Photo Composition

1. I am not necessarily worried about the light in these shots. Just trying to find the best shot. The first shot is not bad. Interesting how the reflection of the trees is seen in the glass of the building. 2. Not so good because the tower is dead center in the photo. 3. Not so good because the tower is off the page. Pulls your eye up and away. 4. This is better. The tower does not fall off the page. A triangle is created with the tower, the red building, and the trees that keeps your eye moving. Still not terrific. I like #1 best. Suggestions/comments?

5th Anniversay

Ground Zero on September 11, 2006

I Love ...

Black Bean Salad

the view from my desk

If I have to work, I might as well have a view. I love it when the trains go by each day.

Laugh until I Cry

Check this one off the list. As I was recounting the story of how TOM almost burned all the hair off his body yesterday, I began to laugh and could not stop, thus lauging till crying. Obviously, I wasn't laughing yesterday. He did look so funny running away from the inferno he started with gasoline. We had a pile of tree cuttings that needed to be disposed of and he decided to take care of it. I guess no one ever told him that you do not use gasoline to start a burn. Anyway, there was a mini-explosion, a ball of fire and TOM running in the opposite direction. In retrospect it was hiliarious. Yesterday, not so much.

Bowling

Went bowling today or rather TOM bowled and I practiced throwing gutter balls. Needless to say, I did not do very well. Did not even break 100, although I came close...96. Maybe I'll do better next time.

I Guess Biker's Can't Read, Updated

... or are they just rebellious. At least this biker can't ... or is... Security purposely put the sign next to the bike because riders continue to park in 'no parking' areas. I guess being rebellious does not apply only to bikers:

The Bucket List

This is the year of the BIG birthday [50] and like countless others before me I’ve started thinking about how I’ve spent my life. The bigger question is what to do with the rest of it. I’ve raised my children, I’m happily married, my assent up the corporate ladder has slowed (and not because of bad knees), and hopefully I’ve made a difference in some small way. I’ve decided that I will live to the middle of the century … 2050; that’s 42 more years so I better have something to do. First, because I am not independently wealthy, I have to keep working and my current employer is a good a place to be as any. I like my job, I like the people I work with, and for the most part the climate in southern United States is ok. I will work until working gets in the way of my other plans. Second, I want to travel and have adventures. I don’t want to look back on my life when I am 92 and say to myself “Why didn’t I take that train trip across Canada or why didn't I go skydiving”. If an opportunity presents itself I will be there. I recently missed an opportunity to sing karaoke. No big deal right? Now, for some strange reason I am obsessed with the idea and practice daily in my car. Go figure. If I had just done it when the opportunity presented itself I wouldn’t be in this situation. That's when I made the decision that if something won’t kill me, I need to go for it. In the movie "The Bucket List" with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman, Morgan's character is dying from terminal cancer. He creates his bucket list ... a list of things he wants to do before he “kicks the bucket”. Well, I did this too, shortly after my last birthday, but I didn’t call it a bucket list. It was just a list of [50] things that I wanted to do before I reached [50]. Half way through the year I came to the conclusion that not even Superwoman could complete the list in 12 short months. But the point is, I’ve got the list and slowly but surely I’m ticking items off of it. And I keep adding to it. Chances are I will never do everything on “the list” but the point of the exercise is to live life to the fullest. Life lists are not just for adults. I recently read an article about a 17 year old girl, Liz Evett, who is working on completing her bucket list. She is a cancer patient and her leukemia is not responding to chemo therapy. She knows her days are numbered, but she is making the most of them. One of the items on her list is to see the sunrise, a lofty goal for a teenager :-) but something she freely admits, that most of us take for granted. And something I hope she accomplishes. And third, I am going to stop wishing my life away. I caught myself wishing for the end of the day; wishing it was Friday; or wishing I didn’t have to get up for work the next morning. No more. I realized that tomorrow will get here soon enough without any help from me. So if you are reading this, I would like to say to you: Keep working until something better comes along. You might need the money for something exciting. Start your life list or bucket list or whatever you want to call it. The list, like life itself is not static and needs to be updated occasionally. Keep life exciting. You deserve it. Stop wishing your life away. Live each day to the fullest.

