, once!  Wow! What a sight, seeing my home from a way up there. It’s beautiful. A quick peak out the window.
I am now back on our island, I’m happy to be running on the sand, swimming in the warm Caribbean Sea, and settled into my Divo routine in our little house.
I would like to thank everyone for their generosity, hospitality, and love on my Great Canadian Adventure.
CheersSparky, etuk twhered figure whoboat – tLynda and Lawrie

Caribbean Sea - flying into Cancun










~
Join Sparky on his Caribbean adventures in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series!

Available on Amazon as E-Books or Paperback.Pirates, buried treasure, kidnappings, murder and mayhem on a tiny island in the Caribbean Sea.

Sparky's and his humans are traveling - no blog this week!

Hi Folks! We're traveling - back soon! Cheers Sparky

Food, exercise and culture. What a great idea!

Getting ready to roll with tour guide, Jose.  
Hop on a bicycle and hit the road with Cultura Cruisers to discover the charms of Isla Mujeres in a very intimate way. 
You will experience amazing traditional Mexican foods and learn about the Maya culture. It’s a win-win situation. 
You can nosh your way around the island and work off the calories at the same time. 

Golf cart food tour with guide Jose
The adventure is a hundred times more fun than staring at a television or checking social media posts while your legs repeatedly pump the pedals of a stationary bike in your local gym. 
However, if you are not keen about the cycling idea they also offer the less strenuous version of touring in your own golf cart with a bilingual guide. 
We originally met the very personable creators of Cultura Cruisers while we were enjoying a yummy dinner at Javi’s Cantina on Juarez Avenue. 
The partners explained their vision of building relationships, educating people’s taste buds and contributing to a sustainable economy for the islanders. Their passion is connecting the love of people to the love of food and culture. Tacos barbacoa, enchiladas verde and salbutes con pollo 
We think the following quote nicely sums up their business model:
“We often write #morethanjustafoodtour because Cultura Cruisers is more than just a tour; it’s more than just eating the foods; it’s bigger than that." 
"It’s an experience."  
"It’s about exploring the colonias, on a bicycle or in a golf cart, with a local tour guide who will share the authenticity and beauty of Isla Mujeres; who will explain the history, ingredients and flavors.”
Hacienda Mundaca  for history, with Liliana

“Bellies and hearts will be full as our guests eat delicious, traditionally made foods. Isla Mujeres is magical, such a rich culture with incredibly beautiful and kind people, so we hope our guests come cruise on the roads less traveled with us, enjoy the vibes and taste the flavors of Isla Mujeres. The tour guides also stop at various historical/cultural spots to share their knowledge and history of the island.”
“In our world today, Cultura Cruisers feels it is crucial to connect and learn from others while building authentic relationships.  
Although our tour guides are bilingual, food is a language without barriers and an awesome way to get to know people, places and cultures that differ from your own.”
“Cultura Cruisers is about contributing to the numerous locals who are part of the Cultura Cruisers team; everyone from our bike mechanics to our tour guides, the local who stores the bikes to the local owner of the papeleria, (the stationary store) who makes the weekly photo copies of paperwork, the numerous cocina economicas (inexpensive eateries) who prepare the delicious foods to the locals who share their homes and their kitchen tables with our guests to the panaderias (the bakeries) on the tour; it's truly about community.”
Here’s the link to their website www.culturacruisers.com
You can also find them on Instagram @culturacruisers, Facebook and Trip Advisor!

Chucho doing routine maintenance
What a great way to experience paradise.

All of the photos in this article are courtesy of Cultura Cruisers. 
Hasta LuegoLynda, Lawrie and Sparky












~
Isla Mujeres Mystery series!  Available on Amazon as e-books or paperbacks. Enjoy the adventure.

Plogging your way to a cleaner paradise and to better health

For several weeks we have been reading islander Kai Creamer’s Facebook posts about the next ploggingday on Isla Mujeres.
“Plogging?” I asked, “What the heck is that?”
Well, according to Kai, it is a movement that started in Sweden and the name of the activity comes from the Swedish plocka up or pick up. 

The activity combines picking up trash with jogging to create the fun and memorable name of plogging.  Many islanders had already incorporated the idea into their daily exercise routines but now they can also join the group for a laughter-filled workout. 

I’m pretty sure some of the items that are found along the streets can be pretty gross, and others quite entertaining. I have on occasion discovered discarded underwear, male and female, that I did not pick up but pondered the possible scenario that lead to the removal of their underwear among the scorpions, spiders, and ticks.
But back to plogging. Every Wednesday the next weekend's route and meeting place are posted to the group’s Facebook page. The distances range between 1.5 and 2.5 kilometers. 
The participants meet at 8:30 in the morning and are provided with gloves, re-cycled plastic grocery bags for the trash and water refills for their personal water bottles from a larger twenty-litre Garrafon. 
A number of the members bring their own grabbers, those handy devices that were originally designed for people with mobility challenges to reach and pick up items. 
The biggest challenge for the group is getting a supply affordable of the trash grabbers. In Mexico they are hard to find and are expensive. 
If any travelers from the USA or Canada have room in their suitcase for a few of the dollar-store variety grabbers the group would really appreciate your assistance. They each cost around $1.00 to $1.25.
As Kai says, the speed of the activity depends on the amount of trash to be picked up. Sometimes the group is stationary in one area picking it clean before moving on. They generally stop by 11:00 in the morning, and convene at a one of their local sponsor restaurants. 
Both Mango Café and La Tarima offer a complimentary refreshing lemonade for the ploggers. Some of the group will often linger longer at the restaurant to take advantage of the group members discount and enjoying a well-earned late breakfast or early lunch.
On average the plogging events attract around fifteen people but on occasion the group has swelled to as many as forty participants. Kai and the group members are planning a second route for Wednesday afternoons for the folks who for various reasons can’t participate on the weekends or in the mornings. 
Here’s your chance to have a few laughs, get some exercise, and help our island in paradise. 
Here's the link to their Facebook group page for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2023592277901903/?ref=br_rs
Hasta LuegoLynda, Lawrie and Sparky


Join the adventure!
Now available as e-books and paperback

Lynda L. Lock Isla Mujeres Mystery paperback
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