It's the last day of September! WOW! It's hard to believe we're 3/4 through 2012. Looking back, it's been quite an eventful year so far. Lots of changes, lots of new beginnings: not only for Kevin and me, but also for Phoenix and Jude. Change is good, it keeps us alert, opens us to learning new things and forces us to stretch and ultimately grow. It's not always easy though, change also brings a certain amount of fear and discomfort. But, as Jude wisely reminded me before we left "you won't regret doing it, mum, even if you hate it and come back after a year... but you'll regret not doing it." So true. I remember watching 'The Long Way Round' with Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman where they ride their motorcycles the circumference of the world from England, through eastern European countries, Russia, Mongolia, across to Alaska, tthrough some Canadian provinces, then down to New York. They had some brutal moments: riding through countries that had no roads whatsoever; getting stuck in deep mud with heavy bikes to dig out; being away from their young families for 3 months, sometimes without any connection to them. They also had some amazing moments: meeting kind people along the way who gave them shelter; who shared their food at the end of a tiring day; who helped them cross uncrossable rivers. They documented their despair as well as their triumphs. At the end of the film, Ewan McGregor talks about how the experience left a lasting impression. On looking back, it was the hard moments, the ones he, at the time, thought he would never recover from, those were the moments he wanted to go back to. Those were the moments he missed most, because they were the moments he actually did overcome and felt alive. And he also remembered that the people who seemed to have the least were the ones who gave the most. It always seems to be the little things people do for each other that is most meaningful. A great lesson in humility. A few years later, they did another trip together through Africa. I cannot say our experience has been wrought with despair and hardship, it hasn't in the least. We've been incredibly blessed so far; however, we're not immune to feeling vulnerable. Worry and homesickness do creep in (I can't begin to tell you how much I'm looking forward to Skyping my kids!!) Writing has been a wonderful pass time for me and has helped me feel more connected to our experiences here, more connected to our surroundings, but also more connected to those who are reading this blog. I'd like to thank our family members and all our friends for being so supportive in our endeavour to start this new life, so many miles away (it really is quite an adventure, far from the middle-class lifestyle we've both been used to). We do miss you all a great deal (that, right there, is the hardest part for us — without a doubt!). And to our new friends, those we don't know yet, but have stumbled upon my blog, thanks for following along, too! Our little B&B will not be the 5-star hotel some people are accustomed to. It will be simple with rustic charm and we hope all our guests will walk away with a lasting impression of all the natural beauty and what 'getting back to basics' affords the body, mind and spirit.
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When we got home from our big shop, it was pouring outside. Big surprise! (I'm not known for my sarcasm, but sometimes it slips out, sorry). We were tired, so after we put everything away, Kevin built a roaring fire to take the edge off the chill in the air, we had some bagels with cream cheese for dinner, and settled in for the night. Kevin played his soccer game on his laptop while I watched Season 7 of Weeds on mine. At about 8:30 pm, there was an odd rumble, not quite a shake, and it only lasted a second or two. We both looked up at each other, wondering what it was. Kevin speculated that it might have been a tiny, little earthquake. I think it was probably a branch falling on the roof. Our roof is made of corrugated metal so anything that falls on it would most likely reverberate a little. Maybe? Well, whatever it was, we weren't too concerned about it because we promptly turned back to our laptops.
