Lawrence the Lounge Lizard

Cookie tin camouflage

Jeff had finished making some cookies and was washing up when he yelled, "A lizard just jumped on the soapy cookie sheet."  No kidding.

We love having little lizards (like geckos and anoles) live in the house because they eat the BUGS.









The 3 inch long lizard that jumped onto the cookie tin is the same one that lives behind the sofa, occasionally venturing out into the Greater Home.  We call him Lawrence the Lounge Lizard.  For real.

Sometimes when we're sitting on the sofa, he tentatively charges out from under the sofa in short bursts, across the floor, finally making it all the way to the bathroom.  Then he skirts along the floor of the bathroom and all the way up to the top of the wall. He likes to hunt for bugs on the window screen.  All true.

But tonight Lawrence took a different route for his adventure.  Tonight the little fella  managed to jump into the soaped up cookie tin, I presume from the kitchen wall.  What a fine mess he got himself into this time.  After we got done taking photos of the little guy, he voluntarily climbed onto my forearm and let me carry him back over to the sofa - where an appropriate Lounge Lizard belongs.

He jumped off and ran behind the couch where he continues to live happily to this day.

Resting a moment, getting ready for the final stretch.

First he ran out from the sofa. Then he charged across the floor. He made his way up to the window. Now the cockroach is no more. (Think: Itsy bitsy teeny weenie. He's our lizard; he ain't skinny.)

 More:

Variegated squirrel in search of a treat

A type of banana the animals LOVE.  People, not so much.

As the bananas ripen, they split open.

Top and bottom.  Talk about camouflage.

Better friend than foe

 

Ever heard of a suicide shower? Note the charred wall.

 

Open air gym above the river, country-style

At 7 pm daily a porcupine trots across this area.

Note the river in lower corner. No quick moves.

Looking down from the gym.  Home to a family of river otters.

Ana, Kevin and the boys.  The gym owners.

Mexican Dominoes, Fire Dances, and Picnics

Casual socializing has never been our forte - for either of us. 

But now that we are out here - all alone in a foreign culture - we are putting a higher value on simply spending time with friendly people whenever we can.

Whatever invitation may come our way, we eagerly say "Yes!"

When our landlord invited us to an evening of Mexican dominoes with some gringo friends, we accepted - but with our usual hesitation. (Like, do we really want to play dominoes?)  And although it took us most of 3 hours to figure out the rules, you know what? We had a heckalotta fun.

Then a few weeks later we were enthralled by her daughter's evening fire dance performance: Imagine listening to wild jungle drumming in the black of night on a riverfront platform. You ain't in Kansas anymore Butchie!

Recently our friends Peter and Wynn invited us to their 2nd annual 4th of July party at their remote riverside home in the hills about 45 minutes outside of San Isidro.

They invite a mix of locals and expats and this year they had about 60 attendees. Our plan was to bus part of the way and then walk the last 6 km up the dirt road to the village of San Francisco de Rivas, which has very infrequent bus service. 

We had just begun our walk up the road when Sam and her sister Sharon drove up behind us and motioned us into their cars.  We know them from the farmer's market and our walks around Quebradas. So with a little help from our friends, we arrived at the party.

Then midway through the festivities a tropical downpour pounded the tin roof, drowning out all conversation. So we gathered out on the protected patio to feel the torrential rain and watch the river multiply in size, thundering over the boulders. 

We stood together mesmerized, deafened, and baptized by the sheer power of water. The rockets red glare was far from our minds. 

What a wonderful new way to celebrate independence day with an intriguing group of highly inter-dependent people. 

Gathering at the big house with Carol.

Peter explains how he renovated an old Tico house and made it something special.

Peter and Wynn's backyard.

Peter describes the construction of the amazing rock seating area.

Anita, Peter, and Wynn. What a fun afternoon several days before the party.

Rio Chirripo is a raging beauty.

Outdoor living

House with no walls

Ready! Right 1 - 2 Left 1 - 2.  Dance lessons Tuesdays and Thursdays in a local restaurant.

This basilisk lizard was over 2 feet long, sunning by the river.

Ana is one fit lady and a helluva fitness coach at our riverfront, middle of the boondocks gym.

A 7 inch walking stick insect on the outside of the bathroom window.

Walk, walking stick, walk.

Orange fungus

Baby lizards sun themselves by the river.  This little guy is upwards of 15 inches long.  Sometimes we see 4 of them.

F15 bug ready for takeoff.  Is it a winged cricked?  Is it a wonky wasp?  Is it an accident of nature?  I don't know but it's in my living room and I want it out.

Drop Dead Gorgeous

So many tropical plants - So much time

 For a slideshow of these pictures, 

(without the hilarious comments) 

click on any photo

and use your left and right arrows to navigate the viewing.

We've been collecting pictures of interesting, odd and beautiful plant life on our travels.  Some are in gardens or cultivated areas, others are in the wild - though we've seen most all of them in the wild.  Seeing a new type of plant or flower is the height of excitement for me.  As of yet we know very few of their names.

Resembles a smaller, purple elephant ear plant.  May have edible roots.

Maybe a member of the heliconia family, though smaller than most.

Pine cone ginger: growing straight up out of the wet jungle.

Small orchid-like flowers poke out of the cups.

On a rock by a waterfall in Panama

By a dirt road on Volcan Baru

These were on a vine growing out of a tree in a jungle.

Amidst hillside bramble

Ornamental banana flower?  Or a different type of banana?

Wild ground orchids on a mountain hillside.

That is: small wild ground orchids

Stumbled across this one in the jungle.

Garden bouquet

Morning Glories in morning sun

Fingerling pink bananas.  Birds love them.

Just different

Heliconia outside the kitchen window.  Pretty.

All the yellow ones will be over ripe tomorrow.  How many can you eat in a day?  These grew at our current homesite - with LOTS more on the way.  Banana bread only requires about 3 bananas.  Now what?

I love these long-leafed plants!

Walkways around the Artistic Cabina property.

More walkways with hanging heliconia.

Ideas?  Nope.  On some property we checked out.

Houseplant without a house.

Head poking out of the bushes

I don't know.  I just don't

Ubiquitous bougainvillaea - queen of warm climates

Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia)

Ferns, ferns - EVERYWHERE

Native plant starts for reforesting. 

Just a nice entrance

A stand of heliconia

Green coffee beans in our neighborhood

Sometimes you just can't tell what you're looking at

Another type of heliconia.

Fairies on stems

Okay, I have no idea what it's called but its awesome!

Sweet

If you're interested, we can post more pictures of exciting and strange plants in the future.  I'm personally fascinated by strange plants.  I'm sure my brothers and my friend Toni will like these.

Hey, I know:  Jeff and I could set up a rare tropical fruit, flower and plant botanical garden in southern Costa Rica.  That sounds like more fun than I've had in a very long time!!