I have a whole gallery of flowers from the Cristal Ballena trip but here’s just five favorites to help brighten your day! 🙂
Flowers to Brighten the Day!
Six on Saturday
One of the other blogs I’ve encountered because of their “like” of mine was “The Compulsive Gardener” who copied another blog’s “Six on Saturday” garden blogging phenomena with her own “Six on Saturday–A Flurry of Flowers.” If you want to learn more, go to the originator’s blog: The Propagator. Or to his 6 on Sat collection and Participant Guide. I don’t plan to do this every Saturday, but thought it would be fun to do it at least one time to help propagate the idea! 🙂 And ohhh, is it hard to limit myself to just 6! 🙂 But here is 6 of my favorite from My Garden Gallery:
1. Triqui-Traque or Flamevine Closeup
Forest Details
At the end of Avenida 8 on the “Country Lane” part of the land is forest even though private property. As everywhere here in Costa Rica, if you look deep into the forest you see more details and colors like the orange Heliconia in the foreground of this photo and towards the back left the Red Ginger flowers. Yes, these flowers do grow wild in the forests as well as being cultivated in home gardens. Tropical Costa Rica! And even the variety of leaves and shades of green bring me joy as I continue to love forests more and more!
“In a forest of a hundred thousand trees, no two leaves are alike. And no two journeys along the same path are alike.”
~Paulo Coelho
See also my Flora & Forest Galleries.
¡Pura Vida!
Captured at Home This Week
 |
| Desert Rose Is becoming a favorite while it blooms! Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia – Fewer of these blooming now. Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red Ginger My most faithful year around bloomer! Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
My photo gallery FLORA & FOREST
Tropical Blossom Haiku
 |
| In My Home Garden Atenas, Costa Rica |
-o-
INTERESTING NEWS FROM COSTA RICA:
Environmental agency orders suspension of pineapple farming project
which means that the American imperialists (Del Monte) cannot destroy any more of our wetlands and forests. Yay! I’m glad that the government here is defending our environment. This particular case is on the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado where I just traveled. Costa Rica is recognized internationally for protecting its land and environment and has 25% of the land set aside as national parks or reserves. And don’t feel sorry for Del Monte. There is plenty of legal land they can build pineapple farms on with plenty of cheap labor to make them rich!
which means that the American imperialists (Del Monte) cannot destroy any more of our wetlands and forests. Yay! I’m glad that the government here is defending our environment. This particular case is on the Osa Peninsula near Corcovado where I just traveled. Costa Rica is recognized internationally for protecting its land and environment and has 25% of the land set aside as national parks or reserves. And don’t feel sorry for Del Monte. There is plenty of legal land they can build pineapple farms on with plenty of cheap labor to make them rich!
The Dollar is at its highest value in Costa Rica right now, meaning a good time for U.S. people to visit or vacation or buy property here when you get more colones for the dollar, as much as C581 this article says. It had been at around 530 for a long time which was good, but this is better! 🙂 Best in the last 7 years says the article!
Celeste Mountain Lodge, Flowers, Insects
A “Catch All” post except for Rainforest Trail I’ll share tomorrow.
 |
| Each night many came early for dinner to visit & use the wifi. In addition to this dining room there was a lounge area below, all open-air, simple, rustic, and ecologically sound structurally. |
 |
| After breakfast with friends from France, Italy, & New York City. |
 |
| Hercules Beetle Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Hercules Beetle Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Chestnut-sided Warbler with Caught Insect in Rain Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica I did not include this photo with the other birds at the lodge. |
 |
| Heliconia Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Hibiscus Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia Celeste Mountain Lodge, Bijagua, Costa Rica |
The real highlight was the Birds at Celeste Mountain Lodge, link to earlier post
Or you might want to see the lodge’s website for more about their services, great food, etc.
Tomorrow I share the last of my trip to Bijagua, “The Celeste Mountain Lodge Rainforest Trail.”
For more photos of Costa Rica, see my gallery called Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA
Flowers Up Close and Personal
 |
| Heliconia & Blue Plumbago My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red Ginger among the Maraca Plants My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| “Parrot Flower” or a type of Heliconia |
 |
| Fern My Home Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica |
See also my photo gallery of Flora & Forests
Jungle Flowers at Sarapiquí
See also my photo gallery Flora & Forests or go straight to My Garden
Flowers, birds and butterflies! What beautiful expressions of God’s colors I get to enjoy!
And today my gardener planted a new kind of butterfly bush that will bring many more butterflies he promises!
-o-
A Nation of Immigrants, an interesting article on how Costa Rica accepts the fact that it is made up totally of immigrants (much like the States) with fewer indigenous people (Indians) than the states. Read how Costa Rica still welcomes immigrants and thrives because of them. And we are regularly listed as one of the top happiest countries in the world! Interesting!
Dripping Wet!
 |
| Dripping Wet! (Heliconia in my Garden, Atenas) Is how we feel in Atenas as if Rainy Season will never end! Though usually it has stopped by now. Long range forecasts show more through Christmas. And we are not in a rain forest! 🙂 |
I wrote this a couple of days ago to “get ahead” and sure enough it did not rain today (Friday), so maybe dry season is nearly here! Today I took Anthony to one of my favorite birding places, Tarcoles River for a boat ride and will report on it in the next couple of days. So more bird photos and another first sighting for me! And the weather was clear and sunny!
 |
| Cell phone snap on Tarcoles River, Costa Rica today, 16 December 2016 And no, I do not miss the snow in the states! Its either rain or sunshine here every day! |
Tomorrow I help with the Angel Tree party and then start anticipating my next big trip 23-27 December to Selva Verde on the Rio Sarapiqui. And well, some Christmas fiestas this weekend. Busy time of year!
My New Toy: Macro Lens
Not the expensive one, just a simple Canon 100mm zoom, 1:28, Image Stabilizer (for hand-held) and auto focus. Here’s a few flowers with it and MY VERY FIRST HIBISCUS in my garden! I only recently got the plant which is slow-growing, but here’s the first bloom!
 |
| Hibiscus My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Once de Abril (haven’t found an English name yet) My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Heliconia My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Plumbago My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Red Ginger My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
 |
| Porter Weed My Garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica |
I think I did okay on close-ups of flowers before with a telephoto lens from a distance, but this is suppose to be better! It has the capability of a 1:1 ratio if I get close enough. Insects will be more difficult because they scare off, so I’ll probably continue with my 300 mm for them. Though, note the little tiny ant on the Porter Weed above. 🙂 And it is so nice having flowers blooming year around!
My Flora & Forests photo gallery