Feeling So Many Things by Sam

Experiencing an arribada and seeing the hatchlings make their way to the sea triggers a lot of emotions for me. (By the way, an arribada is when hundreds, sometimes even thousands of sea turtles come together at one time to nest at the same small stretch of beach.)

I am amazed at how many turtles arrive at Ostional at the same time, back to the same beach and figure out when is the best time to come ashore (with the help of the moon.)  It's incredible to see. When we arrived early in the morning, we were surprised to see one right up at the palm trees, even before we got to the beach. We ventured to the beach and saw hundreds of humps in the sand. It turned out to be sea turtles. You could make out the trails and tracks they make as they go up from and back to the sea. They make an interesting pattern in the sand with their flippers that looked like a boat with wide wheels on either side of it. On that morning, there were hundreds of hatchlings trying to make it to the sea. We have to be very careful where we walk to make sure we don't step on them because they're so small and they blend in with the sand. The amazement too is because some of these same hatchlings will grow into adults and return to this very same beach to nest.

(PS Did you know that temperature determines whether or not the hatchling will come out of the egg a male or female and climate change is a problem for them partly because now more females are being born than males.)

We were able to see firsthand how only 1 out of every 100 hatchlings will survive until adulthood and this makes me feel very sad. (This video is a great one to watch.) Some of the reasons that the hatchlings won't make it are predators (we saw herons, vultures, even crabs scuttling and hopping away with them, sometimes tearing off the head,) on the beach and in the ocean (big fish and sea birds) as well as plastic and other marine debris (they often think plastic bags are jellyfish). They also get caught in fishing nets and lines and they're losing their nesting grounds due to development. One thing that is not sad is that Ostional is a protected wildlife reserve and the community works hard to protect them.

The hardest thing about watching an arribada during the first day is watching the villagers take the eggs. Ostional beach is the only turtle nesting ground in the world that allows for legal turtle harvesting during the first 36 hours of the arribada. Scientists have determined (at least some of them) that a partial harvest is okay because the first wave of nests are destroyed when more turtles come up to dig their nests. There is a problem with poaching in other parts of Costa Rica and the world and they think if they allow a little harvesting (which is actually about a million eggs) then it will make the temptation for poaching not be there. Eggs are valuable and this helps the community bring in needed money in exchange for protecting the nests and turtles. Not everyone agrees with this policy and it is very controversial. I plan to look into it further. Right now it makes me feel very angry and confused and sad.

Watching the sea turtles struggling to get out of their nest makes my head filled with wonder. My final feeling is proudness that I protected some of the hatchlings from beach predators and made sure they made it to the sea. That makes me feel amazing.

Reasons Why Zaylie (and other friends and family) Should Still Visit us in Costa Rica (despite the snakes and scorpions)

by Sam and Maeve

1. There are no jellyfish in the ocean that is only 5 minutes away.
2. There are monkeys (very friendly) chattering outside our windows every day and coatis (very friendly) squeaking around the yard.
3. There are colourful birds (parakeets, trogons, magpie jays, hummingbirds) flying everywhere.
4. There are the most delicious pineapples and mangoes you've ever tasted.
5. There are the most amazing waves to jump in. And we have a bodyboard and you have to try it! 
6. You can canyon down a waterfall just past our front yard.
7. We can ride horses on the beach together.
8. We could go on a sloth hunt in the cloudforest together.
9. At dusk, bats and dragonflies put on a daily acrobatic show while we watch from the deck.
10. You can splash in our mini pool every day and read in the hammocks at the top of the tower.
11. There is a friendly cat at the Beach Dog Cafe (and no evidence of street cats so it's not too sad.)
12. We really want to do a Wild Cats of Costa Rica project with you.We could research them all and go tracking them and maybe make a poster map of them (and make copies of them to sell and give the money to sanctuaries!!!)
13. We can make beach art together and take pictures of it to put in a book.
14. You can have beans and rice for breakfast every day.
15. One of the largest nesting grounds of Olive Ridley Sea turtles is just 20 minutes away and seeing it is one of the most spectacular wildlife experiences that could ever be had!

