Snapshots from daily life

The other day we were driving through La Gloria when we passed a sidestreet with some boys playing. Out of the corner of my eye I caught something that made me take a second look. It was a boy of about 8 or 9, all soaped up with lots of suds all over his body, throwing the suds through the window at another kid inside. They were whooping it up and having a great time. Not sure the mom appreciated the extra soaping on the floor.
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Three doors down there is a new workshop - they seem to do a bunch of things, not sure what the main business really is. The owner has some young men working there, and along with the workers came three dogs and three kittens. One of the young workers just loves cats - he is constantly playing with them, and often will take one for a ride on his bike up and down our street, with the kitten perched on his shoulder.

The three dogs are friendly and an odd mix - a black lab mama, a small wiry terrier black and white dog, and a short dachsund mix. The terrier dog has a lame back leg which doesn't touch the ground - the story told to Miguel was it was a complication of his castration surgery. Not sure how that could really happen, but that's the story. The dachsund has a broad face, and his lips don't quite meet, so he always looks like he's faking a grin.

Our two dogs have made peace with these new residents of the street. Loco of course had to bump them all a few times to show him who's boss, but now he doesn't pay any attention to them. The two smaller dogs like to sit in front of our gate, hoping for handouts. We try not to feed them as they are fed where they belong, but they are often the beneficiaries of the leftovers we put across the street for any stray that comes along.

Yesterday I was sitting on the couch and heard a noise at the gate. When I got up to investigate, it was the black and white terrier - he had managed to wiggle the gate enough to cause the latch to spring and the gate to open. His intention was clear - he was going to drink some water and steal Loco's food. Since Loco wasn't interested in eating, I took the bowl of food and dumped it across the street, where "tres patas" had a feast.
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For the last week we've had thunder and lightening and rain in the middle of the night. Loco knows it's coming before we do - he'll paw at the patio door to come in and hide under the bed. A few minutes later comes the rain - last night it came with a nice big wind that put a little chill in the air. Great for sleeping! And the daytime temperatures are much more comfortable. Finally - relief from the baking heat!

The cooler temperatures encourage the cats to play. And if I go into the downstairs bedroom for a siesta, one or more will follow and snuggle in with me. Maya has pretty much ignored me since the spring when it got so hot, but yesterday she was following me around the house like a puppy dog, and she joined me for a short siesta. Even Luna came up on the couch to lie beside me - guess she was feeling a chill too, with the temps only in the high 80's.

This morning there is a lovely cool breeze, and Maya is pressed up against Loco on the floor. The plants are looking happy and healthy, and the wind has blown a lot of the dead leaves off the vines. If the black clouds blow by, I will be tempted to wash some sheets and put them out on the line - they should dry in no time.

In another month or so we'll be complaining that we're cold. Hopefully someone will remind me that I complained when it was so hot.