Ready to go

Hi there fffffffFolks
Wellllll, after talking with many, and I mean many, local people, we have got our evacuation packs ready, complete with hard hats and masks. One of the jobs of the kids, was to create the packs as part of their learning and to feel that they have a certain amount of control of what happens. The kids enjoyed figuring out what was needed and talking with others of what also was necessary. We have a taxi ready in Puyo to come and pick us up when we start walking (or running out of here). We have a place to stay where we can have the dogs. So now we only have to wait for the volcano. There is no knowing with her. There is no predicting here, except that the locals say that every Carnival she blows, who is to say?????? I guess she doesn't like to be out done by green, gold and purple.
Anyway, I am still raw. Although I did eat some cooked food the other day, I am still kind of stomach sore from eating it. I do feel the pull of the addiction to cooked food. Overall though my health is great and I have never felt so clean, inside and out. We are eating more simple foods and still enjoying that. I love the fruit here. There is always fresh foods to eat, and in the jungle there is even more. Although some of the jungle foods, I am not too fussy for. Trying new foods is part of the whole experience.
I went the other day with Dane, to Puyo, the jungle town. Dane is taking an aeronautics plane building course. The teacher is originally from Poland. He also corrected me in that the planes that are made are part of a sport and are not toys!!!!! Puyo the capital city of that province, of course is developing and adding on housing for the people that is really tough on the jungle. I, however, went with the purpose to find and make pictures. We went to a plant refuge so that I could find the references that I need for my paintings. This guy has created a jungle paradise, with completely honorable intentions, saving his environement is his passion. He has saved many plants that are specific to the area, that grow no where else, including a plant that is from a family thousands of years old. A biologist gave it to him to save. I didn't even get into the park with all the information that I need to learn before going in. There are some migratory birds and some grazing mammals that come and go as they please. I even saw pictures of Tamandau, an anteater. I will try and get those photos if I am lucky. The bugs that live that are indescribable. He literally has thousands of photos, each more amazing than the last. You could spend a lifetime just getting photos from there. Sooooo I guess that I have to go next week to get more photo's. There is still another garden that has more orchids and other plants as well. The plants from the jungle are every possible design and color. I saw one plant that was green and yellow veining from the top but when you looked at it from the bottom and looked at it through light it was yellow with red veining. I know eventually, I will have to go to the jungle on a photo expedition and make more. There is really so much to see, and not enough time. There are sooooo many ecosystems and microsystems that it is heard to keep up, but you need help finding all those areas. Here it is not what you know it is who you know.
I will be buying souveniers there, as they are all made from locals and the local ecology. They had dyes there that were bright pink and greens and such that you would never beleive they were natural pigments. The materials that they make their articles from are from jungle plant fibers, amazing. I loved it. So when I come back to Canada, you can guess what I will be bringing. Place your orders now, and I will buy for you from this refuge to help raise money for this very important project. They had these wonderful purse/wallets that were made from semillas (seeds) that looked like glass beads, that took my breath way. Way cool.
Now on to something non-political sort of..... I have completed 4 new paintings, with the help of Rob, doing school with Dane. I am finding that they are not sooooo much as humorous as I did with other paintings in Canada but as with the abstract of the settings to add interest, patterns, color and excitement. I found that I am using the setting/background as a frame for emphasising the energy of the animals and the impression of the ecosystem where the animals hail from. This creates a wonderful tension that was never in my paintings before. I think that I will try to have one painting as a portrait of the animals and maybe the second as the energy and ambiente (environment), and color, who knows. The choices of art are endless. I guess that what happens over time, you continue to grow as an artist. I am really stretching with my art and it is difficult but fulfilling. So far, there are 23 new paintings that have been done and hopefully that I will be showing in Canada. I hope to have alot more ready when I come back as I am still trying to get that book created as a goal for all this work. I see this need in Ecuador to have the animals that live here recognized and protected. I know that this is a big wish, but it is mine.
I just painted these 2 ocelot whose perspective is painted from above. A friend of mine, Rob Glenesk of Vernon B.C. Canada, gave me the courage to try and accomplish this kind of painting. He inspires me not but telling me but living life as an example. (You can Google him, he has his fabulous paintings on his site, inspirational!) I painted the ground and the surrounding jungle with shadows with the 2 ocelot in a yinyang position and it turned out awesome. I was fortunate to have had Dane with me to get those amazing photos so that this painting was
possible, from the zoo here in Banos. The ocelot's cage was kind of strange in that you could only observe them from above and not from the side, therefore, the pictures that I got of them were from the top. It is a great view as the pelts of the animals are amazing. I never thought that that perspective was one that I could do and do well. I am so pleased. Thank you Rob Glenesk, for your inspiration and friendship.
Speaking of Rob Glenesk, he once bought a painting from me. Actually, he bought my original signature painting of the zebra's singing called, "Beltin Out the Blues". He said the best complement that I have ever received. He said,"Not a brush stroke was wasted". I have always found that it is such a huge completement when another artist buy's your work but also that such a rich completement to say. It is one that I will never forget.
My Rob just finished my studio (the construction artist and visionary that he is) and I have to say that it is inspirational to be in that space. This studio is spacious, has the most fabulous light and looks all over Banos. I am surrounded by green, the sky and waterfalls. I can see the purple lighted spires of the cathedral at night and of course directly above (in the not too distant background) the fire of the volcano...... at night over the baracading mountain.
I love living here in Banos and in fact Ecuador. The temperature is wonderful (always spring) and the fresh air that blows from the jungle through Banos is refreshing. I still have not worn anything other than shorts for 2 years now. (Of course shirts and sweaters) I am still counting on not having to wear shorts when I go back to Canada,......... yeah right. You can always buy fresh avaocados and mandarines, or any fresh veg or fruit you like. South America and Ecuador is bountiful. Now, I just have to find the time to paint it all and still experience everything it has to offer. What a balancing job. We still have only seen Ecuador, there is still sooooooo much more and many more countries.
Things that you can't easily get here....... hmmmm, jelly beans and red licorice, oh yeah good artist quality acrylic paint. Paint is on the top of my shopping list when I go back, I will also look at, and research some technology that I might like. The cost of Technology here is still quite high.
Talk with you all soon. Live a bountiful life and be thankful.
Robin (rawbin, haha)

Visiting Tungurahua at night

Hi all
Rob, Dane and I went with the "Aunties" last night in a cab to see the volcano. During the day you can only really see the smoke plumes. Last night however, we went to another location on the other side of the crater. At first there was nothing but clouds and just as we were getting tired of seeing the cloudy sky and saying quits, then the sky opened up and there she blew. Okay, I am not normally a fearful person but this had me wondering. We all know that she has been grumbling for a bit now and after a while you just don't notice it any more. But there, at night, there is no thinking any other way than this is a serious volcano snd that it is very active.
There were yellow and orange and red fireworks coming from the top and the bright pudding was spilling over the top and down the sides 1/3 + down the mountain. Wow, I had only ever seen that in movies and documentaries. I thought it was rather fast moving but my friend assured me that normally lava is really slow moving. You do have to know that everyone around was saying it was a calm night and not a very active night at all. She was grumbling a bit and only once or twice did she really give it up. I am in awe as to the power of the earth. Anyone not ever seeing a vocano in action doesn't even really get how the earth is alive and breathing and moving. The action and power of a volcano is amazing. I am again humbled in Ecuador and the vocano Tungurahua, (pronounced "toon ger a goo waaa"). I really feel that we are on the safer side of the volcano. I was told that if we see the red lava on the Banos side of the vocano, that would be a realllllllll eruption. So I am happy we can't see all that action from our house only the occassional red firework spitting. I am told though that they think in the next 4-6 weeks that it is to be expected that she will really show her stuff. We will see, in the mean time I will continue respecting her, and thanking her for taking care of Banos.
Talk with you all soon
Robin, still raw and lightening up!!!! Fitting in the skinny clothes. Next goal to fit in new and pre home school weight.

