Tomebamba Rising

Cuenca has experienced unusually heavy rains the past couple of days causing the Tomebamba River to swell. There has been flooding in certain parts of the city and the riverbanks are eroding. Here are some pictures from yesterday afternoon and last night. 

U.S. visit and the Big "50"

While in the US we visited St. Simons Island, Daytona Beach, Kennedy Space Center, Atlanta, and celebrated my 50th birthday with my family in Cornelia, GA.  Enjoy the pictures. 

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GA

Jellyfish

Horseshoe Crabs

Grasshopper going for a swim. 

Shrimp Boat

Other creatures on the beach!

While there, we were able to visit with Star Wheeler. She was one of Mike's school teachers. They have remained friends for many years. 

DAYTONA BEACH, FL

View from our balcony. 

Ocean Deck. One of our favorite restaurants in Daytona. 

Our view as we ate lunch. Right on the beach. 

Joe's Crab Shack. Another favorite. 

Bubba Gumps

Sunrise on our last day in Daytona. 

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FL

CORNELIA, GA

Celebrating the big "50"

There's nothing better than Mama's home cooking!

Beef pot roast, turnip greens, zipper peas, rice and gravy, fried okra, macaroni and cheese, and cracklin' cornbread. 

ATLANTA, GA

Thanks to Phil and Ronnie for letting us stay with them while we were in town. We enjoyed eating with Mark and Greg at our favorite Mexican restaurant, El Potro, and enjoyed spending time with Ron, Scott, and Travis at Ron's condo and then dinner at Mary Mac's Tea Room. We also got to meet six month old Margeaux, daughter of our friends Joost and Melissa. And, we surprised our friend, and former tenant, Wynter, when we showed up at Fontaine's Oyster House. Thanks Wynter for the drinks and dessert!

Our next visit to the U.S. is scheduled for December. 

Jennifer Louise Ryals

Sweet, sweet Jennifer ... why do the good always die young?  That's a question we will never have an answer for, at least not in this life.  Mike's niece, and I claimed her as my niece too, died October 6th, at the age of 34, after battling cancer.  Two weeks ago we travelled to the US to say our goodbyes.  It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do.  What do you say to someone that knows they are dying?  Jennifer had been given until December to live, but was gone just ten days after we arrived in Georgia.  My thoughts are that she was able to see everyone that she loved and was ready to move on to the afterlife to escape the pain she was in.  I think that was the hardest part really, seeing her in pain and not being able to help.  Thank God we were able to spend time with her.  We took her to her favorite Mexican restaurant, drove her around St. Simons Island, talked about death, laughed, cried, talked about a trip we took with her and her Mom to San Francisco a few years back, and took her to a BBQ restaurant she wanted to try.  

We stopped by the house to see her on Friday, October 3rd, before our planned return trip to Atlanta. I asked her if she was in pain and she said "No, I'm not in pain ... the pain is gone."  We then shared a few cheese and crackers together and said goodbye. She said, "See you later."  Yes 'Niffer', that was my nickname for her, we will see you later.