Sunset Celebrations at our Condo Site

We took Mom and Bill up to our condo site to show them the property as well as to enjoy the marvelous sunset overlooking Samara beach. John brought Mom and Bill and the lawnchairs up on the quad as the climb is quite steep. Earlier in the day we visited Mary Ange and Edward at the Villas enjoying their company and pool. The Villas are just across the street from our site so we were close by at sunset. We enjoyed watching the sun set and then retreated quickly down the hill before darkness hit.

Tidal Pool Visit

Near Playa Carrillo we have some tidal pools so one day we poked around the rocks listening to an underground cave fill and empty with water as well as observing the tropical fish. Here are a few pictures of the pools, fish and of course the family.

Lanny and Beverley visit from Drumheller

Our friends, Lanny and Beverley, from Drumheller, AB, visited us for a few days while Mom and Bill were here. One afternoon we went downtown Samara for souvenir shopping and then enjoyed a rehydration stop.

See Lanny and Bev waiting at the Playa Carrillo air terminal. Very sophisticated! We all agreed that it was the prettiest terminal with the most picturesque waiting facilities. Notice the lack of security. And last but not least, a pic of them getting on the plane to fly back to San Jose. It is a great convenience to have an airstrip just below where we live.

Beach Day at Barragones

One Sunday we took Bill and Grandma to one of our prettiest, secluded beaches called Barragones. It has lovely white sand and blue green water. We spent the day playing in the waves, exploring the beach and sitting in the shade. Notice the tree behind Mom - it has a green snake like bark.

Uncle Bill's Excellent Quading Adventure

John's brother Bill visited us January 28 - February 14th and while he was here he went on a quad trip with some of our neighbourhood guys. Here's a few pictures of the guys suiting up before they rode away. Bill said they had a great day; saw lots of sites; crossed some rivers and enjoyed some rehydration stops. Bill is on the left, Larry in the middle with the red bandera and John on the right (neighbour John, not brother John).

Austin, Maggie and the Double Banana

Austin and his much loved cat, Maggie are having a brief rest on our bed.

Austin holds his mutant double banana which he then promptly ate!

Turtle Day - February 4th

February 4th was the day of the turtle. Several activities were organized such as an art auction, a presentation on turtles for the children and craft making. We were hoping that we would see the release of the baby turtles but that day wasn't the day they hatched. They said it was too hot for them to hatch. Many folks do assist the turtles when they hatch by waving away predators; mainly birds who swoop down to eat the turtles and or their eggs. Right now there is a stray dog that was left behind by a turtle egg poacher and of course the dog has quite a taste for turtle eggs so he's a danger to them too. Hopefully someone will adopt the dog and remove him from the area.

Anyway, we did attend the art auction and the kids generally hung out. Here are a few pictures of the family, including Grandma Gallant plus our new friends Fred and Mary.

Construction in Bedrock City

With the Christmas season behind us, the construction phase has begun. Building in Bedrock City is definitely a challenge. John and his Tico crew are very busy building various rock walls and cementing paths around the house. There are a number of projects that will keep him and our workers busy for sometime.
We live on the side of a hill, therefore management of water is a priority.

It is also our plan to extend our pool deck as it currently does not allow for loungers and who wants a pool deck without some loungers?? Also, they'll be working on some larger retaining walls below the house and our lower patio/garden area. And last but hopefully not least we require a rancho (outdoor covered patio) so that we can live outdoors more.

Here are some pics of John and his crew plus some of the workers performing the warranty work on our home.

Will the fun never end? How many projects can there be? Will we ever be finished? These and other questions can and will be answered as we move ever closer to the wet season.

New Years Eve in Costa Rica

We spent New Years Eve at the Villa of Mary Ange and Edward. They live at Playa Villas Samara which is right on the beach. The boys had a great time as they swam in the pool, enjoyed cool drinks at the swim up bar and then later watched the bonfires and fireworks right on the beach. As there are no regulations here about that sort of thing, I can honestly say it was the closest any of us have ever been to fireworks!

The party was lovely but for those of us in the tropics; staying up till midnight is quite an accomplishment. We didn't think we would make it and it was hilarious at midnight. We all wished each other Happy New Year, kiss, kiss and then goodnight and goodbye. We all went straight to our cars and home to bed! Some party animals we turned out to be...





Here's a picture of our hosts Mary Ange and Edward; one of me in my new San Jose dress! and some of the guests with John; the boys with their friend Kosta and one of Sherry and Larry.











Happy New Year to everyone - It seems I'm just in time for Chinese New Year so enjoy!

Gallant Coche y Camion

Just a couple of quick shots of our wheels. John has a Toyota Hilux pick me up truck and Rosie drives the Prado. We also have a quad and one on order so soon the whole family can go quading. Andrew especially likes quading but because he's so lightweight he has already flipped it once; luckily he was not injured. The pick up is getting quite a work out as John hauls load after load of cement bags. Construction is never ending; wait till you see the work that's been going on.