Things Happen Fast Here

We´re no longer the "new kids on the block" on our li´l country lane. A new family has moved in. The young´n was a bit camera shy, but when I asked the adults if they had any qualms about being photographed, they responded, "Neigh":




And that´s the way it is.....

Oooh, It's Getting Spooky Here

So it's getting dark here in Costa Rica, the veil between the worlds is thinning, and a mist is forming in the valley....




And just to the right of that, there's a gorgeous sunset underway:


Happy Halloween and Good Samhain to all the Pagans!

As Promised...

The long-awaited and much-promised video that I shot on the way back from Siquirres last Thursday, as we passed through the Braulio Carillo National Park.

And a couple more photos:

Sometimes The Cloud Is So Bright, You Can't See If There's a Silver Lining

I looked out the window (yes, the window, as in the only one downstairs that actually looks out onto the wider world [as opposed to a lightshaft or garage]), and went "Wow! That's a bright cloud!" So I took a photo of it for the whole InterWebs Tubes to enjoy.


Or at least the 40 or so people who read this blog. :)

The Cloud!

The rest of the clouds, too!

"We'd better get a gecko picture out of it, is all I can say about that."

Things were a bit batty upstairs last night, it appears. We'll never know for sure, however, because I had Jen's camera down here. Hence the quote I use for a title on this post.

You see, there was a gecko in my shower (as Steve said in GMail status, the gecko was saving me a bunch on shampoo!), and my camera is, at present, non-functional due to a lack of batteries. [note to self: this would be a really good time to get four rechargeable AAA batteries -- and a charger] So Jen graciously brought me down her camera.

Luckily for me (based on the post title quote), I took some photos of said gecko.

Therefore, I give you, not one, but three gecko pictures:
gecko on the wall

gecko (fuzzy) on the wall up next to the ceiling

gecko on the wall, showing the perspective of the view of the angle of the inclusion of the shower head
(and, yes, that is a taped over electrical wire sticking down into the shower. This is Costa Rica, after all)

Sunset In The Central Valley

I was writing an email to a friend yesterday evening and happened to glance outside just before it got dark. I noticed the sky looked pinkish to the south, so I grabbed my camera, figuring that there would be a good shot waiting. I believe I was correct:This is the way I saw it (meaning I tweaked the colors that came through in the actual photo).

And this is the way the camera saw it.

I like both the light that actually was, and the light that my inexpensive camera caught.

I Guess This Is What They Call "The Rainy Season"

Today, @1:30pm local time -- just after the burst of 1cm hailstones had melted:

Since It Is Earth Day And All....

Google's artwork for this year:


So, I guess I won't be going up on Mount Mitchell (highest peak east of the Mississippi River) this year, as I'm over 600 leagues from there. This has been my usual Earth Day activity for years. I normally find a spruce seedling part way up the mountain and transplant it to near the top (because almost all of the ones up there have been killed by pollution -- mostly the acid rain and sulpher fallout from the TVA coal plants upwind)

Since I'm in Costa Rica now, here are some pictures taken from Mount Mitchell that I found online:

The old observation tower, since removed.

The new observation platform.

The view to the northeast.

Looking northwest toward Tennessee.

More photos, video and lots of info on the park (in case you're gonna be in the area) here.

Nature: Exhibits A and B

A: Yesterday's sunset

(click to embiggen)

B: Today's insurance salesperson (with apologies for my cameras crappy close up capabilities)

I Don't Care If I Can Save A Lot....

So, it's Sunday, right?

Day of rest and all that, right?

So, why did an insurance seller show up? Why?
(click to embiggen)
Just waltzed right into my hallway.

More Costa Rican Wildlife

Oh, wait. The Bird is tame.

My bad.

Today In Unnecessary Signage

Jen took this picture yesterday (after I referred to a similar sign sited elsewhere near the summit) up on Irazú -- which, by the way, I erred in my conversion from meters to feet; it's actually 11,260ft above sea level.

Now, this is a volcano that is still active... the last eruption began in 1963 (which was a very good year) and lasted until 1965, so I ask you, is it really necessary to have a DANGER sign posted?

Yes, I know the sign refers to the crater itself, but... it's a freakin' volcano, which, by their very nature, are not safe places.

The Flora And Fauna Of Costa Rica

And that's just inside the apartment!