Yachana Bound!

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amazon lodges in ecuador, eco travel, geotourism, napo river ecudor, rio napo, yachana lodge

Photo courtesy of Yachana Lodge – Napo Province – Ecuador

“Yachana?”

With painting supplies, boots and flashlight already tucked into my bag, I’ll be Yachana bound soon!

“Boots? Raincoat? Flashlight?”

Yes, because I am a seasoned ‘Girl Scout’ and know to be prepared, especially if I’m returning to the gateway to the Amazon.  This time I’ll be even closer than I was on last month’s trip to Cosanga!

I’ll be taking trusted travel ‘needs’ AND a new pad of Canson Watercolor Paper AND very-special brushes! Thanks Pachamamas!

You must be wonderning, “What is Yachana; where is Yachana?”

Don’t worry for even one second that I will be treading in uncharted or unsafe territories!

Timeout for Art: Bringing a Quotation to Life

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drawing trees, March Skies Denmark Video by ADPhotography, Quotes by John Muir, Timeout for Art: Bringing a Quotation to Life

“Abuelito Ceibo” The Grandfather Tree Still Stands – One block from the center of Jama Ecuador

“Any fool can destroy trees. They cannot run away; and if they could, they would still be destroyed — chased and hunted down as long as fun or a dollar could be got out of their bark hides, branching horns, or magnificent bole backbones. .” — John Muir

Thank you for your positive feedback on the post, In Celebration of Trees!   The tree theme continues with a rollback to last March when my friend Barbara helped with improving the trails. We selected many nature-related quotes then had fun painting signs on rainy days.

Here are photos from last year’s signs:

Shhhhh! Don’t wake the duendes!  To learn more about duendes, go here:  Frigates of Isla Corazon

For the Trails! (Acrylic on old board – words are below)

“Hummingbird teaches us to transcend time, to recognize that what has happened in the past and what might happen in the future is not nearly as important as what we are experiencing now. It teaches us to hover in the moment, to appreciate its sweetness.” – Constance Barrett Sohodski

Barbara/aka Hummingbird not only helped with painting signs; she also helped transform some of the trails.

We pulled grass and pulled grass and pulled grass…

But the efforts were rewarding!

Painted by Barbara!

2-Cans

Before selecting a board for the John Muir quote, I tossed around ideas for illustrating the message then decided that a board was too small.  It deserved to be a more-serious work of art.

In Celebration of Trees

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admiring trees, Mindo Ecuador, protecting trees, rio bravo reserve, tree quotes, trees

The other creatures with which we share this world have their rights too, but not speaking our language, they have no voice, no vote; it is our moral duty to take care of them. –  Roger Tory Peterson

Mindo Ecuador –    Sentinels of our communties, trees posses a strong power.   They plant their feet firmly and stretch their arms toward the heavens as if tickling the sky.  Horizontal branches provide support for a child’s  dreamy afternoon respite or a house cat or even a jaguar! In the Neotropics, trees provide a unique ecosytem, where bromeliads, orchids, vines and ferns provide food and shelter for insects, birds, reptiles, mammals, etc.    The dense shade cloaks the ground with welcome relief from extreme heat.  Ah, who hasn’t expressed gratitude when stepping beneath the canopy of a large tree on a sultry day?

The people in the tree had the best seats for the game!  The ones on the ground clustered beneath any shade! Jama Ecuador

One friend long ago mentioned ‘custom harvesting’ a tract of land, and he knew that it bothered me.    He explained, “But the trees are going to die anyway, so we might as well harvest them while the wood can be used. ”

I mentioned the dead trees’ importance and reminded him that dead trees were important habitat for the presumed-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker.  “Where will YOUR chidren take their children to see a really-big tree?”  

This past week while sorthing through old drawings and sketches, I paused when reviewing three or four pages of attempts to illustrate a quote.    Then Rebecca Budd /Clanmother shared a quote about trees, which nudged me into bringing that sketch to life.

Those lovely sentinels watch over us, yet many times we forget to acknowledge their presence or worth.

Join me in this celebration of trees!

A Sweet and Distracting Melody

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a surprise visit from a maestro, michael grube, Mindo Ecuador, vioin in mindo

Mindo Ecuador –  Garbed in raincoat and mud boots this past Saturday around dark, I trekked past Mindo’s  Catholic Church on my way to the market.  Through the whoosh-whoosh sound of my rain gear and the drizzle hitting the roofs and sidewalk, a stronger much-sweeter sound brought me to a halt.  

Mindo’s Main Street

“Is that a violin?” I wondered, then followed the beckoning music until I stood in the doorway of the church.    The church was empty aside for one lone figure standing to the side near the front row.  In formal attire, perfect posture and with violin at his chin, he seemed like a mirage.  Or was he a life-sized poster?  No, that was a real person standing there, and his music was pure and sweet.

Captivated, I listened for a very short time, and decided that my presence was most likely an intrusion.  I bowed slightly and backed away, all the time wondering who was this person and why was he in this empty church?   I resumed my trek, bought my token items and returned for one more discreet glance before going home.

A second person was peering inside, and this younger woman and I exchanged mystified expressions.  Who was this person, and why was he there?

