UP LONG BEFORE THE DAYSPRING, get dressed and go into the d-mart to clean up. Later, I drive to the Kingdom Hall, park directly outside the gait to wait for the service group to arrive and watch as the sunglow turn into a colorful sunrise.

By seven this morning, this city is bustling with activity. Across the street, the taco stand is busy with hungry customers, the Bimbo bread trucks have arrived ready to run their routes, the taxis are lined up awaiting their fare, the traffic is already strong and all this on a Saturday. Methinks that Morelia is much too big of a city for myself, one who much more desires the life of small towns.

However, living near by would be advantageous due to the numerous large shopping stores available here. Then, at seven-forty, when the sun rises above the distant hills, this day has officially begun, and soon the service group will arrive when we will all be off to my next destination, Patzcuaro. It is a smaller city less than an hours drive to the southwest of Morelia and just over one thousand feet higher in altitude. Once a month, a service group from Morelia makes the journey to Patzcuaro to help the friends in that town with the ministry in their territory.

However, instead of going directly to Patzcuaro, we first drive to Quiroga, a smaller town near the northern shore of Lake Patzcuaro to work the territory there. There is a large group that meets in the plaza to get their assignments.

Today, I work with Ron, the only elder in Patzcuaro, while his wife Jean works with the sisters from Morelia. Ron and I make several of his return visits in the area.

At one pm, we all meet back at the plaza to decide where we will go to eat lunch. We then head to Patzcuaro and on the way see Lake Pátzcuaro with Janitzio Island in the middle. (Janitzio means where it rains.) The statue on top of the island is José Maria Morelos, a revolutionary leader during México′s quest for independence.

Next, we get into our cars, drive to eat at a Mexican restaurant in Patzcuaro, where I have a large fajita plater for sixty pesos (six dollars). I have thought about this expression which sounds funny, of course the restaurant is Mexican and since I have been in this country, I have seen nothing but Mexican restaurants.

After lunch, we get ready for the meeting and arrived at the Kingdom Hall about a half hour before it begins. There are thirty-two in attendance including two families from the states. After the meeting, Ron rides with me and we go on a study with David, Lorenzo and their daughter, Ruby. David is the only one who speaks English in his family and translates for them. Tonight, we are going over the questions in the Organize book dealing with meeting the requirements for being a publisher of the good news.

Arriveing at Ron′s home after eleven and exhausted since awaking before six this morning, I park inside the compound at the home of Ron and Jean. (Day 23)

Up early and begin cleaning up in the outside bathroom. It only has a toilet and sink but works for me because I use the sink to bath and don′t have to use my rubbing alcohol. After a short time, Jean comes outside, greets me, lets the dog out and puts a load in the wash. Soon, Ron comes out and asks if I would take him to get his car after which we return to the house and get ready for the ministry. Omar arrives and the three of us go out to do calls. Later, we go to the market to look for some return visits. The market is near downtown and consists of a maze of streets that literally have wall to wall stands for the people to sell there food and goods.

As we walk through the narrow crowded passageways searching for the addresses of the calls, I look about through the throngs of vendors and I am amazed by how many different types of product are being sold here. Even so, most vendors only sells one type of product or service. There are numerous barber and beauty shops; there are vegetable and fruit stands everywhere; small (belly-up-to-the-bar) restaurants abound; shoe shops and music-cd shops are common; and there are many other individuals, usually older women, sitting on the concrete with a small scale and bucket of fish, a bowl of herbs or a bowl of zopatillas.

At one in the afternoon, Ron and I drop off Omar and then return to Ron′s home, after which, Ron goes on some studies and I stay in my van to clean it up. After finishing all of my my cleaning, I take a nap until about six whereupon I get up and Ron invites me into his home for another study. There is a fire going in the fireplace which gives warmth for the two couples and myselƒ during the reading. Ron and Jean read in Spanish and the Spanish couple Louis and his wife read the paragraphs in English. I even get to read a paragraph in Spanish which is an interesting experience. Afterwards, Ron and Jean take the couple home while I retire to my van for the evening. (Day 24)

I awake soon after daylight and begin preparing to go with Ron on his calls and studies. First, before beginning service, Ron, Jean and I go to a quaint Mexican restaurant ¹⁷ for breakfast which costs only 30 pesos each for a full meal including coffee. The meal is great, and think about this: breakfast with drinks for three for less than nine dollars!

Then Ron and I continued in the ministry as planned until about two in the afternoon after which we return to his home and study for the meeting.

Three congregations meet at this hall, (19.508900, -101.618400) English, Purepécha and Spanish. The English midweek meeting begins at seven this evening and by ten we are back inside the compound where I begin writing today′s events in my journal. Too, today I find out that the circuit overseer is coming here for visit during the second week in February and I would like to be here for the week of his visit. (Day 25)

Sleeping in is always welcome, well at least until the back hurts and must needs get up and start moving and it is long after eight when this happens. I begin cleaning house, washing the outside, sweeping the inside and general straightening up. I had lost the overhead light bulb two days ago and I told myselƒ that it will show up when I clean but it didn′t. I thought that it must have went out with the garbage. At about noon, Ron tells me that he will be going out to do some calls and when I ask if I can come he says yes. After a few stops without finding anyone home, we call on Juan and have a study with him. Later, after returning to the compound, Ron takes Jean out for the evening.

