Costa Rica Dog Lover

It was one year ago today that Tom and I retired and said goodbye to our friends and jobs at the University of Idaho.  We left at noon (him hurrying me along as I just HAD to finish that last spreadsheet) and headed home to the refurbished barn we were renting to finish packing and loading up the U-Haul for our trip through Wyoming and Colorado before making our move to Costa Rica. 

I remember so well how excited we were when Luke came by to pick up the last of our furniture – our bedroom set and couches – and we settled in with the dogs for our last night in Idaho.  The next morning we were up at 4:00 a.m. and took off with the small U-Haul behind us and the dogs in the back of the truck.  We had one scary moment when we stopped off the highway to let the dogs out and Kaya got off the leash and ran towards the highway.  I got her back by squeezing one of her squeaky toys but it was a scary moment.  Other than that it was clear sailing for the next thirteen hours to Casper where we spent five days with mom and my brother Tom and sister in law Shirley and had a really wonderful visit. 

Then on to Colorado where we spent a few days visiting my aunt and her partner Frank, Jason, Shanti, Tyvon, and grandkids in Denver before heading over the mountain to spend a few days with Jordan and Sonya and the grandkids in Gunnison. I remember most poignantly burying the ashes of two of our dogs – Neo and Bentley – at the pet tree on the ranch outside of Lake City that Sonya and Jordan own.  I was so glad to leave them there in that amazingly beautiful country.

The day of our flight, Sonya drove us to Denver where she dropped us off so Shanti and Tyvon could take us to meet our 12:10 a.m. flight.  Our friends Rex and Susan were already there and once we got the dogs loaded in the hands of the TSA we went to meet them and with just a bit of a delay off we flew to our new home!

I have to say that there has not been a day that we have regretted either retiring early or moving to Costa Rica.  People at work used to say that I would never be able to retire – that I would get bored.  It has turned out that nothing is further from the truth.  There are days when I have no idea where the time went.  Between bird watching, sloth spying, and monkey maneuvering, as well as yoga and Spanish classes, there just isn’t enough time in the day.  I have to work to find that hour or so to hang out in the hammock  

All I can say is Pura Vida!!!

It has been raining off and on for the last few days here in Puerto Viejo and it feels great!  June and the first half of July were so dry that we were beginning to get worried.  This is the rain forest after all, and the plants and animals need the rain for nourishment.  The days are still very nice and the rain normally doesn’t start until late afternoon so we can get out and enjoy the day and then kick back and relax to the sounds of the rainfall in the evening. 

One thing that we have noticed since the rain is back is that the birds and sloths are too.  We had been commenting that the last couple of months we just were not seeing any wildlife at all but didn’t realize that it had to do with the lack of rain.  We have spotted a couple of new birds and are welcoming our regular visitors back.  Yesterday was a particularly abundant wildlife day.  We started out listening to the clucking of the toucan perching on the trees around the house and then were surprised by the momma sloth and baby that we had seen a couple of months ago.  The baby is getting bigger and more bold!  It was hanging upside down trying to grab leaves while still keeping a tight hold on mom.  We also saw another sloth chomping away on the vines that come off the cecropia tree – it was having a great time!! 

We also were visited by an Iguana in a nearby tree.  It was laying on it’s back sunning itself – catching a few rays   It was also keeping an eye out on the hawk that was circling around.  We think we have heard some baby hawks in the nearby trees so the hawk is out looking for food for them. 

Time to get back out and check out what today brings………….

A few days ago the weather was so gorgeous we just had to go to the beach   We hung out for a while at Playa Punta Uva and snorkeled and watched people come and go.  It was a wonderful afternoon. 

Shortly after we got home, Tom called to me to come outside.  In his hands was a tiny, tiny two toed sloth that he had found at the base of the giant tree in our yard.  It broke our hearts to see the little thing which was clearly not even a month old.  We immediately called the Jaguar Rescue and they said to wrap it in a warm blanket and bring it in to them.  When Tom got out there they explained that sometimes the babies lose their grip and fall to the ground – clearly that is what happened in this case.  We will check up on it in a few days to see if it is doing okay.