Timeout for Art: A Child’s First Drawing Lesson

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a child's first drawing lesson, cosanga ecuador, pachamama birdwatching journey, teaching children to draw, Timeout for Art

The Texas Pachamama Christmas Fairies brought a huge assortment of art supplies. The airlines might have taxed them for extra weight!

“It was amazing what an hour with her sketchpad could do for her mood. She was sure that the lines she drew with her black marker were going to save her years of worry lines in the future.” ― Victoria Kahler, Their Friend Scarlet

Cosanga Ecuador – Napo Province – See Map

The Pachamama Birding Group also brought treats for the teacher… Really really really-nice treats!  Watercolor paper!  Brushes! Sharpie Markers – not used ones like at my drawing table, but brand-new ones with precise points!!!!  But that’s for another post.   Check below to see the view from the table where I took a 30-minute personal timeout for art:

The Pachamama Christmas Fairies delivered high-quality art materials 8 months early!!! Thank you Pachamamas!

… While the ladies were out birding, the two boys and I sat on the front porch for an impromptu art lesson.

Remember Jordan and Rudy?

Please join me as they experience a fresh pad of drawing paper while they discover the magic of a well-sharpened pencil.

Resilience – Ten Month Anniversary of Ecuador’s 7.8 Earthquake – Part One

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Catholic church aid, earthquake relief, jama ecuador, Resilient

 

The human capacity for burden is like bamboo- far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance. – Jodi Picoult

Jama Ecuador – Every so often, void of pomp and circumstance, a large truck backs onto the eastern end of a small vacant block and unloads organized piles of boards, bamboo and roofing materials. The truck then drives away.

In December I witnessed this for the first time and noticed random clusters of people loading the materials into smaller trucks. One of the people watching over this process was one of Chana’s sons. I approached him, gave my condolences regarding his mother’s death (See Angels Watching over Us) and asked about the mystery event. He told me that a church from another area was the benefactor of these ‘kit houses’ – donated to those in the campo/country who were receiving no help. Feeling a bit like an intruder, I refrained from sticking my camera into the lives of strangers.  With patience, I hoped to learn more when a more-appropriate time presented itself.

We are stronger than we think. We have emotional, spiritual and even physical resources at our disposal. We may get knocked down, but we don’t have to stay down.”  – Steve Goodier

This month, my first time back since the December visit, I was again walking past when a truck unloaded another cluster of kit houses. I felt stronger, more ‘entitled’ to learn more in order to share this story with a larger audience. I took a few photos from the far side of the block then cautiously approached from a corner tangent.

“Leeee-SAH!” someone called from a mototaxi that was parked near one of the stacks of supplies. I waved, aimed my camera in that direction and wondered who was greeting me with obvious affection… I looked at the lady standing near a stack and thought, “I’ve never seen this lady before..” I smiled,  asked her name, permission to take her photo and closed the gap between the taxi and me.

Her name is Iliana, and she lives about 10 kilometers ‘up the coastline.

“Leeeee-SAH!” exclaimed a second person, one with an armload of boards. He stretched one of his long spindly arms with a heartfelt greeting. Ah.. the puzzle pieces were falling in place. His brother and father and I have many ties through various people. I think that the brother Carlos was in the room long ago when a mouse ran in my direction, and I screamed and flat jumped high onto a chair!  They later commented, ‘You screamed like a girl.”

After a heart-warming reunion with the cluster of happy people, I was invited to go to the site where the house would be built.  Yes, Giddyup!  Let’s finish loading this truck and roll forward!

Do You Truly Know Your Neighbors?

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Backyard Bird Count, being a good neighbor, earthquake survivor needs, jama ecuador, meeting neighbors, perseverance

Jama Ecuador – Little-dog Candy barked and barked and barked at the Gringita, to the family’s amusement….

 “Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How well do you know your neighbors; your neighborhood?  If you live in a petite town, you probably know them on a personal level.  Hopefully they are ‘good neighbors,’ ones who make you smile, and if they are lucky, your presence makes them smile as well!  Once when visiting a friend in a larger city (in Mississippi) I asked about the next-door neighbors.  He shrugged and said he didn’t know them.  In disbelief I made some general exclamation but kept my stonger reaction in check.  Just because a neighbor doesn’t extend the first token gesture — doesn’t mean that you cannot!

After meeting this gentleman, I was invited to the back of the house, where water was stored in a bucket;  they cooked on an old tree stump Even though the earthquake stripped them of their belongings, it did not rob them of their dignity and strong spirit.  He showed me this snake skin, and we discussed a little snake locally called, ‘.___-bejuco’ becuase it looks like a litte bejuco/vine.

Challenging neighbors have sometimes dotted my past, but I eventually realized they had extreme personal burdens or wounds, which had nothing to do with me.  By being neutral, many times I witnessed the softer side emerge.   We as humans often don’t take time to consider how uncomfortable the other person’s shoes might be.

After visiting the family with the dog, and the family that cooked on the tree stump, I saw this person across the street. With a pinch of guilt, I ‘only’ waved, but plan to go visit this person soon.

There are many people still in recovery mode on Ecuador’s earthquake-ravaged coastline.   I’ve had time to walk slowly through neighborhoods and talk with friends, talk with strangers, and to marvel (and laugh) at children’s natural gift of inner joy.  I realized that in good times we often don’t stop to exchange greetings with strangers, and in bad times, we’re so busy trying to survive, that we also forget that others are doing the same.  In good times or in bad, we sometimes forget to take time to listen – truly listen…

Happy Flowers!

