A year ago on Mother’s Day, we were celebrating by having a wonderful breakfast surrounding the luxury of the La Mirage Garden Hotel and Spa in Cotacachi, Ecuador. They offer the best complete breakfast you can find anywhere. So that was my Mother’s Day choice of breakfast instead of lunch. La Mirage is just 300 short steps out of the back gate to this little piece of heaven that I call my happy place. Of course, I had a Mimosa for starters. Never in my wildest imagination did I know what was looming for the next Mother’s Day which landed on day 60 of our complete lockdown in our home in Cotacachi, Ecuador. Yes, the demon virus had us still in lockdown. However, as it turns out this was the sweetest and most memorable of all Mother’s Days. Billy Boy ordered home delivery from my favorite Chinese food. This was the first time we had any take-out at all during the past 60 days of home confinement. So he surprised me! He pulled out a bottle of sparkling wine and set the dining room table. We just settled on everyday plates and the soup in plastic restaurant containers. So we feasted on what the restaurant calls My Home Town Snack which is similar to a chicken egg drop soup but loaded with spaghetti noodles. Then we had the 5 flavored fried shrimp which derives the name because it boasts 5 different flavors sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. It lives up to its name and does have a burst of flavor in every bite. Of course, Bill’s favorite fried rice is sprinkled with peanuts which they prepare just for him. Of course, we had to also have potstickers!
Everything was perfect. I could get hooked on take-out being delivered right to your door. Below is a comparison between Mother’s Day 2019 and 2020. So it is not where you go but who you are loving with making moments indeed special. Thank you, My Honey Love!
First, let me say that we were in Texas when the earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador. Our home is in the Andes and we were not affected except for some swaying of the houses. No damage anywhere in Cotacachi, Otovalo, or Ibarra. The crystal that I have perched on the ledge of a shelf did not even move. Not sure how this is possible but no damage! So plan a trip to the Andes it is safe and offers help to the folks living on the coast. They need all the help they can obtain. Pray for them.
In April, we returned to Texas for our annual visit but this time for 3 weeks. Our new California granddaughter flew in with our son and sweet daughter-in-law so we could have a real family get-together. For the last 2 years, we have rented our home and have been so fortunate to have such great renters. But now we needed to decide to either keep our home or sell. We did not want the stress of renting again while we lived in another country.
Before we left for Texas we decided to keep our little treasure of a home situated right on a little lake. So we packed up on an inflatable bed and purchased some furniture to make the home comfy when we would come back to visit.
What we soon realized was this furniture is going to stage our home to sell. We still love the home and the little lake but the community had changed in the last 2 years. Many of the lakeside owners had either died or moved to retirement centers. Some of the new owners are not so congenial. One day on either side of our house a neighbor verbally attacked the HOA President. Yelling and using profanity set my nerves on edge. Now the HOA President has resigned from the abuse. What had happened to our little piece of paradise? One of our former 90-year-old neighbors made it her pride and joy to make sure the lake is surrounded by Bluebonnets each spring. Now folks are complaining about the flowers as well as the wildlife. I just do not understand this type of behavior. The look of the neighborhood had changed. A couple of folks have expanded their newly purchased homes from the previous owners. But now did not have room to keep their 2-4 cars in the garage. The cars now litter the driveways and streets. When we built our home one of the key factors in our selection was that all cars are housed in garages. Makes sense to me to keep your car in the garage. Our remaining friends have moved on with their lives and really not too interested in what we are doing. Friendships that are not nurtured soon die and are not what they had been. True friendships stand the test of time no matter the time and distance.
So, as much as we loved our home and the little lake we did not like the changes in the neighborhood which was a real slap in the face. Yes, it was time to sell while the DFW market was hot. So we arranged for photographs of our home by Shoot to Sell and then posted them on For Sale By Owner website. We had our first offer in 2 days followed by a total of 4 offers and the calls still keep coming. We agreed to sell to a nice man and his wife that plan to also rent the home and maybe live there later. They are making nice changes to the wallpaper and adding updated granite countertops. They are in the process of making the home theirs which is a good thing.
A champagne toast as we sit on the back deck overlooking the lake saying goodbye to our home with no regrets. A chapter of our life is closing but a new one is still waiting. We have wonderful memories of this wonderful chapter of our life.
The theme music I have chosen is “Somewhere” and I think it fits this issue of my blog perfectly because it is what I feel as my husband and I continue our adventure in beautiful Cotacachi, Educator. The lyrics are below the music so take a moment to enjoy.
There’s a place for us
Somewhere a place for us
Peace and quiet and open-air
Wait for us somewhere
There’s a time for us
Someday a time for us
Time together with time to spare
Time to learn
And a time to care
Someday
Somewhere
We’ll find a new way of living
We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving
Somewhere
There’s a place for us (a place for us)
Somewhere there is a place for us
Hold my hand and we’re halfway there
Hold my hand and I’ll take you there
Some day, someday, somewhere, somewhere
We’ll find a new way of living
We’ll find there’s a way of forgiving
Somewhere
There’s a place for us
A time and a place for us
Somewhere
Somewhere
Somewhere: songwriter: Vini Reily
Please take a moment to watch the video Ecuador: The Royal Tour featuring Peter Greenburg, Travel Detective, and the President.
