Daily Wonders

I noticed two hummingbirds buzzing around my patio the other day. It was right after I chopped off some of the big limbs on the Alemandra tree (almond). One branch I cut had a tiny, perfect empty nest attached by just a thread to a limb. It was already cut down when I discovered it and I gave it to the kid next door. I am thinking now, it was a new nest and these hummingbird parents were letting me know, I took away their home.
Lesson learned, check the branches before chopping!

I'm still getting over having to cut down the big palm tree in my yard. I'm glad I did because a couple of weeks ago we had some tornado winds. It caused quite a bit of damage south of here in Parrita and Manuel Antonio area. I still see the geese passing around and they have found a new tree.

Maybe most of you know but this time of year, we get the start of some heavy rain. In July, it calms down for a couple of weeks and then the rain is on in earnest until November/December. The road to San Jose was finally opened and I had the pleasure of traveling on it twice before the big rain came and washed out part of it and they closed it down. Some say the construction of this highway connecting San Jose with Orotina has been in the making for 40 years!! Of course, I took photos of the "before" because you can clearly see that the road is too close to the mountains and they have a hodge-podge of various methods for holding back the rock and clay. There is no date set as to when the road will open again. Pura Vida. Here are some pics....





Can you see the man on the side of the mountain?



I am staying busier than ever since Jose left catching up on some sewing projects and getting the yard back in shape. All the focus was on the house when Jose was helping. It was too dry then to do any planting. Now, with the rain, there are weeds everywhere and I can see the grass growing as I type! The moat we built next to my house is working excellent. We dug a ditch and put down plastic and filled it with big and small rocks and gave a direction for the water to run. The other water run-offs are working as well. I checked them again this early, early morning, when we had a big rain before daylight! The rain water no longer stands six inches on my property!

"The House of Pain"

"The House of Pain" is an expression from Mad Money, Jim Cramer's show which we no longer get a signal for here. CNBC has been removed from our cable and it has been painful not knowing what is going on. Yes, I still try to follow the stock market. I couldn't help but think of Jim Cramer's "House of Pain" sound button when I saw this clinic in Atenas recently.

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.

Ch-Ch-Changes

It's been a long time coming but thanks to Carol for selling me her a/c cheap, I now have a/c in my converted "guest room" to office/studio!! This is a photo of the guys working to install it last week. I got all excited when I opened the door where they were working and saw FIRE!! The unit works beautifully! When you pass through into my newly air coniditioned room,,, it feels like HOME.

I've tried to adapt by not using air-conditioning for years now but during this time of year, it has become unbareable. And then there are the rainy months coming when stuff stays damp so having an a/c to dry out all my computer junk will probably save me tons in replacments!

Note the bandana around his neck.... it has ice inside of a plastic bag to keep him cool while he works. It has been so hot here, I make these ice packs for workers.

Woke up to rain this morning, April showers are here!!

How HOT is it?

Even the iguana has his tongue hanging out. REALLY! He stayed like that for a long while! It's been really, really hot here but the afternoon rains have started and now we're going through the "sauna" stage. It should be cooling off really soon now!
I've been moving rocks into the trench around the house and can relate to this photo!

"Isn't She Lovely" - Her 8th Birthday!

Maria Isabel - Eighth Birthday



The title of this post should trigger Stevie Wonder singing his song in the background - wish I still had 'TeriTunes' music on here but the music was blocked at Playlist so...
it had to go.

This is Jose's daughter on her 8th birthday yesterday! Isn't she lovely!

I love the sepia version. Maria Isabel is a born model. She can strike a pose in a flash. Where do they learn this? She is such a little lady! Her front teeth are coming in so she's shy about smiling. She is such a delight, I wonder where her life will take her.

I had doubts whether to publish the following photos but it's just too cute not to.




Just love her expressions! She forgot all about her front teeth missing!


Update: work on my house with Jose is nearing competition, well, you know you're never DONE but we've come to a good point now and only have rocks to spread for the drains that were dug. It's been a huge process and I am so grateful.

Semana Santa Saturday, Pre-Easter Day

I am almost embarrassed to show my face around here since I've been lacking in posting for such a long time. It was a post made by my virtual blog friend, Jen - A New Life in Costa Rica, that prompted this impromptu post. Read it here. Jen and her family live in a totally different area in Costa Rica and I love to read about their travels and experiences "up on the mountain". Thanks Jen for the kick in the pants to get off my duff and post something!

I have been steady working (four months now, everyday except weekends when I work alone) on my house doing repairs and general maintenance. In some respects, we have moved mountains by accomplishing some of these long awaiting projects. The big load of rocks that were delivered has maybe changed my yard permanently. So many rocks!! I used most to build a dranaje (water drain for kitchen and wash water) and more rocks were used for the moat dug around my house to direct the rain AWAY from my house. When we have a hard rain, it comes right in my front door! We have gone over my house up and down and around more than once doing all the details to fix some of the problems. That and generally making things look all new and fresh again. The weather here is hard on a house. My house is two-story so some of the work required scaffolding. It's been a bear all the way and it's still not over, close to being done but not yet.

