THIS MONTH, WE CELEBRATE Motherhood, Teachers, Students, and, with the arrival of St. Isidore the Farmer's feast day, there will be lots of general partying taking place. May also marks the official start of the rainy season, May 15, to be exact.

The rains tend to start gently here. We normally get our heaviest storms in the last part of the season, which ends on November 15. But even a normal, early-summer squall can unleash huge amounts of rain in a very short period of time and those previously dry creek beds can convert into raging torrents.

Be very careful in crossing these on foot, they frequently carry heavy debris that can cause serious injury. If you are driving, take it slow and watch out for washouts and mud slides.

If a serious weather situation threatens, Puerto Escondido has a regional office of the state Civil Protection Agency (Tel: 582-3538), responsible for issuing advisories and implementing emergency measures as they are necessary.

Meanwhile you can be on a first name basis with the tropical storms to come. Here is the official line-up for 2008:

Alma	Boris	Cristina	Douglas	Elida	Fausto	Genevieve	Hernan
Iselle	Julio	Karina	Lowell	Marie	Norbert	Odile	Polo
Rachel	Simon	Trudy	Vance	Winnie	Xavier	Yolanda	Zeke

Antsy for the Rains

In fact, the gusto and joy which they bring to the gathering of chicatanas suggests there's more here than enthusiasm for another insect-based protein source. This arrival of the ants, a timeless ritual of the Natural World, was a sign of the change of the season, the coming of the rain. It was time to plant the sacred corn. The collective anxiety was relieved: life would go on, the cycle would continue. Ingesting the chicatanas assured and made them a part of this life cycle,

Food Notes: The heads and wings are removed, only the plump bellies are used. They're roasted with a little salt and used in various ways: Ground up with roasted chili pajarito or chile de agua into a paste for tortillas; fried with some lard and chilis it forms the basis of a mole sauce for beef or pork.
- - Warren Sharpe, editor

This Month in Puerto

David Stein, lover of Puerto, avid fisherman, died suddenly in this Hidden Port on May 2nd.

In April, Gene Stuart, who brought so much joy to music lovers, enlivening the Puerto Blues Fest with his jazzy sax riffs, also died at his home in Califonia.

They will both be sorely missed. We offer our deepest condolences to Helga Stein and Jana Stuart and their families.

Saturday 10
Mother's Day
It's not a moveable feast in Mexico, it is always celebrated on this date, which falls on a Saturday this year. Mothers' Day was created in Philadelphia in 1907 by Mrs. Ana Jarvis, much to the delight of Hallmark cards and florists everywhere. In México Moms' Day was initiated by a guy who worked for the Excelsior newspaper in Mexico City. And it is a very big deal in the country; celebration of motherhood will span the entire week, with special events and promotions at many local hotels and restaurants. If your mom's here, take her out for a meal (XXX see Page 18). If she's not, why not give her a call, ingrate!

The Annual Fiesta
We've written extensively in recent issues about the traditional patron saint fiesta in the communities on the coast: the lively calenda parades, the castillo fireworks extravaganza, the bull-riding jaripeos and the cock fights. You can pick up back issues of El Sol de la Costa, if you'd like to know more. And this month there are ample opportunities to enjoy these activities:

Thursday 8 - Mon 12
Annual Fair in Rio Grande
Rio Grande is a rich agricultural town about 45-minutes to the west on the main highway to Acapulco near Chacahua Lagoon National Park. The town's major fair of the year salutes the area's cattlemen and celebrates its patron saint, the Virgin of Guadalupe. Originally known as Piedra Parada, after the ancient Mixteca stone markers found there, It is a bustling community of some 30,000 people, built on cattle raising, limes, peanuts and copra production.

It's a grand affair attracting visitors from miles around to its cattle show, elaborate rodeos and nightly cockfighting. Fireworks on Sunday, 11.

Tuesday 13 - Thur 15
Festival of St. Isadore the Farmer
Not much is known about Saint Isidore. He is believed to have lived during the 12th Century in Torrelaguna, near Madrid, and that he was particularly pious and hard working. San Isidro Labrador is obviously a popular patron saint for rural Mexico. But in Oaxaca, a state with enduring indigenous traditions, the abundance of communities named for San Isidro may be explained by his association with Tlaloc, the ancient rain god. The Spanish priests found it was easier to convert the Indians to the new religion if they incorporated elements of the old. May 15, feast day for San Isidore, coincides with the beginning of the rains.

The closest community honoring San Isidro this week is Barra de Colotepec. That's the Barra closest to Puerto Escondido on the west bank of the Colotepec River. Bajos de Chila also reveres San Isidro as patron saint and will hold observances during those same days, even though Chila's major annual fair takes place around St. Valentine's Day in February. Chila lies lays west of Puerto Escondido on the road to Manialtepec Lagoon. Other community fiestas for San Isidro include: San Isidro Pochutla, on the coast highway about 35 minutes east towards Pochutla, San Francisco Cotzoaltepec and San Isidro Nopala, reached along the highway to Oaxaca, via Sola de Vega.

Thursday 15
Teachers' Day
Day to pay tribute to the nation's maestros. All trades and professions in Mexico have their special day on which society recognizes their contribution. Not only Mothers, Dads, Teachers and Students, but also News Vendors (May 8), Bricklayers (May 3), even Lawyers!

Friday 16
Miss La Luz Pageant
To select the young beauty who will reign over the festivities for the annual fair in La Luz Tutútepec. (See April issue for more on the region and its attractions)
8 p.m. Municipal Square

Friday 23
Students' Day
Special programs and a day off for the kids, and a busy day at the beach.

Friday 23 - Sunday 25
Annual Fiesta La Luz
In honor of its patron, Our Lady of the Light.

Saturday 31
¡Viva el Agave! Mezcal Festival
A festival to celebrate the agave plant and the wondrous elixir that is its gift: Mezcal. Mezcal was the first liquor distilled in the Americas. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Zapotecs used to ferment the juices of the maguey to create a beer-like beverage known as pulque. The pre-Hispanic peoples of Mexico considered the agave to be sacred, a precious gift from the 400-breasted fertility goddess, Mayahuel.

It was the Spanish conquistadores who introduced the distillation process into the New World. The inspiration for the Festival comes from Gary Valdez & Roxana Contreras, proprietors of Zicatela's Cabo Blanco, who have just launched Sí Váyaa!, their label for exceptional premium quality mezcal. It's created in the Matatlán region by a family who have been making fine mezcal - - and pulques for centuries. The program will include theater and music performances, folkloric dances, and the presentation and signing of the book "Miscelamezcalasia" by its author, Ulises Torrentera, who can tell you everything you've always wanted to know about mezcal.
8 p.m City Hall Plaza, tickets available at Taquería El Gallito or at El Sol de la Costa. Proceeds will be donated to statewide environmental groups.

Read this Month's Featured Articles:
Live Music
Getting Out of Town - The White Stuff
Some Like It Hot - Chiles
Eating Escondido