Tuesday, 1/10/17 - Working Remotely I took a shower when I woke up this morning. The gas on-demand hot water heater wasn't working, so the water was quite cold. I managed to shiver my way through a cold shower, and it certainly woke me up! This morning when I went to my "office", I noticed that since yesterday, Antonio had installed one of the panes of glass in the window frame, and Rosa had put a tablecloth on my desk. They take such good care of us. For breakfast, Rosa made us scrambled eggs, which we enjoyed along with bread, coffee, and fresh juice. It had rained quite a bit overnight, and water had seeped through the new concrete stairwell into the kitchen. Luckily, it was just dampness and not the full on leaks that they had dealt with prior to the new construction. At breakfast we learned some sad news. We had noticed that Cachupin the dog was not here last night, and heard the kids say he hadn't returned from Quiroga. We assumed maybe he was at the vet or something. We asked Rosa, and she told us that Abuelita had taken him to town yesterday when she had visited the cemetery. He had run away from her and did not return. So now he is lost. It is a difficult life here for pets. Rosa told us that in the past Max had done the same thing, but had found his way home. Cachupin is still a puppy, so we don't know if he has honed that homing instinct yet. Luckily I had taken photos of him on the weekend, so we posted a lost dog notice on some Cotacachi pages on Facebook. I got a reply from a woman who saw a dog who resembled him this morning. That is a good sign, and Antonio will go looking for him tomorrow. Rosa picked avocados from the tree in front of our casita. Antonio explained that they now actually get taxed on the avocado tree. Any agricultural activity, even if only for subsistence purposes, is now taxed. This is very difficult for people who subsist on their crops rather than selling them. Ecuador is having presidential elections in February. Incumbent president Correa is not seeking re-election, so the family is hopeful that the new administration will be sensitive to the needs of the rural indigenous population. While the kids were in school, Craig rested in the casita, saving up his energy to play with them when they got home. His friend the bird tapped on our window again. She and her partner apparently eat the fruits from the tree above our casita. Craig witnessed them kicking up leaves on our roof. When the kids came home from school, we had lunch: potato soup, local organic potatoes, corn on the cob, sambo semillas (seeds), and habas. We didn't recognize the habas beans at first, since they were brown rather than their usual gray. Rosa explained that they turn brown when you cook them for a long time. Sisa had to eat her corn on the cob with her back teeth because she has lost her front baby teeth. Rosa was teasing Shina for her table manners, calling her Juanita (the pig's name). Shina laughed (she is always so good natured), and said that her name is "Minina Jerez Juanita." Craig played with the kids until I was done with my work day. I was glad that I had started work early in the morning, as our internet access stopped working at around 3 o'clock. Later in the day it came back sporadically but unreliably. This is not usually an issue, but it was more than likely related to the stormy weather. I hoped that it would be back to normal for work tomorrow. I helped Sisa with her homework. This is something I truly enjoy, having a degree in early childhood education, but not getting a chance to use those skills much these days. I was amazed that Sisa's 4th grade math homework was basically pre-algebra, and I enjoyed helping her with it. She is a smart cookie, wise beyond her 8 years. Then she did her English homework. Yupanqui was working on phonics. It poured rain all day. It was raw and cold, the perfect time to give the kids some winter jackets ("chompas") that we had brought for them. The kids were thrilled, and got bundled up in them immediately. We could barely see Shina under her hood. I had washed some laundry yesterday and have no idea when it will dry on the clothesline...Rosa is on day 3 of waiting for the kids' clothes to dry. Just when you think the sun is coming out and will dry them, we get another downpour. There were literally inches of rain on the roof deck, now dripping into the area under the stairs in the kitchen. Rosa put wooden boards and a tarp over the stairs, and then swept all of the water off the roof. Hopefully this would stop, or at least slow down, the leaks. We all warmed up by huddling around the kitchen table and enjoying a hot drink (coffee for Craig and me, and tea for the family). The rain cleared up just in time for sunset, so it was dry when we went out to feed the piggies. Sisa helped Rosa to cook dinner. She stood on a small stepstool at the stove, stirring steak in a very flavorful sauce. Rosa ground some hot peppers from the garden into a picante salsa ("aji") using a traditional grinding stone. Unfortunately, Shina was unable to eat dinner. We learned that she has eight problematic teeth which require dental work. The family had been unable to afford it, since Antonio has not had much tourism work recently. We assured them that we would pay for whatever dental work she needs, as it is obviously a problem that can't be put off any longer. After dinner the kids watched a computer animated version of the three little pigs. They really love that story, and watch it in many forms. We said goodnight to the family and retired to our casita for the night.

Steph's office space Yupanqui, Sisa, and Shina Helping with homework Feeding the seven piglets Sisa helps to cook dinner Sisa and Rosa See all photos from this day