Where was I…ah yes, the Rodeo on the 28th. On to the next of our adventures (spanning January 29 – February 6)!

On Monday, January 29th we went for dinner at the local Italian place, La Dulce Vita, and on Monday nights they have live music! It was just a guy and his guitar, but it was a fun night surrounded by some of the new tourists. We’ve noticed an influx of Canadians and Midwestern Statesmen. It’s been fun to meet new people by the pool and there have even been a few kids for Noah to play with. While Noah and I agree, the “rainy season” offered us warmer water (in both the pool and ocean) and fewer people in general, the consistent sunny days are a nice change from the daily rain.

I’m continuing to home-school Noah and a fun part of our day is reading time. Both he and I get to sit and relax while reading. This is something that I enjoy, but also reminds me of spending summers with my Grandma. My love of literature was created and nurtured by her, weekly trips to the library were anticipated, and as a result I devour books. This is why reading will never be a “punishment” for Noah; like the old “go to your room and read” threat. I want him to enjoy it, not dread it. With this mentality, that reading is leisure and fun, he chooses to read most afternoons and is excited as he nears the end of a book.

Our excitement with local critters continues as well. Ken made a trip to the office on February 2nd and came in the condo in a rush. “Noah! Grab your camera! Get dressed! There’s an owl!!!” It turns out there was an owl at the base of a tree, relatively near the road, on his walk. He did take some pictures on his phone but rushed back to get Noah to show him. When they arrived back, there was a small crowd snapping pictures and trying to decide what to do. The little guy was close to the road, but also close to the sidewalks where people are with their pets. Ultimately, Ken (the animal rescue-er) ushered the owl onto the other side of a rock wall using a palm leaf.

When Ken and Noah returned with their slew of pictures, we tried to determine what type of owl this was. Based on its coloring and shape we decided on a Ferrunginous Pygmy Owl. He has since moved on, so we don’t think he was terribly hurt but had maybe fallen and was in shock. When we shared the story later with Jonathan, he told us he’s never even seen an owl. We just have all the luck!

As I mentioned, we’ve been able to meet some of the tourists, one of which was a family from Colorado. The mom and dad are both teachers, and their son Kratos is 6 like Noah. Both parents are significantly older than Ken and I, and after hearing about their teaching experience we can understand why they waited to start a family. Both were teachers abroad. Their list of countries included: South Africa, Japan, and Panama. There were more, but just those three are impressive enough! It was nice to chat and also nice to see Noah easily playing with his peer group.

During this time we also came across a snake in front of our condo. We’ve determined this to be a Road Guarder (Garter) Snake. He wriggles across our sidewalk from the brush on the other side of the fence to a hole under our cement steps. The first few times this happened, and before we identified him as nonvenomous, I was freaked out. But I reminded myself of all the Guarder (Garter) Snakes in Jersey (all those in the know remember the one from Kirsten’s wedding day…), and I decided this Mountain Girl can deal with him making his daily trek.

My increased mobility allowed us to take our family walks again, but I was still using my brace and limping noticeably.

One day, when we were in the office chatting with Jonathan and Anisley, they mentioned a physical therapist: Louis. I use the phrase physical therapist because he was introduced to me as simply a “masseuse” and he is SO much more.  For only $20 Louis came to our condo and essentially fixed my knee and ankle. I didn’t even know my knee was injured, to be honest, because my ankle was in so much pain, but in his initial evaluation he noticed right away that my knee was popping as I walked. This therapy or massage or whatever you want to call it was painful. I won’t lie. Adjusting tendons, fixing ligaments, and whatever else he was doing wasn’t easy. But when he left after an hour on Tuesday the 6th, I was able to walk painlessly up the stairs, outside, down the street, and into the office (unassisted) for the first time in a month. I’m not saying he’s a magician or miracle worker, but he’s pretty darn close.

With January over and February beginning, the three of us got back into our normal routine: school, pool, walks, nature, etc. But that was soon to be disrupted (in the best way possible), by a couple of visitors. These adventures to follow… For now, here are pictures from our excursions!

You’ll notice we have a lot of pictures of one Howler Monkey. We’ve determined he is a male, alone. We think he lost the fight of alpha-male and is an outcast. He lives in the trees right near our condo. It’s a bit sad seeing him alone, but amazing to see him up close!

Until next time!