Old Goodbyes bring New Hellos!

As we prepare for our return to the states, things are winding down. We have sold or given away everything that isn't coming back with us. We have packed up everything that is, except our carry-on bags. We are meeting up with friends as we can - exchanging memories, hugs and "see you laters".

Today was a memory day - over forty friends came to say goodbye at our luncheon held at Magnolia Caffe. Friends we have known since our arrival. Friends we met when they were on their exploratory trips. Friends we've met recently. Friends....we took over the restaurant, inside and out. Here are a few snaps taken before everyone arrived.

We are so blessed to have them all in our lives and we look forward to following them on Facebook and blogs as well as, hopefully, during return visits to Cuenca.

The days until we leave continue to be full...we fly back to the states on New Year's Eve Day and will celebrate the birth of 2016 with family in Florida. Then back to our RV at Bee's RV Resort, where we will spend a couple of days before moving the rig to Alliance Coach for repairs to the jacks while we go on our 14 day cruise.

We continue to shift priorities, leaving some of the Facebook groups centered around Ecuador and joining those that are RV and cruise related.

For those who have followed both our blogs, we have made our last post to Retired in Cuenca. In another year or so, we will merge it with this blog. Be sure to follow this blog via the links in the right hand column! We also hope you will pass our blog link on to those who might be interested. We have a busy year ahead!!!

   

Donna joins the Cuenca Klutz Club and Volcanic Ash Arrives

I have a lot to blog about, been taking some photos to share but got sidetracked with a face plant while shopping in my favorite little place, Casa de la Mujer. I took a step forward and missed a step down....that was all it took.

End result? Sore nose, big lump on my forehead that spread into a black eye, a left sprained ankle, a right swollen and bruised knee and general aches and pains in my shoulders. It could have been worse. Stu got me home, made ice slushies for my knee and ankle and used two bandanas for a compression wrap on my ankle.

Now into day three, I think, and doing much better but still keeping the legs elevated. The swelling is almost gone on the knee and ankle but still staying off my feet and keeping them elevated. Hoping by Friday I can get out for some fresh air.

The other news has been the volcanic dust in our area from Saturdays eruption of Tungurahua. We are 210 km (130 miles) away but the winds were just right to send the ash our way. Here is a map that shows Cuenca and the relationship to the volcanoes.

We kept our windows closed yesterday and stayed indoors. This is copied from one of the local newsletters we receive.

Cuenca Gets Volcanic Ashfall

  

For only the second time in memory, Cuenca has been dusted with volcanic ash. It came early Sunday morning from the eruption of the Tungurahua volcano, 210 kilometers to the north. The previous ashfall came during an erpution of the Sangay volcano almost 60 years ago. According to meteorologists, the ash from Tungurahua reached Cuenca due to a variation in the normal pattern of high-altitude winds.

  

The overnight ashfall was enough to force temporary closure of the Cuenca airport and bring out battalions of city street sweepers; the city opted for brooms, concerned that washing away the ash with water could clog city sewers. Cuenca got off easy: In towns and cities near the volcano, such as Ambato and Baños, ash deposits were up to four inches deep.

  

Saturday's explosions at Tungurahua sent an ash plume almost six miles into the atmosphere and aviation authorities said the cloud could shut down air travel for the entire country if it persists, and if winds shift to the west.

  

Although health officials said the Cuenca ashfall did not pose serious health threats, they advised people with respiratory problems to remain indoors and wear masks when they go outside.

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To stay up to date with our news, please follow our other blog: Retired in Cuena. Thanks!

What a whirlwind it's been!!

I know, BAD BLOGGER. But between things to do, people to see, legalities to take care of and fatigue...oh, and adjusting to the altitude! Phew!! Let's see if I can do a recap that will satisfy our readers.

We managed to get everything in order for our move - utilities off or suspended, the RV, Freightliner and both motorcycles winterized, Scooby (our pickup) loaded with five footlockers, 2 large rolling duffle bags, our two large Sierra suitcases and our smaller carry-on bags. The footlockers were in the bed and everything else was inside.Oh yeah, and a couple of smaller bags for overnighting on our way to Florida and for the cruise. Guess who forgot to take any photos...oops!

