Between Holiday Events & Between High Tides

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El Matal Ecuador, piedras el matal

After high tide – Entrance to Coco Beach Village – no longer serviceable…

El Matal Ecuador – Dec 26, 2014

When living on the front line of a beach threatened by spring tides, most people stay home during that critical high-tide hour to be sure there is no threat of flooding.  The high tides usually arrive with the new or full moon and hang around for a few days.   The first high tide of each month usually arrives in the pre-dawn hours and then at sunset; it arrives a bit later each day.  When staying at my friends’ home, I usually start peering outside around 4:30 in the morning.  By 5:30 I am able photograph what’s happening at sea level.

Dec 26, 2014 “Buenos Dias” – 5:58 in the morning!

6:11 a.m. Dec. 26 2014

While working on a holiday art project,  my friends and I kept a close eye on the waves.  On the second day of painting, I took a low-tide break and walked to the center area of El Matal.  Life goes on, and the spirit of the fishermen remains strong.  I was told, however, that “the people of El Matal are scared.”

Timeout for Art: Color the World with Imagination

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el matal aguaji, end of year customs, Imaginiation, Mearsuring the sun's shadow, old furniture, Rycardo Alcivar, Solstice, spring tides, Timeout for Art- Color the World

King Kong Sighted in Jama Ecuador! December 2014 Bamboo and Palm Sculpture by Rycardo Alcivar.

Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air – explode softly – and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth – boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either – not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum

We all rejoice in watching children opening presents with wild abandon, and today while basking in whatever way you’re spending Christmas, glimpse your surroundings as if first seeing them as a child. I’ll be watching the ocean’s waves as they rip along the shoreline at dawn. Wouldn’t it be fun if all beaches and lakesides were littered with crayolas today instead of remnants of man’s discarded plastics?

All children (and young-at-heart adults) should be reminded to watch the shadows as they change throughout the year. High noon is an easy time to experiment with shadows; I enjoyed photographing these shadows with props that were close at hand!

High noon on the December Solstice – Ecuador

Aligning the compass (poster) with a guesstimate of the east/west direction, I was surprised to see the shadow point directly to the north. It’s time I stopped for a refresher course in basic directions!  James (and Terri) at Gallivance keep track of the earth’s pulse, and their recent post mentions not only sun dials and solstices, but also Poseidon.  Let the Celebrations Begin (More on Poseidon at the end of this post.)

The candle holder doubles as a little nosegay vase; it came from nearby Playamart and quickly transformed with a few coats of acrylic paint.

The abandoned chairs are a bit happier, but they are patiently awaiting more attention. Here’s the progress:

A Celebration of Birds – El Matal (Ecuador)

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beauty of birds, El Matal Ecuador, Frigate birds, pellicans

El Matal, Ecuador (and Jama)
In contrast to the previous post that illustrates the vanishing beach and the work to protect the front line, these images showcase the amazing beauty of the frigates, pelicans, gulls and boobies of the area. (Yes, boobies!)

Pelican, Seagull and Frigate

(These photos were uploaded on Friday and scheduled to fly to you on the day of the December Solstice.   Enjoy!)  Z

Let’s crank the boats and fly with the birds!

End-of-Year Spring Tides Approach – El Matal Ecuador

El Matal/Jama Canton/Manabi Province/Ecuador

December Solstice – 2014 from the Middle of the World/Ecuador!

As you dash between social engagements during this holiday season, take a quiet respite and think about where you are on the planet as the sun reaches the northernmost point in its yearly cycle.  Tomorrow it begins its journey to its June reunion in the southern hemisphere, while reminding us that we also make progress – a little each day.

Yoga alignment!

Ponder where you are in Life and if you awaken with a smile in your heart.  If you don’t have that smile, try to figure out why and what can make your spiritual life happier.  Surround yourself with happy people, and reach out to others who are less fortunate than you.  If you’re facing challenges, send a quiet “Thanks’ that you have intelligence and the ability to find creative alternatives to the ones that have proven to be ineffective.  As my nephew Don stated, “We make choices every day…”   (See: When the World Outside my Window Goes Insane.)

