Neotropic Cormorants /Poza Honda/Ecuador
“The friend is the man who knows all about you, and still likes you.” ~Elbert Hubbard, The Notebook, 1927
Our friend Hugh Curtler wrote this week about Friendship, a post worth pondering. Reading off line, I wrote a reply to send when on line (now) but circumstances dictate responding via a just-received example of friendship.
In my unhurried off-line reply, I mentioned one dear friend who emails about twice a month. She always asks, “Lisa, How are you? How’s your back? Do you need anything? Are you OK?”
Dady inspecting the Squirrel Cuckoo watercolor at Museo Portoviejo
This past Tuesday I dropped a music CD at her house after visiting the nearby Portoviejo Museo. Stocked with ‘survival’ groceries in case the heavy rains provoked more mud slides, I needed to get home before dark.
At sunset I photographed the reservoir, which lacked about a sneeze worth’s of water to send the excess over the spillway.
That night and last night we received more heavy rains. The waters now reach the high-water level, and the surplus is surely generating enough electricity to illuminate the planet!
Water hyacinths cascade over the spillway, and chocolate-colored water marks the beginning of Rio Portoviejo. After taking photos, I drove to Ayacucho to make progress on neglected cyber tasks.
Waiting in the inbox was an email from my friend Dady. The subject read “Lisa Are You OK?”
“Hmmm,” I thought, “she must know more about something than I!”
Her email contained only attachments, which I viewed via the thumbnail option. Attached were images of flooded communities, of equipment clearing debris, of the water-level gauge at the dam, and a video (which I have not viewed)
The roads are cleared almost daily – good job, municipality! On pretty days I check the water, and when it’s raining, I paint!
The shadow shows which is real; the others are watercolor.
All’s fine; the dancing Water Tyrants celebrate the sun!
I assured her (and all of you!) that I am fine, the pantry is stocked – in fact today I made a pesto with fresh moringa, basil, cilantro and chochos. Yum yum! Jorge’s little hamlet of five houses is ‘above’ the dam, and just far enough from the reservoir to be totally safe. If fallen trees or mudslides should block the roads, we can always wave for the taxi boats.
The water level is much higher!
I’ve been painting – a vast assortment of styles… Heavy rains always nudge me into painting frenzies! Scroll through the slide show and see the varied moods of this new year’s studies!
Looking for news on line, I found an old video from 2016 that shows the reservoir and dam. I drive through this gate and across the dam to reach home base.
Hopefully I’ll be back on line tomorrow, sunny skies permitting. If not, soon!
I look forward to knowing which painting you liked most!
Smooth-billed Ani
Zeebra Designs & Destinations 
Just before overflowing, it looked like an infinity pool. 🙂 I’m glad the rain had a good artistic effect. My favorite is the one with the four trees.
janet
Janet, thank you so much for your prompt comment, which is now ‘last’ in the drop-down queue. Last but not least, and I’m glad that you enjoyed the ‘infinity pool effects.. it was such a beautiful few hours between the rains. Water levels are now about three feet over that dam, and the skies are heavy. The cyber is also about to close, so until next time on line!
The Brown Wood Rail is my favorite, but it was great fun choosing, they were so varied and all fantastic. I also loved the photos of the Water Tyrants- how beautiful they are! (Can you tell how much I like birds?)
I think of you so often, though you would never know it because I have been so far behind on EVERYTHING since Jeff died. I am happy to know you made it through the heavy rains. How wonderful that the rains help to produce your ART along with all the other life-sustaining benefits they bring. I sent my fond best wishes to you!
Julia Julia! Its so great to hear from you – thank you so much. The cyber is about to close, but I look forward to getting an update – perhaps you’ve posted recently and I missed it? if not, I suspect that soon you’ll giv an update. Thank you, dear kind and lovely friend!
Lovely birds as usual, Liza. The Ceibo trees are wonderful, and the Bamboo and the Brown Wood Rail…and…well, as a tree lover I think the Ceibo Tree!
Thank you, and it’s good to get your feedback. Several others enjoyed the Bamboo, and I wondered if it was too boring.
The cyber is about to close so should I!
Glad to be of help too! Good night!
Pleased to hear all is well for you Lisa. Heavy rain can be such a worry but you put the time to such good use with your beautiful and varied paintings. All so different it is hard to choose a favourite but I do love the brown rail with the beautiful tropical vegetation in the background.
Thank you, and yes, there are always options when the weather turns bad. A good book is also a great way to enjoy a rainy day! Do you tap into strong energy when bad weather approaches? Hope all is better there/weather….