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Happy Flowers, valentines day in ecuador

Jama Ecuador – This sweet token of affection was perched on my balcony this morning, and the Valentine’s Rabbit was still in sight on the grounds of Hostal Palo Santo!

She and her dear mother worked yesterday on arrangements for this special day.  They set up in a little space near the center of town and graciouslly allowed me to take photos.

Hobbling Along

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challenges with computers, computer freezes, Cracked computer screen, jama ecuador, Staying Positive

“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” ― Abraham H. Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being

Even the tin roof and nails came with the donated house!

Jama Ecuador – Lots of stories and images are in queue here on the Pacific coast. There’s a very special bird sighting – awaiting confirmation on its identity, and there are encouraging stories of those moving forward, poco a poco now ten months after the earthquake. The rains have been heavy, and many streets are more dirt than gravel, so mud boots are almost mandatory in some towns!

What follows is a ditty that will explain why future correspondence might be brief!

Timeout for Art: Whimsical Endemic Species

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creayivity, endemic, hybrid birds, timeout for art endemic, Whimsical paintings

Endemics at the Artist’s Nest — Acrylic

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something.”  Steve Jobs

With great pleasure, I’d like to introduce you to seven new feathered friends that have given me great joy!   They can definitely be classified as ‘endemic” and are quite rare;  they thrive in a very petite ecosystem in Mindo Ecuador.

Only one of these hybrid species has a name;  the Purple-crested Puffball might be petite, but it is a bundle of perpetual energy.   The rest are waiting for names, and I hope that some of you will help with suggestions!

1.  This little blue and green stinker started it all! The original plan was for a simple design of whimsical cartoon hummingbirds spaced along a straight limb.   Simple.  Fast.  The firstborn quickly morphed from a basic shape with colors to a perky bird in a sparkling costume!     2. The little bird that anchors the corner has the body of a sparrow, and a beak designed for a special yet-to-be-created flower!

Timeout for Art? – What if there were no ‘Arts?’

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Arts Programs, Charley Parker, Ecuador Arts, lines & colors, Timeout for Art

My life-long friend the pencil!

“Art is the signature of civilizations.”- Beverly Sills

(Ecuador) Using my.yahoo.com as email provider home page, I view the most-recent emails, the 5 top news stories, news of Ecuador/Latin America,  weather stats for specific locations,  and science and arts stories.  The custom page provides a quick summary of the day’s pulse when I log onto the internet.

One column features amazing works of art, and whenever possible I follow that link and savor Lines & Color’s ‘Eye Candy’...  This week featured a black rectangle to illustrate a more-serious post.     Please take time to read Charley Parker’s  Lines & Colors Is On Strike Today –

From Lines & Colors: “…Yes, it’s a small, mostly symbolic gesture, but so are the recently announced plans by the incoming administration to eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting…”

Museo Portoviejo – Ecuador – This AMAZING group of students repeated every sentence I spoke in English!

I pondered how to share my own thoughts regarding the importance the arts play in our world.   The best option seems to illustrate with images from old posts, where art played a large role in bringing people together while introducing them to the magic of self discovery.

We’ll start in Jama Ecuador, where locals are still recovering from the earthquake.  I am not sure if this tree is still there, but in the past, the whimsical art continued to smile at those who considered looking up….

“Good Game!”

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death and afterlife, life's challenges, Moving On, rip

December 2016 – Mindo Ecuador – End of School Event for the Holiday Break

(Ecuador) – About year ago when my friend Barbara was visiting, we drove to town once or twice each week, checked internet, bought supplies then returned to my friends’ Rio Cinto property. We opened pages of interest while on the internet and then read them offline when time permitted. In the serene first hours of the morning while sitting on the front deck, I sometimes broke the silence to read something of interest to her, or she read something to me. When I read the following (below), she listened patiently and then stated, “I’d like to have that read at my funeral. Who wrote that?”

Rio Cinto/Mindo Ecuador – View from the deck

“I did,” I smiled, and told her that I’d written it while sick with dengue and chikungunya; though I did not fear I might be dying, these words tumbled out one day as if dictated by a higher source.

Most every time I pondered sharing this, someone died or there was a horrific disaster, and the timing seemed wrong.  It seems like the right time, and I look forward to your feedback.     Lisa

…………………..

RIP

“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.” Kahlil Gibran

Rest in Peace… A tribute opened with those RIP words, and I pondered that saying and quickly morphed to my own obituary and thought, May they say about me,

No Mistakes – Only Lessons

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building a stair rail, cement and bamboo construction, Mindo Ecuador, safety rails

“You will fail many times but in failing you’ll learn and in learning you’ll find your way. Remember, there are no mistakes in life but only lessons, and lessons will keep on repeating until learned.”  Paulo Coelho

I’ve been quiet, but that might mean that I’ve been busy!  Are you curious?!

Mindo Ecuador – The tragedy of last year’s earthquake has had an unusual effect on me;  my patience and tolerance, thanks to several challenging lessons, have strengthened.   A project-in-progress for the ‘Artist’s Nest’ has tested that statement!

