Today is Mothers' Day in Costa Rica.
This is not the made up North American version intended to sell cards. This coincides with the religious holiday of the Assumption of Mary. It is a very big deal here - probably bigger than Christmas - everyone honours their Mother with gifts and dinner and time spent together - everything is closed - even the construction workers are absent from the site across the road.
Happy Mothers Day to all!
Friday, August 15, 2014
Saturday, August 9, 2014
In Case You Were Wondering . . .
Painting starts on Monday - if the weather cooperates, it should be a week - I suspect two is likely - guess that means they will be around for the rest of our stay.
New possibility for internet service - ICE is slow (about .5M, and unreliable (although not to bad this time). $25/m for the stick - - NetsysCR is a new player in the residential market - - offering 4M for $75/month - came to the house to check reception - need to put an antennae on the house - - no sure what technology it is but the guy went on and on about fibre optic to Uvita and Coronado and an IP land line for the house - Lisle is interested, so it is likely a go - - see what it brings - a new CR adventure!!
Hot sauce is done - - man is it hot! 1.75 pounds of peppers gave us enough for 6 small bottles of sauce - but I think it is almost too hot to use - cut it and expand the output! Gee - sound like a drug lord! have to figure it out - - the stuff is potent!
The company that did the landscaping is rebranding and doing new materials - so they were here for a photo shoot - the photographer is a Canadian who has been in CR many years and is well known for her work with resorts and properties - does great shots - really friendly - we sat and had coffee while she was waiting for the right light - - -too sunny or too cloudy was the general state of affairs - can't wait to see the shots - here is one that got sent ahead as a teaser!
Dinner out at Boca Coronada the other night - rainy evening by the river - Lisle got bitten - good food (ceviche mixto and pescado boca coronado - fish in seafood sauce).
Friday was strange weather - socked in - clouds everywhere - rain and wind - chilly!! Temperature mid-day dropped to 23C - - cleared later and beautiful and sunny today! 32C right now - nice breeze - - PERFECT!!
New possibility for internet service - ICE is slow (about .5M, and unreliable (although not to bad this time). $25/m for the stick - - NetsysCR is a new player in the residential market - - offering 4M for $75/month - came to the house to check reception - need to put an antennae on the house - - no sure what technology it is but the guy went on and on about fibre optic to Uvita and Coronado and an IP land line for the house - Lisle is interested, so it is likely a go - - see what it brings - a new CR adventure!!
Hot sauce is done - - man is it hot! 1.75 pounds of peppers gave us enough for 6 small bottles of sauce - but I think it is almost too hot to use - cut it and expand the output! Gee - sound like a drug lord! have to figure it out - - the stuff is potent!
The company that did the landscaping is rebranding and doing new materials - so they were here for a photo shoot - the photographer is a Canadian who has been in CR many years and is well known for her work with resorts and properties - does great shots - really friendly - we sat and had coffee while she was waiting for the right light - - -too sunny or too cloudy was the general state of affairs - can't wait to see the shots - here is one that got sent ahead as a teaser!
Friday was strange weather - socked in - clouds everywhere - rain and wind - chilly!! Temperature mid-day dropped to 23C - - cleared later and beautiful and sunny today! 32C right now - nice breeze - - PERFECT!!
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Nature and Nurture
So, the house needs painting - 3 years old - the pigment on the front - the part that gets the most sun - completely gone - not unheard of, others have complained about it - the story is the workers water it down so they can take the extra unwatered stuff home to sell or use - - i just think they used cheap paint!
Two Ticos came by to give us a quote - this is their business and they have all the equipment - lots of gringos in the area will do this, but i really think more and more that stepping out of the expat community is necessary and important - otherwise we will be gringos forever. They come recommended. All outside paint - cover up everything, protect windows and plants - paint the tower - two coats 5 full days - - clean all the exterior wood surfaces. Think we will get them to start next week.
