Back to Pura Vida in Costa Rica

Layne's and my last suitcase is unpacked and (mostly) put away and I finally have some time to update my blog. It sure feels good to be back in beautiful Costa Rica! Our time in the USA was successful in re-financing and fixing up the house and included some fun times with friends and family but overall was pretty stressful. If you saw my blogs from there, you know how much physical labor we faced. Not only the mere unpacking of the barn, moving boxes and furniture, but also the extensive yard work required to get things back in order.

Mexico City airport

Our return trip went smoothly enough but was incredibly lengthy. Aeromexico decided to cancel our original flight connecting from Mexico City to San Jose, Costa Rica. With that itinerary we would have arrived in Costa Rica about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday evening. As it was, we endured a 14-hour layover in Mexico City following our red-eye from San Francisco. Fortunately, we had learned that the Hilton located right inside the airport offered a "day rate" for us weary travelers so we were able to crash on comfortable beds and sleep for much of the day. Still it was 11:30 p.m. that night before we finally landed in San Jose, another hour before we were home and about 2:00 a.m. when we hit the bed, exhausted.

Our wonderful landlords here, Isaac and Sonia, had done some significant improvements, making this home even more comfortable and attractive. 

Shrubs along the walkway to the rancho

New shading for the plants

New guest bed

Happy bamboo orchids

New shrubs along the back walkway, a green shading material over a garden area to protect my orchids and herbs from the sun, a new larger ceiling fan in our bedroom and the smaller one from there installed in my office and finally a grand new queen-sized bed in the guest room. The gardener had been busy pruning and planting and the maid had the whole house spic and span.

Darlene (on sidewalk), Glenn, Marcial, Seidy & Layne

So with Thursday to chill out and begin unpacking, we were ready for the feria on Friday to pick up a few groceries and where we were sure we'd see many of our local friends. We were not disappointed! It was as colorful and festive as we remembered with Jan selling bread in her booth, Gabriel with his organic local coffee, Marcial and Seidy standing by with Italian sausage for their customers and lots of our friends, Tico and Gringo, strolling along the sidewalk. We were royally welcomed by all.

As we later walked around town running errands, we were reminded of one of the reasons we love this place so much: without fail, virtually everyone we met - whether we knew them or not - greeted us with "Buenos dias," direct eye contact and a big smile. What a friendly country.

"Corn as high as an elephant's eye!"

It's the early rainy season here and the plants and flowers love it. They are absolutely springing up by inches each day. In what was a cornfield next to us there is now a thriving sugar cane field, with red beans and corn where the sugar cane was last year, a form of crop rotation we assume. As the old song says, "the corn is as high as an elephant's eye!" Our neighbor Rosa has promised us some fresh red beans when they ripen in just a few days.

On Saturday, however, we had an awkward, if humorous, incident when we went to pick up our organic veggie order. While we were still in the States, I had contacted the organic sellers by email but learned that Melissa, the coordinator who speaks English and several other languages, was in Mexico so I had to communicate with Iris, who speaks no English. My Spanish being what it is, I attempted to send in our order only to find that my instruction for .5 or ½ kilo of carrots and .5 or ½ liter of goat's milk had been interpreted by Iris as 5 kilos of carrots and 5 liters of the milk. That's a lot of carrots! Fortunately, Melissa was back from her trip and very graciously worked things out so that we were not stuck with such huge quantities. As it turns out, we quite like the goat's milk and have almost gone through the two or three liters that we took.

Felipe at work

Bonnie and Layne

With our energy somewhat restored by Monday, we took a walk over to Bonnie and Stephen's, where I had left some of my herbs in Bonnie's care. Sadly, most hadn't survived and I left the one remaining basil with her. Stephen was away in his new position teaching photography at a local school but it was fun to visit with Bonnie while Marcial's son Felipe was painting some trim in their cute Tico cottage. Their big news was that Stephen and Bonnie had just gotten married on Friday after some years of living happily together. But for residency and Social Security reasons, they had decided to tie that knot. Apparently all that was required was for them to sign a book with Marcial and Seidy standing by at witnesses. Muy facil! (Very easy!)

So all is well in the land of Pura Vida and we are so happy to be here. It may be quite awhile before we feel the need to wander again. 

