NOTE: I’m quite behind in writing and publishing this because of my poor wifi, so I’m at a friend’s house defying the “stay at home” rule. 

March 15

Reflecting…

It’s close to noon and there’s lots of shade and a cool(ish) breeze sweeping up from the ocean. Ray’s off surfing, I just hung up several loads of laundry, bleached and cleaned off the walkways and the shower. So it’s time to relax, and watch a scarlet macaw munching on some newly sprouted leaves from the tree across the street. 

Unusual for macaws, this one is solo, but still squawking up a storm. In the trees along the quebrada (stream) next to us is a flock of parakeets that continuously chatter noisily. I look out across the water to the Osa Peninsula - not a boat in sight (except the fishing boats on the beach).

Aside from Ray surfing, we’ve been staying close to home, as have many others with the virus scare. CR is pretty much shut down like most of the world. There doesn’t seem to be much hoarding going on, (yet) and local stores seem pretty well supplied. Not much traffic, borders are closed and Gringos that can stay longer are remaining here instead of going back to their home countries.  Tourism has dried up, which makes the local surfers happy since there’s less competition for waves.

waiting for some rain

Lots of surf, but no riders

Eli is out for a few days, so yesterday he spent the day chopping hedges and weed whacking the grass. It inspired me to do some heavy trimming as well, so the place is looking pretty spiffy. Today he’s on a couple of projects indoors. including a new kitchen light. Now we can see all the bug poop! Yet another cleaning project! 

lots of fruit

Eduardo, our local farmer brings us produce

Some Really Bad Days For Me….

Two weeks ago I started a few projects which involved sanding and preparing some wood planks, also the newish couch on the upper deck, and several large bowls that I planned to varnish. Last week I ordered what I thought was varnish, brought it home, couldn’t quite figure out the label in Spanish, and got to work. After a couple of planks I realized this was not the correct product. 

Our local lizard

my lobster claw

Next I found an old can of what appeared to be varnish in the bodega, so I thinned it out and applied it to everything. Looked good, but after three days it was still tacky.  Very disheartening. Upon really scrutinizing the label I realized that I had been using Part B of a two part epoxy resin - without the Part A.  So I currently have all this beautiful sticky wood that I am gradually wiping clean a little at a time with thinner. PS: After going through a gallon of thinner, numerous rags, and probably poisoning myself, I finally removed all the nasty stuff, and am now using the proper varnish. It pays to scrutinize the labels, and to use my translator! Finally, everything looks pretty good. 

Horse rolling 

Horses at the river

Earthshake

A couple of weeks ago, I was quietly reading on the deck, when the deck began shaking as if Ray was stomping around. Then the entire deck and container started swaying, and the metal doors and windows rattled and groaned. Like a wave it continued for about a minute then subsided. This is actually a pretty common occurrence here, but pretty cool, too. CR is geologically quite lively, with several active volcanoes within a few hundred miles from here, and lots of tremors, some pretty strong.  Just nature’s way of letting us know that we, humans, cannot control everything. 

cleaned out pantry!

The  call of the wild

March 21

Micky Dee’s Everywhere and the C Virus

We religiously watch the evening news here, which is our most reliable way to stay abreast of what’s happening both here in CR and the world. (and we might even learn some Spanish!!!) The news is heavily peppered with ads from the govt and private industry urging people to stay home, wash hands, etc, as well as McDonald’s ads promoting their delivery and take out services. Mc D’s are really squeezing into a niche left open by the C virus. Amazing! I am finding myself almost obsessively checking my NY Times online news, even though it’s sometimes a few days old due to our poor wifi connection.

There are many heartfelt ads perpetuating the governments orders regarding the C 19 virus. Some are emotional, filled with grandparents and puppies ( Hallmark type), others are very creative cartoons - which probably catch the youngish segment of society, then there are a number of celebrity types -  individually, and or groups and teams with the same messages. Then a whole load of thank you’s from business leaders, celebrities, politicians, business employees like bakeries, medical staff and regular people on the street. Clapping, holding up banners and signs - it really does foster a sense of community - real or imagined. 

howler

another jungle creature

Meanwhile, we had a shopping extravaganza yesterday at the border yesterday. The big stores are open, but you can’t enter or leave without someone spraying your hands with alcohol. Many smaller, mom and pop stores were closed. And all the liquor stores are closed. Very few people in the shops and on the road, which made the trip very efficient. Interesting that in the Chinese owned hardware stores that we visited all the employees were masked. Could it be they are sensitive to the “China virus” attitude? Anyway, we are well provisioned for weeks, including about 75 pounds of dog food!

