It’s been awhile since I posted – time just seems to pass by so quickly each day and before I know it, I am climbing into bed. There have been several momentous events in the last couple of weeks. The first was a huge windstorm that hit on Thursday. I don’t know what the velocity of the wind was but I do know it was scary!! Tom was in Limon getting the yearly car inspection done so I was here alone with the dogs. Kaya and Sofi were as scared as I was but Wiley just hung out and slept. It is really amazing to see the huge trees swaying in the wind. It didn’t last too long – maybe 45 minutes or so, but when it was over, there were trees and branches down all over the area. Only one tree came down in our yard and it was one we didn’t much like so no harm done 
I also am SO excited about a new hobby I have developed!! I made chocolate the other day from the cacao pods in our yard! 
I didn’t follow the normal instruction which require fermenting the seeds for several days before roasting the seed but it still was really good! It is very time consuming since I have no equipment or tools but well worth it. It is a very dark chocolate so just a taste satisfies that chocolate craving. I am excited to figure out how to get even more and better results.
On Friday we had our first visit from army ants. We had been told that they come around every so often and that the best thing to do is pack up and go to the beach for a couple of hours while they troop through your house and flush out and kill bugs like cockroaches and spiders and scorpions. 
We decided to stay to see what they did and it was fascinating! They started at our bodega and flushed out one scorpion who wasn’t long for this world and then they headed to the house. They systemically moved around the entire outside of the house walls as well as on the ground around the house. Anything they found, they ate. They did flush out one other scorpion who was evidently living around a window but that is all we saw. Pretty amazing!!
Our neighbors Ron and Don arrived in mid August and it has been nice to have them back. Ron headed back to Portland last Monday but Don will be here until September 14th. 
We had a farewell lunch for Ron at Banana Azul before they left with the four of us and Kathleen and Rick from down the road. It was great fun! We are looking forward to the time when they are here more permanently
Finally – we have been seeing some wonderful wildlife lately around the yard. Here are just a few:
Chestnut and Fiery Billed Toucans
Young sloth eating a cacao pod
Same sloth smiling
Giant Helicopter Dames Fly 7” wingspan and 5” body – biggest in the world!
Same one with closed wings
Red dragon fly
Our little Sofi is getting big!!!
Costa Rica Dog Lover 