RIVER RIDGE ROWAN RYDER

just yesterday i posted the Blue Creek blog below, but i finally got this to load, so i couldn't help myself...


we love you guys!! THANK YOU!

Last week we showed up unannounced to John and Micah's house, our peace corps friends in Punta Gorda. They kindly took us in, and then on Saturday they took us to the beautiful village of Blue Creek where Jeff and Shella live. It was awesome! After throwing objects at Shella's house to wake her up, she took us around. there were two highlights of the day.....


the second one, (sorry we are going backwards) was Blue Creek. The actually creek, that is. it was awesome there were swimming holes all the way up and then...

see that black hole in the back ground? that is a cave. that we went in. with headlamps. we swam up the cave about a half a mile where there was an 'indoor' so to speak, waterfall. we went without jeff, but he very Smeigally (lord of the rings, for those of you who can't follow my jokes, which is probably everyone but me) joined us by creeping behind and appearing on a rock at the waterfall.

and the first highlight, or should i say, hoglight of the day was when jeff told us that the pigs that are being raised by his school, are energizing the very plant that slaughters them and turns them into bacon by their own feices (dang it, i can't spell that). the ironic and cruel circle of life.

anyway, it was a good weekend. thanks guys.

and we could all use a little change

well, i started finding myself so bored of our blog that i didn't even want to check our blog. so i can only imagine how everyone else was feeling. so anyway. i found myself bouncing down a dirt road long after dark in the middle of a jungle somewhere in central america and i started to feel weird. i hadn't heard from todd the whole day, i didn't know if he would be there to meet me when i got off. punta gorda seems like it is at the end of the world. "where the sidewalk ends" so to speak. and there is a long stretch of not much before you get there. the dust from the bus was making everything look foggy and creepy, by everything i mean lots of leafs and jungle and snakes. my face was almost pressed against the window trying to make something out when i heard a ghostly voice from behind me "friend, you going to punta gorda?" i wasn't sure about it so i leaned back toward my seat. again, "friend, you going to punta gorda?" "yes. are you?" "yes, i'm going to visit my grandmother." this was not the voice of a child, by the way. "oh" i said. "yes, and my cousin lives there, you probably know him" "i live in silk grass." "oh" he said. and then since we didn't have the cousin connection he said no more. i was a little worried he might move up by me, but luckily at the next stop another little guy sat by me. the lights came on briefly whenever we stopped, and whenever they did i would desperately read my book so i had something to think about when it got really dark again. suddenly i noticed the guy next to me leaning forward and toward me. his little eyes reading right along with me. and when the light turned off, he let out an audible gasp of sorrow. and we still had not spoken. this kept happening when ever the lights came on, and finally right before we got to punta gorda, he offered me a flash light, so i gave him a cookie.

and it's valentines day! happy one to everyone, and i love you todd!

To momma Janine and momma lavonda