October 2023

Howdy, been 3 months since the last post. I am still kicking.

So, what’s been happening?

Just got back from an overnight trip camping in the mountains with friends. I really didn’t want to go after my last little adventure (not being able to keep up so the whole group turned around when I did, ruined the plans for them) but I went. Kept most of the way and only fell behind towards close to the first stop. A beautiful waterfall, after that they kept going and saw 4 more while I headed back to camp. Very beautiful country. I am still worried about my knees, but they actually did better than the first trip. So, I’m making progress.

The local neighborhood had their annual parade and celebration. It was the first since 2018 so a big deal. My friends all participated in costumes and dancing. I decided to just watch so I could see the whole thing for the first time. Well, plans changed, then got confused, then messed up, so I didn’t really know what I was doing and missed most of the parade. Ended up a frustrating day for myself, but everyone else’s was a party! My friends asked for pictures and at least I did accomplish that. Very cool.

Speaking of pictures, I dropped my camera and broke the screen on the trip in the mountains. I can kind of laugh tonight because it seems kind of appropriate. I did not take one picture on the little adventure. Not with the camera or my phone. I have kind of been rethinking the whole take pictures thing. I enjoy taking pictures and treasuring the memories they give, but with everyone carrying a phone with a camera there are so many memories kept digitally every day that maybe we are losing something. Or of course it could just be me. It is fair to share pictures of others on social media, should I ask for permission to do so? It’s one thing to keep the picture for memories but another to post it forever in the cloud. Some people don’t care but some people do.

I have gone so far as deleting most all on my phone and all of my posts on Instagram . Most were just me but some involved others, so I just got rid of them. I do admit that some were pretty cool, at least in my head, and I did enjoy checking them out. Now, I am thinking about my computer. I have many years of life’s experiences, do I need them? I bought a hard drive to make more space in my computer by storing pictures. Again, do I really need them, and some of them are great adventures but? I limit my posts on Facebook to only a few days unless they have some meaning to me. My post usually are funny (to me), stupid or something I find beautiful, knowledgeable. But no one cares if they are there for years, so I just keep what has meaning to me inside. That even changes

When pictures were something, you could hold in your hands I ended up with a lot of pictures. Photo albums, boxes of loose pictures, just a huge collection. When it came down to it, I only cared about a very few. Now when I look at my photo albums, I smile but I take the pictures and try to give them to whomever they involve. Share the smile. All of the photo albums are going to be taken apart or given away. Then burn what’s left.

What I do find a little humor in is when people just say put it in the cloud. People do not understand the price of putting it in the cloud. It’s not just the privacy issue but they don’t understand that the cloud uses more electricity than some countries and is just starting.

Enough of that crap let’s get back to what matters.

I am a great uncle again. JJ Parrish is happy and healthy! Congrats to Amanda and JD. All of the family and especially the children are doing great and that warms me immensely. That includes the USA, Ecuador and all points.

Going back to Spanish class soon.

The new president of Ecuador is a young lawyer. We will have to wait and see what he does in the near future. I hope he is not just an elitist, but he sure sounds like a politician.

I have even done a little writing, not good but what the hell.

Still looking at properties around here. I have my mind on a couple. Plan on going to the coast to check one out in a few days.

So, picture time and I was going to share a picture of the waterfall today taken by a friend. I changed my mind and deleted it. So, close your eyes and imagine cold water cascading down in a semi-tropical setting at around 7300ft. in elevation. Everything is lush, green and it’s a beautiful sunny day. Now take a deep breath and smile.