The Other Cow Pasture

Many times I’ve shared photos of the cow pasture across the street from my house, but never this one I walk by on every trip to town. I believe that it belongs to the farmer university nearby and I am yet to see a cow on it! 🙂 It’s the dry season until sometime in May so fields like this are very dry and susceptible to fire.

Atenas, Alajuela, Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

Starting Today Some Businesses go from 50% to 100% Occupancy with QR Code Proof of Vaccination

Read more about the lifting of some Covid Restrictions in the Tico Times Article.

More than 80% of adults in Costa Rica are vaccinated and this is why we are having fewer cases. Teens are now being vaccinated and children will be soon. Common sense health policies keep Costa Rica healthy! And yes, I finally got my “booster” or third shot!

Maquenque Trip Gallery

In case you did not see the links in the last few posts, I have my trip gallery up and ready to visit in my big photo gallery. In some ways my “Trip Galleries” are my main photo galleries with them feeding specific theme galleries like Birds, etc. Plus if you are considering a visit to one of the places included, the photos will give you a good idea of what to expect. Click the print screen image of the gallery below or use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-February-14-19-Maquenque-Ecolodge-Reserve-Boca-Tapada

 “We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”

– Katie Thurmes

¡Pura Vida!

SALE ON MY PHOTO BOOKS – 25% OFF March 4-6 only with discount code: BOOKFAN in Bookstore

Nature As Art

Or I sometimes say “Leaves & Nature Things” for photos from nature that I consider “The Art of God” or just “Nature As Art” which was the name of my photo business in Tennessee. These shots from my recent Maquenque Ecolodge visit are some that I consider “art” along with the landscapes already shared and of course the birds and other wildlife! 🙂 It is all art to me! One shot here for the emailed version of post, then a slide show of 10 more . . .

Continue reading “Nature As Art”

Rainforest Vistas

Though I have mostly recovered from my cancer radiation treatments, I can tell from the quality of photos from this trip compared to the two other trips to Maquenque that I have not fully recovered in energy or creativity, but maybe these five shots will provide at least a glimpse of being in the rainforest here in Costa Rica.

Only on water or in a rare clearing can you see the sky which is often overcast as here.
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Another Weird Bug

If you take the time to look, I guess you can find a lot of interesting insects almost anywhere. 🙂 But this is another one I photographed at Maquenque a week ago that I’ve never seen before. Enjoy three photos of what I think is a type of beetle . . .

Unidentified Beetle, Maquenque Ecolodge
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Farm Visit Today

I was going to avoid all tours but decided the two I did today would not be that popular and not so many people and that was true! My early morning pre-breakfast bird hike was just me and a masked young couple from Europe, he from France and she from Germany plus our local guide Jose. (more on it later) Then at 9 Jose also led the farm tour with just me and a nice lady from Germany and her daughter 11 or 12ish. They were of course masked and her Dad was not interested in the tour. 🙂

A weird-looking Katydid on the farm!

Below is a slide show from the farm tour today with pix not in chronological order . . .

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Flowers for Your Valentine’s Day

As I travel today and get settled in my treehouse room at Maquenque Eco-Lodge, I’ll do a post from my garden featuring the contrast of a yellow flower called “Golden Shrimp” with all the other flowers that are red or orange. I love the flowers in my garden! Enjoy your Valentine Flowers . . .

Golden Shrimp beside my Indigenous Man Statue

These yellow flowers contrast with all the reds and oranges in my garden . . .

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Green Privacy Wall

The “greenness” of Costa Rica is just one of the many things I love about it and this green privacy wall is one example of how green the houses are around here. Photographed on one of my walks down “Country Lane.”

¡Pura Vida!

Great-tailed Grackle

The iridescent colors make this common bird stand out, even in the shadows of my garden. Three of the four photos are definitely male (blue), while one appears to have the brown coloring of a female. See my Great-tailed Grackle Gallery or read about them on eBird.

Continue reading “Great-tailed Grackle”