where we live

Some people say we live on the edge of the rain forest.. that edge has moved further out in the last few years. We live in a very modern cinder block house.We have good roads on each side of us going 2 hours in one direction brings you to Ambato a city with "real" shopping. And 2 hours the other way brings you to Macas.

This is what a car or van can look like after a trip to shop.

From a hill top near our home you scan see the city of Puyo (the county seat of the Pastaza province) 5 miles from Shell. Beyond that is the jungle and way far away is Peru.

the road to Macas ,goes through villages and the jungle,


A nice good bridge across the Pastaza river.
BUT going into the city of Macas another province captial there is no bridge.. it washed away (quite a while ago) so there is a temporary bridge if your not too heavey or the river. The friend we visited this trip said the day after we left there was a lot of rain and you couldn't use the river crossing so they waited 30 minutes for their turn across the temp bridge.The city of Macas

Back that direction is Shell , just follow the river.

I was given a large bag of mandarin lemons, they are very juicy and easy to squeeze. From about 40 lemons I got 61/2 cups of juice ~pure lemon Juice~




These are my Mother's Day roses ~the color of a beautiful sun set~



Steve painted the porch a nice green :)


Today I was given a bag of about 40 juice oranges ~they yielded another 6 cups of juice~

I love the things My Daughter-in-law makes!!
She's having a sale, check it out!! Just in time for Mother's Day!!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/brezomayo

embroidered-cotton-and-linen-bird-bag

I love that roses bloom all year long here!!!

We started out to Quito on Saturday April 3 going up the "back" way with a friend. We drove at 300ft - 13,100 ft above sea level. this is going through the Anzu valley out side of Tena.
When we were out side of Archidona we started to climb...

We were working our way up the Sumaco National forest, and saw our first land slide.

It was switch backs all the way up, not a clear day but still beautiful among the clouds.
This is the major road for trucks and buses!Goose bumps at 13,100 feet and very dry on this side of the continental divide.


Saturday night found us in the heart of old Quito very beautiful and rainy!
Our cab driver took the risk and went through this under passthe next night we were on the hillside looking at old Quito ....and the car wouldn't start!

Spent Monday in Quito, Steve had meetings and I was making arrangements for some missionaries arriving in June, Wanted to travel back to Shell with some other folks early Tuesday Am when we heard the roads were closed....lots of information of all kinds but what was true? so we all waited till Wednesday am to travel.There are 2 roads to Shell from Quito the road we came up on (which we heard a bridge was out on) and the regular way ( the Pan American highway) which was closed due to land slides . All this is very typical during the rainy season but usually one of the roads is open!


leaving Quito and had no problems till we were 10 miles from homeWe counted about 8 land slides...

the little streams were too full and trees and mud clogged the gutters so the rivers went over the roads, new and beautiful water falls were seen.
they just pushed what came down onto the road into the river.
this is usually a nice 2 lane road.


from here on down it was one big mess!







they look the same but around every corner there was another!

these guys are fun!
can you see all three?? They're about 5 inches long.
always look before dead heading!!

summer dreaming

thinking about summer...

thinking about July...