Timeout for Art: Color the World with Imagination

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el matal aguaji, end of year customs, Imaginiation, Mearsuring the sun's shadow, old furniture, Rycardo Alcivar, Solstice, spring tides, Timeout for Art- Color the World

King Kong Sighted in Jama Ecuador! December 2014 Bamboo and Palm Sculpture by Rycardo Alcivar.

Maybe we should develop a Crayola bomb as our next secret weapon. A happiness weapon. A beauty bomb. And every time a crisis developed, we would launch one. It would explode high in the air – explode softly – and send thousands, millions, of little parachutes into the air. Floating down to earth – boxes of Crayolas. And we wouldn’t go cheap, either – not little boxes of eight. Boxes of sixty-four, with the sharpener built right in. With silver and gold and copper, magenta and peach and lime, amber and umber and all the rest. And people would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination. ~Robert Fulghum

We all rejoice in watching children opening presents with wild abandon, and today while basking in whatever way you’re spending Christmas, glimpse your surroundings as if first seeing them as a child. I’ll be watching the ocean’s waves as they rip along the shoreline at dawn. Wouldn’t it be fun if all beaches and lakesides were littered with crayolas today instead of remnants of man’s discarded plastics?

All children (and young-at-heart adults) should be reminded to watch the shadows as they change throughout the year. High noon is an easy time to experiment with shadows; I enjoyed photographing these shadows with props that were close at hand!

High noon on the December Solstice – Ecuador

Aligning the compass (poster) with a guesstimate of the east/west direction, I was surprised to see the shadow point directly to the north. It’s time I stopped for a refresher course in basic directions!  James (and Terri) at Gallivance keep track of the earth’s pulse, and their recent post mentions not only sun dials and solstices, but also Poseidon.  Let the Celebrations Begin (More on Poseidon at the end of this post.)

The candle holder doubles as a little nosegay vase; it came from nearby Playamart and quickly transformed with a few coats of acrylic paint.

The abandoned chairs are a bit happier, but they are patiently awaiting more attention. Here’s the progress:

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Full-Moon Vigil

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coastal erosion, fighting mother ocean, high tides, kuna indians san blas islands, linda the task at hand, pacific ocean high tides, spring tides

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.

“Devastating” Update

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aguaji el matal ecuador, beach loss el matal ecuador, El Matal Ecuador, high tides el matal ecuador, king tides, spring tides

Will this ancient icon halt the ocean’s assault?

El Matal, Ecuador February 04 2014

The above photo shows the ocean’s view of one of the beachfront homes at El Matal, Ecuador. The previous post shows the opposite view from that same house as the ocean took bite after bite of the vanishing beachfront.

“It’s Devastating”

Still traveling with the Ecuador Expat Journey group, I am pleased to direct your attention to Patricia Farmer’s update: AFTERMATH.

Thanks, Patricia –  I’ll be home on Thursday night and hope to see all of you on Friday.
Z