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Tarcoles River Today – First 7 Birds

This morning I got to go to Tarcoles River again with new friends John & Kit Loesche. But I have only had time to process first 7 bird photos. More coming tomorrow and maybe another day!

Ferruginous Pygmy-Owl
My favorite and closest I have been to this species.
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Green Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Osprey

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Mangrove Swallow

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Snowy Egret

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Bare-throated Tiger-Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica

Little Blue Heron

Tarcoles River, Costa Rica
None of these were new species for me, but the pygmy-owl was the big treat and closest I have been to the two I have seen. Closeness makes a better photo even though he was in the shadows (another bird photography difficulty. We saw him off the parking lot of the boat facility we used, Jungle Crocodile Safari, my favorite because they emphasis the birds rather than the crocs and don’t feed the animals like some of the other tours do.
¡Pura Vida!


See also my BIRDS Photo Gallery
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Sleet or Hail – In Costa Rica !?

Sleet or Hail !
The fact that it was raining a second afternoon in a row is amazing in February!
But ICE is unheard of in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, at any time! (only at tops of a few high mountains)
I increased the contrast of photo a little – all the white spots are bits of ice – sleet or hail. (cell phone photo)
Ticos were trying to photograph something they had never seen before! It melted fast!
Atenas, Costa Rica

Okay, so you have had some strange weather in the states too! Weather seems to be out of the ordinary everywhere in the world now. And there are still people who don’t believe in climate change or global warming. Wow! Saturday and Sunday afternoon were the first two rains we have had in this calendar year, unusual even without the ice! It is Dry Season here! Shocked tourists?

I was eating a late lunch of fish at Colinas del Sol Hotel Restaurant near my house when it started raining with the first minute or so including ice. Above shot on concrete sidewalk outside restaurant.
¡Pura Vida!


5.2 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Costa Rica This Monday Morning  This was way down south where I will be in two weeks, near Puerto Jimenez and Corcovado National Park. We did have a smaller tremor in Atenas Saturday which strangely I did not feel but “heard!” Mejor clima del mundo?  🙂


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Walking Over my “Jungle Hill” This Morning

I love walking by the gardens of my neighbors
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Lots of flowers are always blooming, like this Bougainvillea
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica 

This morning a toucan flew into that top tree
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

I got as close as I could and zoomed in with only my cell phone camera
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
Yellow-throated Toucan
I then cropped in further at home and mainly have just a silhouette, oh well.
My 300mm lens would have done better, but always hard as they usually stay high in the trees.
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

A view of central Atenas from above a different house than I’ve shown before (125).
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

And another neighbor house on top of hill I don’t think I’ve shown before.
Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
Before I moved to Costa Rica, I said that I would never live in a rich gated community, so I need to be careful about using that word “never” since after 4 months of searching for a rental house I could afford that also met my needs, this is where I found it! And since most of these big mansions have “casitas” (“little houses” like mine) that they rent out or use for “mother-in-law cottages” or servants, I am certainly not alone living among the rich as a renter and 40% of the owners here are Ticos, so not just all foreigners. Plus it is the only really nice development like this within easy walking distance of Central Atenas; in fact most realtors say Roca Verde is in “Central Atenas” (loosely defined). 
With the Atenas public water system having many shutdown problems and unfulfilled promises from politicians, we are fortunate to have our own water system within Roca Verde that is almost never down, and if that is not enough, my landlord has his own private well and pump right here on our lot!  🙂  That is a bigger deal here than it may sound! I always have good water and good pressure. 
My landlord is one of the best and even though he has this property for sale, it hasn’t sold yet and that can take years here! A German man visited 2 days ago as a prospective buyer and assured me I could continue renting at the same price if he becomes my new landlord. I am not worried. My landlord, Jean-Luc, was also the developer of all of Roca Verde and with his partner in charge of the development maintenance, etc. until this year when a new homeowners’ association took over and they seem to be doing a good job so far and have even increased the security of the property. If you drive in the front gate to visit me, expect to show your ID and have your trunk inspected upon leaving and they may even call me to verify that you are really coming to see me. Interesting. 
I think I have already shared reasons for choosing the “Central Valley” as my place to live, like medical and shopping proximity, plus from here I can easily travel on my many adventures to parks and forests all over Costa Rica and further into Central America. And it will be easy to expand my travels into South America later. As “the next best place to heaven,” Costa Rica is the perfect place for me to live the final years of my life before the real heaven. ¡Perfecto!


