Tough Times

It has been a rough few weeks for our household lately but I thought it would be cathartic to get to work on the Blog after a long absence. I am sure most of you know that Dylan, our beloved companion of eleven years, passed away just over a month ago. We have now lost both of the pets that we brought with us to Ecuador nearly two years ago. I am at a loss to express just how much this has affected me.

I have to admit I was not prepared, and I should have been. But these things creep up on us while we are making other plans. Just another lesson that life tries to teach us and which we too often ignore. To live in the moment as much as possible. The past is gone, the future is unknowable, the present is all that is real. If we pay attention today, tomorrow we will have memories to sustain us. Every day and in every way I am reminded of how much Dylan made life better for us, and for me in particular. I can only regret the number of days I forgot to take note, and now am poorer for it.

So for those of you who have pets, take a moment to reflect on how they live life. For them there is no future, just now. And no person more important than you. I promise myself to do better if there is a next time. But for now I am left thinking I have lost the best.

   Luckily for us we have been very busy and, thankfully, able to somewhat distract ourselves from our sad news. The annual Loja Arts Festival was up and running once again this year so we were able to lift our spirits a bit by going to numerous plays, concerts, and dance recitals over a twelve day span.

   

   There were acts from all over South America and thanks to the people of Loja being diligent with masking etc. there are very few Covid cases here, so all of the events were very well attended  and received.

A number of colorful new murals livened up building walls in the El Centro area and the streets were alive with street performers and children's entertainment. All in all a very successful festival. I am already looking forward to next year which will be even more enjoyable because my Spanish will be better. It will be, I promise!

  In addition to all that, I began to have some eye problems and spent sometime investigating what the problem was. That entailed a trip to Cuenca to visit a specialist. Once again I was impressed with the speed at which things got done and the quality of the health care at a  relatively minor cost. At any rate it turns out I have age-related macular degeneration and need to be more careful about a lot of things in the future. My mother was stricken with this back in the day when there was no treatment. Thankfully now, if I continue to eat better, maintain my every day walking routine, take some specialized vitamins, and protect my eyes from the sun at all times I should be able to avoid the worst aspects of this condition. The last means, I am about to be the Roy Orbison of Loja from now on. Sunglasses at all times. And no apologies for being cool!

   So, even amidst what has been a bad time, we continue to enjoy Loja, Ecuador and everything our gracious hosts do for us every day. Despite the real world crashing our party occasionally, we continue to learn our lessons and try to enjoy what life offers us. Hope you all are doing the same. Pay attention to today. Tomorrow will never be what you expect. And remember, there are no do-overs!