Category: Costa Rica

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This is the way. Walk in it.

LifeWay VBS 2015 Theme Journey Off the Map, and yep! Parts of Costa Rica look like this!
Remember, Jurassic Park was here! Some thought of Costa Rica with Avatar, but there are no blue people here! 🙂

I just read about the jungle theme “Journey Off the Map” and focus verse of Vacation Bible School at my church back in Nashville. I love it! It is where I have been and where I am now both physically and spiritually:

Isaiah 30:21, “And whenever you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: ‘This is the way. Walk in it.'” 

I taught in Vacation Bible School this time last year at First Baptist Nashville and learned then this would be the theme and verse. I liked it. Soon afterwards I wrote a poem based partly on this Bible verse:  “Metaphors of Modification” which was one of the early posts on this blog. I’ll let you click the link to read it if you wish. It was back when I was still dreaming, before even the relocation tour.

I have felt at peace ever since about my “Costa Rica Decision Process,” the first title of this blog, and at peace about the final decision I made in September, and all that has happened since then.“This is the way. Walk in it.” (And I understand that the spiritual meaning of this is not specifically about my move. I hope to write more about the verse later, because in some ways it is another “life verse” for me.) I will miss teaching in VBS this year and especially the theme. If you are one of the good guys who helps in VBS, think of me down here in Costa Rica!  🙂

ADDENDUM: WORSHIP WITH FIRST BAPTIST NASHVILLE ONLINE TODAY

When I was in the apartments the first four months, I was walking to the nearby little non-denominational evangelical church most Sundays and the two times I tried the “streaming worship service” from First Baptist Nashville, my connection was not good enough to get more than little hiccups of video. With my new and better internet connection in this house I discovered today that it works very well here! I’m thankful for many reasons! The local worship in Spanish is not always working for me and Pastor Frank started a new sermon series on “Mile Markers of Life” today. I’m looking forward to his messages and thank Bill Latham for sharing them on Facebook.

But the biggest surprise today was that the flower arrangement in the Nashville church looks like it could have come right out of my Costa Rica garden, with Heliconia and Red Ginger dominating the arrangement! Both are blooming in my garden every day! Maybe they chose it for the exotic VBS theme! VBS starts there tomorrow. Here’s the two dominate flowers in their arrangement:

Heliconia in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica
Red Ginger in my garden, Atenas, Costa Rica

Both of the above two flowers in my garden were a part of the flower arrangement at First Baptist Nashville today as I saw them on the computer screen in a streaming of their worship service.

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Metalmark Butterfly

One of the many Metalmark Butterflies, I’m pretty sure. No positive ID.
Atenas, Costa Rica, by Charlie Doggett
Metalmark Butterfly, Atenas, Costa Rica, by Charlie Doggett

My private gardener team came and did some good work yesterday. I’ve retained them for once or twice a month maintenance of garden and trees. (The ones who installed my garden.) The property gardener does a lot but works for about five or so properties doing mainly the big maintenance, weed-eating, etc. Most people here get a maid, I get a gardener!  🙂   Maybe a maid later. Still emptying boxes now.

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Wanna see my baby pictures?

Baby Howler Monkey & Mom at Hacienda La Jacaranda, Atenas, Costa Rica.
Photo by Charlie
“Come on Mom! Let’s go!” White-faced Capuchin Monkey
Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica – Photo by Charlie
And another White-faced Capuchin Monkey Baby on Mom’s back.
Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica – Photo by Charlie
Yep! It’s a baby! Green Parrot Snake
Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica – Photo by Charlie
And – incredibly- with my cell phone through the guide’s spotting scope.
Baby (youngster with Mom just below him on tree stump) Stripped Iguana
Tarcoles River, Costa Rica – Photo by Charlie

Now look at these professional photographer’s shots of “Costa Rica’s Most Adorable Baby Animals.”

Look at little kids and wild animals, these are two groups of things that whenever I’m with them forces me to be in the moment.
–Dominic Monaghan

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Mowing the Grass in Hilly Atenas

Javier mowing the hill behind my house. All mowing is done by weed-eaters.
Only in Central Atenas are there flat lots where a regular lawnmower might work.

I close the doors to avoid flying debris. I am feeling a little better, so virus med & diet is working.

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Tico Love Affair with Limons & Mayonaise!

Limon mandarinas is the full or official name. They are neither lemon nor lime.
They are the green things in the middle that look like limes,
though tree-ripened ones can be almost orange in color. Sold in bags of 12!

They are squeezed on everything from salads to your favorite meat, yet I am yet to see them made into a drink. A wedge of one is stuck on or in the glass of some drinks in bars and restaurants. I no longer use any kind of salad dressing, but just cut up a limon and squeeze it over my salad with some herbs. Delicious! You can read more about them online. But another surprise about Ticos is their love affair with Mayonaise!