Two local workers have been helping with a 3-day project that has stretched into eight.   If I sweep the sawdust and debris five times, there’s always a sixth, and most likely a seventh, though at the end of the day these two sweet workers clean the entire area well before leaving.

When I grab the broom to sweep the steps yet again, I find that I don’t sigh and say to myself, “Again…” or get frustrated at redundant tasks.  I think, “What those people who have no home would do to have this problem!”       In addition to lessons learned via my nephew Don, “While the Worlld Outside My Window Goes Insane”   , I think of those on the Pacific coast that lost so much, and I ‘Let it go’ instantly.

Whoosh!  Gone.  Not worth it.  That post (above) connects me back via the photo tribute to Don;   with 124 comments, it’s surely one of the most popular ones for inspiration.

And the lack of stress and frustration is genuine! There’s no psyching myself into trying to dump the stress; it’s never allowed residence or even a Timeout Corner as each day brings new surprises.

Measure twice – cut once. I watched as they measured, stated outloud the measurement, then the apprentice went outside to cut the section. He returned and —- “Whoops…”  he cut it at ’06’ instead of ’16.’  No problem – he learned an easy lesson! They lengthened it with a second section and wired the two together.

The workers are so kind and sweet, and Perejil (a nickname) does amazing work.  He’s very patient and goes to great details, so the work has taken longer than expected.   It’s worth the extra days, and in the story of my day, my week, my life, what is important is the quality of each day — and each day as been crammed with positive experiences.

Are you curious to see the project in progress?  Put on your hard hat, as there’s no hand rail, the main reason this project began!

Wisdom 101 – Jama Ecuador

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christmas, ecuador earthquake, jama ecuador

Christmas Tree Decorations — Entrance to Hostal Palo Santo (Jama Ecuador)

“Suffering is part of our training program for becoming wise.”  Ram Dass

(Jama Ecuador) After traveling for 5 or more hours, I recently reached Jama in the late afternoon.  Palo Santo Cafe was closed, but someone was inside – preparing for the night.  I knocked on the door and asked if I could use the internet – to send a smoke signal that I’d reached my destination for the day.   “Of course,” lovely Karen smiled as she opened the door and invited me inside.  “Stay as long as you’d like…”

Luchy’s girlfriend, Karen…

I sat at a table and quickly vanished into cyberworld while they worked in the kitchen.   Just as I was packing my things to leave, young Jesus – Luchy’s nephew, motioned for me to stay.  He pointed to three coffee cups on the counter and whispered, “Shhhhh…”     Smiling, I unpacked the computer and played my role in the coffee break surprise..   Yet ten minutes later, the cups of not-so steaming coffee were still sitting there, and I thought perhaps I misunderstood.   About that time Luchy and Karen emerged from the kitchen with hot ham and cheese sandwiches for everyone!

Jesus, Luchy’s nephew, often helps (with a huge heart and grand smile) at the restaurant.  He prepared the cafe con leche, garnished with an artful swirl on the surface!

These palms line the front of Palo Santo…

I camped at their hostal this past trip and enjoyed more quality time not only with the family, but with many of the locals as well.   One night when I was walking from their restaurant to the hostal (2 blocks) someone called my name.  It was a friend I’d not seen in over a year.  She and her four precious children are living in one of the tent communities.  She looked great and seemed happy, and we both enjoyed the 10-pm exchange on the almost-deserted street.

Photo from better times – before the earthquake

“When someone feels particularly isolated or in pain, we don’t need a great deal of information in order to come to his or her aid.”  Ram Dass

Tent Community between Jama and Playa El Matal (Ecuador)

Another day when I was buying ‘takeout’ encebollado for breakfast, someone on the street called, “Lisa!”    Many times as they share their stories, they release a bit of their noble and very private pain. It is true that tears are the escape valve for the heart.

…Delicate and Fleeting as a Life in the Universe…

Tags

dragonfruit, Dragonfruit farm, fragrant plants, Mindo Ecuador, Nocturnal blooming plants, Pitahaya

Selenicereus megalanthus, better known as ‘Dragon Fruit’ – or ‘Pitahaya’ in Ecuador.

“And I think of the night-blooming cereus, a plant that looks like a leathery weed most of the year.

But for one night each summer its flower opens to reveal silky white petals, which encircle yellow lacelike threads,

and another whole flower like a tiny sea anemone within the outer flower.

By morning, the flower has shriveled. One night of the year, as delicate and fleeting as a life in the universe.” —Alan Lightman – The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew

Mindo Ecuador –  Dec. 01, 2016  (Rabbit-rabbit!)

Yesterday morning my friend Clemencia emailed to say, “We are having some flowering in the pitahaya, if you would like to come tonight… if you want to invite Cynthia, please do; she wanted to see the flowers too. It is not a big flowering, but the nights have been beautiful so even with a few it will be nice.”

A-typical Thanksgivings

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costa rica, Hurricane Otto, Nicaragua, thanksgiving in Ecuador

Tent Community between Jama and Playa El Matal (Ecuador)

Greetings to all on this USA day of Thanksgiving.    In strong contrast to those affected by world-wide unstable weather, I spent the early morning helping with finishing touches on a mural-painting “minga” near Mindo’s central park.   Students, teachers and artists worked in easy harmony over the past few days while all-but perfect sunny skies smiled upon us.

