Well, we DID go to Mexico, but...

This year was Cory's turn to plan our anniversary. And, being stuck in the Philippines, he had to get a little creative.

He hired Jimmie, an ex-Air Force Pilot, who was based at one time at Clark Air Force Base north of Manila, to take us out on his Navion-A, built in 1949. What an awesome ride.

We flew over Mt. Pinatubo, an active volcano. The water was turquoise, due to the copper in it. And the vegetation was really beginning to look lush. In 1991, a massive eruption obliterated the area and covered it in ash. All vegetation was lost...until five years later. We flew over the peaks and into the valleys and around the rim. We got lucky with our window this morning, and really enjoyed viewing the Philippines from a new angle.

Our day didn't start out so wonderful, though. We got an early start at 5am. About 15 minutes prior to arriving at the base, Jimmie texted Cory and told him the weather was bad. We had planned to fly over Pinatubo and the rice terraces. He told Cory we should reschedule for another day, as the weather didn't look like it was going to give us a break. Disappointed, we turned around and headed to a little town called Mexico. I'm not sure it could even be called a town, really. Cory stopped to eat his breakfast and we picked up some cinder blocks we needed for our compost bins. We wished we could have bought t-shirts that read, "We went to Mexico and all we got were these lousy cinder blocks." The fact that we found a place to buy cinder blocks, on our ninth anniversary, in the town of Mexico, in the Philippines, is actually really funny when you think about it. We were about to head back home when Jimmie called and said that the clouds had opened up Pinatubo views and that if we hurried back, we could still do it. So, supporting Manila's tollways heartily, we did. And were glad.

The views were spectacular. We think we'll do it again.

To finish the day, we celebrated with a few beers (and wine) and dinner at a favorite local spot: Corner Tree Cafe.

Nine years. So much has happened in nine years. And we're just as content as can be.