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| A good geography lesson. One can see the new orchard stretching towards the Sierra Madre and the ancient cypress trees "with their feet in the water" of the Rio Corona. |
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This very orderly and very modern agricultural development is the child of the mind of our neighbour, the owner of the Hacienda de La Vega. He took out all 200 acres of the old Valencia orange planting that had been producing for almost 85 years, three years back. Then he planted the entire acreage in these new fangled limes that have become increasingly popular throughout the world. Paris, London, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo, and a thousand other culinary and fancy saloon venues have steadily been increasing their orders for this new King of Sour.
Advantage? Florida?…California?…Texas?…Arizona?...Arabia / Mesopotamia?…the Mediterranean? Well, not so much. As it turns out, this area from around Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas up to Allende, Nuevo Leon and then away from the mountains twenty miles or so to the east has the most ideal conditions, placement, and access that one might imagine if he / she had the power to design a citrus, sweet or sour, industry complex.
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| Breaking new ground for planting the last nine acres of the new lime trees |
Just during the past few months, it has been my pleasure to meet fellows who have travelled from Europe (Italy and France) in search of "Fincas" (fancy farms and/or orchards) where preliminary contracting might be a good opening for those needing supply. There have been others from Mexico City poking around, of course, and it should not be long before American contract buyers start making their appearance. The orchard pictured above will be among the very first, if not the first, to produce a market-worthy harvest.
The first photo is a good geographic study…taken about two weeks ago. One can see the the lime trees are gaining back their green hue that had been lost a little due to a prolonged cold period and an unusually wet winter (nearly 8 inches of rain for January and February). It shows the three tiered relationship with the Rio Corona…first the orchard, then the dense riverine forest that borders the banks of the Rio Corona. And lastly, the dominating Montezuma Cypress trees, some as much as 1,300 years old, with their "feet in the water", so to speak.
Then someone threw in the Sierra Madre Oriental, forming the backdrop of the entire scene. This particular segment of the Sierra Madre is known as the Sierra del Cautivo (Captive)…so named because when the first Spanish explorers came through this area a White man came down from those mountains, accompanied by a gaggle of Indians who had relatively light skin…and some with green and/or blue eyes.
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| Bouganvillas on our property "down below" between our Adobe Hut and the Rio Corona, something like the "local official flower" |
Then someone threw in the Sierra Madre Oriental, forming the backdrop of the entire scene. This particular segment of the Sierra Madre is known as the Sierra del Cautivo (Captive)…so named because when the first Spanish explorers came through this area a White man came down from those mountains, accompanied by a gaggle of Indians who had relatively light skin…and some with green and/or blue eyes.
The White man declared that he was, in fact, a Spaniard, and had been taken prisoner during a battle further South in Mexico (then New Spain). He said he had been traded up from one Indian group to another, and that he had been treated well. He had married and had children…He also pointed out that the Indians with whom he lived called themselves Hualahuises or Warrior Peoples of the Mountains.
He also allowed that with his basic knowledge of medicine, the people had assumed that he was a magician / medicine man, and therefore they had developed a certain reverence towards him. He also said that he had developed considerable fluency in their language. He declared that the people were leery of other White men, thinking that they were out to extract the gold and silver in the mountains. To this day it is known that there are massive deposits of said metals, along with even more valuable things, like molybdenum and such.
He also declared that his village was something like the Garden of Eden so he could not complain. He told the reconnoitring Spanish expeditionary group that he had continuously tried to preach the Christian message to the Indians…very carefully. That is a brief description “El Cautivo” (The Captive) and his adventures, in a land a mile and half high…and 5 leagues west (about 15 miles) of the land in the first picture posted here. This encounter occurred in 1544, plus / minus.
No settlement began in the area where the Quinta Tesoro de la Sierra Madre (our place) and the Hacienda de La Vega (our neighbour's place) and that zone just to the north of this scene until the very earliest 1700s. In agriculture it became famous then for silage, corn, and especially peppers of many kinds, and various vegetables especially squash of various types. Later, sugar became a major product, and with that product, of course, types of tequila, aguardiente, and mezcal.