From Briana’s Eyes

Since there is no school ,our little neighbor, Briana, is here quite often. I sometimes wonder what she thinks of her Gringo friends. Certainly she enjoys contorting herself with us during yoga sessions. She and her cousin, Maleska always seem to need to use our toilet religiously when visiting. Is it the magnets holding up cleaning supplies that they always manage to re-distribute? The swinging couch and hammock provide ample opportunities for climbing and movement, as do the swings and seesaws? Is it the fascination with feeding the birds old bananas and papaya skins? Did she report the incident when I collided with Ray and the plate full of the omelet that she and I had just cooked, went flying? Then Ray scoped it up off the floor and ate it. (15 second rule - and I HAD just swept and washed the floor!) She loves to help out, so I try to come up with little chores such as cleaning, preparing food, sweeping, watering plants, etc., while infusing some English lessons. (It’s the teacher in me) We also have a huge collection of pretty neat rocks that Ray has collected, many with fossils in them, that she frequently rearranges and organizes. All the while she’s chattering and singing. 

Briana and her coconut drink

At low tide it's easier to ride on the beach

Word Games and my Old Brain

I’ve become quite addicted to a word game that does not require a strong wifi signal. I find it somewhat stimulating, and relaxing, but Spanish words keep popping into my mind which are not accepted in this English vocabulary game. Such a problem! I find it interesting, and very cool, that when I get stumped, I leave the game along for a while, then often, when I return, new words come popping into my head to complete the game. HOWEVER, this is not happening when I study Spanish. I feel like a memory care patient sometimes - every study time is new. 

March 25 (Wednesday - I had to look up what day it is - obviously a recurring event with me, along with losing my cell phone, glasses and other necessary items)

another illegal beach walk with the kids

As a culture, when the decision for the “light” lockdown was made last week the Ticos responded. They seem to be keeping the necessities available in the bigger stores, and everyone seems to respecting the 6 foot space rule, and no handshakes (which is hard - even for me). It is killing Ray that the surf has been pretty spectacular this week, and the beaches are closed. Police tape at the beaches, even!

The total for all of CR today is (March 25) 201 confirmed cases and 2 deaths. So far. yesterday was 160, so the 40 person jump is a lot. I have to keep in mind who, and how many people are tested, and do they have their results back yet, because that can definitely skew the numbers. 

Land of Macaws

Meanwhile, in the “Hood.” There have been a group of three macaws that have been hanging out for a couple of weeks nearby. I’m suspecting it’s the same 3 - maybe parent of a young offspring from last year(s). There are lots of fruity and nutty things in the surrounding trees, especially their favorite - beach almonds - so, it’s a smogashborg. Meanwhile, the red butt families are in full swing. I found three nests with eggs in the garden, and there are still fat begging babies around the feeder. These guys are pretty prolific. The howler family came down the mountain and spent a couple of loud night with us.

our neighbor pulls his panga out of the surf

It seems that every tree around us is, or has bloomed in the past two months. Each with its own distinct but loaded fragrance. When a 60 foot tree is in full bloom, even if the flowers are not showy, the scent permeates the entire neighborhood, mostly during the evening. My heliconias (from the roadsides) are in full bloom, and my herb seedlings have all been flattened and flooded out from a heavy downpour the other night. 

Squirrel in My Lap

Until the past couple of years I never noticed squirrels here. Then every once in a while I would notice large dark ones in the quebrada (creek) trees nearby. Recently, I’ve seen one or two grey squirrels, like the ones in NY, hanging around. Yesterday, while enjoying the morning light and my coffee, I heard a loud thump, and a grey squirrel fell/jumped off the roof, scampered up a deck support beam and literally jumped onto my lap, before running across the deck and jumping into a tree. Scared the living cr*ap out of me. (him or her too!)

More Insect News….Or, The Jungle Wants to Reclaim….

Mother Nature’s decomposers are extremely efficient, and tenacious.

Biting Ants

When I was previously grumbling about insects, I forgot to bitch about the tiny ants that bite. Similar to the reaction of Florida’s obnoxious stinging ants that leave an itchy welt for a couple of weeks, it seems that almost every ant in CR, great and small, inflicts the same powerful, annoying bite.

