Three different bees that I have not tried to identify yet from my time at Guayabo Lodge, near Turrialba, Costa Rica through yesterday.
And for those who have written about my health, I went to Clinica Linea Vital for a checkup yesterday and an added visit to Santa Sophia Clinic for x-rays. Plus I got two shots and Rx’s for inflammation, swelling and something else she noted that will relieve my pains. So I do try to take care of myself, even if clumsy in my old age! 🙂
ON THE LODGE’S FARM . . .
Going for the sap of an evergreen tree on Guayabo Lodge Farm by their cow pasture.
I recently discovered Community Carbon Trees Costa Ricawhich employs rural poor people to plant trees on non-productive farm land where there used to be a forest and many such barren spots are coming back as forest. Check out the above website available in both English and Español to see the great work they are doing and how you can both come here and volunteer or donate money to plant and maintain trees for renewed forests!
Trees reaching for the sun in Costa Rica!
My Photo Profits Now All Go to Plant Trees
You may not be aware that all the photos in my gallery (on SmugMug) are available for purchase as prints, wall art, and on other objects through SmugMug services (they do a great job!) PLUS my Bookstore on Blurb has my photo books available for sale. Because both sites use sub-contractors to print, they may seem a little pricy and thus I have kept my “profit” or “mark-up” down to just $1 on each item. Now I’ve decided to donate 100% of that to Community Carbon Trees (see link above) to plant trees on bare land that used to be forest. So now you know that if you buy a photo or photo book you are helping to plant trees and save our planet! Thank you! And if you don’t need a photo, why not go to their website and donate something to help plant trees? 🙂
Forest in San Gerardo de Dota
“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.”
In case you did not see the links in the last few posts, I have my trip gallery up and ready to visit in my big photo gallery. In some ways my “Trip Galleries” are my main photo galleries with them feeding specific theme galleries like Birds, etc. Plus if you are considering a visit to one of the places included, the photos will give you a good idea of what to expect. Click the print screen image of the gallery below or use this address: https://charliedoggett.smugmug.com/TRIPS/2022-February-14-19-Maquenque-Ecolodge-Reserve-Boca-Tapada
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone”
– Katie Thurmes
¡Pura Vida!
SALE ON MY PHOTO BOOKS – 25% OFF March 4-6 only with discount code: BOOKFAN in Bookstore
Or I sometimes say “Leaves & Nature Things” for photos from nature that I consider “The Art of God” or just “Nature As Art” which was the name of my photo business in Tennessee. These shots from my recent Maquenque Ecolodge visit are some that I consider “art” along with the landscapes already shared and of course the birds and other wildlife! 🙂 It is all art to me! One shot here for the emailed version of post, then a slide show of 10 more . . .
Though I have mostly recovered from my cancer radiation treatments, I can tell from the quality of photos from this trip compared to the two other trips to Maquenque that I have not fully recovered in energy or creativity, but maybe these five shots will provide at least a glimpse of being in the rainforest here in Costa Rica.
Last February I wrote a blog post titled “Tree by the Pasture” featuring one of my favorite trees, plus it is (was) across the street from my house in a vacant lot beside the houses on the edge of the cow pasture. Well I was quite troubled the other day when I heard a chain saw continuing most of the day Monday and continuing on Tuesday and went over to see what was happening, fearing they would take down that beautiful tree to build another ugly house, which is what they seem to be doing.
A Dark Green Umbrella by PastureCloser-up to big tree Then. I’ve since learned that it is a Higueron Tree. Or a Giant Banyan Tree.The two photos in the last February Post of my favorite tree.
Well, below are my photos of the following 2 days of their chainsaw massacre. Will they leave the ugly stub or eventually level it?
Though not included on the web page of Monumental Trees of Costa Rica, it is a very wide tree that Walter knew about and we stopped for it along Highway 1 near San Ramon Canton. You can best understand how wide it is in the photo of me standing by it. It is obviously not anywhere close to the tallest with what appears to have been it’s crown broken off, maybe in a storm. But it’s still a nice big Ceiba Tree to stop for! And too wide to put your arms around! 🙂
A very wide Ceiba Tree – see comparison to a person in 3rd photo. It was probably very tall before the crown broke off, maybe in a storm?All Ceiba Trees are wide, but you can tell that this one is really wide!
“If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.”
Walter knows all the good places to eat along the different highways and early on our waterfall trip last Wednesday we stopped on Ruta 1 in or near Canas or Paso Real for a super breakfast and chance to see the many Scarlet Macaws in the trees around that restaurant and hotel across the highway from Tres Hermanas (interesting because of same name as a Soda in Atenas). 🙂
I took only a few minutes to try photographing some Macaws, not my best photos! But you can see all of my Scarlet Macaw photos in my Scarlet Macaw Gallery with shots from all over Costa Rica or read about them on eBird. In Costa Rica they are more prevalent on the Pacific Slope and coast while the endangered Green Macaw is more prevalent on the Caribbean or Atlantic Slope. Below this photo is a gallery of several other Macaw shots from this waterfall trip stop . . .