Meanwhile, I sweep the garage floor, clean the baño and wash the patio table and chairs. Then I set up my cooking gear on the table and make brown rice with cut up comotes (sweet potato) and onions. When it′s ready, I drain the water, add soy sauce, garlic powder, pepper and a spoon to eat with. Nice meal but I wish I had added a whole cup of rice instead of a half cup because I am still hungry.

It is eight o′clock, read for a while and then go to bed before ten. (Day 26)

Awake at sunglow and work on my photos for several hours, a tedious process but enjoyable because I know that soon I will be able to begin sharing them. At ten I go the to the ministry meeting as this has become my routine while here in Patzcuaro. There are four of us, Ron, Ray, Kaya and myselƒ. At about one pm we stop for lunch in the patio of a hotel. Afterwards, we continue going on calls and studies, stopping at six pm for a tortas (hot sandwich). Then we try one more time to find the evening study but he is not there so we return home.

I then spend the evening getting my photos ready to upload. (Day 27)

The cockcrow awakens me while dreaming about somebody stealing my water bottles. What an odd dream! I get up immediately and continue working on my photos again hoping to have some of them uploaded soon. Each morning while parked under this carport, the sun shines into my sleeping birth at nine o′clock and with these rays, there is an instant warmth within the van.

Then at ten, I go with Ray and his daughter Kaya out in service and we walk through one of the several plazas in town.

Ray and his wife Sonya are from Jackson, Wyoming, however, Sonya needed to return there for a short time and took their youngest child. We call on several people, studying with two. At one pm, we stop for lunch at Casa China and when we walk into the restaurant, I comment: "It even smells like Chinese food."

Because the menus is in Spanish, I order a deep fried chicken dish, where I would prefer grilled chicken. Still, the meal is very good. Afterwards, we make one more stop to study with Victor, a study who has a great mental aptitude for understanding the truth. Ray and I both comment on this as we walk to his car.

When Ray drops me off at my van, I decide to work more on the photos but because the sun is so bright I have to put up the curtains to see my computer.

At six, I go in for supper with Ron and Jean. Ray and Kayah show up a little later and we all sit and talk for a long time. At about nine, I excuse myselƒ and retire to my van and work on the photos for a while longer. (Day 28)

Up after sunrise and after a short while doing house chores, I depart to explore the area. At first, I take the road south looking for a lake access to take photos of Janitzio Island and the monument on top. What I find is a series of small shallow channels where small tourist villages have developed behind which the tour boats are parked waiting for the next group to ride out to the island.

Then I reverse my direction, head north along the eastern side of the lake, pass through one village after another before finding a good spot for photos of the island.

After taking a few photos, I drive east up out of the lake basin to a site where there is a matching pair of pyramids. Considered a national park, I have learned that there are hundreds of these pyramids, of all sizes throughout the southern and southeastern parts of México. However, I believe that there are very few pyramid sites in this part of the country, what I call the south central area.

I assume that the ancients built these pyramids in this location because of being near to Lake Patzcuaro and Janitzio Island, both of which are located in a large well watered mountain valley in which they could grow crops. I take many photos of these two pyramids, as well as some close up shots of the stone work because I probably will not get to stop to see any other pyramids on this journey.

Two separate ancient culture groups, the Nahuatl and Purepécha, occupied the area southeast of the lake between 900 CE to 1530 CE. This site was important as an astronomical observatory and ceremonial center.

Afterwards, I return to Patzcuaro to find Ron and Jean waiting for me to go to Morelia for some shopping and supper. We arrive and park at the mart-store, (the same one where I parked last week,) and after a little shopping there, we go to a sirloin buffet. This is my second buffet this month and like the first, I walk out of the restaurant full but not stuffed. We return back to their home and retire for the evening. (Day 29)

I awake characteristically early and go through my regular routine. Next, I do my study for the weekend meeting this afternoon and then turn the van engine on for some heat while I pound on the keyboard for a while. Just like each morning during this week that I have been parked here, at nine, the sun rises over the compound wall and shines into my van. Later, in the early afternoon, I do some housekeeping and then we leave for the meeting at four. After the meeting, Ron asks me if I will accompany a brother named Pepe on a study and I tell him, sure. Pepe and I then leave and drive up the mountain from the hall past the hospital and around back to the same house where Ron and I had studied with David and his family last week. Pepe tells that we will be studying with David′s brothers.