4 days ago a category 4 cyclone was heading straight for us but 12000km out west. But it changed course and went north along the coast creating huge swells. 100’s of people including us, went to watch the awesome might of the ocean and the brave/crazy surfers out there challenging it. Very strong winds at the moment
Your talent grows as illustrated with displays presented above. Perhaps
stressful weather provides the inspiration to generate even
greater masterpieces!
Thank you, Eddie! For 30 years at least, I’ve always been a pretty good barometer for sensing challenging weather. One friend teased and called me, ‘The Weather Witch’…. Sometimes the painting frenzy is exceptionally strong, and when it finally lessens, I wash the brushes, almost immediately the bad weather hits. And then I have zero desire to paint one more snippet of detail. Sometimes I’ll warn my friends, and even once when friends saw a huge painting on the concrete floor, they laughed and said, ‘you might have warned us.’ they were stranded and had to walk several miles and cross a swollen river!
Dear. So sorry- every time I try to get into WordPress to comment I have to jump through hoops. Now they don’t recognize me. Grrrr. I like them all but the ciebo is my fav.
Be grateful and enjoy every day. Marie
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Dear Marie; so sorry that the comment/log in presents problems, but thank you for sticking with it! I’m so glad that you got to see those ceibos and can identify with them. That tree that sticks out its tongue is still there, but it’s lost lots of comrades in that stretch of highway.
Love the monkey mask ! Favourite photo – dancing water tyrants! Lots of action with rain and *shakers* – stay safe Amiga!
I really enjoyed painting that monkey mask and pondered doing a series of animals in that style… ah, so many ideas and so few hours in each day!
i think of you whenever the birds cast lovely reflections in the water. thank you!
Please don’t make me choose a favorite! I love your work. And the water fowl seem to love the rains even if they pose a threat to those animals who walk on two feet!
If forced to choose, I would select the shrimp. I love the color and the movement!
Several people said that they like the shrimp! Thanks, Hugh – and thanks twice for both comments!
Ha! Yes, the birds do love the rain, and those white “masked water tyrants” have been singing and dancing – very entertaining! I prepared to start a study of them, then for some reason switched to a wren, which is going well. Guess the water tyrants are still in incubation for the best design possible?
how cold is it this week up there? i don’t worry about you, as you have that love of books/reading, so can just reach for reading material and forget about the weather outside?
For the most part — except when the driveway and sidewalks demand clearing! But I have a snow blower and I take my time. The books are a true relief and retreat from what’s going on outside — here and THERE!!
And now there’s another reason to ask, “Are you ok?” I just read about the 7.5 earthquake this morning. It does look as though effects in your region were light, and I’ve not seen any reports of damage or injuries. It did cross my mind to wonder how a stronger or closer earthquake would affect your reservoir. I’ve seen those videos of swimming pools in earthquakes — quite interesting.
I love those shrimp. Do you know what fishermen here who use them for bait call them? “Hop-o-matics”! Yours certainly look lively enough to deserve the nickname.
Hop-o-matic! That’s fun – thank you! Yes, you definitely would figure out quickly that the earthquake’s epicenter was on the other side of the Andes. The house shook for over a minute, and that was after I awakened from a very-deep sleep. (I’d painted late) Yesterday afternoon I drove my neighbor for a clinic ‘checkup’ so was unable to go to the next town for cyber – to send an ‘all’s ok’ signal!
It would be very interesting to watch the reservoir during a strong quake. I remember once at the river mouth/Casa Loca, the water dimpled up and down as if a monster was trying to punch thru the surface. That quake was in Colombia.
Hope the weather is being kind to you. – still no time to scan the USA news….
Glad to hear you are okay! I personally liked the bamboo study the best. Keep up the great work! JandM
I suspect that yesterday’s quake gave you a wake-up call as it did me. I had painted until midnight, so was sleeping soundly — and still it lasted over a minute!
There’s a museum presentation tuesday at 2:00 or 2:30 about Japan – and also about Ecuador’s archaeological (?) and their hopes to bring back some of the treasures that now live elsewhere in the world. I think I understood the directora!
Hope all is OK at San Clemente!
Ceibo trees for me…
Thank you Anne! I enjoyed your most recent post, but I enjoy them all! I was pondering today that the last string of Museo shows as in 2011 and 2012, and now here are three more in 2018 and 2019 – and I thought of you and what you would say about that!
Ah, Lisa, your intuition is working overtime again, amiga! There was more reason than you imagined for people to ask after your welfare. Hopefully you are still OK, and I now see that you are pretty far from the earthquakes’ epicenters. I heard power went out in Porto Viejo – and was restored. But driving across the dam? That might be a whole other story. I know you will let us know how things are as soon as you can…
Meanwhile, in spite of what nature throws at us, this is a delightful post. That stilt, so graceful and well turned out in its natty tux! Oh I love those guys! I love the abstract look of that one reservoir reflection shot – you know the one. And there’s my Ani again – smooth or groove-billed, I always am happy to see those funny birds, because (I know I told you this before) I unexpectedly found one in a Georgia island marsh in April, in the early 1970’s. It was so exciting, identifying that unusual bird.