Tropic Thunder

Just got back from "Tropic Thunder". I alway enjoy Robert Downey Jr. and this is no exception. He's the dude playing the dude playing another dude. Got that? The "trailers' at the beginning of the movie was a good way to introduce the audience to the main characters. Totally surprised to find that Tom Cruise and Matthew Mc(spelling) were also in the movie. Cruise was especially surprising in his role as movie mogul/producer. I didn't think Scientologists could use the 'f' word. Anyway, totally worth the money. Good way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Swingtown

I have heard rumors that CBS is going to cancel Swingtown. I hope not. The acting is stellar and the story line is interesting. I guess because I am a child of the 70's it strikes a chord with me, but it is about time that network TV had a smart, edgy drama on the tube. CBS stop worrying about the moral majority for a while and pay attention to your viewers.

one day at a time. . .

nuff said. . .

Sign of the Times

It occurred to me today that I am seeing more and more damaged vehicles on the road. You know the ones I am talking about, dented fenders, crushed bumpers, broken taillights. With the economy like it is, people aren't spending those hard earned dollars on car repairs...or car insurance...or the deductible...pretty scary proposition. And this isn't even the worst one I've seen on the road.

Walk and Chew Gum

I proved today that I can't walk and chew gum at the same time...I bit my tongue. I thought that was just an urban myth.

Facebook Flair

I am addicted to Flair on facebook. I may need an intervention.

Lotsa Mozarella Omelet

2 eggbeaters, red pepper, portabella mushrooms, sweet onions, cilantro, black beans, and a handful of shredded fat free mozarella cheese. Hmmm, hmmm, good. Shoulda took a picture : )

Chocolate Milk Shake

Did you know that a chocolate milkshake from chik fil a has 760 calories????? Ugh, but good it was. With whipped cream and a cherry.

Vegas or Bust

Purchased the airline tickets to Vegas today. Figured that they were not going to get any cheaper. We tried to use flier miles, seats were available, but the number of miles needed to get a ticket has increased. 47,500 for one round trip. It used to be 25,000. Anyway, we have airline tickets, primo seats to see Bette Midler and reservations at Ceasar's. Happy Birthday to me !!!

Is Blue the New Brown

I have noticed recently that there are more blue M&Ms than brown. It used to be that a package consisted of about 55% brown (dark and light) M&Ms. Now that number seems to be decreasing. And what happened to the light brown M&Ms? When did they go away? You still get only a couple of the green, red, and orange. So is Blue the new brown?

Hanging Bridges, Baldi Hot Springs, La Fortuna

We started the morning at the Hanging Bridges. It was $22 per person with approximately 2 miles of trails in primary and secondary rain forest. We did see some howler monkeys, spider monkeys, and a Mot Mot bringing food back to the nest.

I think this is a Mot Mot. The coloration did not match any on the short list we had, so I am making my best guess based on the very long tail feathers.

It took us about 2.5 hours to walk the trails. We did not take any of the alternate routes available, for example down to the waterfall. When you walk down, you have to be prepared to walk back up.

When we finished we headed back to La Fortuna to do some shopping and eat lunch. One thing that caught my eye and I did not purchase was feather paintings. You know bird feathers with paintings on them. They were actually quite lovely.

Lunch was really good. So far, we have not been disappointed in our mean choices. It must be the exercise.

After lunch we headed to Baldi Hot Springs ($22 a person with a discount from our hotel, otherwise $28). We locked our cameras in a locker so no pictures here. I believe that there is 25 separate pools, each a different temperature. Our first stop was one of the cooler ones, about 94 degrees, with a waterfall and if you enjoy such things a really big slide.

We moved on up to a couple of the hotter pools. I don't remember the temps but after sitting in the hottest one for about 5 minutes you need to move on. It really drains your energy, but feels so good on aching muscles. We tried a couple of the cooler ones before we left.