We also saw a baby iguana hanging out on the side of our bodega yesterday.  Iguana are endangered because they evidently taste good and people eat them.  There are several initiatives in the country to save the iguana which we hope will be successful as they are amazing creatures.  We have a male and female living in a huge tree right over our fence and we often catch sight of them lying on the branches of the tree or when they come to the ground for food.  We are thinking that this baby is the offspring of the pair in the tree. 

There honestly is just not enough time in the day to experience all there is to experience in our little corner of the world.  And we haven’t even left the Caribbean side of the country since we moved here!!!!!  We plan to change that in the coming months and go back to visit places that originally stole our hearts in the little country as well as visit those areas we have not yet seen…………….

It has been a really fun and interesting few days here in Puerto Viejo for us.  A couple of nights ago we met Casey Bahr, his wife Tamara, and son Sean.  Casey writes a blog called A Dull Roar which has chronicled his move to Perez Zeledon in Costa Rica and does chronicle his life since he got here.  I have read his blog for a little over a year now and so was delighted when he emailed and said that they would be coming to Puerto Viejo for a quick trip.  We met for dinner at The Flip Flop Restaurant in downtown PV and had just a great time!  They are all so interesting and engaged in their lives.  Sean, who is twelve, goes to school in the town they live in and seems to have assimilated very well.  And – he is a very tolerant twelve year old – very patient with the older crew as we talked on and on   He wasn’t sure that he liked the sour taste of the starfruit though…………  Tamara is an artist who does beautiful mosaic tile work – you can find examples of her work on Casey’s blog.   And Casey is just as entertaining in real life as he is on his blog.  All in all it was a great night.  We will definitely plan on going to their part of the world for a visit in a few months.

Last night we went to the newly remodeled Bar Penn – soon to be renamed “The Point”.  An expat from the U.S. – actually Colorado to be exact – has taken over running a long lived establishment just down the road from us and has turned it into a sports bar/restaurant.  It looks great, the beer is cheap, and the people we have met there are fun.  Last night there was a band  that had our neighbor Carter playing drums with them.  The singer had a terrific voice and played a variety of songs.  His name is Joaquin Teran and he and his bass player evidently play all over the world.  We really enjoyed ourselves immensely. I also was able to meet some of our other neighbors so that made it doubly enjoyable.

Earlier in the week we had a couple over for dinner who have just moved into the neighborhood named Rick and Kathleen.  They are from South Carolina and are as crazy about their dog Tassle as we are about our dogs.  We had a fun night getting to know each other and talking about our wonderful four legged friends.  Tom once again made a wonderful dinner – Beer Can Chicken and salad and we were all stuffed.  Tassle and Kaya fell in love so we expect to be seeing a lot more of him  

The weather here has been absolutely stunning the last few weeks.  We actually need some rain and hope to get some in the next few days.  In the meantime though, I am just going to enjoy this time, kick back, and RELAX (just like these dogs)!!!

Today Kaya is four and Wiley is eight.  We got Wiley in March of 2004 when he was eight months old and Kaya in May of 2008 when she was ten months old.  We decided to give them July 4th birthdays so we would never forget to celebrate and so far it has worked.  They both were rescue dogs – Wiley from Fort Collins, Colorado and Kaya from Spokane, Washington – and now they are living the good life here in Puerto Viejo Costa Rica.  Twice a day they head down to the beach with dad for long walks and exploring.  The rest of the day they relax and play in the garden – which explains why we really have no producing plants  

We got them their present a couple of months early when we discovered SOFI!!!  She was dumped in a ditch to die but we heard her and brought her into the household.  So now we are owned by three of these wonderful creatures.  I’m not sure Kaya is so thrilled since Sofi will not let her out of her sight. But at least she has someone to play with now since Wiley is a bit too old now to run around as much as Kaya wants to.

Also – Kaya has a boyfriend named Tassle!!  We had some new neighbors over for dinner last night and they brought theirbeautiful German Shepherd.  He and Kaya had a great time and even Wiley didn’t eat him.  Only Sofi tried to cause commotion by thinking she was a tough (and much bigger) dog.  However, it all worked out and they had a great time. 