We got a late start and with a storm moving in we only made it the 45 miles south to Crossville where we stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel. While there the rain changed into snow and we heard reports of severe weather moving in from the west. Needless to say, we spent the night at the Best Western a couple of blocks away.

We made good time the two days, spending one more night in a Best Western before arriving at our friends house in Florida, our home for a bit before heading off on our cruise. Larry and Judi were wonderful hosts and we totally enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving day with them.

Sunday rolled around and we headed off to Tampa for our cruise. We paid a little more for parking this time and used the valet service...worth EVERY penny! The cruise was nice, the mini-suite was wonderful (yes, we were spoiled), the weather was stupendous as compared to the week before where we heard it rained a lot! Stu's first dive in Belize went well...if you don't count his cutting his hand on some coral. We spent the late afternoon in the medical center where they finally decided he needed stitches (six) and gave him some antibiotics. No diving the next day but he did get his dives in the other ports. The staff was wonderful, the excursion desk covered all expenses AND they rebated us the cost of the missed excursion. Overall the cruise was good but we both felt the food wasn't quite up to par with the previous two years, even the steak house (which we always do). The ship was in need of a lot of little repairs and maintenance but we heard this was its last season, going into dry dock afterwards.

[More Cruise Photos] 

Back to Tampa and one more day with our friends, we then loaded up the truck again and headed across the state to Vero Beach where we stayed with my youngest brother and his wife for two nights. As always we had a great time and got to see three of my cousins (one who I hadn't seen since 1965) as well as my other brother and his family.

Before we knew it, it was time to move on. We rented a large SUV from Enterprise and left Scooby in the care of my brother for the duration. We headed south to Boca Raton and our last evening with family. We met Kim & Tim Herring (Lin's daughter and Hubby) for dinner along with their sons Brady and Jesse plus Jesse's new wife Sarai. GREAT dinner, always wonderful to see them.

After a restful night at a Best Western (paid for with forgotten points - yippee!), we headed to the Miami Airport where Stu planned to drop me and our luggage while he returned the rental car. We got to the airport, found our drop off point and realized we never put gas in the car. Oops! Big circle made and he finally dropped me off, moving the luggage with the help of a porter to a waiting area.

Stu had been able to check-in online and get his boarding pass but for some reason the online check-in wouldn't accept my passport number. A wonderful gentleman from American Airlines tried to help us and failed but he did move us over to the Priority line (we assumed we had to be at the International line) since we were flying Business Class. He didn't leave us until we were in the right spot for a ticket agent to help us. Muchos gracias to him! The clerk quickly got me checked in, printed our boarding passes and checked all our luggage.

If you remember, we originally knew we'd have one extra bag (Stu's scuba gear) in addition to the three each allowed bags (thanks to booking Business Class). We also had an allowance of 70# as compared to the normal 50#. Before we left TN we realized we would have two extra bags and by the time we got back from our cruise and repacked everything it was obvious we'd  have a third extra bag. $450 for the bags but it was worth it...sad part is, if we had booked our tickets ONE DAY EARLIER, they would have been $50 a bag. Sigh...oh well. Weight? Nothing much over 62-64#.

Now comes the BIG surprise, a bonus we hadn't anticipated. We got free admission and tickets for four complimentary drinks in the Admiral's Club. Since it was now 1:00 pm and our flight wasn't until 7:30 pm, having a comfortable and safe place to sit with food, drinks and free WiFi was a real treat!

Our flight was uneventful, comfortable with delicious food (better than many restaurants), free personal movie selection and great service. We arrived at the airport less than 30 minutes late (we took off late, big surprise - NOT) and went quickly through immigration, getting our passports stamped. Being at the front of the plane, we were at the front of the line...a HUGE perk since the plane was full. From there it was on to baggage claim where we managed to find all our bags - eventually. The large carts were reserved for commercial groups/tours so we had to get three of the smaller carts to move all our luggage. Once again, Ecuadorian courtesy abounded. The guards quickly directed us to the xray machines and their porters helped us unload the carts, put the luggage on the belt and then reload our carts.

