Author: Stephanie

The importance of animal welfare is at the top of my list, with lions being in the forefront. There is a lot to be accompomlished and collectively the roar will be louder. That and my best friend a border collie named Seven.
five years to go

five years to go

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When we(Seven & I) started the journey, the writing came easy and I added new entries often. A simple documentation of our journey together, the ups and the downs, the laughter, the tears. Then I got lazy and let life flow on it’s own and basically stopped writing. I could fast forward 5 years and start afresh but so much has happened in those years. And five years is a long time in a dog’s life, like 35 of our years, so it is said. A lot then has happened for my best friend, Seven who will be 10 on January 11th. I have half his life to write about because this is about our journey together not just me.

Gardening, zentangling, weekly jaunts to town to chat with friends and catch up on gossip, the demanding exit of Mexico every six months left little time to sit in front of my laptop and write. The last five years has gone by in almost a blink of an eye and now I wish I had not been so damn lazy! Going back five years to write about what was going on in our lives, I use the pictures I have, because let’s face it most of us cannot remember what we did last week at any given time, let alone five years ago. Scrolling through the pictures of years gone by, flood my mind with memories and decisions that were made, good and bad. It sure has been a roller coaster ride.

I love being outside. My house in Tepoztlan was magic as I have previously said with almost an acre to make a garden. Heaven. Plants grow fast in Tepoz, incredibly fast and I had so many plants to choose from that I could only have inside in Canada. The dogs loved helping and did on the most part stay out of my freshly planted garden. Let’s give them a chance to take root – NO digging please! Now I find myself inside because it is winter in Saskatchewan, Canada with plenty of time on my hands as I will not be digging for a few more months! If you look closely you can see Seven waiting for his favourite toy in the world – his frisbee. The frisbee has to accompany us on daily walks, he will not come unless it is in my hand.

So with that in mind, please bear with me while I scroll through memory lane and share our journey. And seriously, hopefully by the time spring rolls around and we can start digging again, we will catch up on those miles, on the hopes and the dreams yet to come.

Early months of 2019

Early months of 2019

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So much has happened. So many changes. Seven and I are both asking what the hell is going on. Over the next few months I promise to continue our journey of change by sharing to anyone who may care to listen. Looking back it brings up memories and many emotions. We cannot change the past but we can hopefully learn from it. Yes there is a lot of catching up to do, a lot of laughs, a lot of tears, a lot of change and a lot of future. I will start from where I stopped.

New year, new hopes, new dreams. In a lot of ways it did feel like a dream most days. I was more relaxed than I had been for years. The 3S’s (Seven, Stella and I) were really getting into what felt an awesome good rhythm of life and living. Many people, family, mainly my dear Mum were under the impression that I was on a very long holiday. Nope. Just doing what I can to survive in this crazy world. I had found a little piece of paradise and I wanted to keep it that way. It is difficult to put in words what I was doing and how I felt no matter how hard I tried.

It was great to see my family over xmas last month as it was very special for my mum. My son always says, gifts come from the heart and can be given anytime of the year, I really don’t need another pair of socks. At the same time it was wonderful to get home again and continue to explore.

More visitors. More cakes. More walking. More friends. More discoveries. More art. More dogs.

Just behind my house is a temple that was found while excavating to widen the highway. Thankfully it is not known to many and I liked it like that. On the path, past the temple is this wonderful amate tree (from the fig family). One can see where people gather whether it be to pray to their gods or enjoy the ambience and peace of the forest. It really is beautiful. And the magnificent views after the climb makes it all worth it – Tepoztlan, Ixcatepec, volcano Popo and so much more.

Baking cakes is becoming quite the ritual and a lot of fun – before and after! Great way to get together with friends and pass away a beautiful day. Continuing to expand my ‘art’ and generally enjoy life. Seven and Stella amuse me daily and remind me how lucky I am to have them. Also enjoying the white grapefruit from my garden – sure has a punch first thing in the morning!

Life was good. We, the 3 S’s had found our home.