So I’m thinking this first birthday for them in Costa Rica is one for which they (and we) are most grateful.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Yesterday, I went to a dentist in Limon to get a crown put on an implant I had done in the United States.  The original crown had come off after only six months and I lost it.  This all happened in late December around the time that mom fell and broke her hip so it took me some time to get it fixed.  I originally had planned to go to San Jose as most everyone here does, but after asking around I heard of a young female dentist who spoke excellent English and who is in Limon.  Since Limon is an hour away as opposed to four hours, I decided to give her a try. I went to her on June 6th after I returned from Wyoming and got the crown fitted and returned on Tuesday to get it put on.  She did a wonderful job – it actually fits much better than the original one – and it was much less expensive.  The office was very small compared to the ones I have been in in the U.S. but definitely outfitted with the newest technology.  There were only two rooms –the reception area and the work area.  While I would have paid $250 if I had gone to San Jose, the $400 I paid was not bad considering I did not have travel and have hotel expenses in San Jose.  All in all, it was a good experience.  I do have to have a bridge put in also but will go to San Jose for that.  The price I can get in San Jose is $400 while the Limon dentist quoted me $1000 so it is worth it to make the longer trip.

We also have had so excitement here on Playa Negra the last few days – we have our very own crocodile!!!  It showed up about a week ago and has been hanging out in the ocean catching fish and has been seen on the beach.  While not dangerous to humans, it will eat small animals so we are making sure Sofi is at our side whenever we go to the beach.  Wiley and Kaya are on a leash so we can control them, but we Sofi has been so good she is off leash while on the beach.  There is discussion about the agency responsible coming to move the croc to another area but so far we have not heard if that is a go or not.  In the meantime, we will keeo on the lookout.

We also have baby white collared manakins in a bush in our yard.  The nest is very near the ground so we have been able to document their life to date – from eggs to hatching to hopefully fledging in a couple of weeks.  It is absolutely amazing how quickly they grow!!!  In the first picture they were just hatched – about a week ago.  The second picture was taken today and they have their eyes open and you can see they have wings.

It is SUCH fun to live here

Pictures on the road to Limon:

Painted palms

Rio Viscaya

Church

Municipal building in Limon

Tico house on the road to Limon

Well, our week with Shanti and Shaylyn is ending.  They will be heading back to San Jose this afternoon on the Interbus to catch their early morning flight to Denver tomorrow.  We had such a good time!  Lots of beach time so that Shanti could go back with a tan and lots of card games and just chatting. 

Last night Shaylyn and I dyed one of my white t-shirts with some seeds from the achiote bush we have growing in our yard.  We heated up the seeds in oil and then put in some water and boiled it all up.  We then added the shirt to see what would happen.  I think it looks great! 

The first day they were here, we went to the beach at Punta Uva and tried to snorkel.  The sea was too rough so we just hung out and played in the waves but it was great fun.  The next day we went shopping so Shanti could pick up some souvenirs to take back and we bought Shay her birthday presents (June 13th was her big day).  We stopped at Ammimodo Restaurant to have their great pizza and sat outside and watched the ocean.  In the afternoon we went to our beach – Playa Negra – and had fun playing with the beach dogs and jumping in the waves.  On Wednesday we hiked a LONG trail at Cahuita beach and saw an eyelash viper and a Jesus lizard,and other assorted small animals – no monkeys or sloths though.  Later that day we had lunch and then came home and crashed – we were all VERY tired! 

Yesterday, we went to Manzanilla for lunch at Maxi’s and it finally rained, which was nice.  Shaylyn and I actually got cold which amused Tom and Shanti no end   We did a bit more shopping in Puerto Viejo so that Shanti could get a hammock for her new house she will moving to in Pine and then we came back and hung out while Shay watched a movie.

Also this week we have been watching the growth of two baby white collared manakins in their nest.  It has been wonderful to watch how much they grow each day.  They should fledge in about two weeks and I can’t wait to get pictures of that!

So – all in all it was a wonderful week and we will miss them when they leave.  But what great memories we will have!!

We arrived in Puerto Viejo ten months ago today.  In some ways it feels like we have been here forever – it feels so much like home – and in others it seems like just yesterday we were loading the bags and the dogs and heading out.  Tom has been back to the US once since we moved and I have been back three times – primarily to take care of mom when she fell and hurt herself.  Each time we leave though, we cannot wait to return – no matter the length of time we are gone. 