We were meeting Rolando and Maritza today because they wanted to show us the Price Smart (Costco cousin) in San Jose. Kevin figured it would be a good idea to know where it is and check out what they have. We left our SUV at Rolando's and we piled into his truck. The drive up to San Jose took about an hour and a half. Once we got there, Rolando took us straight to the customer service desk to become members ($35). Then we split up and started to shop. I'm sure I've said this before, and I'm sure I'll bore you all and say it many more times, but Kevin loves to shop while I absolutely hate it. Kevin was in heaven! He was comparing prices and reading all the labels to see which was the best deal, while I tried not to have a panic attack (the Christmas stuff took up a whole aisle – in SEPTEMBER! that'll teach me to step into a Costco-esque store). Some things are more expensive than back home, but a lot of things are either similarly priced or cheaper — as Kevin deduced from his research. They have a decent selection (we're talking Costa Rica folks, it ain't Shan-grila). We purchased laundry detergent, toilet paper, paper towels and wooden clothes pegs (okay, I admit I felt my heart skip a few beats with glee...the plastic pegs we have are pretty useless and we've not been able to find wooden ones in the smaller stores near Rio Blanco). We also splurged and bought some old sharp cheddar cheese (impossible to find as Costa Ricans prefer mild, tasteless white cheese. Our neighbour, Roberto, makes lovely cheese, but not cheddar), bacon, as well as cream cheese and bagels. We didn't go crazy, mostly just stocked up on necessities (what do you mean bacon is not a necessity?) Hopefully, we won't have to do another big shop like that for quite awhile! I prefer buying what we need as and when we need it. That's just the way I'm wired. Having said that, I'm grateful to Kevin for trying to save us money. It's hard to find fault with such intentions.
Earlier this morning, before the cow herd incident, Kevin went down to open the gate to the ponds to allow fresh river water through the aqueduct system, as per his daily routine. Trout need cold, oxygenated water to grow healthily. If the water is too warm, they die. If the water is too stagnant, they die. If the water is too dirty, they die. So, this time of year, with the sediment flushing through from the heavy rain, it's a delicate balance between all three. Kevin has it almost down to a science now. Since writing about the two dead fish, we've not had any more casualties. And we've noticed the survivors have gotten bigger in the last three weeks. They will be ready to catch and eat come January. While Kevin was down at the far end of the property, he saw a mysterious creature. He said it was the size of a raccoon with a pointy nose, jet black, very agile with a long monkey tail. This creature jumped from the ground to the aqueduct wall then up the forest hillside with ease. Kevin described it to Rolando, but Rolando has no idea what it could be. It didn't sound like anything he's come across or seen in books. Kevin is convinced it wasn't a big cat, and monkeys don't live this far up the mountain range, so we'll keep our eyes peeled and carry our camera in case it comes back. Kevin may have discovered a brand new species... it is Costa Rica, afterall :)
We were meeting Rolando and his wife Maritza in Santa Maria this morning (the couple we met at Albarito's birthday party two weeks ago), and as we reached the top of our driveway, we were greeted by 6 cows, all standing on the other side of the wooden gate. We had been told to make sure to keep our gate closed because, on occasion, cows roam and find their way onto the property. Every time we leave, I get out of the SUV, open the gate, Kevin drives through and I close it. And again upon our return (and, can I just say it's usually raining!) We've never seen roaming cows in our area, so I was beginning to think this was a tedious exercise — why bother. Yesterday, I left the gate open for about an hour after coming back from school because I knew we would be going straight out again. Well, this morning, I realized cows not only roam, they sometimes do roam near our place! I guess I won't be so cavalier and will dutifully continue with the gate-closing chore. Anyway, I got out, and literally 'shooed' them away, waving my arms in the air like a lunatic. I don't know, what does one do to get cows moving? I'm a suburban girl, this particular situation has never cropped up before. And although docile and quite lovely, cows are friggin' big and they have horns, too!! As I approached the gate, they started to back away and scatter down the hill. They left a few parting gifts, which I was very careful not to step in. God bless country living.
To everyone who is reading my blog... THANK YOU!!! I continue to be motivated to write knowing people are enjoying reading it. However, for those who have commented, I apologize for not being able to reply. I'm not sure why, but the reply button doesn't work. Once we have internet at home and we can spend some time troubleshooting, I hope we will be able to fix the problem. Until then, please know that I appreciate all comments!
