INTRODUCTION

This has turned out to be an extensive issue, so hang in there are you read it along with your Sunday coffee.

If you did not know it before, the hurricane season is upon us, and Akumal got winged by the Hurricane Dean bullet on August 21^st.  While Akumal did not take a direct hit, it still suffered a fair amount of beach damage as Dean made landfall down around Bacalar.

Besides Hurricane Dean in August, September is busy as usual, what with Labor Day in the U.S. and Independence Day in Mexico, to say nothing of Robin’s "Best Shirt Award", the U.S. Open, Rosh Hashanah, Ramadan, and the Autumnal Equinox.

IMPORTANT SEPTEMBER FACTS

In Latin, septem means "seven" and septimus means "seventh"; September was in fact the seventh month of the Roman calendar until 153 BC.

Virgo - August 24 - September 23
Libra - September 23 - October 23

 September Birthstone: Sapphire
Sapphire is the modern September birthstone and is a variety of the mineral species corundum.  Sapphires occur in all colors of the rainbow with the exception of red, which is ruby.  The name corundum comes from the ancient Sanskrit "kuruvindam", while the name "Sapphire" comes from the Persian word "safir", meaning "beloved of Saturn", (or Greek sapphiros).

September Birthday Flower: Aster
The September birthday flower is the aster, which is often used to accent different types of mixed flower arrangements.  In addition to representing daintiness, asters are also known as a symbol of love.
 

SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAYS

Birthdays  

3          Gary Clements
7          Scott Brown
10        Cheryl McClendon
14        Elenor Parker (105)
14        Marry Henderson
16        Jen Smith
16        Shari Stern
23        Valerie Nejame
27        Ryan Fredette
27        Robert Fredette
27        Macon Gravlee 
30        Richard Pargot

 There must be more than this.  Let's hear about YOUR birthday before it happens.

 Missed August Birthdays / Anniversary
9          Ryan Wolfe's 18^th birthday
18        Pete & Lois Raap's 40^th Anniversary

FORECASTER LOWERS '07 HURRICANE ESTIMATES

Hurricane researcher William Gray lowered his 2007 forecast slightly on August 4th, calling for 15 named storms, with eight becoming hurricanes, four of them intense. 

On May 31, at the outset of hurricane season, Gray had called for 17 named storms and nine hurricanes, five of them intense.

"We've lowered our forecast from our May predictions because of slightly less favorable conditions in the tropical Atlantic," said Philip Klotzbach, a member of Gray's team at Colorado State University.

The new forecast calls for three named storms, two hurricanes, and one intense hurricane in August; five named storms, four hurricanes, and two intense hurricanes in September; and five named storms, two hurricanes, and one intense hurricane in October and November combined.

The Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30, averages 9.6 named storms, 5.9 hurricanes, and 2.3 intense hurricanes per year.  Despite the reduction, Gray said, the activity called for in the new forecast is still 60 percent more than the long-term average.

There were 10 named Atlantic storms last year and five hurricanes, two of them major. None of the hurricanes hit the US coast.  The latest forecast put the probability of an intense hurricane hitting the US coastline at 68 percent for the rest of this season.

The likelihood of an intense hurricane hitting the East Coast, including the Florida Peninsula, is 43 percent, Gray said.  For the Gulf Coast from the Florida Panhandle to Brownsville, Texas, the probability is 44 percent.

            The forecast also saw above-average risk of a major hurricane making landfall in the Caribbean.
 

HOW DOES A HURRICANE FORM, I HEAR YOU ASK?

Does this sound familiar?  It's an interesting story we ran last September in Issue #44.  Rather than regurgitate the story here, go to Issue #44 to read up on it.
 

HURRICANE DEAN

Hurricane Dean is history now, and it was very well tracked and covered by the news media.  It looked like it was coming directly towards the Akumal-Tulum area, so everybody had plenty of time to get well prepared.

As time went on and Dean got closer to the Yucatan Peninsula, it became evident that Dean was going to go further south, down towards Bacalar and Chetumal; we would have preferred a northerly track through the Yucatan Channel.  Anyway, the models still looked reasonably favorable for Akumal; i.e. we'd get tropical storm winds (about 45 mph).

