Weeds and Rain in Chacala

Senecio(?) from La Penita

We have been having heavy evening rains, with thunder and lightning, for several weeks now. Electricity goes off regularly. Last night it was only off for about a hour or so. The weeds and plants are growing very quickly, everywhere in town.

This house is now surrounded by grasses and vines knee-high and higher. The "jungle", which is what the people who live here call the heavy imprenetrable vegatation that takes over during the rainy season, is creeping right up onto the house. Because there are no other houses near this house, just "jungle", the vegetation seems to really grow. A foot or two a day sometimes.

Juan, a local painter and handyperson, came by this morning. He wanted to spray the driveway with the last of some horrible weed spray he had is his spryer/backpack. I let him. I told myself the homeowner likes the drive way to be gravel-only, no vegetaton. So Juan finished of his spray tank and left, refusing pesoes, popcorn, or a pop.

Juan returned an hour later with a new tankful of spray which he used on the driveway and the back path. Now he is using the matchete to clear away the weeds that are rapidly trying to cover the bouganvillas and palmas on the south side of the house. I know he likes plants, and I trust him to be careful, but I hate the spray and don't want him using it except on the road and path. Even that is horrible, actually.

I am afraid to walk around in the deep weeds because so many animals live out there.
When Juan arrived this morning he chased off a tojones, which seemed to be creeping up on the metal garbage can box. And later there was a dead possum on the road at the end of the driveway.

I didn't get to any nurseries when I went to Puerto Vallarta a few days ago. But now, thanks to a PV message board and two taxi drivers, I know exactly (?) when four nurseries are. Oddly enough, a taxi driver, who also is the landscaper for a small PV hotel, told me that the best and cheapest nursery is the one I have been going to in La Penita. And he didn't know that I lived up north and been going there.

But today the Plant Truck came up to the house. I got two nice portulaca's (yellow and orange) and a variegated succulent that was actually three smaller plants. I had just finished making holes in the bottom of two new 10 peso buckets, and planting the new new plants, when the 12 year old mailman (Jose Andreas) brought up some mail for this house. He wanted to look at the new plants and we talked about them for a few minutes. He is a very talented young man, handsome, and a good singer, dancer, and performer. I hope his life turns out okay.