[joseph engraver]

The holiday season has begun, time for me to clean oil and check my contraband hand gun.
My neighbor went to town with his wife and a friend, parked his SUV, locked it and did some shopping. When they returned to his vehicle someone had drilled out the door lock and taken his stereo system, his groceries ,camera and a wad of cash and had tried start the SUV with a screwdriver wrecking the ignition in the process. All this happened in daylight in the parking lot of a large shopping center and no one saw a thing. A young single woman was murdered the same day. Every day the local paper has photos of bloody bodies. Once again we are sleeping with doors locked.
We have put our place up for sale and are going to take any offer that comes along. We have been advised that the day we sell we should leave town as the chances of Franca being kidnapped are very real. My Mexican adventure cannot end soon enough. The idea that we are no longer safe here has overcome optimism, my love for the natural beauty and pleasant climate. I am tired of being stared at by the locals I am weary of the lies and scams, and distrust I have developed of the Mexicans who are my neighbors that I thought would be my friends.
Italy and another studio cannot happen soon enough to please me. The only bright spot in this present chapter of my life is the property has become quite valuable and will net us enough money to have made this adventure worthwhile. Here is a new painting that for lack of a better title I call Earth Quake.
Have a great day
Joseph