Whirlwind Christmas 2018

Whirlwind Christmas 2018

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The theory is to leave Mexico every 180 days to maintain a somewhat legal status in my little piece of paradise. I had only left in September but my Mum graciously offered to pay for my fare to Toronto for Christmas. How could I possibly say no? Now the frantic push to find someone to stay at my place to look after Seven and Stella. After much fretting, a friend who frequents Tepoztlan in the winter months needed a place to stay, so it all worked out. Seven of course questioned my actions, Stella was indifferent as she was busy chasing mice and getting cuddles from another visitor or trying to get Seven to play!

The pictures will tell the story. It was a whirlwind visit but so glad I went. Cannot beat family.

October November 2018 More visitors arrive

October November 2018 More visitors arrive

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After the flurry of last month, it was great to settle into some kind of routine before my next visitors arrive. The focus of course to include my best friends Seven and Stella whenever possible which was not difficult as we lived in such a beautiful little piece of paradise, I seldom went far. As Seven, Stella and I (now known as the 3 S’s) we continued to make our presence known and the flow of visitors continue much to Seven and Stella’s delight.

The wind in Tepoztlan can at times be wicked and weak old trees can and will cause damage. Luckily this huge branch missed the water tank and the room where the gas is hooked up. No-one was hurt but I am sure the mice, lizards, ants and scorpions were not impressed

My next guest was Julie, a friend of my best friend’s son and wow did we have a blast! One day while at the local artesian market enjoying the atmosphere we indulged in a local drink called pulque – (Pulque, or octli, is an alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the maguey plant. It is traditional in central Mexico, where it has been produced for millennia. It has the color of milk, a rather viscous consistency and a sour yeast-like taste). Everything was fine until the next day……we were both laden with a severe case of diarrhea not wanting to move too far from the bathroom which lasted almost a week. Of course all my Mexican friends were in stitches over our predicament. Julie and I were NOT amused! Never will either of us will ever let another drop of pulque pass our lips. Need your digestive system cleaned out, I have the remedy! It was sad to see Julie leave but she had more to see and do in Mexico before heading back to Germany.

While waiting with such excitement for my best friend Christine to arrive with Laura I tried to remain busy. Not only with Seven and Stella but with my new friends baking cakes. Every couple of weeks we would all arrive at Pascal’s house and Jose gave us each a particular job to do while we sipped on beer, wine or whatever was on the table along with those enormous joints like we all used to roll back in the 60’s. We sure did bake cakes to remember. Be careful these cakes we made were quite potent and very tasty! I also took some time to bring out the artist in me by enhancing my zentangles with the dogs forever at my side.

Chris and Laura were here for a week and we packed in as much as possible before they were off to see the incoming migration of the Monarch butterflies. Tepoztlan is a small town but there is much to observe. As I mentioned, it was so much fun to see the town through my visitors eyes. I saw things that were missed in my day to day activity. And they get to see Tepoz so much better than the average tourista. It was wonderful to see them both and very sad to see them leave. We made a promise that this will not be the only time.

When they left, the house felt empty. It is difficult at times but then Seven and Stella always remind me that life is good. Without them life would be empty and the journey much different.

September 2018 Flurry of activity

September 2018 Flurry of activity

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Not only was I getting to know the lay of the land so to speak. My home, the neighbourhood and new friends. Seven and Stella were also learning the routine. It was the first home I felt I could leave them outside safely and not be cooped inside. This meant constantly checking for Stella escape routes being the escape artist she is. Consequently Stella took guard top of one of the large cement columns at the entrance to the property and Seven choose the porch. That said, I never left them long and I was the one who brought them treats home. That’s when I started feeding them more raw meat, yogurt, cooked oats, vegetables. They loved it. I mean who would want to eat the same thing day after day after day. Yep, I spoil my dogs.

When you relocate to a foreign land, one naturally wants to connect with friends and show what a magnificent place Tepoztlan is. And of course show them my home, where I am so happy. It is interesting to find myself not only enjoying having the company and in the process I am seeing Tepoztlan from their eyes, a visitor to this magical land. The dogs sure didn’t mind the extra pets!

