Spring Ahead

So, for the last couple days it seems possible that spring may actually return to Toronto - still grey and overcast but +5C and the snow is melting.

May be time for this bear to stop hibernating.

Yep - that is basically what we have been doing through January - March.  Too cold to do much else!

So thinking about warm weather and outdoors, I booked my flight south - June 5 - 25.  I know it is short, but work is taking my attention this year - - then I can be done with it.

Flying High

January 6, 2015 - Left the house for San Jose at 9:00.  A beautiful day.  Too bad I need to head home.  Drive is fine.  No real traffic. At the airport by 12:45.   15 minutes for departure tax.  Change to winter clothes in the bathroom and check in.   Off to the business lounge.  Nice to have a beer and some food to relax. 

Down to the boarding gate about 3:30.  Sebastian (Liz Duncan's partner) is there.  He was supposed to leave on Avianca in the morning but they were over booked.  Good chance to visit.

On the plane and waiting to leave. So, the winds are too strong for the normal takeoff.  They need to use a different runway and a steep climb over the mountains.  Therefore they can't fly as heavy.  So they either bump 25 passengers or carry less fuel.   As you an imaging, they opt for ore passengers and less fuel.  That means we can't get to Toronto.  Therefore we are flying to Nassau in the Bahamas instead.  Apparently it is just a stop for fuel but will add an hour to the flight.  Plan is landing after midnight.  Guess we will see how it al works out.  

Should have known something was up when I checked flight status online and it said AC1807 was destined for Nassau and a search of flights SJO to YYZ said the were none scheduled.

A good start - they closed the door 10 minutes early.  But I think we just sat for 15 minutes going no where.   Hmmm

5:08 takeoff into a 50 mph headwind. Usual runway.  But just keep going straight and climbing fast.  Then a 270 right turn to give us a chance to clear the mountains.   Now really rough. Flying towards a wall of cloud  on the east of the valley. Cleared the mountains and the clouds.  Pretty smooth but just a sea of fluffy white below.  That was a new experience!

Oh, I did mention Sebastian is on the flight.  He doesn't like flying.  Would be great if we we're seated together but I am on business and he couldn't upgrade as it is full. Hope he is surviving.

Watched "In Bruges" an interesting film.  Lisle would like it.   Think it is on the media drive.

7:30 Costa Rica time.  8:30 Nassau/Toronto.  Coming in for landing in Nassau.  Full moon is beautiful over the island.

They have just spent 5 minutes trying to close he door. Now just sitting.  Windows are all dogged up so can't see anything outside.

Captain just advise there is a malfunction with systems in Toronto and they can't leave until fuel and weight is confirmed - hopefully soon!

9:30 in Nassau.  Doors closed and pushing away.  Off the ground at 9:45.  Maybe land Toronto at 12:30. 

Seems my iPad is messed up - the button doesn't work so getting out of an app means rebooting the whole thing and staring over.

More wine please!!

Too much wine.  Need water!

There is this family - mom dad and two kids under 8. Asked if we could switch rows so they could be back to back.   Sure.  Part way through the flight the dad and son in row one switched with the nice older couple in row two opposite.  Much commotion.  The kid was sleeping and not feeling well so everyone needed to move to make them all feel better.   Dunno!

Landed 12:37 - it is -10c

Home - 1:45 2:30 by the time I hit bed - wont be a pretty morning!

Scope It Out - Part 2

This is really neat

Photo with Nikon J2

Zoom Photo with Nikon J2

Photo through sighting scope

Very cool!!

Let's Scope It Out!

Really, spending the holidays in Ojochal is present enough for any Christmas - but this year we bought a Sighting Scope - or Birding Scope - or Monocular.

It is a Nikon with a wide field of vision and a 20 - 60x optical zoom.

We can see the waterfall raging on the far mountain, try to figure out what that strange light is in the distance, or watch the birds and monkey in the tree across the valley.

These are from our terrace to a tree about 300 metres away - - sorry, still trying to figure out how to keep the focus of the camera through the scope.

My New Year's Message - 2015

6:30 am New Year’s Eve – sitting on the stairs out back watching a howler monkey climb through the trees.  We haven’t had monkeys here in 2 years, but this one started howling yesterday at sunset and picked up again at 5:00 am.  Only one that I can see, and he is way in the jungle so photos are just dark and shadowy.  Hopefully a sign of a good year to come.

It is very hard to believe that 15 years ago we were sitting waiting for the world we knew to crash around us that the Y2K ‘bomb’ hit.  Those of us responsible for services and infrastructure spent the day and through the night in ‘command centres’ monitoring events, checking systems, and largely feeling like fools as we quickly came to understand that nothing bad was going to happen - - all dressed up and no place to go!

That really does seem like a lifetime ago.  Half of my son’s life – as he turns 30 in a few weeks.  In the intervening years the world has seen things that have seemed unimaginable – 9/11, the Katrina devastation of New Orleans, the Tsunami in the Indian Ocean, and the global economic meltdown.

Perhaps it is a result, or just another happening, but the new millennium has been highlighted by divisiveness, fear and hatred.  In politics, war, social encounter . . . life in general.

America was the land of the free and the home of the brave – now, the place of ultra conservative republicans v. hedonistic democrats.  Canada was proud of a socially progressive society within a fiscally responsible framework – now the social safety net has fallen victim of personal protection and the haves take more from the have nots.  Occupy and Anonymous scream about the 1% that control 50% of the wealth – yet interestingly, the top 10% of the 1% are some of the most progressive and socially minded folks on the planet.  We need to stop looking about to cast blame and start with ourselves and our communities to create positive change.  Our political processes are broken because that is what we have told our politicians we want and expect – division and anger – you can’t have what you want if that means I don’t get what I want - - what happened to compromise for the greater good – despite how it has been viewed in recent years, it is not a loss for everyone.  Kindness and generosity should always be 'in fashion'.

The monkey made me happy and thoughtful – perhaps everyone just needs a monkey to distract and engage them!

So, as 2015 is upon us, I look forward to happier days, healthier ways, less stress and more monkeys.

Happy New Year to friends and family – love you all.

Dan

Feliz Navidad!

We always get asked - what happens at Christmas in Costa Rica?

The answer is - much the same as in Toronto or anywhere else!  People gather to enjoy their family and friends - it's just warmer!

So, some very Costa Rican Christmas images!

MERRY CHRISTMAS
Dan and Lisle

Decorations at home

Celebrating at the beach

Ticos like to decorate just like everyone else

Or just let nature take over

But never would they do this

And while it may not be a cold and white Christmas where you are, everyone wants to be here!

Tagged

Today is Licence Plate day.

When you buy a new vehicle, it doesn't come with a plate.  They only register vehicles after they are purchased and plates are issued once the registration is complete.  When you leave the dealership you have this plastic sleeve on the windshield with a paper in it - temporary registration.

So, they said - the plates will be ready in January.  No problem.  Then they call last week - the plates are here in San Jose, will you be in today to get them??   NO!  We are not doing an 8 hour round trip to get plates.  Lisle was going to get then when he took me back to the airport at the beginning of the month.

How about you send them to the dealership in Perez Zeledon (San Isidro)?  That is only an hour away.  Sure - so after waiting and checking, we confirm they are there.  Second trip in a week (our first maintenance was scheduled for last week - had we known we would have postponed for a few days).

Apparently we are not permanently legal!!