Water, Water, Everywhere…

I’m starting to make a mental list of gardening, organizing and cleaning chores. Once we have water. Meanwhile, we are showering out of buckets and cooking and cleaning with soda bottles of water. It’s ironic that the frequent downpours ensure the rivers and streams are fully loaded.

So, for my welcome back -  an occasional trickle of tap water, and bottles of “imported” water. It took a couple of visits by a local neighbor to clear out the muck in the “tanque,” which collects the water before it reaches our wonky network of tubes and pipes, often connected by wrapped motorcycle inner tubing and string. It’s the Tico way.

Cleaning Obsession……

Five days after my return - WATER!!! Finally! I went on a rampage. All the damp clothing and bedding that had been piling up was treated to the full spa treatment - a little bleach, drying in the patchy sunlight and stored away in dry containers. We disassembled the bed, and cleaned it thoroughly, along with the entire sleeping area, walls, ceiling and floor, while the mattress was treated to a sunbath. Mildew - GONE!  Sometimes, it’s the little things in life that give one pleasure. 

The Next Challenge….

My “Mrs. Clean” compulsions fulfilled, I moved on to my next challenge. We took our second trip to Golfito a few days ago, braving the enormous potholes, washed out gullies and deep mud pits on the local roads. We took care of some business matters, checked in on the progress of the boat (all good), had a favorite breakfast, loaded up with “imported water,” and headed home. I steadily became more and more dizzy and nauseous on the way, first attributing it to the jostling and lurching of the car. By the time we arrived home I was married to the toilet for hours. Every movement, smell and sound created another wave of queasiness, that finally diminished four days later. 

I’m attributing this unpleasant episode to a “bug” of some kind, (viral, bacterial, parasitic???) as Ray and I ate exactly the same food and he was unscathed. However, I will probably never eat huevos rancheros (fried eggs smothered in a (formerly) delicious spicy tomato sauce) again. 

PS: I picked up a treatment of anti- parasitic medication, just in case. Many locals here give themselves a treatment once a year as a preventative measure. Interestingly, when I looked up the drug - nitazoxanide - it is not only used worldwide as an effective anti-parasitic, but also as an anti-viral, and even being looked at to combat Covid-19. I’m finally feeling back to normal - 4 days later.

Shrinking world - With my various "ailments" I have spent countless
 hours watching the plants grow and birds at the feeder. 

They Keep on Coming…

Having recovered from the stomach ailments. I started back to my beach walks. One day during a high tide, I was forced to walk along a wooded path near the beach. I unwittingly disturbed a bee nest, which resulted in me tearing through the underbrush with a few dozen bees in pursuit. I managed to slip and twist my foot, which left me nursing a sprained ankle for several days. It did force me to get my photos and writing together and actually publish some blog entries, as well as study espanol with my bandaged foot in the air. 

Once recovered, I overdid the gardening last week - too much digging and heavy lifting, so I’m feeling a little creaky these days. But the plants are looking great!

My little sanctuary. I've been planting, transplanting, and seeding.
Not quite sure what I'll do with them all when they
mature. But there's always the farm property for the overflow.

The coconut palms we planted for shade a few years ago are
doing great. Will we keep them as they start dropping 10lb
boulder nuts on the roof? 

One palm bites the dust..... Heart of palm
salads, palmita.....delicious

Future bananas