Who’s that guy looking down from the Basilica? It’s Bob Ramsak of Piran Cafe!!!!
Silvana of Monoaulladorand I were delighted to say “WELCOME BACK!” to our WordPress pal, Bob Ramsak (Piran Cafe) today in Quito. Bob’s trail brought him through the Jama area two years ago as he traveled (overland) from Argentina to Chile, Bolivia, Peru and on to Ecuador on his way through the Americas. The following post summarized WEEK 18 as he finished the Ecuador leg of his journey: BOOTLEg BARBIES, AN INAUGURATION, A MARCH AGAINST MONSANTO, AND THE COOLEST FLOOR IN THE WORLD.
So who is Bob? His “About Page” offers a great summary: “I’ve visited 54 countries and roam often as a writer, editor and translator, but Piran Café is not a travel blog. It’s evolved into a notebook, a collection of experiences and moments, long and short, connected and propelled by my primary passions: travel, art, culture and justice. When they and I cross paths, you’ll find some of the results here.”
The true gift is to visit with Bob in person, where he taps into his thought-provoking reservoir of knowledge and shares stories that range from world-class sporting events to the dangers of street photography. SURVIVING A STREET ASSAULT IN POTOSI or THE DANGERS OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY The posts are great, but the stories in person are even better! Continue reading →
“Everyone on earth has a treasure that awaits him. We, people’s hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate.” Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist
Years ago while I was visiting with expat friends and their on-vacation friends in Costa Rica, someone asked, “Did you ever dream when you were growing up that you’d live somewhere like this?”
Turning back time: Costa Rica – After the Competition
My mind peddled backwards, and within seconds I recalled a wanderlust dream from grammar school. I smiled wistfully and answered, “When I was in 5th grade, I wanted to live in Argentina and raise quarter horses.”Continue reading →
Hurriedly I share these images of sunshine and shadows from El Matal (Manabi) Ecuador. The tides are reaching their highest for the month, and we’ll be watching closely for the next two days.
So far so good, but today we feared one boater might grind into the rocks. Continue reading →
“Creativity is essentially a lonely art. An even lonelier struggle. To some a blessing. To others a curse. It is in reality the ability to reach inside yourself and drag forth from your very soul an idea.” ~Lou Dorfsman
I traveled to Guayaquil this past Sunday, a day before an Ecuador Expat Journey tour began. My afternoon was a free one, and I dropped by the Museo Nahim Isaias in hopes there might be an interesting art exhibit. I was not disappointed.
Museo Nahim Isaias
Located in the Plaza de Administración near Guayaquil’s Malecon 2000, The Museo Nahim Isaias showcases the work of many artists. This week, after touring a collection of Ila Coronal’s sensitive photographs of rural life, I spotted two brightly-colored paintings in another area of the museum. Stepping toward the strong colors, I noted someone sitting to the side with polite attention.
Jorge Luis Yllescas Arrixaga (Guayaquil, Ecuador)
“I wonder if that’s the artist,” I pondered, and he stood up and approached with sensitive respect. Continue reading →
Jama (Manabi Province) Ecuador — Yippee! Almost two months overdue, the rains are finally quenching Manabi’s thirst! Dodging lagoons of water at every corner this morning, I assumed that the gray skies would offer few opportunities for good photos. I was wrong.
Jaime, the fisherman, ignored the sprinkles.
The rains fell during the night then resumed again mid morning; there are countless music options for these images, but I’ll nudge Eddie Rabbit a bit closer to the equator to kick off these images:
No one seemed discouraged by the mud and water, though without boots, I skirted around mud and leaped across swollen pools of water throughout town. While enjoying a cup of coffee and an extra sour lemonade “sin azucar” (without sugar – to chase away an allergy) I was well entertained by Silvana’s nephew who sported a new pair of boots. He pranced past my table, climbed aboard his cousin’s new motorcycle and stole the show! Continue reading →
(Ecuador – Jan. 31, 2015) Today’s Daily Prompt arrived as I traveled the 7-plus hours between Jama and Guayaquil. Michelle suggested, “Tell us how your week went by putting together a playlist of five songs that represent it.”