Now it was time to run the gauntlet of excited family members watching for their relatives. Round and round we pushed and pulled our carts until we got out to the main waiting area. We had reserved a room at the Howard Johnson's and confirmed their free airport shuttle. We never touched a bag again...they moved the bags to the shuttle, then into the hotel, then up to our room! Will we stay there again? Absolutely! Our room was huge with lots of space for the luggage without it being in our way. Hot showers taken, slept well in a very comfortable king bed. Oh, and the A/C was already running in the room! Guayaquil is on the coast with tropical weather.

We had breakfast the next morning, not free but worth the under $25 for a real brunch - all we could eat and drink. Covered us for both breakfast and lunch! Afterwards we sat in the lobby using the free WiFi and around 11:30 we asked for our bags to be brought to the lobby. While they were being shuttled our driver Emilio arrived from Cuenca. He and the hotel staff loaded all the luggage and we were whisked off to Cuenca!

Emilio was wonderful, a careful driver who spoke English well and passed along interesting tidbits about the areas we were driving through and the history of Ecuador. When we arrived in Cuenca we quickly located the manager of the temporary apartment we had rented, got our keys and the four of us got all the bags up to the second floor apartment.

So....that brings us up to December 13th...our arrival in Cuenca. Now it's time to move to our Retired in Cuenca blog. This blog will resume whenever we visit the US and Stu will be doing that in June for a new grand-baby. I'll stay in Cuenca till we both return sometime in the Aug-Oct time-frame. I might jot a few things here, things of general interest or about my books but other than that, please bookmark/follow our Cuenca blog. Thanks!

PS. I am still uploading photos, our WiFi is really slow and it will be another couple of weeks before we get our own line installed.

Happy but Exhausted in Ecuador

Just a quick note...we arrived without fanfare or problems (more on that later). We've barely settled into our temporary apartment and it looks like we'll be in our permanent home by next weekend. We bought a used stove, sectional sofa, coffee table and dining set in the last two days.

Today we visited our new home - it's HUGE! And there is a ton of LIGHT! And we will need a fan or two for the warmer weather like we're having now.

Tomorrow we take delivery of the refrigerator, TV & stand, dishes, microwave, canister vacuum and stove. Before the week is out we'll get the living and dining room furniture delivered.

Tuesday we get our Visas registered here, then we can start the cedula process.

So busy, busy, busy....promise to write more when I'm not so tired. Right now I can't even find my camera to get the cruise photos uploaded. LOL!

Doing the happy dance! On the road...

Well, we are finally on the road...moving towards our goal of living in Ecuador. The day was busy with winterizing the RV and general clean-up of the rig. We wanted to leave everything clean and shiny inside but also had to leave it with all the slides pulled in. No major hassles, just time...

The truck is loaded to the gills - all the footlockers are in the back, protected from the elements with a tarp. The back seat has all the regular luggage and the a few bags filled with last minute items. No seeing out the back window!

We finally pulled out of our driveway a little after three PM when a couple miles down the road I remembered that I hadn't cleaned out some of the food stuff in cabinets. Gulp....well, better than being in Georgia or Florida when I remembered. So we quickly turned around, opened the slides enough to get to the cabinets and pulled out the crackers, nuts, sugar, peanut butter and rice mix. Most went to our neighbors who were also the recipients of everything in our freezer.

So, back on the road at 3:30, the weather forecast was calling for rain and sleet tonight. No matter whether we drove to Chattanooga, Cookeville or Crossville - the weather was determined to accompany us. We opted to head to Crossville where we would grab a late lunch-early dinner at Cracker Barrel and grab a room at the Best Western close by.