Although the experience filled me with gratitude for these lovely people who embrace foreigners into their culture, my thoughts have also been tweaked to equally-loving people in Central America who are and will be affected by Otto’s late-November visit to the area.

Reminiscing

Playa El Matal/Jama/Ecuador – Pat Godkin’s home will most likely be demolished today.

“We are all such escape artists, you and I. We don’t like to get too serious about things, especially about ourselves. When we are with other people, we are apt to talk about almost anything under the sun except for what really matters to us, except for our own lives, except for what is going on inside our own skins. We pass the time of day. We chatter. We hold each other at bay, keep our distance from each other even when God knows it is precisely each other that we desperately need.” Frederick Buechner

Jama Ecuador – Buechner’s words articulate this past week’s experience as I’ve taken a slower & meandering trail through earthquake-ravaged Jama.    Those that I’ve spoken with have learned the above lessons, and circumstances have steered our conversations to tones of sobering seriousness.  We also find humor, though a heavy undercurrent flows through the entire area.

People are smiling, people have hope, yet there is a different energy of emotional heaviness, of unspoken weariness.

Jama Ecuador – Before & After

Tags

7.8 earthquake jama, earthquake, jama ecuador, Palo Santo Cafe, volunteer work in manabi

“Wherever there are birds, there is hope.”
― Mehmet Murat ildan

Jama, Ecuador –  Arriving in Jama just before dark, I was happy to see Luchy Cevallos unloading items from his car at Palo Santo Cafe.  “Lisa!!” he smiled, “Come in and have a cafe!”   I accepted on the condition that I share the tasks before they opened at 7.     He also prepared a pizza that we shared, and then he dashed to the cabanas to prepare #3 for me to spend the night.  Yay!

Business was brisk, and I suspected that each dime would help with repairs on his hostal.   When I left at ten, people were still visiting while enjoying good food at a very fair price.

I also took photos to compare before and after, so here’s an ‘after’ photo taken in front of Palo Santo…

Jama – in front of Palo Santo Cafe – Nov 2016 What’s missing?

Compare the photo above with one taken a few years earlier:

Jama Before –

More before/after comparasons:

Jama before – (Wear White for Peace)

Jama after earthquake – Luchy’s brother’s house is gone (to the right) as is a two-story house to the left…

Turning back time to 2008:  How well I remember walking the lazy streets of Jama as if I’d stepped into a time warp from my childhood.  Cowboys nudged their cattle along the streets at the end of the day.     The town slowly changed over the past seven years, but the April 16th earthquake turned Jama and neighboring areas upside down.

Many have shared their stories.

“…It began like the usual earthquakes – starting slowly, and we became aware – Earthquake – and assumed it would be finished in a few seconds. But it didn’t, and the slow subtle start sort of tricked us…   I was in the street outside my house when it happened… first it wasn’t scary – it was like a normal earthquake and then it got stronger. One house fell and then another and another… and I looked at our house and thought, “Please don’t fall…” – and it didn’t….   A few more minutes, and I think the house would have fallen down.”

Weather, Extinctions and Round-the-World Deforestations

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climate change, deforestation, endangered species, eulogy for a planet, extinctions, reforestation, silent spring rachel carson, what can one person do

 

Ecuador’s Powerful Woodpecker (Campephilus pollens) resembles North America’s possibly-extinct Ivory-billed Woodpecker.  What will it take to awaken mankind that preserving and restoring the habitat has reached critical importance?

” The ivory-bill is so iconic: big, beautiful, mysterious—a symbol of everything that’s gone wrong with our relationship to the environment. I thought if someone could just locate an ivory-bill, could prove that this remarkable species still exists, it would be the most hopeful event imaginable. We would have one final chance to save this bird and the bottomland swamp forests it needs to survive.”  From Surfbirds.com – interview with Tim Gallagher, author of The Grail Bird.

While working, I  was rewarded by first hearing and then seeing this magnificent Powerful Woodpecker!

“Earth’s population of wild vertebrates — all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish — declined 58 percent from 1970 to 2012. (That’s up from 52 percent in the 2014 report, which spanned 1970 to 2010.) In other words, the total number of wild animals with backbones has fallen by more than half within one human lifetime.”   Russell McClendon – Mother Nature Network (Oct 27/2016)

Mindo Ecuador –   Something happened last month that had a profound effect on me.  I’ve been trying to figure out how to approach it, how to share it with you – with those who might be interested – but even more for those who are not.

Art? My Mother Didn’t Tell Me about Art…

Tags

apartment ideas, ART, Mindo Ecuador

Detail/ Tres Manos Copyright Lisa Brunetti 2012

“Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun.” – Mary Lou Cook

Once upon a time, long long ago, a precious four-year old burst into tears when the art teacher stepped into his classroom on the second week of school.   “Art?” little Sam whimpered, “My mother didn’t tell me about art….”   He cried and cried and eventually stopped — about the time class was over for the day.

