Family First, Pura Vida Next!

Margie's famous pickles

In case you missed my last post, I had to leave Costa Rica less than a month after our return from California, heading for Texas this time to help my mom through a health crisis. When I arrived just over two weeks ago, she was still quite ill, very weak and exhausted from fighting a harsh urinary tract infection for some time. Why had she not gone to the doctor sooner? You'd have to ask her. She has her reasons -- none of them very good, in my not-so-humble opinion. But fortunately within a few days after my arrival, she began to improve and after the first week or so was almost back to her old feisty self, heading off to her one-day-a-week job at the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center and her half-day volunteer work at the same office, plus making a big batch of her "famous" pickles to give away. She remains an inspiration to me in her unflagging devotion to duty and in pushing through a lot of pain and discomfort to keep being active.

I also want to express my deepest gratitude to my stepsisters-in-law, Cathy and Theresa, who went out of their way to help mother in the weeks of her illness prior to my coming here. From mopping floors and washing dishes to making chicken soup and driving her to doctor appointments, they made sure that my mom was taken care of when she was unable to care for herself.

One of the major stresses Mother and I have faced involves her "poor white trashy" neighbors and the cats they have allowed to proliferate in the neighborhood. These people are really a disgrace to the community, with trash, plastic, toys, mattresses and other litter all over their yard. In contrast, Mother and the other people on the street keep their modest homes attractive and clean.  

Unsightly front yard...

Even worse back yard

In contrast, the Latina neighbor's house...

And Mother's nice historic home

But a worse problem with these neighbors is that their three unspayed females have had liter after liter of kittens this year, each generation maturing to make still more babies. And since these people don't handle them nor even seem to feed them, the animals turn feral very quickly and run wild through the area desperately searching for food and water. Since my mom has a tender heart for animals, especially cats, she tried to feed the first few kittens that showed up in her backyard but soon realized, as more and more came for food and took up residence under her house, there was no way she could manage 15 or 20 cats on her own.

Soon after I arrived I began trying to deal with the problem, eventually contacting the city's animal control and learning that if I trapped them in Mother's storeroom, the city would come pick them up. I also learned that the Humane Society is overrun with cats and in fact the woman there called the problem "a crisis in the city." So, as sad and hard as it was to do, a few days ago we managed to lure seven of the little fellows into the building and an animal control officer took them away. My poor mom has grieved over one of the older kittens, a beautiful golden male that she had somewhat befriended and after the fact, wished she had kept. Unfortunately, he was also one that had scratched a hole in her back door screen to get into her house and had jumped up and climbed in a open window as well, so the chances of his ever being a good pet were slim. Still, I feel very bad about having him taken away to be put to sleep. There's no easy answer for such irresponsible owners. The only solution is for people to spay and neuter their pets.

Concho River 

So now that life is more or less back to normal here, I have managed to get out for a little golf and for a walk down to the Concho River. The huge orange and red flowers on these large bushes in the park attracted dozens of honeybees, which I was thrilled to see, given their threatened existence in recent years from Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). 

Despite the drought here in West Texas, these plants seem to be thriving. Being right next to the river may be part of the reason or perhaps the city waters this area adjacent to a charming garden and gazebo as a lure to tourists. In any event, the colorful flowers and active wildlife, lively squirrels and this rather unusual bird perched over the water, made for a pleasant hour-long stroll.

Now I look forward eagerly to Layne's arrival next week and to our return to Costa Rica at the end of the month. It's wonderful to be with my mom but Pura Vida calls! 

Don't forget Layne's book "Moral Turpitude" is available for only $2.99 at Smashwords.com. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570

Jungle Trails & Badminton in the Mango Grove

Layne and I are about to head out the door for a hike around the neighborhood and soon I'll be packing for still another trip to the U.S. My mom in Texas has had a few non-serious health issues of late and I leave tomorrow to spend a few weeks with her to help get things back in order around her house; Layne will join me there in mid-September. Meanwhile I owe my readers an update on our busy lives here in beautiful Costa Rica.