Big Changes on the Wild Geezer Ranch

Since my last post our homeowner's hangover has definitely improved, not the least for the addition of professionals to counter our own "Abbott and Costello" incompetence. The well pump guys finally showed up and within minutes had ascertained the problem and replaced the "Psi switch," whatever that is. It seems ants had gotten in there and fouled up the wiring. $140 later and water was once again flowing properly.

Ken Speck in the trees

Next we welcomed the team of lumberjacks and weed-whackers from Speck and Sons Tree Service. What a great job they did! With dad Ken Speck climbing up trees and lopping off huge top sections, scuttling down a few yards and whacking off another big section, the 40-foot, fire-prone Digger Pines were soon on the ground where sons Jake and Matt chopped the big lengths into 16" rounds ready to be split for firewood. Although we don't burn resin-rich pine in our wood stove because of creosote deposits in the chimney, our neighbor Butch - himself something of a lumberjack - plans to split the pine and take it for his own wood needs. 

The big Digger Pine coming down

Jake hard at work

The Live Oaks Ken and his crew cut down we will keep as firewood for our next tenants. Hauling the small piles of cut oak from around the property and stacking it for seasoning made for another long, hot and exhausting morning for me and Layne. We miss our John Deere lawn tractor. Instead of motorized hauling, we had to resort to pulling the little red wagon loaded down with six to eight logs back and forth dozens of times.

Before: 2 large pines next to the storage barn...

After: Nothing but chopped wood!

Ken clowning around with a cut wedge

Two days of steady work by the Speck crew yielded a well-trimmed bunch of trees with firebreaks between them, weeds mowed down to about 100 feet from the house and all the smaller branches chipped and hauled away. Although it cost a bit, when compared to the thought of our house burning down, it was a bargain.

Now we're in the midst of another major project: replacing kitchen, dining room and entryway flooring with ceramic tiles. After we had made plans and put down a deposit on linoleum for the kitchen and dining room only, our contractor friend Michael returned from a distant job that had kept him out of cell phone range and was horrified to learn what we were paying for the flooring. 

Grey tiles, white linoleum, beige carpet

For the same amount he said he could install long-lasting ceramic tile not only in the kitchen and dining area but in the foyer as well. The idea was very attractive to us since the foyer was covered in grey tiles, the floor of the dining room in white linoleum and the living room adjacent to it in beige carpet, giving the large space a chopped up feeling. With tiles throughout it will have a "great room" feel that will be much more attractive. So we canceled our linoleum order, paying a hefty re-stocking fee, but we are convinced that the tile is a much better option. Progress so far confirms that opinion. We are thrilled with how it is beginning to look.

Foyer tiles coming up - a dusty mess!

Yours Truly swinging the sledge hammer!

New tiles going in!

The new floor will likely not be finished until next Monday and even after that we face a number of other projects before we return to Costa Rica in just over two weeks. We will be replacing the dishwasher, the ceiling fan/light in our bedroom and running both water and electricity under the driveway to the horse pasture shelter. And those are just the jobs that Michael will do for us. For our part we still have numerous smaller tasks to accomplish in the few days left to us, plus packing and storing our goods. But it will all get done, no doubt, and we hope our new tenants appreciate the improvements.

Ruth, Elizabeth, Layne and Ralph

Meanwhile, we still find time to visit with friends like our good friend Elizabeth and her husband Ralph, who joined us for dinner this week at our friend Ruth's place in Auburn. Here at home, we relax at the end of the day and watch the hummingbirds devour the sugar water or the backyard birds clean out their feeder while we water the new tomato plants and petunias, which the deer then gobble down at night. Oh well, I guess the doe and her two fawns that we've seen around the pasture need the food more than we need the flowers!

Happy Fourth with a Homeowner Hangover!

Happy Fourth of July to all from Kat and Layne! We know our U.S. of A. expat friends in Costa Rica are gathering for a traditional Independence Day picnic of hot dogs, games and entertainment including a special Flag Ceremony with members of the U.S. Marine Corps, all put on by the American Colony Committee of Costa Rica. The Democrats Abroad Costa Rica group will be present with a booth set up for voter registration and voter information for the fall elections. Although we'd love to be there, we will enjoy some barbeque and fireworks with our friend Ruth at the Auburn Fairgrounds later today.