And not to forget, but for many, many generations henniquin maguey was a major industry, placing this area, the Yucatan (northern part), and certain areas of the Philippine Islands in control of the rope industry throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Ocean ships and cowboys could not have existed without the area we are writing about here.
We move on to matters of less import…just rambling through our little property…taking advantage of pruning and training exercises for the various shrubs, trees, and other growies. As most OROGs (Order of Readers of the Old Gringo) know, folks like to come out to stay a weekend,
or at times stay for a longer respite. It was, true enough, a lot busier five or six years ago, but slowly things seem to be returning to that pace, when people would pull up unannounced, and surprised that there is such a place as ours, out in the middle of Nowhere, Mexico.
We forget sometimes to remind our readership that we need at least a two-week notice for those who wish to use our one little guest room w/ private bath and entrance. With that much anticipation, we can almost always have every detail covered…like hot water, water, food, nice beds, nice towels, nice everything, and the "Guarantee". "Well, what is the "Guarantee", Gringo Viejo?", one might reasonably ask.
The "guarantee" dates back to that time when a lady asked, when inquiring about our facility, if we could "guarantee" that she would be absolutely bored. She and her sister (if I remember correctly) wanted nothing more than to do some ambling around in the village, read their Agatha Christi mysteries on the corridor, watch and study the many species of birds, and have a cold Corona (or similar) while rocking in the huge cane and straw-bound "mesadoras" (rocking chairs).
They seemed charmed by our dogs and cats (all very disciplined), who were adept at begging without being pushy or insistent. The tranquility of our environs was, in fact, exactly what they were searching out. Tranquility was helped by the presence of huge and ancient cypress trees on the adjacent clear, spring-fed river, now almost totally litter free…thanks to our majordomo Alvaro…and to a lesser extent your humble servant…in cleaning up what had been a "secret" intermittent, midnight garbage dump before we built our little adobe hut there.
The people of the small surrounding community have become quite compliant concerning the need to maintain an uncluttered environment, and the results have been most pleasant. The clients we have had appreciated all of that, They especially appreciate the number of species of birds that use our grounds and premises for nesting, feeding, bathing, and generally decorating the place with their songs and colours.
Sometimes I forget how terribly pleasant the place and the surroundings are…grumbling over this thing that needs repair and that thing that has to be straightened. But perhaps that is the nature of the Southern, Anglo-Saxon type. For instance, we have the opportunity to cuss and moan about the fact that it's too cold…until I see the FOX News report about 43 inches of snow in eastern Colorado…in early December…when my low temperature is 56 degrees.
Or, when the temperature soars into the high 90s in July, and the "canicula" (dog-days of Summer) is beginning to settle in, it is necessary to take a deep breath. At that time, it is well to remember, hour by hour, the advantages provided by the fact that we are essentially on the Tropic of Cancer, and there have only been three or four freezes during the previous 125 years. There are opportunities of a different sort, as well, if one wishes to modify his daily routine just a bit.
For instance, getting up at 1:00 A.M. and stepping outside in our little "parking lot" in front of our long west facing corridor, and looking up at the stars is a reward unto itself. Literally hundreds upon thousands of stars, and very frequently a stunning swath of the full sweep of the Milky Way silently puts on the greatest show off Earth.
And, yes Virginia, we have even had to put up with those pesky things like unidentified flying objects that, at times, reward the easily convinced two or three…or fifteen or twenty…times per year during those dark…no urban night light…nights, when the orbs with peculiar paths seem to like to mill around in near-Earth locations. We have a particularly favourite client who came to stay with us for several days…he and his very pleasant wife…about three years ago.
He, and his wife, have had experience in witnessing these things such as UFO events. During his stay, he assisted in instructing me that our sky in the middle of NoWhere, Mexico had a great number of "flashers"…something that I had seen, but not invested in the "little grey cells" as the great detective Hercule Poirot referred to his brain.
