Category: Culture

Posted on

Playground “Foundation” in Park Renovation

One day they were digging a hole where the playground equipment will go and then another adding big rocks. I thought to myself that the rocks were to help with water drainage underneath dirt they will put on top of them. Then another surprise! They put gravel over the rocks which will help even more with the water drainage, but children playing on gravel? Well, it seems to be a very fine gravel which will not hurt the child who falls on it and of course grass could never grow on an active playground! So it is looking good and hopefully my next update will be photos of the playground equipment. I’m expecting something contemporary and hopefully it will not be concrete like everything else built so far! 🙂 Here’s three progressive photos for this report . . .

A hole filled with rocks for drainage in Playground Area of new Atenas Central Park.
Continue reading “Playground “Foundation” in Park Renovation”
Posted on

Cow Portrait

This morning walking back from the public clinic where I got my free latest Covid booster shot and prescriptions (the public healthcare is simply great here!), I was struck by the interesting face of one of the Brahma Cows in the pasture across the street from my house, snapping this shot on my cellphone! 🙂

Brahma Cow across the street from my house, Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica.

“Even a cow creates ambiguous signifiers.

The moo of mystery.”

~kidadl.com

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

When not raining . . .

. . . it is the greenest time of the year during our “Rainy Season,” May-November in the Central Valley of Costa Rica or most of the middle of the country with rain every afternoon for 2 to 4 hours. While the Rainforests along both coasts have rain year around and are always very green and likewise the Cloud Forests high in the mountains. By the middle of December the rain will taper off to nada where I live and we will see no more rain until next May (and I have to water the garden). Though I will travel some to places where it does rain! 🙂

The Green Hills of Atenas, Central Valley of Costa Rica, yesterday before the rain – seen from my terrace.

“Green is the fresh emblem of well founded hopes.

~Mary Webb

¡Pura Vida!

See more in my Costa Rica Vistas GALLERY.

Posted on

An October Day in Garden

There’s always more that butterflies to photograph in my garden, so take a walk with me through my Costa Rica Garden on an October day during the “Rainy Season” with one shot here for the email announcement and then a slide show of 14 different flowers photographed yesterday on my walk through . . .

Pagoda or Volcano Flower
Continue reading “An October Day in Garden”
Posted on

Costa Rica Reinstates Mask Mandate in Schools and Public transport

This is for all schools and all public transportation including adults. Read why in the Tico Times article.

I was concerned that the dropping of masks by most might be a little premature and it appears that it was. I will again wear a mask in all public places for a while anyway. And get the latest booster shot! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

Posted on

Setting Up for 10-Day Fiesta

The carnival people arrived in town yesterday and started setting up for the central Catholic Church’s Patron Saint (San Rafael) Fiesta which, with donated food and entertainment on a stage in church parking lot, plus daily Bingo will all raise a little bit of money for the church. And the cheap carnival rides? Well I can’t see how anyone makes money off those, but evidently they do! 🙂 One set-up shot here followed by a 6-shot gallery of the carnival people setting up things in the street in front of church.

Setting up carnival rides in the street in front of the church.
Continue reading “Setting Up for 10-Day Fiesta”
Posted on

Central Park Playground & Personal Notes

Well — still slow progress on Central Park remodeling. Yesterday they were finishing up two bench type seating along the sidewalk. These seats will face the playground equipment to be added in that open dirt area. With everything in the park remodeling so far being very modern or contemporary, I can’t wait to see what swings, monkey bars and other playground equipment will look like in a contemporary style! 🙂

These latest benches will be closer to the playground for those parents who feel they must keep a close watch on the smaller children. The circular seating area beyond that will be on the other side of the radial sidewalk running from the central kiosk to the southeast corner of the park. That seating is for parents of older children maybe? Or the one who aren’t “helicopter” parents. 🙂

Building more seating for parents at the kid’s playground. Open dirt area is where playground equipment goes.

My ongoing GALLERY is growing: Remodeling Central Park Atenas

And what the old playground looked like in this same location (bottom photo in the above remodeling gallery).

Continue reading “Central Park Playground & Personal Notes”
Posted on

The Day I Met Loretta Lynn

The recent passing of Nashville Country Music Star Loretta Lynn naturally reminded me of the day I met her and we chatted briefly.

It was some time during the 1990-93 first three years after my divorce and I had graduated from a student in the Divorce Recovery Class to the teacher of the new recovery group that included the bass player for Loretta’s Band. He asked me if I would like to watch the taping of a TV show from backstage and of course I said, “Yes!”

First he took me on one of their tour buses and I met band members and 3 of Loretta’s spoiled kids (as young adults at the time), then when we got backstage Loretta showed up and I was introduced to her and we had a very brief chat. It was like meeting family and she was so quiet yet very friendly and courteous to me. I later told my friend that she reminded me of my Mother (even though Mom did not sing). And if someone reminds me of my Mom, that is a compliment! 🙂

I have met several other “famous” people in my lifetime, but this brief encounter was one of the more special ones because she reminded me of my mother! 🙂

I had no camera with me at the time (before cellphones), so no photos of the encounter, but several years later in 2007 I visited Hurricane Mills where she and her family lived, so here’s three photos from Hurricane Mills, Tennessee:

Continue reading “The Day I Met Loretta Lynn”
Posted on

Central Park Atenas

Yesterday I walked to town on a couple of errands, getting another butterfly at 3rd & 8th Ave garden enroute – accomplished my errands – heard some music and then saw the dancers in Central Park, dancing to the music of our town’s “Old Men” Marimba Band. It is almost like Covid is gone (though still giving booster shots) and a somewhat normality in this peaceful little coffee farming town. A few individuals still wear a mask, but generally none.

Continue reading “Central Park Atenas”
Posted on

Sneaked People Photos

Its legal here to photograph people in public, but for some reason I never want them to know I’m photographing them and actually seldom do – BUT on a public beach it is just too inviting. My “People Shots” are now a gallery within my developing trip gallery (above link) with 3 sub-galleries, each linked from the title of its sample photo below . . .

Sunrise People Shots Gallery

Young love at a beach sunrise — Sample shot from gallery.

Day Beach People Shots Gallery

Games on the beach — Sample shot from the gallery.

Beach Road People Shots Gallery

Family walk down Beach Road — Sample shot from gallery.

Maybe in a few more days I’ll have the whole trip gallery finished. A lot of photos made this time! 🙂

¡Pura Vida!

“To escape and sit quietly on the beach – that’s my idea of paradise.”

 – Emilia Wickstead