It was also time for me to exit Mexico as my visa was due to expire. My first real exit from Mexico since crossing the border on November 2017. If you are unaware of what happened, this post will explain. So within days of my first guest leaving, I was off to Toronto, to see my family and friends. Lots to think about and organize. First on the list is who will take care of my place and look after the loves of my life? That was settled quickly and off I go. I found out that they were having a blast with walks in the mountains. I was jealous! That was the start of my friend Pamela’s journey of having dogs. She now has four…..more on that later. Here is a taste of what she is doing. The food is excellent, atmosphere is amazing. So proud of her.

It was great to see everyone and wander around the streets of Toronto. A week passes very quickly with much to do and many people to see. This is how it will be every six months. And that’s OK with me.

Bending the law a wee bit. It could be touchy upon my return. Yet thousands of people do the same journey every six months. A quick exit and return. Trust me though it was always nerve racking for me. All it takes is one border official to scrutinize your passport and start with more questions. It has happened and from what I hear, more often than years gone by. Sure didn’t want to spend more time at a deportation centre. There you would be, literally hung in unbalance with everything at a place you cannot go. It was the chance I took to live in what I considered my little paradise. I had faith that I will sail through and resume my life in Tepoz.

August 2018 Raining in Ixcatepec

August 2018 Raining in Ixcatepec

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walking in the valley

It’s time to investigate my surroundings and discover why this house is so special.

not far from the front gate!

The front of the house faced the river but on high ground to prevent flooding – wise choice! Because sometimes when it rains the river will rise to meet the front gate! On days like that, one stays in the house! Wherever in this world, I do not understand why people build a house right by the river, one is just asking for trouble. Look at farmers in the past, they built there homes on the highest point of their land for a reason. Yes hauling water would be more difficult but when those rains come, the family would be thankful.

temple view

When it was deemed that the road beside my house needed to be widened by adding two more lanes an unexpected discovery was made – a small temple was found. Construction was then stopped until such time archeologists could unearth and rebuild to a degree. Standing on this site one can see the main temple of Tepoztlan where most tourists will climb. I can only assume that the position of the temple was built perhaps as a look-out as you can see the valleys below that now make Tepoztlan. The hills beside the highway have not been researched to any great extent and I am sure they still hold many secrets. You can read a little about it here, it should auto translate for you. Construction in Mexico takes a long time is an understatement. When the general election was held, all work ceased on the highway and the temple because a new party had taken power. It actually took two years before any further work was done on the highway and further reconstruction of the temple.

Back to the rain. Tepoztlan has two seasons – wet and dry. The rain usually holds off til mid afternoon which gives one time to explore or to shop without getting wet. There are days though when it will rain all day. Seven and Stella are not impressed. But wow the fauna does grow quickly!

Being the rainy season I soon discovered a massive leak on the main floor and one in the bathroom. Once again, construction in Mexico is slow. Nothing could be done until the end of the wet season which will be another couple of months. Time to buy some buckets!

I could not complain though. My bedroom/workspace on the third floor was dry and had a magnificent view of the mountains that surround Tepoztlan and in the morning of the active volcano. I am the blue dot in the screen shot, just a two hour drive.

Stella managed to find mice in the house. I tried to save them but she was too quick. We found the nest or what was left and quickly cleaned it up. I also learned that absolutely no food to be left on the counter, unless one wants to have ants of all kinds and more mice take up home. The house is old, the windows are not sealed as one is used to coming from Canada but all is OK. As most of you know, I love all animals and would not kill any intentionally. Scorpions though, I am sorry, you take your life in your own hands and will not survive if I see you in my house. They really do give me the creeps. It is said that scorpions do not like lavender. Perhaps that is why most houses have abundant lavender plants. I bought many. Did it help? Not really sure!