And the folks ask at times if there is a "bird count" that might be reliable. My answer is "Yes". There are many reference books, both paperback and hard-bound, that detail in various ways (almost all excellent) the various birds who come through our place and out by a radius of 25 miles. We have brush, forest, large pond-lake (irrigation impoundments) arrangements that might be 1,000 acres of coverage, juniper forests on the mountains, along with tropical oak, all nature of flowering things. Then, we also have seasonal crops in farming stretches or orchards, as well as
areas that are protected in an informal way for those who collect nature-provided yummies such as flor de yucca (very edible for Gringos, Indians, Anyone…bland but delicious). Other folks dedicate themselves to the collection of chile del monte (small roundish chiles) and chile pequin (very small chiles) that are quite potent, loved by mockingbirds, kiskadees, orioles, and hens…and many people such as your humble servant).
The "bird count" now numbers 525 different species at this point…and after collecting reliable in-put from various very serious to serious bird watchers and our own observations. Suffice to say that we have easily the greatest Sulfur Butterfly migration twice per year. And, of course, two of every three years, we are inundated with the Monarch Butterfly migration. Both of the species essentially flood the airways to the point that I am surprised that our SKY-TV receiving antennae can function. Of course, every time there is a bit of a dip in the Monarch migration, Al Gore Acolytes, Inc. come forth to remind everyone that Global Warming killed all the Monarchs in 1999 and it was George Bush's fault.
The Monarch environmental matter tends to be tenuous at times, but certain actions, private and public, have been taken over the last five or six years especially, that have caused a bit of optimism…real optimism...about the continued prosperity of that flight. We had a huge season both going down and coming forth this past year…perhaps the second largest we have seen since building our little mud house.
We have had various of the major animals around our place, normally associated with the mountains nearby. But, from the Rio Corona, about fifteen years ago, some folks encountered two alligators about 300 yards downstream from our place. Mommy pumas, and one daddy (once), racoons, squirrels, coyote, fox, weasels, bobcats, and other nice and not so nice beasties have graced our humble property.
Friendly tarantulas are less numerous now, but they still serve to eliminate roaches and other vermin…and we keep them at the far edge of our property. Snakes should be a problem, but in the nearly twenty years of having our place, we have only had two bad snakes and three good snakes anywhere near our front corridor. The dogs and
cats have always served well in this matter.
The image to the left is a particular bulb that our Majordomo Alvaro propagated from gifts, trades, and cuttings given in trade with the people "round abouts". The people are seriously involved in finding "new cuttings" and "new seeds" to plant in pots, beds, or into the bramble if it can provide food, spice, or flowers the console the soul. It is probably the second or third most active activity in the little community where we have our adobe home.
One should be aware that, while the flower has a similar appearance, the plant to the left has no relation whatsoever to the plant above it. The top one is tree-like with bark and all that stuff, while the one below, obviously is a bulb plant that blooms for a couple of months, and then retires from public participation until another year. I prefer the Powder Puff, but the ladies go crazy for the one on the bottom.
We move on to the true royalty of the blooming vegetation in the Santa Engracia catchment area of the central core of Tamaulipas State of Mexico. This is the one tree or bush that will stop the first time driver or visitor. We have these trees in the southernmost part of the Republic of Texas, and they will put on quite a show even at that far northern extent of the domain of Flamboyan (aka - Poinsettia Tree). This tree can bloom prodigiously early on in the Springtime, with the blooming lasting perhaps as much as three months…truly.
And yes, Virginia…at times there is a general "rebrote" (re-boost…or second flowering), especially during a rainy spell during the normally dry Spring. But it is all real…it is why people find Mexico so fascinating and hypnotising in many cases. Since we grew up in close proximity to this magic and were associated with people at all social levels from Mexico during our farm days, all of this was simply….normal.
One must remember in our biographic data that my paternal grandmother (whom I never knew) lived in Mexico for several years with her father in another NoWhere, Mexico (Llano de Enmedio, Vera Cruz) back in the late 1880s and 1890s. They were actually of the Washburn - Christian Mills of Minneapolis, Minnesota (later known as General Mills) and real, live industrialists…and quirky, eccentric and wealthy and scientific and strange. Very generous Episcopalians from when it used to be an Orthodox, Catholic Church of England type institution…but still quirky, strange, and eccentric.
