Update from the Cloud Forest

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ecuador earthquake, jama ecuador, property for sale cloud forest mindo ecuador

Sunny Afternoon in the Cloudforest – May 26, 2016

Thank you, everyone, for your concern not only for those affected by the earthquake, but also for my friend Julie, who is fighting cancer.   I am watching over their property here in Ecuador’s cloud forest until it sells.

I hope to visit Jama soon, which will be heart wrenching yet necessary to move forward.  It will help to see the damage, visit with loved ones who continue to endure the stress, find out what people need most – and how to help – plus learn what hotels, restaurants might be open.  One friend shared details about the community of Jama:

“You will not recognize Jama. Almost every building is marked as being necessary to be torn down. Doctors Without Borders have donated what looked like hundreds of tents in Matal. However still many people live under makeshift plastic.”

She mentioned other groups/businesses that are helping, but I will wait to share those details after learning more and having photos to pair with the stories.  There are surely many beautiful untold stories worthy of  a larger audience.

Idyllic Jama – from 2012

The soundtrack in my head this week is Jack Johnson’s song, “The News.”   He sings, “Why don’t the newscasters cry when they sing about people who die.   The least they can be decent enough to put  just a tear in their eye…”

Linda from The Task at Hand provided a slice of humor between her words of concern last week.   In her comment about last week’s strong earthquakes, she added, “What amazes me is that I hadn’t heard one word about this on the “news.” Everything here was related to the loss of the Egyptair plane, or the interminable, ghastly, insufferable presidential campaign. (Hmmmm… I think my opinions are showing. Remember when we used to worry if our slips were showing?)”

More Earthquakes…

Tall building: Museo Bahia de Caraquez – (Ecuador)

May 19, 2016 – Ecuador

The opening exposition for my recent paintings was scheduled for May 18 at the Museo Bahia de Caraquez.   Last month’s earthquake hurled the entire coast into a survival mode, and the show will eventually resume at a much-later date/year.

It will be a very long time before the people on the coast recover; thank you again for your concerns and your empathy for everyone affected.

That  original date was the International Day of Museums, and I would have been ‘hanging’ the show on the 17th, spending the night at the museum and preparing for that evening event on the 18th.  The memory of the earthquake has etched itself into the fibers of the country, and one month later – just when things began to seem better, another strong earthquake rattled many Ecuadorians out of a deep sleep.

My friend Cynthia was spending a few nights at the Rio Cinto property, and we spent the next hour in the pickup truck as we pieced together live radio reports to find more information. The 6.7 earthquake hit the same area as the one that devastated the coastal area a month ago.

We realized that one’s Spanish skills improve when listening with acute attention to rapid-fire Spanish on late-night radio. Lots of callers were phoning the stations to report their experiences. After listening for over an hour, we decided to retreat to the house and go back to sleep. For the next two days, we hoped that all was OK on the coast. Now online, I see that two more earthquake hit that same day:

Recent Quakes-Bahia de Caraquez —-

I am not sure if the above information is correct, and all’s fine here in Mindo. I send my empathy to those on the coast, as you are surely wondering, ‘When will this end?’

All is fine here in the cloud forest of Mindo/Rio Cinto, but wanted to send an update.

Z

Timeout for Art – Let’s Draw a Toucan!

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Drawing, How to draw a toucan, Timeout for Art, using a grid for drawing

OK, aspiring artists! Sharpen your pencils and get ready to draw!

Hold that pose!

“Drawing is rather like playing chess: your mind races ahead of the moves that you eventually make. “— David Hockney

While scrolling through the photos taken over the past week, I critiqued the series of toucan photos with a disciplined eye.   Four are shown below; “A” shows the personality of the toucan. “B, C and D” were similar with subtle differences, but one seemed stronger to me. Which is your favorite? If you were about to draw one of the four, which would you chose and why?

Which would you chose to draw?

Two of the eight or so photos were my favorites, and I toggled between the two to decide which one would be the best candidate for a painting.  The two photos are below:

Toucan B

Toucan C

“B” bird seemed relaxed in its environment.   It also seemed heavy on the right side, as if an invisible line was pulling the bird toward the ground.   “C” seemed to tap into its survival sense, and though I was almost hidden from the bird’s view, it seemed to sense a foreign presence. “D” pose amused me; like many humans who are suddenly aware of a photo about to be taken, this bird lifted its beak just a bit and displayed a classic profile. Most likely, it was definitely aware of a foreign presence, and it was preparing to take flight! For a painting, however, it looked too perfect, although I really liked the backwards “S” curve of its throat and neck.

Toucan D held a classic pose, but it seemed too perfect…

After appreciating the toucan’s body English, I tried – through a teacher’s eyes – to decide what made “C” more pleasing to my eye. It appeared more balanced.   My analytical skills automatically stripped the images into basic shapes and directions, and I realized that I should slow down, decipher my methods and share a few easy ways to stay on track when drawing.

Global Big Day – Let’s Count Birds!

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BIRDING, black solitaire bird ecuador, blue &black tanager ecuador, Ebird, GLOBAL BIG DAY, things to do this weekend

Rio Cinto – Mindo Ecuador: This little Olive-crowned Yellowthroat allowed an extensive photo session before resuming its day!

From Ebird:  “All you have to do is submit the birds you see on May 14th to eBird, and you’ll be a part of the global team! Wherever you are, your sightings can make a difference.”

Mindo Ecuador – My friend Cynthia and I were comparing bird stories this past week, and we both agreed that the local birds seem to be in a frenzy of activity!  Maybe they’re excited about the upcoming Ebird – Global Big Day?   Don’t let your own special birds be ignored.  Give them a voice on Saturday, May 14!