going, going, gone raw

Hi there
Well, just keeping y'all updated on the events in Banos. It seems that the volcan is just a tad quieter, but the community gave a practice alarm today. A siren screamed through the air this morning and fortunately the boyfriend de Rachelle, immediately text her "no disculpes, y no preocupados" basicly no worries, it was just a test. Okey dokey the heart rate went back down and things chilled out and everyone went back to work. Practice is a good thing..... right.
I finished my 19th painting here in Ecuador only another 19 or so to go. I still think that I would like to put together an illustrated book about the animals of Ecuador. I would like to have this available for not only tourists who come to visit this country but also to the locals to inform them of the wonderful ecology that they can be proud of. This could be very helpful in saving the animals here. I always thought that in a country such as this that there would be more wild animals. I was sadly mistaken. In Canada, we treasure our animals, for they can be seen everywhere. Here, you would have to hike wayyyyyyyy into the jungle to find them and you would probably only find an abundance of snakes and bugs. The poor people here do what they have to to survive and that is eat what you hunt. Therefore not many wild animals. I get very emotional about this and my love is for the animals. I hope that I can get my point across
but is really uphill.
What I have done is combined 2 art forms. I first use my typical painting of the animal true to life, then because abstract is very much loved here, I put the animal on an abstract background that tries to show the environment that this animal lives in by using form and color. The effect is quite eyepopping. Everyone knows what the jungle looks like but what does it feel like and what energy does the animal influence it. I was just starting to do this more and more when I left Canada, but here I an compelled to do it. For example, last month Dane and I went to the zoo and got the most amazing pictures of a pair of ocelot. The one was enraptured with my lense cap and got within inches of the camera. You can imagine my photos. I decided I just had to do one of those photos to canvas. There in the center is a marvelous ocelot on the abstract background of leaves using good old fashioned splatter painting with heavily outlined designed leaves with rich colors of many kinds of green and bright energy spatters of color creating movement and excitement. The effect is great, better than I would have ever expected. So now I can go onto the next, I have 2 photos of mother and baby photo's: one with spider monkey's and the other with capucian monkeys. There is alot of work to do with them. I usually don't like to do alot of background on those type of paintings as the message is clear and doesn't need emphasis. So in some ways those are kind of boring to paint except the subjects are just soooooo tender and sweet there is desire to paint just on raw feeling.
Ahhhhh yes, the raw feeling. Well, we are still eating raw and are finally of our cleanses. I have to say that I have never felt cleaner inside our out. My skin feels ...... wow. And so does the sharpness of my thinking, which became apparent in my painting today. I finished that painting in just under 12 hours. Sometimes paintings are just meant to be and I am just the vehicle for them to pass through. Sometimes the faster the painting comes out the more perfect it is for me. It is like being a receiver for a message, if you will. For me when this occures, that is when the sence of that painting belonging here happens.
Sorry back to the raw food thing, I digressed once again. I had these irregularities on my skin that I thought were permanent and definitely hereditary as my mother has the same thing. My mother has told me that "they" were not sure what they are but they are a purpley colored scaley and itchy patch of skin about the size of pencil erasers. I have had one on my wrist for over 3 years, guess what is no longer there except for a very small patch. The color is completely faded and there is no itchiness. There is still a bit of scaliness but hey it was there for 3 years and I tried all sorts of things to get rid of it. There are others also that are starting to disappear. Sooooooo I guess this means I have to keep rawing. As Rob and I have continued our research into raw fooding, we realize that those people who come off raw food gain all their weight back and also all their dysfunctions. Sooooo again, raw for life might be the best idea. It is a good thing that I love it, or it would be hell and I probably wouldn't keep it up. Still there are some foods that are best ,for health reasons to cook, like various beans. These little beggars can be not so nice raw. Yuck. I have also lost some weight too, so has Rob and Rachelle. Rachelle actually has lost about 10 lbs, without even trying, so there you go. Rachelle finally caught our bug that we all got in Mompiche but it is not lasting that long or as intense.
We are babysitting Ally the St. Bernard. Yup, and he is big, and gangly and uncoordinated and more to shovel up in the backyard that any one person would want. Although we love him and he is very sweet, we are looking forward to him going home. Isis our drama queen dog it quite beside herself with unhappiness about Ally being here. Where ever he is, SHE IS NOT! unless there are hugs going around or food, and then out come the vocals.
Anyway, all is well, hope all is well in your worlds.
Talk again soon
Rawbin

