Travels: PERU

Linda sent this photo to me the other day wearing my alpaca hat that I got in Peru, which I still have! Just don't know why I was wearing it inside, but that log cabin we lived in was very cold.  This photo was the catalyst to do a travel post since I don't have any completed projects at home to post. 

Off we go to Lima, Peru with a group from Kennesaw College.

As we neared landing, the plane went over a volcano where there was a rainbow, this photo from the plane window.

We boarded a train that followed the Urubamba River to Machu Picchu where the locals sold their goods to tourists.  Mostly hand woven pieces of colorful artwork.

I bought some plantains . . .

and these four small weavings that I used as placemats.

The bus trip up the mountain to get to Machu Picchu had to be one of the scariest bus rides ever.  Going up was bad enough, but coming down was even worse.  I wish I would have done a lot more videos of the trip.  When we got to the top and rounded the corner to come upon this view, it was something we never could have imagined and there will never be anything like it again.  It is a magical place!

Bob looks pretty thrilled to be here!

We spent days in the ruins.

A few of us near the Inca Trail.

One day we climbed Huayna Picchu, the big mountain you see in the background of the ruins. This is Carl Etheridge, Melissa Etheridge's uncle, and he brought one of her T-shirts and wanted a photo to show her that she was up at the top.

Days later on our way to another city, the plane would not take off due to weather, so we boarded a bus that got us part way there before crashing into a ditch.  We were at the world's highest lake, Lake Titicaca, and we had not acclimated to the altitude, and we were in for quite a night, even after drinking coco tea, which is cocaine.

Some of the group went out on the lake to see the villagers that actually live on the lake, but due to altitude, we were not feeling well and passed on the trip.  It could have been that coca tea!

The local people.

Huyana Picchu in the background, we're getting ready to climb.  Judge Robinson in this photo did not go with us to the top.  Sadly, he passed away from Covid last month in Atlanta.

In the clouds, at the top!  Now the climb down.  

Mom and baby llama.

A lady in Lake Titicaca made these boat village people out of burlap.  

Heading back, a stop in Lima at an artist's street market, I picked up a few watercolors to remember Peru by.

Going through all my bins of old photos reminds me of how much we loved to travel.  In just a few years when Bob retires, we will be back on the road again!

I Live in a Rain Forest

For two weeks we had nothing but rain, torrential rain, two months worth in just a couple of days.  It does make everything look as green as Ireland!

Lots of fog, lots of humidity, just like a rain forest.

Never crossed our minds to check on the boathouse, so I headed over to the lake.  The dam was a good sign the boathouse was not going to be dry.

The water was up on the dock, the little garden was flooded.

Measured about 8 inches high at one point, blew the boards off the pump.  The cabinets were soaked along with the linens and everything was dirty and we had guests arriving in two days, so we got to work.

The scamper ramp is usually at an angle, shows how high the lake got.

Water will never reach my canine guests.  As you can see, my chains downward are starting as we have had so many guests bring their dogs.  We put on a two day minimum stay thinking things would be slower, but we have been booked solid probably because no one is working.

At home the water washed away my seeds and seedlings. Next year I am buying raised beds, I give up!

Washed out a good portion of the road, so neighbors will all have to pitch in to repair.

When the rain finally stopped and the sun came out, I at least had some flowers left.

Some things, like the teasel, loved all the water. They are three to four feet tall.

They will look amazing in bloom if a hurricane doesn't come along and knock them all down.

The ferns also grew.  I will be doing a fern bed where the bush died this winter instead of trying to replace it with another bush.

Pink foxgloves still in bloom that I can see from my kitchen window.

Hydrangeas are looking fabulous!

With shops opening again, I'm out finding new stock.

With sun, time to launder linens I need to put up for sale.

All with pretty embroidery

or crochet lace.

Hand painted

This week we had a unique visitor, a white squirrel.  A town north of us named Brevard is famous for their white squirrels and somehow one made its way to our feeders.  I followed "Minka" around for over an hour getting beautiful shots of her laying on branches in the sunlight until the ugly gray jealous squirrels ran her off.  Joke was on me, I did not have a chip in my camera, so this is just a photo of any ordinary white squirrel. Maybe Minka will return one day!

In rescue, this is Pepper, a one year old chow that has been on the run for two months in West Virginia, finally captured and considered a biter and aggressive.  

I raised $660 and found a rescue in Michigan that would give him a chance.  I found a transporter to drive the whole 10 hours with Pepper in a crate, but she got a brain injury from a seizure and couldn't drive, so it took me two weeks to find another driver.  Once out of the shelter he was not anything that the animal control officers said he was.

Here he is with Debra, his rescue, in Michigan.  He's doing great, very happy and active.

This is five month old Stud (named by his owner) who didn't want him anymore.  He was in Texarkana, TX.   I was contacted by a friend and instantly found a rescue in Texas to take him. 

Only took two days to find drivers to get him to his foster home in Austin, TX.  I named him Tex Mex.  Hoping we get updates on him soon. 

This is Barron, six years old, in an NC shelter that I am now raising funds for and still have not found a rescue that will take him because he is bonded with Cassie below, a pittie.  I will not stop until I find them a rescue and they are safe.  I have $555 in donations.

Poor Cassie looks so bewildered, but at least this shelter is keeping them together in the same run.

There are times I wonder why I work so hard to save dogs, and then I get something like this in the mail from an older lady in TN sending me a big check to use for whatever dogs I feel needs it.  

A nice way to end the week.