Tropical Door 🚪 #Thursdaydoors

 Hi guys, 

As usual I have been in and out (no pun intended) of posting for the Doorscursions hosted by our good friend Dan Antion. Life for me lately has felt somewhat like a revolving door, stuck going round and round. Sometimes it seems like a manic funhouse, never knowing what you might see popping up around the next corner. Funhouses can be anything but fun if you don’t like surprises. Still, there are many placid, peaceful days as things settle into a more regular routine and we accomplish what needs to be done. 

I have some cool doors I photographed on my walks here which I will post eventually; but today I wanted to step back in time for a moment and share a door I may already have written about, although it was so long ago most of you wouldn’t have known me in that ‘life’. One of our tropical Central American lives was in Costa Rica, in 2014. It was a beautiful world and gave us a lifetime of wonderful memories and new friendships. 

There was so much in paradise to keep my mind, my eyes and my camera very busy! I am taking a moment now to share some gratuitous wildlife images with you as we step through that door to the past. 

This is me. With my best buddy snapping our reflection in the front glass door to the casa we lived in during our second trip to Costa Rica. Quepos was good to us! 

I had never seen, nor heard of, a Motmot bird before. We discovered this beauty while taking a random drive through the surrounding jungle

The photo below captures the drama that often shows up randomly when I view the microscopic world of blooms and bugs. It was a bit of bee on bug action!

The next beauty needs no introduction. A Rufus Hummingbird who allowed me to photograph for several long minutes while it feasted on nectar

There were a couple of spots to catch the parrots and parakeets, but I had to be quick! Seeing a flock dart overhead is always a delight. 

And speaking of tropical birds, these might be my all time favorite. From random moments of seeing them alongside the road while stuck behind traffic waiting for a work crew or animals crossing to stopping by the known places where they love to feed, each opportunity made my heart race. The Macaws are familial, playful and brilliant

Twinsies. His on the left, mine on the right. I miss Bavaria Light!

There was a wonderful place to photograph butterflies and bees called Baru Garden, attached to a rustic hotel/cabin venue. I spent hours there capturing the delicate beauty of these magical creatures. There was also a nice long hiking trail which ended up at a beach. 

Same butterfly, topside and underside. The owl butterfly uses its unique marking to ward off predators. 

She may look fearsome, but these banana spiders are Nature’s artists. The variety in Central America are quite large and breathtaking. I watched ‘Charlotte’ weaving her web over several days before she hatched some little ones. The web is also yellow and looks iridescent in the sunlight.

Okay, so if you have never had fresh coconut, well, you have never had good coconut! The water and the flesh of this often misunderstood treat are amazing. And to have a Tico hack one open at the beach and generously offer half of it to you is a true gift. 

We ran across this beautiful driftwood on the beaches of Dominical. But you dare not take any home. Costa Rica is very protective over the natural wood it produces. 

I took these photos in downtown Quepos while waiting for my hubs to conduct business with our landlord shortly after we arrived. These magnificent iguanas are all over Costa Rica. He was more than happy to allow me to get close, more interested in his treat than me. 

Prehistoric looking, yes? 

Well, that is it for now. I have hundreds of photos from our time in paradise. Maybe I can share more with you another day. Everyone have a great holiday weekend and be safe out there! 

Hugs!