Survived The First 4 . . . and ready for more!

Yep, we're coming out from behind the clouds here in the mountains of Costa Rica - and are very alive.  I realize it's been a long time since we've posted anything, so how 'bout if I just lay out a summary update of our shenanigans? 

Well at this point it's been 5-1/2 years since we left the sweet comfort of Washington state and all of our family and friends, searching for  . . . something.  And it's been a little over 4 years since we bought our property in the mountains of Costa Rica.  Remember when we bought it, it was just a ragtag, worn out coffee farm with 27,000 sick coffee plants and an awesome view.  

April 2014, one week after putting the cash on the line for the property some friends came by to see what we'd invested in.  Jeff's trying to explain why it was a good buy.  Those yellow leaves in the foreground are on a sick coffee plant.

Then, just to see if we could survive it, we moved into the 80 year old homestead cabin where we lived for the next 3 years. 

The cabin today - or rather a few days ago.
A delivery truck ran over the papaya tree yesterday.  Go figure.

We cut down at least 15,000 coffee plants and hundreds and hundreds of worn out plantain plants.  From there we began planting . . . and planting . . . and planting. Timber trees, fruit trees, plantains, bananas, bamboo, ornamentals, vegetables.  Thousands of trees, 30 different types of bananas, 70 different types of fruit trees, and several hundred bamboo plants.

Awesome Asper.
Magnificent construction bamboo 
that grows to 7" in diameter.

Deglupta eucalyptus:  This puppy is two years old and a delight to look at.

Purple sugar cane

Just a green flat?  Oh no!!
This is where we just planted
160 baby timber trees of
5 different types. Can you see 
Jeff?

And we built a workshop, a carport, a coffee drying tunnel, a greenhouse, and a house . . . and an outhouse, a bamboo storage shed, and a sheep shed.

The "green house".  Just a little cover from the pounding rain.

The tunnel coffee dryer.  Drying coffee is a major challenge
during the rainy season.  Notice that gorgeous
asper bamboo in the background - 3-1/2 years old.

But we've been waiting to write our next blog post because we SO much wanted our next blog post to announce:

OUR HOUSE IS COMPLETED
 . . .  but it's not.

THE WORKSHOP IS FINISHED
 . . . basically it is - but not.

THE OLD CABIN HAS BEEN RENOVATED
 . . . but that's not happening either.

THE NEW SHEEP SHED IS DONE
. . . but nope.

So are we just sitting on our hands down here in so-called paradise?  All I can say is that this homesteading life ain't as easy as it looks.  We undertook WAY more than two old farts should ever attempt - EVER.  We got that.

But by the same token, it keeps us moving . . . and moving . . . and moving.

So about the new house: the first half of it is complete . . . and awesome.  The second half is roofed, floored and ready for us to decide what to do next. 

Sometimes called the Long House.  
On the left end of the house is the 
guest bedroom, then the bathroom, 
then the kitchen.  On the right half
 is the unfinished area that I have
 come to LOVE just the way it is.

We are so, SO glad that we didn't just jump in and start building. Nicer to allow the painting to to emerge organically.

As for the workshop, it's fully functional and well designed.  It's just not painted yet.

And as for the old cabin that we wanted to renovate? We now realize it's much better to just leave it alone, enjoy it for what it is ... an antique.  

We've been thinking that this little retreat needs a place for people to gather and chew the fat, cook meals, play guitars, kazoos and didgeridoos, sing in the moonlight, and snooze in hammocks.  So that's what we're building now - a community kitchen and dining area.  All open air with  corner pillars, set in one of our most spectacular view spots on the property.

Supervisor hard at work.

Just getting started on the Lookout Cafe.  By the time you arrive,
it'll be ready for you.

The new sheep shed is another key project. Designed to keep 10-15 sheep dry and happy, it will also feature a slotted floor and a raised platform for easier manure harvesting into our composting process. That project has been bouncing around and changing for months, but is now coming together. Jeff's working on that one in between his other jobs.

All six sheep are happy and healthy.  We've got 3 adult females and their 3 lambs which are just over 2 months old.  And Molly, the mother of the herd, is expecting 2 babies in a couple of months.  Why sheep, you ask?  It's all about the poop.  Since we're Organic, we need lots of organic fertilizer.  Plus we totally like having sheep.

Sonny grazing with mom (Moose) and grandma (Molly).  He
was born skinny and we nearly lost him. But now he's a total
character - maybe even my favorite.

Cleopatra at 2 days old.  This girl is enormous, much bigger
than her twin cousins who were born the previous week. She's a stunning animal, although a bit slow. Yes, gorgeous but stupid.

We'll explain it later . . . 

Also we're slowly edging forward on the beginnings of a detached bedroom for us.  Edging, not running.

In other words, it's all coming along nicely.  The place looks gorgeous.  People love to visit us because we're at a cool and pleasant 4,100 feet of elevation - not at all like the hot tropical lowlands.

Our little village:  the new house on the left, followed by the carport.  On the right of the road is the workshop, the old house and the revamped migrant worker house.  We love it. 

A couple old dogs grabbing a nap.

Ila and Tava, my niece's
daughters, sure liked it.

Surinam cherry or
"pitanga". 

White grapefruit sizing up nicely even 
though the tree is still quite petite.

 

Biriba is becoming more plentiful.

Some of the fruit trees are already offering their bounty, such as the starfruit, biriba, grumichama, sweet oranges, sour oranges, Hawaiian guayaba, Peruvian guayaba, native guayaba, pitanga, grapefruit, achiote, sweet mandarins, sour mandarins, sweet lemons, mecino lemons, avocado, papaya, black sapote, araza and cas.  And we're waiting patiently for 50 other types to fork over the fruit.

BTW, yes we are certifying organic - though that's an discussion beyond interesting - and better left for later.

That's us:  the white dots in the center.

GREAT NEWS:

We were excited to find out that our neighbor wants to sell his 20 acre property above us.  We think that could be the most awesome opportunity for the right people!!

Coffee, plantains, pasture, internal roads, incredible view, fantastic neighbors (we're the only neighbors). Forested natural reserves along two sides, even reaching the extensive old trail system that goes all the way to San Jose.  Complete with water directly from a mountain spring (the same spring we use), a worker house, a mountain cabin, and a new 2 story "view" home ready for finishing - 30 minutes from a regional town with lots of nice expats in the area.

EcoTourism or AgroTourism anyone?   

It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,
A beautiful day for a neighbor,
Would you be mine?

The asking price is a fraction of what you would have to pay in the U.S. for a similar property.  But even still, we're sure he'll come down to a much more comfortable cost.  If you're at all interested, let us know and we can talk about it.

Think about it.  We sure do.

The obligatory Costa Rican bug shot.

 

In the meantime, when the basic work is done with the Lookout Cafe, the workers will go home and we'll have room in the old cabin for guests.  So far a few groups of guests have stayed in the cabin -  and enjoyed it. 

 
Here's looking at you!!