POP, POP, POP!!!

The sun finally came out yesterday after four days of steady rain. I was walking home from the beach with two of my dogs and I heard this loud clacking sound coming from the roof on top of my office on the bottom floor. My house is built weird and part of it is only one-story. Well, back to my story... I hear all this commotion and think maybe an iguana found a way to access that roof on the one-story part.

I walked up the stairs inside my house, still hearing this clacking/popping sound and now I'm thinking... it's INSIDE my house. I open the door to the balcony on the second level and to my astonishment (wide eyed, dropped jaw, shock and awe), I see my floor tiles popping off like popcorn going off! I was complete mesmerized. I could NOT believe my eyes! The tiles were slowly rising and then, POP!! They would flip in the air!



I was so shocked this could even happen that I called a friend to witness it. Notice, there are no grout lines in between the tiles. The house is about 20 years old and it was built for a model house. It was for sale for MANY years and then I came along.....
After the balcony cooled off (shade side in the afternoon), we lifted up all the tiles and hoisted them down to be trashed. This is what is looks like after the big pop-off!


Thanks Tex, for coming to my rescue!!

As some of you know, I have worked diligently for the past five months with Jose to get my house back up to standards. Now, Jose has gone back to his home and I am looking at yet ANOTHER project to be tackled.

It never ends when you are a homeowner. Pura Vida.

BIG Waves

Conditions are pretty rough and it's raining off and on....

If you wondering what kind of waves we have here, let me just say the pros are out whippin' it up. It's a Maytag washer out there but if you can paddle through it and get out, the big reward is there. Gilbert Brown put on a good show today in Hermosa.

Church on Sunday

This is a little church located in Tarcoles. It has a tin roof. If you've ever been under a tin roof when it's raining, you know it can get really loud!

Spider/both sides and a Bat

I've never photographed "under" a spider. The second photo is the "undershot" of this seven-legged spider.


This bat moved into my balcony doorjam during a huge rainstorm.
He's gone now.

Lord knows, the critters I find around my house.

FYI - the rains have come and it rains just about everyday. Thunder, lightning, the whole works (no hail). July we will get a "little summer" and it will be dry for a few weeks. Live here long enough, you realize it all runs in cycles.

Little earthquake the other day. 5.9 Mag. Lasted just long enough to be concerned.
It happened right after a big rain which could pose a problem with the ground being soft. I haven't heard of any mudslides though.....

HELP!!! Cesar Millan!!!

I always ask myself, "What would Cesar do?"
It has been over a year since my dogs have fought. I thought I had walked and exercised their aggression away and using Cesar methods of exercise, discipline, and then affection PLUS, making sure I am always in the LEADER position by remaining calm and assertive and them - calm and submissive,,,, it all backfired day before yesterday when I took Max and Macha for a walk over to Jose's to see if they were ready for their trip. Yes, I know that is a long sentence but I am at my wit's end!
This is Max and he is almost 100 pounds of pure strength!

I walked up with Macha and Max to Jose's house and this friendly little puppy came out to greet us. I told Jose in Spanish to grab the puppy and his reaction wasn't fast enough. Max already had his jaws around the puppy's hind leg. The attack of both of my dogs on the puppy was so fast, I didn't have time to react,,, only to pull on both of them to get them to release the dog. It was awful and I was so ashamed of my dogs and my inability to control them.

The owner of the puppy, Macy, and I took her pup, Antonia, to the vet and she was stitched up and put on antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, and something for pain.
Thank you Dr. Jose Jimenez at Jaco Vet. You are always there for me and my pack and I do appreciate it.

WHAT WOULD CESAR DO???
(for those who don't know,,, I am referring to El Encantador de Perros - The Dog Whisperer). Click here for the official site of CesarsWay.com.
Cesar is my role model and I hang on every word and his actions when watching his show. I have watched all the episodes and thought I knew more than I really do. I was at a complete loss in this situation. I put Max into the down position but I don't think he realizes how serious this is. I do.

I went to visit the puppy today and the owners were gone. Antonia took one whiff of me and started growling and licking her lips. I guess I smell like four dogs, especially Max. She ran directly under a bench to protect "her kittens".

Macy explained how she came about having this puppy. She was found on the side of the road in San Jose, standing next to her brother who had been killed by a car. Macy could not leave her there on the road and adopted her on the spot. You just gotta just love someone with an open heart to helpless animals.




For awhile I have been wanting to write a "Success Story" for Cesar's website and just when I think I have a handle on things, something like this happens.
Help Cesar! In Costa Rica, The Dog Whisperer is on Tuesday night at 6pm. They run past shows all during the week on Animal Planet at various times. It is one of the best shows on t.v. and I will be forever grateful to Cesar for his leadership and teaching me how to be the 'Leader of my Pack'! I just slipped which means I need to practice MORE and watch more of The Dog Whisperer!! My Pack, too!!

Farewell to Jose and Family

As most of you know, I have been fixing up my house with Jose's help and we have moved mountains of rocks among many other extreme projects. Jose arrived in Costa Rica this past November with his family. It was like my family returned when I saw them walking towards my house with their luggage. Jose and his family were able to live in the same house near my house as he did six years ago when we first renovated my house. It was like a miracle, Jose returning to help me. In the years that Jose has been gone, I've let many things go. We worked everyday and now I can look around and all the problems I had with my house are GONE! Oh, Happy Day!!

Jose left to return to his homeland yesterday with his family. I will surely miss him, his lovely wife, and precious little girl. I have become their Costa Rican Mamasita.
Thank you, Jose.
Thank you for your loyality and devotion. I could not have done it without YOU!

Vaya con Dios!!! And may God Bless you and your family.