I was beginning to understand why this house was special. The river. The temple. The volcano, The valley. It was home.

one view from my room
July 2018 the Big Move

July 2018 the Big Move

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The day finally arrived. Seven and Stella could feel my excitement I am sure with me pacing in anticipation. Having only been in Mexico for a mere seven months with no more than I could fit in my car, I was amazed at how much I had accumulated. Basic stuff – a bed, a table and chairs, small chest of drawers and of course my another dog, Stella.

I definitely needed some muscle to help me move, so I hired two men and a truck, literally. Two loads with me and the 2 dogs crammed in the front seat. Luckily it was not too far. I did feel sorry for the men though with the many uneven shitty steps to bring my wares down and then more, although good stairs to carry them up upon arrival at the new abode. They did a stellar job. A few plants were left behind which I reluctantly returned to the house of doom to retrieve the following week.

Finally when the men left, I sat down on the porch and overlooked what was heaven to me. I had such good feelings surround me. The dogs were joyous. They now had almost an acre to play in with many trees including a white grapefruit tree! I felt that I had finally arrived home, a place I could hang my hat. A place to grow. We all slept well that night.

My first job the next day was to secure the best I could any escape possibilities for my gypsy Stella, the extraordinary escape artist. She will find any exit, trust me on this. Seven, no problem, he would never leave. And over the course of the following few weeks I will make this house my home. The transformation came quickly. We all settled in much faster than expected. Seven and Stella become best friends which was what I wanted. Stella was always convinced that everyone loves her, whether you have four legs or two. Seven on the other hand was and still is extremely cautious who he accepts into his fold.

Great plans need work and time. My plan for the front of the house immediately came to light – to expand it with local fauna. The back of the house I’ll just leave to grow wild, there was no need to transform it to manicured space. Leave it for the wildlife that called it their home – the lizards, spiders, owls, birds, possums, mice and god forbid scorpions. But we all deserve some space, right?

It was just a short walk over the small river in front of the house to the local village, Ixcatepec which provided me with just about everything I needed. Naturally being in a small village, I was soon recognized as the new gringo but quickly made friends with people who have lived here all their life. The language barrier can be a terrible hinderance but you make the effort and so do they. And life continues.

Over the next few weeks I came across many things why this house was so special and why I had such good feelings. One can argue that structures do not hold any more purpose than the reason they were were built. But honestly this place held a special vibe. There was a river in front. There was a recently discovered temple behind the house that when standing on it you can see the main temple of Tepoztlan. And from the room at the top of the house which became “my” room you could see the tallest and most active volcano in Mexico, Popocatépetl. Seriously, this place is magical. You will read more of the magic soon.

Naturally I needed to invite my new friends to my new home. One has to have, needs to have a welcoming party. And that I did. Because I had made it home. I was the happiest I had been in a long time. After years of dreaming the 3 S’s – Seven, Stella and I have arrived.

Hang on there is so much more to tell.

saying goodbye is never easy
JUNE 2018

JUNE 2018

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The only person to blame for the lack of continuing to move forward with The Journey is me. I could give multiple reasons but what’s the point? Yes we have been busy, very busy but that is no excuse. For now I will add month by month or multiple months at a time till we are up to-date. Yikes, which ever way I do this, it is a lot of writing to do. Seven says yep mum you have been slacking big time. There is so much to add, so many changes. New friends, old friends, joys and sadness which are all part of our journey.

June 2018, we said goodbye to some furry friends which are never easy.

saying goodbye is never easy

Even a delightful furry moth settled in for a few days to say goodbye.

It is said that changes are good. I have never had so many home changes in such a short period of time and I begin to question that. But we move forward, Seven, Stella and I bracing the changes that are about to unfold.

Of course there have been many updates on this platform, so once again I am on a learning curve. I hope that you will enjoy the Journey, it’s quite the roller coaster ride.

May 2018 new home

May 2018 new home

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Finally I saw our new home. I was pretty much silent while I sat on the couch after I looked at what could possibly be where we will hang our hats. Inside I was ecstatic, could not believe what I had stumbled upon. I walked back to the house of doom with a smile full of promises. I would be happy, the dogs would be joyous. Finally, I could live the dream.

