BIG Rain

Well, the clouds finally let loose what I would call a tumultuous rain early this morning.
(See "Rain Check" for other kinds of rain)
Power outages around 9:30 p.m. The kind where it goes on,,,off,,,on,,,off -
You just run around as fast as possible unplugging stuff. Yes, I have a voltage regulator on my outside meter and I have surge protectors but these power surges have been known to wipe it ALL out.
HOT, HOT, HUMID - no fans... you just tough it out to sleep and be grateful for a roof over your head because you know the BIG Rain is coming. It was the first good rain in many months. Everything is dry, brown, and/or dead. My grass, it's dormant except for the weeds,,, they're knee high right now. Fires popping up from careless smokers (and controlled burning). It's DRY, bone dry.
Usually with a BIG Rain, there's no water because the water filters clog from the mud BUT that didn't happen so maybe progress is being made with the new water filtration system.

Thank you Lord my roof doesn't leak, much.
Pura Vida.
Teri Tunes is playing an old favorite that has been looping in my head for days.
I wonder sometimes about how personal to be on my blog. I have met so many wonderful and considerate people through my blogging and I cherish our friendships.
You have connected with me when I felt isolated and supported me and my efforts.
Playing now - Leon Russell - Sing This Song For You

The River Runs Through It

This is what the beach looked like the other day. It hasn't stopped raining long enough to go see what changes the new rains have created. Can you see the color change where the river comes out?

Down by the rocks looks totaly different. Most of the driftwood that was stuck down there has been replaced with sand. I was alarmed the first time the ocean swept the beach away but was told, "don't worry, it will be back". Somehow, the sand returns and it is now covering what used to be exposed rocks.

Where the river ends always changes. It totally amazes me how it can change so rapidly. The river goes where it wants. It now snakes along the shoreline.

This is paradise for me and my dogs. Even when it rains for days, and days,
I know the sun will shine again, one day (just not today).

The Rain Catcher

I have literally collected buckets and buckets of rain lately.
Anyone that lives here (my area), knows that when it rains, the main water filters clog with mud and the area is without water if they use the local water. It's a given. During the "dry season", well, there is no water then either. It's a definite problem but I have found ways to deal with it. The bright side is AyA is working on supplying water for us... soon.

I have a reserve water tank on my top of my house but I've used all it's water. It's on top of my house so I don't need a pump. It feeds water to the house by gravity. If you have a tank on ground level with a pump, the water tank is useless when there is no electricity. Plus, a tank underground can collaspe if it's not done right. Think tremors, earthquakes, mudslides... The earth moves here.

If we do have running water during the rain, it's muddy and not worth using. Check this out! The photo is of muddy water coming out of my faucet.

I catch rain in buckets to fill up my extra water bottles. At least I have water to flush toilets, mop, etc. I've even used rainwater to bathe but it's a real procedure that involves heating the water. It's cold.

It's part of "roughing it". I am lucky in some way because I have a big open balcony upstairs that collects the rain and a drain pipe that ends right above my front entrance. Poor design on the house but during the rainy months, it comes in handy for my rain catching.

Pura vida.

Chocolate Rain

Usually, I think rain songs, like "Rainy Night in Georgia", when it rains and rains,,, and Rains.
I made up a CD of my favorite rain songs but it was stolen. I can't remember them all now.
Got any rain songs to share to jog my memory?
I saw this video on A Broad in Costa Rica's blog and it just "stuck". Now I think "Chocolate Rain"...
Thanks Sally! (said sarcastically)
Actually, the ocean looks like chocolate with all the river run-off right now. ...Chocolate Rain

Still Raining

Non-stop drizzle.
Plus, we had a little tremor early this morning.
My dogs are nearly comatose from being in the house for days.
Me, too! Maybe I'll load them up in the car and we'll go get some
rain photos... or not.

Since posting the above, I have nixed the town trip and started working on my long time project of painting my bathroom glass. From there, I went back to sewing covers for all the dog beds. I'm working on another crocheted bikini, too. Lots of irons in the fire today. I'm a crafter and really, I should never get bored.
I can always finish the Hawaiian quilt I started when I lived in Hawaii TWENTY-SEVEN years ago.
Yep, I'm a professional procrastinator, too!

"Rain Check?"

Until recently, I haven't bothered to mention the rain. It's partly why I even started blogging, for something to do during the long rainy season. The rain is a fact of life in Costa Rica.
I've lived places where it rained but never like it does in Costa Rica.
Here, we got (spoken in 'Bubba Gump Shrimp talk' - Forrest Gump movie)
blowing rain, pour-down rain, outta no where rain, liquid sunshine rain, refreshing sweetwater rain, all hell breaks loose rain, monsoon rain, gully washer rain, a Real toad strangler rain, endless rain, sprinkle rain, soaking rain, all damn day rain, flooding rain, river running rain, wish it would quit rain, blinding rain, raining rain, raining tadpoles rain, wash out rain, mudslide rain, flood the streets rain, no school today rain, watch the grass grow rain, bored silly rain...
We got rain!

Soft Shoulder

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD
I'm from South Florida and we have signs that say "Soft Shoulder", meaning you may get stuck.
No such critter here. In fact, I drove over this same spot last Saturday night and it was fine! The next day they had a tree branch marking the road wash-out. It's too common here during the rainy season. No warnings. The road just collaspes during heavy rains at the rivers and next to the ocean. Also, BIG blouders fall from the mountains to the highways and mud slides to boot! It's just normal driving conditions here.

"REMEMBER WHERE YOU ARE" - I remind myself that a lot.
During a heavy rain, things change!

Today is a grey day with the storms lurking. My dogs tell me it could be a big one!
Unplugging computer - even though I do have a power regulator on my meter outside and a battery back-up/surge protector on my computer AND my house is finally grounded with the metal rod - both floors, you still can't be too careful during a good ole Costa Rican, poor-down, thunder and lightning, "toad strangling" RAIN.
Here come the rains.....

"A Real toad-strangler" is the correct expression.