Of the falling you-know-what. Go ahead, you listen.
I'm sick of it. This is our third rainy season here and I plan on it
being my last. Almost anywhere else will do. Even Key West in the
stifling end-of-hurricane-season heat (she says now.) October through
mid-December here is for the birds. I never knew it could rain so much
or that I could get so sick of it. It's just life-giving rain, right?
Day after day after day after day after day after day of endless wet,
cold, life-giving rain?

When we were looking for a house, we knew
we wanted to be up on a mountain, just not so high we'd be in the
clouds. The first thing we looked for in a potential rental was a
fireplace. If it had one, the house was probably too
high and damp for us. We'd walk in, see a fireplace and pretty much
walk out.

Today, we wouldn't use the Fireplace Criteria. A GPS
would have been more accurate. Anywhere between 1,067m (3,500') to just
shy of 1,524m (5,000') is our particular perfect temperature zone.
Except near the end of the rainy season, when the sun ain't shined for three months straight. When the wind is howling all the time. When
everything is wet, moldy, damp and cold. When you'd give your right arm
for a fireplace.

Today, 21 December 2008, is BEAUTIFUL. The sun
is shining, I am slack-jawed at the sight… and it's warming up the
joint. No dark clouds threatening anywhere, only those big fat fluffy
white clouds floating about. I think I can safely say the rainy season
is over. Tossing a little salt over my shoulder, just in case. The last
couple of years, the rains seemed to stop around the end of November…
maybe I imagined that? This year it just went on and on.

At least
all I'm suffering is cold and discomfort. There have been endless
reports of relentless flooding, particularly on the Caribbean side.
Many (dare I say most?) of Costa Rica's indigenous are in dire straits
because their crops and farm animals were literally washed away in the
last couple of months. If you've a mind to help relieve the suffering,
you can do so at the Voz Que Clama website. Scroll down to the paypal link. I've been to VCQ, met Daniel and Hector, who founded the mission and live there. I've met Beverly, their U.S. ambassador and bookkeeper. Last year, I went to the Christmas party for the Cabecar with the Badgetts. We missed it this year, but will visit VCQ this week.

My
point is that I can vouch for them. I've hugged and spoken with the
children they've taken in. The money to feed and house these kids has
to come from somewhere. In Costa Rica, no donation is too small: $5 makes a huge difference. Thank you.

The
Badgetts arrive in a couple of hours. We are all looking forward to
their visit. Can't wait to hang out with them. We'll be doing a little
running about – there will be much to report this week, I'm sure!!!

That's
The Cascades singing up there. Gosh, I wish my geezer band was that
good. I guess the Cascades have been at it a little longer… At least
there's hope: apparently you are never too old. Or too out-of-shape. Hope is
good.

Previous Post
Next Post