Other observations:
(1) Everyone does not speak English. You know when you are planning a trip and everyone that has been there says something like "you dont' need to know any Spanish phrases because everyone speaks English", so not true. Glad I took the time to learn a few phrases and the high school Spanish started to came back too : )
(2) Diet Coke = Coca Cola Light

Butterflies

Butterflies

We saw dozens of butterflies - most went unidentified:

Cloudless Sulfur - http://insects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg274.html

Nero Glasswing - http://www.pbase.com/markusu/image/74966916

Magnificent Owl - http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/owl-butterfly.html

Monarch - http://www.gpnc.org/monarch.htm

Food and Fireworks

Alan had the ever popular spaghetti. Pretty hard to screw up pasta. I on the other hand had the special: chicken with mango salsa, rice, and veggies. I thought it sounded pretty good, but the chicken was tough. Must have been left overs from the day before. The veggies however are always wonderful. So fresh.

There were a few fireworks from the volcano, but with the overcast we could not see much. Overall, we had a good day.

For some reason, breakfast is always delicious. At Observatory Lodge, bfast is included with the price of the room. I never thought that I could be so satisfied eating black beans and rice. Go figure. We woke up early again and decided to walk the waterfall trail before breakfast.

It took about an hour and was a nice walk. Some of the birds we saw along the way: tanager, hummers, and the crested guan. We also head some howler monkeys but we did not see them. And don't forget the ever present squirrels. Just can't get away from those little buggers.

Take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints.

We walked another trail after bfast. We crossed another hanging bridge and the lodge farm. There is another waterfall at the base of Cerro Chato (another volcano), but it is still dry. Not enough rain yet. By this time I am getting tired and hungry and it was starting to get hot. We did about 6 miles.

We saw some wildlife,

beautiful scenery,

and gorgeous flowers.

I did not take any photos of our room, but it is very nice. Personal safe for possessions, two beds, plenty of room, and a balcony with a view of the volcano. No TV tho. They do have a TV in the bar if you just have to watch the tube.

The Right Left Turn

About half way (7 km) down the volcano, we took a left turn to our first adventure. It was not on the schedule, but those are often the most memorable and exciting. We were headed to our first ever canopy tour.

As with everywhere else in Costa Rica, we had to get past the security guard. We had some time to burn, so we grabbed a drink and something to eat at the snack bar. Our tour time was scheduled for 2 p.m. Surprisingly, we did not have to pay when we first put our names on the list, they give you time to change your mind.

As our trip time gets closer, we pay and get harnassed up. Lockers are provided to secure your valuables; however if you lose the key it will cost you $5. We can take our cameras, but for safety reasons we are instructed not to use them on the zip-lines. That's OK by me, I am keeping both hands firmly on the cable apparatus.

The harness is actually quite comfortable and believe it or not I do not have any butterflies : ) I am ready to go. Our guides our friendly and helpful. We ascend using the tram way. At the top is a large observation platform. In one direction you can see Arenal Volcano, the other is Arenal Lake.

Before you get to the long, high cables you have an opportunity to practice on 2 short cables. You practice the proper form (knees pulled up, ankles crossed) and how to slow down (legs spread wide). If after the second cable you decide you don't want to go on, you can walk back to the observation deck and take the tram down to the bottom. Be aware that at this point you will not receive a refund (as of this writing $66 per person).

After the practice run you are ready to go to the longer cables. I forget the lengths and heights of the cables, but they can be a bit overwhelming. I do know that the last cable is roughly 1/2 mile long and can reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour.

It was the most exhilarating experience of my life. Really amazing. I would like to do it again some day.

North to Arenal Volcano

Up early because of the trucks and the time difference. We took a stroll around the gardens and ate a leisurely breakfast of black beans and rice, fresh fruit, plaintains, eggs, and Costa Rican coffee. The food was delicious.

We were on the road by 8 a.m. We figured that we had about a three-hour ride ahead of us. Driving here is like riding a rollercoaster, up and down, and round and round. The roads are not the best, they are narrow, no shoulder, and so many cars that you have to fight for space. At times a very unpleasant experience. Most bridges are only one lane and there are a lot of them, so at one bridge you have to yield (ceda) and the next time the other guy has to yield. It works pretty well, but sometimes I was left wondering if the other guy was going to yield...they get as close as they can.

Keep in mind that it is totally acceptable to honk, so honk away if it makes you feel better.

When you arrive in La Fortuna, you are almost there, just a few more miles up the road. As you turn off the main road and you see a sign for Arenal, 14 km. You think, yeah, we're almost there, but let me tell you, those are 14 of the roughest kilometers I have ever ridden in my life. It took us about 40 minutes. Narrow, short wheel base vehicles do not offer much comfort on roads like these.

