Nightime Visitor

The night before last, some large-ish creature paid a nocturnal visit to my back yard while I slept. I had cut down three stalks of bananas which were still green on the trees. The procedure is then to hang them in a shaded spot and let them ripen. This I did with one bunch and left the other two on the floor of the patio. While I was eating the hanging bunch, some of the others had begun to ripen on their own and every morning there was evidence that some small critter was munching in the night. I didn't care. I have lots - too many really.

But this was different. The big guy (or girl) ate one entire bunch and ate half bananas right off the stalk - totally green!! The remnants are still too green to remove. It or they left three critter flappers about the size of a side-plate but oblong and rippled - for effect, I guess. It or they also destroyed some of my plants where I toss my compost material and, oddly, one of many plants in the front yard.........hmmmm. My lone laying hen (who doesn't lay, at least not in the laying box or any other place I can find, only eats, roosts in the front. Maybe they were partying?

I have no idea what kind of animal it was. I know there are raccoons around but I don't think their scat would look like what I have described above. Monkeys don't tend to be nocturnal forragers from what I understand. Sure wish I knew a scatologist!! Maybe I should google Costa Rican Critter Scat?

Hunka hunka fat-burning love

I started my weight reduction program today. I know, I know....but this is different and sensible. The basic idea is to exercise 3 times a week with high intensity to build or rebuild muscle mass that requires calories to burn while at the same time adjusting and controlling a diet low in fat but high in nutrients, so the fat calories will be the ones burned to sustain the new muscle. The diet involves eating 5 or 6 times a day to keep the body fueled. It is an approach that makes sense to me although I must admit I have difficulty eating so frequently.

I quit smoking 18 months ago and I have gained some weight. I want it gone so I will give this program my utmost. The relatively short exercise program appeals especially because I don't have time to go to a gym. These exercises can be done at home although a gym would be preferable....we'll see how it goes.

Had a wonderful day yesterday cooking and cleaning. I made a pot of curried lentil soup.....awesome.

A Christmas Miracle

What a score!! The neighbourhood convenience store was open and I managed to score ice cream, cottage cheese, watermellon, pineapple, apples, bananas (although I have a huge supply from the back yard that are not quite ripe) and strawberries and limes. There will be an awesome fruit plate under construction later on today......yeaaaaaaa!

Christmas Day

It's Christmas Day in the rainforest. I was invited to a Christmas Breakfast this morning but I totally forgot to go....ah well....maybe next year. It's' a beautiful day here at 82 F, sunny with some cloud. I am irrigating the plants using my nifty newly-manufactured sprinkler holders. I have the type of sprinkler that is on top of a long spike and as the irrigation continues the ground softens and it wants to fall over so a second visit is required to straighten and re-anchor the sprinkler. And the next time irrigation is called for, one can never find the hole from the previous time. I thought there had to be a better way. So I cut a few sections of half-inch pvc pipe, roasted one end over the stove, and jammed the spike in until the pvc conformed to the square shaft. These I pounded into the soil in the strategic locations to house the sprinkler. Works like a charm..woohoo!!

I have been invited to join my sister and brother-in-law for Christmas Dinner at some friends' place. I learned this morning that I have to try to scrounge some dessert somewhere but I doubt any of the stores are open. I may have to get creative with a fruit plate. Yeah, that will work. Regardless, it will be a good time. Time to move the sprinkler.

Scanner Swap

Can you believe it? I had two scanners - a flatbed and a three-in-one printer/scanner/copier. They BOTH crapped out at the same time. The flatbed power supply is dead and it appears the USB port on the combo is gone. I can't live without a scanner for document storage. After days of fruitless troubleshooting I remembered that years ago I had been gifted with a scanner by some friends who were leaving the community for Panama. I have often been labeled as a pack rat but, beleive me , it has served me well over the years. So I climbed up into one of the storage areas and retrieved the still-in-the-box scanner. In doing so, I managed to shave some skin off the back of my upper arm on a piece of metal strapping - a small price to pay if the scanner would just install on my system. We are talking about a ten year old item here. The registration wanted to know if I was using Windows 95!! In any case, installation was seamless and I can scan again. Happy camper in the rainforest.

It is a beautiful day in Surfside....88 degrees with clear skies and bright sunshine. I just finished cleaning the pool...well, until I have to do it again. It's never finished. This is the time of year when a combination of the Papagayo winds and the Cenicero trees shedding their tiny leaves creates a steady shower that rains down on the pool and needs to be skimmed, filtered and vacuumed out. It's a good thing I have some time on my hands.