Meanwhile, we continue on with our endless projects around here, both planned ones and some unexpected challenges. A few days ago Layne noticed water gushing out from the ground along the driveway near our well. Uh-oh. This did not look good. Naturally, it was the weekend so reaching our well pump guys was not happening. Off went the electricity to the well pump and off went the faucet at the well that feeds water into our 2500-gallon water storage tank. We filled up a large kettle from the hose to have a small supply at the house and settled down to wait for Nate, the repair guy, to return our call.

When Monday came and we spoke with Nate, it turned out his crews were all extremely busy with water problems all over the area, some even far up into the mountains out of cell phone range. The upshot was that he didn't really know when they could get out here, perhaps not for several days. We continued that day without water, our newly planted flowers and tomatoes beginning to wilt. Well, the tomatoes were already a disaster as during the night a deer had managed to jump the back gate and nibble the tomato plants down to a nub. By yesterday, Layne decided we had best take matters into our own hands and see if we could determine where the water was coming from.

Now mind you, Layne and I are "Abbott and Costello" when it comes to handyman chores. As I often say, if there's a wrong way to do something, that's probably the way we'll try first. We just are not very knowledgeable when it comes to repairing things around a house. But we are bold so with shovels in hand, we headed to the well and started digging, carefully, to see if we could find the leak. The softened ground clearly indicated water had been seeping from somewhere. Indeed, it appeared that our previous tenant had even laid thick rubber stall mats around the base of the blue holding tank perhaps to stabilize the ground, which suggested the problem had been going on for some time.

After turning the power back on and opening the water valve, it didn't take long before I saw the source of the problem: water was simply gushing out from what appeared to be a shut-off valve that had failed. What had probably been a slow leak initially, over time had given way and water was pouring out onto the base of the holding tank, softening the soil until the tank itself was beginning to cant over and threaten further breakage of pipes and other parts of the well assembly. It was either find a way to stop the flow or continue to do without water.

We tried to find a pipe plug of some kind that would screw into the opening but nothing fit. As I squatted down by the pipe, fighting off the army of ants that we had disturbed, I finally determined that by pushing in hard on the broken valve, the water would stop flowing from the open pipe. So now what could we use to keep pressure on that valve? In a moment of inspiration, we decided that we might be able to use some of the many large rocks on our land to apply the necessary pressure and halt the flow. It took not one, not two, but finally with three large rocks, we solved our problem - at least for the moment. We continue to check periodically to be sure our jerry-rigged solution is still in place.

With that problem solved, we were feeling pretty smug. That is, until we ran the dishwasher and discovered that the garbage disposal was blocked by something, which was causing the water exiting the dishwasher to fill up one side of the sink! Undaunted, Layne grabbed a plunger and with admirable determination, managed to open the disposal pipe. Good grief. What next?

Photo courtesy of http://www.old-picture.com/old-west/pictures/Placer-Mining.jpg

So with no immediate homeowner crises to handle today, we managed to get out for a walk this morning, strolling along shady San Pedro Hill Road nearby. As we often are when exploring our Sierra Foothills neighborhood, we were struck by the reminders of the Gold Rush of 1849 when tens of thousands of hopeful miners swarmed into this area in search of the precious metal. The old 49er's trail, known now as Highway 49 in their honor, appears here and there in short, rough stretches as it meets up with today's more modern asphalt thoroughfare. Gullies carved decades ago by placer miners diverting streams in the dream of riches tumbling down from the quartz mountains above still remain. Today's view was of vines known hereabouts as "Miner's Grapes," which continue to yield delicious fruits. The grapevines along our walk today were enormous, covering long sections of the side of the road and seeming to blanket the steep hillsides below.

Like many North Americans, Layne and I are indeed blessed and very lucky to have been born in this wonderful, though imperfect, "land of the free and home of the brave." We wish you all a celebratory and safe Fourth of July!

A Titmouse Takes a Shower

One of the (few) things we miss when living in Costa Rica are tomatillos, those husked green fruits with the tart taste so perfect for salsas, chili verde and other spicy Mexican dishes. For some reason this fruit is virtually unheard of in Costa Rica. Only our organic consultant Carmen, who hails from Guatemala where they do grow, was hip to the joys of tomatillos. Our Tico friends and feria vendors would shake their heads when we inquired about them and then ask us to describe them, which is pretty difficult, especially in my broken Spanish. Sort of like a tomato, I would say, only green and with a cáscara, which really means shell or peel, not exactly husk. "Oh! tomate verde," they might offer, a green tomato! Well, no, not exactly.

