Category: Atenas

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A Red-headed Visitor

If you are afraid of bugs then Costa Rica might not be the best place for you. We supposedly have one of the largest number of insect species of any country our size in the world – more than U.S. & Canada combined in a country the size of West Virginia! But if you see the beauty, adventure or just novelty of different kinds of weird bugs, then you will love it here! See my other insects gallery!

This guy was on a plastic drinking glass waiting for my dish-washing chore yesterday evening. I’m showing two shots because one was with only the overhead light and the other with my flashlight added for brightness. Yeah, flashlight photography is common here! We don’t worry about sophistication! 🙂   ¡Pura vida!

Unknown Insect

Overhead light only.

 

With flashlight added to overhead light.

 

“Those who find beauty in all of nature will find themselves at one with the secrets of life itself.”       ~L. Wolfe Gilbert

 

See my photo galleries:  Butterflies & Moths of Costa Rica   (80+)  –and–   Other Insects CR   (65+)

 

¡Pura Vida!

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Park Renovation – Poco a Poco

Well, this morning they seem to be burying large pipes all around the circular concrete base for the Central Park Kiosk or stage. It could be for electrical and sound wiring underground or simply storm sewer drainage from the roof. No sé! I don’t know! And “poco a poco” means “little by little” they are completing the work. Pura vida! No rush here!    🙂   Without deadline stress you live longer and happier! Hey! We’re one of the happiest countries in the world for a reason!   🙂

See the gallery:  Remodeling Central Park inside my Atenas Gallery (my contribution to local history)   🙂

Or the city’s architect drawings   (can be seen as slide show)

¡Pura Vida!

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Through-the-Fence Beauty

One advantage of walking everywhere (I still do not have a car) is you see more! Walking to town I noticed this orchid through a metal bars fence and used my cell phone to snap between black bars this shot of unanticipated beauty!

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”

~Vincent Van Gogh

¡Pura Vida!

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New Youth Art

The wall on the back side of Colegio Liceo (College Prep High School) had all its graffiti painted over with black paint and new graffiti-style art painted – I assume by the high school art class students, though they signed each piece like a street artist (possibly wannabes).   🙂    Freshness is always good and though not my favorite style of art, it seems to be typical of teenagers today around the world.

It is important to me because I walk down this street almost every day and have to look at it.    🙂

New High School Graffiti

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.”       ~Pablo Picasso

 

For more of my photos of such art here in Atenas, Costa Rica, see my gallery:  Public Art & Graffiti – Atenas 

or  for a broader look at Costa Rica Art, my gallery People, Fiestas & Art.

¡Pura Vida!

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Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

Yes – I wake up each morning to the crowing of multiple roosters in the neighborhood, though so used to it that I hardly notice now.

This one is across the street from our Roca Verde Entrance Gate (about 2 blocks away) plus we have two roosters at the gate along with chickens that give our guards some eggs.

I know of no one inside Roca Verde with chickens but many of the homes in our adjacent neighborhood of Boquerón outside our gate have chickens. The roosters will not allow me to get close enough for a good photo with my cell phone which is all I have when walking through Boquerón, thus these grainy shots I cropped in tight. Fun color in the ‘hood!

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Rooster across the street from Roca Verde Entrance Gate – one of many!

The children’s nursery rhyme use of “Cock-A-Doodle-Doo” to describe a rooster crowing started in 1606 in this archaic poem says “the Web”:

“Cock a Doodle Doo”
Original Version

Cock a doodle do!
What is my dame to do?
Till master’s found his fiddling-stick,
She’ll dance without her shoe.

Cock a doodle do!
My dame has found her shoe,
And master’s found his fiddling-stick,
Sing cock a doodle do!

Cock a doodle do!
My dame will dance with you,
While master fiddles his fiddling-stick,
And knows not what to do!

https://allnurseryrhymes.com/cock-a-doodle-doo/

🙂

  Or see the Wikipedia Version of Cock-A-Doodle-Doo

And for more of my culture photography: My Atenas galleries or the People, Fiestas & Arts galleries – photos from where I live.

¡Pura Vida!

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Zooming in on Color

I usually use my 600mm zoom lens to zoom in on a bird far away, but with no birds around this morning I was attracted by the bright red or red-orange blooms of the African Tulip Tree on the hill above me. Here’s 3 levels of zooming, 2 with my cell phone and one with the Canon camera and 600mm lens.

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Sort of how it looks to the naked eye from my terrace through the Cecropia Tree.
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Zooming in with the cell phone camera doesn’t help much!
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While zooming in with the 600mm lens give a better idea of the African Tulip Tree. This still doesn’t show the flowers like the “Close-up” of one at gate linked below.