¡Pura Vida!

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The Great Kiskadee Sings in a Good Rain!

Great Kiskadee
He was singling loudly on the edge of my terrace today before the rain started.
Sorry that it was shot through both glass and screen of my sliding glass door.
When I opened it, he flew away!
He sang his loudest just before we got a very unusual big February rain!
Atenas, Costa Rica
To hear what his song sounds like (hint: his name), click on the below reference and a button there that says “Listen” to hear him sing: 
And see more in my photo gallery BIRDS
¡Pura Vida!

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The Allure of Beaches

A Sample of My Beach Photos and Why I Don’t Live on a Beach . . .
My Beachside Hammock View
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

Flying Over Many Beautiful Beaches
Tambor Bay, Costa Rica

Manuel Antonio Park Beach
Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica

Corcovado South Beach
Corcovado National Park, Carate, Costa Rica

Hermosa Beach
Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Manzanillo Beach
South Caribbean, Costa Rica

Surfer
Manuel Antonio Public Beach, Costa Rica

Barefoot Beach Soccer
Manzanillo Beach, Costa Rica

Sunrise
Hotel Banana Azul, Puerto Viejo, Caribe South, Costa Rica

Ohhhhhh, this was difficult to choose, even as samples! There is that camping on the beach shot or the birders hiking up Corcovado Beach I wanted to include, and those horses in the evening fog along another beach, and the long slim Flamingo Beach or the couple picnicking under a tree on a beach! Though I do not swim in the ocean (I consider it dirty) and don’t surf or even boat much, I love to go to the beach and the photo ops are simply unlimited! I love photographing beaches!

Because it is hot and humid most of the time on the beach and the cost of living higher than Central Valley where I live, I am not likely to move to the beach, though never say “never!” Also most of the best medical services are in the Central Valley which is important for an old man!  🙂

But I will continue to make visits to both coasts as I just did for Christmas at Tambor Bay on the Pacific. This June I will be on an island in the Caribbean of Panama at Boca del Toro. In September I do a repeat stay at Banana Azul Hotel in Puerto Viejo, South Caribbean, and for Christmas this year I will spend a week at Si Como No Resort & Wildlife Refuge on the Pacific Coast at Manuel Antonio. Most of my in-between trips are to the mountains which I love equally well but find too cold much of the time for living, thus between trips I live in the perfect weather of 70’s farenheit in the central valley, the best of all worlds!

My two beaches photo galleries:  Caribbean Beaches  and  Pacific Beaches

-o- 

FOR YOU BEACH LOVERS (Read The Costa Rica Star newspaper articles):

One Costa Rican Beach Ranks Among Top 25 Beaches in the World
This is a little-known, seldom visited beach in our South Caribbean near Manzanillo where I have stayed, Punta Uva. It doesn’t get the attention (or advertising that Manuel Antonio or Guanacaste beaches, but I loved the beautiful nearby Manzanillo Beach and will try Punta Uva eventually.

As with most of the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, the hotels at Punta Uva are small and basic in the midst of nature.   (NOTE: This ranking of beaches is done each year by TripAdvisor based mostly on tourist rankings and certainly not scientific! Last year they included our Manuel Antonio Beach on this list.) Someday I will try visiting this beach,

Planet Hollywood Beach Resort to Open in Costa Rica Fall of 2018

This will be one of those all-inclusive expensive resorts where they entice you to never leave their hotel property and all activities are available says Travel Weekly magazine. It will be like some of the other all-inclusive Marriott’s, Hilton’s, and Barcelo’s in Costa Rica, with the theme of movies and movie stars whom they entice to visit there (part owners). More like going to Disney World! And another way American big businesses are making money off Costa Rica. And what some Americans want here!

