Time Flies

I looked at a calendar this morning - OMG! our time is 1/3 done!!


Yesterday was spent doing the books for the condo - our property manager left in December (a good thing) and the Board has been doing a fantastic job in taking over, but no one on-site has bookkeeping skills, and no "accounting" system was in place - all different now - up to date and sustainable!


I thought we had settled into a late afternoon rain pattern - that's how it started yesterday - then it rained all night - this morning was clear, but started again around 11 am - coming down the mountain as the view to the ocean is sunny clear and spectacular!


Went for dinner with Yves last night - met him online - from Montreal originally, but has been living here more or less permanently since 1996 - built a local hotel back then and has since done other small developments - supervises the construction.  He lives in Uvita.  He's a really nice guy - interesting and experienced with life here - speaks spanish and french, but struggles with english!   Maybe the start of our own gay community!


more bugs - they amaze me!  Lisle said he has 'thunder thighs'!

The workers are here fixing stuff with the outdoor shower (paint isn't working) and some of the concrete - yesterday they dug up 2 of the planters and relined them with cement - today - stripped all the paint off the shower and are sanding it down - then seal the cement and repaint.


Lisle headed off to look at more land (a real deal!) and for provisions - returned without the land (thank god!) and with tuna and shrimp - YUM!


I think it is almost time for drinks at Boca!

Day 10 and Day 11

So I have to stop with the day thing - it took 5 minutes to figure out what day it was and if I missed something!


A new addition to the neighbourhood - our first Anole!

NO! it is NOT a Gecko! and YES it is cute + they eat bugs!


The monkeys are still in the tree (4 days now) - I guess the food and accommodations continue to be sufficient - I'm sure they will just disappear as suddenly as they arrived.


The oddest of bugs - they continue to amaze me - think horsefly but the size of a loonie - big black eyes and a body that looks like it is made of shiny green metal - looked like a transformer toy!  Will take a photo if he comes back (no I didn't kill it - but shooing it the patio door was way more difficult).


Yesterday I went to Karen's to help with some bookkeeping stuff (Lisle drove me there, and I walked back - 25 minutes up and down the hills - the flip flops were a mistake!!) while Lisle and Dean & Michelle headed to ICE.  Lisle needed to get our cell voicemail set up - it shouldn't be difficult but it is all spanish telephone menus for service (tengo uno por ...).  Of course no one will even speak to you without your notarized corporate papers that are valid for 30 days ($25 thank you) - apparently it is now set up, but I still can't seem to get the voicemail that it says is in the mail box!


Dean and Michelle needed to buy a cell and activate it - we did that in October - took the same 2 hours - they also have an interesting problem with their electrical bill.  It is sky high (an empty house - $260/month).  Dean said if they shut down the main breaker (no power in the whole house) the meter still shows a power draw!  Someone is getting a free lunch!  They have been writing letters, but now get to try to produce some action through a face to face conversation - let's see if that works!


Lisle returned with meat from the butcher - ribs !! they are marinating now - - YUM.


The day started with rain and a rainbow (sorry no photo) but quickly dried and was beautiful - and ended with a thunderstorm over the ocean (no rain here).


Today is a sunny and bright morning - coffee - house cleaning - flower rearranging (the tropical plants last forever so you just keep plucking out the dead bits - this time next year they will all be coming from our garden!)

Day 9

Howlers again this morning - 5:00 am - this time my video

They spent the day eating leaves and sleeping.  Jan and Sonya brought Jim and Denise by to see the house, and everyone got to take photos of them.

Lisle ran some errands - I read - lunch - music - swim - email - another day.


The rain has just started - forced my from my lounge chair at the end of the pool - 36 hours without rain - a good sign "little summer" my be here.  Some thunder in the distance but just a gentle rain.  We might actually get a sunset tonight!

Day 8

Day 7 concluded with afternoon drinks to celebrate the arrival of Dean and Michelle and their friends, a quiet dinner at home and copious amounts of rain.

Day 8 started with a very clear correction to our concept of Day 7 wildlife - no they were not spider monkeys - they were Howler Monkeys and they made that known at 4:40 am until 5:10 am.  They have located themselves in the tree by the pool house. (I have an audio file, but it won't upload - check this out on Youtube)

They were quiet until 6:30 when it started to rain, and then it was constant until the rain stopped - 45 minutes - the rest of the time I sat watching the group of them eat in the treetop - quite the sight - the rain stopped and they seem to have disappeared - see if they are back in the morning!