More varieties of Mayonnaise than any other condiment at Coopeatenas!
And an even larger variety at Walmart! But the unquestionable favorite is
Mayonnaise con Limon!

Yep, in that photo everything to the right of the brown bottles is mayonnaise! And the brown bottles are another Tico favorite, Salsa Lizano! It is particularly loved on Gallo Pintos (special beans and rice dish) eaten most often at breakfast with eggs. It is somewhere between Worcestershire Sauce and a vinegary steak sauce. More about food here later!

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Green Tree Anole

Green Tree Anole went across my garden and up the wall.
Atenas, Costa Rica
Notice how long the tail is, making him similar to a Pug-nosed Anole,
but I’ll stick to my identification of Green Tree Anole.
The line shadows are from ornamental grasses above the wall.
Atenas, Costa Rica

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Atenas Graffiti

It appears on an ugly wall behind the High School in first two photos, then on the concrete wall of a city park in front of the Primary School. It is the only graffiti I’m aware of and wonder if it was a school art class project?

A 4 or 5 shot panorama of wall behind high school that I walk by almost every day. There’s more beyond gate at right, next.
More behind the high school gym to the right of above image. 
The front of the high school however would never have graffiti. 
Wall on big city recreation park in front of primary school, more in next photo.
This park has soccer, basketball, volleyball, skateboard, and more recreation.

Though not all great art, it  too seems too well organized to be vandalism.
Note the skate board ramp is also painted with graffiti above & below.
Skateboard ramp in city park in front of Escuela Central.
“People say graffiti is ugly, irresponsible and childish… but that’s only if it’s done properly.” 
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Full Service Gasolinera!

The one and only gas station in Atenas! A part of the farmers’ cooperative
in front of their Mercado where I buy most of my groceries, Coopeatenas.

I have only used it two times during the couple of weeks I had a rent car. It is straight out of one of those 1950’s Texaco TV ads where the attendant runs up to your car as soon as you pull in, asking what kind of gas you want and if you want your fluids checked. Then while the tank is filling, he washes your windshield. The way gas stations were meant to operate. Only the well-off have cars here. Most people walk and ride taxis and buses.

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Blue-breasted Hummingbird, Great Southern White, & New Plants!

Blue-breasted Hummingbird grounded on my balcony.
Another first for me. He did fly away later. Guess he was resting.

Blue-breasted Hummingbird, Atenas, Costa Rica

They are in my garden, on my balcony, and I’ve even had one fly inside the house! This is the third species of Hummingbird I have photographed here. Yesterday I posted a Cinnamon Hummingbird and my first week here was a Blue-tailed Hummingbird. They and the butterflies are little flying jewels around my house! And below is the butterfly in my garden this afternoon:

Great Southern White Butterfly on my Tutti Frutti today!
You can also see where the leaf-cutter ants are eating it!
I’m treating the ants with Mirex-S!

Today I also planted some new plants in my garden after purchasing them in Spanish (with the help of my driver Nelson). My gardener will make some more improvements, but I couldn’t wait and went plant shopping today! 

 
Philodendron Xanadu, 6 plants added to garden. Leaves will fill in, in time.
I wanted to put them together in a blank spot, but only about 3 inches of dirt
there above my septic tank cover. So, I have to wait on ground cover.
The little light green leaves bottom right is my ground cover, Pilea.

Polka Dot plants were added along my back walk where there is more shade.
I think these are a type of philodendron too. Can’t remember what called in states.

A very full and fun day between my two Spanish lesson days! Doing what I enjoy!

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Cinnamon Hummingbird

Cinnamon Hummingbird in my garden, Roca Verde, Atenas, Costa Rica

Cinnamon Hummingbird, Atenas, Costa Rica
Cinnamon Hummingbird, Atenas, Costa Rica

Finally! One stays long enough for me to go get the camera and a few shots! Most have been diving into the foxglove and straight back up in the air, hard to catch even if with camera. But this little guy hung around the Plumbago for awhile, sipping nectar. You may remember that during my first week in the new house I shot this Blue-tailed Hummingbird in my neighbor’s shrub/tree. I’ll try for more of course!

A Route of Evanescence 

With a revolving Wheel —

A Resonance of Emerald —

A Rush of Cochineal —

And every Blossom on the Bush

Adjusts its tumbled Head —

The mail from Tunis, probably,

An easy Morning’s Ride –

—Emily Dickinson

Above the flower bed. Over the lawn …
A flashing dip and it is gone.
And all it lends to the eye is this —
A sunbeam giving the air a kiss.
—Harry Kemp

I have a gallery of Costa Rica Birds by Charlie Doggett over 100 species!