Looking out my backdoor: Greetings from Gringolandia

Michelle and Ana, up the road in Oconahua, tagged the name “Gringolandia” onto our enclave and it stuck. Though there has never been a dozen of us in residence at any one time, we are the closest thing to a North American colony in the greater Etzatlan municipality.

As of Friday, there are now three of us pale-faces in residence in Gringolandia. Lani has returned from four-and-a-half months up north. I won’t see her until she has hidden away for the requisite two weeks.

Janet’s husband, Tom, is out to sea. He’s a ship captain on an NOAA ship which I think is exciting, chasing...