It was a great accomplishment when we finally arrived at the security gate. The road got better and we were greeted with this view. . .

We arrived at the lodge around noon. We couldn't check in until 3 so we had some time to burn.

We headed back down the mountain.

May 16: San Jose

Our arrival in San Jose was uneventful. We picked up our rental car and successfully made it to our first hotel; Orquideas Inn.


Let me just say that this little boutique hotel is one of the nicest places I have stayed in recent history. The hotel gardens are beautiful. The restaurant has a great menu and the food is delicious. The best breakfast in town is included in the price of your room and served on the patio by the pool. The fruit is fresh and the eggs are cooked to order.


The owner is obviously infatuated with the late Marilyn Monroe and the restaurant and bar is a colorful collage of photographs of her. The rooms are comfortable and reasonably priced. They don't offer wi-fi, but they do have a PC that can be used by guests with free internet access.


If you travel to Costa Rica and plan to spend any time in San Jose, I highly recommend this hotel.


Fred is a permanent resident at the Inn. He is hybrid macaw that was born and bred in captivity.

Dinner Night 1: Grilled Swordfish
Lunch: Chicken Fajita
Dinner Night 2: Black Bean Soup, Hearts of Palm with Blackberry Sauce

Downside: Located next to a well traveled road. The big trucks started about 5 a.m.

Departure: May 16th, 0600

I checked us in for our flight on the 15th to save time at the airport. The drive to the airport takes about 90 minutes. It was uneventful and we made good time.

Airport Parking:

I don't know about your airport, but Hartsfield-Jackson in ATL has a park and ride. We used it for the first time and we will use it again. It's cheaper and the van drives you right to the terminal. No bag drag : )

Upon our return, the van driver checked the parking information provided by the first van driver and took us right to our vehicle. No bag drag and no searching for the Murano in the dark : )

Arrival in San Jose:

We arrived in San Jose on a balmy Friday afternoon (1300 local time). We were excited and ready to start our Costa Rican adventure. Our first stop was to pick up our rental car.

Rental Car:

Rental cars can be expensive by the time you add in the expense of the insurance (collision, tire, and windshield insurance) is recommended. If you don't have nerves of steel, you might consider using public transportation. Buses and taxis are readily available and affordable.

Navigation:

Tico's do not use maps (this information from a local who was kind enough to speak to and help visitors, in very good english I might add). Tico's don't use addresses either; they use landmarks plus they have the advantage of knowing where they are.

Anyway, we quickly got used to the landmark method of navigation . . . McDonalds, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, and Mega Super (Tico version of wal-mart). Street signs are far and few between and are hard to see even when they are posted.

Without notice, streets can change from two-way to one-way. If you are lucky enough to see a sign that reads "No Hay Paso" do not enter. I cannot count the number of times we ended up on a one-way street. Dangerous.

We had relatively good directions to our hotel and we made it without incident, giving us a false sense of confidence in our ability to drive in and navigate in this city.

Other Street Signs:

Alto = Stop

Despacio = Slow

No Hay Paso = One Way

Driving in General:

It's ok to honk your horn. There is a difference in the friendly "I am going to pass you" tap and the "Get the %#&@ out of my way" bleet. You will quickly discover which is which.

It appears to be ok to run red lights, cut in and out of traffic, and turn in front of oncoming traffic. The streets may or may not have lanes. Tico's just drive where they want (at least it felt that way to us) and they are aggressive.

Did I mention that it's a good idea to purchase insurance for your rental car?

T - 12 Hours

Less than 12 hours till departure for Costa Rica. The bags are packed; we are checked in for our flight. Ready to go. Are we really?

emotional

anxious

excited

sad

nervous

prepared

broke

credit card

overeating

happy

medicated

headache

hungry - not

Feeling a bit anxious but not sure why. I hope we aren't getting too old for this. Travel I mean. Anyway not much to say so I will sign off. Come back soon to view pics : )

Down by the River

A couple weeks ago I was walking down by the river on my lunchbreak and I noticed an interesting configuration of tree roots. They looked like a person with arms reaching forward. My mission today was to try and capture the Treemaid. So here she is . . .

