I enjoy my bug photos so much, that I feel compelled to share them.
           
Note the seriously japanese-robot style legs on this beastie! Actual size, by the way, is a little larger than my thumbnail, somewhere near the size of a U.S. quarter or a Costa Rican 10 colon coin (the aluminum one).

If anyone tells you that you look like the ass-end of a moth's wing... I submit that it is a compliment. (Unless you are electric-jazzy-blue-sparkle phobic)

Labels: Costa Rica, garden, photo

While pulling laundry from the line on account of rain, Jocelyn came across this little stunner. Not sure if it is a butterfly or a moth-- typically butterflies rest with their wings vertical, moths horizontal. But... moths are more typically 'hairy'.

Based on how disinclined it seemed to fly, I suspect that we have a freshly emerged moth that was drying its wings while thinking something akin to "Please don't eat me". It may also have been thinking "I blend in so well with this white tshirt", which is, of course, completely untrue and leads me to ask: Why on earth would a critter have such amazing markings?

Just another slice of beauty. Exactly the type of thing to keep in mind next time I'm stuck at the hardware store waiting an hour to find out that the stuff I custom-ordered was delivered wrong, again, and so I can't finish my simple roofing project.

Also the type of thing to consider when we get a few mozzie bites and consider the notion of spraying the yard. I think that a few itches are worth this incomparable living gem. Just need to build a couple of ponds/fountains with mosquito fish so we can enjoy the yard that much more.

Meanwhile, Caly seems to think by burying her snout in the rocks, she can somehow catch/wait-out the iguana that is probably on the other side of the pool munching our flowers. I suspect that there is a lesson in there somewhere, but fail to produce a pithy caption just now.

Labels: Costa Rica, dog, garden, photo

Steve's older brother and his wife and kids came for a visit. It was wonderful to have them here and I think it is safe to say that everyone had a good time together.

Because I backed up their photos prior to their departure, I've got a few highlights to share, in no particular order and without any particular agenda, here we go!

Nothing says "great start to a vacation" like an air conditioner failure!	A/C or no, the pool worked fine	I'm just as tall as my 13 year old neice, unless we both stand flat-footed :(	Austin was enthralled by the complete works of Calvin & Hobbes (thanks Ky!)
	Steve's first attempt at homemade pasta. His dough came out well, his ravioli looked a little like a poached egg, in a bad way. Isabelle is much more skilled in that arena.	Clue. Good fun for everyone. (Wine helps)	Marty rolls pasta
...wine helps...	Lazy Saturday, a little beach and surf in the morning... some darts in the afternoon	Such form! Such Grace (I lost)	Brave photographer
There was also a game of Scrabble	Breezy and shady	Austin throws well for his first time
Caly: keeping it real	everybody wins at Scrabble!	Sorting beach treasure

Labels: dog, family, food, house, photo, tamarindo, visitor, weather

For the last few weeks we've been noticing dry, wilted plants on the roadside, covered by dust. The same dust has been blasting pedestrians and coating various items in our lives. We expect that in March, but not in August. Well... the last few days seem to have corrected the unusual weather- we've had gentle to not-so-gentle storms nearly every afternoon since Sunday. Never a big fan of rainy days, even I can see that we needed the precipitation.


I've got bread in the oven and a book awaiting my attention. It isn't so bad.

Last night's storm made for a particularly ominous-looking sunset. The sort of thing that makes you enjoy having a dry place to get out of the weather.

Labels: bread, house, photo, sunset, tamarindo, weather

There are plenty of good ways to save fuel and electricity.

Buying a brand new car isn't one of them.

Sure, you could argue that higher mileage will "save the world". A more compelling argument is that newer vehicles tend to have lower tailpipe emissions, so even if they were on par with mileage, the exhaust gas is cleaner and "better".

But... that ignores two key sources of pollution.

1) You gotta make the new car. Yep. Believe it or not, auto manufacturing requires inputs of petroleum, electricity, and (gasp) toxins.

2) You gotta get rid of the "clunker". Recycling absorbs a portion of the wastes, but much of the old cars are bound for landfills or rust-heaps somewhere. Catch this: is is illegal to re-use the drivetrain!! Are you kidding? So the wreckers can't even pull parts off to keep them out of the landfill/smelter?

I don't have figures (yet?) on the embodied energy that is present in the average new car, but I'd love to know how many gallons of fuel/tons of CO2 are used/produced to make a new car.

Finally: the mileage figures are absurd. Under the current rules, someone driving a 19mpg sedan is NOT eligible to trade it in on a 30mpg economy car (at least, they get no voucher). But someone who drives a gas-guzzling 14mpg SUV can merrily purchase a new 18mpg SUV and get $3,500 in their pocket. Does that make sense?

I would be much more sympathetic to the legislation if it had some real gas-savings built in. How about: You can only earn the voucher if the car you are buying gets higher than the national average for new-car mileage? ie: you are part of the solution, not part of the problem. Or... how about an even better idea: If you buy a car that gets higher than 35mpg (combined), and trade in any other car, you get a voucher. Period. Then the dealer can scrap "old" cars for parts, and resell "efficient" vehicles.

Much easier legislation, and better for everyone.

Labels: 4wd, 4x4, news, sustainability