So while we're here in the US, I have been delighted to find fresh tomatillos at our local grocery. We have feasted on my semi-famous Chili Verde several times, including last night. We're keeping the leftovers - always better after a day or two in the fridge - to share with our friend Ruth who will join us for dinner tomorrow night. But when Layne suggested that I make a photo of a tomatillo to show our Tico neighbors when we return to Costa Rica, I decided to do better than that. I took photos of the unpeeled, the peeled, the chopped up ready to simmer down to tenderness and then finally of last night's finished Chili Verde and condiments.

I thought I would share my recipe with those of you who can acquire this piquant fruit as there are few better ways to enjoy it than in this delicious pork stew. Be aware, however, that free-range pork and fresh tomatillos make all the difference in the final product. Indeed, humane treatment of pigs is an important social issue for us as these animals are extremely intelligent and deserve a good life in open spaces before being sacrificed for our food. Free-range pork is all Layne and I ever buy.

KAT’S CHILI VERDE

3-4 tbsp olive oil

3 to 4 lb. organic lean pork, cut into 1” cubes (pork butt is good)

1 large onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic (or more), mashed or chopped fine

2 (or more, if you dare!) jalapeno chilis, minced (taste your jalapenos because they vary greatly in heat!)

1 – 7 oz can diced green chilis

1 cup, more or less, fresh cilantro, chopped

2-3 cans (14 oz.) tomatillos, or better yet, about 15-18 fresh tomatillos (more if small ones), stewed till tender, then pureed, with liquid from cans or from stewing

½ of a dried smoked chipotle chili (or be brave and use the whole thing!)

1 tsp salt

Lime wedges, cilantro, jalapenos and jack cheese to garnish

Heat oil to fairly hot in large heavy skillet or deep pot and add the pork in batches to brown. With the last batch, add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and the pork is a bit browned. Add back all the other pork and let it get acquainted.

Add the garlic, jalapenos, cilantro, tomatillos, green chilis and salt and bring to a simmer. When it is bubbling gently, drop in the chipotle chili (whole) and let it reconstitute in the simmering chili. Cover and cook over low heat for a couple of hours, stirring now and then. When the pork is very tender, remove the chipotle chili and serve the Chili Verde with the garnishes available.

Enjoy!

Yes, you read that right up above - we ARE planning to return to Costa Rica! Hurrah! After three months here in California, living on our little five-acre ranchette, we long for the Pura Vida lifestyle of Costa Rica. Each day we're reminded of just how much WORK it takes to keep this place up and how expensive it is to live in the U.S. With the improvements we've made on the house, garden and horse facilities, we're sure we can once again find a good tenant and rent the house out to someone with horses. Our plan is to return on August 1st and resume our lives in Santa Eulalia. And we can hardly wait.

The renovated pasture shelter

Still, we have enjoyed our time here and there are compensating factors for the work, such as the colorful wildlife we have enjoyed on our land. The hummingbirds have devoured the sugar water out front and the Titmouses, Grosbeaks, House Finches and California Jays love the steady supply of birdseed in the backyard feeder.

The birds also love the drip watering system Layne has repaired and expanded in the garden. One little Titmouse last night was so delirious at the dripping water, he took a shower only steps away from where we sat. And today, perhaps the same little water-lover, perched momentarily on my water hose only inches from my fingers as I watered some newly planted petunias, as if to emphasize his appreciation of the cooling liquid.

So now it's more of the exhausting job of sorting through clothes and knicknacks, books and memorabilia to decide what else we can part with. Then packing boxes and making it all fit back into the storage barn. Still, we've weeded out so much already, this process should be much less strenuous than it was two and a half years ago when we first set out for Costa Rica. And now that we know what we are looking forward to, it's really a labor of love!

Catching Up!

When last we corresponded, Layne and I were knee-deep in boxes as we sorted through all the stored "stuff" in our barn. We had a semi-successful garage sale where we sold the treadmill, our big bed and frame, my saddle and horse tack, plus a few other items taking up space in the storage barn; we gave away a lot more.

Layne and Penny by the homemade grill

On the 2nd of June we headed north to visit friends and family, starting with our very good friends Penny and Joel. Before they moved to Oregon, we used to go horseback riding and overnight horse camping with them, as well as take turns hosting outrageously delicious dinner parties. We miss them very much and really looked forward to another fun time together. Needless to say - but I will - we were not disappointed! 