Vespers

I did a major clean out of the pantry the other day.  No sooner had I put all the dishes and spices back, my little yellow footed (well, not so little) wasp climbed up under a dish rack and started to craft another mud tube. I’ve already knocked down about five in and around the kitchen. You have to give these little creatures credit - they are persistent, and hard working. 

Termites

I’m in a full out war on termites. I think I finally killed the nest in the Cocobolo tree that had been growing exponentially. Probably killed off a lot of brain cells, too, spraying that nasty sh*t.  Meanwhile, I’ve been painting and sewing in the guest container. A few days ago I noticed some termite damage in the floor, so upon investigation, I found LOTS of areas where these these bastards have been chewing away. I got out the poison spray and went to work. The biggest hurdle is getting to the container supports to douse the ground, so they won’t get up into the container. I remember when we stayed in Puerto Rico we had stored a huge wooden trunk under the stairs. After several months when we pulled it out, the entire trunk was shredded. Anyway, I can be persistent - so watch out termites! 

March 28 Saturday

Time is “March” - ing by. I can’t believe it’s almost April. We are still around 90 degrees and sunny every day, but a few very brief evening showers are creeping in, plants and trees are sprouting new leaves and flowers, and the sunsets are more spectacular because of the evening clouds. 

Illegal Surfing

Fortunately for Ray the waves have been so big this week that he’s been able to walk across the street and surf a little. He joins Lalo’s sons who grew up surfing here, so he’s quite content. The public beaches are still all taped off and patrolled by the police. So, I’m living with a criminal!!!

Call of the Wild

Ray has a conch shell that he picked up cruising in the Caribbean that he likes to blow at sunset, kind of a corny tradition. Now, Denis, across the street, reciprocates most evenings. This has evolved to them “honking” each other if either wants to go surfing, as well. Of course, they do have cell phones, and could actually yell across the street, but blowing into shells must be tapping into a more primal need. 

Total confirmed cases in CR 258 (March 28 up 57 in 3 days), and two 80 + year old people have died. It’s interesting to watch the tallies around the world. There are so many variables, but it does appear that the social distancing and isolation is helping. We’ll see if that’s the case here, too.

April Fools Day

Anxiety Creeps in

(Virus tallies - March 31 - 331 confirmed cases - up 74 in 3 days.) I’ve been almost addicted to the news, which isn’t always a good thing. Reading about the incompetencies, ignorance and politics makes me feel very anxious and pretty angry. Then I read about the thousands of people in some of the Third World ( and other) countries and it’s more like despair. I suppose in an historic sense this is just another wave of tragedy for humanity, and as evolution decrees, the strongest will survive. But on a personal level for millions of people the word “tragedy” isn’t a powerful enough description. 

Can’t Take the Teacher Out of Me

I’ve been trying to utilize some teachable moments when the girls visit. Yesterday, I began slightly more formal lessons, initially with Maleska, as we worked on writing and identifying letters of the alphabet. I hope it’s a bit of a break for their mom, and a sense of purpose for me, as well. I also really do enjoy being around kids, so I get my kid “fix” at the same time. 

seat cover repair

Frustrations

We’re getting a little more cloud cover, but virtually no rain yet, so it’s still very hot, even at night. The average temperature during the day is hovering around 90, so sweat is the operative word. The plants and trees are still droopy, and I feel like we’re all waiting for the rains to come. Me, for some heat relief, and nature, for some nourishment. 

For the first time, today, I am feeling a little antsy.  I’m very good at keeping myself occupied and content, but we’re in our second day without water - which gets old pretty fast. We keep thinking that the water is being diverted by the watermelon farmers down the street, but when it goes into the second day, I think there’s another issue. Ray’s going to investigate. Certainly not the first time, we always have lots of containers for emergencies, but it would be nice to take a long, cool, refreshing shower, rather than a few dribbled scoops from the bucket. Usually, we shower 2-3 times a day to stay fresh and somewhat cool, so I’m a little hot and getting stinky. Of course, in a few weeks we’ll be inundated with rain and bitching about the mud! First world problem! The wifi, or lack of it is another irritant for me. And, it really would be nice to get together with the few friends that I have here. The virus has squashed my plans of reaching out more socially as my stay is considerably longer this time than others. Again, first world problem!

Once I get moving, either for a walk, or a project, I’m fine. But sometimes getting motivated is a bit of a struggle. So Im forcing myself to take a walk - always pleasurable.

PS: The water came back on just as I finished writing. 

Stay well and be careful.