Gold n' Hibiscus, watercolor on paste paper, 9 x 4

Boy, this has been the best day. Swimming in the pool was refreshing and finally refilled this week, long narrow blue pool. All the dogs were around today too. Talia, Bong, & Forrest. A productive day. I am thrilled to be here, using all my skills to create art. There is a point I have reached that the skill is unconscious now and my mind can concentrate entirely on what I want to say. I will be leaving early morning for Quepos, on the pacific coast and will resume blog Sunday evening with more writing. Not a good idea to take laptop in knapsack traveling, it is not advised. I am not going there without my camera though. It will be all I can do keep it safe. I just remembered there is a tree I want to photograph on the hillside with 8 tire swings attached to it. Will get to it on Monday. Leftover pasta tonight and up early to get the bus to San Jose, then to Quepos. Chao!

"Bamboo Song", watercolor 4 x 9

Hola

Had a wonderful dinner this evening with six of us girls and Royce the director here at the colony. It was at the main house, which has a large cathedral ceiling/wall of glass to see the view of cuidad colon. It was a vegetarian lasagna with butter and cheeses, corn, peas, pasta, a salad with avocados of course, and a fried cheese, (looked like chicken, but it wasn't). We didn't even give Royce a moment to eat his dinner, we had so many questions about CR. He ended up taking it back to his apt. Conversation about day trips to volcanos and rainforests. About safety and logistic traveling, taxis vs buses and just our group vs tours, guides vs a taxi cab driver. Anyway, 4 of us are going to Quepos & Manuel Antonios. Is said to be quite beautiful. http://centralamerica.com/cr/quepos/quepos.htm
I did not have a productive day as far as alot of painting, I made a soup for the rest of week and went for a walk with Miriam, artist from CA, lived in RI for 8 years. We stopped for cafe before walking up the steepest hill with our groceries. With our poor Spanish we ended up with a cup of cafe each and a tall iced chai each, funny, we thought we just changed order, but instead we ordered dos (2) drinks each. Oh well. Stars are out tonight, moon is shining almost full. Last night it was full.

No rain today either. I took a long walk with Susan today. Up a steep dirt road and back again. I found a hummingbirds nest and some seeds that the Costa Rican people make jewelry out of. The hummingbird flew around me for a while, I was waiting for it to hover so I could take a photograph, it did not cooperate so I continued on my walk and on the way back I saw her again and finally she stopped singing and I looked up and saw her resting in a nest made up of spider webs. It was amazing. The property is well maintained, lots of fruit trees, I have been cooking with the lemons from the tree right outside my door. Went to the bustling city of San Jose tonight to support an artist that stayed here in the colony as well for a short time. She did some printmaking here. Interesting evening, spent most of it trying to figure out directions, streets are not marked and building names are not consistent, neither are the maps correct. But we found the gallery in the childrens museum, go figure. Anyway, got a ride home from Francisco, the manager of colony, instead of taking bus. San Jose was like NY city, huge city and the traffic incredible. No big buildings, just alot of people and traffic. They drive crazy (loco) here.

Did mucho painting today too. All day tomorrow, with a little walk to get groceries.

Wonderful day, temperature comfortable. Have not had any rain, but only sunny skies. I took a bus trip to village of Puriscal, (cost a whole $1.00 RT) a sweet, bustling village with the most beautiful vistas of the mountainsides along a 40 minute ride. Took some great pictures to work from. I have been painting alot with my two gecko friends keeping me company. Its better than having the tarantulas in the room like one of the other girls here had in her room the other day. I will welcome the geckos over those. However I would prefer they found another home. They are scared of me! SO, got alot of painting done so far, feeling wonderful, met some nice women, strong, talented & supportive of each other, great cooks too, in a beautiful environment. I am looking forward to tomorrow. Lots of energy here!!! Lots of unusual night sounds too?

Buenas Dias...Arrived in one piece and very late about midnight. Adjusting to the language here, I am having a little trouble, but settling in ok. Have only met the caretakers so far. Carlos took me around the property, showed me all the fruit trees. His brother Franseco took me to the market/mall for some things. Mall was huge. Today is election day and Sunday, so not many stores open, no liquor sales today either, chucks. The first thing I bought was the biggest box of kleenex, yes I have a headcold. The pool is being fixed today, it is in the 90's right now. All the fans are spinning, even the portable and a breeze here in the beautiful mountains of Costa Rica.