Category: Atenas

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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!
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Clean Water – A Growing Problem Worldwide & Now In Atenas!

The city is now installing these emergency water tanks around town
for when the water system is down (often), water will be closer at hand for families.
As opposed to waiting for the water truck to come by for your water needs.
And the rapid turnover of local politicians continues as a “real fix” is still not provided! Just promised!
Atenas, Costa Rica

And this is how persons got water in past when the taps aren’t working.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And yes, this “rich” gringo lives in a housing development with our own water system that is virtually never down and on top of that my richer landlord has his own well and pump just for our 3 houses on this property, meaning we always have good water. Many locals might say “Not fair!” And life continues to prove itself not fair. And the politicians continue to promise to do better! Yeah! Right!

THE PEOPLE OF ATENAS ARE PROTESTING WITH SIGNS ON THEIR HOUSES
Here are just 3 of the protest signs trying to get politicians to do something:

“ATENAS IS THIRSTY”
Spray-painted on an outside wall of one of the high schools.
Atenas, Costa Rica

“Water is a right, not a luxury.”
On a home fence in my side of town. 
Atenas, Costa Rica

“Atenas needs water.
Atenas united by the right to water.
A whole town is protesting.
I say: Present! 
On another home on my side of town. There are many more! 
Atenas, Costa Rica

For many of us, clean water is so plentiful and readily available that we rarely, if ever, pause to consider what life would be like without it. 

~Marcus Samuelsson
Water is life!

Pray for a working water system in Atenas.
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Day of the Book

This was April 27 and I missed posting because computer was down.
See or download these and a couple of more photos at my Day of the Book Photo Gallery
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

2018 Day of the Book
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

2018 Day of the Book
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

2018 Day of the Book
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

2018 Day of the Book
Atenas, Costa Rica

 

2018 Day of the Book
Atenas, Costa Rica

Tomorrow I leave for Arenal Observatory Lodge for 5 nights and I hope a lot of bird photos!  🙂

It is the red #5 on the map below or northwest of Atenas in north central Costa Rica. I will be inside the National Park in a forest at the base of the volcano with great views of it and Lake Arenal, considered one of the best windsurfing lakes in the world. A great week expected! (But not windsurfing!)   🙂
Map of planned trips for this year through February 2019
Clicking on image will make it a little bigger for easier reading.
There is so much to see and so many birds to photograph that it is hard to work them all in!   🙂
¡Pura Vida!
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Atenas for the rights of children and adolescents . . .

New Sign in Central Park  (UNICEF Project)
Translation:
Atenas: In our canton we work together for the rights of children and adolescents.
Note that Canton is like a County in the states. We are both the town & county of Atenas.
We are in the Province of Alajuela which is like a state to folks in the U.S.
Atenas, Costa Rica

And today something was happening in the park with school children, but I never found out what.
Atenas, Costa Rica
ATENAS
“Mejor Clima del Mundo”
“The best weather in the world”
¡Pura Vida!