rumble update

Well, we went to Ambato to get the sun-dried tomatoes, and shockingly we found them. Business just ticked along and nothing really changed. As we were walking up to the bus terminal, I asked one of our vecinos (neighbors) about the volcano. He kept saying tranquilo, and that he was more upset about the rain that we were having than impending explosions. So, him living here his whole life, I took his advise and chilled. Later, when we returned from Ambato, the rumbling was to be herd again just slightly over the bands playing in the street, and general tourist noise. Apparently, she had been making low-grade noise all day, while we were out. We went for salad and juice and visited the flamboyant "Aunties" to see what they had to say. The one that lives in Puyo, is in denial and just is NOT going to even discuss this. The other lives here, and was here for both previous other explosions. She was calm and relaxed and she actually lives in what is called the "hot" zone. There is a mountain that frames directly over, bowls around and between the volcano and Banos, she lives in one of the trenches that naturally occures because of this mountain. Her house is an acoustic funnel directly to the volcano. She hears every burp and squeek that Tungurahua makes. She says that normally we have about 12 hours or so to get out, and that normally it would be a couple of days away from Banos and then we could return. Soooooo, we have to think on how to and where to go....... We have been invited to stay in Puyo, for a while if things went that way and she has a farm there, so I am hoping that we would stay there and then the dogs could be on the farm. In a perfect world, we would rent a truck, complete with driver, load up what we need, and the dogs and go. The only drawback is that the farm does not have power, so it would be rather like camping. I could take this time though and visit, Tena and see the zoo there. I would also pack my paint (way to valuable to leave here) and maybe a canvas or 2 to work on, while I am there. Who knows, its just another adventure. We had the same kind of thing living in the Okanagan several years back and were on high alert for forest fires, but forest fires can move very fast,......... I suppose volcanos can erupt very fast too though. Anyway, nature does what nature does. I just hope that if we leave the looters won't be horrible and leave a huge mess, with luck maybe there will not be looters.
Who knows. Rob and I find it rather pun-ish that here we are in the fasting and purging phase of our cleanse and so is the volcano. So there you go.
Well, all I can say is tranquilo.......... I will keep you all informed during this part of our adventure. It could be that she will relax and nothing will happen or she will give'r, only time will tell. This is one of those times where you just have to have faith knowing that everything will be just fine.
Have faith in your life......
Robin

try and be calm and relax through the moment

Hi All
Well here in Banos, we have Tungurahua (our volcano) a-rumbling. Since about 2 o'clock this ,she has been grumbling (it sounds like thunder in the distance.) and sending out red hot stuffs. Our house is a fair distance away from her, but we can see the top over the hill/mountain that is between her and us. Last night, was the first time, I actually wondered about Banos. I woke Rob to the rumbling. He came with me out to look at the "to do" that she was and is putting off. I thought originally that it would be like thunder and then it would be over but, no so. She has been grumbling for some time, at least 5 hours. Rob, of course being calm and cool him, after he looked at her and heard what she was up to, went back to bed. I stayed up for a while and watched "natures fireworks", and here, silly me, used to say that to the kids regarding thunder, to calm them down and appreciate what was going on outside. Here, nature's fireworks mean a whole different thing and a whole different consequence. Iguess they will not be having the tours and climbs up to the cone again for the tourists, unless of course they bring good barvarian weinies to roast, no sticks required. Today as planned, Rob, the kids, and I were going to Ambato to go shopping, we will see what "the man on the street is saying" about our lady, and let you know. There is still traffic outside, even the breadboy is on his bicycle beeping that he has bread, but it somehow has a quieter edge. Soooooo, I will practice my breathing exercises and have some lemon water and follow it up with a almond shake. We are "raw fooding it" and already feeling better. There is no goal here with raw food diet, it is a change of perception. Last time, we raw fooded it, I never had felt better healthwise and Robe even stopped snoring. The kids are rawing too. The change of food is causing us all to be a bit gassy. Which it why Tungurahua is probably protesting. I think that we all best stay away from open flames and this case lava.
There is unbeleivable number of recipes and information on You-tube and the internet regarding raw food. I am at odds again about buying books on this infor as the need for helping other raw fooders is so strong, why buy the book, just help others when they are ready to change to do it too. Raw fooders are such helpful people. We are planning on going to the Raw Food Fest in Villacabamba in May and see what gives.
In the last week, we have eaten alot of nuts or nut based food recipes. I think that happens for the first while as you replace the food you want or are accostomed to. For example, we made "Vietnamese Rolls' with peanut sauce and lettuce leaf wraps, or Mango-peanut sauce served over zuchinni fetticini, spanish rice, ravioli with marinara sauce or various cookie recipes. All of these raw and all of these has recipes were found on the net or you tube, and all of them yum.
We are going to Ambato, to find sundried tomatoes and such ........... if we can. So there you go the update of Banos and all that can go "Boom".
Be kind to one another and try some raw foods today, you might shock yourself, you might even like it.
Robin