My housekeeper is also here today so I will have a nice, clean domicile for another week. It always smells so good when she leaves.

And there is pork to be pulled in the crock pot adding it's own fragrance to the mix. I haven't tried this recipe before so it's kind of exciting and I'm looking forward to tasting it later.

Today is Farmer's Market day and maybe I'll finally get to go. Every time I plan to go something comes up in the office that stops me. I hear wonderful things about it....so maybe this time......

I know, it's been a while since I last posted. I have been busy with my continuing adjustment to my change in lifestyle. That said, it is going well. Things are picking up here in Surfside. The snowbirds are returning and everyone is preparing for Christmas. I must admit, coming from the far north, that it is some strange to celebrate Christmas without snow, or at least cold. But it isn't that hard to get used to after a while. Every year, Perla hosts a Christmas party for the local children. She always has a good crowd, cons someone into playing Santa and has gift bags, cake and ice cream for all the youngsters under twelve. On Christmas Day, she hosts a traditional dinner with all the trimmings. And of course there are Christmas lights and decorations and, naturally, parties.

We are back to irrigating now, so I have another chore added to my duties. Several years ago, I installed pop-up sprinklers to take care of this task. However, my gardener chopped them off cutting the grass with his machete so they have been decommissioned and I have to manually place and replace sprinklers and hoses. This works, of course, and it's not like I don't have the time. So the foliage is happy and beautiful.

Well, I did it! I managed to con Gracie (using a hot dog) into letting me get a leash on her and I brought her into the house late yesterday afternoon. She didn't have any problem walking so I hope she will be more comfortable in the future. Her reward was a nice pork chop bone that has been seasoning in the refrigerator for a while.

I had to make a quick run to the store and Sally wanted to come. I drive a Honda ATV with plastic baskets on the back and Sally likes to ride in them. When we got home, I picked her out of the basket, brought her inside, and put her in the kennel. She got a feed of real canned dog food! What a treat!

So I had the dogs contained and I went to the pre-party happy hour. I started to feel guilty about having the dogs locked up so I decided to go home, take them for a walk, and return to the party. I did all this, fixed something to eat, and then just didn't feel like going out again. I need the dogs to understand they are not being punished and I thought staying home with them might help that.

Sally slept the night in the kennel. Around 6 am she began to make "let me out" noises so I did. She was grateful and happy and playful. This may work out after all. Gracie asked to go out next. I have to clean her ears on a regular basis in the wet season because she is prone to infection although this year she has shown no sign of it. I did so and off she went. Today's challenge will be getting her to come back in on her own.

I just finished assembling the crock pot chicken/spinach lasagna and it is cooking as I type. I'm very curious to see how it turns out and particularly how to get it out of the crock pot without destroying it. I'm guessing the trick will be to let it sit and set up before trying?

Well, it's been a while since I've done any blogging. I am trying to cope with dog issues these days. Sally, the younger of my two dogs was abducted for five days. She evidently escaped and showed up at the house late one evening. It was wonderful to have her back. However, she is extremely traumatized and is not comfortable to let me out of her sight. She used to stay on the property or in the house when I left, but not any more. For a few days, I tried to outwit her by blocking exits but that didn't even slow her down. As a result, she has been an honoured guest at Happy Hour at Perla's for a week or two. To further my frustration, Gracie, my other dog has now taken to following us to Perla's. Dogs are welcome there but I don't feel comfortable with it. Tonight is the big Hallowe'en Party and I will have to find a way to keep them home or pass on the party.

I have brought a traveling kennel into the house and have left Sally there two or three times when I had to go places she could not. But she is so smart she will not come to me at five o'clock when I typically leave the house. She doesn't think the kennel is much fun compared to Perla's, I guess. But if I can get her in there today, then I think I might get be able to get Gracie and bring her in the house. Gracie shies away too, because the maid waxed the patio floor and Gracie can't stand up on it - she came with a bad leg. This happened once before and it was months before I had her coming back in. Now she just doesn't trust it. So it should be a challenging evening.

I don't like Hallowe'en. There is a big annual party at Perla's. I won't wear a costume although I have in the past. It just doesn't make sense to me and I don't believe that 20% of the party goers have a clue what it is about. It really creeps me out when people I can't recognize but who know me come up to speak with me. We'll see how it goes tonight.

I just got a micro grocery delivery. One of my neighbours offered to pick up some items for me at Automercado - a large American-style supermarket in Tamarindo, about 40 minutes' drive from here. I seldom get an opportunity to leave my home-office long enough to make the trip. And although the local grocery shopping is good, there are certain items that just can't be had here in Surfside. So I am a happy camper. Tomorrow I will experiment with a crock pot chicken lasagna recipe I found.

