for the Democrats Abroad Fundraiser & Voter Help . . .
Keel-billed Toucan photo by Charlie Doggett, 16×20 printed on metal. Pura Vida Butterflies, 2nd Edition by Charlie Doggett – Photos of 250 species of butterflies with index of common names in English and scientific names in Latin.
Both of these have a minimum bid well below the retail price, but of course the fundraisers hope you will bid much higher! 🙂 The silent auction is from 1-4 tomorrow, 30 September 2024, at Huaraches Atenas Mexican Restaurant, with auction winners announced promptly at 4 pm. If you are a U.S. citizen and don’t know how to vote from abroad, people will help you. And if you have prepared your overseas ballot for mailing but don’t trust the post office, then people can take your mail-ready ballot and deliver it to the U.S. Embassy for their mail pouch to the states. And while you are there, bid on some of the many wonderful things in the auction including one of my wall art photos and one of my photo books! 🙂
Two days ago Walter took me and another customer/friend to see the “Real” Costa Rica near the highest point in Atenas Canton where a high percentage of the people are his coffee-farming relatives, showing us his mountain-top lot with the view seen in the feature photo, along with meeting some of his relatives and going to the Atenas Highest Point Mirador, called “Piedra La Zopilota,” because the rocky outcropping of the mountain top is where vultures hang out and raise their children. 🙂 It is a steep mountain gravel road that required his 4-wheel drive vehicle to get there. I made a lot of neat photos of the gorgeous scenery, wildlife, lunch at a relative’s restaurant, and the three of us adventurers which you can see in the Trip Gallery: 2024 September 26 – Highest Point in Atenas. Check out these “real” Costa Rica coffee farming hills! It might even make you want to visit or move here yourself! 🙂
Note: Walter is my best friend in Costa Rica, also my driver, translator, healthcare assistant at most doctor appointments, and thus sometimes substitute son! There are multiple pix of him in the above linked Gallery and a few of me and Julia, his other friend on this day trip. 🙂
Every year the entire country flies flags and marches in parades to celebrate their independence from Spain and I’ve missed only 3 of the parades here in Atenas because I was in the Caribbean during this week. And was about to miss another for the same reason, but once I changed my trip this year to October, I thought I would again photograph the parade, but with the main part of the parade being from 10 to 12 during some of the hottest sunshine of the day and my right knee hurting, I decided to miss the parade on purpose this year. But I’ve posted links at the bottom of this post to the 6 parades I did photograph, plus I wore my Costa Rica National Soccer Team shirt (red, white & blue) to my usual breakfast out at Restaurant El Fogon Campesino and not only was the staff dressed patriotically but they had a marimba band playing on the terrace near where I always eat. So that was my celebration today! 🙂
Marimba Band at Restaurant El Fogon, September 15, 2024, Atenas, Costa Rica
For those who don’t know Spanish, “el fogon” is the Spanish word for “the kitchen wood stove” and “campesino” is “peasant” or “poor farmer.” Everything in this place is cooked on an old fashion wood-burning stove just like one of my grandmothers. They are mainly a lunch & dinner place, but have breakfast on Saturday & Sunday mornings and are the only place here with “Avocado Toast” and other breakfast dishes with guacamole! Yummy! 🙂 They of course have the traditional Costa Rica breakfast of eggs with Pico de Gallo (beans & rice), the best pancakes in town, a great omelette, and even a Breakfast Nachos for the young at heart! 🙂 But I’ve narrowed down my favorite to the Quesadilla with guacamole & picadillo on top and a side of bacon! 🙂 The only time I eat breakfast out other than on trips and a weekly treat for me!
Update on My Health
The public health system here is simply great and they are monitoring me in more ways than I ever would have on my own with private doctors, providing a specialist for nearly everything. Most of the specialists are in either San Jose or Alajuela and my driver, Walter, goes in with me as translator when needed, especially with the fast talkers! 🙂 “Hablo despacio por favor.” 🙂 But many speak English and nearly all the younger ones do, so no problem! But thankful for Walter!
