More about Mirasol

Through January, February and March we enjoyed special events (Margy's birthday and Mónica's decision to buy a lot near to our house), the completion of several key projects to make our home more comfortable for us and for visitors, and the opportunity to explore the Mirasol community and nearby areas. All of the neighborhood highlights which follow, the beautiful coastal images, and the conveniences listed here are available within a 5 minute walk or car ride. It's fun to stroll the town, inhale the fresh sea air, and marvel at nature's picturesque landscapes so close to home.

February began with the celebration of Margy's 60th birthday! To get a better look at the future, and the brilliant night stars, one of Margy's new gifts was a telescope. Once it was assembled, we began our star gazing.

Even without telescopes, the air is very clear and the stars are very bright. We do expect to have fun with Margy's new gift. Alejandro and Carlos were the first to look.

Project work continued through the first couple of months of 2007, including the conversion of what was an outside access storage closet to an interior access laundry room. What a big improvement that made! An exterior door was replaced by a wall and window, including security protecion bars typical on all houses in Chile. An interior door was installed where a wall previously existed, providing easy access from the main stairway connecting the upper and lower living areas.

If we're too lazy to bring the laundry down to the laundry room, we can just toss the clothes down the stairs!

The next big project was fixing a leak in the pool, and then repainting it. Finally a safety handrail was installed, so the pool was ready for use!

After two months of the bigger jobs now behind us, it was time to relax and enjoy ourselves.

Carlos, our architect and project manager for the various jobs, had a bet with Artie about the locaton of the leak in the pool. This was the winning hand-shake when Carlos correctly discovered the leak so the repairs could be quickly completed. It was a bet that Artie was glad to pay: one cup of coffee and a pool that was now useable.

Another project was the installation of an irrigation system for the beautiful gardens and fruit trees. Margy has enjoyed picking the fresh apples to make homemade apple sauce.

		When not making homemade apple sauce, we take a 5 minute walk "to town," at the end of the street, to shop at the local supermarket and vegetable stand. All farm-fresh.

Bags full of produce, we head home for wonderful meals preprared by Mónica. Every weekend we put on weight, and then try to get back to normal by the following Friday. What great weekends!

Mónica was not the only one to do the cooking. We often went out to eat in order to learn about the various restaurants in the town. This one, at the top of a hill overlooking the coast, served great Chilean dishes, with lots of fresh baked bread. Yummm!

With all this good eating, we had to take lots of walks through the neighborhood to burn off some calories. Of course, while walking, we were always checking out the local Real Estate for any special opportunities...

And Mónica found a great site a couple of blocks from our house. Knowing it would go quickly, the decision was made and they locked-up the deal with a contract. But first a big hug as Margy and Mónica shared their joy!
Papers were signed that afternoon, and by the next day Mónica and Gustavo were out measuring their future property for planning the site of their Mirasol beach house. What exciting days!

How our lives have changed in just a few months. The anticipation of the house design, construction and the opportunity to be neighbors in such a beautiful community is inspiring.

An aerial view of Mónica's lot. How was it taken?

Parasailing!		Aerial Photographer: Artie, and Ground photographer: Mónica What a great way to see the town!

		Our house (see Margy on the deck?)!

Back to mother earth with pilot Roland at the controls. What an exciting bird's eye view of Mirasol. This won't be the last time for Artie.

		Community interest and support is exhibited by these neighborhood meetings held at the "plaza" at the end of our street. We've met several very nice neighbors.

We decided that it would be a good idea to have a Beach House Car so that Margy could at times enjoy the house on her own, with friends or family, when Artie can not be there too. We had fun picking out a mint-condition second hand Hundai Getz. Margy's now gotten back into driving, and is having fun with her new toy! And now to give you an idea of what is in reach of our Mirasol house within a 5 minute drive, here are more photos of the area. For example, the beach "Cadenas" ("chains" in Spanish), is named for the large anchor chains that are used for decorating the seaside walkway. The locals really enjoy this beach, with lots of families packing the shoreline.

Heading 5 minutes in another direction the quaint town of Yeco offers cute brightly colored cottages, against a backdrop of beautiful coves and steep hillsides.

		Not the Great Wall of China, but a wonderful path from the hilltop to the secluded beach below.

		The winding path meets the beach by way of a wooden bridge. The surf pounds against outcroppings of large rock formations that are fun to climb, explore and photograph.
		From one secluded beach there is a beaten path that leads to yet another glorious beach and spectacular views, passing fishermen along the way.

Can you imagine spending a day at the beach in a place like this?

Happiness is being together, having fun, enjoying the natural beauty of Chile, sharing these moments with friends and family, and dreaming of what the future can bring in such a special location as Mirasol with beautiful places to see within 5 minutes by foot or by car. Come see what we're talking about and join us on the beach and at home.

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