2/19/08 (Tuesday)
The sleep was wonderful without the mosquito netting and all the night sounds. I miss the sounds, however. They were an interesting mix of various calls and noises from various animals and insects. I awoke about five and could not go back to sleep. Therefore, I got up and packed the items I obtained shopping yesterday. I brought with me some bubble wrap to pack things so they would be cushioned some in the suitcase. I was able to get everything wrapped and packed to some extent. I will finish the packing tonight and make sure both suitcases are within the weight range.
At 7:15, Linzy and I ate breakfast with all the rest of the guests here. There is a team of young people here for a few days. They are a work team and they are from Wisconsin. Two girls sat with us and we had a nice conversation. The breakfast was delicious…pancakes, sausage, hot applesauce, fruit juice. After breakfast, Linzy and I took a walk for several blocks to get a little exercise and to go to a phone cabin to make calls back home. We found the cabin last night. However, when we got there we found it locked up tight. I was hoping to call Phyllis and tell her I loved her so much but cannot right now. We will look for another phone cabin today when we travel to see the hummingbirds. Linzy wants to do a little grocery shopping and possibly we can find a phone near the grocery store. Our plan today is to travel to the Middle of the World Monument on the equator and then to the home of Tony and Barbara Nunnery to view hummingbirds. Their home is in the cloud forest about an hour and a half away. It is cloudy and cool out but not raining.
Father, thank You for the good night’s sleep. The rest was great. I pray for today. I pray for the work team whom we met today and the work they are doing serving You. I ask for Your presence with them today and that they can point others to You. Thank You for their willingness to come to Quito and serve You here. Lord, I pray for Jane as she takes us on a side trip today. Thank You for her willingness to give us some time to sightsee and experience another facet of Your creation. Lord, I pray for safety on the road. Thank You for this opportunity. Lord, I pray for my family. I thank You for them and blessing me with the children and grandchildren. I especially thank You for Phyllis. You brought her into my life 43 years ago. She has truly been a blessing to me. Please give her an extra measure of Your love today. Thank You, Lord, for Your unfailing love. Amen.
We left the guesthouse about 10:00 and headed west out of Quito. Our trip took us about an hour and a half to the drive up the mountain that leads to Tony and Barb’s house. The road up the mountain is one lane and it was muddy and narrow. A few landslides covered some of the road. Fortunately, there was enough room to go around them. One landslide completely covered the road and you had to swing around it coming quite close to the edge of the cliff. We eventually arrived at the house only to find a small bus sitting there. We went to the house and learned that Tony has been away on a birding tour and Barb went in to Quito to pick him up today. A bird watching group had gathered on Tony and Barb’s porch and was sitting there watching all the hummers. We joined them and watched a spectacular show.
We spent about 3 hours watching the hummers fly all over the place. We identified 13 different species and Jane thinks we may have actually seen 15. The most abundant were the booted racquet-tail, which is a beautiful green with white feathers over its feet making it look like it is wearing boots and tail feathers that look like a tennis racquet. The racquet part is a brilliant blue. I was able to take several pictures and even some video of all the action. It rained off and on while we were there but that did not stop the feeding frenzy. There are several feeders in the yard off the porch and at any one time, you could see four to eight birds feeding at each feeder. The birds were flying around like bees. The whole scene was incredible.
After we left the Nunnerys, we drove back to Quito in heavy rain. The rain stopped as we were nearing Quito and we stopped at the Middle of the World Monument. There we straddled the equator and took pictures of us standing with one foot in the northern hemisphere and one foot in the southern hemisphere.
Then we came back to Quito and stopped at a supermarket so Linzy could purchase some fruit jellies to take home. After that quick stop, we drove on to the Plaza Americanas and ate dinner at a nice Italian restaurant. We are now back at the guesthouse and Linzy and I have ourselves packed for our departure in the morning. Jane will come to pick us up at 7:30 AM. Our flight leaves at 9:40 AM for Miami with an arrival time of 1:30 PM. Linzy will then fly on to Chicago and then to Fort Wayne arriving there late in the evening. I have a 3 ½ to 4 hour wait in Miami before I depart for Fort Myers arriving there at 6:05 PM. It will be good to be back on US soil and especially to give Phyllis a huge hug. I know she will be happy to have me home again.
Father, today has been a special day in that we were privileged to observe some of Your creation. The trip through the Andes was spectacular with scenery that astounds me. Then we watched the hummingbirds…hundreds of them. What fun You must have had creating all the different species and colors and sizes! Thank You for allowing us to experience this today. Lord, I pray for a good night’s sleep and a safe journey tomorrow. We both are looking forward to being back with our families and friends. We both are so thankful for the opportunity You gave us to come here and serve You through serving Your people that You love so dearly. Thank You, Lord, for bringing us here. To You I give all the praise for the accomplishments of the past two weeks in San Lorenzo. Amen.
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