Lynda L. Lock's Blog, page 25

Mexico – the people come together to overcome recent disasters

We normally write happy stories for this blog, preferring to talk about the good side of living in Mexico. However, with second massive earthquake devastating several cities it didn’t seem appropriate to post a cheerful article about sun, sand and cerveza.
The epicenter of the first earthquake was in the Gulf of Tehuanatepec on the western side of Mexico. It began close to midnight on Thursday September 7th. Registering at 8.1 on the Richter scale it is thought to be the strongest el temblor in the last hundred years and the second strongest quake in Mexico’s history.
It triggered a tsunami, and caused widespread damage in the coastal states of Oaxaca and Chiapas. 

Mango Cafe Help Center - Trish Gump photoOriginally from Oaxaca the owners of the popular Mango Café on Isla Mujeres, Polo Avila and his wife Vicky Alonso Raymundo, set off last Friday with a truck load of blankets and medical supplies for family and friends.
Another islander, Dr. Xhanet Mora was on her way to provide medical assistance for the victims when a second one struck. 

We haven’t heard, but are hoping she has arrived safely.
Yazmin Aguirre and Sean Petty were visiting her family in Mexico City on September 7th and felt the effects.

They were still in Mexico City when the September 19th quake centred one hundred and twenty kilometers away collapsed dozens of buildings and destroyed the municipal infrastructure. Yazmin and Sean have contacted family and friends via social media to say they were safe.
Fifteen people died when the nearby Popocatépetl volcano erupted following the earthquake. Government officials have said at least twenty-one children and several adults were buried at an elementary school in the city, after it partially collapsed. Five hundred soldiers and Navy marines are among those searching for children and employees still missing.
Ruben Chavez Martinez, the owner of Ruben’s Restaurante here on Isla Mujeres, flew home with suitcases loaded with medical supplies. 

Ruben has always had a generous heart, donating food to the orphanage and raising money for Isla’s disadvantaged children.

TV Isla Mujeres - Civil Protection volunteers And a recent post from my neighbour Ronda Winn Roberts on Facebook: “A BIG thanks to Irma, Roselin, Monica, Ofelia, Josue, and Armin!! They left yesterday to spend a week helping the Mexico City earthquake victims.

They're trained personnel from our Civil Protection department who are joining in the work of rescuing victims who may be trapped in the rubble. Putting their lives on the line for their fellow countrymen: Armín Ariel Tuz Dzul, Josué Amílcar Ravell Barrera, Ofelia Ayala Figueroa, Mónica Florentina Zúñiga Velázquez, Roselín López Velázquez and Irma Graciela Criollo Pérez. Come home safe & thank you!!”

Novedades de Quintana Roo Cancun rescue dogs and handlers There a hundreds of personal stories that over time will come to light. Stories of heroic bravery, strength, sharing, and perseverance. 

The police, army, navy, civil defense, medical professionals, and every able-bodied person are working to find survivors. 

Our thoughts are with these folks, and we wish them well.
CNN photo of September 7th quakeIf you can in any small way help out, through islanders like Polo, Ruben, Dr. Mora, or through a charity that you personally trust even small donations are greatly appreciated. 

There are collection locations set up at the Ultramar passenger ferries, at the Chedraui grocery store, and at Ixchel Tat Oos in Centro. 

CRIM Centro de Rehabilitación Integral Municipal on Isla Mujeres is collecting medical and hygiene products, clean clothes, towels, sheets, and blankets.
This is a beautiful country filled with kind, caring people who are doing whatever they can to help out.
CheersLynda & Lawrie

Isla Mujeres truly is a global village

This last week as three hurricanes and one earthquake were causing havoc in our part of the world we realized that this little island really is an international village. 

We had inquiries from friends in Canada, USA, Scotland, Ireland, France, Norway, Sweden, Australia, and Mexico asking if we were okay.

