Posted in Creativity, Culture, Neighborhoods, Travel & Tourism, tagged Barrio de Xochimilco, bird images, bougainvillea, bugambilia, Colonia La Cascada, light and shadows, Mexico, murals, photos, popular travel destinations, rooftop decor, street art, tinaco, urban art, wall art on June 16, 2020| 4 Comments »
Last Sunday morning’s walk took us up and across Niños Heroes (aka, highway 190) into Barrio de Xochimilco and Colonia La Cascada. The (albeit sporadic) rains have begun, the field-burning has ended, and planting has begun. Thus, the air was fresh and the sky was varying shades of blue — depending on direction and hour. Humans and Mother Nature showed off their creativity. So, we kept walking…
It was a beautiful day in the neighborhood!
Posted in Buildings, Casita Colibrí, Environment, Travel & Tourism, tagged Mexico, Oaxaca, photos, popular travel destinations, tinaco, water delivery system, window view on January 19, 2020| 2 Comments »
Flying into any airport in Mexico, you see them dotting the landscape below — Mexico’s ubiquitous rooftop tinacos.
View through a Casita Colibrí window of the tinaco across the street.
For those of you who are dying to know how the water system here at Casita Colibrí works: An underground pipe regularly (or, not so regularly, as the case may be) delivers municipal water into an aljibe (cistern) — a storage tank under our courtyard and driveway. A bomba (pump) is run daily for an hour (más o menos) to bring water from the aljibe up into the tinacos sitting on the various rooftops of the apartment complex. When we turn on our tap, water flows (or dribbles) from our faucets courtesy of gravity.
By the way, this is non potable water. Drinking water is a different story involving garrafones (5-gallon water jugs).
Posted in Buildings, Creativity, Environment, Gardens, Travel & Tourism, tagged art, Mexico, Oaxaca, painted tanks, photographs, photos, popular travel destinations, tinaco, water delivery system on April 11, 2016| 8 Comments »
Old school…
New school…
Art school…
For those dying to know what the heck a tinaco is and how the water system in Mexico works:
At my apartment complex, municipal water is regularly (or, not so regularly — as the case may be) delivered though a pipe under the street into a cistern (storage tank) located under our driveway); a bomba (pump) is run daily for an hour (más o menos) to bring water from the cistern up into tinacos sitting on the various rooftops of the complex. In case you are worried, float valves keep them from overflowing (most of the time). When we turn on the tap, courtesy of gravity, water flows (or dribbles) from the tinaco into and through our faucets. ¡Ojala!
By the way, drinking water is a completely different story…
Posted in Casita Colibrí, Science & Nature, Travel & Tourism, Weather, tagged African Tulip trees, full moon, La Luna, Mexico, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, tinaco on November 17, 2013| 6 Comments »
It may not be Moon Over Parador, but it was moon from my mirador…. The colors of last night’s sunset were spectacular, no matter which way one looked. It made for a beautiful full moon rising over the African tulip tree and rooftop tinaco of my old apartment.
6:56 PM (CST)
6:57 PM (CST)
Actually, the moon wasn’t officially full until 9:15 (CST) this morning, but the above was full enough for me!
Posted in Environment, Home, tagged Casita Colibrí, Oaxaca, photographs, photos, tinaco, water on April 19, 2011| Leave a Comment »
And now a pause in our Semana Santa coverage…
Yesterday was a momentous day at Casita Colibrí. I arrived home just in time to watch the removal of my late, previously mentioned, but definitely not lamented, baby-size tinaco and the installation of my gigunda, new, and much wished for, tinaco. It was a sight to behold!
These guys looked so young… but worked efficiently and seemed to know exactly what they were doing. I sure hope so!
Fingers and toes, but not eyes, are crossed that this will, at long last, solve my every-other-day lack of water problem.
Posted in Environment, tagged Oaxaca, tinaco, water on April 10, 2011| 1 Comment »
Flying into any airport in Mexico, you see them, Mexico’s ubiquitous rooftop water delivery system, the tinaco. This is mine…
After living with and cursing it for the past 16 months, word has it I might be getting a newer and larger one. Even though I’m not superstitious, I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
*** For those of you who are dying to know how the water system here works: Municipal water is regularly (or, not so regularly) pumped into an aljibe, a storage tank under our courtyard and driveway; a bomba (pump) is run daily for an hour to bring water from the aljibe up into the tinacos sitting on the various rooftops of the apartment complex. When we turn on our tap, water flows (or dribbles) from our faucets courtesy of gravity.
I might add, this is non potable water. Drinking water is a completely different story…
Mexican Peso Converter
View From Casita Colibrí 