charliedoggett.net
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| The lady I use as my seamstress got a new sign this week. The old one I posted in June is shown below. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Somehow this old sign seemed to have more “character,” whatever that means! |
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| Can you see it? In the fork of the guarumo tree on the distant hill. Red-orange. It is a spot of color I see every time I walk out on my terrace and it brings a smile. It is an African Tulip Tree I’m glad a neighbor planted! Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| It is a tree like this one by our front gate in Roca Verde, African Tulip Tree, native of Africa and brought here as an ornamental tree for yards that adds new color to the many natural colors here. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And a little closer. |
See my photo gallery: Flora & Forest
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| Yellow Warbler joined me for Breakfast Friday My garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I believe it is a migratory male from the states. The year-around male here has an orange/rust colored head. The female is usually lighter colored than this. This is not an uncommon bird, but all species are fun to see and to have in decent light for a photo. The next shot is not as good, but he’s flying and that to me is always fun to catch! 
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| Yellow Warbler Atenas, Costa Rica |
My Costa Rica Birds photo gallery for more bird photos
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| One view of Hogar de Vida campus, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I was recently contacted by a fellow senior adult in the church I attended in Nashville, First Baptist Church, Nashville, TN USA. They were interested in doing a mission trip to Costa Rica and so I contacted the director of the Hogar De Vida children’s home here in Atenas and in short the group from Nashville will be coming in April 2018 for a week of assorted service activities at the children’s home. If you are in First Baptist Nashville and are interested, talk to anyone on the SAALT Council or to the project coordinator Fred Linkenhoker.
If you would like to know more about the non-denominational private Christian children’s home, Hogar de Vida:
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| I almost never go out without a cap. Here’s my collection! |
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| Similarly I never go out without sunglasses. And my collection of those, |
Fun! ¡Divertido! |
| Heliconius Hecale Zuleika My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
This is not a new species, but It seems like I haven’t been photographing as many butterflies this year, so wanting to include one. I got a better shot of this Heliconius in August. Butterflies are fun!
Happiness is a butterfly . . .~Nathaniel Hawthorne
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| The cow and her growing calf were removed (sold?) and these four brought into pasture in front of my house. The fourth is a brown cow on right edge of photo. Sorry I couldn’t talk him/her into joining group. The abundance of rain has given a bumper crop of grass! Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| And finally weather is back to “Normal” with clear skies in the morning! View from my terrace this morning at breakfast. Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Home Business Signs: General Medicine & Dentistry It appears that husband is dentists & wife the general doctor Atenas, Costa Rica |
We are still getting the rains from the big Pacific storm that hit the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica around the little town of Uvita where the “Whale’s Tail” beach is located. Here’s an article about the storm with a beautiful photo of the Whale’s Tail beach made on a sunny day. Also article about the weather closing Manuel Antonio National Park.
My photo of “Whale’s Tail” Beach is not nearly as good during rainy season in May:
https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/Vistas/Pacific-Beaches/i-z5FjpGf/A
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| October is usually the wettest of the rainy season months (May-November) And this year is therefore normal with rain every day in afternoon & evening or night. With mornings sometimes clear and sunny, but the last week or so just cloudy. Early October. Earlier this morning you could not even see the hills above for the clouds! Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| A week or two later photo with a Pacific front moving in. We had very heavy rain with the beginning of Hurricane Nate that started here. Then 2 or 3 weeks with very little rain and now it may be coming again. We will see! This shot 25 October. Atenas, Costa Rica |
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| Mornings are very foggy . . . |
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| Even as the sun comes up! Though hard to capture in a photo! |
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| This is 12 of the 19 in the Conversational English Club meeting after school Mondays. Optional, not required for very busy teens involved in sports, arts, etc. that sometimes conflict. They are such a delightful group of kids, so friendly, kind, and respectful. Grades 8-11. In January they will go as exchange students to a school in a Virginia suburb of D.C. They are much like teenagers everywhere and yet different in a positive & cultural way. I have come to love everyone of them! Colegio Liceo de Atenas Atenas, Costa Rica |
See the school’s Cool YOUTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74S9aFTNN_Q
One reason for backpacks and lockers! And FYI, I’m the happy old man in the center of the back row. ~Photo by George Holmes, my neighbor and helper in the club, made on my cellphone. Gracias Jorge!