Back on August 15th, it was Dia de Las Madres or Mother's Day here and it was our good fortune to be invited to our neighbor Rosa's family celebration. Over a delicious lunch of pollo (chicken), steamed vegetables, rice and the delicious chicken soup pictured here, we practiced our Spanish and learned more about the big family on whose large traditional family estate we reside. Rosa and her sister Suzie live together in a comfortable home on the main road above us. In fact, it is Rosa's house that we give as a landmark to taxi drivers when heading home, there being no house numbers or indeed road signs in Costa Rica. "A la casa de Rosa Mora," we say, and they all know the place. The two sisters are siblings of Isaac Mora, our landlord who lives next door to us; Rosa's house is next to Isaac's, just up the hill. Across the road is Juan, a brother, and next door to Rosa's place is still another sister who lives with her son. A fourth sibling, Angelica, lives in Heredia and arrived later with her lovely daughter Maria. Maria spoke some English as she works at the airport as an industrial engineer so she was able to translate a bit for everyone. The fiesta was so entertaining that I neglected to take any more pictures once the food was on the table!

It is the rainy season here and as in all tropical countries, sometimes it really pours. During a deluge, the noise on our metal roof can be deafening. But most Ticos prefer this wetter time of year because everything is so green, the flowers bloom gloriously and the heavy rains clear the streets and gutters of trash and debris. Because of this, Costa Ricans tend to throw plastic bags and other litter on the ground, confident that when the rains come, it will all disappear. It does, of course, but they don't seem to realize that most of that garbage will end up in rivers, streams and eventually the ocean, contributing to a global problem. Fortunately, recycling of paper and plastic and other materials is beginning to catch on with a service that collects recyclables now coming regularly to Atenas and other communities.

 

The rains also wash away a lot of dirt from the steep hillsides here. On a recent walk, we passed a gentleman shoveling dirt from the concrete gutter where it had collected after a big downpour. Further along we crossed the usually small creek, now running fast and deep, a muddy brown from the runoff.

Seidy, Layne, Bonnie, Chris, Sue & Marcial
(Photo by Stephen Kopel)

Yesterday was overcast with a light sprinkle now and then but it didn't stop us from joining a group of good friends at Marcial and Seidy's house for a Tico feast and some badminton. The group, led by Marcial, had earlier in the day taken a long hike down by the river, down treacherous muddy slopes and up steep hillsides. Layne said it was a challenging walk but invigorating. I had to miss the outing in order to call my mom and let her know I was coming for a visit this week. It had been a worrisome couple of weeks for me, as we didn't know what was causing her to feel so bad. But after a trip to the doctor, she had learned it was not serious so my trip should be fun, not troubling.

By stretching elastic cord over the ground for borders and setting up a net, Marcial and his sons Felipe and Daniel had constructed a makeshift badminton court in the midst of the mango grove. Soon everyone got in on the game, with Seidy making some great shots and Layne giving it his all. New friends Chris and Sue got into the game, with Chris' height giving him a strong advantage. Meanwhile, the "fans in the bleacher seats" nibbled on local peanuts in the shell, chips and guacamole and sipped on beer or Seidy's delicious refresca drink, made from star fruit. 

Daniel and Stephen vs Layne and Seidy

Chris celebrates a shot

Seidy in action!

Eventually, a duel between "the old guys" of Marcial and Stephen and "the young bloods" of Felipe and Daniel got started with Layne on the sideline keeping score and correcting the teams on the rules of the game. It was fast and furious for a while, with the winning team uncertain. At one point, Marc's dog Bean decided to take a nap in the middle of the court and when Stephen gently touched her on the rump with his racket to encourage her to move away, she curled up in terror of punishment. With some gentle coaxing from Marcial, she was finally persuaded to lie down out of bounds and the game proceeded. With a final score of 15-13, the seniors beat out the kids and gloated appropriately.

Bean just wants in the game...

But she is banished to the sidelines

Stephen and Marcial vs Felipe and Daniel

The "peanut" gallery

Feisty little Bean (l), Yours Truly and Referee Layne
(Photo by Stephen Kopel)

Relaxing after the game
(Photo by Stephen Kopel)

Leftovers from the feast

Then it was back to the house for a yummy chicken and garbanzo soup, avocado salad, traditional Tico cabbage and tomato salad and Marcial's great Italian sausage and peppers dish, flavored with fresh basil and tarragon, served over rice. What a feast!

Don't expect many posts from me, dear readers, while I'm in Texas. But I'll resume my reports after Layne and I return on September 30th. Meanwhile, Pura Vida!

Perils in Costa Rican Paradise

Most of the time Layne and I are singing the praises of Costa Rica but today I am compelled to point out a couple of negatives, since I was almost knocked down by one of them on our walk this morning and the other issue may be causing me a health problem.

