Category: People

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Primary School Band Practice

I’m guessing that only 6th & 7th Graders are in the band and maybe 5th Graders. And it must count as PE or Physical Education because those green & blue uniforms are their PE uniforms, while the two boys in white shirts and black pants are in their school or classroom uniform.

It is almost all drums in all the bands here, this one with cymbals and some kind of scrappy rhythm instrument on the back row. I’m guessing again that is because of lack of money for instruments and music teachers or a priorities thing. The high school bands usually have a few girls playing xylophone with some bigger cities adding brass and reed instruments, but not many.

The group above is practicing in the city sports park across the street from the Primary School, Escuela Central. And I suspect they are getting ready for the September 15 Independence Day Parade and subsequently the December Christmas Parade. I admire the few girls who play drums which the boys tend to dominate here (and maybe everywhere).

Life in a small farming town in Costa Rica!    ¡Pura Vida!

See also my PEOPLE & FIESTAS Photo Gallery for the bands marching in the parades.

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Childhood Sweets

This trailer in front of the public primary school sells snacks to young children and it appears here to mothers too!     🙂

And I remember having sweets available for sale near my elementary school way back in the dark ages. A world-wide tradition?

All I really need is love, but a little candy now and then doesn’t hurt!

~Charles Schulz

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Lunch with Mother

Around noon every day you see some of the elementary school children eating their lunch with their mothers in the park across the street from the school. Some grade levels only go a half day, morning or afternoon, meaning they eat lunch before or after school. But all ages of children are very close to their mothers making lunch with Mom very natural. Almuerzo con la madre.  

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Saw Güilas movie again today

Boy in another story “Amor de Temporada” – Fun!

 I went back to Alajuela today (Friday) to see the movie Güilas a second time. It is soooooo good! It is fabulous art and photography! It is seven stories about kids, one in each of the seven provinces of Costa Rica making it almost a travelogue movie and it is very entertaining, very funny, and very delightful as all kids are! My favorite movie of the year already!

And for those here in Costa Rica, I have decided that my favorite of the seven is “Cabin in the Watta,” a delightful story of a boy and girl in the Caribbean of Costa Rica at Puerto Viejo going fishing and bringing their catch back to Mama who runs a little Soda (small restaurant) where they help cook the fish and little plantain cakes and then share it with an old man  who then plays his banjo and sings the rhythmic caribbean song Cabin in the Watta. Plus it has the best nature photography!
If you haven’t already, see the Güilas trailer, you will like!
And unfortunately good films like Güilas are not filling the theaters and are getting pushed out by all the violence and superhero films from America like Avengers starting next week or soon and today was the first day of the newest Star Wars movie. I tried doing a selfie in front of the theater promotional display, then a friendly Tico offered to take my picture which was better. Not sure if I will see this movie, but a fun photo: 
Old Charlie Doggett with the Young Han Solo & Chewy!
Cinemark City Mall, Alajuela, Costa Rica
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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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Oxcart Parade 2018 Atenas

Rural Families is always the focus of Atenas’ Annual Oxcart Parade, last Weekend of April.
 Atenas, Costa Rica
Here a teen is the “Boyero” (Oxen Master) with sis in cart and Mom & Dad Walking behind
Atenas, Costa Rica

One of the many colorful Oxcart Wheels
Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica

A few Oxen are entered into the contest without carts, some by older children or teens
I guess it is like FFA in the States or other programs to help budding farmers.
Atenas, Costa Rica
Last year our local University provided Latin Dancers – This year a team of ropers!
Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica

The university campus on the edge of Atenas is one of the many UTN (Universidad Técnica Nacional), this one focusing on farming with students coming from all over Latin America as possibly the best agricultural school in Latin America or at least the best in Central America. They are good about participating in major local events like this – good neighbors! Good citizens! We like our student farmers at UTN!

Though I’ve seen them before, I always enjoy! They’re good!
Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica
PEOPLE! You will have to go to my online gallery to see my interesting people shots.
And there are always some very interesting and colorful people! 
Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica

I know that I still post too many photos for a blog, but I have so many more interesting photos I want to share, thus it has to be on the photo gallery: 2018 Oxcart Parade.  I’m working on it now and will try to finish today or tomorrow. Takes time!

This gallery is a part of my section called PEOPLE & FIESTAS. And of course there are other sections like BIRDS and TRIPS that pretty much document my 3 1/2 years in Costa Rica thus far and you can see them all at my SmugMug Gallery titled: Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA.


Enjoy photos of my 
¡Pura Vida!