Crotalus Durissus

Sometimes, the highlight of the day happens while the sun is still tucked in. Yesterday was one of those days. We were able to drive through both rivers and make our way to Ostional in time for the arribada. The volcanic sand of the beach was covered in hundreds of olive ridley sea turtles, hauling their bodies up the beach (leaving tractor like tracks), digging their deep nests, silently laying their eggs (70-100 eggs per nest), flinging the sand through the air as they covered the nests, and then hauling themselves back to the sea. We were awestruck. Eggs that had been laid in August were now cracking open and hundreds of hatchling turtles were emerging from nests, also trying to get to the sea. Again, we were awestruck. The kids will have more to add and I think will share that it was remarkable, but also difficult (we saw many hatchlings that didn't make it, for various reasons) and complicated (there were hundreds of community members there, harvesting eggs.) A lot of our photos were disappointing as there was little light and it was raining. Today though, we saw this gorgeous photo, from a Costa Rican finalist for the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. We took this video of some hatchlings emerging from a nest.

Sometimes, the highlights (or at least memorable moments) just keep happening all day. Dan dropped us off at the beach early this morning so we could explore the tide pools at low tide. On his way back up the hill, the car broke down - a hole in the radiator (perhaps grown larger when we drove through the rivers yesterday?) So, he got the car to the mechanic, ran back to the beach to let us know, and then ran home (4km or so, mostly up hill.) When he got home, he discovered a coati in the kitchen. It was sitting on the counter, eating our pineapple, having already dug into the rice bag and checked out what was in the compost.

We lingered at the beach as planned until lunch time. As we were packing things up, we realized that our shoes were in the car. So, we walked back home (3 km or so, mostly up hill) barefoot over gravel and rocks and mud. Two things made this okay - we have kids who complain over little things but seem to manage bigger challenges like this just fine AND we met a woman named Monica who kindly let us jump in the back of her pick-up as she drove us partway. We made chocolate chip pancakes for lunch, with no pineapple.

The afternoon was quieter (reading on the hammocks, talking to my brother(!), working on our turtle book) until Dan came in from the shed to ask Sam for help with identification of a species. The species hanging out in the shed was a crotalus durissus, aka a tropical rattlesnake, aka a venomous pit viper, aka maybe I want to go home now. Okay, maybe I'm not ready to go home, but unlike the rest of my family (who thought it was pretty cool - even when Hubert who was working on our roof raced to his car for a shovel which he promptly used as a lethal weapon) I was shaken. I think living here will make me a more cautious, light stepping, shed avoiding person.

Finally, at dinner, (all the bits and pieces left in the fridge made into a sauce for pasta - as we had no car to get the groceries with, as planned) we solved a mystery! Remember the photo from a few days ago, the one showing what we were calling fungus butts? Well, one dropped on to Dan's fork, just as he was about to place it in his mouth. We looked up and saw a gecko directly above. Yep, turns out is gecko poop. Some people have cat or dog hair to sweep up, we have gecko poop.

Boy, 10, Assaulted by Scorpion

by Dan Rheault (staff reporter)

A Canadian boy was assaulted in his family's automobile by a scorpion Sunday near Nosara, Costa Rica.  Fortunately, he sustained no serious injuries.  However, his family suffered some temporary hearing loss.

The scorpion was either hiding in the car, or in the swimming suit Sam Brown had just donned for his upcoming beach visit.  While driving down the steep hill from their house, the scorpion emerged through Sam's waistband.  It is not clear if it stung him or just nipped him a bit on the thumb.

The car came to a sudden halt, and everybody calmed down.  While Sam and his mom and sister walked down the road to see a monkey troop, Sam's dad removed everything from the car in an attempt to locate the unpleasant creature.  It was spotted under a damp disused CD booklet under a seat, but when prodded it scampered away and disappeared.

The location of the scorpion is presently unknown.  Anyone with information on its whereabouts is encouraged to contact their local scorpion control department.

Scorpions remain the one exception to Sam's no-kill policy for all living things in the world.

The type of scorpion, estimated by Dad's sighting.

The type of scorpion, estimated by sound volume in the car.

A Walk In The Woods (by Sam)

This morning, I took Mom on a canyoning trip through the forest in front of our house. I knew the path because I had done it already last weekend with Dad. Some of the things you need for this hike are long pants, a t-shirt, boots or waterproof shoes with good treads, and not minding getting wet and dirty. Clippers or a machete are also useful. We didn't take the camera because it would have been tossed around a lot and probably would have gotten dirty. We didn't take Maeve because she was worried about the spiders strung across the path. She was right to be worried. We must have counted at least 60 different ones and all different sizes.

