Souvenir Photo Studio, by Al Bourassa: Saturday March 9, 2019 Clipped

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Saturday March 9, 2019

Thursday began with the surprise news that long-time Cuenca resident (and fellow French Canadian) Michel Blanchard had been found dead in his apartment. Apparently he had been dead a couple of days already. He was well-known in Cuenca for running tours, real estate, a radio show, interior design and journalist. In his past life he was a successful male model. I was really expecting many more tributes to him on Facebook.

I went to work on photos and and am already working on 2019 photos, although you won't see any of those for sale unless I start posting more than 1 per day again. I just may have to do that to fill in my day anyway soon.

We also had a strong late-day thunderstorm with really heavy rain. We need the regular moisture for the trees, etc but it makes it rough on the dogs being restricted to the house and the patio.

I also started watching the PBS series on the Medici's on YouTube. I had forgotten a lot of the details.

Friday, I watched the last 3 hours of the Medici's. I should really watch this series every year. It is incredible the things done in the name of, or in fear of, religion.

I also finished reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I don't think I had ever read the book before.

In the evening we got a new houseguest, Nina's sister Estrella is staying with us for 3 days while her owners work out of town. Estrella has this amazing perfectly shaped heart on her back. She also doesn't stray too far away from me, making Nina a little jealous but they play tohether almost constantly. Negrita really seems to resent her for some reason, so we have to make sure they are separated if we ever go out. Their spats get pretty vocal and vicious and we really have to avoid all the dogs getting involved.

Today, we had 3 dogs picked up at 7:30am to get clipped. Princesa, NeNe and Buddy grow thick poodle fur so they need some relief. Cristina will not let Princesa or Buddy get clipped almost naked like I want. I can't imagine wandering around in this heat in a heavy fur coat. They dropped them off after lunch and it cost $20, yes, for the 3 of them...

While getting the garbage ready for Saturday pick-up and I broke our pooper-scooper. Drat. I was all ready to go out and buy another, then I thought, "Heck, I should be able to fix this!" I had a flashback of my father fixing a broken handle on my old camera bag by drilling a hole though 2 pieces and holding it with wire. I was so impressed with my Dad's ingenuity and have learned to cogitate on problems from that great example. Gosh I miss him, and he has been gone 35 years already.

The temp this morning in the house was showing as 25.6C at 6:15. I put the fans on, with the open doors at both ends and got it down to the usual 24.2C by 6:30. By 8am the temp was already climbing to 25.7C so I shut the fans off. At 1pm it was 30.6C, and at 5pm 32C. We mostly practice mind over matter and don't think about how warm we are. My little USB-opearted fan above the computer is a godsend.

We went out walking to get batteries for Cristina's 8 watches and got some working cash for a couple of weeks. I also had to pick up another pair of reading glasses because I broke another pair by taking them off. Plastics deteriorate quickly near the Equator and last a little longer here than in Ecuador, but not by much. We had a coffee and 2 pasteles for a snack downtown for $1.

I am also trying to find a glass bowl with a lid to microwave popcorn. Hard to find... I tried a rubber/plastic bowl but the kernels got so hot they melted into the plastic. I never ever though that that would happen. The hot air popcorn popper that I bought in Cuenca is a real disappointment. It does not seem to have a good enough fan to lift the light popped kernels out.

So I went out back again today, in boredom, trying to catch my elusive birds. Well, they all avoided me today, even the buzzards.... It sure is fun to watch the sisters play with each other.
Update - Late in the day we made a run to the cemetery where I spotted this eagle way up at the end of the palms. The 30X zoom on that little Lumix is amazing.
Then we took a little drive to BugaLaGrande, just to enjoy the fresh air, windows open all the way.. It is amazing how many idiots drive without lights and bicyclists in dark clothing on main roads. The cops are nowhere to be seen.

I hope you enjoy the pictures. That was the day’s excitement.

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