* Since writing this post, we upgraded the website and we were unable to upload the comments. What a shame! I'm not sure why, but this morning was chillier than usual. Usually by 7 am the sun shines over the trees and it doesn't take long for us to warm up. As soon as we do any kind of physical activity, the circulation is flowing and we feel good. This morning, however, it was overcast for the first few hours. I went to school and I just couldn't shake off the chill in my bones. My throat was starting to feel a little scratchy, too. I stayed the usual two hours, but had a hard time concentrating on my school work. I was looking up words from the fable 'The boy who cried wolf'. I know the story in English so I understood the context, but there were Spanish words I just didn't know, so I looked them up in my handy-dandy dictionary. I have to admit, my heart just wasn't in it today. All I kept thinking was 'my feet are freezing'. I know, who would have thought the word 'freezing' could be used in beautiful Costa Rica (just leave it to me!) I couldn't wait to leave. As soon as I got home, I took a really hot bath and soaked for awhile. My body temperature raised to a comfortable level; I wasn't shivering anymore. I felt much better. I then got dressed and decided to go check on my garden and water the little pots in the greenhouse. By this time, the clouds had dispersed and the sun was beating down on me... I was so hot I had to remove my fleece jacket... go figure! I just couldn't win this morning! Then, at 11:30, I picked the English teacher, Catalina, at the school and drove her to Copey. It's a pleasure to drive her down as it makes me feel useful and she's so nice to talk to, and, yes, it also gives me the opportunity to get online.
We received a lovely phone call from Kevin's mum, wishing us Happy Anniversary. So nice to hear from her! The phone line sounded better than it's ever sounded, so I'm wondering if the ICE guys fixed something while they were here. Or maybe it's just a fluke, but a clear line is always nice. Sometimes, it crackles badly, which makes for a lousy conversation, having to ask people to repeat themselves. I thought it was our phone, but perhaps a new phone line will solve the bad reception.
The ICE technicians came by and only spoke Spanish. I understood most of what they were saying, which surprised even me. They came in, checked our phone line and after 15 minutes came to the conclusion that the distance of our house from the hub in Copey is not an issue. That is FANTASTIC news!! However, our phone line has deteriorated badly and needs replacing, so they have to come back sometime next week. So, the good news is high-speed internet coming right to our house is possible, the bad news is we have to wait a little while longer. We will gladly wait if it means being able to sit in the privacy of our own home to get online. And hopefully, the high speed version here will be high speed enough to Skype!! To see my kids' faces and have a nice conversation with them is what I long for most.
Isabel came by early this morning to help me prepare the garden. The sun was out and quite hot. Isabel told me that it's still too wet to plant most things, but apparently radishes and carrots are hardy enough that they should survive any downpour. So we removed the plastic sheets that were protecting the soil and preventing too many weeds from growing while the previous owners were not around. It seems to have done the trick. The soil was pretty clean. Then we mixed in some compost, sand and lime. Then we made indentations with our finger in the dirt and dropped the seeds in the groove and covered them with earth again. Then, Isabel showed me how to start seedlings in little containers in the greenhouse. We planted broccoli, lettuce and a few flowers, too. I thoroughly enjoyed my first real day of playing in the dirt. My hands were filthy and everything was muddy, but I loved every minute of it. I'm really, really bad at remembering names of flowers and what herbs look like. I'm quite confident that I will be plucking out beautiful plants while leaving the weeds to grow. Calling myself a novice is even generous. I'm a bit embarrassed how little I know about such things. I'm hoping that if I plant a seed and it grows, I'll be so excited that I might be able to remember its name. My parents have had many gardens over the years, and they've got green thumbs and Kevin's parents have always had a very large garden in their backyard and they tend to it with great care daily. I think they would all be appalled at my ignorance when it comes to gardening. Isabel assures me it's all trial and error, and that I shouldn't be worried about failing. I will fail, I will succeed and I will learn a whole lot in between. This is a whole different classroom for me. I am paying attention though. I'm beginning to understand and appreciate the meaning of Thanksgiving... after you've harvested a good crop and are able to feed your family and friends, how wonderful that must feel, since nature is so very tricky and nothing is certain. We're learning not to take anything for granted, that's for sure. It started to rain early today, about 11:30 am, so we put the shovels away and cleaned up. Isabel left shortly after.
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