Although some challenges all but break us, we realize later that they formed us into stronger and wiser people.   I’ve witnessed many positive results from the ongoing crisis at nearby El Matal, and the biggest one for me is getting to know many of the locals who live at their own Ground Zero.  If one steps into the arena with empathy and an open heart, the social barriers are dissolved.  Those who are actively addressing the problems are ‘one’ in spirit, and they embrace all who show their support.

As most people prepare for the festive holiday gatherings, traditions and feasts, the people of El Matal are anticipating the approaching spring tide of December 24th.   I visted El Matal this past Wednesday and took photos as the municipality resorted to emergency measures to protect the thin necktie of land that remains.

The next four images illustrate the changes from June 2012 until December 2014:

Across the road from Hibiscus Post – June 2012

From 2012 – Post Painting Competition

(March 2014 – my favorite hibiscus post!)

December 2014 – Same hibiscus post

Although they are not pretty – and I have witnessed how unstable these boulders can be when they shift and fall near my house on the river – they will help protect the front-line properties.

Victor’s restaurant looks abandoned, but they were open for lunch a few hours before this image was taken. I worry about the loss of revenue during this ongoing crisis.

I also worry about the safety of unsuspecting people who assume that the rocks are stable. The waves erode the underlying sand, and the boulders shift and sometimes tumble.

Hurried for time, I will leave these images in the ‘Pending’ folder and hope that they reach you tomorrow/Saturday.     (I gave those exhausted gerbils and hamsters a day off while I went to town for faster internet!)   I will be home at Casa Loca until early next week.

Warning:  The rest of this post is very image heavy!   Z

Timeout for Art: Mosaics and Beyond

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mirror ideas, mosaics, Timeout for Art

Hmmm; what do we have staring back at us?

As I look back upon my life, I see that every part of it was a preparation for the next. The most trivial of incidents fits into the larger pattern like a mosaic in a preconceived design.
Margaret Sanger

Last week during the 10-day power outage, I worked on several different projects.    The mosaic border demanded many more hours’ attention than I had planned, but the end result might fool most people who view it from six or eight feet.     Here is how it looked last week:

In progress – Mosaic Mirror

After about four layers of paint on each piece of the mosaic, much of the grout area was painted a second time.   Thick and a bit-sloppy paint gave the illusion of true grout.  When that dried, the edges were strengthened with straight, confident strokes and highlights were added along the top edges.

Timeout for Art: Little Ideas that Explode!

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timeout for art little ideas that explode

“When I have an idea, I turn down the flame, as if it were a little alcohol stove, as low as it will go. Then it explodes and that is my idea.”   Ernest Hemingway

(Why didn’t I do this years ago?)  Th colorized version replaces the generic silver design of the mini-laptop!  With a little leftover paint, I also brightened the facade of my silver-colored camera!

Now if I can figure out a way to improve the internet signal strength!  John and Mary McDonald recommended that I upgrade from gerbil power to hamster. The hamsters, I’ve found, are a bit lazy and would rather eat than run that wheel round and round. With gerbil power, only this image uploaded.   Its been a busy week!  Part two should arrive tomorrow!

(Now it’s time to prompt those little gerbils into another power-up marathon!)

Z

Turn Up The Volume?

Chris Cardman – Lead Guitarist – County Line Road – 2013

Over a year ago I wrote about my friend Chris Cardman, a former neighbor in Costa Rica.  Chris and I faced many challenges while living in a remote area of the Nicoya Penisula.  (Playa San Miguel)   He sometimes came to my house to brainstorm a particular problem, or I often stormed into the restaurant/bar that he managed, and I would wait until all got quiet to discuss a particularly challenging day.   Some days the sound of the guitar coaxed me from my project, and I followed the pied piper’s acoustic sound and shattered Chris’s quiet respite.

Classic Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica

Many days and nights were busy at the Blue Pelican, and I usually dodged the crowds and waited to visit when the beach was quiet.  When the customers left for the evening, Chris often retrieved the guitar from the wall and played music, shared some original tunes, or we listened to our favorite tunes and ‘talked music.’   He sometimes said if all else failed in his life, he knew he’d be happy strumming the guitar.