While we wait, I notice that we are at the edge of the forest comment about the forest and how much I love to walk in the forest. Pepe then tells me that he has walked and/or jogged all of the mountain forest around Patzcuaro. He tells me that he has even bought some land in the forest west of here, a fifteen minute drive from Patzcuaro. We wait here for forty-five minutes and when David′s brothers do not show, we leave, heading not back into town, but further up onto the mountain.

Pepe drives the road along the outskirts of the city, a very primitive path, which keeps close to the forest and then turns up one road that is no more than a wide horse path. He tells me that this is the original road between Patzcuaro and Uruapan, the only one available for travel when there were nothing but horses and foot traffic. We drive up this pathway, one which can only be traveled with a high clearance vehicle, to the pass and stop. The elevation must be over eight thousand feet here. It is just after sunset when we arrive at this pass and there is still a bright glow in the western horizon. We both get out of Pepe′s truck and I look up to see which constellations are visible. Immediately, I point out Orion and then began looking for the north star but there is still much too much sunglow to allow me to see it so we continued our conversation about walking and spending time in the forest. I tell Pepe that I love to walk on the mountains, that just last September, I walked for a week in Yosemite National Park in California. He then tells me again that he has walked all of the forest surrounding Patzcuaro and that he loves to spend time in the forest. This makes me think that Pepe is possibly another candidate for an annual backpack. The only problem is that he will have to be outfitted with all the gear before he will be able to join in on the type of backpacking we are accustomed to. A man on a horse rides by.

Next, we drive down from the pass and then Pepe takes me to the compound where my van is parked; I let myselƒ in with the key I have been provided and begin cooking my supper. Tonight, I an cooking the same as I did last Tuesday night, brown rice with diced sweet potatoes and onions. Of course I add the pepper, garlic and soy sauce to make it more palatable. After eating, I clean up my gear, work on the keyboard and then get into the sack before eleven. This has been an interesting evening, especially since I have been praying to Jehovah for a sign to show me where he wants me to live. I will continue praying about this. (Day 30)

I awake early despite the late night of working on my computer. Later, I get ready for the drive to Uruapan, getting dressed for the meeting and then await for Ron and Jean to arise, get into their car and lead the way to the city of Uruapan. While engrossed in my computer, I hear a knock on the hood of my van. Ron has come out to invite me in for pancakes and coffee and I readily agree telling him that hot pancakes are always better than cold cereal.

Soon, we are on our way to Uruapan and after a short time, Ron stops, gets out to point to Lake Zirahuen and comments that this lake has some of the most purest water in the country. This is a pristine deep mountain lake with a sandy bottom but also a small endorheic basin which allows no outflow to other external bodies of water. Truely, Lake Zirahuen is a hidden treasure here in Michoacán.

We then resume our drive to Uruapan and notice that we are driving down from the mountains high elevation of over 7000 feet in Patzcuaro to the elevation in Uruapan of 5280 feet and a very noticeably hotter temperature. So much so that when we arrive in town at eleven, it is over 80° which eliminates Uruapan′s candidacy as a home for me.

Upon arriving at the hall, there are over fifty in attendance at the meeting in this nice Salon del Reino and I meet the Garcia family who are from the Bay Area in Texas. After talking only a short time, we determine that we know all the same friends there. Small world, isn′t it.

Looking at my calendar I leave out of Uruapan, drive south on FR 37 through Michoacán to the Pacific ocean and then stop at the town of Playa Azul on the ocean shore. From here, I will drive up the coast to state of Jalisco during the upcoming week and then at the end of next week, I will return back to Patzcuaro for the Circuit Overseer′s visit. After that, I will possibly head to México City to visit the branch.

Some time after that, I will head back to Monterrey, then Laredo and exit México during the last part of February. Then I will return to the Bay Area to help Susan in the work on Mom′s estate.

That′s my plan and I am sticking to it, unless of course, I change my mind or something else comes up.

I drive south from Uruapan on the libre (free) federal highway along some beautiful mountains and with the sun setting, it makes for some great silhouettes but somehow got mislead by my GPS to take a state highway. After driving thirty kilometers on the state highway and then finding that the road is closed, I have to turn around and return to the federal highway, a detour that took over an hour. By the time I got back on the federal highway, it was getting close to sunset. ¹⁸

The drive then takes me into the state of Guerrero (9) for a short time but then back into Michoacán. It is just before nine this Sunday evening and I am at the beach, or actually two blocks from it and parked next to a soccer field.

From here, the sound of the constant pounding of the waves is strong and nearby there is also some loud music. Too, I hear the sounds of kids playing and people talking near by. At about nine-thirty, I can no longer hear the kids and the music has diminished and is almost overwhelmed by the constant roar of the waves. I sit here in the back of my van and as I type, I wonder what the water in this small ocean town feels like.

It is very warm here, probably still in the mid-seventies and I will not sleep comfortable tonight. I am, however, drinking a little scotch to help me sleep. The music has stopped completely now leaving the sound of the ocean and I will try to sleep now. (Day 31)