Big waves from Hurricane Irma in Florida“Yes,” we replied, “we’ll be fine. The hurricanes were a hundred or more miles east of us, and the earthquake was on the other side of Mexico.”
As fortunate as we were, it was devastating for the folks who were directly in the path of nature’s fury.
We, in turn, contacted our various friends who live in Texas, Florida, and the western side of Mexico, checking to see if everything was okay with them. With the exception of Graeme in Texas, who has been a friend of the Lock family since the 1960’s, they are all people we have met since we moved to Isla Mujeres in 2008. They are an eclectic mix of full-time residents, part-time residents, frequent visitors, or first-time vacationers.
Pierogi in his storm ponchoWe smiled to hear that Charles and Mary Simpson were visiting mutual acquaintances in Oregon. They had recently moved to the Tampa Florida area to be closer to the family but were well away from the hurricane when it landed. 
We giggled at the photos Alexis and Darren posted on Facebook of Pierogi in his storm poncho. Pierogi is a lovable island rescue-mutt that relocated to Florida about a year ago with his new family. An accident amputated one foot when Pierogi was a baby, but he can still run like the wind on the remaining stump and his three good feet. Sparky still misses his tall, playful friend.

We also contacted one of our favourite authors A.E. (Allie) Howe and Melanie Howe in Tallahassee Florida. 
He writes the Larry Macklin Mystery Series and his wife, Melanie, does the editing. 
Between them, they produce humorous, fast-paced mysteries that we devour within hours of purchasing. 
There are eight books in the series, and four more planned, with a new one June’s Trouble scheduled to be released soon. 

I can hardly wait! Moored boat sunk by higher than normal tidesI mentioned in my email to Allie and Melanie that I was currently working on Book #3 of my Isla Mujeres Mystery Series. It takes place in September and it includes a hurricane. 
They thought that was pretty funny because according to Howe the last book in his series is called September’s Fury, and it includes a hurricane. Perhaps between the two of us writing about monster storms we tempted the Caribe god of evil, Hurican, just a little too much.

Beach closed due to large waves the day beforeOn the island, the most surprising thing about Hurricane Irma was the amount of water that was pushed our way, past the outer islands, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba to create huge waves that battered the eastern shoreline and flooded the bays. We didn’t get the wind, just big breakers that were high enough for several surfing enthusiasts to enjoy. The waves have eroded the friable sand and coral cliffs in some areas and littered the beaches with debris and seaweed, but overall they were dramatically beautiful, not deadly.
15-foot tall monster waiting for the perfect wave
We have one personal bit of good news / bad news resulting from the storm. The huge, derelict navigational buoy that has been laying on the beach in front of our house since October 7th, 2014, broke loose and floated free. It rolled and crashed back and forth in the surf for two days, causing a fair bit of worry about where it land. Inside our casa? Or in our neighbours’ casa?
The good news is; we don’t have to stare at its rusting carcass. The bad news is; it is directly in front of our neighbours Bruce and Ronda’s house and more of a hazard now that it doesn’t have a rocky outcropping to prevent it from rolling up the beach. Before the storm, our Ronda was attempting to obtain permission to have it cut up and dismantled. Her Spanish is a hundred times better than mine so she’s talking to the authorities. The buoy is federal property, and it’s a very complicated situation. Playa Centro - high water tide line and junk
Other than that, everything is back to normal on the island. Bright sunny skies, hot humid days, and a light breeze.
It’s a perfect day to enjoy a cold beverage and toast our friends scattered around the world. Thank you for checking on us. And in turn, we are happy those who were involved in the recent ordeals are safe.
Cheers from paradise,
Lynda & LawrieAnd the rest of the zoo; Sparky, Max, and E.B. the Cat.
~
There's Trouble on Isla, Big Trouble!
Book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series
Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD

 Treasure Isla Book #1 Isla Mujeres Mystery Series            $2.99 USD on most e-book distribution systems.

Here are the links:

Treasure Isla on Amazon
Treasure Isla on Smashwords
Treasure Isla on Kobo Books
Treasure Isla on iTunes
Treasure Isla on Barnes and Noble Nook

What did I give up to live in Paradise?

Lawrie and Sparky, watching a Seahawks game.  Well, certainly not NFL football! 
We were pleasantly surprised after moving to Isla to discover a large number of NFL supporters and some very avid supporters at that. 
On the island, there are several personal golf carts decorated with team colours, decals and flags. Many ex-pats proudly wear their team shirts and hang banners from their homes.
By far the largest number of fans support the Green Bay Packers. Being surrounded by a hundred or so Packers’ addicts can be a bit overwhelming for the half-dozen or so Seahawks fans, especially if our team is ahead in the scoring. 
Green Bay fansProbably the most ardent fans are the folks whose brown and white house is named Casa Bahia Verde after their favourites the Green Bay Packers. Their golf cart is also upholstered in the green and yellow team colours. Go Packers!
The second biggest fan base seems to be for the Steelers. There are at least three golf carts on the island sporting Steelers’ logos. They are a very vocal and fun group in the sports bars.
And speaking of sports bars, Isla has three popular spots that you can count on to have their many televisions tuned to the NFL games.  


