Landscapes, breathtaking vista & Animals - What a ride!!

Surprising site along side of winding canyon road.

This is a pet pig just wandering
along the side of road as we enter
one of the mountain cities.

Beautiful vistas along the Cordilleras mountains.

A straight on side view of a terraced farm with the
home nestled on the terraces.

A small community area just along the roadside of the
curve along this steep mountain road.  A few more homes
just below these.   I am very impressed in the
areas where the electrical lines have been ran.
  Are not the
vistas of clouds and mountain tops breathtaking?

New piglets at the Tarlac
Farm site.   4 sows and 35 adorable
little black piggies.

A family raising Turkeys in their front yard.   Random Chickens
are a much more common site in any of the communities,
but the turkey is still holding a presence here.    Turkey meat
is a premium. though.

This is "Fun-Boy" (the Caribow) bringing his master in after
working in the rice and corn fields.

I made Tharon stop and take this
picture.  I knew that bags did not
grow on trees ... had to figure out what
was going on here.

The little bags are tied around the MANGO fruit so the birds
do not damage the crop.  These are the premium grade of Mango
that are exported to the States.  You can see the smaller fruit
between the two bags.      Can you imagine the effort the farmer
must take to tie these bags around each fruit?

Both Tharon and I are amazed at the cloud formations here in the Philippines.  We love the
'shapes' we find in them .... and marvel at the absolute 'billowyness' of them.

We have shared photos of many of the
shanty shack homes that many
Filipinos live in .... but wanted you
to see that there are nice houses also.

Actually, there are many nice houses
in more developed areas.  I will try to snap a
photo or two of some of the beautiful colors and
designs that we see on our journeys.

Grazing time after a hard worked day.
These amazingly strong, yet gentle, beasts
are used through-out the
Philippine Islands.  

A random family of goats that were intent on watching to see
what we were up to.    We are happy to see many of the farms that have
small herds of goats grazing on their land.  

A cute little house along the side of
the roadway.  Those that can afford
the paint will decorate up their homes
in beautiful colors and schemes.  Many of
the yards are filled with potted tropical
plants .... looks like a plant nursery.

Just wanted to share a beautiful flower with each of you.  The
flora is beautiful in this country.

Here is my little friend (I call him Ricky)
back at the Tarlac farm.   We go there to monitor
 the Member Welfare project, and this trip we
made the payment on the FeedMill that will
allow the members to produce the pig food for
their piggery.    This has also opened up a new
opportunity for the members and fellow citizens
in this area.   The Philippine Government has
approved a Grant to allow this Co-op to enter
into the business of 'feed lot' for beef cattle.  This
will now allow the employment of more of the
community and assist them in becoming more
self-sufficient.    Great Project!

Yup! Cows and dogs are forever found along the most
random places of the roadway.  This was an early morning
shot before the traffic was getting heavy on one of our
mountain journeys.

We love the palm/coconut trees that
are found randomly along our
journeys.    This photo also captures the clouds
as they float amidst the mountain tops.

This is along the same mountain range as the Famous Banaue Terraces
in central Luzon.  You cannot fathom the grades of the mountains that
many of these terraced farms are found.   They are a testament of
years of hard, loving work that allows these resilient people to be able to farm their land and produce for themselves as well as provide for
 their communities.  

As witnessed in this photo, it is not just rice crops on these terraces, but they have incorporated this method of
farming for vegetable and other grain crops.  The water is plentiful and the rain continuously blesses this land.

Here you see one of the small villages that dots these mountain ranges.
Chances are that only 2 or 3 of these households have much of an income, and yet they work
side-by-side to work their personal farms and to assist in the community strength.   They know each
other, they look out for each other .   They cry with each other, and laugh in celebration with each
other.  The Barangays (neighborhoods) are tight communities.

  This is a beautiful country, full of breathtaking vistas, rugged mountain ranges, sand filled beaches, terraced farms, miles and miles of rice farms.      The people here are kind, God-trusting, resilient souls who make the best of whatever their situation is.   We see the poverty and the needs and want .... but we also see the souls refined by the focus of 'what is truly important' and 'deep respect for others'.          The Church here continues to blossom  because these humble souls recognize the truth when they hear it.   They faithfully pay their 'widow's mite' and trust that the Lord will grant the blessings that He has promised.         We love being with the Saints.  It is an honor to serve among them and to be strengthened by their firm testimonies and convictions.