The Guadalajara Reporter

Laguna Chapalac - April 11, 2014

Spring came early to lakeside – at least compared to the late March and April snowstorms still plaguing the northern climes.

As afternoon temperatures here climb a notch or two, experienced residents are listening for the sounds of “rainbirds.” Of course they know that these anxiously awaited harbingers of the rainy season aren’t really birds at all – they are cicadas, cousins of locusts– huge, three-inch long primitive creatures.

If you are insect-phobic, don’t worry. Rainbirds behave just the opposite as the good children of yore. Local cicadas are only heard, not seen. Well, only the male is heard, but you probably won’t ever see the ladies, either.

Friends in Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos and San Antonio Tlayacapan and San Juan Cosalá started reporting hearing the old-time weather forecasters two weeks ago. I’ve been listening, hard, and all I’ve noticed is a slight increase of the consistent “cricket-like” static of my tinnitus. Evidently the rainbirds in my Ajijic neighborhood are late sleepers. Maybe they’ve been frightened away by the racket of the late avocados falling from my tree onto my metal garden furniture.

Even if this is your first spring at lakeside, I know you’ll notice and come to recognize the startling, long-winded, trilled chirping as the insects warm up their mating calls. You see, the way it works is that somehow, these prehistoric-looking insects know they only have six weeks to mate and lay eggs for the next generation. Once their circle of life is completed, they  succumb during lakeside’s first heavy rains. 

So, when do the old wives’ tales of lakeside say the first rains will fall? The “old” expat wives I know have marked the first cicada call on their calendars and then counted forward six weeks. One is convinced we’ll have rain very early (and unlikely) on May 6. Other dates dot the ensuing weeks. Some of them have even drawn up a first measurable rain pool.

With such early responses from the rainbirds, this will be a good year to see how the old wives’ tales hold up. What’s my best guess? With the “singing” early in some areas and not at all in others, I’m betting that the rainy season will start in earnest on or before June 13, the feast day of San Antonio who is patron of lost things, old maids and evidently the start of the local rainy season. Of course, that’s the safest bet and the date I always pick. In the past 23 years, it’s only failed me once – and then it rained on the afternoon of June 14.

Lois Schroff turns 90

Longtime lakeside resident Lois Schroff was honored recently with parties at La Nueva Posada and La Bodega to honor her 90th birthday. Schroff’s daughter Kem Spaulding reports that there were approximately 30 guests at each party with the evening event continuing well past midnight.  

Democrats Abroad

Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez, the 26-year editor-in-chief of the monthly El Ojo del Lago magazine, will be the guest speaker at the Monday, April 14, 3 p.m. general membership meeting of the Lake Chapala Chapter of Democrats Abroad Mexico at La Bodega Restaurant in Ajijic. 

The history of Mexican migration to the United States will be part of the talk Grattan-Dominguez  has entitled, “My Life as a Cultural Schizophrenic.” Other topics included in the potpourri presentation will include his 1988 founding of the Ajijic Writers’ Group, a view of the interesting characters he has met at lakeside, and information about the re-release of his historical novel, “The Dark Side of the Dream”. 

Grattan-Dominguez, born in Texas of Irish-Mexican parentage, worked as a film producer/director and screenwriter in Hollywood. The seven novels he has written and published are available in the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) library. In May the DVD of his feature length film “Only Once in a Lifetime” will be in the LCS Video Library. His addition credits include numerous magazine articles and screenplays.

Visitors are welcome to attend the Grattan-Dominguez presentation which follows the brief organizational board.

TED Podcast

Featured (by TED podcast) at the Tuesday, April 15, noon seminar, available for Lake Chapala Society (LCS) members, will be wildlife and land management specialist Allan Savory. His quietly powerful talk is titled: “Desertification is a fancy word for land that is turning to desert.” Savory claims that about two-thirds of the world’s grasslands are turning into desert, accelerating climate change and causing traditional grazing societies to descend into social chaos. He demonstrates that popular assumptions for coping with the crisis are faulty and presents a surprising factor that can protect grasslands and reclaim degraded land that was once desert.

This TED podcast, chaired by Fred Harland, will be presented in the Neill James Sala at LCS.

Lakeside Conservatives

Andy Matthews, president of the Nevada Policy Research Institute (NPRI), will be the speaker at the Wednesday, April 16, 4 p.m. meeting of the Lakeside Conservatives. His talk “Accountable Government” will touch on governmental transparency, unions, litigation to defend individual rights, Obamacare and taxes. 

NPRI  is  a nonpartisan, free-market think tank that promotes public-policy ideas consistent with the principles of limited government, individual liberty, and free enterprise. A resident of Las Vegas, Matthews graduated in 2000 with a degree in journalism from Boston University’s College of Communication; saw several years as a sports writer and editor for Fox Sports and MLB.com, and then did a two-year stint with New Jersey and Nevada political campaigns. He joined NPRI in 2007 as communications director and moved to vice president the following year.   

Daniel’s Restaurant will also feature a special menu so attendees can continue the discussion after the monthly meetings at Plaza de la Ribera at Rio Bravo 10A, Ajijic. For additional information about the monthly meetings and speakers of the Conservatives, and for membership information, email: lcgdon @yahoo.com.

Freethinkers

The Lakeside Freethinkers, whose members reject religious belief and rely on science and reason to guide their lives, will hold their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 16. They will consider proposals for a governance structure for the 70-member organization, as well as any other matters that members bring up, and will dine together following the meeting. For information, e-mail Ken Crosby at  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Pet Food Drive

The monthly pet food drive will be held on Thursday, April 17, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Shelter pet food store. Area residents are encouraged to make a pet food donation for their favorite animal shelter on that day, or at any time.