Last week my geriatric doctor found that I had a little high blood pressure. She immediately put me on a blood pressure medicine and sent me back to my local clinic here in Atenas for my local GP doc to monitor me. There they wanted me to come in regularly to check the blood pressure or get a machine and check my own every day at home (or at a local farmacia that will check it daily for free). I chose the convenience of my own machine and will report back to Dr. Zuniga (my GP) with a month’s worth of BP numbers and it will tell if the current med is working or if I need something else. And I expect he will discuss my diet and exercise with me also. 🙂
Nothing alarming and I feel fine and the BP has already been back in the normal range one day. I think it was some little temporary thing, but we will see. And my oncologist says there is no trace of any cancer anywhere now. Plus I’m sleeping great with the new CPAP Machine the Costa Rica Social Security bought me! Costa Rica spends its money on its people and not on an army and constant wars! 🙂
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods, There is a rapture on the lonely shore, There is society, where none intrudes, By the deep sea, and music in its roar: I love not man the less, but Nature more, From these our interviews, in which I steal From all I may be, or have been before, To mingle with the Universe, and feel What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.
I finally got all those photos sorted, culled, and processed to create a nice gallery for this year’s Oxcart Parade, my first since 2018! You can click the image below of the first page of that gallery or go to this address . . . https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/PEOPLE/2024-08-11-OXCART-PARADE
CLICK IMAGE above to go to the gallery.
Or below is one sample photo from each category gallery . . .
. . . my first to see in 5 years now and hopefully I will be able to handle the heat and sunshine if it’s as hot as yesterday! I’m planning to find a place to sit on the steps of La Tribunal near the point where the parade first enters the Central Park area, so I can leave as soon as over or earlier if it is too hot. Wearing my wide-brim hat, taking an umbrella and yes, smearing myself with that awful sunscreen, 50 SPF! My oncologist requires it! 🙂
Annual Oxcart Parade, Atenas, Costa Rica
It may be another day or two before I get to posting photos of this Oxcart Parade, but below are links to the three previous parades I photographed before Covid. I missed 2015 & 2019 and then it was canceled for 2020 through 2022 during the Covid Pandemic and last year they moved it from April to August and I did not get the word, so glad to try and see it this year. I’m posting my usual nature blog posts a few days ahead, so there will still be one of those today and again on whatever day I post today’s photos! 🙂 And for now, here’s 4 more photos from the past . . .
I’m posting this because many local people don’t seem to know about it or when what is happening. In short, what expats call the “Oxcart Parade” is at 11 am on Sunday 11 August. You can figure out the rest. 🙂
I consider my group of galleries titled Costa Rica TRIPS to be my best group of photo galleries, because they cover my trips to all my favorite nature places all over Costa Rica, now numbering 120 including day trips! Though I share some good photography from home here in Atenas, including my garden, the exciting stuff is usually from the trips! 🙂
And the newest one is from last week’s little 2-night trip to Xandari Resort on the edge of my provincial capital of Alajuela, Alajuela with their surprising private rainforest with waterfalls, all kinds of trees and wildlife, along with their gorgeous gardens near the rooms, restaurant, spa and their farm. A great little jungle island near a big city! This gallery is labeled 2024 June 11-13 — Xandari Resort, Alajuela (linked to the gallery) or you can click the image of the first page of the gallery below to get there . . .
CLICK this first page of Gallery to go there.
If you are one of my readers in Costa Rica and want to check out Xandari, which has greatly reduced prices during rainy season, go to their website at Xandari Costa Rica! (Pronounced shaun-dar-ie) It is the Costa Rica location of a chain of resorts based in India, all focused on nature and local culture and people.
Now I will start catching up on some blog posts from my garden that I made before Xandari. 🙂 And my next trip is in July to Maquenque Eco Lodge where I’ve photographed more birds than any other location! 🙂 Plus I will celebrate my 84th birthday there! 🙂 Always something to look forward too when you live “Retired in Costa Rica!”
