You’ve got to give Mexico credit. Once she gets a bee in her bonnet, its saddle up folks and don’t spare the horses! Mexico has long been looking at both solar and wind power to replace a significant amount of their dependence on fossil fuels. Now, UNAM in Temixco, Morelos, has developed a solar air conditioner that is suitable for the weather, including the humidity, in most of Mexico. Look for rapidly increasing investment in this area across the nation and to a cooler and dryer environment in the not too distant future. That sounds like a dream to those of us who remain in Yucatan in August, but it really is a dream that is going to come true!

The Mexican Government has delivered 20 tons of sugar to 800 beekeepers in Tizimin to help bolster their 65 ton output of prized Yucatan honey. This situation has gone on now for several years. In some cases, these deliveries were because the season had been too wet. In other cases, it was because of drought. However, in some cases, the deliveries were from a state program called “Multiply.” Under this program, the beekeepers receive half of their annual expenses as what amounts to an infusion of cash into the building of their industry. Whatever the reason, Yucatan’s honey is now prized in Europe and our beekeepers can barely keep up with demand. What a wonderful situation for the beekeepers, for their families, and for their lucky customers!

This week, two small crocodiles were found hanging about in the vicinity of a cenote near Chicxulub Pueblo. One had electrical tape on his face, so it is obvious that, at some point in time, he was being confined by someone. Both small crocs have been taken by PROFEPA and rehomed appropriately. The other incident took place only 20 meters off the coast of Chuburna Puerto, where it seems that between 3 and 5 sharks have taken up meeting for dinner around 7:00 PM on Sunday evenings. They have been spotted two weekends in a row. No one has been hurt, but with all of the vacationers at the beach, there are plenty of nervous swimmers in the water. Jellyfish within 5 km of the beach have also been under observation.

It has been a very wet July in Yucatan and that has led to a huge increase in mosquitoes. Everyone is being asked to please police your property for any source of standing water where these creatures can breed – and protect yourselves with a good mosquito spray, being careful not to be out in the early morning or around dusk, and by putting screens on your windows. In most cases, dengue fever will just make you very sick, but won’t be fatal. It is the phrase “in most cases” that is bothersome, especially since most expats are older and more vulnerable to these sorts of things. Dengue fever cases jumped from an average of 6 per week to an average of 45 per week in just this one month in Yucatan, so please help us stop this phenomenon before it becomes a tragedy.

This is good news for Yucatan, but probably not so much for Florida. As usual, things that come up from the Caribbean, whether they are hurricanes or predatory fish, tend not to turn around and go backward to hit the shores of the State of Yucatan. In this case, we had a few lionfish but seem to have the situation well in hand. Florida, on the other hand, is bracing for the worst case scenario – just in case it happens. As of now, lionfish are offshore, but have not entered the inshore areas where commercial and recreational fishermen fish for redfish and other staples. If the lionfish get in there, it will be a huge tragedy.

One has to look on, marvel at the sight, and wonder why in the world reasonable human beings will put themselves in the position of heading to the beach – in mass – when it is this hot outside. Hundreds of thousands of Yucatecos and other Mexicans meet at long owned family homes for marvelous parties and reunions. Renters arrive from all over the world! …and the cruise ships just keep on coming. Municipal festivals and fiestas abound, dimming the lights every time the mechanical games and rides are plugged in. Some people behave badly, but most try to be good neighbors. Kids make one last grab for freedom before school begins again. Older folks hunker down in their homes and wait for the traffic to pass. Not to worry – all is hot, loud, and loads of fun on the beaches of Yucatan in 2010. The new quota for pulpo is 11,600 tons. If this year’s catch is as good as last year’s Yucatan’s pulpo fishermen will pass that goal in a matter of weeks, instead of months. That’s both a good thing and maybe not so good as well because if they pass the quota too early, they’ll be shut down for the year to protect the stock and that means no more work and no more money. Here’s to a nice, normal, evenly distributed pulpo 2010 fishing season!

A scientist with the Armada has made the statement that sharks in Yucatan’s waters could be a sign that BP’s blowout has affected the food chain and we may see more odd happenings in our waters.