Gathering at a private bar Steelers fans - Carlos's FB pageBarlito’s @ Marina Paraiso has a cool palapa bar on the waterfront with lots of televisions to watch your favourite team. 
If you aren’t familiar with their location they are south on Medina Rueda, before the cement plant, and before the school. It’s a great spot hang out and cheer on your team.



Jax Bar & Grill at Super Bowl time - J Walker photoJax Bar & Grill, the big bar on the corner of Rueda Medina across from the Privileges Aluxes has most football and baseball games available to patrons. 
Frequently the downstairs televisions will be tuned to one game, and the upstairs to another. Depending on the preferences of the crowd.  


Sign from Nash's Sports Bar - FB pageAnd last but not least Nash’s Sports Bar on Hidalgo Avenue is a fun place to watch the games and drink really cold beer. It’s a smaller venue, located on busy Hidalgo Avenue with lots of interaction between the street and the bar.
We are Seahawks fans, but we don’t own a television, so we have to go out to the bar to enjoy the games. Oh, darn. That means we will probably have to partake of a drink or two, and if the Hawks win a taxi will be needed to take us home.
By us, I mean Sparky and me, although he is a non-drinker he can’t drive the golf cart because his paws won’t reach the gas pedal. Lynda and our new pooch, Max, are not football fans. They like to stay home and enjoy a quiet evening.
Dave just might be a Steelers' fan
There are probably other locations where the NFL games are available, but sometimes the programming is at the whim of the staff. You might find boxing or soccer (known as football in most other countries of the world) instead of NFL games. Just ask, if the bar has the channel they might be able to switch to your game.
So, don’t worry about giving up football when you come to Isla. 
Find your favourite spot, kick back, and enjoy the game while relaxing in paradise.
CheersLawrie and Sparky
(It’s the guys turn to write!)


~Trouble Isladid you get into Trouble yet?

$2.99 USD on Kindle e-books
Amazon Review for Trouble Isla5.0 out of 5 stars!Engaging Page Turner!
By Isla Breeze on August 29, 2017Kindle Edition / Verified PurchaseTROUBLE ISLA picks up at a fast pace with mystery, romance, adventure and excitement which are all brought together in a continuation of TREASURE ISLA. Taking place on the small island off the coast of Cancun, called Isla Mujeres, those who visit and live there feel as though they are part of the story, knowing the many places and events depicted.Even if you are not familiar with the island, it is a fun and captivating book. A must read!

Dentaris, Cancun: The Rock-Star Treatment

Fantasy!    A long, black limousine arrives at the passenger ferry terminal and slides to a silent stop beside me. 
The uniformed driver exits the vehicle and sweeps open the rear door, indicating that I should enter the cool interior of the car. 
As I settle myself, his gloved hand passes me a tall glass of cold champagne. Ah, the life of a celebrity!

Lynda & Marcos - more fun than a limo.Okay, I admit it. It’s a fantasy. But if I squint one eye at the gray mini-van stopped ten feet away and the smiling man beckoning me to hop into the front seat, it could almost qualify as a limousine ride. 
The temperature inside the vehicle is cooler than the stifling heat outside, but alas there is no offer of a frosty glass of bubbly.
My driver, Marcos, works for Dentaris in Cancun. It’s a company that specializes in dental vacations. You can get your dental work done, in between tanning and quaffing margaritas. 
Marcos shuttles patients from their hotels, the airport, or at any of the passenger ferry docks to their clinic on Bonampak Avenue in Cancun. Antony de Sousa & Alejandra Moreno My journey to Dentaris started a few days back with a raging pain in my jaw that spiked through one eye and into my brain, making coherent thought impossible. I posted on the Isla Mujeres Residents Facebook page asking for recommendations for a dentist and received at least ten replies, the majority listing Dentaris as the best. After a few back and forth emails and I was able to get an appointment for the following afternoon.
When Marcos and I arrived at the address on Bonampak he escorted me to the second floor via the elevator. We entered the clean, modern reception area where I was greeted in English by the Office Manager Alejandra Moreno and Antony de Sousa. I didn’t have to stumble through my limited amount of Spanglish to communicate my problem. Rubi and Dr. Joaquin Berron at Dentaris
Ten minutes later I met Doctor Joaquin Berron who started this Cancun dental practice in 1992. He is a former professor at the Louisiana State University and the Coordinator of the Implant and Prosthetic Fellowship. Dr. Berron commuted regularly between the two cities for many years to attend to his patients before deciding to concentrate his time in Cancun.

