Fighting Mother Nature

It's a losing battle but we all try. My grand plan was to live like I liked and correct it all with plastic surgery. Little did I know they don't do necks or knees! NO ONE wears turtlenecks anymore, especially here in hot, hot, hot Jaco. Pants are out of the question except maybe at night. I had every intention of having cosmetic surgery here in Costa Rica (it's cheap) but after a little research ( I watched how they do it), I decided to wear my wrinkles proudly, at least for now.

I see others contest Mother Nature in other ways. They construct houses on sides of mountains, in flood areas, stupid stuff like that (CR newbies). Every time I pass by this one house planted on the side of the mountain in Jaco, I look up to see if it's still there. The real hard 'rains' haven't even started yet. Click onto photo to enlarge and you'll see what I'm talking about. Where are the trees above the house going when their foundation erodes? It can be wicked rough here.

I've listened to a backhoe for about a month now down on the beach near my house. I have watched the river take ALL the boulders that were paid for and put there only for the guy to do it again, and again. When 'the rains' came two years ago, the river took out the entire hotel parking lot. JUST GONE, overnight. The owner is still fighting to keep his property from vanishing into the Pacific. Before, there was nice, soft sand in the ocean in front of the river. Now, all of the boulders have been swept out there and it's hazardous to surfers. My beach is a surfing beach. The river is my sun-spot and watch post. My most peaceful times in Costa Rica have been right there at that river, my chair positioned just right with the river passing under my chair and over my feet.

Two weeks ago, the beach was laden with debris from the river. I was totally shocked to see all the wood piled for the length of the beach. Today, it's almost all gone. Swept to sea. Watching the ocean has convinced me, you can't fight Mother Nature and win too often.

June 26th Postscript: I guess the hotel owner mentioned above is expecting 'the rains' to come hard really soon. The backhoe was working way pass 10 pm last night using his lights. It's pretty fascinating to watch the skill of the dozer operator placing those big boulders. I'll update photo as to progress of retaining wall reconstruction later. They were back at it today early, early and still going....