This has been some day. My older daughter got married back in Newfoundland, Canada and I couldn't be there. That, although understood from the get-go, was disappointing. However, apparently all went well and she got a hot turkey sandwich to boot!

I spent the day emulating a plumber. I had two toilets go south on me simultaneously. The flush mechanism on toilet number one physically broke yesterday so that toilet was totally out of commission. I was able to adjust toilet number two yesterday to working order but the toilet seat needed replacing. I went looking around in my bodega and lo and behold there was a toilet seat there! With a little old-fashoned modifying, I was able to replace the toilet seat so now I had one functional bathroom.

Then I attacked the other, number one bathroom. I searched the bodega for suitable replacement parts and believe it or not, I had them! When you live in remote places like this you build up a supply of spare parts just for occasions like this. After working in a kneeling position, mostly working with my left hand for what seemed like hours (and probably was) I restored the facility to working order. I was feeling pretty cocky until I saw the leak. More to do tomorrow....but hopefully just tightening connections.

Tropical Thunderstorms can hurt

Three days ago in the mid afternoon we started to get some rain and a little thunder. This is my cue to shut down and disconnect all electronic equipment. Unfortunately, while I was winding down, there was an enormous crack of lightning that sounded and felt like it was directly overhead. My system went down in seconds but miraculously recovered everything except internet. Now being the "expert" I am, I decided to put in a call to the resident PC surgeon. We agreed, it was likely the ethernet connection at one end or the other had been blown up. He had a spare ethernet card so I set off to Potrero, the neighbouring community in the pouring rain on my Honda ATV. He gave me the card and went back into the shop to look for a cable to test the system with. While I was waiting, I saw Sally, one of my dogs at the bottom of the hill. She had somehow followed me all the way from the house to Pat's in Potrero. She gets spooked by thunder and lightning so I guess chasing me seemed like her best option. I picked her up and placed her in one of the cargo boxes on the back of the machine and took her home.

I could not install the ethernet card...seems the CD is corrupt. Called the Cable Service provider who promised to send out a technician the next day. While I was waiting, I switched the internet connection to USB and it worked. The technician came and went claiming to have fixed it but it is still not working. Today I downloaded the support material for the ethernet card but the system will still not let me install it. USB is slower than ethernet but I can live with it.

I will call the Cable company again tomorrow. And poor little Sally is limping around as though she had run a marathon...which I guess, in dog kilometers, she did.

Pool boy blues

So the water in my pool has turned green. It's disgusting. I have never had a pool before. I didn't realize you have to be a chemist to maintain it. In the last two years, I have purchased enough chemicals to outfit a high school lab, I'm sure. But over time, I got into a regular maintenance program that kept the water clear, bright and sparkling. Of course, this is the rainy season and God knows what is being introduced into the mix when we get a significant rain. So I am playing chemist and doing the best job I can to fix the problem. The pool has a paper filter system so I can change filters frequently. I bought a new broom to dedicate to the pool and I use it to stir up any algae or sediment that settles around the perimeter after I have vacuumed. In theory, the chemicals kill algae and fix particles to themselves to be trapped by the filter. Hmmmm...we'll see. I have done this successfully in the past but I can't remember if it was rainy season or not. Then again, I can always call the pool maintenance company. They'll probably straighten it out in an hour or so.

Housekeeping help

I thought I would have no problem keeping this little beach house clean and presentable. After all, I live and work here so one would not expect it to be much of a challenge. In that case, one would be wrong. It is a challenge...and a big one. I have two dogs that leave a trail of hair, mud, dust and food everywhere they go. I can only do a little laundry at a time because we are so near sea level, the water table is high enough to serve dinner on. I think I can multitask and I suppose I can but I tend to forget which tasks I'm multi-ing.......of course that could be age. In any event, it was running away from me. So today, I hired the services of a housekeeper to come and put things back in order. She did an outstanding job and I can now spend my time looking for things in places I would never consider putting them.

Disastrous Sunday

Normally, Sunday is the only day when I am completely free and I usually use it to relax and get ready for the coming week. however, this is a luxury I can no longer afford. But I am big on multitasking so I got some laundry going. Then I vacuumed the pool. Next, I switched the laundered clothes over to the rinse cycle. You see, I have one of those washer spin-dry units so you have to empty and re-fill the wash tub part. I set this all up and took a little break while the tub was filling. Need I say more?

