Mid October:  Welcome Back - Early to Bed, Early to Rise…

I immediately fell back into my CR routines. Asleep before 8 pm and around 4:00am I’m wide awake and ready to go. 

My little garden paths...

Zsa Zsa doingwhat she does best

Tyson (not my dog) with his leaf
Tyson always carries a leaf to present 
to you. He even sleeps with
one nearby.

This became my continual view after my "fall of shame"
(rolling off the bed and breaking my wrist)

It’s actually a magical time for me. I catch a few “batties” still fluttering around, then around 4:30 the house wrens begin their shrill tunes along with several piercing voiced isthmus wrens. For tiny birds these guy can really wail! The waves provide a constant pushing drone, and the occasional car or moto (motorcycle) drive cautiously by trying to avoid the deeper potholes and mounds in the road. Vultures snooze on their favorite branches across the street, while Boquette is nestled in her rocking chair, Zsa Zsa under my feet curled up in her doggie bed with her paws over her nose and Tyson (not our dog) is sprawled out on the mat near our walkway entrance. I expect Whiskers (from next door) will show up soon for his morning visit to scrounge an extra breakfast. And roosters crowing in the distance provide a continual background noise. 

Daybreak…..

As dawn arrives a multitude of greens from olive to emerald, materialize from the plants in the garden. long, gently waving leaves from the heliconias, quivering slender fronds from the palms and multitudes of reds, yellows and oranges from the crotons in the underbrush. Incredible how everything has grown in the months I’ve been away. As Ray would say, "It’s a jungle out there.”

I check the hand of plantains hanging by the steps to the roof and discover one very ripe one with its bottom hollowed out. Telltale bat droppings lie underneath. When I investigate further a sprightly gecko scurries out of the hole and leaps onto the shelf below. 

I have planted several varieties of philodendrons at the base of trees and fences around the garden. After several years, most have become like the Jumanji vines that wrap themselves around any unsuspecting object. Unbeknownst to me I am realizing that each of these species has its own unique flower. One near the deck has a large white fleshy flower that seems to be a favorite of the red butt tanagers. Many of these plants are common house plants at home in the US, but never produce flowers. Here in their natural habitat all kinds of surprising exotic reproductive shapes and sizes unfold from their plain leafy sheaths. 

A tiny iridescent hummingbird is sipping either nectar or rain water from a nearby heliconia. Another almost collides with me on the deck as he scours the beams for spiders and their entangled prey. 

I am having to accustom myself to the dank mildewy smell permeating everything during the rainy season here. Clothing, towels and sheets are limp and moist. This morning I opened up a suitcase that had been storing my flop flops only to find them white and fuzzy - despite my efforts to deter the mildew with sachets of silica gel and bars of smelly soap. Yesterday, I aired out a few clothing items I’ll need. The rest will have to wait until laundry day. 

Morning view from the deck - nice lines of waves

Water Woes……

This could be a wait because we’re having yet more water problems. Contrary to popular belief by Ray and Eli who vehemently deny it, I suspect there is some development going on somewhere near or along our water source up the mountain. With such heavy frequent rains any exposed soil washes down into the streams and the whole rickety system gums up with mud and leaves. Downstream, we have to either wait for Pepe’s guy, or sometimes Eli (and occasionally me) who have to trudge upstream to manually scoop out the goo, and flush the system. 

The many quebradas (creeks/streams) and rivers swell enormously 
with the huge rains. Giant logs and branches, as well as trash, unfortunately,
wash down and litter the beaches.

Although the local water is fit for bathing and laundry, we “import” our drinking water from friends in Pavones or Golfito in plastic jugs. Until a couple of years ago this problem did not exist, but there are more and more plots of land being cleared for development and access roads being built. The soil erodes into the streams and rivers, and runs into the sea after heavy rains. A world wide problem in the tropics where erosion causes not only problems of soil depletion on land, but smothering coral reefs and probably effecting filter feeding shellfish and who knows what else. At least we have very few corals in our local waters. (sigh!)