Students loved inspecting my basket of art materials…

A week passed, and I again disrupted his normal routine, and he cried again.. Not so much, but my presence made him uncomfortable…  He cried during the first part of class, but then calmed.  I think by the third week he accepted this strange interuption and in another month, he embraced the concept of art and all of the surprises that the art teacher shared with his four-year old peers.   I often said that teaching those four-year olds was a bit like jugging one too many balls; their attention spans were short, so I tried to provide many options each week to hold their interests …

Four years later when that same cluster of students was drawing one of their classmates who sat in one lone chair in the middle of the room, I silently marveled, “Wow.. they are getting a likeness, not just an icon, and they probably should not have the skills to do this at this age – but no one has told them that they couldn’t… and Mrs. B believes in them – therefore they did it – and did it well!”

Timeout for Ballet?

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balletnacional de ecuador, Ecuador, Mindo Ecuador, national ballet of ecuador

“Sometimes I need only to stand wherever I am to be blessed.” – Mary Oliver

A small poster in dramatic reds and blacks caught my attention last weekend; a stunning photo showcased a cluster of performers for the National Ballet, scheduled to perform on Tuesday September 6th. Taped to the door of the closed tourism office, the poster radiated a mystical allure. “Lazos de Tierra – Fiesta en el Mar” – A Free Event – Ballet Nacional de Ecuador.”
“Oh well,” I mused, “It would be nice to attend, though I don’t plan to go to Quito.”

Before resuming my errands, I decided to check the fine print for the location. Otavalo and Cuenca often have cultural events, and I was curious about what city would be hosting the performance.

Mindo! A ballet in petite Mindo?

I looked again to be sure I had read it correctly.

Yes, the National Ballet would be performing on Tuesday night! I enthusiastically passed the information to friends, and they seemed as surprised as I!

……. Fast forward to “Hora:  19:30 — Martes 6 de Septiembre”…..

Since my camera does not work well in low light, I wasn’t expecting to take many photos. Cynthia pointed out that the entire front row of chairs was basically empty, so we scampered forward and claimed a prime vantage point!!!

The curtain rose in almost total darkness, and the audience peered with collective expectations. As the lighting increased, the darkened forms of dancers began to rise from prone positions. I groped for my camera and managed to get a few blurred shots. The scene quickly morphed to full throttle, and as dramatic lighting showcased these talented dancers in stunning costumes, the camera performed quite well!

(A grayscale version of the top image is a bit easier to decipher…)

What follows is a pictorial summary of the event.

Ladies and gentlemen – please take your seats; the lights have dimmed!   Enjoy the show!

Esperanza – Hope

Tags

earthquake ecuador, El Matal Ecuador, helping others, jama ecuador, tent camps

“Manos Arrrrriba!”        Esperanza – Hope. Without hope, people’s souls would atrophy. My friends and I witnessed esperanza in most every place we stopped.

Jama-El Matal (Manabi Province) Ecuador

Having just returned from a visit to the coast (Jama) where the earthquake turned my friends’ worlds upside down then slammed them to the ground, I would like to share what burns strongest in my mind and soul. Yes, some friends cried when they shared their stories, but their tears also released a bit of grief.  More than tears, I saw smiles. Proud brave smiles that burned as bright and strong as the brilliant sunlight on their altered landscape.

Esperanza – Hope. Without hope, people’s souls would atrophy. My friends and I witnessed esperanza in most every place we stopped.

A buzz of activity kept the center of town in perpetual motion. A steady stream of people puchased ten-cent servings  of fresh rolls at the open-air panaderia, relocated only a slight distance from its original place on the block. The vegetable vendor location shadowed the panaderia, just like it did before the earthquake, and a second one held its usual spot on the other side of the one-way street. There was comfort in walking up to the glass-fronted bakery counter and requesting caramel-colored cubes of banana bread for my travel companions and me – and oh yes, delicate rolls of chocolate bread and — ‘look at those fresh orbs of bread that are still cooling – we’ll take some of those too.’

Cloudforest Ironman (woman) Olympics?

Tags

creative ways to cross small rivers, Rio Cinto Ecuador, trek in the cloudforst

Open call to anyone who would like to compete in the River-crossing Competition!!

(Rio Cinto – Mindo, Ecuador) —When I learned that a friend planned to trek to the high ridge across Rio Cinto, I asked if I could tag along.  We agreed to meet at ten o’clock this past Saturday morning.   Since the starting point was very near the property, I walked the short distance and arrived a few minutes before the rest of the group.

We planned to go to the top of that high point… well, we thought that might be the target!

…or was it there??  (Why were we trying to reach the top?)

New friends have a little vacation house somewhere on the ridge, and they have  GOOD INTERNET reception! We planned to explore options for bouncing that signal down to the property…

The neighbors, who live in Quito, were unable to meet us (car trouble!) but their worker Lenin was there to guide us to their property.

Since I arrived first, Lenin showed me how to cross, then he patiently waited for my ‘landing’ on the far side.

Here’s a little background music to get us in the mood to swing!

Ready… Set… Let’s Go!!!

Timeout for Smiles

Tags

Timeout for Art, timeout for smiles

Before the Earthquake: Double smiles – He had new boots AND was thrilled to watch over his cousin’s new motorcycle!

“If my heart can become pure and simple like that of a child, I think there probably can be no greater happiness than this” Kitaro Nishida (From The Little Zen Companion)

The birds daily designs are drawn with cracked corn, and the birds slowly erase the designs! The frog usually hides behind the rain gauge.

