We woke up to another wonderful sunrise this morning, the clouds were molten metal colors and the sky a cool dark blue. The birds, as if appreciating the show) were going nuts in the trees outside our window and the curtains across that window were catching the light.

Despite the fact that nearly every single time we wake up before dawn we say "Wow, this is the most beautiful time of day here" and despite the fact that it is quiet and almost chilly (if you are accustomed to 85-95 degrees, 72 degrees is almost chilly!) it is still a challenge for us to get used to getting out of our comfortable bed at 5 in the morning. Certainly it is a lot easier if we have an early dinner and aren't out with friends until wee hours.

This weekend we had a little extra treat. Literally little. Our gardener is a great guy who drives four hours every now and then to go visit his mother in Monteverde to help her keep her house in order. He had mentioned to me a while ago that he was helping her repair her quail cage and I mentioned that it would be fun to have quail eggs. Apparently he remembered, and brought us a small bag full of the cutest little eggs. Not only are they cute, but darn tasty too! Though it does take four or five to get much in the way of breakfast.

As it turns out, quail are a great solution for home farmers as compared to chickens. Not only are they smaller (less space required) but a healthy little quail hen will produce up to 250 eggs per year and quail only need about 2 lbs of feed to make a pound of eggs, vs. chickens who need more like 3 lbs of feed for a pound of eggs. I'm all about efficiency. Best of all- quail don't crow. Nothing ruins a beautiful morning like some neighbor's crowing rooster, as far as I'm concerned.

Speaking of birds, on the drive back from Playa Grande today I stopped to watch a flock of cattle egrets soaring over a drying field of grass with verdant hills in the background. It was spectacular. Like with our fabulous sunrise, it is easy to forget about the natural beauty that we enjoy every day here in Tamarindo. With the economic slowdown that seems to be affecting just about everyone and everything in the world these days, I'm trying to remember to slow down a little bit myself and enjoy the sights/smells/sounds that don't cost me anything at all.

Backtracking a little here, I skipped over my trip to Grande for a nice bird segue but now I'm going to Tarantino it just a little and go back.

I drove out to Playa Grande to look at a house for some clients. I don't make it out to Grande much, despite it being a short drive and a beautiful area. The house that I went to see is really lovely; a great combination of old-style Tico building mixed with some modern touches. It used to be a little two bedroom weekend house, but is now a 4 bedroom 3.5 bath home with a spacious outdoor living area and nice indoor living room as well. The pool and yard are done very nicely with tropical plants and an inviting deck for lounging around the beautiful pool. It is nice to see a switch from the new construction in Tamarindo. Not that the new stuff isn't beautiful, it is, but often the older homes evoke a more authentic feel (for me) and I enjoy that. Asking price on this place is $595,000. The seller is moving back to his country of origin after enjoying several years here, so I would imagine that he is willing to negotiate. By all means, contact me if you want more information, my email at work is steve (at) bbcostarica com.

My trip to Grande was cut short a little by another client who arrived an hour early at my office. Fortunately my business partner got there quickly to help keep things moving along smoothly. We toured some cute condos with a nice view then called it a day.

I wrapped up enjoying another scenic rest (this property also for sale), chatting about this and that with a good friend, then headed home to enjoy a quiet evening... looking forward to tomorrow's sunrise. All in all, a very pleasant Sunday.

Labels: photo, real estate, sunset, tamarindo