A trip to the hardware store. . .

Is not something that most folks think of for their trip to Costa Rica. Then again, where can you buy an instant-hot-water-on-demand shower head?

Yep, right here in Costa Rica. After coffee and Lizano sauce (a zesty, worceister sauce that the Ticos put on everything), the shower heads (and kitchen faucet heads) are the second-most popluar thing for touristst to take back home.

The shower heads come in 110- and 220-volt pieces and we always recommend that folks buy a couple of extra filaments for when the pieces inevitably burn out back in North America.

It's a great piece to have for a hunting/fishing cabin up north, and is only topped by machete sales (believe that or not).

This was something new. . .

We just had some guests who own a B&B on Tybee Island, Ga. Very nice and gracious folks and were ideal guests.

On the first day here, the matron of the family kept the ladies here at the hotel up top until the tree house was cleaned to her specifications. That lasted for about 2 minutes before she realized that the people we work with do their jobs extremely well.

The art and editorital department may be the "face" of the hotel for most of the time, but is really the people that work here that win the day.

An agouti, with the baby, just to the right. . .

This picture is from Seidy, an intern (and rising fast) in the art department. Off to the right is a baby agouti, which can fit into the palm of your hand.

Granted, the baby is hard to see, though it is also hard to capture a picture of the little ones.

A machete??!!

Yep, that is what Rolando and Efren sport when walking around the grounds at night.

Believe it or not, that is the common hardware for folks in Costa Rica. If they are wearing a hockey mask, then it's time to bolt.

That is not the case here; and Rolando and Efren have great eyes for finding wildlife (sloths, red-eyed tree frogs, other frogs, etc.) on the nightly hike around the grounds here.

Can you see everything in one night? Nope; it is completely a luck of the draw in what you will see here. Which is why we encourage folks to go out as many nights they are staying with us.

Speaking of candy. . .

Apologies for the picture, it didn't come from the art department (though that attribution--if disclosed publicly--will cost the editorial department dearly).

We are off to a wedding in Madison of Matt Eidson, which will take place on June 27, 2015.

Hence, the blog will be dark for a while as we will be traveling and celebrating until early July.

If you can zoom in on the blurry pic, it will say Matt and Sarah, June 27, 2015.

Birthday time!

Our good friends, Palomino and his sons, invited us to their family's birthday party in Monterrey, Costa Rica.

We have been lucky enough to go to the party for the past three years, since Christopher was 4-years-old. We went again last week and enjoyed great times and fellowship with the folks. This year, Lucy participated in Pin-The-Nose-On-The-Clown.

Despite excellent guidance in English from the sole non-native Spanish speaker, the art department finished four out of four, with the nose about 4 feet from the target.

Afterward, it was time for the pinata. The little ones are blindfolded and they take massive swings at the paper-mache box that is loaded with candy and other treats. Keep in mind that only the kids are the ones that get to take a whack at the pinata.

However, once the pinata has been breached, it is every man, woman and child for themselves. Picture 200 tootsie rolls, juju-bees, milk-duds, etc.  and 50 folks from age 7 to 70 diving in a rugby scum for candy. Truly a great spectacle that needs to be seen first-hand.

Do not even think of asking for a piece of the candy from someone coming out under the scrum, either.

Not everyrthing is big and scary

in the jungle. Take this moth. It's fairly large, and was snapped by Seidy.

However, in its early genesis, this critter packs a bit of a wallop.

Believe it or not, caterpillars in Costa Rica carry a poweful sting before they morph into the pretty creatures that are pictured here and in other mediums.

Where's Waldo?

Or us. We are in Santa Clara, Costa Rica. There are at least five Santa Claras in Costa Rica (even more towns named Los Angeles).

This map now hangs at the office so we can direct visitors to their next destination.

We are near Fortuna and the Arenal Volcano and Lake Arenal.

This could help the four of you on the fence that may visit to kick you to our way!

For those

Who haven't been here and wondered about the scale of the previous pictures, this is what a young armadillo looks like in the palm of an adult's hand.

In the wild, these critters live to be about 4 to 5 years old. In captivity, they can live to 14 or more years.

Very cool. . .

This is why we really enjoy living where we do. Little critters like this always means something new pretty much every day.

These critters can get to be about 15 to 20 pounds and are great diggers. This little one still needs mom's milk for another two months. After that, they will dig, burrow and scurry around for grubs, bugs and some green stuff.

This was just great. . .

This little lady was found wandering aimlessly on the trail by Miguel and Efren. Armadillos can't see too well, and rely on smell for navigation.

This lass had wandered from her mother and the rest of the family when they found her. They brought her to the office and after a few quick pictures, she was whisked off to the Wildlife Rescue Center.

She had an affinity for the tootsies of the editorial department, which was mystifying to everyone. Her shell was just starting to get a bit hard on her back, and the vet at the rescue center figured she was about 2 weeks old.

More pics to come.

Cute little critter. . .

Though you don't want to hold it. It is the Blue-Jean Frog, or Strawberry Poison Dart Frog. Not much bigger than a fingernail, they do secret toxins when they come into contact with other things in the jungle.

They are somewhat easy to spot, as they do stand out from the rest of the jungle.