“Only One Earth” – World Environment Day

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Ecuador, only one earth, portoviejo, refugio la tomatera, world environment day

Portovieijo/Ecuador –   To balance against the urban challenges of noise and air pollution, I bolt as often as possible to the nearby Refugio de la Tomatera.   The images above were taken in the past week as the climate weans out of the rainy season.

The next images show a few of the visitors to the museum exhibit, which has been extended to the end of this year.

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The visitors continue to humble me with their feedback, and it is a joy to witness their reactions not only to the augmented reality, but also to my writings.  Giovanni’s photographs present a stronger message about our environment via the augmented reality, and the two exhibits compliment the other.

This past Tuesday the art class worked on drawings in the garden area of a local cafe.  Look how well they were studying nature:

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One always learns more about nature when working from life, especially if one is in wrap-around outdoors.   Global Big Day provided many opportunities to combine birding with society.  The early birds (humans as well as feathered ones) were at la Tomatera and provided some fun discussions before I returned to the city for the birding in Parque las Vegas.

The star bird in the refuge that morning was the Streaked Saltator which gobbled its breakfast of bright red flowers.  The stars at the park were the day-old Striated Herons.  If one makes the effort to show up, nature usually provides abundant rewards.

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Events and birding treks have provided special moments this week, as if each day has surprises waiting to be discovered.   This colorful sign greeted visitors to Parque las Vegas this past Friday, June 3:

These beautiful young activists are working quietly under the guidance of Rotary International.  Their collective attitudes convey happiness and joy, just to be able to share details about their projects – and to interact with the public.

We all agree that Earth Day or World Environment are not just dates on a calendar; every day is a day to cherish our environment and be kind to our planet.

Saturday found me back at Refugio de la Tomatera;  Giovanni and I planned to hand out birding checklists while spending the afternoon birding.  I had stopped to gawk at a raptor soaring with the vultures when a bright young lad careened into the scene:

This young man skidded to a stop and asked if I were the same person he’d met at the ‘Iguana Park’ last Sunday. (Yes! He watched while I was drawing trees.) He seemed proud to have recognized me, and with checklists in hand he and his friends resumed their full-throttle bike race back to town!

Hope.

Do something kind for the earth today if it’s just stepping out the door and appreciating what you might often overlook each day.

Giovanni and I will be giving birding walks at another youth event in the city.  The same group that I visited on Earth Day:

Teamwork!

I hope that you take time to appreciate your local environment, or support those who are working hard to make this a healthier planet.

Pencil studies in progress for ‘The Flora and Fauna of La Tomatera.’

Ah… Only one earth, and she gives great comfort to those who appreciate her.

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Thank you, Birdwatching Magazine!

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Birdwatching Magazine, brown wood rail, Ecuador, Poza Honda

The story about the Brown Wood Rail is now available on BirdwatchingDaily. Thank you, Birdwatching Magazine!

Ready, set…..

Leap!

I was drawing and looked up to see the wood rail approaching the water!

2019 – Two Brown Wood Rails allowing a rare private viewing of behavior.

Thanks also to those of you who shared tips on working around the new Block Editor. (The ‘Add Link’ does not seem like an improvement either!)

Some people have adapted and show us by example that adaptation works – but is there anyone who absolutely loves the new Block and prefers it over Classic?

See the story about the Brown Wood Rails here: BirdWatchingDaily.

https://www.birdwatchingdaily.com/locations-travel/featured-destinations/encounters-brown-wood-rail-ecuador/

Endangered Species Day – May 17

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Ecuador, Endangered species day, Grey-backed Hawk

Where is the VIP bird?

Poza Honda Ecuador – I will forever treasure the moment I saw this bird.   Minding its own business, it perched on a branch of Cecropria in a small switch-back area between the reservoir and a small waterfall.   My eyes were on the gravel road, the downhill route and the upcoming curve.  Beside me and in the back of the truck were paintings to be delivered to Museo Portoviejo.  I was an hour late, yet when I saw that raptor, I braked to a stop, fumbled for my camera and took several faraway photos.  The bird had presence.  A strong presence.  Perhaps I ‘felt’ the bird more than I first saw it?

I drove a little closer, took more photos and wondered what magnificent raptor was peering back at me.    Satisfied with the photos, I resumed my journey and forgot about the bird.

A day later in another area of the country, I remembered the hawk and searched for its identification.   Grey-backed Hawk.  Endangered Species.    Range:  Western Ecuador and Northern Peru.  Reading the stats brought tears to my eyes.  From the IUCN RED LIST:   250-999 Mature Individuals.

Ambling Along —

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azul plata cumbia, brown wood rail, costa rica, Ecuador, living with nature, Panama, Slow Internet

A frustrated Long-tailed Mockingbird – near Portoviejo, Ecuador

A very contented Toucan in Panama…

A deer in my friends’ yard in Costa Rica…

A very-rare Brown Wood Rail in the yard at the Poza Honda Ecuador house!

