You can see more in my GALLERY: Leaves and Nature Things.
¡Pura Vida!
Nature as Art
No Kings Protest in Costa Rica!
Thanks to my friend Steve for these photos! Today a bus load of 28 Democrat friends here in Atenas joined approximately 150 U.S. Expats living in Costa Rica to protest in front of the U.S. Embassy for the world-wide “No Kings Rally” against Donald Trump. I was not there because of old man health issues but pleased to share these photos that Steve published. I surely hope that the American people are waking up to the need to resist this very dangerous man and hopefully impeach him soon.
RESIST!
Perspectives of Garden Man
Just playing around with photos of the indigenous man statue in my garden with 5 different views . . .
His Singing Did It!
This Clay-colored Thrush, Yigüirro (my gallery link) was still singing after the rains started in April but they are here for sure now, almost every afternoon or evening, and he no longer needs to sing in the rain! 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Rounded Metalmark
He’s back! (And while the wind is still blowing!) As one of the most common tiny butterflies in my garden each year, maybe he is signaling the beginning of “butterfly season?” 🙂 The Rounded Metalmark, Calephelis perditalis (my gallery link) is only a little bigger than my thumbnail and yet is one of the most intricately-designed of all the butterflies. I even used a photo of one on my 2023 Christmas Card! 🙂
This one is the first of that species in my garden this year, but I expect there to be many more! 🙂 And a funny thing to me is that all my many photos of this species have come from my garden, not even one from another location in Costa Rica! But iNaturalist CR shows them all over, on both slopes, but with more in the hills and on the Pacific Slope for whatever reason.
¡Pura Vida!
¡Feliz Pascua! Happy Easter!
A few people in Costa Rica went to church every day this past Week, Semana Santa (Holy Week), with a special resurrection day spiritual emphasis each day. But factory and office workers across the country had the week off from work and with school out all week also, even more people in Costa Rica headed for the beaches or mountains, with all hotels filled and many beaches lined with camping tents, the only place to camp in Costa Rica safe from poisonous snakes. Easter Week & Christmas Week are the two biggest vacation & travel weeks for Ticos! Retail businesses and restaurants will usually be open part of the week, but traditionally everything is closed on Good Friday and Easter Sunday, though they are getting more Americanized here and thus more and more things are open those days too. 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
¡Feliz Pascua!
Happy Easter!
He is Risen!
Small Town Modern! A Bike Rack!
In this small, Latin American farming town (and somewhat Expat Retirement town), the young Ticos are having an impact on the future “look” of things which I think is symbolized in this modern bicycle rack at the new Banco Popular building here in Atenas, as it was earlier shown by the contemporary architecture of the remodeled Central Park and the contemporary new small houses being built here now with lots of glass. But I see the bike rack as the “symbol” and I was reminded of similar bike racks installed in Nashville in 2010 when I lived downtown there. (& that’s my bike in some of those photos!) 🙂 I don’t ride a bike here because the streets are so narrow that it would be too dangerous for this clumsy old man! Plus lots of steep hills! 🙂 But here, walking is just as good and healthy! 🙂
The two main banks in Costa Rica are Banco Nacional (my bank) and Banco de Costa Rica with the third, smaller national bank being Banco Popular that tries to compete by offering lower fees/rates for their services, making it “popular” with the young Ticos who, as the young everywhere, are challenged with the high cost of everything on their younger, lower incomes. And though it is two blocks further from the Central Park than their old location, it is their own building now and they built it next door to two popular young adult hangouts, a big gymnasium and a Foodmart, plus close to the Atenas public health clinic. Are we looking at the future?
¡Pura Vida!
Palm Sunday
Though I am surrounded by palms every day in Costa Rica, I smile as I think of my memories of children on Palm Sunday waving palm fronds during my years in The Gambia, as well as in the States and here in Costa Rica! And I rejoice with Christians everywhere on the remembrance of the triumphant entry of Jesus in Jerusalem before his crucifixion and long for His second coming as I believe his sadness for Jerusalem then would be many times more today.
They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! ~John 12:13 NIV
Guard of the Garden . . .
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Flame Vine
My Flame Vine is finally blooming, at least in spots. In the past it covered my back wall and bloomed in January, like everything is different this year! But even with fewer flowers and later, it is still one of my favorites! 🙂 “Flame Vine” is the most common English name, while in Costa Rica Spanish, it is called “Triquitraque” and the scientific name is “Pyrostegia venusta.” 🙂
¡Pura Vida!