Paradise -- Reality

I just 'fascinate' myself! As old as I am, I still am somewhat surprised by life's rhythms-- especially the one in which the really meaningful events in our lives are almost always bittersweet. We're in our last 9 days of Costa Rica, and I want to be home for MANY reasons (children & grandchildren most of all), but I find myself in my usual pre-departure Blue Funk because there are so many things I will miss about Costa Rica-- namely the wonderful people we have met here. I didn't count on THAT close of an emotional bond with people here in such a short time! They have all been so giving, loving, and supportive-- and we so appreciate & revel in that. We will be very glad when Laura & Neil arrive on Friday so we can have some fun with them before we leave on the following Tuesday. Needless to say, there is a strong temptation to stay here because of the weather (75 degrees high today compared to 102 in Pleasanton!). :-0
Anyway, enough of the bittersweet stuff! Last week we stayed pretty close to home, with our friends Lynne & Ray and Keith, Sabina, & kids coming over to our casita for swimming and meals. We only had one UA (Unplanned Adventure), & it turned out fine.
Yesterday, we went to Else Kientzler Botanical Gardens about 20 miles from here and enjoyed some more of Costa Rica's natural beauty. A man built & named the garden for his mother, Else. Hint, hint: Roy??? The pix in this blog were taken there, but they hardly do justice to the place. I purchased a little container of orchid seedling-plants to bring home-- we'll see if I can grow them... Joni-- you get the first bloom if there are any! Then after that excursion, we had a 'small' UA, then ended up at Agua Azul restaurant for mid-afternoon lunch (had ribs, but they were not like we have 'um in Texas!). Beautiful mountaintop view from there... I forget, do we have mountains in Pleasanton, Texas??
We went to our adopted church this AM, and I have really enjoyed attending the ladies' "conversational prayer meeting & Bible study" on Wednesdays. You ladies out there will already
understand what that title means; men don't get it much!!
So let's see how successful I can be with these photos! Wish me luck--sorry I don't know the names of all (many) of these plants, and the zoom on my camera is broken, so the close-ups are not very close. Is that enough disclaimers??













































































































































Legend: (pix down the page). (I still have not conquered the text first, then pix or the text next to the picture technique!). If I 'accomplish' it, when I publish it, the text has gone to a different picture!)
1. Banana tree bloom
2. Rushing river below; does not rush during dry season
3. "A" scheffelera
4. Small, beautiful flower!
5. Larger, beautiful flower!
6. "A" fern
7. Unusual bromeliad
8. Bromeliad I'm used to
9. Ginger plant (cone stage)
10. Maybe another bromeliad
11. Orchids
12. Wild orchid
13. & 14. Cacti!-- amazing to us that these can totally flourish here with hundreds of inches
of rain. Central Texas cactus has nothing on these guys!! Huge!
15. Beautiful flowers on tree
Most of the flowers here are the same as the tropical plants we buy for pots & outdoor planting at home. BUT-- these are all houseplants on hormones! That's what happens with so much rain & sunshine. (I think the blog is still publishing as it wants to-- so just count the pictures to read the legend!). Don't worry-- I'll NEVER try to make a map!

Enough botanical wonders! See some of you in person soon!