Another "Last" and a Beginning

Remember my post last week where I was all jazzed to start the edits on After the Fall? Yeah, I haven't started those yet. I did, however, write a couple pages for my NEW, yet-to-be-properly-titled-or-talked-about-in-public, YA wip.

This is the first time I've been so aware of a character's voice right from the beginning, and I hope that means I won't have to spend a draft fixing voice issues (like I am now with ATF). I find it fairly easy to talk like a teenager, but I don't want THIS character to sound like the teenager in my other book, so I'm making the effort now.

Then I swear I'll get going on my edits.

In other news, Friday night Ibis and I went to dinner with my dad at our favorite restaurant, Il Mare. It's on a rocky outcrop between Playa Madera and Playa La Ropa and overlooks Zihuatanejo Bay. It's usually hit or miss whether or not we'll get a nice sunset, and we TOTALLY lucked out.


We went a little crazy taking pictures -- my dad's eyeballs were permanently locked in the back of his skull -- but how often do you get a backdrop like this? We joked that the people at the table next to us probably thought we were nuts, but then they started taking pictures too.

Now I can cross off "eat at Il Mare" AND "take fabulous sunset pictures with my sweetie."

Another Day at the Beach

I leave in eleven days so I'm trying to do a lot of things "one last time." Among them: take a trip to Las Gatas, the beach directly across the bay from our home. As far as the tourists are concerned, you can only get there by boat, but you can actually hike along a narrow rocky trail. Since we went with my dad and another couple (who'd never been) we opted for the boat.


Owen's first boat ride!

Wouldn't you know it, there was a cruise ship! Talk about up close and personal!


Las Gatas is known for it's excellent snorkeling, courtesy of the rocky break that extends across the mouth of the inlet. (At least I think it's called an inlet...) The beach can feel a little crowded if all those tables are full, but it takes a LOT of people to fill those up.


We live just beyond the cruise ship and it was fun to see it from the opposite side of the bay. We kept waiting for it to move a little bit more so we could point out our place to our friends, but the cruise ship was very uncooperative.

Who Says Rain Dances Don't Work?

*checks calendar*

Yep, it's February.

*checks sky*

Yep, it's raining.

This could be why:


I took this around 5pm on Thursday and that SAME cloud has been hovering over Mexico since late Tuesday night. It seems all my complaining about the hot, blistering sun worked and it's gone into hibernation. I feel a little bad for the tourists but super excited about the amount of writing I'm getting done. I haven't actually worked on a novel yet this year, but I am cruising through my non-fiction articles -- and those actually pay!

Rainy season ended MONTHS ago but it seems someone forgot to tell Mother Nature. The previous two winters that I've lived here it didn't rain a single time from early December until mid-May. Since I returned from Detroit the first week of January it's rained more days than it hasn't, and the past two days have been CONSTANT. Unending.

Just ask my dad, who arrived here Monday afternoon and has yet to go to the beach. At this rate he'll finish all his reading material by next week.

And lest any of you lash me with a wet noodle, I'm NOT COMPLAINING. I love this. :)

More Violence

And this one is a little unsettling.

I've mentioned here before that our favorite beach is Barra de Potosi -- a stretch of beach at the southernmost end of a 9K beach just south of Zihua. The airport is at the north end and you can see Barra from the air when you land. The water is cleaner and bluer than in Zihua, there are less people, you can actually see the fish in the water (and watch the birds fishing for them), and there's a lagoon around the bend that you can explore by canoe.

We go there maybe once a month and always tell people to make sure and include a daytrip there in their plans. Every friend and family member who's visited here has been there -- that's where we saw three whales last year with my mom, dad, and sister.

Well, last week someone (or multiple someones) shot as passing vehicles. It didn't make the same headlines as the shooting in Ixtapa, but once again, tourists were targeted. I don't know many details or I'd include the links here.

A narrow two-lane road winds through the fields from the main highway to the beach, and once you're on it there aren't many options for getting off, aside from stopping at someone's house. Yet there are lots of places for people to hide. We never go there at night because the restaurants all close around 6pm so I can't say what it's like there after dark.

Ibis brought some tourists there on Friday and stopped off at the new ecological park on the way. He met a local ex-pat on the tour and when he returned to the parking lot, discovered the man's van had been broken into. Inside the parking lot. The logical assumption is this is all the work of the same people (the shooting near Barra, not the Ixtapa shooting -- they are almost an hour apart) but my bigger concern is: what if they aren't? I always tell people that the economy here sucks and people are getting desperate, but I never imagined people being shot at in broad daylight.

