Category: Atenas

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Hogar de Vida 23rd Birthday Today

And I can’t show children’s faces online which is the most beautiful part, but here’s the event!

We sang happy birthday to Hogar – in Spanish of course! 

New shirts for special occasions!

The back of the shirts. The toddlers had orange shirts with animals on them, but no good photo without faces. 

I think I’m safe on the faces here! 

Helen arranged everything AND served the cake! 

This is a very special place and I am now on the board of directors thought they call it something else.
And will be volunteering on the grounds occasionally when not traveling!  🙂 

It is very easy to make a donation to Hogar de Vida home for abused and neglected children, simply go to this website and make either a one-time donation or schedule a monthly gift:


And you can select the Costa Rica or the Guatemala home as you prefer. 
¡Pura Vida!
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West Indian Buckeye

West Indian Buckeye Butterfly
My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
I am glad that we are getting a lot more butterflies now! I had forgotten that it was mainly in June & July that the butterflies were numerous. I have a bad photo of one of these West Indian Buckeys, but this is my first good photo that shows the beauty of its coloration and design.

PREPARING NEW WEBSITE/BLOG AT WORDPRESS

I will be working on my new website at charliedoggett.net for a long time it seems, though my phone appointment with a specialist Tuesday may move me forward a little quicker. That may be when I move this blogger.com blog into WordPress. We will see. I have started a practice blog in WordPress, but it will not be the main one until they are merged there. The merging is suppose to include moving my subscriptions, but I never totally trust computers or programmers, so be prepared to sign up again if necessary!
Then I will consider moving my photo gallery into the same website so everything is together.  ¡Poco a poco! Little by little!
¡Pura Vida!
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Atenas Central Park to be Remodeled

Modern, open, bright, and a better performance venue in the center.
See 16 photos of proposal. 

They do not give a completion date but possibly sometime in 2018. It will be the most modern thing in town. Now if La Coopetransatenas will build a new modern bus station, we will be THE PUEBLO!
¡PURA VIDA!
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Watching Rain

I still can’t capture it raining in my camera, even with fast shutter speed, and slow is blurry. Oh well.
Believe me it is raining above and you can tell that the distant mountains are grayed over by rain.
From my deck for a late lunch, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica 

Leaves up close are obviously wet, but you still can’t see the rain falling.
We call the rainy season “Green Season” because everything is greener.
It is my favorite time of the year! And most days it only rains 1 to 3 hours in afternoon or evening.
Atenas, Costa Rica
For photos from all over Costa Rica, see my gallery 
Just don’t expect to see it raining in any of the photos!  🙂




¡Pura Vida!
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The Making of a Bridge

First, to get over that stream, install two very large concrete culverts or pipes for the water. to go through.
Cover with gravel and dirt. This is a lot less trouble than anchoring a big steel bridge over the water!
Atenas, Costa Rica

Well, then you need concrete walls on each side to hold the dirt in!
At least another 2 or 3 months time.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And well, the wall needs to be high enough to keep pedestrians from falling in the stream.
Allowing enough room for a sidewalk on each side of the road!
Atenas, Costa Rica

After about 6 months it looks like you might actually extend this street over the stream!
I have been walking by this construction for what seems like forever!
Atenas, Costa Rica

With the wall nearly done, we need more dirt and gravel.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And Suddenly One Day! I come across a paved street, concrete gutter and concrete sidewalk on both sides!
Now why was I so impatient? See! It is beautiful and very useful! Our city at work!
Atenas, Costa Rica
My photo galleries of Atenas and Atenas is most of the gallery People & Fiestas.


CONSIDERING A MOVE TO COSTA RICA?
Then you will benefit from this article:  
¡Pura Vida!
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Nature, Like Steeples, Pointing to God

Buds of the about to bloom Gardenias in Central Park Atenas
Seem to be pointing to God like the nearby steeple
Atenas, Costa Rica

As every walk by the Atenas Catholic Church
Also reminds me of God! Both steeple & palm trees!
Atenas, Costa Rica

And my regular trips to Alajuela (one yesterday)
include walking by the Cathedral, a reminder of God
Even the tall evergreen pointing high toward God!
Alajuela, Costa Rica
Nature is my manifestation of God. 
I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day’s work. 
I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain. 
~Frank Lloyd Wright
Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you. 
~Frank Lloyd Wright
The heavens declare the glory of God; 
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
~Psalm 19:1
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One of my bedtime “monsters”

A furry spider? Will the gecko eat this? I leave most insects alone for the geckos.
Atenas, Costa Rica

See other interesting “monsters” in my gallery called Other Insects  (all not butterflies)

Or the broader selection of “monsters” in gallery called Other Wildlife  (all not birds)

¡Pura Vida!
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Selling Hot Dogs in Costa Rica

About the same way Oscar Meyer does in the states:

A weiner character at the Supermercado attracts a lot of attention & lots of families have hot dogs this week!
La Coope Supermercado, Atenas, Costa Rica

And having a bouncy house doesn’t hurt sales either!
Marketing through children seems to be world-wide!
La Coope Supermercado, Atenas, Costa Rica

See more of my photos of Atenas in those linked galleries or better yet in People & Fiestas!  And if you like the Vistas from here, 4 of those linked galleries include Atenas vistas. 

And a Canadian Research just shows why people are happier living in small towns!  (Well, at least Canadians? But I’m thinking it is pretty much universal.)

I continue to be pleased with my “Costa Rica Decision Process” (the original name of this blog) that led me to retire in this charming small town in Central Costa Rica. I love it here and that along with the decision to not own a car in my latter years means walking a few miles every day and absorbing the tranquility of this little coffee farming town. (Driving through is not the same!) I regularly thank God for blessing me in my senior years. And for the tropical paradises nearby that I can visit every month for colorful birds and much more!

Retired in Costa Rica
¡Pura Vida!