Reading my latest book in the rocking chair on the terrace . . .
And when I look up from the book, one of these two views . . .
Continue reading “Rocking Chair + Book + Terrace”Rocking Chair + Book + Terrace
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
This book is my current read as the #1 on the New York Times best seller list by Pulitzer Prize winning author Anthony Doerr who wrote the best WWII novel I’ve read yet, All the Light We Cannot See that at first I found hard to read with two different parallel stories during WWII of a 12 year old girl in France and a 12 year old boy in Germany and of course their lives eventually cross. A powerful story! Worthy of all the awards! And now . . .
Morning Hill Walk
This morning ( 2 weeks ago today, as I’m really writing posts way ahead now) I took the difficult steep route up to the top of the hill I live on the side of and completed the circle drive back around to my house. I’ve done this only 2 or 3 times since radiation therapy and I’m okay with it, just slow going uphill. 🙂 Because of dogs on this route I walk with my walking stick and not the big camera, only cell phone, which I regretted today, seeing a Keel-billed Toucan in a distant tree and unable to photograph it well.
I will include two cellphone photos of the tree, one crop-zoomed in on the bird, but not good resolution. Then I tried to do a selfie with the village of Atenas in the background below the hill but the sun was too bright to catch the town in photo and it is before breakfast or even me shaving, so I’m “unkempt” but I’m showing the photo anyway! 🙂
For those concerned about my health, you can see that the left cheek is still swollen from the surgery and radiation (can take more than a year to go down) but the left side of smile has moved up a little bit and the eye is good uncovered for 2 to 4 hours in the morning before it hurts/burns and I then wear the black patch. I remove patch again for short times in afternoon and evening (easier reading with 2 eyes). And my Covid Mask is on my wrist here with no people around! 🙂
The Covid mask, 2 meter distancing & hand-washing is still required everywhere in Costa Rica and come January 8 the proof of vaccination will also be required to enter all public places, including supermarkets and restaurants. But remember, Costa Rica has a lower percentage of Covid cases than the U.S. with their stupid Republican Anti-vaxxers! 🙂 And if you want to visit this healthy country, you will need proof of vax just like the rest of us! By December we will have a vaccination app for cell phones here that will show some code for electronic readers at the entrance to all businesses, etc. Interesting! We’re pretty “high-tech” to be a “developing country.” 🙂
¡Pura Vida!
Got My Vaccination QR Code!
I got it 2 days ago, on December 1. This is to prove that I have been fully vaccinated against Covid and tentatively starting January 8 will be required to enter all businesses and other public places just like the mask and handwashing. Vaccination Required in Costa Rica! They will have scanners at the entrance to scan the QR Code on my phone (or on a paper). Until then it is optional for businesses that want to be open at 100% capacity. Soon Costa Rica will be totally Covid-free! Everyone vaccinated! 🙂 Then all restaurants can use all their tables! 🙂
Biden tried in the States but the stupid Republicans stopped him and the vaccination requirement. Sure glad I live in Costa Rica now and not the States! We are very safe here and tourists are returning (if fully vaccinated) 🙂 and we are one of, if not the safest & healthiest country in the Americas! Pura Vida! The Red X and line through number is in case someone tries to copy my code! 🙂 Though an ID Card can be asked for which would make a copy not work anyway! 🙂 But I’m trying to be safe!
Continue reading “Got My Vaccination QR Code!”Tree Ornaments?
Or Palm Berries? The row of various little palms I planted nearly 7 years ago as a privacy shield by my bedroom & office windows have created their own Christmas Ornaments just in time for the holidays! 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Mall Christmas Trees
City Mall, Alajuela, Alajuela, Costa Rica at San Jose Airport — Photos of two of their Christmas Trees that have been up for weeks!
“Army Abolition Day” Today
Today is a National Holiday which until last year was on December 1, but last year moved to Monday to provide another long weekend so locals can go help the struggling tourism businesses. 🙂 Read this year’s Tico Times Article on a very important holiday!
Former President José Figueres Ferrer abolished the armed forces in Costa Rica on Dec. 1, 1948 following the end of the civil war that brought him to power. The decision was ratified in Costa Rica’s new constitution, adopted in 1949. And thus December 1 has been celebrated since then as “Army Abolition Day” until last year when the government moved another holiday to the nearest Monday to facilitate another long weekend. 🙂 Important to Ticos! 🙂
Read about how our Peaceful Country has this year gone 73 years without an army on the CostaRica.org website or heralded by Unesco as the first country to abolish its army. Or read about how our National Public Police Force provides protection and safety for Costa Rica in this Wikipedia Article. Truly an amazing place for a pacifist like me! 🙂 ¡El país de la paz!
¡Pura Vida!
Cock in the Road
¡Pura Vida!
WALKING PATHS in My Life Today
Next to maybe “Nature” in general or “Birds” specifically, nothing describes my life of being “Retired in Costa Rica” better than “WALKING!” For seven years now without a car I have learned to get to most needed places on foot; walking to town, to the supermercado or farmacia, to a restaurante; and even better, walking for fun or the discoveries of nature on city sidewalks, my “Country Lane” or “Country Road” walks for photos of birds or other nature and best of all the many wonderful wilderness trails I’ve discovered in national parks and reserves across this beautiful, natural country of Costa Rica. My life here has made experiencing nature and walking (hiking) almost synonymous! The feature photo at top is one of the horizons I experience on “Country Lane” and other paths in Atenas with one of my trip trails below . . .