So while they were here checking the place out - they point to the tower - - bees!
and then a leaf - -all in 48 hours - the rapid growth of vegetation never ceases to amaze me
Two Ticos came by to give us a quote - this is their business and they have all the equipment - lots of gringos in the area will do this, but i really think more and more that stepping out of the expat community is necessary and important - otherwise we will be gringos forever. They come recommended. All outside paint - cover up everything, protect windows and plants - paint the tower - two coats 5 full days - - clean all the exterior wood surfaces. Think we will get them to start next week.
So while they were here checking the place out - they point to the tower - - bees!
Bees and paper wasps - quite the little community they have set up!
So while the house needs some nurturing and saving from nature, nature is continuing in its bounty
The Philodendrons are massive and just keep growing - this leaf was just part of the other leaf yesterday - then this strange probe
Monday, August 4, 2014
What a Difference a Day Makes
Saturday could not have been more different than Friday - overcast from the start, but the rain started about 2pm and was good tropical rain - - constant - heavy at times - above all it was loud - so loud you could bearly hear the sound from the TV/Stereo. TIP: we were told that noise cancelling headphones are a necessity for the rainy season! Guess that is coming in the luggage next trip.
Sunday was better - some sun in the morning - but the rain set in around dinner - - really neat watchign the valley disappear in the clouds before the rain begins.
Keith and Karen's daughter and her partner arrived from Toronto with the new baby (7 weeks old) for a quick visit (9 days) - such a sweetie - Liz walked over to see us (about 30 minutes up and down the hills) with baby Mila in the snugglie - - hiking at 7 weeks - - quite the adventurer and world traveler!
Cooking experiment - showed you the giant pepper bush before - just plucked 2 pounds of hot red peppers from it - - needed to do that before they just rotted - - trying our hand at hot pepper sauce. blend the peppers with a head of garlic and a bit of water, some salt and brown sugar - let sit 5 days - add vinegar and cook - strain and bottle. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Breakfast is underway - fruit salad - papaya and banana - yum
OOOPPSS! Bananas are too ripe - guess it it a banana, mango, pineapple smoothie with banana muffins - yum yum! papaya for a salsa with the chicken for dinner!
Sunday was better - some sun in the morning - but the rain set in around dinner - - really neat watchign the valley disappear in the clouds before the rain begins.
Keith and Karen's daughter and her partner arrived from Toronto with the new baby (7 weeks old) for a quick visit (9 days) - such a sweetie - Liz walked over to see us (about 30 minutes up and down the hills) with baby Mila in the snugglie - - hiking at 7 weeks - - quite the adventurer and world traveler!
Cooking experiment - showed you the giant pepper bush before - just plucked 2 pounds of hot red peppers from it - - needed to do that before they just rotted - - trying our hand at hot pepper sauce. blend the peppers with a head of garlic and a bit of water, some salt and brown sugar - let sit 5 days - add vinegar and cook - strain and bottle. I'll let you know how it turns out!
Friday, August 1, 2014
TGIF
Well it is Friday - Lisle forgot it was fish day, so no fresh stuff from the fish guy - oh well there's always next week!
Up at 6:30, just after the rain ended - still lots of mist in the mountains - no howlers this morning, but lots of bird chatter.
This morning we planned to meet our new neighbour. Jeannine dropped by for coffee, tea and fresh banana almond muffins (thank you Lisle - I just don't say that enough!!). Jeannine and her husband Jean Marc are building the house just up the road. They have been here with their 2 teen girls learning to live in rural Costa Rica. The girls go to the public high school in Uvita - the bus picks them up at 5:40 am. House should be done by Christmas although some are saying March - - they are renting a place a little further up the road. A really nice way to start the day, learning about her adventures and life - a new relationship! Next time it will need to be over wine!
Lisle has finished repainting and remounting all the exterior light fixtures. They were black, but almost white with the sun and salt - look like brand new!