I may have to go back with different light. Although the light was good today, not overly bright. From this angle you can very clearly see the arms, head, and torso. Here is a long shot . . .

Several people were fishing. With scoop nets they catch bait fish. In fact, the Cree Indians used to fish in this very spot.

Bloggers Beware . . . XP Antivirus I have found that comments added to my blog by the users Jojosho and Akinol link to and automatically upload of the aobe mentioned spyware. A scan is completed of your system that provides false results, for example worms, viruses, etc. Do not open comments from these users. Delete them. Here are some links I found with more information about this spyware. Informational: http://blogs.stopbadware.org/articles/2008/03/27/alert-xp-antivirus-2008 This link walks you thru the removal process> Pretty helpful if you know just enough about computers to be dangerous: http://www.lancelhoff.com/2008/02/22/how-to-remove-xp-antivirus-protection/ Informational: http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/security_response/weblog/2008/03/yet_another_site_falls_prey_to.html There is a multitude of other references when you google xp antivirus. If this warning saves one fellow blogger, I've done my job. Good luck and happy blogging. bfarr

Planning for Departure

Getting closer to our travel date. I have a tendency to start planning early and TOM just rolls his eyes. I purchased a new cosmetic/travel case today. I plan to build the ultimate travel/first aid kit. As TOM and are not as young as we used to be is it conceivable that one of us (probably me) will get hurt while participating in one activity or another. When we were in Belize 2 years ago I fell in a cave...not a pleasant experience and injured my knee. Anyway, this year I am going to be prepared with the basics. I found this kit list in Conde Nast Traveler: Compartment 1 Personal medication (bring 50% extra) Cold and allergy medication Throat lozenges Nasal decongestant spray Cold and flu medication Tums Pain reliever Hand sanitizer Compartment 2 Eye bandage Antibiotic eye drops and ear drops Sterile eyewash Cotton swabs Earplugs Disposable thermometer Scissors Small flashlight Surgical gloves Lip balm Compartment 3 Band aids Small nonstick dressing Surgical tape, not surgical tape, white electrical tape. Good thing we didn't need it ;-) Burn gel Burn dressings Antiseptic swabs Spray on dressing Ace bandage Steri-strips Sutures Needle holders Syringes Surgical blade Anesthetic Triangle bandage Compartment 4 Insect repellent Insect bite treatment Hydrocortisone cream Water purification tablets Sunblock Oral rehydration packets Dextrose tablets Motion sickness tablets Post Trip Note: No injuries on the trip (I had been in training for quite a while in preparation) However, TOM did get sick so that put a damper on several activities. Highlighted items were those that we actually had in the kit.

Hiking the Pine Mountain Trail

TOM and I went hiking yesterday with our boys and a girlfriend on the Wolfden Loop. We got an early start and saw only 1 group of three hikers on the trail when we started. The trail was in pretty good shape and not too damp in the low areas. The weather was nice and we had a great time.It's been a long time since we did a family activity like this. We stopped for a couple of photo ops along the way. I wish I had brought the tripod so that I could have taken a picture of all of us together.
I was starting to get tired and on the walk back I stepped wrong and turned my ankle. After resting for a while I was ready to go and eat lunch. The round trip took about three hours. We were all quite hungry by the time we got back to the car.
The sandwiches were delicious. The drinks were as cold and refreshing as the water running in the creek. The day was good. We were all pretty quiet on the ride home. I was ready for a nap. But before I did that I iced my ankle and hit the ibruprofen. It definitely paid off. The ankle was stiff this a.m. but it loosened up. No bruising; although there is some swelling. These beautiful flowers remind me that the entire day was worth it.

I found this plan last year and plan to use it as a starting point for our meditation garden. In the area where the bench is located in this illustration will be the back corner of our garden. Other modifications will be made as well.


