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| My neighbor Anthony gets up earlier than me. This morning about 5:20 he shot my house with a rainbow. Photo by Anthony Jeroski |
“May your journey through life be vibrant and full of colorful rainbows.”
― Harley King
Malachite Butterfly As Houseguest
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| Malachite Butterfly
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
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| Malachite Butterfly
Inside My House, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica
NOTE: The bottom or wings-folded side is always lighter in color
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And see my Butterfly Gallery with 50 species photographed here.
Heliconius Butterfly or Moth?
As you know, some butterflies live only a few days or weeks. And some of those decide to come into my house before they die! I sweep out dead insects every morning! I’ve had more than one of this particular species inside and one I found dead today (1st two photos). I am pretty sure it is in the Heliconia family but can’t place it in one of the known 29 subspecies. It seems to be like a Postman but they are usually red rather than orange with the black and white and different body. It is also similar to the Heliconius Linnaeus and the Heliconius Ismenius, but not exactly! So I’m calling it an Unidentified Heliconius Butterfly or Moth.
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| Moth or Butterfly? Moths have furry bodies like this guy but butterflies usually have brighter colors and club antennae like this. But there are exceptions to all rules and I need an expert to help identify this one! |
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| Back or bottom side of this butterfly/moth. Bottom is almost always totally different than the top side. |
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| They come in my always open doors, then try to get out a closed window screen. Not too smart. |
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| My moving flower arrangements inside. 🙂 |
See My Butterfly Photo Gallery now on SmugMug.
And if you like bugs, see also the Other Insects Photo Gallery all on my new site called
“Charlie Doggett’s COSTA RICA” where eventually I will have all my Costa Rica photos.
New Terrace Table & Chairs
I asked my landlord if I could have new cushions or cushion covers for the 4 large, clunky chairs with the large glass-topped table where I eat most meals. He agreed that they were very worn, dirty and some with broken zipper and Velcro tabs. So he said he would get one of his workers to find a seamstress to make new ones! (That’s the Tico way!) I go on the healthcare tour for 3 days and return to find a brand new table and chairs! I suspect it was cheaper to get this smaller, lighter-weight set than get new cushions if even available. So I have something brand new and fresh for my guest coming a week from Tuesday! And I like it! Even the smaller size!
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| There are a lot of advantages to renting! New furniture is one! 🙂 |
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| It makes the terrace look larger! |
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| And looks good from inside too! I like it better than the old one! Fresh and airy! New and clean! I’m ready for Reagan now! |
Housemates Getting Bigger
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| Bigger than the little geckos on my ceilings and walls and didn’t want to go out. Not sure of ID though similar to Ground Anole, or maybe Ameiva or Whiptail. He eats insects to pay rent, though I don’t like his little poop on the floor! |
Earlier posts on lizards at home: A Scorpion in the Sink and Lizard on the Wall!
And my photo gallery: Costa Rica Reptiles
House Wren?
Well, actually it is a Rufous-naped Wren who happened to come inside my house!
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| Rufous-naped Wren, Atenas, Costa Rica (On the back of the couch in my living room! Looking out the screen window.) |
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| Rufous-naped Wren, Atenas, Costa Rica Making himself at home on a drink coaster. This is what happens with doors left open. |
Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell; they sing among the branches.
~Psalm 104:12 ESV
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| Rufous-naped Wren, Atenas, Costa Rica Singing outside my window in the Strangler Fig Tree |
See also my Costa Rica Birds Photo Gallery.
Colobura Dirce Serendipity
I reach for a paper towel in my kitchen and there is something alive on it!
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| Colobura Dirce butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica I read that they like Cecropia leaves and I have a new Cecropia Tree! But not inside my house! |
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| I don’t even have to go outside to photograph butterflies! 🙂 But he startled me at first. |
The only other place I’ve seen one of these was at a butterfly farm a few years ago. My Guarumo Tree is a type of Cecropia and that may be why he is at my house. This is what happens when your doors are open without screens during the day. The book says this butterfly does not eat the nectar of flowers like most but the above leaves and rotting fruit and for some reason likes to get on wet clothes drying on the clothes line. The top of his wings are dark brown with a yellow stripe. He hadn’t moved when I went to bed, but saw him by the sliding glass door the next morning and observed the top of his wings, but couldn’t get a photo.
ser·en·dip·i·ty
ˌserənˈdipədē/
noun
-
the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way.“a fortunate stroke of serendipity”
synonyms: (happy) chance, (happy) accident, fluke
And all my butterflies at Costa Rica Butterflies by Charlie Doggett photo gallery
Walk with me through my neighborhood
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| View from an available lot on top of my hill. You look over Central Valley to northeast, San Jose at left. Your home here? |
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| This is the above lot for your dream home. A large, old-growth tree at entrance. I can give you the phone number if interested. 🙂 Come be my neighbor! |
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| Looking over my house which is below the orange roof, lower center. The orange roof is my landlord Jean Luc & Nicole, brown roof is Richard’s. You can see cow pasture in front of my house, central Atenas beyond that. |
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| Anthony’s house next door to me. He is a Spanish Class friend from Indiana, a bachelor artist who has a clay bird I plan to buy and install in my garden after he has it fired. His house is rented from Richard, is below brown roof, above photo. |
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| Some neighbors can see church steeple at Central Park Atenas. |
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| A few homes are visible from the street, most are not. |
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| All have privacy/security gates & I think this the most creative one on this loop. |
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| All are lushly planted for our tropical weather year around. It is like walking through a garden to walk through my neighborhood. |
Come visit me and you can physically walk with me over this and other hills in Roca Verde. Some of you know that I earlier said I would never live in a rich, gated community like this, but people change their minds! Living in a Tico neighborhood has the closeness and familiarity with the people around you that is not what this old independent, private person is real comfortable with. Plus the closeness of dogs barking, roosters crowing, parties going on, constant music, highway traffic, motorcycles, teenagers, is just more noise than I prefer to put up with all the time. I have some noise here, but nothing like in town or at the apartments where I lived for four months. It is mostly birds singing which I love and the roosters and dogs are further away.