It's a really challenging walk. In some places, you have to get down, scooch along on your bum, risk landslides or falling into the rocky deep river, and scramble down waterfalls that are taller than you. At one point, Mom had to go up into the forest to get around a tough section of the river. When she had her body pressed against the ground, she found herself inches away from a tarantula hole!!!! At least we think that is what it was. Luckily, none appeared.

We saw lots of beautiful spots along the hike. One of the first ones we came to was where two streams converge to make one big one with the sunlight filtering through the trees overhead. Vines hang down that look like they'd be perfect for swinging from tree to tree. I didn't try it because I didn't want to risk falling into the river. Another beautiful thing was where the sun shone through the trees illuminating a perfectly woven spider web. Right in the middle, was a beautiful Golden Orb Weaver spider. That was when I wished I had the camera.

The end of our hike was really amazing. The creek ended right by Coconut Harry's Surf Shop and School in a clearing with vines everywhere. The vines felt very rubbery and when I shook it a little, the vibrations sent the leaves above trembling. We were walking back toward the house on the dirt road and Maeve and Dad stopped to pick us up. The real highlight of the trip was seeing a large Green Iguana right as we were turning on to our road. We could get really close to it. It had a thing hanging down from its neck that looked like a turkey's flip-flop thing (patch of loose skin.) When we got too close, it scampered off into the woods. When it ran, it looked like it was running fast on its two back legs alone. It had spines all along the body, even the head and the tail had dark black bands. I again wish I'd had my camera!! This picture I found online looks like the one we saw.

This walk was one of the most awesome I've had and I recommend it to people who are looking for a very challenging, adventurous hike. We won't be using it as a regular way to get to the beach, I'm sure, as it's a loooooong way back up. But, it'll be fun once in awhile. And, I really liked being Mom's guide.

Snippets with Snapshots

It's still raining a fair bit. Maeve wrapped herself in her giraffe scarf to protect herself from the elements. I like how it looks like the giraffe is eating her hair. One of the horses did take a bit of her hair at their first lesson this week.

These guys have been in the trees outside the kids' bedroom window each morning this week. Many of you will have read the report released earlier this month announcing that the global wildlife population is down by half since the 1970. I hope that the experience this year of living this close to so much of this fragile, incredible wildlife this will deepen our family's commitment to protecting it.

This shot was taken by Sam at a cafe in Nosara. I'm not sure if her annoyed expression has more to do with the bird trying to eat her sandwich or Sam having just corrected her on what kind of bird it is.

On our way to pick out a hammock (or two!), this guy jumped into the back of the pick-up just ahead of us. What is he carrying on his back? Some sort of spray... Regardless, I was pleased with the primary colours. I'm thinking of doing a photo series called "Through the Windshield" and it would be just that - photos taken of weird/normal/interesting things as seen through the windshield while driving somewhere. Anyone want to join me?

As the kids and Dan jumped in the waves, I walked along the beach. So, so many little bits of riotously coloured beauty.

Any ideas on what this could be? They're about the size of a house fly and squishy and about 20 of them appear through the house each day. Our best guess is a dead insect.We affectionately call them Fungus Butts. But even these are prettier than what we came home to last night. I'd left dinner on a stove, in a pot. When I removed the lid to stir things through, a thousand tiny ants crawled out. AND we left the papier mache turtle out in the sun to dry and the coatis thought it tasted pretty good, taking big chunks out of it.

Then, as we remade dinner, we were chased around by this guy who I think was mocking us.

We grouped and made amazing fresh tortillas. Dan patiently rolled out each one with a wine bottle. Since arriving in Costa Rica, I have been enormously hungry all the time. I suspect I will be making a lot of these.

This was our sunset (before the storm currently shaking the house set in.)

Best of all, the first mangoes of the season have ripened!!

Maeve's dessert of tortillas, cream cheese and mango. And a grin.

EARTHQUAKE!! by Sam

Last night, just after Mom and Dad had gone to sleep, they were woken up by an earthquake. Don't worry, there was no damage, just house trembling like a big, big truck was rolling by. We looked it up this morning and it was centered off the coast of Nicaragua and close to El Salvador. It was 7.4 on the Richter scale (it was 4.5 on the scale in San Jose, the capital.) They issued a tsunami warning, even for our area, but it has passed now.

Maeve likes to say that earthquakes are the earth being hungry and its belly is rumbling. Actually, they are the tectonic plates of the earth shifting.

