Atenas Easter Processional

The Altar Boys & Girls Lead from the Church
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Band is already in the street. They join parade behind Jesus statue.
Atenas, Costa Rica

Men in Biblical Costumes
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Real flower petals prepare the way.
Atenas, Costa Rica

New Priest flanked by Little Angels
Atenas, Costa Rica

The Risen Christ  
Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Atenas, Costa Rica

Some of the congregation join in the procession
that circles Central Atenas, about 8 blocks back to church
Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo Gallery of these same above photos, Easter Processional 2017 

This year it was held at end of the 4:00 PM Mass, meaning around 5:30 as it is starting to get dark and threatened rain this time. The last time I watched it was two years ago after the 9 AM Mass. And last year I was in Nicaragua and observed two Easter Week processionals that were really different. Here are links to those posts:

Easter Week 2016 in Nicaragua: First Night (1 photo) and Second Night (1 photo)

Bird Sculpture Engulfed in Garden

My Garden Sculpture Bird
is engulfed in my growing garden, even in the dry season. This is as intended,
a changing garden, my little jungle growing around the bird.
Sculpture by Anthony Joseph Jeroski.

See more photos of My Garden in my bigger Flora & Forest Gallery

¡Pura Vida!

Tope Tonight

Washing a Horse in the street . . .
That, cowboy hats and boots, means it is “Tope Time!”
A tope is a horse parade & this year at night, 1st in 3 years!

It is suppose to be about horses, but is mostly about partying & beer!
Lots of beer!

The last time Atenas had a night Tope was three years ago (before I came) and the story is they trashed downtown Atenas so much they had to take a 3-year break. The later it gets the drunker people get I’ve been told and it is not pretty. 

I had an early dinner downtown with Anthony and got just these two “pre-Tope” shots before we walked back home. I am not participating in the Tope tonight. I went to the afternoon Tope in Mercedes two years ago and it was pretty bad in the daylight! So I chose not to participate tonight. But I am hearing the music, noise, band, and an announcer from my house. I may sleep with ear plugs tonight. 
And an announcement about Anthony, my artist friend who lives next door: He is moving back to the states the end of May. He cannot get the art supplies and support he needs here and is missing some of the opportunities he will have living in Chicago. He is retired from a corporate job, but does not want to retire from being a professional artist which he can simply do better in the states! (And he never learned to speak Spanish!) Living in Costa Rica is not for everyone! Pura vida!
And on top of that I just learned today that my landlord has put his house or compound up for sale of which my house is a part. I have to wait and see who buys it to know what happens to me. Possibly nothing will change. Or the new owner could want my house as a guest house or “Mother-in-law Apartment.”  Either way, life goes on.  🙂  And maybe some new adventures.  🙂  ¡Tenga Paz!

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of “Retired in Costa Rica.” Every day an adventure!

Holy Week is Approaching in Atenas

Statue of Mary
On private property on the edge of Atenas, Costa Rica
I’m still trying to learn something about it, the artist, etc.
Purple is Displayed
In front of Catholic Church here
and in front of many homes in town.

See my Atenas Photo Galleries: 
Walking Through Atenas (flowers & trees)
Or see Atenas, the official video 

Atenas, Costa Rica – A Photo Book!

New Photo Book About Atenas
Click image or this caption to go to a PREVIEW of the book online.
You can thumb through the book page by page for free.
Just keep clicking the pages.

Now that I have finished it, I just realized I left out the Farmers’ Market & Central Mercado. Oh well, I guess every book has to be imperfect!  🙂  Enjoy anyway! And I will do more!

And check out the “official” video on Atenas, just 2 1/2 min.

Yellow Warbler

Yellow Warbler juvenile I think
Gray on head/neck is similar to Prairie Warbler, but not my choice
In my Nance Tree, Home Garden, Atenas Costa Rica

Yellow Warbler
In my Nance Tree, Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

I continue to be happy with the large variety of birds right here in my own gardens! I will keep traveling to more exotic places for even more birds, but it is fun to have these at breakfast!

See also my BIRDS photo gallery.