We already have some Hard Rock Cafes here and I they are opening a beach hotel in Guanacaste sometime this year. These kinds of hotels are mostly on the northwest coast of Costa Rica in the Guanacaste desert or driest part of the country where you have to go further from the beach to see much else. A lot of Californians come down to stay on the beaches, flying into Liberia.

There is even talk of a big amusement park and there is already an automatron dinosaur park near Liberia. It is not my favorite part of the country, though there are still some more national parks I want to see in that area.

¡Pura Vida!


And Celebrate with Me! My Income Tax was filed & accepted today! Paid in full. 

Though it is disgusting how much tax I have to pay for no services from the states other than my SS Check (my money) and the Embassy here that I no longer need now that I’m a resident. And it is embarrassing to admit that I am a U.S. citizen as the whole world laughs at a country that would elect Trump and the NRA-owned Republicans while the most violent gun-toting country in the world watches it’s citizens kill off each other while demanding billions of dollars more for a bigger army to go kill people in other countries. How sad! 

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Orosi/Tapantí Trip Book

Click to See Free Preview Online

This was not my most exciting trip nor favorite lodging, but I got 10 new species of birds photographed on this trip, so a big deal! Sometime in the future I will return for 3 or 4 days birding at El Copal when I can get a reservation in their lodge. The two oldest churches here are enough reason for a visit or the spectacular miradors or vistas! That’s if you are not interested in birding.  🙂

I also discovered one really good restaurant with a hotel attached or visa versa, “Tapantí Media” on the highway going out of Orosi toward Tapantí National Park. It is a first class Italian Restaurant with excellent pizzas and pastas and much more plus great service. It will be my hotel next time I need to stay in Orosi. The B&B was simply too far from restaurants and the 3 big dogs and 2 cats are not my cup of tea! Nor the do-it-yourself breakfast. I’m now spoiled to full-service hotels. 
The bus trip there was easy even if it did take 3 buses and more than 3 hours! Atenas to San Jose to Cartago to Orosi. As a senior adult 2 of the buses were free and one cost only 500 colones or about 75¢. Not bad!  🙂  One of the perks of being old here!
¡Pura Vida!
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Aloe Vera Blooming?

Aloe Vera with Bloom
My Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

This particular aloe plant was one of only 2 or 3 plants in my garden when I moved into this house 3 years ago this April. When I planted my big garden I moved this into a big pot, first on my terrace and then here at the end of the sidewalk of my wrap-around garden, the punctuation mark if you please! First the pot was here, then it outgrew the pot and I placed it in the ground and so maybe that is why it is blooming; it likes the ground better than a pot? Or it drains better and they do prefer dry soil. Anyway, I thought this was interesting because I have had aloe plants most of my adult life in TX, TN & FL and this is the first I have seen bloom! Reminds me of a cactus bloom and it may be a type of cactus. Of course it is also important to me as part of my medicine cabinet, my source of treatment of all burns, both physical and sunburn. There is nothing better on the market! And I have another aloe plant not quite this big, plus this one is growing babies! Stop by for a baby aloe!


an interesting article in

Joy Us garden

garden. create. make the world a more beautiful place.

¡Pura Vida!



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Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler Migrant Male
In my Garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

Yellow Warbler Migrant Male
In my Garden
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Yellow Warbler is common here, both the migrant from the states and Canada and our own Resident Yellow Warbler with the female being identical but the resident male having a rufous or rust-colored head making him quite unique. See him on Tarcoles River at:  
Or a larger image of one made in Nicaragua at: 
Or all my Costa Rica gallery Yellow Warblers beginning with this other image from my garden and use right arrow to see about 3 or 4 other Yellow Warbler images.  
“the time of the singing of birds is come”
Song of Solomon 2:12
-o-

NATIONAL MULES FESTIVAL

When I lived in Tennessee I marveled at nearby Columbia, TN Mule Day as probably the only place in the world to celebrate the mule. Well, I just learned that Costa Rica has one too!  🙂
is every year in February in Parrita, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
I don’t plan to go, but it is interesting!
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SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ – “I WON’T REST”

Cirque du Soleil
It is impossible for a cell phone on the back row to capture all the mind-blowing visuals, acrobatics, music
Just a hint here!

