Blue-footed Boobies

 

Blue-footed boobies deserve their own day.

Mosquera Wildlife

 In addition to the sea lions on Mosquera that I showed yesterday, there were other creatures.  Many are endemic, meaning they are native to the Galapagos islands and not found elsewhere.

These are Galapagos terns.

Yellow warblers are native but not endemic.

A marine iguana with a pair of Galapagos lava lizards.

Striated herons look a lot like the green herons I see in Southwest Florida.

This isn't endemic.  A sea urchin shell.  But I thought it ws gorgeous and worthy of a photo.

Sea Lions in the Galapagos

 We will be in the Galapagos for a week or so.  The first day, sea lions on the very small island of Mosquera were the stars.  There might have been at least 50 on this small island with white sandy beaches.

Affection.

Quiet time for mother and child.

This friendly one-eyed sea lion spent time with my family.

Some youngsters wanted to play with us.

It was hysterical watching the youngsters play.

I swear this guy was practicing its poses.

These sea lions didn't want to see us leave.  They chased the guests as we returned to the boats.

Quito, Ecuador

A day in Quito, Ecuador.

If you go to Quito, you have to visit the equator outside Quito.

A church on the equator.

The colorful interior of that church.

In the old city of Quito, the Basilica del Voto Nacional.

And the rose window of the Basilica del Voto Nacional.

One corner of the main square of Quito.

The folklore gift shops of Quito have beautifully colorful items for sale.

An, a few blocks away, there were dark storm clouds above, but no rain on my group.

Treats

 You can make a living selling treats for dogs?

Bank Door

 We often take for granted the ornate traditional details on the buildings we see every day.  This is the front door of a bank in Ridgefield's central business district. 

Originally Ridgefield Savings Bank, after a few mergers it became Fairfield County Bank in 2004.  Last year the retail bank at this location closed and retail operations moved into a newer building behind it.  The building from 1930 has undergone a sensitive renovation and now serves as an operations center.

"Bless this Garden"

 

A store along Main Street decorates a small plot in front of the store with gnomes, lambs and flowers.