Category: Nature

My profession is to always find God in nature.

– Henry David Thoreau

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Bright Flowers & Happy People

A half block uphill from the Roca Verde main gate is one of the smallest and poorest houses in Boqueron Barrio.
But in front of the little house is this beautiful array of bougainvillea that blooms the most in dry season. 
 And behind it is the happy chatter and laughter of little children, some on summer vacation from school.
Atenas, Costa Rica 

See my photo gallery Flora & Forest for more flower photos.

Or my photo gallery People & Fiestas for more happy people.

And I just became aware of the new website for our Su Espacio Spanish Atenas Classes.  Nice!

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Ship That Ran Aground in Manzanillo, near where I spent a week a year ago September.  It could have been weather or a sloppy boat captain (doesn’t say), but it looks like some heavy work will be needed to get it back out to sea. Click the photo in article to see it enlarged.

Paddling Across the Gulf of Nicoya is an interesting article about a group of all ages of Ticos who used paddle boards to paddle across the 17 mile wide Gulf of Nicoya near where I will be vacationing during Christmas. Here paddle boarding has become a popular substitute for  surfing, especially for novices or as surfers get older, though this trip was in the relatively calm waters of a bay in the morning, 5-11 am as opposed to the open Pacific Ocean where some people use them.

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ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT MOVING ABROAD?

Five Things People Will Say When You Tell Them You’re Moving Abroad   (Other than “You’re crazy.”)

As a non-member of “InterNations” it will take you to a join page where you just click “Maybe Later” and then it takes you to the article. Some of the 5 things you face in this article are more true for younger persons still employed and planning to work overseas, but generally what lots of Americans will ask/say to everyone moving. Somebody asked me every one of these questions before my move.  🙂  
And somewhere nearer the beginning of this blog, 2014-2015, I tried to answer every one of them. 
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Banded Skipper

Banded Skipper Butterfly
 In my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Photo Gallery of Butterflies & Moths

Selfie of Old Man on Daily Walk
Atenas, Costa Rica
Strangler Fig Tree in Background

And a gallery of Other Photos of Me for those who say I only have bird photos


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Early Bloomers

Our “winter”  or el invierno (rainy season) generally goes through November with “summer” or el verano (dry season) starting in December, with some flowers like the yellow & orange below not blooming until January. Even though we still have some rain (less now) the flowers indicate summer. It has been a very wet rainy season, so I guess a very dry season coming!  🙂

Bougainvillea
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Yellow Bells 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Triquitraque 
 Atenas, Costa Rica

Once de Abril 
 Atenas, Costa Rica
Flowers are restful to look at. 
They have neither emotions nor conflicts. 

~Sigmund Freud


All of the above flowers snapped on my cellphone in my personal garden yesterday. Love it!

And for more flowers, see my Flora & Forest photo galleries! Beauty year around here!


¡Pura Vida!
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Neighbor’s View of Atenas

Atenas as seen from higher up the hill from me in the morning fog.
This nice photo was made by Tom & Jessica, here for a couple of months on their trip around the world.
See their blog   http://www.worldwidewaftage.com/  Like most places you pay more for better view!
Of course they zoomed in on the church with camera – they aren’t this close!
Atenas, Costa Rica
Maybe call my view toward town “more natural” with more trees than even houses & no church.
I am barely on the side of a little hill while the other view is from twice as high & zoomed more!
Atenas, Costa Rica

BLOG STATS

I have now written more than 1,000 posts that have received more than 100.000 pageviews online from more than 20 countries. I guess there is a lot of random viewing of blogs by some people. 🙂

 

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Chachalacas in Guarumo Tree

Two Gray-headed Chachalacas in the Guarumo Tree at my Terrace
 My Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica
Note that the orange blooming tree is more than 100 yards away on a hill.

Closer view of one Gray-headed Chachalaca 
 My Garden, Atenas, Costa Rica


I realized that If I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes. 