Their dedication to crops and harvests of tropical fruits and production rubbed off on the son of that woman…and he became my father…who was a very successful in the farming business on the very edge of the Republic of Texas. Those were interesting times…and as boring as it was, my brothers and I never lacked for something that "needed to be done" or something that had a matter of great interest for our study or distraction. We never lacked for intellectual challenge, and we have been influenced by people who were fair, studied, and disciplined.
We shall mosey on over the crest of the hill, now. Since I am very important, it is necessary that I rewind the big clock in the centre of Planet Earth to make certain that the planet keeps its appointments with the chronology of reality. Very few people are aware of this responsibility that I bear, so we beseech any and all to make certain that our secret remains within these confines or whatever confines are available to your reach at this time.
And, yes Virginia…I think and know that the people are laughing at my feeble jokes. We need to return to the issue at hand, that being assisting the nurturing and marketting of our neighbour's coming crop of deluxe limes. This is an interesting challenge, and one that returns me to the times as a five year old…weaving around cotton trailers and John Deere tractors coughing and blustering through thick soil in the black loam of the delta of the Rio Grande…everything that was old is new again…perhaps. Tomorrow a bit of news about the "caravanas" of the "migrants" invading the southern border…and about why the social construct in Mexico is not "hopeless" as many think.
And not to forget, but for many, many generations henniquin maguey was a major industry, placing this area, the Yucatan (northern part), and certain areas of the Philippine Islands in control of the rope industry throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Ocean ships and cowboys could not have existed without the area we are writing about here.
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| Misnomered frequently as "orchid tree" the pata de vaca (cow-foot tree) is another of the "official trees" of the Santa Engracia catchment area. This one lies directly in front of our front door |
We forget sometimes to remind our readership that we need at least a two-week notice for those who wish to use our one little guest room w/ private bath and entrance. With that much anticipation, we can almost always have every detail covered…like hot water, water, food, nice beds, nice towels, nice everything, and the "Guarantee". "Well, what is the "Guarantee", Gringo Viejo?", one might reasonably ask.
The "guarantee" dates back to that time when a lady asked, when inquiring about our facility, if we could "guarantee" that she would be absolutely bored. She and her sister (if I remember correctly) wanted nothing more than to do some ambling around in the village, read their Agatha Christi mysteries on the corridor, watch and study the many species of birds, and have a cold Corona (or similar) while rocking in the huge cane and straw-bound "mesadoras" (rocking chairs).
 |
| An old Heliconia, a precursor of the banana. We have several on the property, and they tend to bloom when they deem it convenient. |
The people of the small surrounding community have become quite compliant concerning the need to maintain an uncluttered environment, and the results have been most pleasant. The clients we have had appreciated all of that, They especially appreciate the number of species of birds that use our grounds and premises for nesting, feeding, bathing, and generally decorating the place with their songs and colours.
Sometimes I forget how terribly pleasant the place and the surroundings are…grumbling over this thing that needs repair and that thing that has to be straightened. But perhaps that is the nature of the Southern, Anglo-Saxon type. For instance, we have the opportunity to cuss and moan about the fact that it's too cold…until I see the FOX News report about 43 inches of snow in eastern Colorado…in early December…when my low temperature is 56 degrees.
 |
| Hercule Poirot great Belgian private detective He worked with Agatha Christi during the Depression and WWII. |
For instance, getting up at 1:00 A.M. and stepping outside in our little "parking lot" in front of our long west facing corridor, and looking up at the stars is a reward unto itself. Literally hundreds upon thousands of stars, and very frequently a stunning swath of the full sweep of the Milky Way silently puts on the greatest show off Earth.