Since we have been here we have made changes to the house, purchased an additional lot and cleared it and planted new trees and plants, and have adopted a new puppy who we found left to die in a ditch.  We have seen all sorts of birds and wildlife in and around our yard and we love just sitting in the living room every day enjoying our surroundings. We have made wonderful friends – some who have moved on and others who are here for the duration.  Wiley and Kaya have adapted well although Wiley seems to be at the vet every month or so for one thing or another – nothing serious though.  Kaya loves the yard and runs around like crazy, now with Sofi chasing her. 

We are happy and content – not much more to life than that – at least for us

I have had a very busy few weeks since I last posted.  On May 12th I headed to Casper, Wyoming where my mother lives, to take care of my mom for a few weeks.  She fell and broke her femur and her wrist (this after breaking her hip in December) so needed some special attention   My younger sister was able to arrange her work schedule for the first week or so that mom was home to take care of her and then she flew me out sing her airline miles AND put me up in a hotel in San Jose using her hotel points for both the first and last nights of my trip.  I’d say I am pretty fortunate to have such a great sister!  I was able to get mom moved to an assisted living apartment in the same retirement complex that she has been in for the last two years which was a relief for all of her kids.  They give her as much or as little help as she needs as long as she is able to get around pretty much on her own.  After talking to her shortly after I got back home, I was thrilled to know that she is very happy in her new place and feels it was definitely the best move.

I headed back home on June 6th and I have to say it was GREAT to see Tom and the pups!!!  Sofi has gotten so much bigger but she still will be quite a bit smaller than Wiley and Kaya.  While I was gone we had new furniture and cushions made for the living room and it is SO much more comfortable.  Tom just showed our carpenter a picture of what we wanted and he made it – AND for 1/5 th of the price it was selling for in the store. 

Yesterday we went snorkeling and the sea was almost perfectly calm.  There were fish all over and we were able to get some great shots.  I brought back a camera with an underwater housing so we should be able to get some really good movies and pictures without the camera breaking.  Sofi went with us and tried digging to China – almost made it!!  There were also several kids playing in the water not too far from us and they were such fun to watch. 

I also came home to a bird who is nesting in one of our bushes right in front of the house.  The nest is down low so we can watch the progress of the incubation.  The bird (a female white collared manakin) doesn’t seem to mind us watching her but we definitely keep our distance so as not to disturb her too much. 

I am now really beginning to settle back in.  I am back to starting out my day sitting in the outdoor living room, drinking coffee and watching the birds and the dogs   It is SO good to be home!!

Easter is the most celebrated holiday in Costa Rica as well as all of Central America.  Many people have the entire week off but everyone has Thursday through Sunday off.  So – they all head to the beaches!!!  Wednesday afternoon, cars began pouring into Puerto Viejo and the buses were right behind them – standing room only.  For some it was a reason to drink all the alcohol they could possibly drink and still be standing (or not) but for most it was a family holiday.  Extended families played in the ocean and on the beach non-stop for four days and it was great fun to watch. 

On Saturday night, Rene and Sarah were invited to play at one of our favorite restaurants – Stash’s ConFusion (formerly Loco  Natural).  Of course we went along (with Sofi as she is too young to leave behind)  and we all had a great time.  The entire staff, volunteer and paid, as well as the owners of the Jaguar Rescue Center came out to watch Rene and Sarah play the blues.  Sarah and Rene have been steady volunteers for six full months and everyone came out to show their support.  There was a lot of audience participation and I have to say it was clear that everyone enjoyed themselves immensely.  Especially Sofi!!!

Sunday, Tom took the dogs for a walk on the beach very early in the morning and came back and announced that it was a perfect day for snorkeling.  Sarah has volunteered to help me with an exercise program (she is a former trainer – how do I luck out!)  so after exercising, Tom, Sarah, Rene, and I headed out for a few hours of fun on the beach.  Sarah and I snorkeled while Tom, Rene, and Sofi hung out talking and drinking a couple of beers. Rene decided to see if Sofi would like the water so he took her down.  However, it clearly wasn’t her thing so back they came – both smiling.  There is just nothing in the world like the area when the water is still and the sun is shining.  Absolutely breathtaking.  We still don’t quite believe we actually live here sometimes.

Back home, Kaya and Wiley reunited with Sofi and they played until they all were ready to crash.  Not before me however.  After such a great, long day, I fell asleep about twenty minutes into the moving we were watching and so went to bed.  This is my kind of life