Timeout for Art: Painting by Candlelight!

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challenges living in latin america, mirror designs, mosaic painting, painting bamboo, painting by candlelight, Timeout for Art

Small acrylic exercise in color (detail)

 

“…If the stories are true, van Gogh would seek out cafes at night to paint, wearing his candlelit straw hat beside other customers. (The Huffington Post- By Todd Van Luling)

After ten days of using flashlights and candles to read – and sometimes to finish a painting session, I am pleased to announce that power has been restored at Casa Loca! I inquired (complained?) last Friday, and again this past Tuesday, and again today. Today the owner of the shrimp farm was with me, and for some reason Xavier’s presence made a difference! Two men drove to the house within half an hour, and  ten minutes later, the power problem had been found and repaired!

Why Not?

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Maestro Gabriel, Rivas Nicaragua, San Juan Del Sur

Near Rivas Nicaragua

Debbie of Retired & Rewired in Nicaragua recently posted The Decay of Dignity and triggered a memory from four or more years ago when I was passing through Rivas Nicaragua.    Rivas was my timeout spot, where I threw on the brakes and rested while making the required 72-hour ‘border exits’ out of Costa Rica to keep my passport in good standing.

Rivas Nicaragua – the Bustling Morning Market

I often chose Rivas over the highly-popular San Juan Del Sur because I wanted to immerse myself in a typical Nicaraguan town untainted by tourists. I usually rested the first day, ventured around the town on the second day, took the ferry to Debbie’s beloved Isla Ometepe on the third day (for lunch and to see the museum!) then prepared to return to Costa Rica on the fourth or fifth day.    Most every morning I arose with the chickens and explored the streets in search of photo moments in the early-morning light.

(Note the shoe-shine guy that’s sitting on the wooden stool.)

On several previous trips to Rivas, I crossed paths with a weathered man with a perpetual ‘fool-on-the-hill’ manner that made me wonder what drug had fried his brain, or if a lifetime of drinking home-brewed sugar cane liquor destroyed his mind a little at a time. I don’t enjoy photographing misery or the dark side of a man’s character, but this man photographed well;  he had presence!  Perhaps there was more to this man with the foolish smile?

One morning I spotted him walking up the sunny side of the street, and I stopped (on the shadow side) and prepared to photograph him as he passed.  

Approaching Strangers & Making Friends

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artisans of otavalo, Otavalo Ecuador, otavalo market, Otto Munchow, ron mayhew photography, street photography

Quite talented and perpetually happy, Miguel upgraded my choice of a petite five-dollar rain stick to a much larger one! He also had some amazing pre-Columbian artifacts.

Ecuador – Lately I’ve been home just long enough to say, “Ahhh,” before leaving on another journey.  This week I’ve been incubating at the Riverhouse/Casa Loca but have been totally off the grid, great for my creative focus.  An ill-tempered scorpion also set me back for a few days, but I’ve recovered and am proud to send a smoke signal that all’s great in Z’s world.

These beautiful faces have been in limbo since before Thanksgiving, so with a hiccup of on-line time, I’d like to introduce you to some of the beautiful people of Otavalo Ecuador.

Timeout for Art – Bringing Nature Inside

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Drawing from the Garden, Painting Botanicals, rachel carson beauty of the earth, Timeout for Art - Bringing Nature Inside

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
— Rachel Carson

My friends’ Mindo garden inspired this Timeout for Art, although the true inspiration came from two forlorn vinyl “For Sale” signs that cluttered their storage room.

After scrubbing the panels with soapy water, we prepped them with a white acrylic sealer for a clean painting surface then went to the gardens for inspiration.   Contemplating the beauty of the garden plants, we set the panels near the orchids and zebra plants.  Julie watched as I drew the basic shapes.   Tiny biting insects and not-so-tiny mosquitoes prompted us to clip some of foliage for reference material and move the panels inside.