Without getting too icky-graphic about things, Dr. Berron discovered that I have an excessive amount of what I call that-hard-bony-stuff, Torus mandibularis, inside my mouth. It makes inserting the materials for standard x-rays difficult, boarding on painfully impossible. He recommended a CT scan of my lower jaw.
“Okay,” I tentatively agreed. I had never heard of CT scans for dental work. “But, how long will I have to wait for that?” I was worried about waiting additional hours, or perhaps days to get an appointment.
“Marcos will drive you over to the clinic right now, and he will wait while they do the procedure. He will then drive you back here. So, maybe thirty minutes in total.” CT Scans for dental workAnd off we go, with me still hinting for a glass of champagne. Just to ease my pain, of course. Marcos just grins at me.
True to Doctor Berron’s description, the entire procedure was just slightly over thirty minutes. I was impressed by the speed and efficiency of the clinic. The fun part was looking at my jaw in 3-D on the technician’s computer. I’m easily entertained by swirling colourful images and new technology.
Back at Dentaris the doctor did the necessary procedure on my problem tooth. He gave me a prescription for antibiotics and asked me to return in five days. Marcos was occupied with other clients, so Alejandra was my designated driver. She offered to stop at a nearby low-cost pharmacy where I could fill the prescription. Within ten minutes we were on our way to the Ultramar terminal. From my front door and back again including the two procedures, CT scan, and root canal, it took me a total of four hours and I am by now relatively pain-free.
3-D image of lower jawFive days later I had a second appointment to put a temporary filling into the tooth. Same deal only this time Lawrie came with me. Marcos met us at the Ultramar terminal and drove us to the clinic. A brief visit with Doctor Berron and his assistant Rubi while they completed the procedure and I’m done until the final appointment a week later.
When we told Marcos we weren’t going straight back to the passenger terminal because we wanted to go to Costco he offered to drop us off there instead. Perfect! We waved goodbye to Marcos and headed into the cool depths of the mega-store to stock up on a few of our little treats that we can’t get at our island grocery store.
So far my appointments with Dentaris have been the best ever dental experience. Free pickup and return. Friendly professional staff: Alejandra, Antony, Marcos, Rubi, Cori, Dr. Joaquin Berro, Dr. Hilda Navarro, Dr. Mario Bertran, Dr. Eduardo Salcido, and Don Luis who is now retired. A clean, well-equipped clinic, and affordable prices. And both times I have run into island friends. It’s like old-home-week. 
Here’s is their contact information: Phone number: 998 887 2579www.dentaldestinationscancun.comhttp://www.dentaris.com.mx/   info@dentaldestinationscancun.com info@dentaris.com.mx
Alejandra says, “We love to take care of our patients like our own family.”  
Give them a try. They are good!Cheers
Lynda & Lawrie


~There's Trouble on Isla, Big Trouble!
Book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series
Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD




New Year’s Eve is a magical time on Isla Mujeres, especially this year after the stormy events of the past few months. After their chaotic hunt for the pirate treasure, and a close encounter with a serial killer Kirk Patterson, Yasmin and Jessica deserve a lady’s night out.Hung over from a night on the town, it is late in the afternoon before Yasmin starts to worry that her boyfriend Carlos hasn’t been seen all day. And then the texts start coming:“Give me what I want!”


Buy your copy here!   Trouble Isla on Amazon


       Book #1 Treasure Isla 
            $2.99 USD on most e-book distribution systems.

Here are the links:


Treasure Isla on Amazon

Treasure Isla on Smashwords

Treasure Isla on Kobo Books

Treasure Isla on iTunes

Treasure Isla on Barnes & Noble Nook
                                                        

Just another day in paradise!

Just another day in paradise.    Sparky and Max, our two island rescue-mutts and I wander down the sidewalk in the semi-darkness. 
It’s the early morning pee-walk-for-pets, the one that happens before I get to enjoy my first cup of coffee. 
I prefer to stumble along the seashore in the morning with the dogs off their leashes, but at this time of year, the beach is a minefield of mama sea turtles digging nesting holes. Some of the holes are four-feet deep, and sometimes the mama turtles are still in the holes.