Earthquakes happen often in Costa Rica because it sits on 3 large tectonic plates just off the Pacific Coast. There were 79 earthquakes (but only one really big one) in the past year! I'm definitely not worried about any of it. It's just part of the adventure!

Media Naranja

Sam took this photo of a mobile made from shells and marine debris.

Generally, we've adapted to the Tico style of rising early, around 4:30 on turtle days, but before 6 on other days and then going to bed early, often just after 9pm. This means you get an enormous amount of things done (or at least lots of things begun) and discover it's only noon. It's very satisfying. The whole day seems to stretch more kindly this way. Two things threaten to throw this all off though. 1) We've family (yay!!) arriving in a few weeks, followed by friends (yay!) and I anticipate later evenings sharing rum and stories. 2) Three of the books I've been waiting for at the library have just arrived in my inbox and I do like a good bedtime chapter or six.

Inspired by these, Maeve used her shell as a horn and sketched this.

This evening, after dinner, I walked into the kids' room as they were standing (in underwear only, which is the norm for them here - and also in Canada I suppose), right hands raised, reciting the Tide Pool Pledge to one another (touch gently, be safe, leave every animal etc.) So, our parental work is done, right? Oh, well, they did dissolve quite quickly into arguing over who stepped on whose bed with whose dirty feet. So, we'll continue.

In case you thought the monkeys and turtles got all the attention, even a worm gets carefully examined. I love how they are still eager to watch and then look things up in the field guides to identify what they've found.

From our Spanish teacher, I learned two things of note the other day. One is that when Costa Ricans can't participate in something because they don't have the money, they say instead that they don't have the time. She explained that it's just more eloquent that way. Also, your significant other is often called your 'media naranja' or "the other half of your orange." Obviously, this is how I will refer to Dan from now on. Our Spanish learning continues to be slow, mostly because we are not diligent enough to practice at home or fluent enough to speak with those around us. Plus, though our teacher is good, she's also interesting and I find myself, in class, wondering about her and wanting to ask about her story (she used to be an archaeologist here and in Egypt, she's left all of her family in San Jose etc.), rather than listen about verb conjugation.

Did You Know... (by Sam)

... these things about Costa Rica?

• A town cannot legally qualify as a political district without a futbol (soccer) field! 
• When Costa Rica reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup in 1990, the president declared a national holiday. They really love futbol here. It's fun to play it on the beach too!
• Costa Rica has no army.  It was canceled almost 66 years ago I like that there are no people standing or driving around with huge guns in the city or countryside (like there were at the bookstore in Denver and all through many places in Central America.) The money that used to be spent on military now goes to education, culture, and health.
• Costa Rica is the happiest country on earth according to the New Economics Foundation which measures how people are doing and feeling and their ecological footprint.
• Costa Rica is home to 10% of the world's species, even though the land takes up only .03% of the earth.
• There are two islands shaped like turtles at the southeast tip of the Nicoya Peninsula. I'd love to see them. I think it's really cool and appropriate with how many turtles nest here.
• Costa Ricans have protected and preserved about 25% or 1/4 of their land in national parks or biological reserves.
• Costa Ricans call themselves "Ticos" (males) or "Ticas" (females.)
• Costa Ricans generally don't hug anyone who is not family or a very, very close friend. This suits me.
• There are no addresses in Costa Rica. Really, none. Instead you find stores, restaurants, other people's houses etc. by saying things like, "Go 100 metres up the first dirt road past the soccer field, turn right and it's the second blue house on the left."
• Costa Rica has 2-40 earthquakes per month and has 121 volcanoes (7 are active)!

A Howler staring down at me this afternoon. I like how I sort of framed him with the leaves.

Also, I am taking a photography course and learning new things about composition and perspective. I definitely still prefer to take photos of wildlife! I'm posting some of them on National Geographic's My Shot which is fun because people give feedback on your photos and you can comment on other kids ones. Tomorrow, I might get some good shots of the tide pools. I'm going to wear the snorkel and see what it's like from under the water.  

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.

Close Wildlife Encounters in Just One Morning Without Leaving Our House by Maeve.

This morning I woke up and heard a hooting sound that sounded like it was in my room. I opened my eyes to find the noise was a couple of monkeys in the treetops outside the window! I sat up and noticed that they were not all howler monkeys like we usually see. Some were spider monkeys! I called Sam and Mom and Dad and we took some photos and videos. I named this baby monkey Cuckoo. It was hard to take clear pictures because there are so many leaves in the tree and the monkeys were moving around a lot.

