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!

Colorful Creatures

Well . . . my goal for today was to photograph a toucan and a macaw. Goal accomplished! Plus some other colorful creatures before, during an after breakfast, with several butterflies included and a most interesting blue-winged insect on my breakfast table! Remember, nearly all restaurants in Costa Rica are alfresco! Enjoy my photos from Villa Caletas today.

Colorful Creatures at Jaco

CLICK image to enlarge

 

Color is like the finishing touch on everything.”

~Marc Jacobs

See all my butterflies in my Costa Rica Butterflies  Photo Gallery!

Or all photos from this trip at 2019 Villa Caletas, Jaco Photo Gallery

 

¡Pura Vida!

Crimson-fronted Parakeets

My breakfast treat on my terrace this morning was this pair of Crimson-fronted Parakeets passing through on their way up the hill – most usually fly over rather than stop. They first started pecking into the trunk of my big palm but the Clay-colored Thrushes with a nest in that tree chased them away to my neighbor’s big palm where I made these photos. Here’s just 5 of many shots made:

Crimson-fronted Parakeets

 

I still get more excited by the more colorful birds like these.

“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.”

~Wassily Kandinsky

You might also enjoy the other birds in my BIRDS Photo Gallery

¡Pura vida!

That Spot of Color is Joy!

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

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

And a little closer. 


The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most. 
John Ruskin

See my photo gallery:  Flora & Forest

Pre-parade Dancing is Most Colorful!

In some ways this was my favorite part of the parade today because it was so colorful and new! We did not have this during the last two years’ parades. I love latin music and dance and the color! Nice!
Music is the best cure for a sorrowing mind.
Latin Proverb

Triquitraque or Flame Vine Blooming for This Year

The brilliant orange flowers of Triquitraque or Flame Vine is a great contrast to the blue Plumbago flowers.
I saturated the color so they’re not really this red, but are a deeper orange than next untouched photos.

If I remember correctly they will bloom 2 to maybe 3 months, February-April. I had hoped for year around blooms like some of my other plants, but this gives me something special for this time of year. And this year they cover more of my stark concrete wall, which is what I wanted! 🙂  ¡Me gusta!

AND PHOTOS FROM LAST YEAR: 

See also my photo gallery Flora & Forests
And read about Flamevine which Costa Ricans call Triquitraque, Spanish for “a string of firecrackers” or sometimes can mean “creaking” or “rattling” in colorful conversations.  🙂

Portraits of an Atenas Parade (Post 3 of 3, Children Focus)

My third and last post on the Independence Day Parade 2016 in Atenas, focusing on Children:


You don’t have to be in the parade to enjoy it!


Two boys who watched the parade across from me. 



Watchers wear traditional clothing too!

Reluctantly in the parade.

Papa helps me see the parade better!

Carrying School Sign

A Tiny Watcher in Costume

Primary School Girls love to dress up! 

And boys love to play the drums!

And there were many drummers!

Role-playing a Farmer

And watching dressed as a farmer!

See All of the 2016 Independence Day Parade Photos in one place in my gallery.

AND


I went for birds and photographed many plus a whole lot more!  🙂
And yes, we have lots of beaches this un-crowded on both coasts.
How can you not love it here?
PURA VIDA!



Portraits of an Atenas Parade (Post 2 of 3, Teenagers/High School Focus)

The second of three posts on the 2016 Independence Day Parade in Atenas, focusing on Teenagers:  And obviously I focused on the people this year, thus the “Portraits” title!

Most of the high school kids here are beautiful and handsome!

One of many flag bearers.
And another . . .

with lots of flags it was very patriotic and colorful!

Serious sign carrier in one school. 

And I think a drum majorette?

“Freedom of Expression”

Including wearing your patriotism!

And dressing the way you want?

A Ceremonial Mask Tradition from the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

“Say Yes to Tolerance and Respect”  (Anti-bullying Campaign)

And more drummers than anything in all the bands! 

See All of the 2016 Independence Day Parade Photos in one place in my gallery.

TOMORROW the focus is on Children!

Portraits of an Atenas Parade (Post 1 of 3, Adult/University Focus)

The Independence Day Parade or Quince de setiembre desfile (like the U.S. 4th of July). I’m presenting a few of my photos in three posts: Post 1-adult/university, Post 2-teen/high-school, and Post 3-children/primary.

Most of this post is of ADULT & COLLEGE STUDENT PARADE PARTICIPANTS

Literally thousands of Costa Rican flags were in the 2.5 hour parade
with every band, school, organization, etc. 

These three boys and the grandmother with small child were
directly across from me during the whole parade, so in other photos too.

Ladies in traditional dress on truck/float for one of the two
Adult Continuing Education Universities nearby.

The farmer’s university had beautiful traditional dancers in pairs
dancing down the street which was beautiful!

One of the above dancers up close.
This is the only time of year you can see the traditional clothing/dancing.

Even small universities have bands!

Seldom see a sax in a high school band

With trumpets being a little more common. 

All ages are training in farming and livestock raising.

Atenas is full of beautiful, friendly, and smart people!

Young cowboys everywhere love to show off!

And I couldn’t settle on just one roping photo! 

This reminds me of my days at Will Rogers High School, Tulsa, Oklahoma
where we had ropers instead of baton twirlers leading our marching band.
And our ball teams were called the “Will Rogers Ropers!” There 1955-58.

Some of these young adults are the future of the farms surrounding Atenas!
It is a town about the size of Warren, AR where I was born, very rural,
but also just an hour from the capital, so more of a “bedroom community”
for the city than my little birthplace farming town.
Atenas is known for its coffee while Warren for its tomatoes and pine trees!

Tomorrow’s Post: Portraits of a Parade: Teenagers or the high school bands, etc.
Following Day: Portraits of a Parade: Children – everyone’s favorite, saved for last!
After That: Maybe several days of photos from my trip to the southern Caribbean town of Manzanillo

See All of the 2016 Independence Day Parade Photos in one place in my gallery.

NEW COMPUTER ORDERED

And by then I should have my new computer, ordered Friday from a warehouse in San Jose and hopefully in and functioning with my all my files and programs by Monday evening, but typically things take longer here.  🙂  Unitec Computacion, the local computer store I ordered through said it would take at least a full day to transfer everything from my old computer to new one. More about the computer later and why I hate America’s Best Buy Store and their Japanese-made Asus Computer. In short, the processor was overheating and it had nothing to do with the fans. It can be ordered and replaced but the hard drive is damaged and cannot be fixed thus I would also need a new hard drive and on my Tamarindo trip I broke the glass on the screen which cannot be replaced but the entire screen must be replaced. Better to get a new computer and I’m trying solid state this time which hopefully will mean fewer problems. I’ll tell about the new one when I get it. Most available computers here have Spanish keyboards built in, so I had limited choices with English keyboard. I’m not quite ready for the Spanish keyboard yet, maybe next time!  🙂

FIRST FREE BUS RIDE!
Wednesday I did some errands in Alajuela and returned the rent car at airport there, then rode the bus back to Atenas. For the first time it was gratis! Free! For longer trips I will have to pay something but at a good discount! It pays to be old and have the Gold Card here! 
PRICESMART

And for those readers thinking of moving to Costa Rica, here’s an article about PriceSmart, our version of Costco or Sam’s Club in the states. It is where Gringos go for American products along with Walmart and a supermarket call Automercado. Of course all American products are more expensive here because of the import tax.