raw it is

Hi All
Well, we have returned from Mompiche, of the coast of Ecuador. I had a great time and would have loved to stay longer but Rachelle wanted to come back and experience the Banos New Year. I went with them back because, of course I wanted to be with my family.
Rob and Dane, both got sick on the coast. Rob got sick, day 2 and also broke his toe. He decided to kick a stump out of the way and the stump said no.
We did however,celebrate Rachelle's birthday throughout the day and enjoyed the grand company of her wild and wonderful Ecuadorian (really Canadian and US) Aunties. They flamboyantly, crossed to our side of the beach and we all delighted ourselves in their presence. We topped the night off by finding the only place that had a possibility of a birthday desert. Please remember, Mompiche has no paved roads, an extension cord of electricity to the town that frequently is unplugged, has only fish-no chicken or meat available, no reliable internet, and only 2 restaurants that have real coffee not "Nescafe". Why do you go, you ask? Mompiche is still quite pristine and beautiful and has fabulous surf. The residence have taken control of who cuts what of the forest and they a huge on protecting their home. Unfortunately, right next door being built is a huge resort. I beleive it is the biggest ever on the entire west coast of SA. It is monstous, ocean side pools, endless condo's etc. I just hope that the locals can preserve what they wish to.
The Ecuadorian (US) auntie brought with her 9 kids/people with her to celebrate the holidays. This year, she brought with here, Yakti. He is 7 years old and had never seen the coast. He ,like most of the kids that either live with her or that she has in her life, is one of the hearty amazingly strong jungle people. Little Yakti at first could not tell where the ocean was, as all he saw was sky. Because he had never experienced such vastness before or understood it, it was only when he touched it that he saw it. The ocean was never in his conscience therefore it did not exist in his perception. Amazing hey? I was told that this also happened when the indians first saw or didn't see the ships of Christopher Columbus. It was only when they landed that they could see them. He also said the ocean was toooooo loud and could we shut off the sound.
In the mean time, Rachelle and I were able to trek into the forest and spend time taking photo's of real wild coastal monkey's. This is the first time that I have seen wild mamals on the coast, not of the sea. There were several troops/families of them and I had a great time taking photo's. We also saw 2 different toucan but I only got pictures of the one. We celebrated our find by eating mangos maduros from the tree.
The ride to Mompiche is arduous and well...... fricking awful. The bus ride is 8 hours from Banos to Atacames and then in Atacames you take a bus or taxi or truck 2 hours to Mompiche. The first day, since we took the overnight coche cama bus (sleeper bus), we slept---ish. We finally, one by one crashed to sleep. When I woke up in our cabin, Dane was no where to be seen. I, being the mother that I am, freaked and soon even some locals helped out to look for him. If he had a set of breasts, the men would have been able to tell me right away where he was, latin men......really. Finally, out of frustration and panic, I screamed for him after looking up and down the beach for well over an hour. And low and behold there was a answer. Dane was soooooo tired, that he wandered off into the neighbors cabin and passed out to sleep. So, end of crisis. I am told that Mompiche is such a close town that if he had really gone missing, the whole town would have been sent out to look for him. I think that might be a total of 200 people???? But a very nice and gentle group of people, especially when you hear that the coast is so dangerous. It is true though, that the president has decided to change the coast and has upped the military and police presence. I asked the locals about it and they were happy to have that extra presence. There was even a barge-like thing out in the bay whose sole job is for dealing with drugs and piracy. So there you go.
