DOGS, CATS, COWS, YOGA, BULLS, GOATS, BRONCOS, CORKY LOOSES OUT AGAIN AND HORSES

OKEY DOKEY, chronological, alphabetical, or in order of importance?

DOGS:

While walking Corky and Fluffy (aka Bugger and Wanker) Sunday I came across some kind of ‘dog event’ down on Ave. 12 de Abril. Don’t really know what it was about, but lots of people (lots) hanging around with their dogs. 12 de Abril was blocked off like it is most Sundays. There were 5 or 6 booths and it looked like the dogs were getting free exams (and products?) from the vets. OK, sounds boring when I write about it, but it was pretty cool. I came back later with a camera, but things were winding down by then.

Ivan, his wife and their beasties.

CORKY LOOSES OUT AGAIN:

While at the thing above with Corky, I ran into a lady that also had a Pekinese. As usual, when an owner of a female Peke sees Corky, they ALWAYS ask if Corky would be available to do the doggy dance with their female. This is actually the 5th or 6th time this has happened down here .......... people stopping Corky and I and asking if the Corker is ..... you know. Anyway, I always tell them that he is ‘castrado’. They are usually a little surprised. Anyway, Sunday the gal was truly shocked and asked ....WHY? I told her that my wife really wanted to have me castrated, but settled for Corky. Curiously, this seemed to make sense to her.

Sorry Corky.

Not part of your future.

COWS:

So while walking the dogs this AM, I see a lady with 2 cows grazing down by the river. Not unusual to see cows grazing, but had never seen it by the river this close to downtown. OK, so I am curious and continue to watch. A couple minutes later, she walks the cows up the river bank and through the gate to the school that is right there. What the heck? Show and Tell? School milk program? Hamburgers for lunch?

I came back later to take a pic.

But Obviously the cows were already gone.

YOGA:

Taking Yoga 3 times a week for the last 2 1/2 weeks Seems that Yoga is like mostly a lot of stretching and poses designed to make me feel clumsy, off balance and inadequate. But, I am going to stick with it, because anything that I hate that much has just got to be good for me. Also a little safer than motorcycles for me down here. I ‘failed’ to mention that I laid down the moto again a few weeks ago. Second time since I have been down here and also the 2nd time in 20 years. What the heck? And, duh, yeah ..... it really hurts. I keep the first aid bag on the back of my bathroom door now where it is real handy. My wardrobe is taking a beating what with the blood and tears. (That word “tears”. I mean rips and holes ......... not the blubbering crybaby water that comes out of your eyes.)

BULLS, BRONCOS AND HORSES:

Went to the rodeo here at Plaza del Toros on Saturday night. Very cool. Would tell you more, but I hate long blog entries. But, very cool and lots of fun!

CATS and GOATS:

Nope. Nothing about cats and goats. Just threw them into the title for fun.

Life is sweet,

Clarke

DEEP INTROSPECTIVE REFLECTIONS ON EARLY RETIREMENT IN CUENCA

You didn't REALLY expect .... 'deep' or 'introspective' did you?

Brennie says I am about 1 cm deep.

Life is Sweet,

Clarke

MEDICAL CARE: ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BELIEVE

OK NOW: The Brennie has been kind of sick the last couple days. Symptoms are not important for this little tale.

So this AM I am out walking the dogs (like I do at least a couple times a day ..... the joy of apartment living). As I am walking, our doctor pulls up on his motorcycle to say 'hi and how are you'. I mention that Brennie has been feeling sick for a couple of days. As we are only a couple blocks from his office he tells me to come by. I walk on over and her gives me a couple scrips for Brennie.

ALSO: He offers to come by the apartment later in the day. I believe that this is called a "housecall". Yep a housecall! Unbelievable! I have heard that they used to have them in the US. He did come by and has just left.

COMPARE THIS WITH THE LAST TIME I SAW MY DOCTOR IN THE US: When I arrived, I gave my name at reception and was given one of those vibrating disks with flashing lights so they could buzz me when it was my turn. You know what I am talking about, they use them in some of the really busy restaurants in the states too. Then I was sent to waiting room one. When my buzzer/flasher went off, I was escorted to exam room 7 to WAIT SOME MORE. When my doctor finally arrived in his $300 shoes, he spent eight minutes with me and charged me $120. I will repeat that in case you thought it was a typo ....... 8 minutes & $120. That's about $900 an hour! (Um, we didn't have any health insurance the last three years in the states as we couldn't afford it with only my salary. So I KNOW what the medical non-care cost!)

So ........ go ahead. Ask me how I feel about the health care delivery system here in Cuenca.

Ask me.

Life is sweet,

Clarke

FYI: The word 'housecall' gets flagged by the spellchecker. Dropped from the word bank as an archaic word, possibly? Or maybe it was always two words. How would we know as it doesn't even exist as a concept any more.

CUENCA INDEPENDENCE & RANDOM PICS

CUENCA INDEPENDENCE

Last Weekend was the celebration of Cuenca's Independence from Spain ..... 190 years. Fascinating.

According to what I could figure out (my info is always suspect) there were between 125,000 and 150,000 visitors (either expected or actually here). It was madness. Chaos. Very cool.

There were things going on everywhere and all the time. Concerts in the parks ..... several. We went to a concert in the Parque de la Madre one night. A Chilean Folklore group called Illapu. They were fantastic. We did not see any other gringos at all. The music was great.

There were parades and go kart races. Donkey and military parades. Art and handicrafts sold all over the place. Fireworks. Celebrating.

It was really something and lasted for 5 days.

We took the opportunity to buy some much needed art work. Most of it still needs framing and we still need more. But we literally have years.

The other expat blogs have done a much better job describing the celebration and posting much better pics than I took.

HOWEVER ........ I DO HAVE SOME PICS TO SHARE:

THIS FIRST LINK is to an album or random pics over the last few months. In some of them, you will see people in blue coveralls. Cuenca has literally brigades of street sweepers, and that is who the blue coverall people are. Sometimes it is orange coveralls, or green. I don't know the difference. But there are always people cleaning the city. And it shows.

THIS SECOND LINK is to a bunch of pics that I took on a walk last July. I just started walking and took random street shots. Truly random: not looking for interesting or beautiful. Just random. When I looked at the pics later I realized that there were almost no people n the streets or sidewalks. SUNDAY! It was a Sunday and the town is DEAD on Sundays. Apparently Sunday is truly family day and tends to be very quiet. The people you do see out on Sundays tend to be in family groups for family activities. For instance, on most Sundays, 12 de Abril (a major street) is usually blocked off to all but bicycle and foot traffic. On Sundays there are lots of family groups there doing family stuff.

Life is Sweet,

Clarke