Where the fat fart is

Here are some of the events that have happened since I last posted, but not necessarily in this order;

There was a meeting (reunion) of 4 friends on a balcony facing the ocean at sunup. I arrived with my own coffee because I am now a cream snob. The conversation is tangled in Spanish and English. When we end up not understanding each other we just change the subject and start over again. There was a lot of laughing and good food. I learn a new recipe and a few new words. When I get home I find the iron but can't remember what I needed to iron anymore. I eventually find the silverware as well, in a hidden drawer of the serving table. I feel settled.
Throughout the day I keep an eye on the old gentleman next door, it looks like he is breaking in a very skittish horse. He is gentle, slow and so patient, his touch and his voice seem soft. When he finally mounts the horse he has a handkerchief tied around the horse's head, the horse is completely blind, totally trusting the cowboy. It's beautiful and I am reminded of another "Cowboy" who was near and dear to me, he would have loved it here.
A week ago I gave someone some cash for some coconuts, today 2 guys in a red truck pulled up and unloaded 18 coconuts, I tried to pay them, they said they had already been paid. This is how things are done here, I like it.
One evening a lady showed up at my gate, "Are you Maria?" Yes I am. She says "Danny says you like tamales, would you like to buy some". I buy 4 beef tamales from her. They were so very good. This is how we do things here.
I've tried to do some beading, but forgot to bring a needle threader, a beading needle is so hard to thread without one, I gave up. I go to my friends house to see if she has one or at least can tell me what it is called in my new tongue. She doesn't know what I am talking about, she gives me her sewing basket full of notions to search for it, she doesn't have one. I think her sewing basket is a 100 years old though. Oh well, I can't sit still long enough to do any beading yet anyway. I should be studying Spanish.
This is what I learned today;
Hacer el pedo gordo   to make a fat fart - to make a stink, a commotion,
example: aqui esta el pedo gordo - here is where the fat fart is meaning this is where the commotion is or where the shit is happening.
Now this is Spanish I can use, there is always a commotion (a fat fart) of some kind happening here.
Today when I walked the beach in the morning I was so deep in thought I didn't hear a heard of horses behind me until they were almost on top of me, 30 plus horses ran past me spraying me with the ocean. Herding them was a young cowboy in surfing shorts, sandals and a hoodie, no shiny cowboy boots, belt buckles or hats, these are not rodeo showoffs, cowboy is a way of life here. 6 horses decide to make a break for it and head towards the plantation, cowboy is on them real quick, not his first day in the saddle. He managed to merge them all around a 90 degree corner and up a very narrow road past the RV park, they kicked up a sand storm but they all made it.
The surf must be ideal today, the boys are out, some in wet suits... that's serious surfing. They entertain me for a while and then some start heading in...to school I hope, but they noticed the gringo volleyball game in front of the RV park, they get a welcome wave, drop their towels and boards and join the gringos. The gringo all move to one side, they will play against the surfers. It's old retired beer bellied gringos against young surfers, not much of a contest. After only 2 serves I can see the gringos will get their soft butts kicked, but I am sure they knew that.
I get home and see a mouse in my garbage, I don't think fast enough and he gets away.
I try to do my homework from my bible study class but my Spanish brain is not working, I go to a friends house for help. I fall in love with her shoes, we discuss shoes, tamales, ironing and new bed sheets, I forget all about my homework, oh well, tomorrow is another day.
When I get home my neighbor is feeding his puppies for the first time, it's hilarious. They keep falling into the bowl, their faces are covered in food. He is standing by to teach them some table manners but they are not ready for that.

My evening is delightful, a starry sky, twinkling Christmas lights around my palapa, Mexican music coming from 2 houses down, the neighing of a horse, the ticking sound of the palms in the breeze, me in my hammock with my Spanish verb book on my lap, a cup of tea and a pastry from the dessert truck. Soon as the music stops (it always does) cowboy starts whistling as he is touching his horse, when the horse lifts his legs up to kick he backs up, keeps whistling, and pets the horse again. Soon the horse stands at ease as cowboy strokes his flanks, he is singing now, softly. Roosters start talking to each other, Cowboy leaves his horse tied to the big tree. I think I hear crickets.
I tried to post some pictures but for some reason that just didn't work today...that's how it is here sometimes