Unusual At The Very Least

Along the road I walk everyday I was in a drainage ditch where I was hoping to get a picture of a dragonfly. That has not happened yet nor did it this time. This place is old and find it interesting and it's for sale. A lot of things are for sale here.

A younger guy rode up and parked. He saw I was taking pictures and led me to the back of the house where there was water running and a small pool. There were a few larger fish and a good size crab as well.

So I was just hanging around when I saw something flying at me. It was the most unusual thing and very hard to make out as it was not small. At times you could not follow it not because it was fast either. It never landed.

Here is the video and you can get an idea of what I mean. You have to look very close and at first it's higher up and in front of the tree. There are a couple places where you can see it fairly well. I can't slow this video down but when I get home I will.

I never knew for sure where this was at. Like in the video if you can see it I could but other than that I was just watching for it. I'm going back down there. There was another fairly unusual thing that happened as well but the video did not capture like I thought it would. Glad I saw this!

I just looked at my pictures from this and got lucky and did get a picture of this and it appears to be a type of dragonfly. This is zoomed in on a bunch but you can tell.

I do not remember seeing anything quite like this before.

This Morning 3/17/13

It's been a bit lax around here I know. Caught up in life I guess and trust me it's very simple.. Every day I see something different meaning here like at the beginning of this video. I generally in the morning walk up to the top of this hill and beyond. What you see here and there's not much happening is what it's like here almost every day. I do not tire os seeing the same thing on a daily basis.

Soon I will walk the other way into town where I may get a bite to eat probably sit in the park and cool off or what have you. Eventually head back home clean up maybe have a beer cook supper watch a movie go to bed and do the same tomorrow.

Scheduled to return on the 28th but considering a week earlier like this coming Wed. The weather isn't all that great but there are some things I can do. Later. 

There's This Certain Saying

"Se monto enn la carretta" that started here in Atenas many years ago and is still used. I saw this just the other day.


Oxen are used to pull ox carts and they still do. For a long time many plied the roads hauling mostly coffee and and other goods. I've only seen one ox cart. Two with this one at a small park.

Atenas is known for it's ox carts and this is the only real cart I've seen and it's on the road to town.

Barrio Los Angeles where I stay is actually the old road into Atenas. It dead ends about a half mile away where it begins a rather steep descent to a river. Moon shining was going on in days gone past and I understand recently somebody was making some. A friend and I made it down on what is left of the road. We took machete's and if it had not been for a fire I doubt we would have been able to discern where the road was. It was on this not too long of a hike saw a sloth which was nice.

There were as many as 400 carts a day using this road. So there was some drinking going on and when some guys got too drunk to walk along side their team of oxen to direct them they got on top of the ox cart.

In present day when the local's see an inebriated person they say that phrase "se monto enn la carretta" which translates to "looks like that person is on top of the ox cart".

I think that's is soooo funny. You can go here and see some real ox carts just the way they used to be back in those days.

 

Plenty Monkey's

Things have been pretty lax around here. The internets were gone for the last two days. It seems I'm caught up in a lifestyle here that has been totally enjoyable to me.

I have had two adjustments in the last two weeks because some of the issues from before were returning. This has helped. What's interesting about that is the chiro's I'm seeing in Atenas were taught by the brother of my chiropractor who adjusts me in Denver.

Anyway we're on a down hill slide. My world is small but I walk and eat all the time. It's mah job and meat and vegetables are more than just good. I will miss these foods and the intensity of the flavors. Last week at the market the the produce was amazing.

I did see these monkey's early morning on the 5th. My pictures have not been all that good. Videos are better so I'm going there a bit more. This is the first time I've seen monkey's this close in their own environment. It was a treat.

My world is small but ever so full. Generally walk to town and probably eat somewhere and stop and pick up what I need someplace and walk home. By then it's noon or after and before ya know it it's three in and the afternoon. Time to start winding down for the day. See new birds most everyday as before going to town generally go the other way as there are nice shorter walks with overlooks that are very cool as well early in the morning.

Stuff like that friends. Yes it's a small world but it's also huge too.

A Left And A Right

A left and a right jab from Minou then work him into the corner and two more lefts just to remind Ripette the hierarchy around this place. Those are bird nests the cat is playing with at the beginning.

A Dance For The President

I thought this was real nice too.

Laura Chinchilla The President Of Costa Rica

7/30/16 Says there's supposed to be a couple pictures but there are none. Don't know where they went. Cyberspace probably.  

She came to the new school just up the road and I went to the dedication late this morning. I like this lady and so did everyone here. The kids were just great. I'm glad I got to see this.

I will have some things later but wanted to put this up because it just happened and I get a kick outta stuff like this.

This is a picture blog and it needs to be said the pictures I took today were not very good at all and the video not much better. This was two of the better ones.

So it was a good day in Atenas for this guy!

Colors In The Neighborhood

These are pictures of flowers. Probably could be from anywhere but they're from here. At the bottom is a picture of a cactus I walk past.

Don't have a clue what these are and the third may be a weed. I find them fun to look at.

 This is a vanilla plant.