Best of all is your art work. You have been prolific, wow! The shrimp have a delightful Van Gogh look – I like them very much! The sand dollar patterns are wonderful, the mask is fun with the tree-hair, the rails are great in their habitat, and the bamboo is to die for, because I always love the simpler, humbler botanicals….I’ll take a grass over an orchid or a rose any day. And the Ceibo trees are tops, just the tops. Fabulous.
(That pesto sounds intriguing too!)
My dear Amiga! Thank you for this amazing comment! My close friends and family will slightly adjust to allow you into the inner circle of people who witness/note how often my instincts are eerily correct. My feelings to ‘restock’ were strong, as any veteran for living in remote areas knows not to let the food supply dwindle ! But it was a strong nudge to restock – and to share the ‘lisa are you ok’ post! Thanks for noticing, and thanks for the extra details. When painting at night – and all is quiet – I think of you and your comments about the birds, your sightings – alas I am off line and unsble to respond and properly thank you for those birding details. I specifically thought of your Ani story a few nights again.
We have Smooth and Groove-billed Anis here, and unlike the Mindo birds, these have little fear of man – or at least of me, and they allow me to observe from close range. They’ve been very entertaining with the high water, and they glean dragonflies from the water hyacinths.
The shrimp painting was fun – semi accurate for the shrimp, then fun with the swirls and the colors. The mask was a lot of fun to paint. My neighbor has some stunning orchids in bloom right nown, and I’m tempted to go perch in his yard for a few days to study them up close… but for now I’m sticking to what’s native to the area. Presently a wren study is coming along really well. It’s always a relief to paint the eyes and get them correct, then all else falls in place!
I’ve had so many of your posts opened that the browswer is surely ready to crash.. so many stunning images – the ‘dark’ post was very interesting.
The pesto makes great ‘break food’ when Moringa has a very strong flavor, so the basil ‘cuts’ it. I paint and need something but not much to keep my blood sugar/hand stead, and its comforting and nutritious. – more like a mix between hummus and pesto!
🙂 I’m a little late replying – but I did see this last week, and enjoyed your reply….the ani’s, the pesto, and life….
A marvelous post on the idea of friendship, community and caring. Thank you for creating a space of reflection that nourishes a compassionate community that spans the globe. Hugs coming your way.
You are so great, Amiga! Thank you, and Hugh’s post certainly prompts us for reflection.
Fantastic paintings. Love them…
Hi Stephen! Thanks for your comment, and my thoughts are now with Xio – hope that her family/etc are all fine w/no property damage from the quake.
The Ceibo tree is definitely my favorite. It has been raining for days here. I think it is time to unpack my watercolors. It sounds like a soothing way to spend a rainy day.
i reached the cyber via blue sunny skies, and now it’s raining torrents!
It would be lovely to witness the rebirth of your water media paintings! i look forward to painting reports!
I could study your work all day. It’s all beautiful, with a soft elegance that showcases each piece of your art. I have no favorite, as each hold my eye and I look over your values, tones, and details of the subject matter. The monkey face and shrimp paintings look at those they each were difficult and intricate to say the least.
thank you, my lovely and talented friend! you devote much time to your own work, and it shows. it’s always great to equally respect each other’s work, and we learn from our own attempts as well as through others.
The background for the shrimp was actually fun – and relaxing. a nice compromise, and it gave the shrimp painting a touch os softness. I looked at that painting today, just before leaving for the cyber. (and now it’s raining so I should head home soon – or wait it out and hope the roads dry a little!)
Glad you are well and letting the storms unleash your creative juices!
thank you! yes, two nights ago i painted all night – through all-night 2 inches of rain — but now am tired. time to recharge the batteries!
Glad you’re well. I hadn’t even heard about the flooding! I get so little new here. Internet here goes out in windy times, so I’ve been mostly offline too!
Lovely images Lisa, and so enjoyed your painting studies, I especially enjoyed the trees.. I have swapped mediums again lol in that my paint brushes are down and my knitting needles are clicking again..
So pleased you are OK, its very worrying how full that dam is. and the amount of rain fall you are getting. Not a good combination.. I thought to catch up where I left off.
You are so right in your comment to me on my blog post Lisa.. Yes we get weary but we do have a mission to complete.. and we can not allow our energy to be swamped.
Looking forward to seeing more of what you have been doing these past months,
Much love dear friend. ❤ You Inspire me.. ❤