Dean came in during the night (actually early morning) of Tuesday, August 21.  The electricity went off during the night, but the telephones kept working.  The wind was not too bad, and there was barely any rain, but the surf was outrageously high and loud coming over the reef.  And, it just kept coming up onto the beach, through the yards, and up to the patios and houses, dropping LOTS of sand, rocks/coral, and debris.  As dawn broke, it looked like the aftermath of Emily and Wilma in 2005, on the beach side.  The storm winds came from the sea side, so there was hardly any damage on the street/jungle side of the house.

Hurricane Dean was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in two decades, when it came ashore just north of the state's capital, Chetumal - actually around Bacalar - in the early hours of Tuesday, August 21 with winds of 165 miles per hour.  Akumal is about 100+ mile north of Bacalar, and the forecast was for tropical force winds.  Wind and rain were not the problem along the Riviera Maya, but the storm surge and waves were, and the waves caused about as much seaside damage as did Emily and Wilma.

There are two Photo Galleries for Hurricane Dean.  One has photos for the metropolitan Akumal area (see Dean- Akumal), and the other provides comprehensive coverage on Casa Colibri in South Akumal (see Dean – Casa Colibri).
 

HURRICANE DEAN AND AKUMAL MEXICO

Ryan Fredette, the producer of several well viewed videos on YouTube, has produced another gem, this one about the effects of Hurricane Dean on Akumal.  Using some of the photos from The Akumalian's Photo Gallery, along with some additional stock photos, Ryan's innovative video runs for 1 minute and 44 seconds.  Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xoN-LGW90s
 

SOUTH AKUMAL 'GARAGE' SALE

Michele Connor reports, "I have decided to have an exclusive garage sale of rocks from Las Hamacas, as shown in this catalogue photo.  The great news is, they are free for the taking.  They are strong, white, organic, beautifully shaped, one of a kind, and they would make a beautiful wall.  I should know, they were a wall at one time.  Don't miss this once in a hurricane opportunity.  First come, first served!"
 

AND ALONG COMES FELIX, SEPTEMBER 2ND 

The distribution of this issue of The Akumalian was delayed for one day in order to have a clearer picture of what is happening with Hurricane Felix, which is now a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph.  All of the projections have Felix taking a more southerly track than Dean, heading directly into Honduras, Nicaragua, and Belize.  However, after our experience with Dean, the hatches will be battened down.
 

COMINGS AND GOINGS

            August was one busy month with loads of people coming and going, and even in the middle of the month, there were tourist all over the place.  Things continue into to September, but the volume of "comings & goings" seems to have subsided, just a bit. 

Comings:

• Michelle & Dave Bliss returned to Akumal on August 24^th, and they celebrated their 11th anniversary on the day they arrived.
• Kelly Coladarci also arrived back in Akumal on August 24^th.
• Bob Doebert returned to his Aventuras Akumal condo on August 27^th to check the damage from Dean.
• Bente Palmer blew into town for the full moon and lunar eclipse this past week.
• Joyce & Rod Flake are returning to Playa Caribe on September 4^th.
• Jim Farrell and Kathy Sonheim Farrell return back to Akumal on September 6th.
• Grace and Steve Guynes, among others, are returning to Akumal in early September (2^nd to 9th) with Bill Guynes' ashes, and they will have a small ceremony for Bill at the Lol Ha Beach Bar on Friday, September 7th.
• Sharon Goby returns to Playa Caribe on September 9^th.
• Denny & Diane Mahan are returning on September 9^th for a three week visit before returning to their Lake House in Georgia.
• Nance Walker is returning later in the month to continue on her remodeling at Seven Seas.
• Bud & Alice Blatner return to Casa Zama towards the end of September, and they’ll be around town until mid-October.  Bud reports, "I'm working with an academy award winning best shirt designer for the October 'Best Shirt Award' competition."

 Goings:

CONSEJO DE DESARROLLO DE AKUMAL SA

The summer General Assembly meeting for the Akumal Council will be held on Friday, September 7th on the patio of the newly remodeled Fidecaribe building (out by the parking lot) at ll:00 AM.  No voting events are anticipated, but for those members who wish to be represented, proxies (in English and Spanish) are available, which can be scanned and sent via e-mail or faxed to 984-875-9031.