One outside sign seen as we were leaving.

Cirque du Soleil took a week or more to install the huge theater tent, with Porta-Potties outside.

Of course we entered through a smaller tent with plenty for sale to eat, drink, or remember your experience!

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ

Like Cirque du Soleil has done in the states with Elvis, The Beatles, and Michael Jackson, they have here developed a documentary/remembrance music/acrobat show about the greatest of Latin American Rock Bands in the 80’s and 90’s, Soda Stereo in Argentina. Since most Americans and other foreigners cannot possibly understand the significance to Latin Americans, an excellent description in English is provided by Cirque du Soleil in their FASCINATION NEWSLETTER.  In short, it is about a young man who thirsts for meaning and social justice and dreams of a better world, feels trapped. When he plugs into the music of Soda Stereo, he is whisked away to an inner world and is set free. Most adult Ticos here know the significance and know the songs, singing along with the performances. Moving and powerful!

For official photos and great videos of the performance see the Cirque du Soleil Website. 
And of course I have a TRIP Photo Gallery: SEP7IMO DIA – NO DESCANSARÉ
¡Pura Vida!

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Churches in Orosi Area

Paraíso Parroquia Nuestra Señora de la Limpia Concepción del Rescate de Ujarrás
Paraiso, Costa Rica

Iglesia de Loaiza de Cachi 
Cachi, Costa Rica

Iglesia de Cachi
Cachi, Costa Rica

Iglesia Catolica Palomo de Orosi
Orosi, Costa Rica

Iglesia de San José de Orosi  (1767)
Orosi, Costa Rica

Steeple of Iglesia de San José de Orosi  (1767)
Orosi, Costa Rica

The Oldest Church Building in Costa Rica, built 1580 – A National Historic Park
Las Ruinas de Ujarrás, Costa Rica
I sought to hear the voice of God and climbed the topmost steeple, 
but God declared: “Go down again – I dwell among the people.

~John Henry Newman
See all of my Orosi Trip photos in the TRIP Gallery: 2018-February 6-10–Orosi/Tapanti

Or my gallery Churches – Costa Rica          

The above is my last post from the Orosi trip.  
And a month before the next trip!  🙂  

                                                                            -o-


I’m not a big fan of Nadine, the Happier than a Billionaire younger girl and her husband who moved here about a year before me and her making money off books about living here, but she has some interesting posts!. The above link is to her latest blog post and a “free” chapter from her next book. It is about “dawn” and includes a beautiful (if oversaturated) photo of a sunrise. Someone considering a move here might enjoy her blogs and website and even the books that are somewhat humorous tales of the couple adjusting to pura vida, changing locations, building a house, etc. 

-o-
THE TRUMP OF COSTA RICA? SAD!
It is getting harder for us Democrats to get away from Trump in Costa Rica!  🙂   The leading candidate for President here is another hateful Trump-type person, with his main platform being Anti-Gay Marriage and he is an Evangelical revival preacher! Sad! 
Political Cartoon in one Online English Newspaper

Sad because Christianity (especially evangelicals) already has the reputation of being bigoted people who hate other people who are different from them. I believe that attitude along with Trump and the horrible Republican Party is destroying the United States from the inside now, with obvious help from Russia! 

And yes, I hold NRA-financed Republicans responsible for the school shootings because of their continued refusal to pass basic gun controls and gladly allow a teenager to walk into a gun store and buy a military machine gun (unlike any other developed country in the world). The U.S, is the most violent and dangerous of all the developed countries in the world. No where in the world are people daily in danger of gun violence like in the states, and it continues to get worse. There are more legally owned guns in the states now than there are people! That is scary!
Nor are the immigration rules and attitudes as bad anywhere as in the states. Republicans will have a lot to answer for to God on judgement day! The U.S. is a very broken nation! Sad! Sad! Sad!