The house was huge. The garden was huge. Beside a river. Beside a new found pyramid. The view from the third floor, my bedroom, was a room that anyone would fall in love with where in the mornings one can see Popocatépetl, the biggest active volcano in Mexico (known locally as Popo). And the price was right. All I needed now was the approval of the landlord. I admit I went there with all my fingers and toes crossed. This has to be the one.

All went well with the landlady. Honestly, I did not understand a word she said (thank god I had someone there to translate) but she liked me and welcomed me with open arms. All I had to do was give her money and wait until the end of the following month to move in. We can do this. We can wait. Thankfully that saying all good things come to those who wait was proving true to me. Here are a couple of pictures…..

entrance
the house

Meanwhile I was dealing with Miss Stella, the escape artist who will take ANY opportunity to run to ‘freedom’. I tried to the best of my ability to secure the fence but to no avail. Yes she came back, sometimes on her own but mostly by people who found her. You will hear more of that over the following months. Little bugger but I do love her.

I also became so very sick that I thought would be the end of me. For the record, I have or should I say used to have a stomach of steel, meaning I could eat anything and not get sick. Well a little parasite decided to squash that and play havoc with me. I felt that I was fading away. Nothing, absolutely nothing stayed with me. After 3 weeks of medication from the regular doctor and holistic practitioner, I was on the mend. What did I eat? I narrowed it down to some fruit that I had not cleaned. Now consequently, I clean everything with Microdyn that kills those nasty little bugs before they find a home in my tummy. Lesson learned!

While we wait for the move, nothing like celebrating with friends a little drop of Mezcal …….

enjoying some mezcal
April 2018 – regroup

April 2018 – regroup

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I became unsure of my decision that I made 6 months prior. Literally I was a mess. To have a man hound you for money daily for work that I did not agree to including knocking on my door. I started to get scared. I started to sell things to lighten my load. I was seeking a ride to the border and then a ride to Canada. Not an easy feat with 2 dogs under my wing. I flatly refuse to put them in a crate and in the bellows of an airplane. As we all know, dogs can read your emotions and they too were feeling the fear, the unknown. I was lost in paradise.

Then one day while in tears, my friend sat me down and told me not to runaway. Told me I was a warrior (not in the literal sense) with what I had done and been through and I should not let any man stop me from living my dream. With new gained confidence I stopped everything and began looking for a new place to live. The wonderful little house I had was now a bad omen, I hated it. Bad for my new addition, Stella too. Sadly I had to have her chained as she was an escape artist. But she still managed to escape at least once a week. We were getting desperate.

Stella Chained

Looking for a new placed became my focus. One would think being April when all the snowbirds have left it would be easy but that was far from the truth. Many people have taken to Airbnb because they make more money which sucks for people looking for long term rentals. And prices were going up which is one thing I could not afford. Even started looking at other towns but in reality it would have been silly at that point. I was asking everyone I knew. I saw some great places and some damn awful ones. Almost took one that was out of town. It was perfect. Price was right surrounded by fields. But I declined. Flies can be a big problem and with a horse paddock right behind my back door, I and my dogs would be bothered by more than flies!! Also the landlords uncle next door bred bulls for the ring and the guy next door bred fighting cocks. There was no way I could deal with that. If you know anything about bull and cock fights you will understand. Animals bred to fight for human entertainment is cruel and I did not want to live next to that.

As luck would have it I asked a friend who had a lovely cheese shop if she knew of any house that was vacant. Without missing a beat, she said I could have her place as she was leaving the country. One draw back, it would not be available til the end of June. No problem. I felt we could stick it out in the house of doom for a couple more months. But first I must look at the house and be vetted by the landlord. More on that soon but my god it sounded perfect.

I went home and curled up with Seven and Stella. Told them, things are looking up, hang in there, all will be good soon.

Seven and Stella waiting on good news.



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