Reading Andee's Blog
When we first arrived here in La Penita RV Park I wrote about our trip to Chacala and my looking for Andee. I copy what I wrote then, for you now:
"We have been taking exploratory trips in the jeep almost daily and have had some neat experiences.
One of our first trips was to Chacala. A small sea side village, mostly inhabited by and frequented by native Mexicans. There is however an American lady, who came to Chacala some five years ago, decided she liked the people and location, settled in, and has been living there. She writes an almost daily blog and I have been reading her off and on for about 3 years now. She also has always done a great job with adding local pictures to her blog. She is a bit private about talking about herself and one never sees a photo that she would be in, also over the three years I have been reading her, the best I could come up with was her name was probably Ann. She appears to be living on a very meager SS check, but then her needs are kept quite basic. I have had other observations about her and was anxious to see if I could find her.
While having a fantastic meal at one of the beach side restaurants I tried with my very broken Spanish to ask if anyone knew of her. No one did. On walking back to the car there was a few 5th wheels parked along the beach with Canadian plates and some of the people were sitting in the shade under the coconut trees. After visiting a bit and finding out they had been coming here for several years I asked if they knew of an American lady who lived in or around the area. “You mean Andy”, one of them said.
It appears that she is around throughout the day and can be found hanging out in various places. The gentleman who knew of her offered to help me find her and even to take me to where she lived if I would like. I declined, for the moment, but promised to take him up on his offer later on. After all we are to be in the area for a good deal of time. "
We have been to Chacala three times now and although I look for her I must admit I have not made a sincere attempt to meet her, always going away with the feeling that, “after all we are to be in the area for a good deal of time”.
I have just learned in the last couple of days that on the 13th of this month (January 2008) Andee Carlsson had passed away. She was well known among the Bloggers who wrote from their various pieces of paradise here in Mexico and I am sure she was known too many like me from North of the Border who were fascinated by her blogged descriptions of her piece of paradise, Chacala. I am going to include a link to her blog because maybe her State side family will leave it up and running and those who never read or met her can go back through the archives and get a sense of a lady beach bum, (and I mean this in the most respectful way), who had a captivating way of talking about her day. Her pictures were always very good, even though she constantly felt her abilities at taking photos were lacking.
One of Andee’s last postings to her blog, January 3rd, 2008 was her comments about the beautiful sunsets from the Chacala beach, with several pictures that she had just taken.
I note now that Andee's son has posted her passing on her blog but once you read past that please make note of Andee's entry of January 3rd. It speaks volumns of what Andee was all about.
It is that entry to her blog and her beautiful pictures that I will remember her by. I will miss reading your blog Andee. May you rest in piece.