Of course, the bus ride back was equally awful. It was long and arduous, yuck. Again the police/military made their presence known and we were unloaded off the bus, frisked, had our bags checked and then the bus was checked. Dane being sick, after his stuff was checked, literally laid down on the ground at their feet. They asked me what was wrong, I am sure immediately thinking of drugs, almost jumped back when I said that he was sick. Thank you H1N1. Suddenly, we had all kinds of sympathy and humanity became present and the harsh military edge dulled. And back onto the bus we went, of course not before going to the bathroom again, as the bathrooms are not available on the bus. If you have any bathroom issues, those bus rides can be......well....... unpleasant and extremely long.
When we got back though, my body decided to get the flue bug from Rob and I got soooooooooooooooo sick. I only just got out of bed recently and I have to say, I could put up with the "squirtybum" and the projectile vomitting but the body pain was unrelenting and non responsive to pain releivers and was a true test of personal strength. I was thinking of using that gun Rob was offering to end my suffering. The pain was the worst. I am glad it is over though. I did miss the New Years Eve celebrations, which makes me very sad, but Rob and Dane went out for a short time and Rachelle went with her boyfriend, who by tradition, dressed in womens clothes and went happily begging for money. Some tradition, eh? That is the huge tradition here, young men are supposed to dress as women/widows to beg for money. They harrass the heck out of you, and of course the children too. They stop busses and all traffic. So, several days later, Rachelle's boyfriend was slightly angered because she showed no sympathy for his foot pain that he had aquired as he sashayed through the town in his matching pink mini-skirt and pumps. Go figure hey. My family is so patient and understanding when it comes to pain and suffering. Is it any wonder that people see me as "Sally" from "Third Rock from the Sun". Which by the way I totally get. I often feel as displaced and character similar to "Sally".
The New Year's tradition is to also burn the effigy representations of last years conflict. These are life sized and usually represent someone who was not that nice of a person, created conflict and up they go in flames. (flamable Catharsis) Needless to say there was choking smoke in the streets, a bunch of issues this year, I guess. I could see that from our roof and that is also what I was told. As far as I know, there were no effigies of me, so there you go. There were fireworks and such, and noise and music like crazy that lasted well into the morning. But for me it was sad as I was sick.
So now that I am better, though still have "squirtybum", we are all ready to face the new year. We are all converting once again to "raw foods" , my favorite way to eat. Rob made a fabulous mango/peanut sauce that you serve with zucchini fetticini. Wow and yum. I love eating raw foods, it is clean, fresh and energizing. We went raw several years ago and experienced wonderful health and great food. It is also a good thing to do after the "French Experiments", fiber fiber, nature's broom. We wanted to try it here as there is endless food options, except there are no dates and no psyllium powder or clay. That is a long story of why that is important. So unless you want to know gory details, calm your curiosity.
Fortunately, Rob brought back our dehydrator from Canada so we can make crackers and various other dishes that require that. I think on the menu for supper today: mock chicken soup, and vegie sandwiches with dehydrated flax bread yum. I know it doesn't sound nice but it is great really. For some reason, those people who "raw food" have no parasites or flues. I think that is always a good thing do to, clean out those pipes. We are also doing the "cleanse" again. That is also a good thing to do, especially after a colon cleansing flue. We are all looking forward to happy bowels and tummies. I remember when Rob and I used to date, now as we are older and don't like to spend a whole lot of money, a "date" for us means a whole different kind of thing. We have intellectual talks of diet, food, philosophy and what we "pass". I miss those wine and candle nights, but at least we have happy guts.
Anyway. School has started once again and now I have to go. Do you all realize that when both kids have graduated, I will have gone through high school 3 times. Yuck, but at least these last 2 times I didn't have to deal with puberty too. Talk with you all soon.
Later Robin