~Charles Lindbergh

And since it is Thanksgiving in the states, my American friends can pretend these are my backyard turkeys!  🙂  Though Thursday is just another normal day here! Unfortunately a few businesses are doing “Black Friday” here. Anything to make a buck! And a lot of these rich American expats here still can’t turn loose of the states and feel obligated to buy a $40+ imported American turkey and try to recreate an American Thanksgiving here. Not me. Just a regular day thursday!  So, happy Thanksgiving or happy regular day to all my readers!  🙂 
Cover art
And for the fellow birders, I just learned today that the Merlin Bird ID by Cornell Lab of Ornithology just released a Costa Rica Pack, so now you can use it to identify birds in Costa Rica and I’m hoping it will be better than the local app for identifying birds, but either way I will have two choices now!  You have to download the Costa Rica Pack separately to the app. Just got it today, so no time to test it yet except for one bird from the terrace.  Merlin ID is free from your app store and then within it you download the free Costa Rica Pack that includes info and photos of 750 Costa Rica Birds! Cool!
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Added Bird from El Salvador to My Tree

“Peace Dove” by an artist in El Salvador
Now hanging on my year around Christmas Tree

In my living room last Christmas I added a tree on which I hung crafted birds from all over Central America. Some I bought locally and others came from UNICEF. Every purchase from them helps care for children all around the world! I encourage you to consider buying a new tree ornament or other hand-crafted Christmas gift from: 

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Chapel at Villa Blanca

Mariana Chapel  
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Chapel    
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Chapel   
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Chapel   
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Chapel   
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Flowers in front of Chapel   
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica
Oxcart in front of Chapel  
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Villa Blanca’s Mariana Wedding Chapel was the 50th anniversary-wedding gift from former President Rodrigo Carazo Odio to First Lady Estrella Carazo Zeledon. Its unique hand painted ceramic ceiling depicts the history of the Virgin Mary when first introduced into Latin America by Christian missionaries. It is located on a grassy knoll overlooking the farm village and hacienda of Villa Blanca. The Chapel’s backdrop is the 840 Ha (2000 acre) Los Angeles Cloud Forest, with over 300 listed bird species included within a variety of flora and fauna in this protected habitat and serene mountain setting. The chapel, a replica of a 17th century chapel in Rome, features a high beam ceiling composed of 840 individual ceramic plates, all of them hand drawn and painted with high temperature enamel paints. Each side of the ceiling has 15 panels of 28 plates divided in two vertical rows of 14 plates. Each one of the columns formed by the 14 plates conveys a theme allusive to a Latin-American virgin and her country of origin.

My trip gallery: 2017 Villa Blanca
My reviews of other Costa Rica Lodges & Hotels  if exploring this fun country. Note that at Drake Bay I stayed at the sister hotel of Villa Blanca, Aguila de Osa – both are Greentique Hotels.
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Hotel Lobby, Restaurant & Activities – Villa Blanca

On top of the hill, the center of everything that happens at Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Hotel:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My trip gallery: 2017 Villa Blanca
My reviews of other Costa Rica Lodges & Hotels  if exploring this fun country. Note that at Drake Bay I stayed at the sister hotel of Villa Blanca, Aguila de Osa – both are Greentique Hotels.
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Flora & Forest at Villa Blanca

I know! It’s just a dead leaf! But I think it is beautiful art!  🙂
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve
San Ramon, Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My trip gallery: 2017 Villa Blanca
 
See also all of my Flora & Forest photo galleries or just this Villa Blanca Flora & Forest
 
 
 
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Daytime Nature Hike

Our guide told us a lot about plants as well as animals.
 I’ll do a separate post about plants & flowers in the forest.
The 2 young men behind the guide are from Chicago. 3 of us on hike.
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Parsa or Synchlora gerularia Moth 
 I’ll research more when I get home.
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Unknown Insect, a little beetle
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Unknown Insect, a little beetle
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica
Stink Bug
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica
Unknown Caterpillar  
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica 

Unknown Caterpillar 
Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica
Unknown Butterfly  
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Glasswing Butterfly
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Red-tailed Dragonfly
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Walking Stick Insect
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Paw Print of Ocelot 
At least our guide thought so. See three toe prints right of beige leaf.
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

And the next morning this guy was in hotel garden – he fits with day hike varmits:

Hooded Mantis
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

Hooded Mantis
 Villa Blanca Cloud Forest Resort & Nature Reserve 
 San Ramon, Costa Rica

We saw a lot more stuff and he told us about plants used for medicines, not only by natives, but also by modern pharmaceutical companies. Interesting but I will never remember most of that!  🙂

My Trip Photo Gallery:  2017 Nov 6-11 Villa Blanca

Or go through my general Costa Rica Gallery for subsets on insects, butterflies, plants, etc. 
Or see the Villa Blanca Website  And several more blog posts with more photos!