aging my brother

I am a poor excuse for a brother.

Today is a very important day for the Cotton family. No, not Pearl Harbor day. We celebrate some rather odd things, but not the start of World War Two.

7 December is my brother's birthday. For years, I have celebrated it on these pages. And, here he is in his new Mexican address, and what do I write about this morning? Breakfast at Rooster's (being superficial). I need to set this oversight straight.

To celebrate Darrel's special day, we drove over to La Manzanilla to feast on baked shrimp enchiladas -- his favorite dish from his favorite restaurant (Lora Loka). As is true of a lot of dining experiences in Mexico, she was not open. And none of the neighbors knew when (or if) she would be.

We are not an easily-discouraged family. Because we had no plan other than to have a good time, we decided to drive a few miles around the bay to a hotel-restaurant (Chantli Mare) we had visited two years ago.

Tenacatita Bay has to be one of the most beautiful bays in Mexico. It is one of those Goldilocks landscapes. Larger than the bay at Barra de Navidad, and not as gargantuan as Pureto Vallarta's Banderas Bay. It is just right.

Long stretches of deserted beach. An almost flat ocean dotted with fishing boats, yachts, and sail boats. And a restaurant that produces a filling meal.

Best of all, I got to spend the afternoon with my family laughing, sharing lies with one another, and telling sad stories of the death of kings. When we were not walking along the strand of sand that separates the republic of the land from the kingdom of the sea.

And for all that, we can thank my brother.

Happy birthday, Darrel.