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Jane Goodall reads about Costa Rica with ‘Guardian of Nature’

Article copied from The Tico Times online edition, April 19, 2018
Famous primatologist, anthropologist and chimpanzee specialist Jane Goodall posed this week with a copy of the book “Guardians of Nature and her Friends: Save the River,” written by Costa Rican marine biologist Jessica Sheffield Zamora and illustrated by artist Shannon McWhirter.
This is the first book in a series focused on environmental education for children; for each hardcover book sold, a softcover copy is donated to a Costa Rican public school student in a rural school as part of the Guardians of Nature environmental education program. Kids can follow the story of Lucía, a nine year-old who loves nature but doesn’t believe she’s big enough to protect it.
Stay tuned for more on Sheffield Zamora and Guardians of Nature. For more information, visit La Guardiana de la Naturaleza’s webpage.

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Photo Gallery of Nashville Group at Hogar de Vida is now posted. Sorry for the delay, but I focused on the book first, then got busy! Just sorry you can’t see the children’s faces, but online security is important now! I like my real world in Costa Rica better than the online world!  🙂    ¡Pura Vida!

And tomorrow is Atenas’ Oxcart Parade, so expect photos of that tomorrow!  🙂
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Last Day at Hogar de Vida

Letty “cutting in” along the floor as we continued painting the Baby House.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Finally a photo not showing children’s faces as we again played with the Toddler House.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Our “last supper” as a mission team to
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Then we celebrated Larry’s birthday with a Passion Fruit, Pineapple & Coconut Cake
inscribed with “Feliz Cumpleaños Larry” Happy Birthday in Spanish.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

The Gnuse family. Matt is missionary director of the home.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

You will hear more about this fantastic children’s home, what we did there and future mission trips to Hogar de Vida.     Or see their Facebook Page. 

A Fantastic Place!
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First Full Day at Hogar

Sorry, but we are not allowed to show children’s faces on the internet! My best photos!
Sign at Entrance Gate
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Matt gives team tour of campus (3 team members not in photo)
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

8:30 AM Devotional for those not in school
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica

Rene painting in one of houses

Welcome sign for team at San Jose Airport  for Thursday.
Hogar de Vida, Atenas, Costa Rica
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“Nature As Art” Business Card

I still have my “Enjoying Retirement” business cards but these are for a select few wanting photos:
NOTICE: I introduced a NEW BUSINESS CARD in September 2018 with one of my bird photos.
Okay, I’m not resurrecting my old photography business in the full sense, but a few persons have asked about getting my photos, so using what is already online, my photos are available for order through three websites I already use. Those sites produce the items and make the money with a small % to me.
  1. For Wall Art the Smugmug Shop has good options (click “BUY” at bottom of enlarged photo) and my new favorite is the wall art photo printed on metal in the glossy format.I’ve ordered several for my house walls here in Costa Rica – birds of course!  🙂  There are several other items available with any of my photos printed on them under the headings of “Keepsakes” and “Phone Cases” and the best part is there are more photos to choose from on my Smugmug gallery!
  2. The Cafe Press shop THIS SHOP CLOSED was set up years ago with Tennessee + USA photos you can still order if you like and one old Costa Rica Birds Calendar. I am slowly adding new Costa Rica photos here and items not available on my newer Smugmug Shop like T-shirts and calendars.   See the direct link to Costa Rica Birds T-Shirts below. I plan to add some new bird calendars soon, then other items. Slowly! I’m retired!  🙂
  3. My Bookstore is another animal!  I mainly make the photo books for my own personal enjoyment and a way to show some of my photos to other people here locally. One of each is available to see in my Living Room. And all are available for purchase and include more than just reports on trips. I have even put a lifetime of scrapbooks together photographically in a 4-volume biography set of books for family history buffs. And yeah, there may be a fifth volume eventually about my retirement in Costa Rica.  🙂
The business cards were recently ordered and will be used locally when someone here asks about buying my photos. But you guys in the states have the same access to internet orders with less expensive shipping and no import tax, so maybe they are a better deal for you!  🙂   Enjoy!
Nature As Art
Costa Rica Style
 
 
Though I have this wall too full (cluttered), here are examples of both metal and canvas wall art photos.
Atenas, Costa Rica
 

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THIS SHOP CLOSED

Costa Rica Birds on T-Shirts(CLICK title to see all 30+ choices)
Squirrel Cuckoo Men’s  Classic T-Shirt
If you like birds and like having them on T-Shirts, here’s 30+ choices of birds you can wear on a very high quality T-Shirt from my CafePress.com store. (More to be added) In another section of that store you can find more birds on T-Shirts that I photographed earlier in various places in the United States including the Florida Everglades & Nashville Zoo. And also other products like calendars, coffee mugs or canvas tote bags. Fun!
MEN & WOMEN’S T-SHIRTS INCLUDED ON ALL 30+ BIRD CHOICES!
Sunbittern Women’s Classic T-Shirt

Wear Nature!

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Interesting news article and video:  Amazing Encounter of Tourists with Baby Humpback Whale
¡Pura Vida!
Retired in Costa Rica