Ha! The week delivered disappointments as well as grand moments, but I managed to keep my sense of humor. On Monday/Lunas, I painted until noon, put away my paints and brushes, changed and waited for a driver to take me an hour up the coast to Pedernales. Rolando and I had talked on Saturday, and I told him about the floor project and the most important item needed was a non-yellowing varnish for floors. I said that I would be painting all day on Sunday and again on Monday morning and would be ready to go by “…1 or 2 o’clock…” He didn’t show up! Welcome to Ecuador! (Perhaps I absently said, “Martes/Tuesday” instead of “Lunas?”)
I shrugged; it wasn’t important, and I switched back to painting while watching the birds come home to roost. On Martes, I waited again, and at 2, decided to walk to town (5K) and glare at Rolando with the ‘truck taxi’ and watch his mouth drop when he remembered that he’d forgotten!
Maybe he feared he’d have to help carry heavy items from Playamart!
I enjoy the walks to town, and I inspect the birds along the road, in the al-garrobo (mesquite family) trees and in the shrimp ponds. This week I spotted the Peruvian Meadowlark, a species that’s been absent for months. About twenty minutes into my trek, a friend drove along at high speed, braked, backed up and gave me a ride to to town! As he resumed top speed on the gravel road, I didn’t tell him of my two-day wait for the driver! Instead I smiled after we all but broke the sound barrier and said, “Muchicimas Gracias!”
(Image from 2013) Some people think that third-word countries are dangerous; thankfully there are sweet angels who enhance the quality of my days! Thanks, Doc Castro!)
Instead of seeing Rolando, I spotted one of his brothers (they have a fleet of pickup truck-taxis.) He chuckled when I told him the story; we discussed the fare to Pedernales, my list of things to do there, judged the time, and he said if we left immediately we could be back before dark. I hopped in the co-pilot seat and said, “VAMOS!”
Squinting at the laptop, I worked on photos for National Geographic’s “Your Shot,” while peering out the window and occasionally snapping photos.
Harvest in progress of a balsa tree farm near Camarones Ecuador.
We returned just before dark, and he helped carry the items from the road to Casa Loca. I slept well and started Wednesday in painting mode.
My friends harvested a shrimp pond near the house, but I was very focused on adding details to the floor. I emerged from my painting fog around dark, looked out and noted that the pond was drained, and the trucks and workers were gone! Only the birds remained as they foraged the muddy bottom for shrimp.
I painted on Thursday morning as well; my high-energy painting sessions often correlate with strong rain, so I was not surprised when the sound of rain pelted the roof. The rains strengthened, and I noted one slow drip-drip-drip from the tin roof; I moved the potted ceibo tree beneath the drip and continued painting for another hour. That lovely one-plus inch of rain saturated the ground, but it also extinguished the electricity in this 7-house circuit!
The skies cleared slightly, and I painted until almost dark and photographed the details for Timeout for Art. With an opportunity to try out my new green mud boots, I retrieved my rain coat (just in case of more rain!) and walked to town in the late afternoon. Continue reading →
Casa Loca’s windows are made of solid wood, and I enjoy opening those weathered panels at first light to embrace the awakening day. I usually open the kitchen window first to confirm that the daylight serenade was indeed given by the lovely kingbird. The wrens and seedeaters dart and forage in the dense foliage along the fence, while Amazilia hummingbirds search for the life-sustaining nectar of the opening flowers. Kingfishers awaken the riverside with nonstop chattering about the first catch of the morning.
Female Seedeater
Variable Seedeater forages throughout the day
(from 2013) – Look! There’s a huge hummingbird checking out the Playamart treasures!
The petite green kingfisher asks the heron, “I think it’s going to be a calm day… what do you think_?”
Most mornings provide a feast of calming views as I open the windows and gaze outside. Every so often the view jolts me into a higher state of attention.
First Light – Quite Lovely … or not?
The presence of thousands of birds announces, “Urgent! Urgent! Something’s wrong with this picture!” On this sixth dawn of the new year, I scanned to see if my friend’s truck was home (yes) so I knew he had spotted the same view and had sounded the alarm. I grabbed my camera and bolted out the door. Continue reading →
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.”
Debbie of Retired & Rewired in Nicaragua recently posted The Decay of Dignityand 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. Continue reading →
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. Continue reading →
Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. ~W.T. Purkiser
Rosa sets up her booth in the early-morning sunshine.
This dear woman, Rosa, patiently set her hand-made items in front of the restaurant where I enjoyed breakfast each morning. With a smile, she tolerated the many photos I took while she flashed in and out of the early-morning sun. I bought a small handbag and a smaller zipper bag to hold my pens and pencils.
