Diana is a better photographer than I, and in all these years we have never really done the kind of photo-studies of the Quinta and immediately surrounding places that even our guests have done. My problem is that I am too lazy, and Diana is not there frequently and long enough to invest the time necessary. But we have a pretty good sample of the Quinta coming out of the very severe, prolonged Winter episode along with some better shots of the majesty of the surroundings. The picture to the left shows the view to the West on a clear day. The ridge of the last horizon is about 10 miles away and the closest ridges are about 4 miles away. 
Diana wanted me to take a picture of a basic poached eggs, bacon, and pancake breakfast, which could be part of an overall brunch or a simple early morning standard breakfast.....of course served with orange juice, coffee (or tea)....and other goodies.
This was something I whipped up for Diana and me.....so it doesn't do a lot for trying to impress the guests. Our visitors have a bit more falderah and formality, but nothing that would make anyone feel ill-at-ease. By the way, the flower arrangement is Italian parsley, climbing pink roses, blood-red roses, Marilyn Monroe roses, orange blossoms, and common Mexican rosemary, all from within 35 feet of our front door.
To the left are the very rare blue shrimp plants during their first bloom since arriving in Mexico. Already some of the local ladies from the ejido are making designs on asking me to make an "apodo" (a plant cutting designed for repotting or planting). We have scores of the more common yellows and reds, plus a few of the rare golden shrimp plants.
And now, to the right is a shot of the Cypress lined banks of the Rio Corona - Santa Engracia immediately after coming out from a Winter's dormancy. The Rio Corona is spring fed and has never been known in recorded history to have run dry. This picture is taken about 200 yards from our famous "West-facing corridor".
The left shot shows the nature of these mighty, ancient trees, called Montezuma Cypress, or Bald Cypress because of the nature of the gnarled, extensive root system. "Gnarly, dude !"
The river contains good numbers of perch, bass, and catfish....and, we must admit...an occasional crocodile. It is also a place where a quiet observer can encounter three different sub-species of kingfisher, including the giant ring-necked, among the hundreds of species who call the Rio Corona their temporary or permanent home.
Part of the economic activity of the area is certainly the citrus industry, and this picture shows the second (afternoon) crew organizing for departure to harvest various of the orchards in the nearby area between Barretal and Santa Engracia. There are probably 100,000 acres of good to excellent quality citrus fruit produced here, and the employment rendered by these operations probably represents 30% of the income of working-class locals.
These are a few of the scenes around the Quinta during these days of recovery from the Winter. We shall probably be posting a few more such pictures and explanations in the next few days.
Once again, thanks for you time and attention.
The Old Gringo