This Streak-headed Woodcreeper took a vacation from lower elevations and visted the cooler climate of the Cinto property!

The Blue and Black Tanager took a vacation from higher elevations and visited the property this week!  Poor photo, but it documents that the Blue & Black T was definitely on holiday vacation!

You might have a unique species in your backyard;  without taking time to inventory your feathered neighbors, how will they be acknowledged?

The VIP for the week is the Black Solitaire, but its cousin the Andean Solitaire hangs around the thrushes and tanagers for its daily count!

The Beryl-Spangled Tanager is a beauty! What camera-shy birds lurk in the shadows of your area?

Create an Ebird account and get ready for Global Big Day;  start HERE.

Black Solitaire (Bird) – Causes Quite a Buzzzzz

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bird sanctuary for sale ecuador, black solitaire, Entomodestes coracinus), Mindo Ecuador, Property for sale Mindo Ecuador

Black Solitaire- Entomodestes coracinus

Perhaps it was an omen, because six hours after the bird appeared, the earthquake turned our world upside down.  Aside from a flash of white on the side of its face, the black bird would have passed without catching my attention.

“What in the world was that?” I wondered, and as soon as the bird perched in the Bromeliad Tree straight in front of me, it soared away to a lower level on the property.  Club winged Manakins and half a dozen species of Tanagers kept me entertained from the nearby canopy until that flash of white caught my eye again. Catching it via a few poor faraway shots with the camera, I wondered what in the world bird that could be…

That evening I studied the reference books and thought, “Hmmmm. Black Solitaire… New bird for me.”

“Heartache Came to Visit”

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earthquake ecuador, jama ecuador, jewel hands, kindness

Jama Ecuador
Inspired by Jewel’s song, “Hands,” the video at the bottom of this post honors the beautiful spirit of the people of Jama, El Matal and La Division Ecuador.  Read the lyrics and then experience the essence of the people of the Jama area via the video.

Ximena Cevallos Diago checks figures during a night shrimp harvest… (Ximena’s husband Carlos is wearing the white sombrero in the GoFundMe photo.  He is the one who made the drive-through-Jama video, now linked on that site.)

HANDS

If I could tell the world just one thing
It would be that we’re all ok
And not to worry because worry is wasteful
And useless in times like these
I will not be made useless
I won’t be idled with despair
I will gather myself around my faith
For light does the darkness most fear

My hands are small, I know,
But they’re not yours they are my own
But they’re not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

Poverty stole your golden shoes
But it didn’t steal your laughter
And heartache came to visit me
But I knew it wasn’t ever after

We will fight, not out of spite
For someone must stand up for what’s right
Cause where there’s a man who has no voice
There ours shall go singing

My hands are small, I know,
But they’re not yours they are my own
But they’re not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

In the end only kindness matters
In the end only kindness matters

I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray
I will get down on my knees and I will pray

My hands are small, I know,
But they’re not yours they are my own
But they’re not yours they are my own
And I am never broken

My hands are small, I know,
But they’re not yours they are my own
But they’re not yours they are my own
And I am never broken
We are never broken

We are God’s eyes God’s hands God’s mind
We are God’s eyes God’s hands God’s heart
We are God’s eyes God’s hands God’s eyes God’s hands
We are God’s hands God’s hands We are God’s hands
Songwriters: Jewel Kilcher,  Patrick Leonard

Some say that the newscasters have already moved to newer stories, but I am greatly  touched by your continued support and empathy for the people of Ecuador.

The internet keeps dropping offline and staying off, so I’m hitting “Publish” while possible.   Until the end of the week, Thank you again!   Lisa

Remembering their Kindness – The People of Jama, El Matal & La Division

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earthquake april 20116 ecuador, El Matal Ecuador, gofundme for ecuador donations, jama ecuador, kindness

The Cuadrado family couldn’t hold back the ocean, but they sent workers to help friends at Playa El Matal.

Jama Ecuador – When Hurricane Katrina slammed into Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, I was living in a remote area of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province. A slow internet connection allowed me to watch the eye’s path, although no one can predict the temperamental whims of a hurricane and it’s final choice for landfall. As with the earthquake in Ecuador on April 16th, gathering information was painfully slow via internet news stories of Katrina’s destruction. The first time I saw live television coverage of Katrina’s wrath, I watched for about thirty seconds before bursting into tears. For that story, see: Ode to 668 East Beach

Christmas Eve in Jama 2012 – The little cowboy didn’t like his pony!

As the days and now weeks go by after the earthquake ripped through a section of “my” beloved Ecuador, I am often reminded of Katrina. I wonder when it will be possible to return, to see the destruction, to visit the many loved ones, hear their stories, give them comfort as they salvage what’s left and bravely move forward. I also have my own personal inventory to face – of all of the items in Casa Loca, most people inquire about ‘the floor.’ Who knows how that Magic Carpet endured the stress of the earthquake and its aftershocks. When I am able to return, I will share those stories. I assume that the exhibition scheduled to open at Museo Bahia de Caraquez in two weeks will be postponed until much later in the year.

If wishes were magic carpets, we would fly to help those in the earthquake-damaged areas.

Most likely every single person that experienced this earthquake can recall minute details of the moment the earth began to grumble. As each day comes to an end, I take a fast inventory in my mind, “Where’s the flashlight? My basic essentials? -Contact lenses, saline, hair brush, tooth brush, passport, camera, laptop, chargers…” and I wonder if everyone else anticipates that 7:00 PM hour of remembrance.