we got kittens!

A week ago, Susan and I went to Feria Libre with Trish (the cat whisperer - haha!) and bought two little kitties! I chose an orange and white boy kitten (who cost $5), and Susan picked out a little black girl kitten (who was only $3). It took them some time to get used to their new surroundings, and are only recently really getting to know each other (there was a lot of hissing and growling going on for a bit), but they warmed up to Susan, Dad, Nick, and myself quite quickly, thank goodness. It took us a couple of days of debating, but we all agreed on their names: Daxter (Dax) for the orange (after a video game Nick plays, Jak & Daxter), and Abby for the black (named after Abby on NCIS). We still haven't quite gotten them into a solid routine yet, they haven't gotten the hang of eating when their food is down, they want it all the time! And of course, they sleep all day (almost always on us!), so they like to meow up a storm when we all go to bed because they want attention. But I'm glad there are pets around again, I was missing having a furry friend about after so many years of there being one (or a few). I still miss the dogs, Capri and Ed (and Chloe, my grandparents cat!) a lot, but I really love these new little balls of fluff!

I've been a tad snap-happy with them, so here's a ton of Instagram shots of the kittens, and a couple from my camera:

the past week in photos

I really need to create a schedule for this blog to keep me from going a week or more without posting! I need to get into the habit of writing more often; it's been a long time since I've had to write anything, and I think my language/conversational skills have atrophied a tad. Shame on me!

Here's a bit of what the past week looked like for me. I'm trying to take more photos, but for a few days there, I wasn't feeling well. What I really need to do is find out how much it will be to finally develop all of the film I've been hanging on to the past couple of years.

My fave Polaroid camera - it needs film! (& yes, I am a big dork)

rain, rain, rain

Yup, more rain today in Cuenca. The day starting out very lovely, the sun shining with a cool breeze, but by afternoon the clouds had come in and the rain was coming down.

first trip to the market

On the way home from Moca Cafe today, Dad took me to Feria Libre - 50 acres of market - both inside and outside. They sell just about anything you might want. Would you like a new pet? I saw puppies, rabbits, kittens, chicks (and chickens) and other birds... There were even guinea pigs, but they don't keep them as pets here, they eat them - it's called cuy (the thought makes me cringe). They have many different clothing stores, as well: shoes, denim, jewelry, etc. The food stalls seem to be in the greatest number: meats, fish, grains, pastas, and a huge variety of fruits and vegetables, a lot of which I don't even recognize (but all the colors are so pretty!). We picked up green beans, three fat carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, a few red and yellow peppers, a pound of potatoes, a pineapple, and eight big bananas for only $6 (and without negotiating - amazing, right?). I only took out my camera as we were on the way out, but I'll definitely be prepared on future trips.

i spy the moon

The moon seemed closer than usual yesterday, and was very clear in the sky, so I took a few photos. Then, it was so bright last night, I noticed through my blinds as I was trying to sleep so I spent a good 20 minutes snapping away (instead of sleeping).