 |
| An ornamental multi-trunk Yucca with blossoms in a home setting |
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| Henequin (sisal fibre) drying "on the line" - the rope starts here. It comes from the "lowly" Agave |
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| Crown of Thorns, of which we have many and many different variations. |
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| Wild petunias that attract bees and hummingbird by the millions. This is a part of our lower property we designate as "semi-disciplined". |
The "bird count" now numbers 525 different species at this point…and after collecting reliable in-put from various very serious to serious bird watchers and our own observations. Suffice to say that we have easily the greatest Sulfur Butterfly migration twice per year. And, of course, two of every three years, we are inundated with the Monarch Butterfly migration. Both of the species essentially flood the airways to the point that I am surprised that our SKY-TV receiving antennae can function. Of course, every time there is a bit of a dip in the Monarch migration, Al Gore Acolytes, Inc. come forth to remind everyone that Global Warming killed all the Monarchs in 1999 and it was George Bush's fault.
 |
| This is one of our many Powder Puff bushes. Bees and hummingbirds are really big fans of these particular plants. We have four or five of these around the house. |
We have had various of the major animals around our place, normally associated with the mountains nearby. But, from the Rio Corona, about fifteen years ago, some folks encountered two alligators about 300 yards downstream from our place. Mommy pumas, and one daddy (once), racoons, squirrels, coyote, fox, weasels, bobcats, and other nice and not so nice beasties have graced our humble property.
Friendly tarantulas are less numerous now, but they still serve to eliminate roaches and other vermin…and we keep them at the far edge of our property. Snakes should be a problem, but in the nearly twenty years of having our place, we have only had two bad snakes and three good snakes anywhere near our front corridor. The dogs and
The image to the left is a particular bulb that our Majordomo Alvaro propagated from gifts, trades, and cuttings given in trade with the people "round abouts". The people are seriously involved in finding "new cuttings" and "new seeds" to plant in pots, beds, or into the bramble if it can provide food, spice, or flowers the console the soul. It is probably the second or third most active activity in the little community where we have our adobe home.
One should be aware that, while the flower has a similar appearance, the plant to the left has no relation whatsoever to the plant above it. The top one is tree-like with bark and all that stuff, while the one below, obviously is a bulb plant that blooms for a couple of months, and then retires from public participation until another year. I prefer the Powder Puff, but the ladies go crazy for the one on the bottom.
We move on to the true royalty of the blooming vegetation in the Santa Engracia catchment area of the central core of Tamaulipas State of Mexico. This is the one tree or bush that will stop the first time driver or visitor. We have these trees in the southernmost part of the Republic of Texas, and they will put on quite a show even at that far northern extent of the domain of Flamboyan (aka - Poinsettia Tree). This tree can bloom prodigiously early on in the Springtime, with the blooming lasting perhaps as much as three months…truly.
And yes, Virginia…at times there is a general "rebrote" (re-boost…or second flowering), especially during a rainy spell during the normally dry Spring. But it is all real…it is why people find Mexico so fascinating and hypnotising in many cases. Since we grew up in close proximity to this magic and were associated with people at all social levels from Mexico during our farm days, all of this was simply….normal.
 |
| This is the second blooming of a Flamboyan tree. |
Their dedication to crops and harvests of tropical fruits and production rubbed off on the son of that woman…and he became my father…who was a very successful in the farming business on the very edge of the Republic of Texas. Those were interesting times…and as boring as it was, my brothers and I never lacked for something that "needed to be done" or something that had a matter of great interest for our study or distraction. We never lacked for intellectual challenge, and we have been influenced by people who were fair, studied, and disciplined.
We shall mosey on over the crest of the hill, now. Since I am very important, it is necessary that I rewind the big clock in the centre of Planet Earth to make certain that the planet keeps its appointments with the chronology of reality. Very few people are aware of this responsibility that I bear, so we beseech any and all to make certain that our secret remains within these confines or whatever confines are available to your reach at this time.
And, yes Virginia…I think and know that the people are laughing at my feeble jokes. We need to return to the issue at hand, that being assisting the nurturing and marketting of our neighbour's coming crop of deluxe limes. This is an interesting challenge, and one that returns me to the times as a five year old…weaving around cotton trailers and John Deere tractors coughing and blustering through thick soil in the black loam of the delta of the Rio Grande…everything that was old is new again…perhaps. Tomorrow a bit of news about the "caravanas" of the "migrants" invading the southern border…and about why the social construct in Mexico is not "hopeless" as many think.
El Gringo Viejo
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