Purchases at the Shelter store help the cats in residence at the center as well as Anita’s Animals, Lucky Dog, or the animal rescue group selected at the time of the purchase. Once the food has been selected and purchased, the shelter will hold the donation for pickup by the group chosen. 

Customers should contact the designated rescue group so representatives will know to pick up the donation at the shelter. This pet food drive occurs on the third Thursday of each month because of the continued support of Geoffrey Kaye, the Animal Shelter and the Animal Buddies who will be present to assist customers at the food drive.

St. Andrew's Anglican donations

Representatives from local charitable organizations received donations from the Outreach Program of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church on Sunday, April 6. From left above are Steve Cole, Outreach chairman; Winston Welty, rector of St. Andrew’s; Dalia Zepeda, director of administration of Love in Action); Sue Torres, president of UVA Scholarship Fund; Margy Kassier, President CRIVC of Cruz Roja;  Moonie King, board president of Tepehua; Gin Pelzl, Tepehua; Sylvia Flores, Centro de Desarrollo; Jorge Gutierrez, Director of Hope House; Sylvia Stard, Regalorama co-chair; and some of the boys from Hope House. The church sponsors the Regalorama, a giant annual December sale of donated items, and then gives all of the proceeds directly to area non-profit groups who meet the committee’s requirements.  The funds pay for many types of projects from scholarships for needy students to equipment and building materials for these Lakeside charities.

NCA Fundraiser

The beautiful Hotel Montecarlo patio restaurant in Chapala was filled to overflowing with the Niños de Chapala and Ajijic gala fundraising dinner dance on Saturday, March 29. Following signature secret recipe margaritas, the merry-makers enjoyed a sunset dinner followed by dancing under the banyan tree to the music of Mike and the Suspects. Helping make the event a great financial success, not only did the band donate their services, the winner of the 50/50 raffle immediately donated those funds to the organization that helps keep 250 students in school.

Royal Canadian Legion

The Royal Canadian Legion says the main prize of their upcoming raffle will be a beach trip for two from November 24 through 28. Only 100 tickets will be sold and the winning ticket will be drawn at the Tuesday, July 1 Royal Canadian Legion Canada Day Celebration. Raffle proceeds will help support the Legion’s major charity, La Casa de Corazon de Ancianos, a center for homeless and destitute seniors in Jocotepec. Lake Chapala’s Branch 1, like all other Royal Canadian Legion branches, also provides assistance for local veterans and is involved with youth – a lakeside drum corps for local teens. 

Open Circle

Writer Kelly Hayes-Raitt will present an update on the Middle East refugee situation and relate the experiences of her trip to Lebanon to interview Syrian refugees at the  Sunday, April 13, 10:30 a.m. Open Circle meeting in the back patio of the Lake Chapala Society.

Hayes-Raitt’s plans to revisit Baghdad to report on conditions following the pull-out of U.S. troops were diverted when Lebanon’s worst bomb since the end of its civil war exploded, killing at least 21 people and injuring more than 200. Concerns for the safety of her Baghdad contacts if seen with an American caused her to cancel the flight from Beirut. There she reported on Syrian refugees flooding into Lebanon following rumors that the outskirts of Damascus were to be bombed. Her reports appeared on her blog at www.LivingLargeInLimbo.com/blog and in El Ojo del Lago.   

Interested attendees are invited to join her at lunch in the Peacock Garden Restaurant at Colón 8 in Ajijic after the meeting. 

Universalist Unitarian

Teresa Sande is the scheduled speaker at the Sunday, April 13 meeting of the Lake Chapala Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. Her report, “A Monarch Crisis,” looks at an issue that is one of the seven principles and purposes of Unitarian Universalists: “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This issue is particularly relevant to Mexico and involves Canada and the United States.

Meetings begin at 10:30 a.m. each Sunday at Plaza de la Ribera, Rio Bravo 10A. For more information please contact (376) 766-1458 or (376) 765-7231.

Center for Spiritual Living

The theme of the Friday, April 18, 5 p.m. celebration service is “Good Friday – Going Through Darkness to the Other Side.” A social hour will follow the meeting.

Couples are invited to attend “Build Healthy Relationships” from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesdays from April 8 through May 27. The series helps couples learn to grow in relationships in order to have a fun and playful connection with each other, and apply practical approaches to relationship problems. These classes provide a non-judgmental space for exploration with co-leaders Tim and Arlene Schubert. For information and to register email:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The series of meetings discussing “Practicing Compassionate Communication” continues from 10 a.m. to noon on Wednesdays. Learn to have satisfactory conversations with friends, partners, family, and those difficult people in your lives in a mindful and empathetic way.   

The Thursday discussion group is sharing the book, “A Thousand Names for Joy” by Byron Katie. The program begins with an optional meditation at 10 a.m. followed by group discussion from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

The Spanish Language Group is studying “The Five Gifts” on Thursdays from 7 until 9:30 p.m. at 16 de Septiembre 30. All other activities are at Nicolas Bravo 17 in Ajijic. For more information email: Tim Schubert at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call (376) 766-0920 or check the website at www.cslchapala.com.

Hu Song

Those looking for a happier, more contented life or who need to lift a grieving heart are invited to join like-minded people in a contemplative spiritual exercise, HU Song. Hu Song is held on the third Saturday of every month from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by a time for fellowship at the Spiritual Center on Nicolas Bravo 17B, Ajijic.

People of all faiths are welcome. This month’s HU Song is scheduled for Saturday, April 19. To avoid interruption, be sure to arrive no later than 10:20 a.m.

Contact Penny White at (376) 766-1230 for further information. The event is hosted by Eckankar Mexico.