Last weekend we celebrated the War of Independencia from Spain. On the night of September 15th, 1810, a priest by the name of Father Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla stood on the steps of the Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de Dolores and delivered a very short rallying cry know as the "Grito". The reenactment of this event takes place in every town in Mexico on this night. It's a time to recognize the leaders of the War of Independence and the begining of the end of Spanish dominance. All the towns are decorated in red, green and white the colors of the Mexican bandera, flag, and there are non-stop fireworks beginning at 11:00 p.m., the hour at which the "Grito" is delivered. I wanted to go to our "jardin", center of town, to witness this happy occasion last week but alas we had a monster rain and thunderstorm. I could hear the fireworks from my house but there was so much cloud cover it was impossible to see anything.

Meanwhile in Dolores Hidaglo, named after the priest that had a hand in starting all this, President Vincente Fox came to deliver the "Grito" there. It is a tradition for the outgoing President of Mexico to come to Dolores Hidalgo at this time and the entire town turns out to welcome him plus hundreds of people from surrounding villages. I watched it on t.v. and hoped that the rain we were having would not get to Dolores, about 22 miles away, until the "Grito" was given. Unfortunately...not the case! What I did see was President Fox and our governor in Guanajuato, Juan Carlos Romero Hicks, walk in the open streets, pausing to shake hands, and yes, kiss some babies, while the rains came down with a vengance. I saw no secert service men around them, no umbrellas being held over them and never once saw either one of them take a swipe at their faces which I'm sure were very wet by the time they got to the church. I am an American but on this night I am always muy Mexicana! ¡Viva Mexico!

This weekend, the 23rd of September, the "pamplonada" comes to San Miguel and if I don't get run over by a bull I'll have a bit to say about that.