Author: Charlie

Retired American nature-lover, living in Costa Rica, photographing birds and other jewels of nature. This site simply reports on my joys of being RETIRED IN COSTA RICA!
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A Pleasant Evening in Atenas, Costa Rica!

Overlooking my house on a cloudy sunset around 5:15.
 “And all is well on the western front!”  🙂
Yep, the sun shines from between 5 & 5:30 AM to the same in PM
Every day, year around – 12 hours of dark & 12 hours of light! Nice!
That’s because we are close to the equator. Same sunrise/sunset daily.

And to my fellow Americans, forgive me for saying I was ashamed last night. The election did not go the way I thought was best, but God just may have something much better in store for us! So today I posted on Facebook the following quote and Scripture verse that better reflects my faith:

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.
So we will not fear when earthquakes come and
the mountains crumble into the sea.” Psalm 41:1
¡Pura Vida!

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Embarrassing to be an American

You guys who live in the states need to be aware that it is not easy to explain to people in or from other countries why America does stupid things like elect Donald Trump President. Today (day after the election) I have had questions like “What’s wrong with your country?” or “¿Por qué Trump? Está loco.” (Why Trump? He is crazy.) or “I hope you did not vote for Trump!” “What will happen to your country?”

One Tico friend sent me a cartoon drawing with the quote “We survived Bush and we will survive Trump too.” I do hope you guys in the states do survive Trump, and that you are prepared with some answers when you travel to other countries, especially Hispanic or Muslim countries. I will resist the temptation to rage about your right-wing politics & religion, but I am so glad I no longer live there! Blessings on you who do! “And this too shall pass!”

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Last of My Biography Books

I have finally finished condensing many years of scrapbooks into 4 printed books. I also did a photo of each page of each original scrapbook. The original scrapbooks are all destroyed and I’m rid of about 30 boxes. My goal of simplifying life to little or no “stuff” has mostly been reached. Of course some stuff is needed and a few things you just want. But wow! It is a great feeling to not be loaded with so much stuff collected over a lifetime and now no one has to go through it when I die. 🙂 This last book is about 2006 to 2014 when I moved to Costa Rica:

Front cover
You can thumb through book online.

PHOTO BIOGRAPHY VOLUME 4 (2006-2014):
http://www.blurb.com/b/7466001-never-too-late-to-change-a-metamorphosis-scrapbook

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A Couple of Repeat Birds

Hoffman’s Woodpecker Female
In my garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
A little better photo than one posted the other day.

White-Ringed Flycatcher
In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

White-Ringed Flycatcher
In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

And my BIRDS GALLERY online

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Blue-crowned Motmot

Blue-crowned Motmot
In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Blue-crowned Motmot
In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

The other day I told about missing a photo of a motmot, well at breakfast today I got one. Not my best shot with the cool tail partially hidden, but okay to be behind some leaves. 

See also my BIRDS PHOTO GALLERY 

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Do Overseas U.S. Citizens Vote?

I have already told you that I voted in an earlier post. But do other adult U.S. Citizens living overseas vote? Not very many! It is as bad or worse than the voting record of those living in the states. Here is an official U.S. Government voting statistics report with cool graphs showing how many and who votes of the 5.7 million total Americans living overseas (counting children): 

2.6 million are of voting age (18+) and most of those are not even registered to vote. Meaning that in 2014 only 4% of that 2.6 million voted! Shameful! But of the ones who are registered to vote (like me) we have a better record than many states or cities within the U.S. with 57% voting! These stats are based on the 2014 election and not necessarily what will happen this year. And it is now too late to vote absentee from Costa Rica. 
There are a lot of other interesting facts shown in the colorful graphs, so follow the above link to see more. 
Costa Rica has the 8th largest group of U.S. Expats. And San Jose, Costa Rica has the 6th largest group of U.S. expats of any city, with 3 of those 6 in Canada; meaning only Tel Aviv and London have more American citizens than San Jose (outside Canada). Interesting! And Costa Rica had the 8th largest turnout of expat voting in 2014.