Category: Nature

My profession is to always find God in nature.

– Henry David Thoreau

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My One Fear – Terciopelo or Fer-de-lance

Its Terciopelo in Costa Rica or Fer-de-lance in the states, but with either name one of the most poisonous snakes in the world and we have them in my Roca Verde neighborhood unfortunately. The above photo is a dead one I just photographed while walking to town, on the sidewalk just outside our Roca Verde main gate. Since two people I know in Roca Verde have been bitten and I have found two dead ones myself, this one and another one earlier in the street in front of my house, I am more conscious of them being here and no longer leave my back door (garden door) open since there is no screen door on it.

All the clinics and hospitals have the anti-venom and if you get there quick enough, you live – but it is still scary and very painful I’ve been told.

For most this video will probably not appeal to you. It is a Terciopelo eating a frog. Snake lovers seem to love this kind of video!  🙂  At least it shows what they eat which is not people! Biting people is for their self-defense. Both persons biten here actually stepped on the snake while barefooted! And I never go out barefoot! Common sense caution is my defense.

 

Learn more about Terciopelo in the Wikipedia article in English.

This snake lives only in Central America, Mexico and northern South America.

Rain

As I type it is pouring down rain with the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard! Kind of like parts of the states, we are having above average rain this year and starting earlier in the day. So far the flowers seem to like it! And it is rainy season!    🙂

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Evening

All round my cottage it’s still,

Rain clouds gather over the hill.

Evening brings another eureka,

As I thank God for Costa Rica!

~Charlie

See my gallery of HAIKU Nature Poems 

(though the above is not a haiku!)

 

And for evening sunsets, see my Vistas gallery.

¡Pura Vida!

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A Simple Pleasure: Desert Rose Bloom

Just one bloom on a potted desert rose plant is a joy and mine has been loaded with blooms this year during rainy season and maybe because I moved it to the side of house for morning sun – my gardener’s suggestion! Later I will show a photo of the whole plant with multiple blooms, but somehow the only photo of the total plant is in my January 12, 2018 Post about this particular flower, though it was not as loaded in flowers as it has been recently.

“A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books.” 
― Walt Whitman

For my gallery of Costa Rica Flowers+ see:   FLORA & FOREST 

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Giant White Butterfly

Another Giant White Butterfly – the only species slowing down enough to photograph in my garden right now and I’m not going beyond my garden these days with a sore shoulder. This is a repeat butterfly within a week, but a different view.  🙂  The chachalacas and rufous-naped wrens are active but I’m tired of photographing them. So a repeat butterfly today!

My shoulder is doing fine, the incision healing well and I start with a physical therapist Saturday. Pain only bothers me at night and the pills help with that.

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In a Blur

In a Blur – How I feel 2 days after surgery – but all is well – saw doc today. Physical Therapy starts soon. And photo from my garden yesterday is a red ginger with background blurred. Happy day to you!

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Plain Longtail Buttefly

The Plain Longtail Butterfly or Urbanus simplicius proves that all butterflies are not colorful. In fact, I had one of the many different longtails in my bathroom one night and thought at first that it was a bat! Yes, he is fury!  But you have to admit that he is very interesting and beautiful in his own simple way, photographed here in my garden. I have a photo of a White-striped Longtail in my butterfly gallery and there are other varieties.

See also my Photo Gallery Butterflies and Moths with more than 80 species photographed here in Costa Rica.

I also have a little 7X7 inch photo book titled My First 50 Butterflies in Costa Rica.  You can preview all pages electronically for free at this link. Best viewed full screen for bigger photos.

¡Pura Vida!

Report on My Surgery Last Night

My right arm is still numb, so limited left-hand typing. Hospital and docs/staff were super! I see doc tomorrow and schedule physical therapy. No problems, still numb. No pain.

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Gulf fritillary or passion butterfly

The Gulf Fritillary Butterfly is found in the states touching the Gulf of Mexico, especially Florida and South Texas, all the way south through Central America and the northern edges of South America. They love to feed on my Lantana (Porterweed) plants shown in these photos in my garden and also love the Passionflower when available (I have none), thus its secondary name of Passion Butterfly.

The above average rain this year has helped my flowers which seems to bring more butterflies and maybe more varieties. June and July are the peak months for butterflies here, meaning they may decrease in number soon. I include two photos to show the difference in the bright orange top of wings and the underside with silver/white spots. Beautiful!

Gulf Fritillary or Passion Butterfly

 

What the caterpillar calls the end of the world the master calls a butterfly.    ~Richard Bach

See also my Photo Gallery Butterflies and Moths with more than 70 species photographed here in Costa Rica.

I also have a little 7X7 inch photo book titled My First 50 Butterflies in Costa Rica.  You can preview all pages electronically for free at this link. Best viewed full screen for bigger photos.

Report on Tonight’s Surgery will come in tomorrow’s post, Tuesday.

¡Pura Vida!