This is not a native tree to Costa Rica but an import from Africa that grows very well here and adds a lot of color. There is another one by the entrance gate to our development. Read about them at Wikipedia,  or  Pacific Horticulture Society,  or  the Gardening Know How website among many other online articles on this interesting tree which evidently will grow in the warmer climates of the southern states. .

And in my Flora & Forest gallery:

A better shot 3 years ago of neighbor’s tree

Close-up of the one at front gate

Distant shot of tree at gate

Or see Three Other Blog Posts on the African Tulip Tree – I must like it to write about it so much!   🙂

 

You must not know too much or be too precise or scientific about birds and trees and flowers and watercraft; a certain free-margin , or even vagueness – ignorance, credulity – helps your enjoyment of these things.

~Walt Whitman

🙂

¡Pura Vida!

 

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Rusty-tipped Page

The Rusty-tipped Page (Siproeta epaphus)  was a new butterfly for me last Christmas in Manuel Antonio and today was my second time to see one, right here in my own garden! (These photos made after breakfast on my terrace this morning.)

See my other photos of him in my gallery or if you want more information about this species, see the excellent Wikipedia article or an article on Butterflies and Moths of North America, though rarely seen even in the southern portions of North America above Mexico.

It is basically a year-around Central American butterfly with a few getting into northern South America and southern North America, though they are readily  in Mexico which I think is technically North America.   🙂   A very beautiful and interesting butterfly that the websites say is common here, though I’ve seen it only twice now.

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Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly, “one must have sunshine, freedom and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Andersen

 

See also my photo gallery Butterflies & Moths of Costa Rica

¡Pura Vida!

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Mother’s Day in Costa Rica

In our beautiful country of Costa Rica, Mother’s Day is celebrated each year on August 15th. This national holiday, known locally as Día de la Madre, falls on the same day as the Feast of the Assumption, which is the day that Catholics observe the Virgin Mary’s ascension to Heaven when her earthly life was over. For that reason, Mother’s Day is not only a celebration for all mothers, but it is also considered to be a spiritual holiday for many of the residents of Costa Rica.

It is one of the most important holidays in the country with all banks, government offices and schools closed and many businesses (like Aeropost where I was planning to go today!). Right now I hear a band playing in Central Atenas, undoubtedly in honor of Mothers!

Today Ticos give gifts to their Moms in appreciation of the many things they do to raise a family and a newer thing is to take her out to a restaurant for dinner tonight. Today’s article in Tico Times:  Costa Rica celebrates Mother’s Day.

I have never been anywhere where everyone (all ages – even teens) are very affectionate to their mothers, such as when walking with Mom in town everyone holds Mom’s hand, even teens! With the very elderly Moms they are arm-in-arm walking through town as if to give her more support. It is a beautiful cultural tradition in a beautiful country full of love!

“Una madre es la fuerza del amor y la gracia que supera y rinde todas las fuerzas del mal.” – Josep Torras

“A mother is the strength of love and grace that surpasses and yields all the forces of evil.” – Josep Torras

¡Pura Vida!

 

Featured Photo is from my terrace this cloudy morning that many mothers will bring a ray of sunshine to! And hopefully their children to them!      🙂

See also my photo gallery PEOPLE, FIESTAS & ARTS COSTA RICA

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One Step at a Time Park Remodeling

This morning I noticed that the builder’s screen was removed and the new concrete floor was being washed down with a water hose (even though it is raining today). It is taking shape and according to the architect drawings that outer ring of pipes/steel will have some kind of roof on it to protect at least part of the audience for concerts. And the bandshell roof will be painted with some kind of art, I hope the oxcart wheel version!   🙂

One step at a time is all it takes to get you there.

~Emily Dickinson

14 August 2019 Update

And to see all of my Central Park Remodeling Photos, there’s a gallery!   🙂   With dates on each stage of course!

¡Pura Vida!

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Art Gallery of Nature

This morning after breakfast on the terrace I walked through my garden searching for butterflies (got only one) and instead was attracted to the many shapes, colors and textures in my garden (as I often am) – a gallery of modern art! Of Nature as Art!  Enjoy what I saw through the slide show this morning:

Gallery of Nature as Art

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Nature is the art of God.

~Dante Alighieri

For More “Nature as Art” see my gallery:   Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA    or to specifically find more like these, check out the sub gallery of the above main gallery called:    Flora & Forest Costa Rica.

And from my galleries you can download the digital files for free (down pointing arrow at bottom of enlarged image) or buy prints or wall art of the images (Click “Buy” button).

¡Pura Vida!