After lunch, Lisle needed to go to town - supplies - a new pool thermometer. WOW - the rear tire looks really low - it was before and he filled it the other day - - made it to the gas station and then into Uvita to Bridgestone - the guy found the nail in 30 seconds - no problema! The bill C2,500 - roughly $5.00! We'll see how it stands up.
Swim in the pool with the new thermometer - cerveza! Sunset - - dinner - - House of Cards (season 2 is even more manipulative!!)
Up at 6:30, just after the rain ended - still lots of mist in the mountains - no howlers this morning, but lots of bird chatter.
This morning we planned to meet our new neighbour. Jeannine dropped by for coffee, tea and fresh banana almond muffins (thank you Lisle - I just don't say that enough!!). Jeannine and her husband Jean Marc are building the house just up the road. They have been here with their 2 teen girls learning to live in rural Costa Rica. The girls go to the public high school in Uvita - the bus picks them up at 5:40 am. House should be done by Christmas although some are saying March - - they are renting a place a little further up the road. A really nice way to start the day, learning about her adventures and life - a new relationship! Next time it will need to be over wine!
Lisle has finished repainting and remounting all the exterior light fixtures. They were black, but almost white with the sun and salt - look like brand new!
After lunch, Lisle needed to go to town - supplies - a new pool thermometer. WOW - the rear tire looks really low - it was before and he filled it the other day - - made it to the gas station and then into Uvita to Bridgestone - the guy found the nail in 30 seconds - no problema! The bill C2,500 - roughly $5.00! We'll see how it stands up.
Swim in the pool with the new thermometer - cerveza! Sunset - - dinner - - House of Cards (season 2 is even more manipulative!!)
Of Birds and Bugs and Other Things
so to start off with, the other morning there is this dead bird on the front patio - not the first we have had - they are stupid and fly into the window - but this one looked more like it had just hatched or been unswallowed by something - kind of gross
The next morning, Lisle say - a toad pooped in the door track - I went to clean it - not toad poop - it had legs and was wriggling.
And yesterday it was the visit from the Jesus Christ lizard - they walk on water!! a rather large one
All of yesterday was spectacular - sunny from first thing in the morning - hot 35C - in the pool with a beer - a beautiful day for a beautiful sunset - of course not - but quite the light show - a storm moved on over the ocean the lightning fingers shot across the sky - wish I was a better photographer - but the sky was neat nonetheless. a glimpse of the lightning in some of the shots
Then the rain came - good heavy tropical rain - - lasted much of the night - - finally stopped about 6 this morning.
Monday, July 28, 2014
Peck of Peppers and Other Stuff
This is a world of extremes.
Here it is sun or rain - - seldom much in between. Fortunately Hot without the cold.
Things grow or they don't - especially the things you are trying to grow - the scrawny sage and rosemary is struggling not be join the previous 4 attempts in plant heaven. Meanwhile the little hot pepper plant we grew from seeds - it is taking over the herb garden and turning into a tree.
The peppers are REALLY HOT and we are overrun with them - time to start a hot sauce business.
Then there are the mundane things - electricity - you have it or you don't - like the water!
Or the printer - - it prints wonderfully, but the scanner has decided it is on strike - the microwave works, but the exhaust fan is exhausted.
Lisle is busily painting the exterior lights that were once black and are now white - bleached by the sun/salt.
Fortunately no surprises that we can't handle.
Here it is sun or rain - - seldom much in between. Fortunately Hot without the cold.
Things grow or they don't - especially the things you are trying to grow - the scrawny sage and rosemary is struggling not be join the previous 4 attempts in plant heaven. Meanwhile the little hot pepper plant we grew from seeds - it is taking over the herb garden and turning into a tree.
Then there are the mundane things - electricity - you have it or you don't - like the water!
Or the printer - - it prints wonderfully, but the scanner has decided it is on strike - the microwave works, but the exhaust fan is exhausted.
Lisle is busily painting the exterior lights that were once black and are now white - bleached by the sun/salt.
Fortunately no surprises that we can't handle.
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