Several of the large houses in Roca Verde have “casitas” (little houses) for either guests, parents, or to rent which is what I have. Some of the main houses are lived in by “Snowbirds” only in the North American Winter or dry season here. I am fortunate that this particular one was for rent by a year-round resident landlord on the hill above me. He is also one of two developers of Roca Verde. Though barely affordable for me (cheaper than McKendree Village!), this is the only one of this quality I was able to find within walking distance of Central Atenas, one mile. Not having a car was always part of the plan for living here.
Walking to town most days is my exercise program and now I have several choice walks in my neighborhood for when I don’t go to town. The above loop is just 1.3 miles and of course I did not show all the views and houses. I am so blessed in so many ways at almost every turn of this retirement adventure. I feel so fortunate! Almost everything has worked out positively, even if slower than an impatient American wants it! Just two more main things to finish: a residency card and conversational Spanish. Both are on track for early next year maybe! I’m starting to relax more and be more creative. Life is fun! Pura Vida! Jubilado!
House Tour – Inside Today!
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| Dining Room & Kitchen with my new pot plant on right. |
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| Looking out towards balcony from kitchen. Living Room left, dining right. |
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| Living Room with my Strangler Fig Tree out the window. And my new indoor plant at left. (She had an artificial plant there.) |
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| Guest Room Bed is a couch until you get here! Living room couch also a bed! This one is my office couch most of the time. |
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| This office/guest room came with a desk and chair! I added printer table and have an extra desk chair for sale! (The one I bought while at apartments.) |
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| My bedroom without her pretty comforter on bed. I don’t care for her orange accent and plan to replace that lamp with a bronze one I saw at the hardware store today, maybe this week. I’m pretty quickly making it my home in every way. Sleep well! Ceiling fans are in here, office/guest room, and living room. A/C is not needed. Remember, Atenas has the best climate in the world says National Geographic. I leave all windows open around the clock, including the sliding glass door. That way I get breeze from all directions and a wide overhang roof keeps rain out. |
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| One bath is plenty even with the rare overnight guest. I have plenty of storage, big shower & like brown trim. |
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| Entrance Plaza to Entrance Hall at end of my driveway parking space. Fall color oil painting isn’t very Costa Rica like or tropical, but beautiful! I may not replace it. Everything doesn’t have to be tropical or Latin American! |
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| Laundry Room off the kitchen The electric dryer was almost reason enough to move! And this is an American brand with English on dials! It was fun hanging clothes out, but its rainy season now. Had I stayed in apartment, I would have purchased a dryer. |
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| “La Terraza o El Balcón” in Spanish and Latin Culture, Patio/Deck or Balcony I’m sure I’ve already said that this is my favorite room! I eat most meals here and do a lot of reading out here. I’m more than halfway through Lord of the Rings! |
Yesterday’s post was “House Tour – Outside” in case you missed it!
This is where I enjoy retirement! Pura Vida! in Atenas, Costa Rica!
House Tour – Outside Today
Here’s a few views of the outside of my house and some of the new plants I got today. Tomorrow I will show the inside rooms.
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| My favorite room in the house is actually outside, my balcony, deck, patio. This tile floor is throughout the house and outside walkways around three sides. Nice! Plus the wooden ceiling is throughout the house. |
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| 105 Calle Roca Verde, one of the few houses in Atenas with a house number! I’m the house on right behind trees, Don & Linda to left with carport and our landlord lives on top of the hill behind us. I guard the gate, ha, ha! There is also a gate to get inside the development with a real guard 24/7. |
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| View of my house from street. The three little decorative palms in front were added today to replace the three that died from lack of water in dry season. I plan to make watering plants a major dry season activity! You can barely see the Red Palm planted at end of balcony & a tall, skinny Guarumo Tree in front of balcony. |
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| You have already seen my new entry garden, but we planted ground cover today that should spread fast. |
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| Three Fishtail Palms and a Banana Plant (on right) were planted today as a screen in front of my bedroom window (right) and guest room (left) for privacy on this street side. They will fill in and spread in a month or two. And maybe I’ll be eating the bananas by Christmas! 🙂 |
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| The driveway and entry side. The entry hall is to left by garden, but I mainly use the balcony at right as my main entrance. This may be the least interesting side of house, but my new entry garden is going to change that! Pot plants on this wall would block the tile walkway, except maybe at that corner on patio. I’m making it my home and so for love it inside and out! It is just right for me. |
Tomorrow I’ll show you around inside the house as it is now decorated. My art may arrive this week, but I will probably add only a few pieces around a well decorated house! Buenas Noches!
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| Tonight’s sunset colored the clouds in the north. Beautiful! Each evening a new surprise! How did I ever live without a balcony? This is my cathedral! |