Summer Is upon Us!!

Summer Is upon Us!!

As the weather in the States gets colder and colder, here is this guy talking about the “summer”! Ahhh, but alas, it is true! Here in Grecia, or more broadly speaking in Costa Rica, the summer months are upon us. It is quite simple, but those of us from the States, Canada, or any “4-season country” can easily get confused as our summers coincide with your winters and vice versa. This is why we get the onslaught of tourists from now to about June, when the tropical rainstorms begin. At this time, mid-November, we begin to see about 5 days out of the week where we have no rain at all, and we begin to see the change in flowers as well. We see hibiscus, poinsettias (see Cheryl standing beside them), bougainvilleas, amaryllis, and the list is way too long to even begin, but our seasons are marked by the onset of new flora and the “turning off or on” of the rain.

Summer is obviously the tourist season, so those of you who are blessed to visit Costa Rica this season should be sure to notice the flowers, bushes, and trees. I still visit a “vivero” (nursery) at least once a week as they invariably have something new that I have never seen before, and I almost always buy one of something, or two, or three!

Most of the plants we have are from cuttings we get from friends, which are obviously free, but the purchases from the nurseries are almost that same price. No sense in listing the costs; again you must see for yourself when you visit. Plan at least a day to walk in and out of the nurseries and see the tropical plants that grow much larger than “Texas-sized.” And the growth cycle here is also unbelievable. We recently trimmed our rose bushes, which had reached 5-6 feet in one season. Obviously, they were a bit spindly, but they produced beautiful roses and will come back even stronger when the rains come again and we get a whole new set of flowers to enjoy.

So much for the flowers and the beautiful lush changes – this is really a place where you have to stop and smell the roses. What about the beautiful weather we have every single day? I mean absolutely gorgeous days and perfect temperatures here in Grecia. I know there are some out there in readership land that have heard of Maui, Hawaii, but for a comparison you must consider Grecia, Costa Rica. The temperatures, the lush tropical setting, and the polite culture of Grecia – they are all, in my mind, better than those of Maui. No, it’s not just because everything here is cheaper, but because the people of Grecia do not have the Hawaiian resentment. It’s too hard to describe Grecia and the “surroundabouts,” so I send each of you my most cordial invitation to visit our paradise and see for yourself.

Until next post! PURA VIDA!!