On the third morning I invited her for a hot chocolate, which she drank while setting up the morning’s display. I handed her a little scrambled egg sandwich from some petite rounds of toast and took more photos as she worked. Continue reading →
Stained glass artwork scrapes the skies over Otavalo Ecuador.
The Aya Uma mask is an important icon for the June Solstice Festival.
There are subtle colors and explosions of colors in the Otavalo Ecuador area; one can sample the quiet hues of the landscape or take a giant immersion in the Saturday market in town. There are colors to suit all moods and personalities!
Let’s start with a leisurely walk in the mountains that overlook Otavalo. Continue reading →
Coming up for a fast gulp of cyber air, I am thrilled to upload photos in less than a minute instead of several hours!
The flights from Guayaquil Ecuador to Quito, and from Quito to Houston went well; after hearing that grand, “Welcome back,’ greeting at immigration, I boarded a flight to New Orleans. Landing there 12 hours after leaving Guayaquil, I received a second ‘Welcome Back’ greeting from a friend, Danny Bond, who drove from Gulfport for a fast visit before I made the last leg of my journey.
After checking in at the Amtrak station and confirming a seat on the 1:30 ‘City of New Orleans,’ we visited several salvage shops crammed with antiques and relics from old houses. Hundreds of old wooden doors and wavy-glassed windows, claw footed tubs and wooden mantles triggered creative ideas, and I asked Danny if my family had paid him to take me to those places to tempt me to move back!
The $50.00 six-hour Amtrak journey from New Olreans to Greenwood Mississippi was surely the best travel value for the year! There is so much to share, but for now, enjoy the views from the City of New Orleans! Continue reading →
“Welcome back,” a straight-faced immigration officer often says when he returns my just-stamped passport.
Those two unexpected words always touch my heart, and I reply with a heartfelt, ‘Thank you’and legally enter the United States of America.
Are the agents required to say that to all returning citizens, or am I just lucky to be greeted with those words?
Quito International Airport (Arrivals) – Hey, I think I know those people! Hank and Marie Groff (pictured above) illustrate their mastery of positive airport experiences.
After placing my passport back in its proper place and double checking the boarding pass gate details for my connecting flight, I proceed to baggage claim – if needed – and then follow the maze of signs.
While preoccupied with flight arrivals and departures, one rarely has time to notice the other travelers and workers in the airport setting. Many times when I step on that ‘this will get you there a bit faster’ moving-floor option, I always look at my fellow travelers. Few people are smiling. When eye contact is made, I quickly smile or grin before they have a chance to look away, as if one might be arrested if caught interacting with a stranger!
There are other reasons to stay serious while navigating airports; those little bullet trams demand intense focus – to confirm you’re getting on the right one as a computerized voice reminds you to stand away from the door. Most of the people seem catatonic, as if any personal interaction might cause them to fall from the tram or miss their flight.
Long long ago, a 4-H judge awarded me top prize in showmanship after my ‘runaway steer’ pulled me around the arena. The judge quietly said, “Honey, don’t you EVER lose that smile.”
Realizing that I am also caught up in the hamster cage, I release that clenched-jaw tension and smile. I smile to remind myself that the world will not stop if I miss my flight. I then try to pass that smile to others and remind them to savor the moment. To watch someone’s tightened expression suddenly transform into a light-hearted smile touches my heart. There are times when a tired irritable toddler refuses to stop crying. When possible, I look into his/her eyes and ask, ‘Hey! What’s wrong? I’ll bet you are tired. Or hungry.’ That almost always halts the crying, and the child adjusts to the unexpected encounter (distraction!) with the stranger.
Surely these children were obediently sitting with orders not to move! They did not want to smile either!
If English is not their primary language, I then start chattering in English, and the child looks at me as if I am the star attraction of the circus! I talk for about a minute, then tell the child, ‘Goodbye!’and go on my way. Almost always, the tears and heavy heart are forgotten, and the airwaves remain blissfully peaceful as the child and baffled parents wonder, ‘Who was that grinning woman?”
Some days my inner smile expands so much that I wonder if my heart might burst, and during those times of self-inspection, I worry that I might cry. Why is it so easy for me to find joy in the everyday experience of Life, and why is it so difficult for others? I do not know why, but I am grateful that through the random luck of the genes that make me ‘Z’ – I have evolved into a very happy person.
2011- Brookhaven Airport (Mississippi) Surely the man didn’t just say, “You can use it as the courtesy car”!!!
