Went out to my favorite local park to see how it was. There is a huge development on the approach to the park that has popped up since the last time I visited.
It was not always this way at the entrance but as the government begins to go more and more bankrupt and the taxes we have always paid to maintain public parks go to increasing the bureaucracy they just make you pay even more at the gate. Now that we have that over with lets go in to the park and try to forget about the impending economic collapse.
Here is the pavilion that our family has frequented for the last two decades!
If you keep your eyes open there is plenty wildlife to see!
This is the place I have been for so many mud walks over the years!
Had a great mud walk today with some veteran walkers. There was an extra helping of wild life about the place and that was a real treat.
There was an abundance of one of my favorite creations. Fiddler crabs were out in force. Like armies of Shogun Warriors they were patrolling their vast mud flat holdings. We strode among them like giants in the land and they fled before us in terror. Just do not corner them or they will strike their fiercest pose.
A fiddler crab, sometimes known as a calling crab, may be any of approximately 100 species of semi-terrestrial marine crabs which make up the genus Uca.[1] As members of the family Ocypodidae, fiddler crabs are most closely related to the ghost crabs of the genus Ocypode. This entire group is composed of small crabs – the largest being slightly over two inches across. Fiddler crabs are found along sea beaches and brackish inter-tidal mud flats, lagoons and swamps.
I have to laugh every time at how drunk with power I feel as they scatter at the mere sight of me on the horizon. If they only knew I meant them no harm I could sit down in the sand and have them gather around in massive numbers.
Had a real great time today. I was given the opportunity to spend time with three girls I have always loved dearly. So I took them on a most miserable adventure, which we all completely enjoyed. Some times the Lord gives you something you desire sometimes He gives you the desire for something. The best of all is when the two are one and the same.
God rewards the anticipator the one who waits endlessly. God uses the passing of time to cause abandon in the heart of those who desire to be his dear children and as soon as you give up hope He lavishly rewards. Jehovah is about relationship. First He draws you close to Him and then He draw others close to you.
Thank you Father for the unexpected blessing.
The chicks did not arrive in the mail today. perhaps tomorrow.
I went mud walking this morning with a couple of little men. Upper Tampa Bay Park was in rare form. Very lush with all the rain we have been having of late!
There were quite a few delightful scenes for my Canon sd960 to record and record it did with my finger pushing the button time and again.
Cade spotted a Salt March Snake almost as soon as we hit the first mud flat.
We saw the same snake an hour later in the same place on our way back to the car.
Cade was a bit skittish on the way out but managed his fear and discomfort well enough to make it all the way.
Mikhail was hard to keep up with and became one with the mud.
Here are few images of the snake taken on the trip back.
A palmetto bug joined the boys for lunch and really liked Mikhail’s sandwich! Thanks for coming along fellows I really enjoyed it.
Anyone wants to go before school starts again email me or give me a ring. It can be arranged.
Chiguaza in the morning was dreamy and the mist over the Pastaza river made the sunrise glow with a pink hue.
We had devotion at breakfast as we took in the beauty of the morning all the wile aware that the most challenging leg of journey was only hours ahead.
We were soon on the bus rattling down a steep winding road to the location where we would meet the villagers and their horses for the trek into the jungle village.
The team assembled for this group photo graciously captured by Don Wolfram just before departing.
With the horses and locals all present we loaded up each horse with the duffle bags of medications.
And we're off on what turned out for me to be one of the most arduous hikes I have ever experienced. I have walked long distances before but I had 45 or more pounds on my back and it turns out that make a very big difference.
There were more than twenty very tricky mud holes and creek crossings and the extra concentration necessary to keep one from getting mired in the slough would add to our exhaustion.
Federico Borman and Don Wolfram got every one through with great efficiency.
The Docs were ever present to attend to any health issues that arose and after five hours of slogging we arrived at the narrow trail of logs leading to our home for the next five days among a family I truly grew to love.
Ecuador trip brief as recorded by Don Wolfram our missionary guide in Ecuador.
Day 3: Sunday 29th- We got an early start, distributed sandwiches and 2 liters of water and chulpi (corn nuts) to everyone and took the bus and backtracked back into Pastaza province about 5km to Chuwitayu, then turned off the main road down a dirt road headed towards Chapints. (see attached .pdf map file). We were able to drive down this road being newly constructed for about 12 km to where the loads of stone and sand dumped over the jungle clay and mud abruptly ended. Here we unloaded the bus and bid it farewell, agreeing that it would pick us up here on Friday at 2 pm.
We waited briefly from about 8:30 to 9:00 am for the reception/pack crew to show up. We greeted about 8 guys and 3 mules which would then help us get ourselves and the 500 pounds of meds into Ankuash. We then proceeded to hike south and east about 5 ½ to 6 hours into Ankuash. We passes through the communities of Pastas, Kajekai, Shakap, Chapints and Kumay , arriving in Ankuash a little before 3 pm.
New Places: Chiguaza in Morona Santiago province, then Chuwitayu, Pastos, Kajekai, Shakap, Chapints, Kumay – all communities in Pastaza province.
New People: Just to name a few of the Ankuashes: Octavio & wife Sonia Ankuash, Leonardo & wife Lidia Ankuash, Mauro & wife Piedad Ankuash, Rogelio Taish (the strong porter guy), Enrigue & wife Martina Ankuash (stocky brother), Alcides, Samuel, Germon and Sabina Ankuash, Juan, Maria Nunkuich (the 78 yr old grandmother), Ruben & Rosa, Miguel and Victoria.
New Things & Food: Ate “chulpi” (corn nuts) and sandwiches on the way in, then “mitos de lomo y palmito”, Mito (wrap style of cooking in leaves - leaf grilled beef with palm heart), platano verde, yucca (a tubor i.e. manioc/cassava), papa chino (a tubor also), camote (sweet potato), and drank avena (oatmeal) and chucula (banana drink) and/or chicha (life!)