This is the list of suggested plantings for our part of the country:
A. Eastern redbud (Cercis Canadensis); Alternative: Silverbell (Halesia Carolina) or other small accent tree
B. Hearts-a-bustin (Euonymus americanus); Alternative: Winterberry (hex verticillata) or other specimen plant with winter interest
C. Sugarcane plumegrass (Saccharum giganteum); Alternative: Other tall grass
D. Spoiled horsemint (Monarda punctata); Alternative: Narrowleaf mountain mint (Pycnantheum tenuifolium); non-native options include lavender, sage or rosemary) or other medium-height, scented, woody or herbaceous plant
E. Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia); Alternative: Non-native options include thyme or other groundcover plant
F. Prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepis); Alternative: Little bluestem (Schyzachirium scoparium) or other small grass

Other Garden Elements:

1. Stone-edged patio (patio surface can be pea gravel, concrete or flagstone)
2. Waterfeature (bowl or fountain)
3. Boulder
4. Bamboo fence, 2’ x 6’ panels
5. Bamboo fence, 2’ x 4’ panels
6. Bamboo fence, 2’ x 2’ panels
7. Candle lantern (or solar light)
8. Stepping stones
9. Entrance
10. Bench

TOM has finsihed the steps up to the garden area. All that's left is to design the compass rose (for the step), fill to level, and plants. Maybe even a fountain. I saw a solar fountain on TV that would be really neat. Maybe a bench of some sort.


Taking the rest of the weekend off. More next time.

Phrases you can be without in Costa Rica

One beer, please Un birra, por favor Where is the bathroom? Donde esta el servicio How much? Cuanto Turn on the [taxi] meter, please Ponga la maria, por favor

Rainy days. . .

Not much going on today. It's 2:00 and I have only been out of my room a couple of times. On one trip out, I saw this very brave squirrel sitting on the back fence (we have two dogs and four cats, two of which are very good hunters). Anyway, he looked so cute I just had to take a photo. So here he is . . .


Maybe tomorrow will be more productive.

The Meditation Garden continues to come together. I have pretty much given my husband carte blanche to do what he wants back there. Pretty suprising because I have very specific ideas about the projects that we work on. He really seems to be enjoying it tho and it's a great way for him to relieve stress.

He got home early and poured the foundation for the compass rose that will be the step up to the 'garden'area.

The compass rose was his idea and will be about 48" in diameter. Now we just have to decide on a design that we both like and is relatively simple to construct. Stencil and paint would be easier and provide more detail than a tile mosaic. Historically, they are blue/green/red on black background.

Here are a couple of examples that I found as a starting point for our design. I especially like this one, but TOM thinks its too busy. This would be very challenging to recreate, but I like it as a starting point for our design.


TOM likes this...as do I. Much simpler design and would be easier to replicate. This example is made of slate which will definitely hold up to the weather.

(I Like to Think) I Saved a Turtle Today!

I go for a walk each day, either during my lunch hour or in the early afternoon to get energized for the rest of the afternoon. Anyway, our campus runs along the river and is a nice place to walk during the spring and fall. In the summer it's a too hot.

Anyway, I was on my way back to work when I spotted a small turtle on the path. Fearing for his life (he was about the size of a 50 cent piece) I picked him up and placed him in the grass on the river side of the path. The rocks in the river are a favorite sunning place for a plethora of turtles. I love to watch them stretch their necks toward the sun as they rest on the rocks.

I pulled this photo from wikipedia until I can post one of my own :)

Update: I took my camera to work today, but the river is up and the rocks used by the turtles sunning are currently submerged. Better luck next time.

Our Bottle Tree:

A bottle tree is a southern garden tradition. The idea is to put bottles on a tree to trap evil spirits. The evil spirits enter the bottle and then they can't find the way out. During the heat of the day, they are destroyed. The bottle tree will be part of the meditation garden that we are building in the back corner of the yard.

We need some fill (about 4 yards, maybe more) and we will need to get creative about how to 'pave' the garden. Do we buy some nice slate, used recycled bricks, or make stepping stones out of concrete? Buying recycled bricks could be almost as expensive as the slate and making stepping stones could be quite labor intensive. I will have to do some more research on our options.

The bottle tree has been moved into position. We plan to cut a door in the back fence to access the area above the retaining wall; as well as hanging lattice panel as a base for some flowering vines ... maybe bouganvilla (sp) or frangipani (sp)...somthing that is pretty and smells good. All this is going on while to plan vacation. I may have to start a new blog for our home improvement projects . . . or maybe not. I have a hard time trying to keep up with this blog.

Later . . .