This next month I will be traveling back to the alluvial flatlands of my childhood – the Mississippi Delta and surrounding area.
Atypical of my usual WordPress writing style, I will be observing and recording my thoughts with pen and paper and will pause every so often to transcribe and share with you. A month is not a long time when the circle of my loved ones stretches from the Gulf Coast to Memphis, across the Mississippi River to Little Rock Arkansas and back down to Natchez. Continue reading →
Earlier in the year someone broke into the house and stole a few small items. Small, but they were items of comfort – like a pair of binoculars that I used on a daily basis. Because he had stolen a hand saw I had carelessly left in the yard, I suspected that the burglar was the fisherman who lives downriver…
Busted! I chose to pretend not to notice; I pondered the best way to approach him… “He needs it more than I,” I said to myself.
I also thought that I might find the saw later beneath some leaves or misplaced in the house or gardens. At the time there was no fence around the house, and I should have been more careful about leaving the saw outside where I had been working.
When I pondered his basic life and lack of proper shelter, I reacted (after adjusting to the loss) with compassion instead of anger. I realized how lucky I am to have been born into a loving family, to have been raised with a loose rein, with the freedom to grow up with a proper education balanced with an immersion in nature. How might I have evolved if I had no proper roof over my head or a formal education and the best shoes I owned were a mismatched set of rubber boots?
The canoe leaks but has character.
Instead of being angry, I decided to approach him through mischievous and creative ways. Continue reading →
The past few weeks have offered so many impromptu photo ops, and most of the photos are self explanatory!
(Jama-El Matal-Manabi Ecuador) August 2014
Are you ready for a feeling-alright-unique scene here at latitude zero? Climb aboard! (Sun shades optional.)
While photographing the frigates against the setting sun, I turned to see the rising moon sneaking into the scene…
Using an irrigation pipe for a rest for the camera, I waited for the frigates to circle overhead…
Walking toward home, I scanned the skies for returning birds. I found an ultra quiet one sneaking across the sky…
The next day my feathered friends (wood storks) escorted President Rafael Correa to Jama! (Post in progress.)
Speaking of sun shades! Those shoes were bright! Now back to the story…
In between numerous distractions, I have been painting mosaics on pottery. (Timeout post will be a little bit tardy!)
A few days later I wondered what the pelicans were doing at El Matal…
“Are you SURE you are ready for what we have planned for you?” asked Mr. Pelican…
“Buckle your seatbelt and VAMOS a El Matal!”
Ahem, well the past week has been in-cre-EE-ble, so I thought, “Maybe I should wear shades for this visit…”
In my haste to leave the house, I forgot to wear shades… Continue reading →
The shrimp ponds along Rio Jama are owned by a handful of families, and each one has a modest headquarters where pumps, feed and supplies are stored. Life is usually quiet on these cameroneras; the pumps run when fresh ocean water ebbs upriver each day, and they are quiet when the river is low.
Many times a modest living area is located on the second floor above the bodega. (My house is this type of design.) Having someone watching over the ponds day and night helps protect against theft (yes- thieves sneak in at night and steal shrimp!). The employee also turns the pumps on and keeps an ear tuned for signs of mechanical problems. When the river water levels get low, the pumps are turned off.
Storks clean up the leftovers after a harvest!
The health of the ponds is closely monitored from the time the tiny larvae are delivered to a small nursery pond until the day of harvest. Oxygen levels are important, and sunny conditions produce healthier ponds than cloudy ones. The ponds are deep enough that herons and egrets are not tempted by the shrimp that stay near the bottom. If the birds line the edges, it’s a sign that something’s wrong – perhaps the shrimp need more oxygen, and they’re coming to the surface. Continue reading →
(retweeet)@Petchary @PanosCaribbean (ZeebraDesigns said: Beneath full moon will be at front line, feet in sand, staring mother ocean’s eyes (mouth?) one wave at a time. – 11 Jul)
Emma Lewis
@Petchary @ZeebraDesigns @PanosCaribbean “That sounds poetic, but sad… Will be thinking of you.”
With little room between the high-tide mark and the buildings, Playa El Matal’s front street is choked with boats, fishermen, tourists and locals.
El Matal, Manabi, Jama, Ecuador
Mother Ocean was quite calm last night, and the night weaned into daytime without threatening and dangerous waves. I peered out at the waves about once an hour and was glad to see dawn arrive with a gentle awakening.