It's really too bad. I'd have loved to gone there once more before I leave.

Twelve Days Short of Three Years

You might want to grab a fresh cup of coffee for this one.

* waits *

Ibis and I have come to the difficult decision that it's best if I move back to Michigan. If you're a regular reader of this blog, I don't think I need to explain why, but the biggest reasons are the increasing violence and the whole not-having-money thing.

Owen and I will be flying into Chicago on February 23rd, then I'll drive my dad's van to my parents' house in Michigan, where I will become a cliché. Yes, I'm moving into their basement.

I'd rather not get into all the details on the internet, but I'm sure you have a couple obvious questions.

My Marriage
No, we are not getting divorced. We've talked about sending me back to the US to work for well over a year now and I've always resisted (again, for a lot of reasons I'd rather not get into).

A Job
No, I don't have a job yet, but I'm working on it. I've applied to one place (I know…) and I have a list of "industry" folks that I plan to contact. Michigan's economy is among the worst in the US, but that's where my family is.

The good thing is I no longer have the limitations I had by trying to work in Mexico or Canada. As an immigrant you are required work within your field of study -- for me, graphic design -- and there just aren't that many design positions in a struggling economy. Now if I want to wait tables or work at a bookstore (or both), I can.

I've also started writing for Demand Studios -- an online company that supplies articles for eHow, Livestrong, and several other website. I've already had two articles approved, and yes, I'm kicking myself for not doing this two years ago.

Ibis & The US
No, my being in the US will not change anything about Ibis getting into the country. He is facing a ten-year ban for unlawful presence and that ban will not be lifted. Period. The answer we received in September was regarding an extreme-hardship waiver that we filed on my behalf. Appealing that decision or reapplying will only waste more years and more money. He can reapply in seven years. Period.

Travel to Zihua
Yes, I still think it's safe to visit Zihuatanejo. In fact, my dad arrives today for two months and my brother will be here at the beginning of March.

True, the violence helped persuade me to leave, but the dangers I face are because I'm a local. (I'm going to generalize here, so bear with me.) When some locals see me -- a white American who doesn't work -- they assume I have money, or if I don't have money, my family does. After all, we're getting by somehow, right? That puts me in danger, especially when all around us people are struggling to survive. Burglaries and muggings have increased drastically since we moved here three years ago, and you can only avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time for so long.

If you've been here you know that the local police and government takes tourism very seriously and it's very rare for anything bad to happen IF YOU STICK TO THE TOURISTY areas. The Canadians who were shot in mid-January were on a deserted bike path. Another tourist was raped a couple days after that, but again, she was on a fairly isolated beach. (I don't know the details of that attack or I would tell you more.)

Yes, bad things happen, but that's not limited to Zihuatanejo or Mexico. I've decided I've had enough of this place, but that doesn't mean I'll never return to visit.

Okay, now everyone take a deep breath.


* inhales *


* waits for everyone to join in *


* turns blue *


Okay, seriously people. Take a deep breath.


* takes another deep breath but only pretends to hold it and breathes out my nose *


Because I'm leaving Mexico, this blog will no longer make sense. So… I have a new blog:

Hoosblog

Go check it out!

* waits *

What do you think? There are still a couple things I'd like to tweak, but for the most part, I'm happy with it. I decided to switch to Wordpress for a couple reasons, number one being I can still keep "melanieavila" as the name.

One question for you fellow Wordpress bloggers: is there a Followers button? I know I can see who's following me, but I like having it displayed on the main page.

A benefit I didn't anticipate is the extra pages Wordpress allows you to set up. As you can see (you looked, right?) I've essentially turned this into my writing/author/whatever website. Some of you may recall I have another website that also has my writing info on it. Well not anymore! I've changed that too:

Melanie Avila

* waits *

This site hasn't changed as much, but I've refreshed a couple things, including the About Me photo. Ibis and I had a mini photo shoot on the roof over the weekend. Didn't he do a great job?

But wait, there's more!

Because designing a five-page Wordpress blog and updating my design site weren't enough, I started yet another blog:

What Am I Doing in Michigan?