I love this time of year and have blogged about Semana Santa/Easter many times now. It's my favorite time of year because of the reverance this country pays to this holiday. It's a time for families to come together and "old time" Costarricans respect the traditions of generations passed. Some traditions are no driving during this time. I love that because the traffic in front of my house is (was) almost non-existent. (Yesterday was very quiet) No semi-truck/trailers barrelling down the mountain using their jake-brake. Love that!! I haven't seen the CR buses, just tourist buses and an Imperial truck moving today (restock time)....
No alcohol is sold in the WHOLE COUNTRY after midnight on Wednesday until today. LOVE THAT! Of course, it promotes people to overstock on booze and probably drink way more than they normally would but it does promote PEACE and reverence for these holy days. I can't remember if they sell alcohol on Easter Sunday or not?...

In years passed, I have seen droves of people walk past my house on **The Walk for Jesus. Maybe it is tomorrow, I can't remember but I do want photos! It is amazing. They walk all over the country but the main pilgrimage is to Basilica in Cartago. So many beautiful people make this journey for Christ. I love that too!

This is the most special time of year in Costa Rica besides Christmas. I hope that I will turn my focus back to my blog and bring you photos of the life here. Last month marked my 8th year of owning my home here. It is remarkable how time has slipped away and it seems like just yesterday I was experiencing it all for the first time.


Happy Easter to you ALL!!
P E A C E

This is one of the last shots with my telephoto before it had to go to the shop to be UNSEALED and cleaned of the fungus growing inside (see dots in the sky on photo). Fungus growth is never-ending, living in the tropics. I get my lens back next Thursday, thank you Marcos for making this happen and taking my lens to S.J.
**CORRECTION: My Ticopedia, Marcos, told me when I asked when was the big Walk for Jesus, he said, the weekend of August 2nd. This week, the little neighborhood walks are for Mary.

Daylight saving time

What a cool concept, "Saving Time". Wouldn't it be great if we could really save time?
We can do things quickly and more efficiently, get a jump on things by starting earlier but we just can't SAVE time,,, we can only document time, manipulate how we use it, or spend it.
This time of year the hour on the clock is pushed forward and an extra hour is gained. Hawaii doesn't do that, as well as many other places... including Costa Rica. See map on link -
Daylight saving time - Wikipedia

I never liked the time changes but I'm sure it works for some areas. It's a way to counter balance what nature gives for daylight hours during the year. For me, all the programming for t.v. changes and I stay confused for a bit. All else stays the same unless I am calling the U.S. and it's too early or too late, or whatever.

I guess most of you know by now, if you call Costa Rica,,, we have nine digits. They added prefixes to the existing numbers based on the type service and the area. I blogged about the change, my how time flys,,, that was way back in 2008.
http://yo-yoinparadise.blogspot.com/2008/03/phone-numbers-are-changing-for-all-of.html "How time flys",,, I like that expression.

Work continues here at my house. Just this past week I had a HUGE truck deliver rocks for my "drenaje", it's a gray-water run-off. After seven years, I am finally separating my kitchen and laundry water from my septic. That's how it is set up now, it all runs in the tank together. This is just one of MANY projects we (me and Jose) tackled to get things back in ship shape order. It's been everyday, all day working on my house but at least I can look around now and see more things DONE than needing to be done. That's a good feeling!!!

Awhile back I did a post about signs in Costa Rica telling you NOT to put toilet paper in the toilet...
http://yo-yoinparadise.blogspot.com/2007/01/holy-crappers-batman.html
I always respect others property and do as told but for my own house, I flushed the paper. Not anymore. It has caused such a big problem that I am now "Tico-ized" when it comes to that! One will learn that there are reasons why things are done like they are done here. I learn the hard way.

Church on Sunday

This church is down in Esterillos on the beach.

Unseen Dangers of the Tropics

Living here, you learn to live with security bars, lock up everything, be particular where you park your car and who you befriend. It's a melting pot of nationalities here and the crime flourishes. One of the biggest dangers is the one you will never see, the parasites. I've blogged about this before (here are a few) when I saw a guy that had "Chagas" on Dr. House and he was asked if he had visited COSTA RICA or another tropic place recently. Here's another one of my post about Take Your Pills. I bought mine today because I can't remember the last time I took them. They are a little different now.

Well, I have a new one for you that I saw on the Discovery Channel!
Trypanosome Parasite.
"Trypanosomes are a group of kinetoplastid protozoa distinguished by having only a single flagellum. All members are exclusively parasitic, found primarily in insects."

Check it out, it's known as the Sleeping Disease in Africa.
If you Google parasites, it will definitely cause you to pause and consider...
what's REALLY out there!!

We'll Miss Daddy!!

Everybody that knows Cesar Millan's Daddy, loves Daddy. My favorite eposide was Cowboy Daddy at the ranch. Daddy passed away on Friday. If you'd like to read more, go to Cesar's Way site. Here's the page.

Melissa Jo Peltier wrote a beautiful article about Daddy. Melissa Jo is a very Special Lady. Awhile back, I wrote on my blog, asking for help with my red-zone dogs and their fighting. She reached out and helped me. I will always be grateful and indebted to both her and Cesar for teaching me "Cesar's Way".