Good thing...before we got to Crossville it was raining, then sleeting, then as we pulled into Cracker Barrel - IT WAS SNOWING! It had turned back into freezing rain by the time we pulled out and we were doubly glad we'd gotten a room for the night when we drove over I-40, headlights for as far as you could see. Obviously an accident or maybe just treacherous roads to the west.

So now we're all snugged into our hotel room, heat on high, coffee at the ready and the only issue is the fact that, even after bringing in two different bags for me, I still don't have the one with my toiletries. Yup, in a third bag. LOL! Oh well, we'll sort it all out tomorrow night.

PS> For those of you following this blog AND our Ecuador blog, sorry for the repeat. Have to save time where I can. LOL!

Visit to Atlanta....SUCCESSFUL

We headed out Thursday for Atlanta where we had an appointment to pick up our new Pensioner's Resident Visas at the Ecuadorian Consulate. We left plenty of time, having booked a reservation (free, thanks to points) at a Best Western less then an hour from where we needed to go. We did a little shopping along the way, had lunch & dinner courtesy of Subway.

The sunset coming into Chattanooga was gorgeous and I took a bunch of photos with my phone. Hope you enjoy some of them...

Our trip down to the Consulate on Friday morning was hectic, it is Atlanta after all, but not unbearable. We easily got parked in the parking garage and wandered into their office about 30 minutes early. We filled out a basic information form, handed over our documentation letters and passports, then our payment for the Visas and less than 90 minutes later we walked out! Painless...mostly thanks to our wonderful facilitator, Maite Duran.

From there we grabbed some lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse and then went to see the movie, "Thor", which we thoroughly enjoyed. Oh, if you go to see it - do NOT leave before the credit end. Honest!

From there we drove to my youngest daughter's house and the next 48 hours are a blur of grandkids and dogs. Some of the highlights....

• playing balloon volleyball with my middle granddaughter, Amanda
• meeting Boone the Mastiff and Samson the Great Dane, both rescue dogs
• watched Stu lean over to pet Boone and have the chair break underneath him
• watching "Pitch Perfect" and "Man of Steel" with the family
• getting my FIRST EVER pedicure with my daughter, a little enjoyment time

On our way home Sunday we decided we wanted to get iPads before going to Ecuador. Stu wanted the new iPad Air and I wanted the new Retina Mini. Well, after several false starts at the Sam's Club in Chattanooga (power off, waited almost an hour to get in to find out they had none even though online it showed that they did), Walmart in Chattanooga (waited 20 minutes for someone to wait on us, gave up) - we lucked out at our local Sam's Club in Cookeville and Stu walked away with not only his 32GB iPad Air but a great cover with a Bluetooth keyboard from Kensington.

Once home, before the bad Sunday storms rolled into our area, we unloaded and I went online to order my iPad Mini from the Apple Store (the only place it seems to be available right now) and am getting it shipped to our friends in Florida.

Tomorrow we visit a local attorney to get our wills redone here in Tennessee and start on the now growing TO DO lists. We will get it all done...we have to! We leave here on Monday! Yipes!!!

Oops, forgot to blog WE'RE HOME!!

We made it home on Saturday afternoon, sunny but cool, nice ride up from outside Chattanooga. We stopped at Cracker Barrel in Crossville for a late lunch/early dinner. We both opted for comfort food - Stu had chicken and dumplings and I had meatloaf.

As we rolled down the quiet little one lane road to our property, Stu called out over the intercom. Our little buddy Snausage was running alongside in the woods. I called out to him and watched in my mirror as he came out of the woods, ears up and listening. I called out a bit more and he took off on the run. It was so good to see him and know he was okay.

We didn't do much the rest of the day, unpacked our luggage and relaxed. Sunday we did a few more things around the rig, started laundry and got some groceries. The trip caught up with me, I took a three hour nap.

Monday I did all the laundry then we picked up our mail from our neighbors and chatted. They've put a little doghouse out near the end of their driveway with food and water. They're still hoping to befriend him and we hope so, too.

