Off to the Cloud Forest!

Headed to the heart of Ecuador's Cloud Forest tomorrow for Labor Day weekend.  Here's a website and video of the eco lodge where we will be living:  Mashpi Lodge video.

Looking for 4 days of relaxation with nature; and an opportunity to experience the biodiversity of the Mashpi Lodge Reserve . . . the flora, fauna, and natural features like waterfalls and clean air.

Pictures and stories to follow! Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone!

Tropical BeeGees: Saturday Night Fever

Our lives here in South America continue to be interesting and eclectic beyond comprehension.  Saw an ad in the paper last week for a live concert by a BeeGees tribute band from Argentina . . . thought we would enjoy some Saturday Night Fever at the local arts center.  Tickets bought, friends invited, dinner, and settle in for a night of retro music.  We had a blast, singing along with the mostly falsetto voiced BeeGees knockoffs, who were way better than we feared they would be.  They spoke Spanish to the crowd in between sets, but their British accented singing and music was "spot on".  By the end, we were dancing in front of our first row seats to (what else) "You Should Be Dancin""..  Who knew that old disco music by Argentinian copycats could be so fun!? 

Don't Throw it All Away

Too Much Heaven

Night Fever

Jive Talkin'

How Deep is Your Love

If I Can't Have You

Love So Right

Shelly: More Than a Woman to Me

Blogging is for the Birds

We are headed for the cloud forest outside of Quito for Labor Day weekend, to a resort that has hundreds of species of birds. To warm up for the photography there, I thought I would take a look at some of the bird pictures we've taken over the last couple years---to get some ideas of what makes a quality shot.  Here is a collection from Australia, Mauritius, New Zealand, Seychelles, Nicaragua, Peru, and Ecuador.  Seems that Mother Nature has done all the beautiful work here, the photographer just has to push the button!

Starfishing and Turtle Trailing in the Pacific

Our first scuba diving in the Pacific Ocean!  Several miles off the coast of Ecuador, and we had hopes of seeing giant manta rays.  Alas, it was not to be, but we were very fortunate to swim with some beautiful hawksbill turtles, octopus, lobster, and thousands of beautiful fish against a backdrop of starfish and fan corals.  During all of the second dive, we heard the far-away sounds of whales frolicking in the sea, then when we surfaced, we watched them breach, slash, and smack the ocean's surface with their tails.

Click to check out this cool turtle video we took!

A great day!

Fabulous colors of blue and gold

Hawksbill turtle taking a nap

Swam through thousands of these guys

Fan coral fantastic

A blue starfish

So many starfish varieties

Graceful, effortless glide of these hawksbill turtles

A camouflaged stingray lying in wait

Delicate starfish

Happy Shelly

Our First 100 Days: Learning a New Game

We have been here just over 100 days, and one of the highlights so far has been learning the new game of golf and our membership at the La Costa Country Club with its lovely 18 hole golf course and pool facilities.  We have an excellent golf pro teaching us this game, and we are getting to where we can actually hit the ball!

Papa's got a brand new bag!!!!  Notice the palm wedge clubs.  

Shelly putting

Shelly driving ---- Fore!!!