And I also picked up an old dead branch along the road, lightly sprayed with gold paint, and put it in a vase of rocks for my árbolito de navidad (little Christmas Tree) this year and will decorate it with hand-crafted artisan birds. Here’s 4 of the first ones added. There will be more Fantastic Beasts! 🙂
The Missed Birds!
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Many Pass Through this Dead Tree at end of my terrace. Yesterday I had no camera when two Keel-billed Toucans stopped momentarily & then up the hill! and a few days ago A Blue-crowned Motmot landed in this same tree, briefly! Links are to one of my photos of that same bird made elsewhere. |
I think the toucans were looking at my Cecropia Tree (Arbole Guarumo o Yagrumo) which is suppose to attract toucans. So far that is as close to the Cecropia as I have seen them yet. Eventually! Pura Vida!
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The Cecropia or Guarumo o Yagrumo Tree beside my terrace (a deck in the states). And remember that I put Spanish words/names in red (when I remember). 🙂 Toucans love this tree, but mine is still young, so eventually it will get toucans. |
Old Man’s Joy: Having Gardeners!
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They save my back and other potential aches and pains as well as time, and they do it fast and very well. I am fortunate! And they are my friends! This is Alfredo above. |
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My back garden is still the centerpiece, but the whole yard is a garden! I love living here among the tropical plants with doors/windows always open! |
I’m just starting my garden photo gallery but it has quite a few photos already!
At Flamingo Beach Tonight
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On Flamingo Beach down the steps behind our Hotel Paradise Flamingo |
Tomorrow we look at possible rental houses for John and explore some more. It is hotter here but we have air conditioning. The above shot was made after an hour-long rain. This area of Guanacaste is about a 4.5 hour drive from Atenas. John has a rent car. Pura Vida!
Managua, Nicaragua
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Between airport and downtown, a patriotic billboard and the electric trees. |
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A closer shot of another presidential sign. Reminded me of similar signs in Havana with Castro telling how good it is! |
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The different colored art trees are lit up at night. First Lady’s idea I was told. |
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My Nature Air plane this time had a frog on it! Easy 55 minute flight. |
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The international passengers entrance to the Managua Airport. Nice & modern! |
And don’t miss my Nicaragua Birds photo gallery for 98 different species!
And that is all the photos I’m going to share from my 2 night trip to Nicaragua June 28-30.
Waiting Patiently . . .
. . . for the sun to bring out their new leaves. Two trees seen from my terrace. The fog always passes. The leaves always return. |
And I’m working on patience as I do the paperwork and legwork to get my CAJA health insurance applied for. Wednesday week I go to the U.S. Embassy SS Department to get my proof of SS income. Then I take it and all my other paperwork and filled in form to the other side of San Jose and Jose Pablo Carter, my attorney, to collect my residency card and make sure I have all my paperwork correct in preparation for my July 8 CAJA appointment. Then I will see what else is needed! 🙂 It has not been easy but it will be worth it to have 100% health care coverage through my new government. Then all I will lack is a CR Driver License to get a rental car occasionally. Then no more new tourist visas every 90 days! But I am doing it at least one more time the end of June.
White-winged Dove in Cecropia Tree
Friday of Healthcare Tour
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Old Man Tree in Breakfast Room |
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A stop by CPI Spanish Immersion School in Heredia for one short lesson. |
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Visited the smaller public hospital in San Ramon. Public hospitals aren’t as fancy and pretty as private, but very clean and functional inside. |
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Paul & Gloria’s view with a Poro Tree blooming. Now is time for Poro. |
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Lunch at home of Paul & Gloria Yeatman with guest speakers. |
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Visiting the San Ramon Feria or Farmers’ Market Friday afternoon. Paul & Gloria emphasize this as a part of healthcare! |
We also visited a small neighborhood clinic, farmacia, bank, community center, Red Cross which does all the emergency ambulances, a museum, and talked about insurance, the CAJA government healthcare, homecare provided by CAJA, and even a presentation by a volunteer organization encouraging us to volunteer. Whew! A full day! But very helpful. They were showing us what it is really like for medical care in a local community, in this case San Ramon. I will do a separate post on San Ramon and give my comparison to Atenas. This ended the Healthcare Tour at dinner time in San Ramon. I spent the night there and tried to post these photos but the little La Posada Hotel had very slow internet, so I saved them for today, Saturday and will purposefully do two posts. The next one with a few shots of San Ramon sans-healthcare!
Christmas in San Jose Photos
http://www.ticotimes.net/2015/12/25/photos-christmas-2015
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Tico Times photos – this of the lighting of tree at Children’s Hospital |
AND MY DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS?
And the crazy thing is that it is during this windy, sometimes dusty period that we have the most tourists and snowbirds trying to get away from cold weather up north. I think I’ve decided I like the rainy season (Jul-Oct) or “green season” better and it’s two shoulder periods (May-Jun & Oct-Nov) which have very little rain but are greener and more pleasant. So for the next 3 months or so we put up with wind, dust and snow birds! Then tranquility begins again! 🙂
The Trees Are Our Friends!
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A new sign just appeared alongside the road I walk to Roca Verde, Calle 8 |
The rough Google translation to English:
The trees are our friends, always await us in the same place.
ADECA