The first hours of the morning are sacred to me, and I perfer to spend them in silence as I wean from an active dreamworld to the expectations of the day. An always-changing cast of winged performers flit through the living stage.  This morning, as I write from the comfort of the front balcony, a cheerful wren forages along the branches of a Pico-Pico tree just long enough to have its image caught on camera.

Hello Wren!

A dozen or more swallows perform an aerial ballet across the pure-blue skies. One crisp-yellow butterfly inspects the landscaped area near the ponnd. At times the butterflies move with such precision that I think they are birds! Scanning the vista below, I spot a Rufous-tailed Hummingbird perusing the morning’s floral department while deciding which will provide the prized nectar for the day.

Rufous-tailed Hummingbird takes a timeout from the flowers!

While admiring the hummingbird, I spot a large bird streak past the house and realize it was a Collared Aracari!

Serendipity

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Alejandro Arteago, Atractus paucidens, Rio Cinto Mindo Ecuador, Tropical Herping Ecuador

Moon over Cinto Ridge

“Serendipity is the faculty of finding things we did not know we were looking for.” -Glauco Ortolano

( Mindo Ecuador )   –  Just before dusk last Monday, I drove to town to make a very-special telephone call.    Alejandro had urged me to contact him, but until this moment, our communications had only been via internet.

I stepped into the phone ‘cabina’ and placed a call that would greatly alter the rest of my evening.

“Hello Alejandro?   This is Lisa from Mindo-Cinto.”   I wondered if he would remember me, and then I added, “I have a snake in a bucket for you.   Black above and white below.  I just emailed the photos.”

Timeout for Art – Intense Concentration

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painting birds in watercolor, painting toucans, Timeout for Art

“Hi!  Remember me?” (See Timeout- Let’s Draw a Toucan)

“It takes 100 per cent of your attention and focus, backed up with years of drawing experience, to train yourself to paint what you see.” Steve Childs

Mindo Ecuador –

Simple washes of color… Remember when using watercolor to let one area (yellow) to dry before beginning another (black) or they’ll run together and make a big mess!

Sometimes several washes of color are more effective for building texture and depth.   The cecropria limb started with light washes of blues and greens, and the lightest areas were saved while darker pigments brought form and texture to the painting.  The tree limb needs another session when I can work from life and apply the subtle details.

The second application of yellow, applied after the first had dried overnight, brings more life into the toucan.

Toucans are quite social, so the study has a few support characters!   The next image shows the small painting.   With watercolor, one tries to save the whites, as in the spots of light on the eyes.   One mistake many people make is to try to rush the painting, and they are rewarded with a dark color running into a lighter one.   Placing the dark pigment (Paynes gray + burnt sienna + ultramarine blue) in the eye area would be a fatal mistake if the green pigment had not dried.    Moving to the tree limbs – or even to a different painting is the best option.   Taking a break or putting the painting in the sun or waiting until the next day are other options.

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.”

Polar-Opposite Landscapes

Tags

birds in ecuador cloudforest, ecuador earthquake, Mindo Ecuador

There’s an awkward feeling while I tend to my friends’ property near Mindo Ecuador while I think about the people not too far away on the coast as they try to pick up the pieces of their lives and move forward. I worry about their drinking water and a fresh supply of food and of a dry place to sleep at night – and mosquito-free as well. I think about the children, and how they must tremble when another after shock rolls thru the earth. I drink in the visual beauty that surrounds me as my heart aches for those that I love. I wish I could offer comfort and give them silent strength just by being near. The birds seem to be more abundant, or perhaps my focus is more intense on noticing my surroundings and not taking them for granted.

What follows are a few favorites of the 110 birds I’ve spotted on the property. How I wish I could send some of that beauty to help ease their pain.

Scaled Fruiteater?  A first for me, and it flitted from branch to branch a few feet away from where I stood-froze and admired its unique patterns of color.

White-throated Crake — There were two foraging in the mid-morning sunlight..

Earthquake Stories – From John & Mary in San Clemente

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earthquake manabi ecuador, John and Mary McDonald, San Clemente Ecuador, terremoto ecuador

John’s idyllic coastal bus ride didn’t end so pretty…

John, thank you so much for sharing your story!    I was not only there with you as you found your way through miles and miles of mazes, but I was also enduring the earthquake at San Clemente with dear Mary…

From 2012 – John and Mary in Cruzita Ecuador

Mary, even if it’s painful, it might be a catharsis to share your experience.   Sending you both my love and comfort.    Z

Here’s John’s story:  Earthquake First Report

They might not be able to reply, but let them know you appreciated their story.

Z

Timeout for Updates!

The daily designs are drawn on the boulders with cracked corn, and the birds slowly erase the designs! Can you guess what this image in the foreground is about? (Will this work as a Timeout for Art?)

Several people have recently written to be sure all’s fine, as I’m not usually so silent.  Thanks, amigos – the past few weeks have been busy, and I also dedicated some extra quiet time for remembering Joe.

The flowers were rescued from a fallen tree in the public road. The painting makes a fun backdrop! Will this work for a Timeout for Art?!!