From Dictionary.com : Amble “verb (used without object), ambled, ambling.
1.    to go at a slow, easy pace; stroll; saunter:
He ambled around the town.

2.   (of a horse) to go at a slow pace with the legs moving in lateral pairs and usually having a four-beat rhythm.
noun
3.an ambling gait.
4.a slow, easy walk or gentle pace.
5.a stroll.

Ambling along a shady road with Marie in Costa Rica….

“We ought to take outdoor walks, to refresh and raise our spirits by deep breathing in the open air.” — Seneca

Don’t forget to look up when walking! – Costa Rica

Variegated Squirrel in the park near the Municipality Office – Nandayure Costa Rica

In the past three weeks I’ve been from Ecuador to Costa Rica and back via a stopover in Panama to visit my friend Barb.   These were quick-but-very rewarding  visits that combined ‘business’ with pleasure.  Comparing the three countries, I definitely give Costa Rica and Panama the top scores for quality of internet!

Panama wins on shopping opportunities as well as the dramatic skyline contest… 

Where Am I?

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Ecuador

With sudden alertness, Celeste snapped out of her dream, though she did not remember going to sleep. She opened her eyes and stared at the built-in bookcase near the bed.
“I don’t have a bookcase…” – from scribblings

I’ve never seen this view or this glass-topped table for two…

There’s a magical arch sculpted through a red-hibiscus hedge….

Latitude Zero and Holding

Tags

Ecuador, latitude zero, magic carpet, things to do on vacation in ecuador

Hola Ground Control, this is Zeebra on the Magic Carpet, presently in a Holding Pattern over Latitude Zero, though we are veering slightly north and slightly south.  Skies have been clear with no turbulence, and presently we have one passenger who seems to be content with her travels so far.

Marie balanced the egg with record speed!

Maintaining zero turbulence at Latitude Zero has required a bit of focus, so I will divert my attention back to my passenger and continue searching for unique destinations for her Cloud Forest experience.

We dropped in to experience the magic of Angel Paz and his feathered friends’ private performances.

Would you like to see a bit of what we’ve done so far?

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!

Twenty One Wishes?

Tags

cloudforest, Ecuador, mindo, Perseid Meteors, Riobamba

Full Moon Setting over Cinto Ridge (June 2016)

Rio Cinto – Mindo- Pichincha – Ecuador –

I awakend this morning a little past four and peered outside to find that the clouds had gone to sleep, and the stars were twinkling. A waxing moon nudged toward the zenith of the western ridge as a weak meteor taunted me as if to say, “Here’s a sample of what you’ve been missing!” After preparing a cafe-chocolate con leche and wrapping myself in a second layer of clothing, I stepped outside and peered skyward.

One hour and 21 meteors later, the night weaned into morning as two Tropical Kingbirds performed their tender wake-up duet. A Black-striped Sparrow joined them about ten minutes later with its song of precise and very-strong chords.

Black-striped Sparrow

During that sky-gazing hour, eight subtle flashes – most likely bashful meteors – appeared for brief mini-seconds; I refer to them as hiccups! Three of the stronger meteors all but sizzled across the sky and left lingering trails.

I regretted not preparing a spot to better view the skies, although the small section of unobstructed sky provided more-than-my rightful share of pre-dawn wishes! Every so often I did indeed remember, “Wish! Make a wish!” 

Spiraling through Good Times and Bad

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earthquakes, Ecuador, Spirals

Creative Spirals with Corn

“Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost between two spiral arms in the outskirts of a galaxy, tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people.”  Carl Sagan

Hi from Mindo, where I’m here for a short time then back to the property.    Some of you ‘saw’ where Ecaudor was rocked last night by two more back-to-back earthquakes;  yes, the Mindo area rattled, though last night only one radio station mentioned the quakes which were 13 minutes apart.    

Timeout for Art & Friendship

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Ecuador, mindo, property for sale ecuador, Rio Cinto Ecuador, Timeout for Art, timeout for ecuador

Guess who flew in LAST NIGHT to help Zeebra?

Seeing Cotopaxi blowing off steam was quite sobering. (Photo taken from airport.

Standing at the arrivals gate, I held a sign that said, “Hummingbird.”  – Many of you will know what this means! (The following photo was taken when she helped design the magic carpet;  we had just finished painting the hummingbird for her home.)

(I forget how much taller I am than she is until I see a photo like this!)

Yes, my dear friend Barbara flew in from Panama last night and will be helping with various tasks in Mindo.   I handed her a new pair of work gloves last night, and we’ll purchase the mandatory boots in Mindo!   It will be fun to see what creative projects we tackle while she is here; for those interested, here’s a link to my friends’ property: A Little Bird Told Me

Speaking of gates, the all-seeing eye that watches over Casa Loca did not do the best job while I was in Mindo. My friends on the farm were trying to make the ‘bridge’ easier to use, but the workers forgot to clean up when finished!