More chores today, I got all my files moved from my old computer to my new one, got the new one backed up, cleaned up the old one for Stu to take over and worked on sorting through our motorcycle gear. We have a large tote that we'll take into the laundry at town to wash with a special preservative solution. Then they can all be packed away.

Tomorrow Stu's motorcycle goes in for its 20k service and when we pick it up, I'll drop mine off next. Then we get to winterize them for storage. The list of chores go on and on, we just tackle a couple each day as we prepare for the cruise on 12/1 and our move to Ecuador.

Oh yeah, one more piece of news....from left to right:

 ~ Three years ago this fellow came into Stu's youngest daughter's life....
 ~ Two years ago he proposed at Halloween...
 ~ One year ago they got married at Halloween...
 ~ This year they announced they're PREGNANT at Halloween...

Yup, we're going to be grandparents again - this will be our 26th (between our wonderful extended/blended family). The date is in early June....

LA, AR, MS, AL TN, and GA, almost home! - Trip Home

No pictures, just a quick check-in. We stayed in Greenwood, MS and Russellville, AL before stopping last night just outside Chattanooga, TN (we are actually in GA). The weather has gotten quite cold for us, nights are dropping into the upper 20's and lows 30's. Today the high in Jamestown is forecast for 48...nope, not going there. LOL! We extended a night and will make the last leg on our trip home tomorrow when it's due to be in the upper 50's. Much better for us, even with electric gear.

Our conversations are filled with thoughts of our cruise and move to Ecuador. Much to do before then but will try to drop a post here once in a while. Oh, for those that wonder - Miss Sadie is loving her new home and her kids to watch over. In return, they love her and take her camping with them whenever they go. They also gave her a Halloween costume. LOL!

Thanks to everyone who has bought and read "Barely a Spark". I hope to have the print copy available in a couple more weeks as well as making it available on Smashwords. The reviews have all been positive and I appreciate each and every one! If you have read and enjoyed it, please consider leaving a review on Amazon and PLEASE tell your friends. The best marketing is word of mouth!

HUMP day!

Okay, I admit it, I absolutely love the new Geico commercial with the camel and hump day. Gives me the giggles. For anyone who hasn't seen it.....

We've had a lot of rain the last couple of days and I've been fighting what at first I thought was a head cold but when an attack of itchies all over started, figured out it was allergies. To what? WHo knows? Benadryl knocked it out...I just hope it stays gone.

Thanks to the Benadryl hangover, I was groggy yesterday so we ran errands - visited our bank for a wire transfer to the company that is doing our Ecuador Visa processing, went to Sears and ordered a new pair of glasses while they have some good discounts (current pair will become my backup for Rt 66 and Ecuador) and then the movies!

We just watched the original Kick-Ass the other night so the timing was perfect. {Note, don't go see if language or violence bother you}. We both enjoyed it, different than the first but still fun.

The rain made for some interesting views on the ride home...

Stu is getting ready to take Sadie up to her foster mom's in Maryland and he'll get in a family visit before we leave the country. Little Snausage is going to miss her - he's still really shy but we're hoping we can get him accepting enough of people that the neighbors can adopt him.

Mey plans? I'll be finishing up my editing of "Barely a Spark", hoping to get it out to my proof readers before the end of next week. Phew!

Rolling through the days....

Not much for exciting news as we sit here at our homebase in TN. Sadie has adopted our neighbors as part of her pack and spends almost every waking moments over there with their dogs. That's a good thing! she comes home around 8-9 at night, totally exhausted.

Stu is working to get us ready for our Route 66 motorcycle trip and I'm working on the paperwork for our move to Ecuador.

My other priority has been getting the first draft of Barely a Spark written, book two in my Klondike Mystery Series. I'll hopefully get it through the first edit in the next week or so, then on to my proofreaders and a final version to my beta readers. My plan is to get it published before we leave on our Route 66 trip around September first. The print version will take longer.

The weather has been nice, highs in the 80's and low's in the mid 60's or cooler. We've been sleeping with the windows open most nights. A little rain now and then, just enough to keep the farmers happy.