Ecuador has an abundance of homeless dogs that sometimes are referred to as Ecuadorian Road Runners. These dogs roam the streets looking for food and the kindness from strangers. There are dogs that live on the roof of houses which are referred to as Roof Dogs and provide great protection for the homes. They can really scare you when you walk down the street.
The pic below is typical of what you see during the day on the streets of Cotacachi. This fellow is having a nice nap and is comfortable in his world. What is sad is many of these dogs were brought to Ecuador with their expat owners only to be left behind when the owners decided to return to their home country. How do you leave your best friend behind?
Like so many countries there is an overpopulation of dogs and cats due to the old traditional way of letting animals constantly breed. Slowly this attitude is changing but still has a long way to go. This is not unique to Ecuador as also witnessed in Costa Rica and Mexico. For several years Cotacachi has a fund raising group called Amici Cannis . Their goal is to have a spay and neuter clinic as well as build an animal shelter. It is all about baby steps. On the other hand many Ecuadorian’s love their pets just as much as we do so the culture is slowly changing.
Currently, the city marks the weaker dogs with paint and then they are poisoned. It is not uncommon for the Ecuadorians to allow their pets to run free in hopes that someone else will feed them. I have been told that before the city sets out poison a truck goes through the town broadcasting when the poison will be set out and warns people to not allow their pets to roam.
Below is a picture of our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel family. The most difficult part of moving to Ecuador was to make sure our beloved pets arrived safety. Many thanks to Sandra Baquero, Sanstar Shipping for making sure they arrived safely.
Last week Bill and I were walking down the dirt road through Maria’s farm and past La Mirage when this is what we saw. Six little puppies abandoned in a card board box. A neighbor had fed them but said she could not continue.
So after a few days and much debate we decided we would go back and see if they were still there. My sweet daughter had called me on mother’s day and she convinced me that I should try to save a life. So back we went and instead of one we took two. Go figure I guess I have lost my mind.
When we got them home I gave them a quick organic soap flea bath and a vinegar rinse. The water ran red with blood from all the bites. I knew I had to keep the puppies isolated from my dogs. So I set up a crate on the front porch and a small part of the yard for them when they needed to eat and potty. I established a four hour schedule to take them out for a little exercise. I have always crate trained my dogs so this was not new for me. They wolf down their food of puppy chow softened with homemade chicken broth.
Our vet is Dr. Lara in Ibarra which is about 45 minutes away but he is so worth the travel time. He has such a caring attitude for all the animals. I have never witnessed anything like this before even in the United States. He gently strokes the animals head and speaks softly. Like magic he wins them over and they are so relaxed. He does not speak English but his wife does and we usually can figure out what is needed. Unfortunately, his office was closed for a few days. So finely on day three I was able to take the puppies in for an exam. They were healthy enough to keep but covered in hundreds of fleas. Dr. Lara and his two assistance spent about 15 minutes saturating the puppies in flea killer which was massaged into their fur and skin. He assured me that when the puppies left the office they would not have any fleas. I have to not let them get wet or brush them and return in eight days. The flea treatment lasts for 90 days. Now, I am for organic treatment but this was an emergency situation. If the puppies were to live they had to get rid of all the fleas now. So there were really no other options to weigh at this critical stage. They were also treated for parasites. So, I had to continue with isolation procedures from my dogs. As a nurse I know how important this is as well as good hand washing. When we left Dr. Lara’s office all I could think of is these must be the ugliest puppies I have ever seen.
The heartfelt rewards: both are little girls about six weeks old and will be a medium size dog. The larger pup is named Texas and the smaller one is Dallas. Now that they are no longer troubled by the fleas they hop and play around the yard for brief periods of supervised time. They follow me like little ducklings. We have already decided that they will be strictly outside dogs and their job will be to bark and guard the house and yard. So two life’s are saved and these little girl’s will not be Ecuadorian Road Runner’s in their lifetime.
You might be wondering what happened to the other four puppies. Well, I did not want to even go down the road to see but Bill told me that they were gone. I would love to think that someone else came to the rescue of those little ones. But my heart aches to know that most likely that did not happen.
Each new blog I will post an update with pictures so you can share in their progress.
Of course, I had a Mimosa for starters. Never in my wildest imagination did I know what was looming for the next Mother’s Day which landed on day 60 of our complete lockdown in our home in Cotacachi, Ecuador. Yes, the demon virus had us still in lockdown. However, as it turns out this was the sweetest and most memorable of all Mother’s Days. Billy Boy ordered home delivery from my favorite Chinese food. This was the first time we had any take-out at all during the past 60 days of home confinement. So he surprised me! He pulled out a bottle of sparkling wine and set the dining room table. We just settled on everyday plates and the soup in plastic restaurant containers. So we feasted on what the restaurant calls My Home Town Snack which is similar to a chicken egg drop soup but loaded with spaghetti noodles. Then we had the 5 flavored fried shrimp which derives the name because it boasts 5 different flavors sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. It lives up to its name and does have a burst of flavor in every bite. Of course, Bill’s favorite fried rice is sprinkled with peanuts which they prepare just for him. Of course, we had to also have potstickers!