Tried It Again

It's ma job to get out and about on a regular basis and I guess to eat. I walked to town and just had to try ceviche again with shrimp. It was even better.

There was like a people fair across the street in the park where there were vendors of many sorts mostly crafts. This is out of focus.

Purses plenty.

All colorful and possibly these mushrooms bring back real memories of times gone by for this artist. 

There was music. Not bad with tunes from the states.

Click on this one as there is much going on here all over the place.

Very seldom can you get clear shots when you want to.

When the band started with Deep Purple's "Machine Head" I headed for home stopping for a bit of ice cream.

Just liked this one. It's pretty out.

Some Food And Drink

Have been eating out a bit and just plain eating more than usual. My cooking facilities are such that I'm a bit limited and I have been enjoying a bunch what I've had.

Prices aren't necessarily low with these but you can eat inexpensively. Below is a casado a local dish that can be had everywhere you go. Paid a bit more because I wanted the fish. It was like $6.30. Rice and beans,potatoes,fish on a thick corn tortilla. The vegetables had more flavor than I can remember -really and I'm not that fond of carrots. This was very good.     

This was even better. Makes me hungry just looking at it. It's called cevichi. Fish/seafood marinated with lime or other juices and combined with other seasoning ingredients. It's really good and it's shrimp next time.  This filling portion cost 1800 or $3.60.

The drink is special as well and is called cas. A bit pricey maybe at 900 or a $1.80 but worth everybit of it. Have had a couple other local fruit drinks that are just as good.

A few example items and needs to be said that I'm not shopping for the best price all the time but for convenience too as I carry my food home most of the time from the main part of Atenas. So I go to the store/market a lot.

To give you an idea -
eggs - were about $1.15
brewski's - about $1.25
mandarin's - .10
plantain - .45
milk - $1 and a few penny's
beef marinated comes in at $3.70lb.   

I had this yesterday - it was soooo good. It's fish on a bed of rice with a salad all with seasonings unfamiliar to me. There was nothing left on the plate and almost wanted to lick it. This came in at 3500 or $7. Will be going back again.

There will a post/posts coming on my finding of what meat tastes like here compared to in the states. This was something I was curious about and important in the sense of what we eat as a country. I'll just say now that what I have had so far is better than what I was eating back home. It really is and that does not include beef at this time as have not eaten much. Other food stuffs is a different story and what's left is to determine in what ways and just how much better it is.

This Morning

We went on a hike from the house to this waterfall. I've seen some but nothing really stands out. It was not easy to get to and what was left of the trail was hard to see.

So this was a new one to me and I'm glad I got to see this. It is the dry season so there's not much volume. Saw some toucan's and a few different insects.

I have a feeling Brooke got a helicopter ride down here when they filmed the "Blue Lagoon".

A Few Local Critters

I actually thought there would be more opportunities for some types of pictures here. I know there it's just that they've not come my way. It is the dry season and it is dry. I have seen one species of toucan's once. Fleeting glimpses of a gecko. These sound like a bird at night. The ones I've been around made no noise. Butterfly's and dragonfly's have not even given me a chance to turn the camera on.

Fleeting glimpses of small lizards. Did see that huge garrobo and the little one here at the place. The only reason I got these two pictures is that this bird allows you to get fairly close like 20'. Other than that my camera has a tough time. This is the same bird in both pictures. In most light conditions it is very intense blue.

The local type of land snail.

This is a termite nest and there are a few around. They are built in trees but not far from the ground. The termites are small maybe a 1/4" long or so.

One of the resident kitty's hopefully laying in wait.

Some pretty intense color here and he was easy to see. Not quite a 1/2" long.

There are leaf cutter ants not far away. Something new to me and I find it interesting to see little pieces of green moving along the ground from say 10-15' away.

You need to stop and begin observing the ground. Eventually you will see one and then you bedin to see more and more.

I've taken a number of pictures over two days. This is the best of the bunch. It was the very first one. The rest are throw aways.  

Out And About

Caught a ride to the other side of Atenas and had a very pleasant walk back home. It's ma job ya know. This picture was at a small resort where a new acquaintance and neighbor occasionally works. What a view and you can see the same even if you're in the pool.

Piggies the likes I've never seen before.

The same goes for the cemetery. The road past this leads directly to the church.

This vehicle is deceivingly small and there are many smaller cars and trucks made by the same company's we all know. We need vehicle's like this in the States but we'll never get them. The reasons against them in my opinion are not good enough.

There are the well known brands of motorcycles here and like cars and trucks much more expensive than in the States. These are Chinese made and I believe cost less than a $1000. I understand too there may be issues with parts. Stateside there are guvmint regulations that make manufacturers supply parts as part of doing business there.

Big smiles from these two young caballero's.

I had a very good meal here for $5. Haven't been back but am going. There are many places to get some real decent food.

Back home and this little guy had met up with a window and was out like I was in San Isidro but recovered after quite awhile and flew off just after I took this.

A couple flower pictures.

Not at all a good picture. My camera is not capable of getting decent shots of let's say birds. Maybe later a better one as these birds allow you to get close. Not this time though.