I woke up almost ankle deep in water! I then spent hours mopping up until the flooded section of the house was reasonably dry. They have the strangest mops here. Not the Rastafarian or even sponge type from home, but, rather, a device on a stick that you clamp rags into. For me, this was a most awkward and tedious operation and sucked a large hole out of my day off.

Not to worry, I still had time to light the barbecue and grill my dinner. Maybe I'm not as good at multitasking as I thought!

A visit from the Vet

Living in the rain forest does have it's advantages. Being a rural area, we get a lot of house calls - everything from the German Bakery, to the butcher shop and, yes, even the veterinarians come right to the door along with your usual variety of "tramps and hawkers" selling hammocks and floor mats, kitchen utensils, etc.

The dogs - Gracie and Sally - never quite seem to get used to it. A lovely, gentle vet gave them both the once over and they behaved very well. They were given pills - one huge and theoretically chewable, the other rather small - to immediately repel the fleas that had hitched a ride with them which I administered later that afternoon cleverly disguised as hot dogs. I was left with a syringe and something to inject them with that eliminates fleas and ticks that can be irritating and even lethal during the rainy season. I have found a combination of FrontLine and flea collars to be successful.

One of the dogs, Gracie, develops an ear infection during the rainy season so I was given a regimen to treat that as well. Trouble now is that as soon as the dogs see me with anything that appears to them of a medical nature, they are out the door in a flash. I have to alter my routine yet again it seems.

In any case, the dogs are healthy and a little too smart for my liking...but there you have it.

Waiting for the Monkeys

Several months ago, a howler monkey unfortunately turned itself into a crispy critter by attempting to utilize the power grid as a transit route here in Surfside. This happens all too frequently as development inevitably leads to denudation of the rain forest. It is particularly saddening to watch these wild denizens of the jungle in the throes of death with presumably no idea what hit them. Many orphans are created and even with the best intended care, probably do not successfully return to the wild.

One hope is the Monkey Bridge, a strip of plastic netting and rope that reaches across roads and allows the animals an opportunity to avoid going to ground or being tempted to use the power lines to cross thoroughfares. The one I have was installed by the local power company using their cherry picker and hopefully will save a few monkeys.

But where are the monkeys? Oh they're here right enough. If you have ever heard a howler monkey, there's no way to mistake it. I have been told that, pound for pound, the howler is the loudest animal in the world. Around 4 am today it sounded as though I was surrounded and I thought this morning I might witness the first crossing.

Well, it didn't happen but some one of these days it will and I can't wait to get teh video to post. In the meanwhile, I'd settle for a squirrel.

Pathfinder passes RTV ! yea

Owning a vehicle in Costa Rica is something else. Import duties are set so high that it is not practical to drive your personal vehicle here. But if you choose to, it can take months to get the registration changed over and often winds up costing as much as the equivalent vehicle purchased here. So most folks find themselves purchasing used vehicles worth about half of whatever they drove at home. In my case, this is a 1989 Nissan Pathfinder.

Now, a few years ago, the Costa Rican government implemented a Technical Revision System that must be passed annually to keep a vehicle on the road. It is owned and was set up by a Spanish Company with unrealistically high standards. Like most such organizations, it concentrates on alignment, brakes, emmissions, lights, and tire condition.

Bearing in mind that these are 20 to 25 year old vehicles we are dealing with, you can imagine preparation for RTV as a sort of swap meet for owners of compatible machines. There is a service station across from the RTV centre that tests emissions and will do any last-minute adjustments that might be necessary. Vehicles often get tuned for the test and then de-tuned afterward.

It almost always requires two and sometimes more trips through the RTV torture chamber and I am delighted to announce that I made it through on my second pass this year. I rarely use a car here and the gas and maintenance costs are through the roof. Maybe it's time to sell.

Lost another friend

Goodbye to David Ellis, the hotdog man, restauranteur, poker player, and community servant. Dave had just launched a new enterprise here in Surfside, Playa Potrero when he was taken from us by an apparent heart attack as he was leaving work...unexpectedly and untimely. Dave, you will be missed and remembered. A tribute is planned for Saturday, September 5th to celebrate his life.

The big adventure to Immigration

Since I haven't attempted to publish this blog in any serious way it's doubtful anyone would have noticed my absence. I am a resident of Costa Rica and there are certain criteria that must be met in order to remain so. The trouble is, they keep changing the rules, or forgetting to let you know that you will need to produce certain documents in order to get a renewal.