The agenda is as follows:

1.      Welcome and list of attendance.

2.      Remodeling of the the Fidecaribe Building.

3.      Police Report.

4.      Bus Stop at the Highway.

5.      Municipality of Tulum.  Brief report by Gonzalo Arcila.

6.      Membership Report.

7.      Cleaning of the main entrance.

8.      North Akumal Management Plan Status.

 Hope to see you there.

CONSEJO DE DESARROLLO DE AKUMAL SA PROJECT

As you already know, one of the main concerns and key projects on the agenda right now is the very necessary improvement of the section of the road between the dive shop and the bungalows.  This is the area that was irreparably damaged when CAPA replaced the water pipes last year.

The need is obvious, since it is the only access to North Akumal.  In addition, it receives a high volume of traffic and is the 'welcome mat' to North Akumal.

In view of these facts, the Akumal Council is looking for the best way to raise funds to complete the project.  Some people have expressed particular interest in expediting this project, and the Akumal Council has a cost estimate (approx. $52,000 US), and they would like the community to help them attain their goal.

For your information, they will be sending a letter to the principal traffic generators (the lagoon entrances, service trucks, etc.) to see if any of them are willing to contribute.  They will also confirm verbal promises from Las Casitas and CAPA (Las casitas have pledged $10,000 USD for the project, CAPA the water company will give us $ 5,000 more), and Susan Mead pledged another $5,000.  The Akumal Council still needs to raise another $35,000 to $ 40,000 to get it done. 

Lastly, after they know how much they still need, they will be approaching the community at large, but as you know, this can be a very slow process.

A letter, including the estimate from CIMIENTOS DEL CARIBE MEXICANO S.A DE C.V. for the fixing of the road with pavers for the section of the road that is damaged, will be available to interested parties.

Any support on this will be highly appreciated.  The Akumal Council is sending the same proposal to Oscar Constandse, Mayan Adventures, Coca Cola, and The Beer Factory.

 This does not appear as an agenda item for the General Assembly meeting on September 7^th, unless it comes under items number 7 or 8.
 

LABOR DAY,  SEPTEMBER 3rd

Labor Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on the first Monday of September; i.e. September 3rd.

The origins of the American Labor Day can be traced back to the Knights of Labor in the United States and a parade organized by them on September 5, 1882 in New York City.  They were inspired by an annual labor parade held in Toronto, Canada.  In 1884 another parade was held, and the Knights passed resolutions to make this an annual event.  Other labor organizations (and there were many), but notably the affiliates of the International Workingmen's Association favored a May 1 holiday.  With the event of Chicago's Haymarket riots in early May of 1886, president Grover Cleveland believed that a May 1 holiday could become an opportunity to commemorate the riots - May 1st is also the high holy day of communism or Marxism.  Thus, fearing that it might strengthen the socialist movement, he quickly moved in 1887 to support the position of the Knights of Labor and their date for Labor Day.

Labor Day has been celebrated on the first Monday in September in the United States since the 1880s.  The September date has remained unchanged, even though the government was encouraged to adopt May 1 as Labor Day, the date celebrated by the majority of the world.  Moving the holiday, in addition to breaking with tradition, could have been viewed as aligning the U.S. labor movements with internationalist sympathies.

Labor Day is generally regarded simply as a day of rest and, unlike May Day, political demonstrations are rare.  Forms of celebration include picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, water activities, and public art events.  Families with school-age children take it as the last chance to travel before the end of summer.  Some teenagers and young adults view it as the last weekend for surfing parties before returning to school.
 

ROBIN'S BEST SHIRT AWARD, SEPTEMBER 7th

Come one, come all, to the Beach Bar, where we'll have a ball.

It's time for another "Best Shirt Award", which is held on the first Friday of each month during Happy Hour at the Lol Ha Beach Bar. 

This award is based on Robin's penchant for good, classy Beach Bar shirts, and his sister, Mary, is ready to once again be the judge and jury as she selects the "Best Shirt" worn by a male for September.  And, as we go to print the criteria are still somewhat nebulous, and they seem to be changing as we move into the summer months.