Last week brought an assortment of ‘helpers’ to the property.  Pedro, the all-in-one great kind of assistant, helped with some electrical repairs and then put on his birding sombrero and helped identify some birds.  Here’s Pedro/Peter at his top form — the fact that he’s also a rapelling guide might explain how he so easily accomplished the task.  I tipped him twenty dollars for his heroic efforts…

Timeout for Painting Signs!

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Mindo Ecuador, painting signs for trails, property for sale ecuador, Timeout for Art, trail signs

Why is Barb chuckling as she sits on the bench?

(Rio Cinto/Mindo Ecuador) As Barbara’s “work visit” comes to an end, we’re reflecting on how much we packed into this past month.  She can now add sign painting, wildlife guide and landscape design to her resume!

Thanks to a guide’s visit to the property, Barb has been officially infected with the birding bug!

Join us for a walk along the pond to critique the signs!   If we’re lucky (and quiet) we might spot an otter!   Adding Whimsy to the Trails 

 

Lisa & Barb

Awakenings…

Tags

agent orange victims, Bob Ramsak, iinspiration, Piran Cafe

Dawn awakenings in Ecuador’s cloud forest.

Most every morning I awaken with a plate-full of dreams still lingering in my psyche. They war at times with lucid thoughts, and I question, “Where do these thoughts come from?” (Perdon, but “from where do these thoughts arise,” just doesn’t flow well!)

(Ecuadorian Thrush) As I inspect my awakening thoughts, the thrush is the official Inspector of the Gardens.

This morning a cyber headline from last week played over and over, much like a banner running nonstop across a viewing screen. “Monsanto charged with Crimes Against Humanity” and I wondered just what crimes are named or if it was a headline to prompt visits to the site. Without being online for the ease of a search tool, I decided the most-obvious reason might be connected to Agent Orange and its use in the Vietnam War.

In 2011, Bob Ramsak of Piran Cafe wrote about his visit to “Thanhxuan Peace Village, or Lang Hoa Binh Than Xuan, an orphanage, school and clinic in Hanoi set up specifically for victims of Agent Orange. It was also the last time I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star before an appreciative audience.”

Timeout for Art -“The Chemicals of Inspiration”

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Solitude and Creativity, Solitude and Inspiration, Timeout for Art Chemicals of Inspiration

What’s making that croaking sound?  By George, it’s a toucan!

Now that I am living in the cloud forest near Mindo Ecuador, I am distanced from urban areas and spend most of my time in blissful solitude. Every so often someone will ask, “Aren’t you scared?” or “Don’t you get bored?” or even “Are you sure you are happy out there?”

Sometimes I smile  (smirk?) and reply, “I’m not wired like most…”

The toucan calls for me to celebrate the day!

Even when very young, I preferred the sky as my roof and a fallen tree as my chosen furniture, and I’d seek out my favorite places in the woods and sit for half an hour or more before moving to another area. I craved the hushed quiet of the wilderness, though the nuances of subtle sounds filled my hours with joy. The wind whispering through the trees provided the most-constant soundtrack as I admired and inspected wildflowers that dotted the landscape. I learned to stomp on the ripened fruit of the ‘Maypop,’ and I sometimes tweaked my attention to a sudden splash in the water, which might have been a fish or a snake or a falling limb. I explored the thickets for Brer Rabbit, though I always failed at sneaking up on prehistoric-looking softshelled turtles basking on sun-drenched banks.

I preferred the quiet solace of tranquil waters – and still do!

Rio Cinto always offers a different mood and another facet of beauty.

As an adult, I adapted when necessary, but I have always been my best when alone with nature. My senses come alive, and I merge with the subtle rhythms. Years ago when I spent a month in the city, I asked my birding friend, Michael Godfrey, “If I feel starved for connection with nature, what must the Indians feel when they’ve transplanted to the concrete jungles? How do they survive?”
Michael’s reply was a sobering one, “They don’t. They die a little each day from soul rot.”

Sun and Shadows

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light and shadows, Otto Munchow, palo santo jama ecuador, photographing light

This photo freezes a display of stunning light and shadows last year at Canoa Beach Hotel. (Ecuador)

Todays assortment of images reflect my response to Otto Munchow’s post, “Let the Sun In.”       A gifted photographer and teacher, Otto stated, “Light is one of the most important factors that influence the quality of a photo.”  He followed with, “There is no such thing as bad light, only suitable or not suitable light for whatever you are trying to express. ”  His post offers pointers for photographing in the harsh mid-day light.

 

View from the dining room… 10 a.m. light…

This bromeliad hitched a ride to the edge of a public gravel road via a large limb that fell to the ground. After watching it for several weeks, I decided that the road graders would one day consume it, so with no guilt, I transplanted it to a space where it would be treasured.  Several of its canopy mates joined it – friends for life!

As I read his post, I thought of the ‘Plant Rescue Garden’ (pictured above) at my friends’ property in the cloud forest near Mindo.  During certain hours, the sun stretches its fingers into the deep shadowed area and showcases several of the plants.  The light is very dramatic, and I almost always reach for my camera and try to capture what makes it so special.  Just how many photos does one need of the happily-transplanted bromeliads, begonias and orchids?  For me, they serve as reference photos for those rainy days when I’m housebound and looking for inspiration for paintings.

A begonia lived on the tracks of an old excavator that was about to roll for the first time in years.