Costa Rica - Pura Vida

 

It is the morning of October 7, 2025. I am one day away from departure on a "Bucket List" (BL) adventure. I have always wanted to visit Costa Rica. Thanks to my friend, Foxfeather, I get to realize my dream. The best part is that I mostly didn't have to plan any of it. Fox is an expert at itinerary building, so I absolutely trust her skills.

It is 5 am as I write this. My wakeful schedule is off a bit having come off a work weekend. Yesterday after a short nap we went to the farm and brought back home my two bucks, Springer and Yodel, for Fall breeding, leading to Spring kids. I also dropped off my car for some maintenance while I'm away. Rich will be taking two weekends off from work, but will staycation at home. My BL adventure will not include him. He consoles his absence with the idea that the insects of that Central American country would probably eat him alive.

I sat outside for a little while in my hot tub. It is a clear night. A "Super Moon" rides high in the Western sky, at perigee, or closest approach, and currently full. Mostly the night is still. There is the muted crashes of thousands of rounded, dried cottonwood leaves, like so many cymbals, still clinging to the branches of the tree that looms large over our shed. The ever-present hum from I90 drops to its daily low, still present but not dominating the ear scape. Briefly, for a few tentative howls, a distant coyote calls out to its kin, and is answered.

The weather modulates, and has changed, and returned to a more moderate temperature, 40s to 60s. We had a few abnormal, uncomfortably high days into the mid 80s. Over the past week-and-a-half I have attempted to trap a passage hawk for this current hawking season, but of the four birds I caught, none met my size preferences. Also, the warm weather, to my mind, has stalled the migration. Hopefully, upon my return home, I'll have many birds on the move to choose from.   

I will be going technology dark, sort of, for this trip. I am bringing an older cell phone, and will endeavor to spend much more time in the real world, and shun the digital. I will be keeping a written journal, and may upload what I write later, upon my return.

I look forward to this adventure to begin.

Pura Vida!

(Pure Life! It is what all the Ticos* and Ticas* say in CR.)

*Ticos and Ticas are the way Costa Ricans refer to themselves.