* waits with a big smile *

Eh? Eh? What do you think?

I feel bad retiring What Am I Doing in Mexico?, but not bad enough to stay. I'll continue posting here until I leave, then transition to Hoosblog once I get settled in Michigan. Once there, I'll keep this blog online, but I'll probably deactivate comments.

One last favor before I go: Will you please follow my new blogs? I'd really appreciate it. :)

* takes a big sip of coffee *

Two Canadian Tourists Shot in Ixtapa

Here we go again.

On Wednesday, January 20th, two Canadian tourists were shot during an attempted robbery on the bicycle path on the far end of Ixtapa. The path runs from the north end of Zihuatanejo, through Ixtapa, and winds through a wooded area until it ends at Playa Linda. The attack happened two miles from the end of the path.


Image from Despertar de la Costa

Chislain Lazure, 55, from Quebec, was shot in the abdomen and his partner, a 40-year old woman, was grazed in the ear. They reportedly refused medical attention at the time but were later hospitalized. Wednesday afternoon they went to the Prosecutor's office to report the crime.

This article from a Canadian website gives slightly varying details, and as I'm not entirely sure what has happened since the shooting, I figured I should include that as well.

One thing I haven't found online but did hear through word of mouth is that the gunmen robbed up to nineteen people on that path and had them lie on the ground and hide in the woods when other people approached. Rumors spread faster than actual news around here, so I don't know if this is true, but I've been on that path and I can see how that would happen.

So, what does this mean?

When the violence erupted here last spring I received dozens of emails from nervous Americans and Canadians -- many of whom had been here before -- wanting to know if they should cancel their trips. Based on my stats, a lot of people find my blog while googling "violence in Mexico" and "is it safe to go to Zihuatanejo?" so I want to address that. (Especially for my former roommate who JUST booked a trip here two days ago.)

Mexico is a foreign country. Mexico is struggling economically. Tourists who come here and keep that in mind shouldn't have any problems. My standard response when people ask if it's still safe to walk around downtown Zihua is "if you stumble around drunk in the middle of the night, especially alone, something bad will happen. If you use common sense and stick to well-lit areas where other tourists frequent, you shouldn't have any problems."

I do not mean to imply that the tourists who were shot weren't careful. They probably never imagined someone would shoot at them in the middle of the day. That's the part that surprised me the most when I heard about the attack. Ibis and I walked that path once over the summer -- all five miles through the woods -- and we were more than a little nervous that someone might try to rob us. We weren't carrying anything besides our water bottles and car keys, but a desperate thief doesn't know that. (In fact, Ibis was probably carrying 100 pesos just so we'd have something to give and not make the person angry.) Once you set out on that path you're stuck until you get to the end. Something that all the locals know only too well.

Ibis and I agreed that we wouldn't walk on that path again, but at the time we figured rollerblading or biking would be safer. Now I'm glad I've walked through there once because I won't again.

Now, when I say "use common sense", here's what I mean:

- don't flash a lot of cash
- don't wear expensive or expensive-looking jewelry (I've stopped wearing my diamond ring)
- always always always be aware of your surroundings
- stay with a group
- don't go down dark alleys or streets

And a more recent addition for Zihua:

- don't walk on the path along the ocean between downtown and Playa Madera at night

The ironic thing about this list? These are the exact same precautions I took while living in Chicago. In the US. In the Midwest. Now that I'm living in Mexico I've stepped it up a notch:

- I don't go out by myself after dark -- EVER
- I always make sure my husband knows where I am and when I will be home

I know there are some ex-pats who live here and think that we're paranoid, but I'd rather be paranoid than get mugged, shot, or worse.

Before I've scared everyone into never wanting to visit our little fishing village, please know that the government and the police take tourism very seriously. As long as you stick to the beaten paths there's no reason you can't have an uneventful stay here.

I'll be sure to let you all know if there are further developments, and in the meantime, stay safe.

Hurricane Rick?

Saturday afternoon I was minding my own business, playing my 114th game of Bejeweled, when a dark cloud swallowed the sky, the wind blew away every piece of paper on my desk, and it started raining inside. Or something to that effect. I closed the doors and windows, turned on the lights, and continued with my game.