First night appetizer and Green Gin

Penny, Joel and Layne over appetizers

Penny is such an amazing cook and consummate hostess and Joel a lively conversationalist, we always feel totally spoiled by their hospitality, good food and endless laughter. This trip we enjoyed grilled hamburgers (from a neighbor's cattle!) on the new grill Penny had designed and constructed with some help from a welder friend.

Penny and Paddycakes at Smith Rock

A hiker who made the summit!

Facebook facilities

The next day we took a drive to Smith Rock, a stunning basalt formation popular with rock climbers and hikers. But with threatening weather, we only stayed long enough for their little dog Paddycakes to sniff around. On the drive over Joel pointed out the new Facebook facilities, a gray monolith where, according to Joel, hundreds of servers hum away and the only employees are maintenance people, little help for the local job market.

Later that day, we were present for the official "christening" of the new pond they've built. In this case, the baptism involved the introduction of five big bass fish to the water. So far Penny is feeding them night crawlers (cut into quarters! Ugh!) but eventually they should have enough bugs visiting the pond to keep them happy. That evening we enjoyed Penny's "famous" Porcini-crusted Filet Mignon. Oh, wow! It was a great start to our trip.

Layne and Tom on penthouse balcony

On our way across the mountains, we stayed overnight with Layne's high school friend Sue and her sister Christine and visited with our beloved niece Cari and her delightful teenage children, Jordan and Phylicia. Then it was on to Portland where we lodged with our friend Tom in his penthouse apartment with fabulous views of the city. Sadly, we also learned that Layne's sister Annie has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Although she is feeling pretty good right now and has good support from her family, her husband Jim and friends, it's a difficult prognosis.

While Layne was in Portland playing golf and helping Annie, I was able to fit in a short trip to New York City to stay with my dear friend Betty and to attend my longtime friend Veronica Vera's wedding. With enough miles for a free roundtrip on Delta, I was thrilled to be able to join so many old acquaintances at this event, a magical afternoon filled with love and music and laughter and best wishes for the happy couple. 

Veronica, the beautiful bride

Veronica and Stu in their first dance

Good friends Michele and Betty

My last night in the City was spent onboard my friend Michele's boat, berthed in the 79th Street Boat Basin, with friends Gloria, Janie, Candice, Big John and a few new acquaintances. It was a splendid evening and the perfect close to a wonderful trip to the Big Apple.

Sumaya, Yours Truly, Jill, Candice, Gloria

View of Manhattan from the boat

Back to Portland and very soon on to Spokane for a visit with Layne's son Jess and to attend Jess's wife April's graduation from Eastern Washington University. This family is so special to us, with their adorable kids Sierra, herself in college now, and pre-teen Orion, a regular little monkey who climbs everything in sight.

Orion and Grandpa Layne

The big attraction in Spokane is the Riverfront Park, which runs alongside the Spokane River, and which was built back in the 1970's when Spokane hosted the World's Fair. The park is quite beautiful, offering a gondola service that spans the falls and an interesting sculpture of runners around the edge of the park. But the river itself is incredible! Never had Layne and I seen such a huge volume of water rushing over rocks and down waterfalls in the middle of a city. It is truly terrifying in its mighty force.

The wild Spokane River 

Layne joins the "runners" in the park 

April's graduation

April's graduation was great! She was so excited and her folks were so proud of her for returning to school after raising two children. Now, with her degree in Mathematics and a goal of being an elementary school teacher, we know she will do well. After all, she graduated Magna cum Laude and was nominated by her professors as an Outstanding Senior. How's that for achievement?! It was a wonderful moment to see her in cap and gown waving at us from the infield track as the graduates entered the football field.

Evelyn's takes first steps

Annie, Hazel and Gertie

Then it was back to Portland to attend the Sunday afternoon goodbye party Annie hosted in our honor, with visits from everyone from one-year-old Evelyn, just learning to walk, to family matriarch Hazel, looking forward to her 100th birthday next February. 

First view of Mt. Shasta on the way home

With a short stop at Penny and Joel's again to retrieve the camera battery and charger I had left behind (any excuse for a return visit!), we made it back to California yesterday, tired but happy to be home.