When we were looking at the monkeys, I saw an unusual hummingbird fly past. I looked in our field guide and I found out it was a Purple throated Mountain Gem. I named it Gem! It’s bright green and tips of the feathers are a little grey and it has a blue tail and a purple throat and there is a white stripe around its eye. It was one of the most beautiful birds I have ever seen.

One tree in our front yard is home to a variegated squirrel that when we first saw it when we arrived here we thought was a monkey. But it turned out it is red belly squirrel with a gray stripe down its back and tail. This squirrel seems to be alone and I like to watch it climb. It’s a good climber. I named it Pepper. Today, sharing the tree was this iguana. Isn't it awesome?!

After breakfast, I was about to go brush my teeth and I saw what I thought was a leaf stuck on the window been blown inside by the window. When I looked closer I saw it had a body and a head. If it was autumn (in Canada, not here) then I think it would have camouflaged perfectly with the tree because it was orange-ish, yellow-ish.

In the past few days and this morning Apricot Sulphur butterflies have been so popular fluttering around everywhere around our house. There have been at least 100.

A couple hours later Sam and I took out the compost and when we came back in we went on the deck and saw lots of coatis eating it and there was a baby! And it looked right at me! I named it Popo! They climbed the trees when they were all done with their snack.

Overhead, just before lunch, we saw a Roseate Spoonbill. I think it was on its way to the beach to scoop around for fish and crabs with its really cool spoon shaped bill. It was bright pink and at first I thought it was a flamingo. I wish I got a picture.

Oh, and there were plenty of ants as usual. Dad says we just have to accept them as part of our home and be happy they don’t really bother us. Mama is not so happy with that idea, especially when she found them in the cereal this morning.

"What The?" Wednesday: Coati (by both Sam and Maeve)

White-nosed Coatis are members of the raccoon family, or the procyonids. They live in Central and South America. They also live in our yard! They are sooo cute! Especially the baby ones. One of them came right up to us today, about 2 feet away. They're very curious but a little bit cautious at the same time. All of these pictures were taken by me (Sam) in our yard! They usually come by the house twice a day, in a pretty large group. We've also seen them up the road by the garbage cans (see, they are definitely part of the raccoon family.)

Things to Know About Coatis:

• The common name of this an animal, coati, comes from the native Tupian Indian words cua and tim.  Cua means ‘belt’ and tim means ‘nose.’The coati likes to sleep with its nose tucked into its belly. Its scientific name, Nasua, comes from the Latin word for nose. The coati has a long, flexible nose.
• They are 45-70 cm long and weigh 4-5 kg (or 9-11 lbs.)
• The sound they make is sort of like a squeak and they they do it all the time to stay in touch withe each other.
• Once they're pregnant, it takes 75 days before the babies arrive (this is called the gestation period.) They can have up to 5 cubs in one litter. The babies are born in nests made in trees.
• White-nosed coatis have strong, banded tails (which they use for balance and hold up in the air when they walk just like a cat), a long pointed nose and a reddish-brown coat.
• Racoons are usually nocturnal but coatis are diurnal (active during the day.) The are very social (except the males) and are often seen in small groups of 4-5 females and their young.
• They are good tree climbers and will look for food in the trees as well as the ground. They like eating fruits, insects, lizards, mice. Like all raccoons, they are fans of trash heaps! Sometimes they eat hanging upside down in the trees!

Bonus!

There are 2 videos to watch at the Arkive website.

Hike in Reserva Biologica by Sam

A morning in the tropical dry forest.

Early on Sunday morning, we got into the car to go hiking on the trails at Lagarta Lodge, which is a private hiking reserve and hotel. As it turned out, the lodge was closed for the rainy season. Instead, we drove along until we saw a path. This took us to Playa Pelada until we came to a trail leading up into the forest.


So off we ventured into the damp and muddy woods.When we where going along the trail, we came to a very, very muddy part. Dad wisely took the way around, but the rest of us went straight through. Me and Maeve freaked out a little and mom got her foot stuck past the ankle! I also didn't like how many insects were biting my legs and arms. Now, I know to wear long sleeves and pants. Eventually we got to the mouth of the Rio Nosara.

Stuck in the muck.

