You are Treasured

Baeza Ecuador – Boys being boys!

…Long ago in Yazoo City, Mississippi:  —  “I love you all SO MUCH,” I once declared to a class of private art students, a group of rambunctious 8-year old boys.

Incredulous, they peered ‘up’ from their work and stared at me as if I were speaking to a totally-different group.

I added, “I could go to the grocery store right now and return and find you all still hard at work. Thank you.”

I continue to marvel at the effect art has on one’s psyche. Outside of that art class, the same students were the most unruly ones in the entire elementary school! Perpetually happy, they were also perpetually mischievous and often disrupted the classes. Once one of the mothers peered into the classroom and whispered, “I think you put a voodoo hex on them,” then quietly backed out of the room.

So now I state the same to all of you, “I love you all SO MUCH!” Seeing your comments gave my heart a grand smile, and thank you for your updates and feedback regarding the last post, “Hello from Ecuador.”“Hello from Ecuador.”

On Earth Day, the iguanas at the park received an extra-special fruit salad with papayas, pineapple, beets, carrots and bananas. When I handed the bucket over the fence to the guard, he motioned for me to enter the park and feed the iguanas. I was like a child being told she could help the Easter Bunny distribute the eggs! Instead of dumping the mix into the normal feeding area, I walked to each iguana and tossed them individual servings, then placed more in various spots on the big Mango tree. Smiling as if on mood-enhancing drugs, I kept thanking the guard who watched from afar. Another person contributed lettuce scraps earlier in the day, so I was pleased that this was at least their second feeding for the day.

“Wait! Is this a trick? Papaya in a Mango tree?!”

I owe each of you an equally-sensitive reply.

The guards at the larger Las Vegas Park gave me permission to observe the birds for Global Big Day. The Soras, now absent from the last two Sora Checks, must be taking their return trip back to the Northern Hemisphere! I ponder when air travel will return to normal, yet I suspect that we will all be adapting when society moves out of the “Pause” mode.

Purple Gallinule

Gallinule practicing the triple jump!

Juvenile P. Gallinule learning to walk/run on water!

Some people are better suited for long periods of isolation. I ponder my own history and am grateful to so easily slip into sessions of deep concentration. On weekends here in Portoviejo, the lack of traffic provides a blissful 2-day dose of almost silence. Recently while playing a natural soundtrack recorded at Poza Honda last year, I was all but lost in my botanical studies and stopped for a break. When I looked up I almost laughed out loud to discover that I was in the city – and not at Poza Honda! Ah, and I am so lucky to be so easily fooled – even if by my own creative ways of dodging reality!

From the Poze Honda Casa/2019 – Two Brown Wood Rails allowing a rare private viewing of behavior.

Weekdays present new challenges, and the queue of people for the bank (next door) goes all the way to the corner, wraps around the corner and goes down the next street. When I open the ground-floor door, there are always ‘people,’ who watch me wipe the door, lock the door and then say, ‘Buenos dias,’ as we exchange eye contact. I wonder if they can tell if I’m smiling? I am smiling – yet cautious.  Some days there are two lines – going in both directions, which happened this past week/first of the month! One line went to the corner, around down the second street to the next corner – and who knows where it ended! Whew – no, it’s best to stay home on week days or wait until after the bank closes at noon!

Some days a vehicle fogs the area just before dark.

The 2 pm curfew remains in place, so my internet outings continue to be hurried. When online, I open emails, check world headlines, load pages and news videos, research eclectic subjects and then hope that the two browsers hold everything until each is crossed off at home!  Perusing that small dose of news options, I wonder about those who tune in all day every day – surely that makes one’s blood pressure soar?   Except for the Covid 19 and political news, there is little about other events – like the locust plagues or extreme flooding – or wildfires and/or drought.  I was surprised to see that half of the USA would be enduring a cold snap, while the other half was polar opposite.  Here is one video from ClimateCrocks (When May looks like December) that I watched when back at the apartment:

Of course I load  and too many pages to read at home!  Some days the browsers crash just before time to dash home – oh well, sometimes just scanning headlines is enough – and sometimes I think it’s better to work on my art, photos, writings; listen to Poza Honda soundtracks and ignore what’s happening in the world.

The drawing ink pens are all dry, so the addition in the top left was added in pure watercolor – much nicer!  The ink studies, which are first scanned, are for a graphic-art project.

However, all of YOU are out there in the world, and it’s because that I love you all so much that I continue to see what’s better this week –  and what’s worse – and send my own smoke signal.

If this young bird should “grow into its feet,” it would be a monster! This bird was learning to forage, and many pads would sink – it was fun to watch it learn about walking on lily pads!

Thank you again, everyone, and I repeat, “I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!”  You are treasured.

We are all worthy of love!