The August competition drew a huge number of contestants from all over the world, including Neil Humphreys who traveled from Doha, Qtar specifically for this event.  Unfortuately, Neil had to return to Doha without having won the "Best Shirt Award" for August.

The winner was David Poor, who was a unanimous choice with the judges.  See August Best Shirt Award for more photos.
 

OFF-SITE ROBIN'S BEST SHIRT AWARD

Jody and Larry Allen, Playa Caribe homeowners, hosted a "Best Shirt Award" contest and dinner party in their home in El Dorado Hills, California for other Playa Caribe homeowners living in the Sacramento area, including June and Ken Sloan, Sharon and Sam Goby, Cathy and Mike Cook and Myrna and Gary Sparks.  All men attending participated in trying to win the award and grand prize (a bottle of tequila).  Toasts were made to Robin and Mary, and Mike Cook won the award by unanimous consensus by wearing his sexy red muscle shirt, hand-printed (by Mike) with hilarious messages. 
 

U.S. OPEN FINALS, SEPTEMBER 8 & 9th

The U.S. Open that more than 650,000 fans will enjoy this year at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center bears, in many ways, little resemblance to the tournament started 126 years ago.  It has evolved from an exclusive men's singles and doubles tournament in 1881 to a two-week sports and entertainment extravaganza, changing its name from the U.S. Championships to the U.S. Open and its location from Rhode Island to Pennsylvania to its current home in Flushing, N.Y.

The five major championships that constitute the US Open - the men's and women's singles, men's and women's doubles and mixed doubles - grew from a single men's tournament held as an entertainment diversion for high society at the turn of the 20th century.

The first U.S. National Singles Championship for men was held at the Newport Casino in Newport, R.I., in August 1881, the beginning of a 34-year run for Newport as the center of tennis in the United States.  Only clubs that were members of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association were permitted to enter the initial tournament.  Men's doubles was played in conjunction with men's singles at the Newport Casino for the event's first seven years, 1881 - 1886, before the U.S. Championships grew and spread out to other locales.

In 1887, six years after the men's nationals were instituted as an annual event, the first official U.S. Women's National Singles Championship was held at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, joined by women's doubles in 1889.  The U.S. Mixed Doubles Championship officially began in 1892 and was played in conjunction with the women's singles and women's doubles until 1921, when it was combined with the men's doubles program of the U.S. National Championships.

A total of $100,000 was offered by the USTA to the field of 96 men and 63 women who entered the men's and women's singles and doubles at the 1968 US Open.  Today, the US Open offers more than $19.6 million to a field of more than 600 men and women, including qualifying.  In 2004, the US Open added the US Open Series Bonus Challenge, potentially pushing the 2007 US Open prize money to $22.2 million.
 

NATIONAL GRANDPARENT'S DAY, SEPTEMBER 9th

The impetus for a National Grandparents Day originated with Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia.  Her primary motivation was to champion the cause of lonely elderly in nursing homes.  She also hoped to persuade grandchildren to tap the wisdom and heritage their grandparents could provide.

President Jimmy Carter, in 1978, proclaimed that National Grandparents Day would be celebrated every year on the first Sunday after Labor Day. 
 

SIGNS OF THE MONTH

We have not had a "sign of the month" for sometime now, so when Michele Connor submitted this one, it just seemed so appropriate for MX 307.  Literal translation is, "Closed to vehicles without brakes."

The submitter of this one shall remain anonymous, because we know how the White House reacts to bad press or criticism.

While not necessarily a "sign" per se, it could be considered a sign of our times and lifestyles, and once again, in the best interest of all parties involved, the source remains anonymous.

Last month Mary Henderson, Myrna Sparks, and a two couples who have condo units in Playa Caribe took a Viking River Cruise in Russia, from Moscow to St. Petersburg, and naturally they had to play "dress up".  Here they are in all their splendor, from left to right:  Sam Goby, Sharon Goby, Myrna Sparks, Cathy Cook, Mike Cook, and Mary Henderson.

CARLOS SLIM IS WORLD'S WEALTHIEST MAN

Mexican telecom billionaire Carlos Slim has overtaken Microsoft founder Bill Gates as the world's wealthiest man with riches of $59 billion, Fortune magazine said early in August.  Fortune, which tracks the performance of the world's top companies, said Slim has increased his net worth by $12 billion so far this year based on the market value of his companies listed on stock exchanges.

