I decided I would only do what I enjoy this weekend, I deserve it after last week. So Saturday morning the Dodwell's and I went to an artesania sale at the Lion's club.

First though, I have to show you this picture of Tita and Cuba asleep in the office Friday. It's been hot, it was 40°C Friday and at least that Saturday. That's 104°F, did I mention the humidity was 80%? I felt bad keeping the dogs and cat locked up in that heat although I made sure they had a lot of water and a fan. I don't have to lock up the cat of course but she panics when strangers come in and all she wants is to be with her dog pack. As you can see, once she is with the pack she's fine.

The sale was great, much larger than last year, really nice things and a good cause. Put on by AANY (Amigos de Artistas / Artesanos Nuevos de Yucatan) it is a twice a year sale of really innovative works by Yucatecan artisans.

I saw a lot of things that I would love to have but I really need to resist that impulse. The booth that really called to me though was a guy selling incredible combinations of orchids and bromeliads mounted on wood. I kept walking away and going back, I finally caved and bought a beautiful big mount with several orchids and blooming bromeliads.

Here it is sitting on my terrace, I need to decide where to hang it.

The prices were really good, I paid the current equivalent of less than $35US ($500 pesos) for this. It's 3½ feet tall with 5 orchids and 3 or 4 bromeliads mounted on a large piece of wood.

I'm going to watch where the sun is carefully tomorrow and decide on a spot for it. I'll need to spray it with water occasionally so I think the wall of the terrace might not be the best place although I would love how it looked there. Maybe higher up on the inside of this column, I need to ask Debi to take a look.

This morning, Sunday, I went over to Paul's and followed him and his guests to a tianguis in another colonia of Mérida, Chuburna. It was really neat, the usual used clothing but also plants, old hardware, and produce. I had friends coming over at 11am so I couldn't stay long but on my way out I spotted a Canna I had to have.

I've been looking for some cannas for the outside pond and this one looked really healthy. It has a bud but no current bloom and they told me the blooms are yellow and red. Whatever, I want it for the pond. That set me back $40 pesos or less than $3us and it has 3 or 4 stalks and a bud. All I really want to buy are plants, can you tell?

Actually, I'd also like to buy a couple of these hennequen lamps for bedside reading lamps. I need ones that put out some light at the bottom that would let you read but don't blind you when you look at them from across the room. The woman at the booth said she is making some that sound like what I want so I gave her my number and she says she'll come by with samples.

I got home and met up with Glen and Susan from Paamul. They built a beautiful palapa at an RV resort over on the Quintana Roo coast and I enjoyed following the building process on their blog. I got to see parts of it when we were over there but they weren't home so I'd never met them. They are on their way back to Canada for the summer and stopped in Mérida so we finally got to meet. Again, I find that when I meet someone whose blog I've enjoyed, I like them just as much in person. We talked and talked, walked to the centro and enjoyed the booths and had some food. Great people, check out the incredible job they did on their palapa. I have enormous respect for anyone who takes on a building job in another country, in another language, and pulls it off so well.

I've rejuvenated this weekend, I'm not as angry or feeling as abandoned and I think I'm ready for tomorrow. I'm also leaving for Akumal Monday night and the Dodwell's are going to be here Tuesday to let the workers in. I'm going to go to the dentist in Playa del Carmen and then pick Mimi and her brother up at the airport in Cancun on Wednesday. I've got a lot of loot coming with Mimi that I ordered online and had delivered to Denver. It will be good to see her again and then I'm grabbing the loot and coming back to Mérida. She's going to stay in Akumal with her brother for awhile, after that blizzard they need some beach time.