APOLOGIES FOR ALL THE TYPOS!

Somehow I haven't quite figured out how the spell check works on this blog site. After I think I have corrected my errors and post my blog, the misspells are still there. Have patience.

NOT QUITE RIPE YET

This is a photo of our Mango Tree behind the house. As you can see we have several large mangos in the making. Hopefully the will turn ripe and sweet before the birds didscover them, especially the larger birds, like toucans.

Sometime we take things for granted...In the tropics fruit is plentiful. But for all my "cold weather" friends...I will savor every mouthful.

Have you ever had mango pie?...It is delicous...just follow your apple pie recipe but add a liitle extra flour to the fruit as the mangos are particularly juicy.

FYI Costa Ricans also eat mangos while they are still green. They slice them up like apples and sprinkle them with salt. You will find vendors selling green mango slices at soccer games and on the highways.

Coconuts Anyone?

Every day is another adventure with these puppies. Today they managed to crack open a coconut and eat out the pulpy flesh. I caught a picture of Nelly at the end of the coconut. It takes alot of work to get to the bottom of the shell!

Today we had a beautiful rainstorm. It felt so good after such a long, hot summer. Soon the grass and everything will be green again. We are looking forward to that.

MY DOGGIE BAG

As I write this, my three baby girls are at the vet being neutered..is that the correct term for girl dogs? I am a very anxious mother....

The ride to the vet was very traumatic. Barfing and pooping from the bouncy car ride. And now no food for 24 hours. Hopefully all will go well.

This weekend a group is sponsoring a booth at the local fair to raise money for rescued dogs. They asked if I would like to make a donation for their raffle. So I sewed up this cute suede totebag. I like it!

"HONEY, WHAT'S FOR DINNER?"

Sergio got to do some real fishing the other day,and oh boy what a catch. He loves to fish but is usually happy to just get the line in the water. The other day he and 2 neighbors drove down to the coast and fished in a manly river.

Today is Easter Sunday and several people are coming over for a fish dinner. We wrapped the fish in banana leaves with butter, garlic, and herbs. The wrapped again in aluminum foil. Twenty minutes on the grill and they will be delicious.

I recently met a female artist from Canada who resides in Costa Rica half of the year. Her specialty is sculpture but she has recently been excited about textile arts. She has done some great pieces. She is a "free thinker" and just loves to mix fabrics with the unexpected. Last week we got together and tried some fabric dying. We dyed fabric with rusty nails, wires and old horseshoes. We printed with rubber stamps and fabric dyes. We just had a great time. She is helping me get "out of the box". My designs are always to rigid and symmetrical. It is great to have a new friend with similar interest...and the "all English" is great too!

Happy Easter to all of you.

WHAT'S THAT IN THE MANGO TREE?

Sorry that I have been a little lax in updating my blog. It just seems that with 4 dogs there is always something going on..like feeding...and feeding..and feeding...They eat everything..bananas, coconuts, guyabas, melon rinds, and even an occasional horse poop...YUKE! They are growing so quickly it is hard to believe that they are only 4 months old. You can see in the photo that they are almost twice the size of Snoopy by now.

Sorry that this is not a great photo of me but it is hard to get all 4 dogs in the same photo. The first 2 shots were x/rated as my blouse came unbuttoned in all the commotion.

The other day, much to my surprise, I found Snoopy up a Mango tree trying to get to a squirrel...who knew dogs could climb trees?

We are in the peak of the summer season so everything is hot, dry and brown. We are looking forward to the winter rains in May when everything will turn green again.

The other night the dogs were barking like crazy. Finally I got up off the sofa to see what was concerning them. We had about 12 cows that wandered into our yard to eat the grass. Good thing I got up to check.

That's all the news for now. Have a great day!

GROWING PUPPIES

My girls are growing up so fast. They each have their own personalities.

Mattie on the left is the largest in all her features. Her ears flop like an elephants when she runs, and then they get stuck inside out. I am thinking of having her ears pierced so that I could add some decorative weights. ((kidding!). Her face is square with a prominent jaw line, and her feet….oh my god, I am so glad that I do not have to buy shoes. Mattie’s personality is quiet and observant. She cocks her head left to right when you talk to her.

Nellie is in the middle. She is the lover of the group. She will put her paws on your lap, get nose to nose, and look you straight in the eye when you talk to her. She likes to cuddle and except for ruff-housing with her sisters she has a likeable personality.

Last, but not least, is Sasha on the right. She is the “diabla” of the group. She can’t sit still, doesn’t like to be picked up, refuses to come when called and instigates most of the trouble. She insists on bathing in their water bowl and continually makes a mess on the patio. But we love her as the others.

Snoopy has become much more accepting of the girls, but as they grow he starts to look older, shorter and chunkier. He is a big help to me when we all go for a walk. He knows the way and follows my commands. Snoopy plays the alpha dog and leads the pack.

Who knew that one day I would lay claim to be the caretaker to dogs, chickens, roosters, goats, and cows!! You never know where this life will lead you.