With palm trees flanking each side of my friends home, I remained all but incredulous when they told me that in 2010, they could step 54 paces from the end of their lot to the edge of the dry beach that angled to the ocean! I looked at their old photos, and I now sit with jaw agape at how much has been devoured by the ocean. Continue reading →
“What if it lines up like it did in the Trojan War … Athena versus Poseidon?”
“I don’t know. But I just know that I’ll be fighting next to you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?” ― Rick Riordan- The Lightning Thief
Late afternoon – Feb 02, 2014 – El Matal Ecuador – Homeowner photo
screen shot from video
Coco Beach Village/El Matal Ecuador
The good fight is the one that we fight in the name of our dreams. – Paulo Coelho (The Pilgrimage)
Imagine having a nightmare where a wall of water threatens to wash you, your friends, your home and your village away. You see it approaching on the horizon. You’re watching as if a voyeur and unable to awaken others who might be able to help. You’re screaming, yet no one hears, as if they are deaf or your voice is muted. There’s only a short amount of time, and a cluster of neighbors and several strangers leap into your nightmare and project a united front as the clock ticks backward.
Will this woman’s home survive the high tides?
The monster’s first attack arrived in January, and a diet of sand and driftwood kept it quiet for another month. Developing a taste for a more refined diet, it returned in February and nibbled at the foundations of homes while upending open-air boat shelters and pondering ways to devour the street on its next attack.
El Matal – Ecuador — What will remain after this weekend’s full-moon high tides?
Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time. – Paulo Coelho
Tapping into her sensitive powers of observation about her surroundings, Linda of The Task at Hand often trusts her own predictions instead of the local weather forecasts. When not penning poetic salt-of-the earth stories about her life, Linda’s specialty is varnishing boats. An unexpected change in weather can ruin her meticulous work. Enjoy her post about the subtle weather-forecasting hints here: SCHOOLED BY SUMMER .
High tides affect many areas – Bahia de Caraquez- ECUADOR – February 2014
This past week Linda inquired about my friends at nearby Playa el Matal, where Mother Ocean chomped away the shoreline during the January and February (2014) spring tides. Everyone at El Matal is preparing for the third battle against tides that will barrel ashore beneath this weekend’s full moon. We are hoping there will be no need for new posts titled like the one written in February:It’s Devastating
Coco Beach Village/El Matal Ecuador
Goodnight Moon – Pre-dawn at Playa San Miguel Costa Rica
Each evening when I gaze up at the waxing moon, a heavy sense of foreboding washes over my spirit. I think about the combination of high tides, storms at sea, the direction of winds, and how they affect the fierceness of the waves, especially when they reach the shore at high tide. Like those who live near the ocean, I am aware of the seriousness of the tides that will arrive this weekend.
This full moon brings an extra-high sea, and those who live at or near sea level will surely be participating in sea-watch vigils around the globe, including Panama’s Kuna Indians on the San Blas Islands. Continue reading →
Mirror Border (left) and WHO’S SLAYING THE DRAGONS (right) Images copyright – Lisa Brunetti
Join me in being baffled at a story about YOUTUBE and copyrights. How can Google strip away the intellectual property rights/ownership of instructional videos that were obviously and rightfully owned by Paul Taggart?
In the above copyright/piracy post Mary notes that Paul, “… has generously shared over 260 art tutorials via YouTube, where he earned YouTube Partner status…”
Yet go to his Youtube site, and this is what one finds:
With a HUGE smile, I introduce you (again) to my multi-talented friends Luis and Susan (Tribus Futuras) whose original track “Children of the Wind” is featured on Putumayo’s new CD, Music of the Andes! (Hijos del Viento)
Susan and Luis live in Mindo Ecuador, and I mentioned them in last-year’s post Did You Fall off the Milk Truck? I am so proud to share this incredible news, and I look forward to buying a copy and getting their autograph! Enjoy their track here: CHILDREN OF THE WIND!
Krista asks on the WordPress Photo Challenge, “This week, share a photo of something that says “twist” to you. It might be that perfect ice cream cone, a yummy bit of liquorice, or something unexpected that surprised, shocked, or startled you.”
My sister Kate once stated, “Lisa, you never cease to shock me.” She was totally surprised by a package that a “complete stranger” hand delivered to their pharmacy in Monticello Arkansas – straight from Costa Rica, where I lived at that time! It was fun to send her a care package that was hand delivered by a just-met person from her town!