At the entrance to the river, we decided to look around and explore a little. We found what appeared to be a coconut with all the hair off. I threw one at the cliff to find what was inside. It was hollow and had a little bit of mud inside it. We also saw these little insects that kind of looked like a shrimp on the cliff walls (Maeve found out they were beach hoppers). We saw some egrets and a type of heron (we are not sure which kind. Though there wasn't too much, we did notice some garbage that had been washed on shore. We're going to bring a garbage bag with us from now on.

It sort of looks like I'm going bowling.

On the way back, we tried to notice things about the kind of ecosystem we were in (and look at the monkeys and lizards.) It was actually a lot like hiking at Mink Mountain in Thunder Bay but there were fewer mushrooms and lots more wildlife and different kinds of plants.  The Reserva Biologica is a tropical dry forest. Facts about this kind of forest:

• It is one of the rarest habitats in the world.
• The trees (mostly deciduous) usually grow at two different heights - one at 10-20 metres and one twice as high. 
• It is home to fewer species than rain forests. However, you can see more wildlife because there are more open spaces.
• They are very warm all year and receive rain but have long dry periods and droughts.
• Our favouritely  named tree that is in dry forests is the Gumbo Limbo tree which stands out because of its smooth orange and red bark. We haven't seen one yet though.

Maker Monday: starting with a list

Dan and Maeve making adjustments to the tower windows.

Toast in front of us (we found and bought a toaster!), the kids and I decided to begin our Maker Monday by making a list of what we'd like to make over the next few weeks:

• Coasters (Maybe a set of those made from rolled-up magazine page coils? I have a feeling it might be one of those things that looks way more easy and beautiful on pinterest.) Though we've had some cool coasters over the years, never not ever have I used them. But here, the glasses sweat a lot, leaving marks on all the furniture that isn't ours.
  
  
• Lifes-size Olive Ridley Sea Turtle model from papier mache (with sea turtle facts painted or pasted on the shell)



Sam, at work on the turtle (/dented truck)

• Sea Turtle Quilt (using different patches for each scute on the turtle's shell, each one  decorated to show a threat to the turtles and a way to help) Hopefully this will be ready to sew together, just as Grandma arrives!
• A cover for the hole of terror (see previous post by Sam about the house. Absolutely no need for it to be decorative, just functional.)
• Mango jam (to go with said toast) and dried pineapple
• Handkerchiefs (to wipe away our sweat and keep in our back pockets)
• Homemade stuff to keep the ants out of the kitchen (a vinegar potion?)
• A direct path through the jungle to the town and beach. Dan has already macheted through part way! It's going to be a steep climb though, even if the vines and bush (and creatures?) can be kept at bay.
• A direct tunnel between the Toronto Public Library and our house (okay, now we're just getting whimsical.)

Room With a View

It was one of those days where it was more fun making the list and doing research about the items on our list, than actually getting started on things. We did manage to get the 'escuela' (classroom) mostly set up and begin work on the papier mache turtle. (This should be a completely peaceful project, given our awe of the turtles and how goopey-fun paste is AND that our view while working was the ocean itself!!! Somehow though, tears of frustration can still overflow when a turtle shell looks more like a dented pick-up truck.) Also, in the category of making things...For dinner, I cooked our first gallo pinto, Costa Rica's traditional dish. It was good! Today was the first day that we got caught in a deluge of pouring rain so maybe we should also had ponchos to the list of things to make.

The Sea (a possibly weekly feature) by Dan

The sea of Nosara seems to have many faces.

There is the powerful sea, with waves that regard you much more casually than you regard them. All the local beaches have pretty big waves all the time, unlike, say, Shediac. The kids love dodging and riding them out, despite wavering levels of terror.  Maeve even got sent head over heels by one wave and tried to breath underwater, but was unfazed.

There are tidepools to check out for a break.  At Pelada, there are also tidal caves.  Here you can find vertical rock faces, covered with small holes.  Different sizes of crab live in each hole, just like a crustacean apartment building.

White sand beaches are home to small orange crabs, who are very shy and scurry into their holes at the slightest approach.  Black sand beaches, like Ostional, are of course home to thousands of turtle eggs, mama turles coming and newly hatched turtles making their way to the sea.

Gringo (and Tico) surfers populate the sea at Guiones, while further north at the mouth of the Rio Nosara local men fish for their dinner.  The sea provides up-close excitement, and a backdrop to the scene outside our windows.  The marine sunsets are beautiful end bracket to our day!