About an hour later Ibis returned from the beach, much drier than I'd expected. He and his friends had taken cover beneath a palapa -- well actually, he put his things beneath a palapa while HE swam in the NINE-FOOT WAVES. We both agreed there must have been quite a storm over the ocean. For fun, I checked out weather.com and look what I found:


Well look at that. It's a CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE and we knew nothing about it. But Rick? Really? As I read the reports a comment from He-Robin from Saturday suddenly made sense. I thought he mistook my dog's name for Rick and couldn't understand why he thought our puppy looked mean, when actually he was warning me of impending doom. Ohhhhh. Gotcha.

Then my sister-in-law-in-law (if that makes sense) pointed me to a cool website called stormpulse that tracks storms over the different oceans. That site showed me this:


I screen-captured these on Sunday afternoon, a full day after Rick passed by, but trust me when I say I couldn't have been more surprised to see the EYE OF THE STORM directly off the coast of Zihuatanejo. Yikes!

By Sunday the sky was once again clear, most of the rain had evaporated, and it was business as usual.

Seven o'Clock and All is Well!

After our overly exciting Thursday evening, the weekend was rather uneventful. Typically I wouldn't bother writing a blog post about that, but I know a lot of you were concerned (or still are concerned) and I wanted to reassure you. Sure, there were more killings and mutilations and all that fun stuff, but things in the Avila household were business as usual.

One thing I keep forgetting to give you an update on is my toe. (Adam, please control yourself.) I had a "procedure" done my first week back from the states where a portion of my toenail and some infected tissue were removed. I've had to wear a bandage ever since -- and let me just tell you how fun that is with a puppy.

My latest appointment was this past Friday and the doctor didn't have much to say about it, just that I'm to return in three more weeks. The biggest hassle is because I'm only supposed to change the bandage once a day, I have to encase my foot in a plastic bag if I shower more than once. This time of year I typically shower three times a day, so let's just say while things in the Avila household may be business as usual, they are a little more ripe.

Ahem.

Anyway, things are fine, I'm writing over 500 words per day (give or take) and I'm almost to the climactic scenes of my story.

Anything exciting happen over the weekend? Did you SEE the adorable picture of Owen crying? *sigh*

To Answer My Questions

In the space of half an hour yesterday I had three questions answered.

Question #1: Is my current wip women's fiction?

Answer, courtesy of Jessica Foust at Bookends:

"One of the reason women’s fiction is so hard to define is because the definition is so simple, and so broad. Women’s fiction is fiction that appeals to women. In my mind that means the protagonist could be man, woman, child or even dog. I also think women’s fiction tends to have a greater level of emotion than some other books. It’s a book that tugs on the heartstrings, so to speak. I know, I know, a lot of books that wouldn’t be defined as women’s fiction could fit that definition as well, but a lot of books that would never be called romance also have romance in them."

Question #2: What exactly IS showing vs. telling? (too many posts to link)

Answer, courtesy of Nathan Bransford:

"My interpretation is this...: universal emotions should not be "told." Instead, we should be shown how the character is reacting to their feelings.

"...emotions are universal: we all feel sad, angry, happy, emotional, etc. etc. But how we react to those emotions are completely and infinitely different. That's what we find interesting.

"This also applies to:
- Descriptions - It's not interesting to merely hear that someone is "pretty" - what characteristics make them pretty?
- Characterizing relationships - Not interesting to only hear that two people are "close". How are they close? What do they do together?"

His entire post is well worth reading, but those are the bits that most resonated with me.


Question #3: What the heck are my neighbors building?"

Answer: They appear to be closets. Go figure. (A man was actually pummeling the brick with a sledgehammer while I took the picture -- you can sort of make him out in the opening.)




Thoughts? Do you show or tell? Write about dogs and their feelings? Have you added three feet of depth to your house for a couple closets?

Around the Condo

I've talked a lot about some of the odd things in our building, and today I'm going to finally show you some pictures.

First up, the water tanks. These two are for our building and as long as the pumps keep working, we have plenty of water. Trouble starts when the pump dies or "someone" doesn't pay the electric bill that keeps the pump running. That electric bill is still in the developer's name, so that's why it keeps happening.


Still on the roof, these are the pipes that run to the four units on our end of the building. Do you like the fancy bricks that keep the pipes level? It's amazing we ever even HAVE water. That's also our satellite dish and a possible storm coming in. Sometimes the clouds stay in the mountains and it never rains on us. Other times we get a downpour.


