This year was unlike any other in my life, not only because of the Covid 19 Virus Pandemic, vaccines, mask-wearing, hand-washing, and social distancing everywhere, but even more so as my year of major cancer surgery and radiation treatments. Yet through it all I managed to keep nature central to my life most of the time and even make a few photo trips.
I will not try to do a photo-a-month but rather 12 favorite photos depicting major life events, trips, and different types of nature starting with the 2 wonderful trips before the cancer surgery in March. The links in the photo captions are to my photo trip galleries for those events. I even have a gallery for radiation therapy (not one for surgery) and include surgery in my cancer journal and the combined photo book on my cancer adventure. 🙂 And the featured image at top is a Tiger Heliconian Butterfly on a “Hot Lips” Flower on my just completed Christmas trip to Uvita. 🙂
Resplendent Quetzal from January trip to San Gerardo de Dota & Hotel Savegre (gallery link).Catarata Rio Agrio Waterfall in February from El Silencio Lodge, Bajos del Toro, Alajuela, Costa Rica.No photos of March Cancer Surgery but above is where I had April-June Radiation Treatments in the private clinic Siglo XXI Radioterapia (gallery link). That was before I lost 25 pounds! I have less belly now! 🙂During Radiotherapy, April to June, I stayed at Best Western Plus San Jose & got this Yigüirro Family Photo. 🙂Because the left facial nerve was removed in surgery, my left eye will not blink & I cover it most of day to keep it from drying out and burning/hurting. I also have to put in eye drops 3+ times a day. My garden & this terrace view replaced most of my usual trip vistas all year. 🙂 See My Home Gardens Gallery.
And walking this neighborhood roads replaced national park trails, above shot made in November! And I have a gallery for this particular walk that I call “Country Lane” or another country road gallery is called “Calle Nueva” and then a third gallery of just “Walking in Atenas!” 🙂
Endangered Squirrel Monkey on my first post-cancer trip, the last week ofJuly to Bosque del Cabo, Osa Peninsula. It was too early after radiation, I was too weak, but still had fun with limited activities. 🙂In September my annual trip to Banana Azul Caribe where I stayed in hotel gardens and on beach! No tours! 🙂In October I finally replaced my broken pottery garden art bird with this concrete indigenous man. See My Home Gardens Gallery.This year’s bird photos were mostly at home, like this Blue Grosbeak female, a “lifer” for me in November. See all of my Costa Rica Birds Gallery, with more photographed at home than any other single location! 🙂
I concluded this year with a December flight over our central mountains (above) to Uvita on our southwest Pacific Coast with photos of a whale, dolphins, and more than 20 bird species! Nice! See the 2021 Uvita Photo Gallery and the feature photo is from this trip. 🙂 And then for you “Airplane Buffs,” I’ve combined a few selected shots like above in my Airplane Shots Gallery. 🙂
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
¡Pura Vida!
Tomorrow I will tell you about my trips planned for the new year 2022! Fewer than usual, but all good and two totally new locations for me! 🙂
Thanks for sharing your life and photos this year. Hope that 2022 is a good (and healthy) year for you.
¡Muchas gracias Mary!
Charlie!!! You have a wonderful attitude!!! I love your story and your travels and ALL of your photo’s! Thank you so very much!
xoxo
Thanks Gordona! I am really a very fortunate person in many ways! Especially to get to live out my life in Costa Rica! Pura vida!