Payback usually rolls around, and Life continues to sprinkle unexpected tokens into my life; some of them have been good, and a few recent ones have been a bit shocking.
One of Luchy’s well-designed posts and his lovely assistant!
Many of you remember the story about the post-painting competition and watched the infectious enthusiasm spread through the community. Those original ‘first’ posts, replaced by taller posts, now gather dust in the electric company’s old-light post purgatory. (After stewing and incubating, I have a plan!) Continue reading →
Don’s first glimpse of the Pacific Ocean – Playa San Miguel, Costa Rica
At times when Life presents a hurdle or three in my path, instead of allowing a wave of self-pity was over me, I remind myself to be grateful that I am not facing that challenge from the vantage point of a wheelchair. I am instantly upgraded to a more-positive attitude, and I spend the next few minutes counting my many many blessings. I remember too well the day that my nephew’s world spun out of control, and that story can be found HERE.
Another hero to many is Arash Bayatmakou, whose determination to walk again is shared through his blog Arash Recovery.This week he asked for help with a petition by stating:
“Too many paralyzed survivors of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) are abandoned by their insurance companies, not provided with their most basic needs (such as a wheelchair), and told to adapt to their physical limitations despite the possibility for improvement.
This has to change.”
His closing paragraph states, “To learn more about my story (just one of the 12,000 annual cases of SCI in the US), check out: www.arashrecovery.com“
He’s only 51 signatures short! Let’s play ball! Please sign the petition HERE and help bring this need into the spotlight.
My friends Hank and Marie trusted my recommendations and veered off the beaten path to view the lovely snow-capped Volcano Chimborazo. Beyond “Chimbo” was the quiet Andean city of Guaranda, our destination for the next few days.
Time slows while white-knuckle driving through dangerous cloud-shrouded mountain switchbacks. I had traveled that road ten years earlier, and at times I wondered if I had pointed us in the wrong direction! Continue reading →
Today one of Jama’s bright young shining stars soars out of Ecuadorian airspace and lands in a most unpredictable spot for the next nine or so months of her life! If you started guessing right now, my money says that you won’t guess her destination! Continue reading →
This past weekend I visited the fishing village of El Matal and found ample material for this week’s Photo Challenge of ‘STREET LIFE.’ On Saturday, the high tide washed across areas of the front street, where fishing boats trumped automobiles for use of the road!
First-aid options for the vanishing beach are tied up in red tape. Concerned locals watch as each wave brings the next spring tide a bit closer. How much longer will there be room for boats and autos? Continue reading →
Jama Ecuador (Manabi Province)
Only one street back from the center of town, Hostal Ciragan provides a quiet respite – unless there’s an all-night fiesta nearby!
Mid-morning on Saturday, I walked down the quiet street near Ciragan and pondered my good fortune to have my health, happiness, and many talents to keep me happy; I also felt lucky to have a large support system of people who care about me. I noted wild tobacco in bloom near the sidewalk, and then I noted always-smiling Ramon painting the sign to the hostal! Continue reading →
Could this March 12 sunset have been an omen for an unusual upcoming day?
March 13 began with an early-morning walk to town… I spotted the first Peruvian Meadowlark for the year, then stopped and admired a smooth-billed ani. The black and white stilts, herons, ibis and egrets are perennial bonuses!
Some days the walk is muddy; other days it’s dry and dusty. There are always interesting fora and fauna waiting to be discovered!
Grabbing a drink and banana bread on the run, I hopped in a collectivo pickup bound for El Matal….
After a brief check at El Matal, where Project Sandbag is underway, I returned to Jama for lunch and Timout for Art post then home to resume work on the painting…
But wait! The sound of a helicopter veered me off course, and to the airstrip I went! Continue reading →
Anyone who knows Jama will surely smile at this photo! (More below)
Jama Ecuador
Losing a friend sometimes reminds us to embrace those that are still with us. This past week’s blog feedback regarding my friend’s death touched my heart, and your observations abut Jama’s Lovely Women filled that same heart with joy. Thank you; I am blessed. I hope to acknowledge your comments by the end of the week.
Internet options at my house remain poor, so I am only online when in town – usually in short doses while having lunch or dinner at Restaurant Exclusivo. (Thanks again, Sivana!)
Silvana wears many hats! Our appreciation for her tripled when she acknowledged the cluster of extranjeros that participated in the Wear White for Peace March. (2013)
Silvana and her father have visited El Matal to show support and concern for the vanishing beach.