Here we have what appears to a convenience store refrigerator. It was there when we woke up several months ago and has been in that spot ever since. "Misc" is common in store names -- it basically means they have a little bit of everything -- and no, I don't know who Carlito is.


Here is the infamous "mailbox." This is why we tell everyone not to mail us things. Thursday morning we were leaving for the gym when I spotted my grandmother's handwriting sticking out of the metal bars. (Thanks gramma!) There's absolutely nothing to prevent people from taking what's there. In March the developer promised a mailbox that would attach to the front gate (which would also need to remain locked -- right now there is no lock) but we've yet to see anything.


And finally, the "yard." I don't think this needs any explanation.

Unexpected Tranquility

I dipped my toe in the aquamarine water, marveling at the white sand that stretched the length of the bay. Tiny pebbles bounced over my feet as the surf crashed onto the shore, scrambling towards the safety of the palm trees, only to be dragged roughly back to the sea.

I trailed my hand through the salty foam and splashed my neck, my arms. It was warmer than I expected – a clear sign it hadn't rained in weeks. I lowered myself into an oncoming wave, letting the water roll over my shoulders. Strands of hair clung to my cheek, mingled with the coarse sand.

I lowered still further until my head slipped beneath the surface. My everyday thoughts, concerns, the stresses of the world, all drifted away with the current. For this one afternoon a buoyant cocoon protected me from the real world.

*****

Last week Ibis and I went to Playa la Ropa, the largest and cleanest of the four beaches on Zihuatanejo Bay. As we drove over the hills between our house and the beach, my jaw dropped when I saw the water. It's normally a deep blue, but that day it was pale turquoise, like the Caribbean.

When we arrived at the beach, we discovered that the June storm that washed away much of Barra de Potosi also affected La Ropa. (We also saw a difference at Playa la Madera last weekend, but the water color hadn't changed.) Now the water covers what used to be the last 20 feet of the beach and laps at the tables and beach chairs of the restaurants and hotels. It's this shift that's caused the change in water color. The water over the pure white sand appears aquamarine.

It looked like a different beach. It was even saltier than normal. I normally don't go past my waist – I'm too nervous about whatever creatures are lurking beneath the surface – but this time I spent the majority of the day frolicking in the waves, enjoying my pseudo-vacation.

Have you ever had an experience like this, where a place you frequent changes so much it feels like you've transported to an entirely different place?

Happy 4th of July!

Since today happens to be a Saturday and some of the hotels shoot off fireworks on Saturdays, we might actually get a show tonight. We don't have any special plans and since I'm assuming most of the world will NOT be online, it'll be a quiet day for me.

I didn't get a chance to read Anna Karenina on the trip because the bus was a lot bouncier than I expected, but I've started it since we've returned. I can think of worse ways to spend the day than curling up with a HUGE book, especially now that the rainy season is here and we've actually had a few gray days. (I'm happy about the clouds.)

Have a great day!

Good Morning

I haven't been sleeping well with the heat (101 yesterday with the heat index) and my brain is fried from all this editing, so I took some pictures for you instead.

First we have our neighbor's tree. I believe it's a mango tree, and it's gotten much greener in the past couple weeks (even though it's only rained twice).


Next are a few of the neighborhood dogs. They hang out at this house (if you look closely you can see a pile of garbage on the patio -- I'm assuming that's their food) and I often see them walking on the wall along the side. From our viewpoint it looks like they're walking on the roof of the next house.


Another neighbor has come up with an ingenious solution to sleeping comfortably -- they've put their bed outside. We're not sure how long it will last once the rains come, but for now it must be much cooler than inside their house. A hammock is also set up next to the bed.


And finally, sunrise.


I assume you know this, but these are all taken from my balcony. :)

Two Years

This weekend marks the two-year anniversary of when Ibis and I moved to Zihuatanejo and into our condo. When I say I never thought we'd be here that long, that's a mild understatement. We assumed all along that we'd be in Mexico for a year and a half, maybe two years, but when we moved to this town, Ibis had already been in Mexico for six months and me for three.

We've had some amazing experiences since moving here -- enough to fill a book or two, some might say -- and I know we'll take those memories with us wherever we end up. I just really hope we can move on to the memory portion of the deal soon. I'm ready for a change.

A question for you: is there a time period or event in your life that you knew -- while it was happening -- that it would forever influence your life?

