The Annual Reverse Migration of the Snowbirds

Hola Amigos y Amigas,

It is now late April and the migration north has been going on for about a month and will continue until early May. Every fall the first snowbirds come in late October and November. A second crop of snowbirds arrive soon after Christmas. If the snowbird is from Canada they can only spend six months out of a calendar year out of their country. Most Canadian snowbirds will be gone by April 28th, the last day of direct flights by Westjet. If the snowbirds are from the US, they must return within six months or extend their visas.

Every week there are fewer tables occupied at Bridge and The Hermandad de Frijoles y Cerveza has less men enjoying the beer and camaraderie. There are goodbye parties; some saying goodbye permanently and some just saying goodbye until they return next fall or winter. The last meeting of Frijoles y Cerveza will be May 2nd. After the first of May the Bridge group will meet at our home as it will be down to one or two tables. The library where I volunteer has shortened hours of 10-2, Monday-Friday, so I am now a substitute as I am out of action until June. Luckily Janice's art class continues through the summer as the teacher and all the students are full time Mazatlan residents.

This summer will be our first as full time Mazatlan residents, so we will make strong efforts to build our relationships of other expatriates. Our numbers will be diminished by probably by 80% or more as the snowbirds and tourists will be gone. We will make our home open to friends that don't have a pool and will host a monthly "happy hour" with everyone invited. Janice will use her planning and hosting ability to make sure the summer is interesting and fun.

Even the full time residents will be taking short trips to the north and to moderate climates in Mexico. We will go up to Washington to visit family for a week to ten days and we also will spend two of the months of September and October in Ajijic on Lake Chapala to escape the rainy, humid end of summer. If we are lucky we will bring our granddaughter for a month to enjoy the beach and time with us. We will probably write more about summer in Mazatlan as it unfolds. So, with a bon voyage to many friends including my brother Steve who leaves on May 3rd, we say goodbye to one season and hello to another.