In an online profile of Slim, 67, Fortune said he was worth $59 billion based on the value of his public holdings at the end of July.

Gates, the Microsoft founder and perennial No. 1, had a net worth estimated to be at least $58 billion, the magazine said.  Slim, the son of a Lebanese immigrant, owns Latin America's largest cell-phone company, America Movil.

Fortune said Slim's companies, ranging from a restaurant chain to a bank, made up a third of the Mexican stock market and his family's holdings represented more than 5 percent of Mexico's gross domestic product last year.

In July, a respected Mexican financial journalist announced that Slim had overtaken Gates as the world's richest man, but Slim said he didn't care.  "It's water off a duck's back to me," the cigar-smoking Slim told foreign correspondents last week.  "I don't know if I'm No. 1, No. 20, or No. 2,000. It doesn't matter."

Gates and billionaire U.S. investor Warren Buffett, who was the second-richest person in the world until Slim overtook him this year, have been giving more of their money to charity in recent years.

Slim also backs philanthropic causes and last week announced a $300 million plan to build 100 schools in Mexico, but says he does more good by creating wealth and jobs through his companies.
 

WHAT'S NEW AROUND TOWN?

AKUMAL

Highway Lights
Since the beginning of August, the highway lights along Akumal have been OFF, and this has been a wonderful thing for eliminating light pollution.  Needless to say, this makes viewing the night sky a real pleasurable experience again, and the Milky Way has been quite visible, as have the stars, constellations, and ISS and HST fly-overs in August.

Highway Lights are Down!
The light poles along the highway by Akumal were taken down, and the heads removed, apparently in preparation for Hurricane Dean.  This definitely will keep the light pollution down for some time, but it does not help the safety of driving the highway and trying to find certain entrances.

 Home Insurance
For some of us, it's that time of the year.  Casa Colibri was recently renewed (with Luis Lobo and ING) and surprisingly, the premium decreased, albeit by only 0.4 percent.  You might recall, last year the insurance premium increased 87 percent,
 

AKUMAL REFORESTATION

Jamie Cost reports, "We have bought 30 tall coconut palms to help reforest our properties in North Akumal.  If you are interested in buying coconut palm trees for your home, business, or land, please contact us.  The cost of the coconut palms are $1,320 pesos each, plus $200 pesos to help pay for the back hoe and two guys to help unload them onto the roadside at the front of the property.  It will be the buyer's responsibility to move the plants to the area where they are to be planted.

"The minimum purchase is 30 coconut palms, and they need to be paid for in cash, in full, before the order is delivered.  We will buy another 10, so we are looking for people to buy 20 or more coconut palms.  If you are interested in buying one or more, please let us know.

"This is only for North Akumal or the main road in.  If you are in another area (Jade Beach, South Akumal, Aventuras Akumal, etc.), or want your own truck of 30, we will be happy to give you the number to contact.

"We are also starting a small vivero, or nursery, to grow plants across from the Vista del Mar Hotel.  These plants will be free to the residents of Akumal to reforest Akumal.  There will be a variety of regional plants: ones for wetlands, mangrove, in front of the ocean, and inside.  We will keep you informed when they will be ready for distribution.  This is an ongoing project with a projected outcome of 35,000 new plants."

Thank you,
                     Jamie Cost

 For more information on the coconut palm trees and the vivero, please contact:

Biol. Diana Garcia Urrutia.
digaru@gmail.com
Grupo Vista del Mar
Oficinas: 875-9059 and 875 9060

 To transplant a coconut palm tree:

• Dig a hole around one meter deep and one meter wide.
• Add some black dirt in the bottom
• Put the palm and refill the hole with black dirt and/or sand.
• Water the leaves and the base.
• The palms need to be watered every three days.
• They should be watered from above so the water goes down into the trunk and the base.
   

ROSH HASHANAH, SEPTEMBER 13

Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri.  In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year" or "first of the year."  Rosh Hashanah is commonly known as the Jewish New Year.  This name is somewhat deceptive, because there is little similarity between Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest days of the year, and the American midnight drinking bash and daytime football game.