This is the notice I received about Daddy:
February 20th, 2010 Cesar Millan, all his family and friends, his staff and volunteers, and dog lovers all around the world today will mourn the passing of one of the most loyal, trusting, well-balanced, and influential pit bull ambassadors the world has ever known. Daddy, Cesar's longtime friend and partner in canine rehabilitation, died peacefully surrounded by family on Friday the 19th of February. He was sixteen years old.

He lived each day of those sixteen years happy and fulfilled as Cesar's right-hand-" man," helping to shape the behavior of entire generations of dogs by showing them the way to balance. He stood as champion for calm-submissive pit bulls everywhere, and was instrumental in helping to repair their image as violent, savage, uncontrollable beasts. He successfully battled cancer and weathered chemotherapy, and even got the opportunity to present at the 56th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards!

His name is now added to that honorable roster of dogs gone by whose influence is still felt today, and which includes some of Cesar's beloved childhood heroes: "Rin-Tin-Tin. " "Lassie." … "Daddy."

He has been immortalized by Dog Whisperer fans in all mediums, from painting, to photographs, to charcoal drawings and papier-mâché sculpture. And, of course, he lives on in his work, reflected in the balance and calm-submission of his protégé Junior, the countless animals to whom he was a positive role model, and in the hearts and minds of everyone who knew him as a calm, sweet, and mellow example of a widely misunderstood breed.

In Loving Memory.

If you would like to leave a message of condolence, you can do so on the CesarsWay.com website

CJ Anderson
Dog Whisperer List Owner

Driving in Costa Rica

I sure have become a better driver living here, more defensive, that's for sure. I've learned to down-shift instead of using my brakes when going down a mountain. I've learned to use my safety brake ALL THE TIME when parked (past post - Take It Slow). I put on my seat belt out of habit now. I hated wearing seatbelts before here. Now, NO ONE has to tell me to put that thing on, I'm more than willing with all the crazy drivers!! I AM a better driver but I've gotten into some very bad habits. Like doing a U-turn in the middle of Jaco or double parking when I'm just going to be a minute. Not to mention, parking on the opposite side of the road (facing ongoing traffic). Everyone does THAT!!

I've joked a double yellow line is just a suggestion here but starting March 1, 2010, we may be seeing some law enforcement happening! Over-loaded trucks (with people) is a common site. In fact, the other day I saw a pick-up truck stop to pick up some workers on their bikes. They all loaded-up in the truck and in the back. They had about seven bicycles stacked up and a few were sitting around the edge trying to balance them. I couldn't believe my eyes. The driver took off like a bat out of hell and down the road they went.

So, check out this article published by Inside Costa Rica -
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/february/18/costarica-10021801.htm.
You may be surprised. Costa Rica is getting TOUGH!! TOO MANY ACCIDENTS!!!

.....Oprah should send us some "NO PHONE ZONE" stickers (her latest crusade for abolishing cell phone use while driving).
Take the pledge: http://www.oprah.com/packages/no-phone-zone.html

All cars have to pass inspection once a year but now you have to have an emergency kit in your car. THIS is a GREAT thing!! A fire extinguisher is new on the list as well as jumper cables,,, the list is long.

Happy Trails and Be SAFE and Legal!!

Photo from a past post - "Hauling".

Check out this for the new law and point system:
http://www.insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2010/march/01/costarica-10030103.htm

Te Amo Coca-Cola

I've been drinking Coke since I was a baby. My mom put it in my baby bottle. I became addicted at a very young age. I've since curbed my addiction, I only have Coca-Cola every now and then. Did you ever put peanuts directly in the Coke bottle and drink it?? Good stuff. They sold the little glass bottles of Coke here but when I looked for one the other day, all I found were the plastic bottles. Looks like that may be a thing of the past,,, 6 oz. glass bottles of Coke.

This is the new commercial for Coca-Cola here. It's on all the time and I really "get" the "Te Amo" part. Costa Rica LOVES Coca-Cola!!!
I was at our little market (Pulperia) the other day and the big Coke truck pulled up for delivery. Did you know that the trucks have ARMED GUARDS that go on their deliveries? It's a big money operation in this country.

Recently, I was getting a quote for having my septic system repaired. The leech line is clogged and some of the sewage water needs to be bucketed out to get down to the drain line (it keeps overflowing). The guy (same guy that cut down the palm) said that the workers would dig out the gray water area for "x" amount of dollars but if I bought them Coca-Cola, they slop out the first foot of Ka-Ka for free. That stuck me as hilarious. "Ka-Ka for KoKa". I decided to wait to do that unpleasant project.

I have learned first hand that workers work better with Coke! It's "a drug" as my worker says and I always get a smile when I bring him a glass of ice cold Coca-Cola. So you know, they call it "Co-ca" here.

FYI, I have followed Coke advertising campaigns my whole life, even collected memorabilia. Te Amo is up at the top as being the best line campaign. It's so simple and universally true!
For the history of Coca Cola, click here.