Sparky and I are restless sleepers. Max and Sparky - checking out the turtle smells
He noses me awake well before dawn. Lawrie and Max, on the other hand, could sleep through a category five hurricane and an 8.9 earthquake. 
It takes both of us, Sparky and me, to wake up Max and convince him he has to go for a pee. 
He’s not a happy camper.
Lawrie's photo early in morningThe next fifteen to twenty minutes are a comedy routine of Sparky pulling me, and me dragging Max.
“Come on, Max. Walk a little faster please.” I exhort, followed by “Sparky, slow down. Wait for Max.”
Sparky flips me one of those looks, “Really. Slow down? He’s nearly motionless.”
“Well, Max is just not a morning guy like you, Sparky,” I tell him.  We continue our pull-drag pace a block south and turn to make our way back. Finally, Max is awake enough to pee.



Mama turtle - digging, digging, digging.As we near our house I can see Lawrie standing in the street, waving frantically at me. “Hurry up!” He shouts quietly, trying not to wake up our neighbours.
“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” I am about to pick up Max’s hefty twenty-eight-pound body and run home.
“No, no problem. Unless you think a turtle digging in our yard is a problem.” He says with a happy grin.
Sparky watching from our upper deck.

“Come on boys, let’s go!” And surprisingly Max breaks into a run. Maybe he thinks I said let’s eat. The dog likes his food.
We barrel inside the house, scrambling to remove dog leashes and harnesses, but keeping the dogs locked inside. 
We discovered a few weeks ago that mama turtles don’t like being sniffed by inquisitive canines. 
The boys will have to watch with us from the upper ocean-side deck.

This photo has been shared and reshared on web.

And there she is, digging up the back yard. 
During the night she has wandered from side to side, front to back testing the ground before she finally located the deep sand at the bottom of the yard.
Lawrie had, uncharacteristically, woken up when I left with the two dogs and wandered out onto the upper patio to check our neighbours’ beach. 
A few seconds later - same turtle.There is usually one or more fresh holes every morning. 
Instead, he spotted the mama tossing sand in our yard. He grabbed the camera and snapped a few photos without a flash, but it was still too dark to really see her. 
By the time the dogs and I had returned home the light was perfect for photos. We watched while she dug yet another hole, then moved along and dug another and another.
"What do you want in your coffee, mama?" Ken Jost photoFamiliar guests, Norma and Ken Jost, were staying next-door at MarVillaCaribe. They are also early risers and noticed the commotion in our yard. Ken took some amazing photos as well as videos. 
Eventually, the mama turtle lumbered down the path towards Casa Luna, and then turned right and headed towards the water.
And away she goes around 7:30 a.m.We don’t know if she laid eggs, but we are watching and counting down the sixty days of incubation. 


Fingers-crossed everything goes well if there are eggs.
So, yeah, just another boring day in paradise. What did you do this morning?
CheersLynda & Lawrie





Lawrie tidying up the beach.
~

There's Trouble on Isla, Big Trouble!Book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series
Available on Amazon e-books $2.99 USD

New Year’s Eve is a magical time on Isla Mujeres, especially this year after the stormy events of the past few months. After their chaotic hunt for the pirate treasure, and a close encounter with a serial killer Kirk Patterson, Yasmin and Jessica deserve a lady’s night out.Hung over from a night on the town, it is late in the afternoon before Yasmin starts to worry that her boyfriend Carlos hasn’t been seen all day. And then the texts start coming:
“Give me what I want!”

Buy your copy here!

Trouble Isla on Amazon

Treasure Isla on Amazon

Treasure Isla on Smashwords

Treasure Isla on Kobo Books

Treasure Isla on iTunes                               
                            $2.99 USD on most E-Books distribution systems.

There’s Trouble in paradise … big trouble!

