July 5, 2018

The fourth of July is quite different in Mexico.  There are a few bars and restaurants promoting parties to attract Americans, but other than that it's pretty much a normal day here.  A group of American cruisers summering here in Paradise Village gathered at the BBQ patio under the palapa overlooking the harbor to celebrate together.  The only fireworks were the natural kind...a thunderstorm.
I enjoyed one day poking around in Puerto Vallarta and spent a couple of mornings photographing birds a bit deeper in the estuary.  I saw a couple I hadn't seen before, including one which took some help to identify.  And of course there is the never-ending boat maintenance.

Birds

One reason it's hard to get good photos is that often the birds

prefer to be safely concealed.  Can you see the green 

crowned night heron here?

Patient stalking and a bit of luck are needed to get

the good shots.

Give me five, bro!  (black crowned (?)

night heron)

Juvenile night heron

Kiskadee(?) flycatcher

Kiskadee flycatcher in the nest

White ibis foraging

Tricolored heron, the first I've seen

Egret

This is an anhinga, also called a snake bird.
It is drying its feathers.  Unlike most seabirds,
it doesn't have oil on its feathers.  That allows
greater swimming efficiency, but means it
has to dry off and warm up after a swim.

It is bigger than most cormorants and has a
straight pointed beak, without the usual hook
on the end.

Puerto Vallarta

Close is normal in Mexico...that's why all the buses

and trucks tuck in their mirrors as close as possible.

Wall art.  Notice how it incorporates the round window.

Shamu stops to smell the flowers.

Lunch on the malecon

Paradise Village

The Optimist North American Championships

finished up this week.  They are still working

on cleaning up and packing up the boats for

return shipping...several truckloads!

Cruisers gathered for a Fourth of July BBQ

Yum!

Natural fireworks!

Boat Work

The sealant on the starboard ports was

dried out, falling out and needing

re-doing, especially with the rainy

season here.  (I had already renewed

the port side ports.)

This little right angle screwdriver was the perfect tool

for digging out the old sealant.

One blade was great for scraping...

...the other perfect for digging the old caulk

out of the gaps.

A toothbrush cleaned out all the remaining debris.

Masked

New Sika 1a applied

Masking tape removed and the job done.

Wet sanding the starboard cap rail prior to applying

the annual maintenance coats of Cetol Clear Gloss.

Filling the fresh water tank using a ceramic filter.