My First Encounter with Olive Ridley Sea Turtles by Maeve

Yesterday morning, we got up at 4:30am and it was still pitch dark. We got in the car and drove toward Ostional. We had to drive through two little rivers that were on the road, since it's the rainy season and water keeps piling up over on the road. We parked near the soccer field where the ranger had told us was the best spot to go.

We walked up to the beach which has darker sand then the swimming and surfing beaches (because it has volcanic ash in it.) At first we didn't see much of anything except mist and a few dogs and lots of lightning. When our eyes adjusted we saw at least a million (well maybe that's an exageration!!) baby turtles scuttling across the beach toward the water. They were about as big as my palm. For the first we saw, he or she was on a bumpy part of the sand (from the trail that his or her mama had made) and he got flipped over on his back. One of the other volunteers came over and said that we were allowed to flip them back over and so I did and he kept going on a smoother part of the sand. We all watched that very turtle until it got to the sea. It was SPECTACULAR! He or she had to work hard with those tiny little flippers and we worked hard to make sure the vultures stayed away (even though it seems impossible to keep them all away.)

We kept walking and further along the beach we saw at least a hundred (and that's not an exaggeration!) big mama turtles. Lots of them were digging holes, some were squeezing the eggs out of their bodies and some were throwing sand everywhere trying to cover up their nests. And some were scuttling back slowly, trying to get back to the water. They never see their babies. (and this is a sad story  - One mama I was watching, crawling back to the sea and there were two baby sea turtles a little way in front of her. She must not have noticed them or something and she just slapped them with her flippers. I looked to see if they were okay and one was but one was squooshed.) The mamas are about as big as a microwave. We had to shoo away sooooo many vultures from the mamas and especially their nests. We shoo them by banging on the sticks that are in the sand, clapping them together really hard. It doesn't work all the time because they keep coming back once they're satisfied you've moved. We could see crushed egg shells scattered around the beach. It's amazing that some of the baby sea turtles can survive and make it to the sea!

We are going to spend a couple of hours each morning at this beach (we did again today!) I could spend all day every day there. We're going to learn a lot of things about sea turtles and I'm going to make some good art projects about them like a sea turtle quilt and an Actual Size papier mache olive ridley!!!!

Notes on our Blog Plan

Maeve, on a morning expedition

This blog is for those who might want a peek at what we're up to. But, it's also, importantly, a journal for us as a family. If we write it down here, post photos here, record our reflections here, we'll better remember what this year meant for us. Now settled in one place for awhile, we'll continue to share stories, anecdotes and photos on the blog. We'll also use it to record a bit of the learning we do together. Because we like alliteration and because we thrive with a bit of structure, we'll try this:

Sam, giving himself a mud treatment

Maker Mondays - This is the day we'll post photos and give updates on projects we're working on - arts/crafts, building stuff, cooking creations, house renovations, potted things etc.

Take a Hike Tuesdays - At least once a week we'll be taking a hike (or a paddle) somewhere together and we'll share all about the area and our experience there.

"What the?" Wednesdays - Each Wednesday, we'll profile something strange and wonderful that we've come across and tell you what we've learned about it. 

Thursday Night Sky - One of our goals this year is to learn more about the night sky. It's a good time to do it as it gets dark so early here and we have a tower!

Friday Frolic - On Fridays, we'll post fun things like the best Spanish phrases we've learned, books we're reading, music we're making, cool things we found at the market.

Sea Turtle Saturday - Another main research project, as well as volunteer experience this year, is sea turtles. Maybe you'll be just as enamored as we are!

Surf on a Sunday - Here we'll post fun/strange/awesome/beautiful things we discover about the ocean we are so very lucky to play in each day.

We'll do lots of these things on most days, but we'll attempt to jot specific things down as above. Of course,though we do like structure, we also adapt well to change and so we might toss this plan out the window next week and just focus on playing at the beach and identifying the different kinds of geckos climbing on our walls.

Some Photos I (Sam) Took of our House

 Our awesome dining table with the awesome view of the jungle (and sea in the dry season.)

The living room, with Mom and Dad's room in the back (and me!)

My and Maeve's room, with two big windows and geckos!

Dad's office

View from one of the tower rooms (we're going to use one for a classroom of sorts and one for a music/reading room.)

The stairs leading to the top deck of the tower.

View of Guiones Beach from the tower.

View of the hills and mountains from the tower.

The kitchen.

The guest room with weird design of towel.

Outside of the house, part 1.

Outside of the house, part 2.

Maeve and I, in the pool (or big outdoor bathtub.)