We have our nephew again for the weekend so I may not get to your comments as quickly today, and I'll probably skip posting for tomorrow.

Back to Normal

I had a bit of a breakthrough yesterday with my wip, but I'm going to save that post for Tuesday since I suspect most of you are off frolicking over the long weekend, and I hate when a post gets buried.

Instead I'm going to share a few more pictures with you. Yesterday Ibis and I went to Barra de Potosi, our favorite beach about half an hour's drive south of Zihua. I posted pictures from there when our friend Andy was in town and I'd never seen it busier.

Barra over Easter weekend


This is what it looked like yesterday. (That couple was really going at it for the first half hour we were there.) This is what it normally looks like, and why we like it so much. (Minus the couple, of course.)



If you recall, on Thursday I complained about how hot it is, and how a haze has descended on Zihua.


Well Friday it lifted for a bit just before sunset. This is what it normally looks like. The colors just amaze me, every time.


Finally, the reason Barra is my favorite beach is it's usually deserted, the water is very clear and there are tons of fish, which means the birds go crazy. I can spend the entire afternoon watching them glide over the waves, swoop high into the air, then dive straight into the water, wings tucked to their sides.

Yesterday there was a large school of fish moving across the bay because this flock of birds followed it for ten minutes. Very cool to see.

Picture Pages

Please check out the story I posted yesterday and let me know what you think. I'm always trying to improve so feedback helps!

Now, for photos.

Our friend Andy is here for the long weekend and brought several things for us. He laughed as we opened everything in his hotel room and commented that we were like two kids at Christmas. What can I say, we're easily pleased. Not pictured, Ibis' new Nike running shoes, and one box of Girl Scout cookies that Ibis kept at work:


Yesterday we went to Barra de Potosi, our favorite beach just south of Zihuatanejo. For those of you who've been there, these pictures will probably shock you. I've NEVER seen it so crowded!







Have a great weekend!

A Day in the Life of... Oh, Enjoy Some Pretty Pictures

We watch the sunrise every morning from bed (or more accurately, I watch the sunrise, as Ibis gets up around 5am) but I don't always take pictures. While it's nice to see, they tend to all look the same. Well we've started to get a few more clouds - it even rained a couple nights ago - so now the sky really lights up.

Here's yesterday's sunrise:








As luck would have it, guests from the hotel invited us to dinner last night at our favorite restaurant, Il Mare, and I watched the sunset:


The cycle wouldn't be complete without this morning's sunrise:


Ahhhhh.

So how was your day? I've been busy with some projects that have come up and haven't been able to write (unless you count yesterday's poem, lol) but I'm hoping I'll get back to it soon.

My First Vlog!

My friend Janna posted a video last week so we could hear her voice. One downside of only knowing people online is we have no idea what everyone sounds like. Sometimes it's a bit of a shock, but for the most part, it's fun to experience a new part of someone you consider a friend.

So, without further adieu, allow me to present a Tour Through Zihua:



Ibis swears a couple times under his breath so I suppose I'll give this a language warning, but it's not very loud.

Enjoy!

ETA: Several people have had problems viewing the video. I'm wondering if it will work if you click the actual video instead of the little play button in the lower corner. That will take you to YouTube instead of trying to view from my blog.

A Complete Bust

I've been trying to upload a video since 8am and it's NOT working. I apologize for the lack of a post, but I'm too irritated to come up with something further. I'll try to figure something out and post it at another time.

Have a great weekend!

He-lo-lo-los

No, that's not a new greeting, that's how our nephew used to say helicopter. It's not much different in Spanish - helicoptero - so his then three-year-old mouth had the same difficulty as an American toddler.


There's a naval base here in Zihua and it's quite common to see helicopters flying overhead throughout the day. Yesterday as we were leaving the beach we noticed a huge dust storm over the downtown area, and at first, overreactor that I am, I thought it was a fire, then another grenade attack. There were several helicopters hovering quite close to the ground, and we finally decided they were just stirring up the dust.

A short time later, just as I got home, I heard another helicopter flying through town. I'm not up on my 'copter lingo, but the ones we usually see are normal what I'd guess you call "military" helicopters. But these looked like troop transporters.


Two came through town right after another, then a third, normal looking 'copter landed as well. My overactive imagination pictures dozens of troops swarming the downtown area, but I never went down to check it out. Hopefully today we'll find out what's up.