And she can paint!
Silvana, btw, is preparing for another internship/cultural immersion in the USA; she leaves on April 1st and will be there about six months. She will surely share those details with everyone soon.
Silvana and her family took a rare afternoon off from their Restaurant Exclusivo. These gals juggle university studies with restaurant responsibilities!
Tapping into photos from the past year, I present some of the hard-working women from the Jama (Ecuador) area.
Nelly took a rare break from her restaurant for Mother’s Day 2013.
Most of these women touch my life on a weekly basis, if only through a smile as we pass on the street.
I always pause to speak to the ladies who keep our streets free of litter!
Sometimes they are quite weary at the end of the day. But they can usually reach down and find an honest smile.
Sorting through these images made me wistful for those syrupy long-ago days in the Mississippi Delta. We did not need trendy gadgets or sleek modes of transportation. We delighted in tending the vegetable garden and shelling peas and beans in the cool shade of the mid-day sun. Life in Manabi Province in Ecuador reminds me of those days. Continue reading →
Quick! How does one mark the sun on the March Equinox? Long Live Paint Brushes!
Thank all of you for your kind comments on the last post, ´WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE?¨ You´ve helped me wrestle my ego and lock it down where it won´t nudge me into trouble! Tim- Forester Artistmade me chuckle when he commented, ¨They waited until you left. I think they’re afraid of you! ;)¨
Mary, of Oil Pastels by Mary, triggered a big smile when she wrote, ¨Long live paint brushes!
Marina lightened the mood by stating, ¨…please don’t “retire your urban paintbrush”!¨
I´ve always said that if one removes the ego from a conflict, the conflict usually vanishes. It´s been hard to reconcile this one, as if someone doesn´t speak up for the voice of the artists, then…. what? When does one watch from afar, and when does one become proactive?
Your feedback really helped keep this from beocming a burrrrrrr beneath my blanket, and I know first hand how loco that will make most horses!
These archive photos illustrate Mary´s point, and with a smile I present, ¨Long Live Paint Brushes! Continue reading →
Many of you will remember the extremely-popular (It Started With One Light Pole) post from 2012 that circulated round the world – more than once! Several periodicals pointed readers to this community project that was triggered by one lone light pole.
Just last week someone else featured this community event – (And did not ask to use my photos!) – I refrained from scolding them about using my photos, since this was about the locals in Jama and not about me. The more the world read about those artists and about the positive things happening in Jama, the better. Right?
“It Started With One Light Pole” – (Remember this view!)
One year later…
I’ve enjoyed watching Luchy transform his petite little building into a work of art, and we sometimes smile and say, ‘It started with one light pole.” That lone post triggered two years’ worth of urban art. I witnessed shy insecure young artists bud into confident ones.
But something is amiss this week, and I’m struggling with warring emotions. Continue reading →
Although there are thousands of egrets, cormorants, frigates and pelicans in my neighborhood, today one lone cocoi heron stood guard in front of the riverhouse. Thanks, neighbor!
(Webster’s II – Office Edition 1984) Incongruent – adj. 1. Not congruent. 2. Incongruous Incongruous – adj – 1. Not corresponding: disagreeing 2. Made up of diverse or discordant elements. 3. Unsuited to the surroundings or settings. Congruent – adj. 1. Corresponding: congruous. Congruous – adj – 1. /Corresponding in nature or kind.
Jama & El Matal Ecuador – February 2014
If this last bend of Rio Jama were populated with thousands of Cocoi Herons and few egrets, a different species might be featured above! There’s something special about close encounters with elusive species. On the first day of this year, the distinct call of the lone osprey whispered, ‘I’m back; did you miss me?” (Yes, I did!)
Roosting egrets streak home in low light!
Equally elusive is the lone Cocoi Heron, a pearl of a recluse that dodges society. At times this feathered beauty stands guard in the mud flats upriver, or it edges closer to the ibis and egrets that forage beneath the blue-green mangroves. Quite shy and untrusting, it soars away at the slightest hint of human presence. Today, however, this closest neighbor of mine stood guard slightly downriver from the house while rough-winged swallows flitted nearby!
Cocoi Heron Stands Guard
Gazing out the other windows, I’ve observed a different scene for over a month. I’ve briefly mentioned this new activity, though I’ve tried to dismiss it; this daily intrusion sometimes lasts into the night. Continue reading →