New Year’s Eve is a magical time on Isla Mujeres, especially this year after the stormy events of the past few months. After their chaotic hunt for the pirate treasure, and a close encounter with a serial killer Kirk Patterson, Yasmin and Jessica deserve a lady’s night out.Hung over from a night on the town, it is late in the afternoon before Yasmin starts to worry that her boyfriend Carlos hasn’t been seen all day. And then the texts start coming:
“Give me what I want!”
I’m just darn excited, or as my great-niece, Ellen, says – I’m pumped! My second novel, book #2 in the Isla Mujeres Mystery series, Trouble Isla, is available on Amazon e-books as of today. It’s the sequel to book #1, Treasure Isla.  Both adventures are set on Isla and feature a group of close friends and an island rescue-mutt, who just happens to closely resemble our little divo Sparky. He’s is a scene-stealer once again.Then, while I am basking in the after-glow of finalizing book #2, Lawrie grins at me and says, “Now you can finish editing your historical novel, Named by the Enemy. Then start on book #3 of the Isla series, oh and finish the sequel to The Adventures of Thomas the Cat, and start the children’s book about turtles that you and Julie Goth are collaborating on.
Bally Hoo (Lima wharf) featured in Trouble IslaAh, the challenges of being a self-published author. It sounds so easy, write a little book, and publish on Amazon e-books then wait for the piles of dinero to roll in. Sounds good, right?  Em, not exactly. There are apparently over 35 million titles available online and thousands more being added daily. It’s an extremely competitive industry. Sitting back and waiting to be become rich just doesn’t cut it, unless you happen to be as popular as John Grisham or Patricia Cornwell. Lawrie and I at Javi's Cantina, featured in Trouble IslaSo, after coming up with an idea for a book, then writing the story a self-published author also has to be the marketing director, the publicist, cover designer, book designer, editor, and webmaster. Or you can pay people to do these jobs for you before you have sold even one copy of your absolutely-guaranteed-to-be-famous best-seller. Since I am operating on a shoestring budget I get to be the chief-cook and bottle-washer for the Island Tales (or should it be Island Tails?) Publishing Company. 

In my case proofreading is not my strong point. Family members and close friends are repeatedly pressed into service reading and re-reading the manuscript, looking for errors. Thank you again to Linda Grierson, Richard Grierson, Rob Goth and Julie Goth for your assistance. And a very special thank you to Julie's mom, Shirley Andrews who corrected my haphazard punctuation yet again.  Abandoned condo project featured in Trouble IslaThen, if the self-published author decides to print that soon-to-be-famous-novel a different set of skills will need to be mastered. Design the book. Find a printer at a price you can afford. Proof the sample. Guestimate how many you might realistically sell. Take the leap of faith and place the order. Get the books shipped directly to your spare bedroom, or shipped in small increments to an organization like Amazon, which by the way will charge for selling, storing, shipping. Amazon will also double your storage fees after six months, and ultimately will kick your unsold books out at twelve months. If you aren’t a superstar, out you go!    Abandoned hotel featured in Trouble Isla photo 2013The upside of being a self-published writer is that you get to control every aspect of your work. You are the boss. And for the times you are stuck, really stuck for a solution there are writers’ groups comprised of generous people who are helpful to newbie authors like me, offering insights and advice on a wide range of problems.Fortunately, Lawrie and I have a bit of experience in managing small businesses and the same basic principles apply; the end goal being to make more money than you spend. Soon, one day, maybe. But in the meantime, it’s an enjoyable adventure learning fresh skills and meeting different people. I hope you enjoy my newest novel Trouble Isla. Sparky and I had a lot of fun writing it. Book #3 Tormenta Isla will have something to do with a hurricane and you will meet our two newest additions to the family zoo, Max and EB the cat.   Sparky and Max using Lawrie as protection from E.B.Max is another island rescue dog that looks like he could be Sparky’s third-cousin-once-removed, but he is totally different in personality. Except for Lawrie Max is still shy around men. He is eager to please, loves his food, and likes to sleep, a lot. EB is a four-pound black cat that adopted us a month ago. She then went on a campaign, terrorizing Sparky and Max by sharpening her claws on their tender noses, and sleeping in their beds. The dogs named her EB, short for Evil Bi**h.  After two weeks of feline intimidation, we begged the local vet, Dr. Delfino, to let us increase the population of his pet sanctuary by one small cat. He reluctantly agreed. He already has dozens of homeless black cats. We happily waved goodbye to EB while Sparky and Max did a happy dance around the cat carrier.  The E.B. sleeping in Sparky's bedFive days later she engineered her escape and was back in our courtyard, yowling for attention.Sparky is depressed; The EB is back! Max is scared peeless to be within ten feet of her, but she’ll provide a bit of comic relief for book #3 of the Isla Mujeres Mystery Series.
Cheers from paradiseLynda & Lawrie

~Isla Mujeres Mystery Series 
Available now! $2.99 each, on Amazon e-books