Enjoyed high school kids this afternoon
Every Monday afternoon until early December George and I are helping a group of high school kids practice their English in preparation for their student exchange trip to Virginia in January. It is not easy for them just like Spanish is not easy for me. But practice is the most important thing about learning a language! Today I had them pull a household object or toy dollhouse furniture from a bag and explain what it is and say one sentence using the word, in English of course! Our focus today was the host home they would be staying in for two weeks.
I haven’t felt comfortable photographing them yet. Maybe next week I can share a photo of the group “Club conversacional inglés.”
 |
| Front Entrance to Liceo Atenas |
 |
| Kids walking home after school |
In the Garden This Morning
 |
| Some mornings start out cloudy, but usually not all day. Atenas, Costa Rica |
EXTRA TIDBITS ABOUT COSTA RICA
Teatro Nacional Celebrates 120 Years by Planning Renovation
And I personally will celebrate it by attending a special presentation of “Swan Lake” by the 72 person ballet of Havana, Cuba on October 15.
Read this interesting article on “The Origin of Name Costa Rica AND phrase Pura Vida.”
Chachalaca & Church
 |
| Gray-headed Chachalaca Flying over and into my treetops for breakfast today. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Central Catholic Church Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Central Catholic Church Atenas, Costa Rica |
Parroquia San Rafael Arcángel Atenas
https://www.parroquiasanrafaelatenas.com/
I walk by this beautiful, simple church building almost every day.
WEATHER: I doubt that it makes your news, but we have had some very heavy rains which is normal for late in the rainy season, but this year it has brought some serious flash flooding in parts of the Central Valley and the North Pacific with flooded homes, washed out roads and landslides. Atenas has not been affected. Most damage was in San Jose, Cartago, and parts of the North Pacific. As my photos show, nice weather here with afternoon or early evening showers. Just right for the gardens! Mejor clima del mundo! The best weather in the world! 🙂 Fortunate!
Good Morning World
 |
| Squirrel Cuckoo My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
Two mornings in a row for breakfast and he gave me a better pose this morning. Plus in only one shot did all 5 tail feathers show like this, so I’m particularly pleased with this one! It happened just as the fog lifted on a beautiful morning in Atenas!
And on my walk downtown today I got a shot of the church I’m pleased with, but I’m holding it for another day. It is so enjoyable to just walk through this tranquil little town every day! And I often stop in a little shop for a cup of coffee and a rollito de canela (cinnamon roll). This is living!
How encouraging to someone who lives here! (right click to change article to English)
A Cuckoo at Breakfast & World Travelers at Lunch
 |
| Squirrel Cuckoo Waiting on me in the Nance Tree when I went to the Terrace for Breakfast Atenas, Costa,Rica |
I have better shots of this cuckoo, but it is still nice to have one visit occasionally. 🙂
I had lunch today with Tom & Jess who are temporarily in Atenas as a part of their retirement plan to travel all around the world in their retirement, a month or two here and then on to the next interesting place. Sounds like fun! Click on their names above for their blog which is much more extensive about their retirement travels than my blog. And if you notice that they visited Zarcero in Costa Rica and don’t remember me reporting on it, you are right! But I plan a day trip there by bus soon! It’s a village famous for its beautiful church and topiary garden.
From here in November they go to Florida to catch a cruise ship that will drop them off in South America where they stay a while before Antarctica and then back to Africa again. They have an international health insurance policy and try to live simple lives in rent houses in every country they visit. They are renting a house in Roca Verde near me now.
They frequently use rent cars to give them more independence in seeing what they want to see. What they are doing seems more tiring and more expensive than my particular retirement plan, but a fun and exciting one. I do plan to visit other countries in Central and South America eventually and of course continue to explore Costa Rica! I visited every single Tennessee State Park before leaving there and plan to likewise visit all the National Parks in Costa Rica in time! It was good to visit with other world travelers that enjoys adventure as much as me! And even that is part of my retirement adventure of living in a coffee farming village in Costa Rica! 🙂
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
– Robert Frost
White Angled Sulphur Butterfly
 |
| White Angled Sulphur Butterfly In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| White Angled Sulphur Butterfly In My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This was difficult to identify. I photographed one in 2015 and was a little unsure then, but with my new Mexico butterfly book I am certain now and confirmed it on the internet. Different! 🙂
See my Butterflies Photo Gallery.
Un día tranquilo en el pueblo.
 |
| Un día tranquilo en el pueblo. — A quiet day in the village. Atenas, Costa Rica as seen from my hilltop walk this morning. |
Several of my Photo Galleries include images of Atenas:
Walking in Atenas (mostly flowers & trees)
Vistas (1st 3 sub galleries are of Atenas)
Atenas, Costa Rica (General, of buildings & people)
Costa Rica Birds & Other Wildlife include many photos made in Atenas!
Now that’s more info than you wanted, but hopefully it shows how complete my total Costa Rica Photo Gallery is as you drill down into different levels of galleries. It is true as named:
And in many ways my main website now as a retiree in Costa Rica. Check it out! It is what I like doing more than anything now, making interesting photos of different aspects of Costa Rica.
Nesting Material
 |
| Rufous-naped Wren Resting in a Cecropia (Guarumo) Tree With nesting material from a Nance Tree For the nest being built in my tallest palm tree. Atenas, Costa Rica |
And more birds in photo gallery: Costa Rica Birds (238 Species)
This particular wren is one of the most visible around my house and the most common one to fly inside my house as two did yesterday until I waved a towel for their exit.
¡Pura Vida!
Independence Day 2017
 |
| Lots of Bands! See more in the Photo Gallery |
 |
| Lots of Traditional Dancing! See more in the Photo Gallery |
 |
| Lots of Children! See more in the Photo Gallery |
It is my new approach to the blog, not putting 12 or more photos for one event, but rather linking to those many cool photos in my online gallery. You will especially enjoy some of the faces in this new photo gallery:
