The best-laid plans. . .

    I really did intend to do useful things this winter--more blogging, finish a project for a church committee, more research on pollinators--and I almost certainly will do those things, but my first two weeks in Yucatan have found me doing a lot of more or less nothing. Given that this is the view from my apartment, the reasons for that nothing are probably obvious.

There is the beach road to walk, not to mention the malecon if I want to see humans, and the neighborhood tiendas to visit. (It may not be A Good Thing that a panaderia with pay de queso and brownies is only two blocks away, though there is also a tiny fruteria.) There are squadrons of pelicans flying overhead at sunrise (which is generally gorgeous, and visible from the rear terrace), occasional frigate birds drifting by, grackles and hummingbirds in the palms, and sunset off the front terrace. There are passionflowers blooming along the path,

along with morning glories if I drag myself out early enough.

Alice Walker's fictional philosopher Shug Avery noted that the universe is always trying to please humans by creating bits of beauty. In her words, "I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it." We certainly wouldn't want that, would we?

    The project will get finished. But probably not this morning.