There is, however, one important similarity between the Jewish New Year and the American one: Many Americans use the New Year as a time to plan a better life, making "resolutions."  Likewise, the Jewish New Year is a time to begin introspection, looking back at the mistakes of the past year and planning the changes to make in the new year.

The name "Rosh Hashanah" is not used in the Bible to discuss this holiday.  The Bible refers to the holiday as Yom Ha-Zikkaron (the day of remembrance) or Yom Teruah (the day of the sounding of the shofar).  The holiday is instituted in Leviticus 23:24-25.

The shofar is a ram's horn which is blown somewhat like a trumpet.  One of the most important observances of this holiday is hearing the sounding of the shofar in the synagogue.  A total of 100 notes are sounded each day.  There are four different types of shofar notes: tekiah, a 3 second sustained note; shevarim, three 1-second notes rising in tone, teruah, a series of short, staccato notes extending over a period of about 3 seconds; and tekiah gedolah (literally, "big tekiah"), the final blast in a set, which lasts 10 seconds minimum.  The Bible gives no specific reason for this practice. One that has been suggested is that the shofar's sound is a call to repentance.  The shofar is not blown if the holiday falls on Shabbat.

No work is permitted on Rosh Hashanah.  Much of the day is spent in synagogue, where the regular daily liturgy is somewhat expanded.  In fact, there is a special prayerbook called the machzor used for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur because of the extensive liturgical changes for these holidays.

Another popular observance during this holiday is eating apples dipped in honey, a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year.
 

RAMADAN, SEPTEMBER 13 TO OCTOBER 12

Ramadan is the name of the ninth month in the Islamic calendar.  During Ramadan, all observant Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan between dawn (fajr), and sunset (maghrib).

During Ramadan evenings, Muslims eat small meals and visit with friends and family.  It is a time of worship and contemplation.  A time to strengthen family and community ties.

Ramadan ends with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

 What most people don't know is that Ramadan is more than refraining from food and drink, but the follower must not partake in gossip, unlawful activities or thoughts.  Worshippers must not look at unlawful things.  Of course, those who are ill or small children do not fast.  Ramadan is basically the spiritual cleansing of the soul through self restraint.

The sudhoor is the light meal eaten prior to daylight.  The fast begins after this meal and resumes until sundown. 

The iftar is when the fast ends for the day and a halal meal may be eaten.  Any type of food may be eaten, however, the most popular are honey, breads, figs, dates, fruits, and olives.

It is popular is some cultures for families to host "iftar meals", in which families and neighbors will come for the evening meal.

Eid al Fitr.  The Eid is a 3 day festival following the end of Ramadan.  During this time, Muslims recognize the poor and give to charity and to celebrate the blessings of Ramadan.
 

MEXICO'S INDEPENDENCE DAY, SEPTEMBER 16th

The stage for the upheaval and dissatisfaction that gave rise to Mexican independence was set by political and economic changes in Europe and its American colonies of the late 18th and 19th centuries.  The French revolution and Napoleonic wars diverted attention of Spain from its colonies leaving a vacuum and increasing dissatisfaction and desire for local government.  The forced removal of Ferdinand VII from the Spanish thrown and his replacement by Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon's brother, presented opportunity for Mexican intelligentsia to promote independence in the name of the legitimate Spanish king.  

From its inception the colonial government of New Spain was dominated by Spanish born Peninsulares or Guachapins, who held most leadership positions in the church and government, in contrast to Mexican-born Criollos (Creoles) who were the ten to one majority.  Neither the Peninsulares nor upper class Criollos desired to involve the masses of native Indians and mestizos in government or moves for local control. 

In 1808, the Peninsulares learned of Viceroy Jose de Iturrigaray’s intent to form a junta with Creole factions, a move that he thought might make him King of an independent Mexican kingdom.  In an armed attack on the palace, Peninsulares arrested Iturrigaray and replaced him with puppet Pedro Garibay after which they carried out bloody reprisals against Criollos, who were suspected of disloyalty.  Although reform movements paused, political and economic instability in Europe continued as well as hardship and unrest in the Americas.

