Rain, Rain, Rain

Running toward Llanos de Cortes waterfall

So, not even a week in and I did not follow through on my (own, self-imposed) plan for the daily blogging. Ah, well. I have a pretty healthy sense of when and where our energy and time is best spent and over the past few days, it wasn't composing blog posts. We weren't even particularly busy or without internet. We just needed a break from writing about the shells we're finding, the shelves we're sawing, the shinguards we're missing...

Sam, pasting the turtle (that, yes, now has a touch of mildew)

It has been raining. A LOT. It often begins in the late afternoon and continues pouring down until early the next morning. A LOT. Today though, there was not a drop until just now. The rain feels (warm and delicious on the skin) and sounds (drumming on our metal roof) incredible and the thunderstorms have been spectacular. It does mean that everything is either soaked or damp, at best. Pages of books curl up, cool insects come out. The 'green season' is short in Nosara and it seems like this house was designed with ignoring the season all together. Water creeps in and collects. Dan is on top of making some structural adjustments. I am on top of trying not to panic about mildew and mold and wiping dry all surfaces all the time. The kids are on top of making sure we get to the beach every day, no matter how many drops are falling.

Maeve, working on a cursive postcard for a friend.

It is our first Thanksgiving in ages without tofurkey, without leaves painted golden, and most importantly, without family. We miss all of them. But, we're feeling very grateful for the incredible array of life surrounding us in the deep jungle and smallest tidepool, the enormous waves to be brave through, the challenge of learning a new language, the magic of a waterfall, the crabs to cartwheel around, the privilege of escorting sea turtle hatchlings, the world wide web that helps us dig deeper and learn more about the things we're finding  AND stay connected to those we love, the simple pleasure of warm apple strudel and vanilla ice cream at a roadside 'soda.' I'm feeling thankful for each of us having great projects we're working on with a sense of humour and patience, upcoming visits from family and friends, and getting to share beautiful things with my beautiful family every day. If you've tips for making sure that mold does not grow on those beautiful things, let me know.

Not exactly sure what this is, but those are Sam's toes and I think Dan is on the roof of the main part of the house, fixing something and Sam is on the steps leading to the tower, documenting.