Not much of a shoulder

Getting back into our routine of taking leisurely walks in our Santa Eulalia neighborhood, today we headed down the main road on the route we sometimes take toward the next town up the mountain from us. We laughingly say, as we head out, "let's go to Palmares," knowing that in fact the pueblo is some ten miles away, far too distant for a hike. The first part of our walk of necessity is along the main road to Grecia, a reasonably busy asphalt thoroughfare that runs through Santa Eulalia. The street is wide enough for two cars or trucks but with little leeway beyond that. Some parts of the roadway have sidewalk but most of the way we must stay to the edge of the road, often just a sloping concrete gutter, and watch out for traffic.

Now let's talk traffic. In Costa Rica, pedestrians do NOT have the right of way; cars do. And Ticos in general are horrendous drivers, weaving through traffic, passing on blind curves and speeding as a way of life. Reckless is the only way to describe most drivers here, sad to say. So it definitely pays to keep your eyes open when strolling along a roadway. Layne and I wisely walk facing the traffic so that some crazy driver does not overtake us from behind.

Today as we took a breather under the shade of a tree just off the road in a driveway, we looked back to see a truck and with two cars behind heading our way but on the other side of the road, of course, so no problem, right? Just as they were almost alongside us, I chose that moment to step out from the driveway and start walking again, not realizing that one of the cars had chosen that same moment to pass the truck. Suddenly I was aware of a white metal monster only a foot or two away from me, whizzing by at probably fifty miles an hour as he sped around the truck. Holy Moly! To say I was shocked is an understatement. It all happened too quickly for me to be scared but we certainly considered it still another cautionary note in staying safe on the streets of Costa Rica.

The other issue we are dealing with is pesticide use here in this beautiful country that prides itself on being "green." Last summer after living about a year in Costa Rica, I developed a very persistent case of eczema. The itchy red rash covers most of my arms and is in patches on my hands, legs and shoulders. I've seen dermatologists here and in the U.S., had a biopsy and numerous other tests done including allergy blood work, used different creams and have taken several rounds of steroids, which do cure the symptoms but not the disease. Plus, steroids have some very negative side effects with long-term use.

Giving up on Western medicine's reliance on pills, I began to do my own research and learned that, although no one knows what triggers it, eczema is the body's way of ridding itself of contaminants that are too much for the normal mode of dispersing toxins, namely, the liver, kidneys and other parts of the digestive system. When those organs become overloaded, excess pollutants will exit the body through the skin.

Toxins, eh? Well, with further research we have learned that unfortunately Costa Rica has the highest use of pesticides per hectare IN THE WORLD. That's a lot of pesticides. Take a look at the graph below (sorry it's so small) and you can see that Costa Rica stands head and shoulders above everyone else -- not a place you really want to be in this case! Not only that, but Costa Rica uses pesticides that have been banned in many other countries.

For instance, when we first encountered leafcutter ants, we were advised to buy Mirex insecticide to deal with them. After making the purchase but before opening the package, we decided to research the product and found that it had been banned by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency way back in 1976. Without delay we returned the package to the store and just left the leafcutters to do their thing.

Our concerns are not just for our own health but also for that of farm workers here, who typically use no protective gear when spraying. 

According to one report, Costa Rican pesticide use has led to the poisoning of some 400,000 people, or about 2% of the population. Effects can include sterility, hormone dependency and liver and skin cancers. Costa Rican crops using the most dangerous chemicals are pineapple, bananas and coffee, most of which are grown on large plantations. Some people assert that smaller farms, which sell their wares at the local ferias, do not use chemical pesticides and indeed we have one vendor at the Atenas feria that claims to grow his crops organically.

We don't really know, of course, whether my eczema is related to exposure to these poisons but it is cause for concern. Our solution is buy almost exclusively organic fruits and vegetables and I've given up alcohol, coffee, dairy (other than goat's milk) and most meat in an effort to reduce the toxins I'm taking into my system.

Despite these problems, we still enjoy our life here in the land of Pura Vida. Our walk this morning reaffirmed one thing about Costa Rica that we love: the friendliness of Ticos. As we hiked by a construction site, the workers called out a loud "Hola!" to us and waved when we turned to respond. And as I snapped a shot of cars going by, the driver of a rather antique tractor stopped and smiled for my camera, happily posing for the picture. Now if the country will just go more organic, Pura Vida will mean "pure life" indeed. 

Don't forget Layne's book "Moral Turpitude" is available for only $2.99 at Smashwords.com. https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/159570

          

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!