Volcano Sangay, visible from kitchen window

We are fortunate to be surrounded by beautiful views of mountain ranges to the west and lush jungle to the east, that is when it is not raining or the humidity is so high the haze in the air blocks your vision.  The image above was captured yesterday around 7AM, but even at that time the air was warming and the clouds were gathering.  There have been a few days that have been clear and bright, but mostly the sky is overcast.  Not too much risk of sunburn most days!

We have kept a record of the temperature and rainfall since we arrived in Shell about 3 weeks ago. We have experienced low temperatures of 60F (15C) and highs of 84F (29C).  We understand that 84 is about as warm as it gets, but when the sky is clear the sun is really close and it feels much warmer!  We also have experienced some rain and have measured an accumulation of 12.2 inches!  Even so, the drainage and absorption rate is such that you seldom see surface accumulation even after a hard rain.

Recently, on Facebook, we have noticed some photos and discussion of the beginning of harvest at home.  One recent email from home commented "no frost yet".  This seems strange to us because here we are in a constant state of summer.  It is easy to forget that the seasons change and autumn is upon you.  We will no doubt notice a dramatic change when we return in November. 

Today we plan to go to the vegetable and fruit markets to see what is being offered.  One might think that in a tropical country all varieties of fruit and vegetables would always be available. Some are, but many are seasonal and simply not available in the local markets.  We have also noticed that fruit, such as bananas, are very fresh but must be consumed immediately.  They are the real thing....not engineered for transportation and long shelf life!  It is difficult for us to get in the habit of shopping daily for fresh produce.  Being Canadian we tend to want to stock up, but this is not wise in a tropical climate.

We have just returned from the market, shopping at two stalls.  Potatoes didn't seem to be available today.  This is what we bought....for about $4.00.