Country fair

The Lake Chapala Society will hold its Country Fair Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the LCS campus at the corner of Ramon Corona and 16 de Septiembre in Ajijic.

The Fair will feature a “bake off” with categories of: bread, specialty breads (such as banana bread and cinnamon rolls), fruit pies, cream pies, cookies, treats (like brownies, lemon bars), etc. There will also be awards for the best cakes, jellies and jams.

Each entry will require a 20-peso fee. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third place. Entries must include recipes. A category must have five entries before it can be judged. There is no limit on the number of items any one person may enter. After the judging and prizes are awarded, all items will be sold at a bake sale to benefit LCS programs. The deadline for entry is October 11. Those interested in entering their most delicious creations should contact Christie Prine at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

The tickets for the fair are not yet on sale; however, tickets for the quilt raffle are on sale now at LCS.

Helping out

Marching in the Independence Day parade in Ajijic September 16 is always serious business for many of the local school kids.

Art for kidney

Don’t forget about the art exhibition and sale to help provide funds for a kidney transplant to save a young man’s life. It’s set for Saturday and Sunday, September 20 and 21, noon to 8 p.m. on the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) campus. The event is organized by local artists and the “Manos de Jesus” charity (not a religious organization despite its name). Come out and find just the piece of art you’ve always wanted and help Bryan Daniel Silva Delgado lead a normal life...in fact, a life at all.

Cooking high

Libby Colterjohn has started revising her “High Altitude Cooking in Mexico” prior to coming out with a new edition. Anyone who has any comments, suggestions or special recipes is asked to contact her at (376) 766-0867 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it So far, this little publication has netted more than 10,000 pesos for Saint Andrew’s Anglican Church Outreach, with all the money going to local charities.

Foster dog

A heretofore unfortunate dog recently brought to the Animal Shelter is looking for a foster home to help her get back on her feet and feed. She was apparently hit by a car and was left to forage for herself. She apparently wasn’t too good at it and was near death when she came to the shelter. “Blondie” is about 14 months old, about 12 inches tall, appears to be a beagle and golden retriever mix and only weighs 10 pounds, out of the 17 she should have on her bones. Vets have spayed her and said that about three weeks of “quiet time” should help heal the fracture on her right rear leg. It looks like she’s going to be okay; but she needs to eat about every two hours (not at night). She loves chicken, rice and hamburger. If necessary, Animal Shelter volunteer Marci Granucci will supply wet food for her. She’s not eating dry food yet.

She is affectionate and quiet, has no intestinal problems and has been wormed and de-fleed.

Contact Granucci at (376) 766-5598.

Speaking of animals

The Animal Shelter is absolutely overloaded with kittens right now. There are more than 20 babies under three months of all descriptions; so there’s bound to be at least one that would fit right into your family. There are also way too many that are a little older but are beginning to show signs of personality problems from living in a “group” home.

Leading the horses in the Independence Day parade in Ajijic was this donkey cart...the latest in village transportation.

The Animal Shelter is located at Hidalgo 212 in Riberas del Pilar. Hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The telephone number is (376) 766-5514.

Water rites

Two programs about water’s characteristics and its importance in culture and life will be presented soon to benefit Asociacion Comunitaria Autosuficiencia (ACA).

Tuesday, September 23, ACA will show the DVD “Messages from Water” (a review of the book of the same name by Japanese physicist Masaru Emoto) at noon. Following the screening, Lois Schroff will conduct an experiment revealing water’s tendency to separate into drops, according to its own laws, and then she will speak about the 1965 book, “Sensitive Chaos,” written by a German water researcher, Theodor Schwenk, documenting the archetypal movements in water. The donation is 50 pesos.

Saturday, September 27, there will be an all day program (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) at the ACA Eco Training Center devoted to a deeper understanding of the spiritual nature of water. Demonstrations, talks, lunch provided by ACA, information about water and land projects in Tijuana and Cuernavaca among other places, plus a group hands-on effort to build an arroyo from clay are on the agenda.

Please take an apron or wear old clothes and shoes.

The donation is 150 pesos. So that ACA can plan lunch for the correct number of people, please contact Lois Schroff at 766-5606 by September 24 to let them know you’re going to be there.

Obama mama

Jill Flyer, who is working on the Obama for President campaign, is putting out the call for volunteers to help out with registration, telephoning and handing out information, to help fill out requests for ballots and to put up posters. “A supporter who doesn’t vote might as well be voting for the other guy,” says Flyer. “What you do or don’t do for Obama could influence the rest of our lives.”

Contact Flyer at 766-3025 or email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Parking

Those shopping (or trying to shop) in stores located on Morelos like Hotel La Estancia, Duran Gallery and Boutique, Opus Boutique, Mi Mexico, Flor de la Laguna and such, will be happy to know that public parking is now available just around the corner at 16 de Septiembre #3. Check it out!

Concert for Niños

Programa Pro Niños Incapacitados del Lago and the Mexican parent group of that organization are hosting a music recital at Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago in La Floresta on Monday, October 6, 7:30 p.m.

The performers, soprano Dolores Moreno and harpist Guadalupe Corona, are both musicians of the highest quality and members of prestigious musical organizations in Guadalajara. They are donating all proceeds from the concert to Niños Incapacitados, an organization tending to the medical needs of many Lakeside children.

A cash bar will be open at 6:30 p.m. and during the intermission. CDs of music performed by these artists will be on sale at the concert.

Tickets, at 150 pesos each, will be available from September 29 to October 6, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Tickets, Etc. booth at the Lake Chapala Society, or, if you prefer, contact Kari Higgins at 766-3651 to reserve your tickets.

Debates

Democrats Abroad Lake Chapala presents the first of the Presidential Candidates’ Debates, Friday, September 26, 7:30 p.m. at the home of Mags Patela and Jim Stork. The debate focus will be on Domestic Policies. Come out and watch what the candidates have to say on big-screen TV. A 100-peso donation for Democrats Abroad to get out the vote is requested. Botanas will be served - bring your own liquid refreshments

RSVP to Kem Spaulding at (376) 766-6115.

Voting registration will be available.