We then set about connecting the network cables - the house is wired, but not connected to the router - so, room by room we tested and labelled - all done.


Then to the beach - Sunday is beach day - the closest is a very deserted spot - Playa Tortuga - down an unmarked road and across a bog - park on the beach - no shade, but no other people - some beer, some sun, some surf - 3 hours then off to the bar for more beer and then to the diner for dinner - a full Sunday!!

Day 7

July 2 started very peaceful - birds calling and a clear sky - sitting on the patio looking at the spectacular world

Saturday morning is the "Gentlemen's Breakfast" at the Riverside Diner - 8:00 am for coffee, eggs, bacon, toast, potatoes and more gossip (a regular pastime!).  Good food and good guys.  The talk was all about the police meeting about community safety - we have a new "Jefe" (Police Chief) who wants to understand the community and security issues - bridges and water (trees have fallen in the river - could take out the bridge if we get a good rain, so they need to be removed) and general comings and goings in town.

Just as we were getting ready to go for breakfast, there was a rustling in the trees - Spider monkeys!  We counted 6 and a very small baby.  They moved through the ravine slowly, climbing up the trees, swinging about and relaxing in the sun.  Very exciting for us newbies!!

Off to do some sweeping, a swim and a nap - it might just be sunny all day!!

Landscaping - yes there are photos!

So, after documenting everything without the memory card, I retraced my steps.


The landscaping works wonderfully and the plants add the right feel everywhere.

The plants are small (Lisle said "I wish they were bigger" - Karen said "Careful what you wish for!") but have grown noticeably in the few days we have been here.

To the right of the drive is a great little oasis with a great view of the ocean and a "water feature" (Christian's architectural speak) - a really neat space 

The front walk extends to stepping stones to the pool

The pool is like an oasis at a boutique hotel

And at the back is a peaceful walkway to bring you close to the jungle - cool and solitary.

Day 5 and Day 6

I decided that Thursday morning we would start our daily walk - a circuit up and down hills that takes about 30 minutes - took the camera to show everyone the sights of things close by, and views of the ocean, the community and the house.  The walk was great - let's see if it is daily - the pictures - - well apparently there was no memory card in it (don't those things tell you that?!) so will need to try my documentary again!


Lisle went to help Wendy with her computer - it decided to be contrary.  I stayed home to read, finish setting up the alarm (seems like a never-ending project) and sweep.  Sweeping is a pastime - dead bugs and more dead bugs, leaves and "stuff".  I was busy fussing when "Hola"!  Peeking around the corner of the house people were at the drive. Karen had brought Mary for a tour of the area.  Mary purchased land further south and is looking at home design and such - a quick tour and they were off to look at Charlie's.


Later in the day the couple from LA who own 9-63 drove by - said they were lost, but more likely just snooping.  There is a lot of traffic actually - mostly construction vehicles (delivery trucks etc) and you can certainly hear them coming - a good early warning.


Friday - Happy Canada Day


No walk today - it rained much of the night and the roads a yukky - so, out with the yoga mat and weights - exercise by the pool - finished and had the coffee made before Lisle got up at 7:20 (sleepy head).


So today we will take on replacing the circuit board on the salt water chlorine generator!  We brought the original from home in December, and when it got installed in May it was giving wacky readings - the manufacturer gave us a new board, and we will return the defective one in August - very good service.


Lisle heads to the pool house - "Make sure you turn off the power!!"  5 minutes "Can you come here for a minute?"  Down I go - we walk through the process, what is attached where - 8 wires - all different colours, plus power and multiple black and red wires - I go and get the iPhone - "here, take a photo" - off comes the power, then unsecure the panel from the box, then the connecting wires - suddenly sparks fly everywhere - the one electric wire touched the box!  "I thought you said the power is off"  "it is - the time is off, all the lights are out"  "well how be we shut of the breakers here on the electric panel - just to be safe"  click click click - the light goes out in the room - that should be safe now!  We finished with no more fireworks, and the readings on the panel seem to be good.


Then off to 101!  A weekly ritual at 1 minute after 1:00 on Friday - beer and conversation at Boca.  This was a special edition though - Canada Day - all the Canadians were in red and white, and some went beyond that (Sonya had a flag purse and Keith and Karen had a flag top hat and the Canada mitts we bought them for Christmas).  Afterwards we adjourned to Dennis' (the Riverside Restaurant) for dinner.


Another great day.