 One liberal organization that was forced underground was the Literary Club of Queretaro which formed for intellectual discussion, but in practice became a planning organization for revolution.  Independence- and reform-oriented thinkers also began to consider enlisting the native Indian, mestizo and lower class masses in wresting control from the Peninsulares and in armed independence movements.  Queretaro was an important agricultural region that had suffered extensively by economic stalemate and failure.  An active member of the group was Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, a well-educated liberal priest who questioned policies of the church including clerical celibacy, banning certain literature, infallibility of the pope and the virgin birth of Christ.  Hidalgo became the curator of Dolores in 1803 with primarily an Indian congregation whose languages he spoke and to whom he administered practical skills of life, as much as religious doctrine.  In Queretaro, Hidalgo met Capt. Ignacio Allende, a revolutionary thinker in the Spanish army.  In spring 1810, Allende and Hidalgo planned an uprising for December of the year that leaked out to Spanish authorities and their arrest was ordered.

In September 1810, Father Hidalgo was forced to prematurely distribute the Grito de Delores to his parishoners and nearby residents which was an appeal for social and economic reform.  With little organization and no training, essentially a mob of thousands of primarily Indians and mestizos overwhelmed royal forces in Guanajuato, and proceeded to murder and loot Peninsulares, Criollos and other "whites" in their path.  The force continued to Mexico City and defeated royalist on the outskirts, but did not enter and occupy the city, after which the ragged revolutionary army returned home.

Hidalgo and his Creole officers were later able to assemble an army of 80,000 by payment with looted Peninsulare gold and assets.  Viceroy Francisco Javier Venegas, and his soon to be successor, Gen. Felix Maria Calleja del Rey, responded to the insurgency with a vengeance, and in January 1811 Hidalgo suffered a serious defeat outside Guadalajara where rebel forces were routed at Calderon Bridge.  Bloody retaliation followed by mass executions of suspected rebel sympathizers by Spanish crown forces under Viceroy Calleja del Rey.  Hidalgo and associates turned toward the northern provinces Nuevo Santander, Nuevo León, Coahuila and Texas for refuge, where local sympathy for the rebellion and independence continued.  

Royalist forces in Nuevo Santander refused to fight against the insurgents as well as troops under Governor Manuel Antonio Cordero y Bustamante in Coahuila.  As the royalist forces moved north to crush resistance, it was only in Coahuila and Texas that revolutionary events continued.  On 21 March 1811, a periodic rebel turned loyalist, Ignacio Elizondo, ambushed Ignacio Allende, Father Hidalgo and associates at the Wells of Bajan on the road to Monclova in Coahuila.  Hidalgo and associates were captured and executed in Chihuahua.

 At the core of Mexican patriotism is Hidalgo's Grito de Dolores.  Every year, on the night of September 15-16, the President of the Republic "reenacts" the Grito on a balcony of the National Palace as the climax of the Independence Day celebrations.  To do this with historical accuracy is well-nigh impossible, for no one knows precisely what Hidalgo said.  The three principal contemporary reports fail to agree.  Sotelo's account, the most confused and least authoritative, stated that the Grito was a short speech, made from the window of the priest's house, to the first group of followers who assembled before dawn.  
 

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX, SEPTEMBER 23

Autumnal Equinox (Fall) September 23 2007 04:51 am AST

In the language of science, an equinox is either of two points on the celestial sphere where the ecliptic and the celestial equator intersect.  For the rest of us, it's one of two times a year when the sun crosses the equator, and the day and night are of approximately equal length.

At the autumnal equinox, the sun appears to cross the celestial equator, from north to south; this marks the beginning of autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, and spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

The vernal equinox, also known as "the first point of Aries," is the point at which the sun appears to cross the celestial equator from south to north.  This occurs about March 21, marking the beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.

On the date of either equinox, the sun is above the equator, and night and day are of approximately equal length; the word equinox is often used to refer to either of these dates.

The equinoxes are not fixed points on the celestial sphere but move westward along the ecliptic, passing through all the constellations of the zodiac in 26,000 years.  This motion is called the precession of the equinoxes.  The vernal equinox is a reference point in the equatorial coordinate system.