The first time I needed to be renewed, I was scammed by someone claiming to be a paralegal specializing in immigration issues and I was illegal for about 2 years. When finally I got my new "cedula", it got run through the wash along with my passport. At that point, I needed a new cedula and passport. the passport was easy enough but immigration was out of card stock and I had to make do with a stamp in my passport that declared me a legal resident. Now, my normal time for renewal has always been April 24th. For whatever reason, that devil stamp re-set the renewal date for Dec 31, 2008 which I did not discover until April, 2009. Now I was illegal again!! I made an appointment with immigration - best they could do was Aug 27th.

I went to the appointment on Thursday armed with everything I could imagine I might need to get my status as a permanent resident without work restriction. I was promised this status 5 years after attaining temporary residence back in 1999. But things change and I am still waiting. And b'y did I do some waiting on Thursday. First, processing at Immigration, then over to the bank to obtain certification that sufficient funds had been converted into local currency. Then back to Immigration to be further processed and photographed. Then a trip to the nearest post office to arrange to have the card itself prepaid for pick up in 5 days. All in all, it required an entire day. But it is done and I am legal again.

Picking up where I left off...

I somehow managed to lose my post from yesterday. I was attempting to describe the climate here on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. Ecologically speaking, it is classified as dry rain forest. Practically though, we have two seasons - six months of dust and six months of mud. We are slip-sliding into the muddy season now. I was just beginning to vacuum the pool yesterday in beautiful, warm sunshine when the rain started. I have deep inside me a primal instinct to find shelter from rain, presumably because I have lived in cold climates (Quebec, Alaska, Newfoundland) for most of my life and I can't seem to shake the concept that getting wet can lead to hypothermia and possible death. So I ran for the house. Through the window I watched my neighbor walking bare chested and bare-footed through the rain which by this time had become a solid downpour - myth exploded!

The rainy season, or as I prefer, the (b)rainy season is my favorite time of year. It produces a lush, green Costa Rica that all too few folks get to see and lots of downtime to get creative. The runoff can be a problem and there is occasional flooding but that just provides a challenge. I live in a primarily ex patriot community that expands and contracts like a medical-assist breathing device but does in fact inject prosperity into the community at peak times when the rest of the world is on holiday. I am always (or never) on holiday depending on whether you are half-full or half-empty.

Personally, I believe I'm a half-full guy and we are enjoying a glorious sunny morning here in paradise. Maybe I will get the pool vacuumed today finally. I'm pumped because a deal I have been working on for the community water supply for more than a year is finally closing out. What a nightmare Costa Rican bureaucracy can be! But that's also part of the charm of life in the third world, isn't it. Almost anything can become a bureaucratic delight - from opening a bank account to getting a driver's license - it can take days.

Well, I notice the day is more than half gone and I still have things to do..like breakfast.....

Had a major, scrambly day today concluding the water association business and when happy hour came around I was ready to put the half-full half-empty paradigm to the test. After raising a few with my friends at Perla's Bar, I went to listen to my friend Charly Lopez playing classic rock and blues. He invited me to join him for a few tunes in the last set and it was wonderful to be back on stage. More of that later.

So far, today has been relaxing and not overly productive, although I did get the pool vacuumed. Tomorrow, with luck, it gets a rubdown and I have a grill session. Sunday has been a pleasant day....lots of housework and grocery shopping. It is mercilessly hot here today so I may jump in the pool and walk the dogs to the beach. My routine needs a lot of refinement.

The dogs loved the beach..they always do. It always amazes me to walk on a 4-mile stretch of warm, Pacific Ocean and find it virtually deserted. But that's how it is here...except on holidays..and don't let's start on that subject. I have never lived anywhere where there are more holidays in the run of a year...it's amazing.

But the dogs and I had fun. I did jump in the pool when we got back and theoretically lowered my core temperature. Then it was fire up the barbecue, roast some local beasties and the rest of the evening should be a piece of cake. And it was.

Today has been a lovely, sunny, on-call day. I have been locating and emailing documentation to support our ongoing negotiations with AyA, the National Ministry responsible for the water supply. AyA is currently engaged in an attempt to draw together the many rural water distribution associations - a major undertaking. The association of which I am administrator has been in place for some thirty years and works seamlessly. Therefore we have chosen a somewhat circuitous route and have applied to become a kind of self-sufficient sub-office. We are hopeful this process will conclude in the very near future.

Major breakthrough today thanks to my daughter. I was having serious difficulty moving, changing and sizing photos. Her experience and suggestion did the trick. Now it's time to think about prepping dinner.