up on the rooftop

Despite the title -- no reindeer will be found here.


And, far as I know, Santa Claus has never jumped down a chimney on this roof.


In Melaque, chimneys are as rare as tax-paying cabinet nominees in Washington.

But the rooftop of the house is the last area we need to visit on our tour through the house.


So, up we go one more flight of stairs -- to the roof.


Most homes north of the border do not have roof living spaces. In contrast, many Mexican homes have their "family rooms" on the roof -- especially in coastal regions.

At the top of the stairs, this is the view that will greet you. I remember my first impression was that Salvador Dali and Edward Hopper had produced an uncataloged collaboration.

The owner of the house uses the roof as one of her prime living areas. It is easy to see why -- with views like this.




I have not been able to spend much fun time on the roof. There are just too many stairs for Jiggs to make the trips up and down.


But I have spent a good deal of time on the roof in my role as Chief House Sitter.


Most homes have their working parts hidden away in basements or garages. Not Mexican homes. They wear their utilitarian functions proudly.


The roof is where the important workings of the house reside.


I already told you about the clothes drying operation in i have a little list. It is on the roof.


But, so are the water system and the hot water heater.




For those of you who do not live in Mexico, let me describe the large black tank. It is called a tinaco.


A pump fills the tank with water from the municipal supply in the street. The water mains do not have enough pressure to force the water up to the roof. Gravity then feeds the water down to the shower, toilets, and sinks. Very economical. Very simple.


There is an additional structure on the roof I have not yet discussed. And that is the dome.




The dome is more than an interesting architectural structure -- a structure I can spot at anywhere along Navidad Bay.


When the Moors conquered Spain, they brought many innovations with them. One of them was the dome.


I wrote earlier that the house does not have a chimney. That was not entirely accurate.


When domes are properly constructed, hot air will rise through and out the dome, allowing cooler air to replace it in the dwelling. Natural air conditioning. No ozone holes created here.


So, there you have it io three installments. The house where I will be living until mid-December.


I will leave just a bit too early to discover whether reindeer and Santa Claus will show up on the rooftop.


Something else for me to put into the "not entirely accurate" list?