The Autumnal Equinox signals the end of the summer months and the beginning of winter.  At this time of year, days have been shortening since the Summer Solstice some three months earlier, and the Equinox is the point where nights reach the same length as days.  After this point, the Sun will shine lower and lower on the horizon until the Winter Solstice in about three months' time.
 

EQUINOX AT CHICHEN ITZA

 Ancient stone masons built and aligned the Kukulkan pyramid centuries ago to project the sun's rays into a diamond-back rattlesnake of light and shadow.  On the morning and evenings of Equinox on September 22 and 23, thousands flock to Chichen Itza to view the same dramatic display.

In the fall the appearance is visible from mid August through mid October.

For optimum viewing of the serpent of light, be near the great courtyard which faces the western facet of the Kukulkan Pyramid beginning at about four in the afternoon.  The best viewing of the sight is from five days before until five days after Equinox.  Needless to say, accomodations fill up fast!  On the actual day of Equinox, people stake out their vantage point early in the day, as a great sea of humanity begins to deluge one of the great wonders of the world!

CHICHEN ITZA ONE OF "NEW" 7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD

The New7Wonders of the World, as announced in random order at the Official Declaration Ceremony on 07.07.07, are: The Great Wall of China, Petra, Chichen Itza, the Statue of Christ Redeemer, the Colosseum, Machu Picchu, and the Taj Mahal.  More than 100 million votes were cast worldwide.  The New 7 Wonders are all equal – there is no rank among the list.  

 The New7Wonders Foundation, which is behind the New7Wonders campaigns, has the express aim of undertaking documentation and conservation works of monuments worldwide under the motto: "OUR HERITAGE IS OUR FUTURE."

The Foundation was established in 2001 by the Swiss-born Canadian filmmaker, author and adventurer Bernard Weber to contribute to the protection of the world’s human-built and natural heritage and to foster respect for the cultural diversity on our planet.

Fifty percent of net revenue raised by the New7Wonders Project is to be used to fund monument documentation and conservation efforts worldwide.  One such project was completed in 2003, when a high-definition 3D model of the giant Bamiyan Buddha was created that enables the statue to potentially be rebuilt, should the Afghan people decide they wish to do so.  The great statue of Buddha was destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.  

The first, successful chapter of New7Wonders drew to a close when the results of the world's first-ever global election were spectacularly announced in Lisbon on July 7, 2007.  More than 100 million votes had been cast by citizens around the world using modern communications technology in this unprecedented global dialogue.  The ceremony ended with the exciting launch of the current campaign: The New7Wonders of Nature!

For the 18 months preceding the Declaration gala in Portugal, people across the globe cast their votes for their favorites of the 21 New7Wonders finalists in the final stage of the campaign.  These 21 finalists were announced January 1, 2006 in Zurich by Prof. Federico Mayor, President of the New7Wonders Panel of Experts.  This illustrious panel had selected the finalists from the top 77 nominees; those which received the most votes from people worldwide in the preliminary voting stage.

The original Seven Wonders of the World included the Temple of Artemis in present day Turkey; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, near Al Hillah in Iraq; the Colossus of Rhodes; the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Bodrum, Turkey; the Lighthouse at Alexandria, Egypt; the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Greece; and the Pyramids in Giza, Egypt.
 

FULL MOON, SEPTEMBER 26th

The Full Harvest Moon is on September 26^th at 2:45pm AST, and it is always the full Moon occurring nearest to the Autumnal Equinox.  Corn, pumpkins, squash, beans, and wild rice-- the chief Maya staples--are now ready for gathering.

FOR SALE     

1998 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Edition in excellent condition with no body rust.  This vehicle has always been parked overnight in a garage.

 The Explorer Eddie Bauer is 4WD and has leather seats, air conditioning, cassette and CD player, roof rack, tilt steering wheel, power sun roof, power steering, power front seat adjustments, keyless entry system, and split fold-down rear seats.  Standard on the Eddie Bauer is the 4.0 liter SOHC 205 horsepower engine.

New features for 1998 models included a new liftgate with a larger liftgate glass and revised handle, new tri-colored tail lamps, a new rear bumper, revised paint colors and a new wheel line-up.  Also new are the soft release parking brake, standard full size spare tire, and the available SecuriLock passive theft deterrent system.  

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