Moving to Costa Rica VI
An Iguana Ate My Blackberries
I’m in Costa Rica now!
My story of my life is written in the gardens I’ve cultivated. I’ve planted and harvested productive vegetable gardens in half a dozen states in the US, plus a small one in England, and helped my father over decades with his veggie plots in Germany and France.
Every climate has had its issues, whether with soil, climate, weather, or bad bugs that devour precious produce. There have been potato bugs, cabbage moths, cutworms, and aphids. In my backyard garden in La Jolla, I corralled a tomato hornworm so huge I could have thrown a saddle on his back. In the Pacific Northwest, grazing deer were stopped by a surrounding fence, but robber rabbits, caught in the act by my critter cam, continued munching bean and pea sprouts until every minute opening could be plugged.
I have a feeling that starting a garden here in Costa Rica is going to present an entirely new set of surprises and challenges.
But first, I have to buy a house
And that’s another story entirely. I’ve found a wonderful place in the country, but not too remote, with a greenhouse, chicken coop, three bedrooms and part of a kitchen. Stay tuned for more on this. Move-in date is early November.
The current owner was proud to show off his garden, fruit trees, ginger plants, and greenhouse full of veggies. His only caution to me was—not about the boa constrictor I saw crawling through the underbrush, not tomato hornworms the size of Texas—that I must pick the blackberries early or the iguanas will eat them all.
Only in Costa Rica.
Meanwhile…
I’m renting an adorable cabina above a wildly boulder-full river where a couple of cormorants sun themselves every morning.
It’s quiet here, except for the roar of the river and an occasional dog barking. I often write while semi-reclined on the sofa with the front door open to catch the afternoon breezes and a view of colorful plant life just beyond.
Despite all the peace and quiet, it’s still difficult to accomplish anything with all the distractions Costa Rica has to offer. But today, having digested the Sunday New York Times, including the crossword puzzle, my calendar is clear, and it’s a perfect day for writing.
Or is it?
Just now, for example, a couple of sex-crazed hummingbirds flew right into my living room, buzzed around my head, then up the stairway as they realized they were in the presence of a deadly human. I grabbed a broom to help guide them back to the open door. One, the male, tried to fly through the screen and got his beak stuck in the mesh. I gently extracted him and took him outside.
The female (“De woman she is smarter in every way…”) was another challenge. Ultimately I was able to persuade her to fly downstairs, where she spotted the open door and escaped.
Back to writing
A few words later, one of my friend’s golden retrievers (supposedly the smarter one) went hysterical over something just beyond the fence and down the ravine by the river. Maybe an iguana, maybe a snake, who knows what it was, but I had to tie her up in the carport to prevent her from breaking through and landing in the rocky river about 20 feet below.
She’s madder than a wet hen right now.
Speaking of wet hens…
On my way back to the cabin, I startled a small chicken, apparently lost, probably belonging to one of the neighbors. If either of the dogs found her, I feared there would be feathers and guts everywhere. So the next half hour was spent creeping through the vines and plantings trying to shoo her back over or through the fence to safety.
My feet are now muddy and disgusting, and I’ll have to shower before I crawl back into my writing nest.
Time for lunch and a nap
And maybe I can write tomorrow.
Estamos en Costa Rica ahora!
Thanks for joining me on this mad journey! Much more to come. :D