North to Alaska

Portage Glacier, near the head of Turnagain Arm

To celebrate our fortieth anniversary (coming this November), we joined a dozen friends, from Lake County, Florida, and from Atlanta, for a two-week adventure safari through Alaska.

St. George dawn

Stormy morning

St. George Island, Franklin County, Florida

Where we are this week.

San Diego

Went west to celebrate family friend's wedding in San Diego. Great city, lots of fun.

Botanical Building, Balboa Park

Fountain, Balboa Park

George, on beach at Hotel del Coronado

Mermaid pose, beach at Del Mar

Sunset from wedding reception porch, La Jolla, CA

Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . .

We are remodeling our master bath back in Atlanta. We will update this post from time to time, as we complete the work.

Shower area is down to the studs.

Cabinets and wall mirror are gone.

Update, Tuesday, June 12:

Shower is finished, except for the valve plate and
handle, pipe and shower head, and glass enclosure.

Tub is finished except for the valve plate and handle, and tub spout.

Departure - 26 January - One can toucan!

Indeed, one can. Especially if one tells one's airport transport driver, Marcos, that one hasn't seen a toucan whilst in Costa Rica. In which event, Marcos most assuredly will spot a toucan in the trees on the downhill road between Monteverde and Las Juntas, and will pull over for a Kodak moment.

'Whaccha lookin' at, gringo? Never seen a toucan?'

Though strongly backlit, the yellow breast is slightly discernible

Las Juntas, Costa Rica, was a gold-mining town settled in the late 1800's. This monument, in the middle of a traffic rotary, memorializes the gold miners.

Our depature airport was outside Liberia. The new terminal provides a less-crowded alternative to San Jose's airport, and a convenient entry point to the Pacific coast resorts in Guanacaste province.

Awaiting Delta 356, gate 5: a round of Manipulation, anyone?

Monteverde - 25 January - Quetzals at Curi-Cancha!

We did a wildlife hike in the Curi-Cancha Preserve, a section of woods up the hill from the Quaker cheese factory in Monteverde. Our guide, Rafael, did an amazing job of finding small, elusive birds in a dense cloud-forest setting. Lots of photos follow the break, below; click on 'read more' to see them.

Monteverde - 24 January - Pura vida!

Sunset from our balcony

Coffee farm tour and canopy zip-line tours, today; pictures and video follow the break. (Click on Read more link, below.)

Monteverde - January 23

Wind-sculpted tree, from our balcony

 We went to Selvatura Park, where we visited the hummingbird garden, the butterfly exhibit, and the canopy bridges (a trail including eight suspension bridges over cloud forest canopies). Many more photos after the break.

Monteverde - 22 January

End of the cruise, back at Puerto Caldera

Room with a view, Hotel Belmar, Monteverde, Costa Rica;
Gulf of Nicoya in the distant background

Flowers, Hotel Belmar garden

Sunset from our balcony, Monteverde

Star Flyer - 21 January - Curu Preserve, Isla Tortugas

Capuchin (white-faced) monkey at Curu Preserve

"Where do I sign-up for the Wizard-of-Oz flying monkey troop?"

Lots of teeth

Saint Francis and the Pink Flamingo

Ginger plant bloom

Sunset, Isla Tortugas

Our cruise group: Nina, Sue, Don, Carol, Robert, George, Joan

Star Flyer - 20 January

Carol took this one, from one of the tenders

Star Flyer - 19 January

Bow, seen from the bowsprit net

Bowsprit net

Star Flyer - 18 January - Playa del Coco

Star Flyer, from Playa del Coco

We took a raft trip down the Rio Corobici in Guanacaste Province. It was a nature trip, offering the chance to observe Costa Rican flora and fauna, as we floated down the river.

Crocodile, Rio Corobici, Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

Sunset

Star Flyer - 17 January - Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

A dozen more photos follow the break . . .

Star Flyer - Sunday 15 January

Robert, George, Carol and Don, on board and ready to go

Sunset over the hills between the Gulf of Nicoya and the Pacific

Gator-aid . . . needed!

Some hat! Philip and Robert tailgating with the Guzzling Gator crowd
at the tragic 2011 Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville

Summerland Key

Sunset, August 9, 2011

Lobster pictures below the break.

Colorado Friends

George, Robert, Robin and Darold, Longmont

Taylor and Alan, his high-school math teacher

Colorado Cousins

Robert, George, Mary and Logan, Fort Collins

William and Taylor, Washington Park, Denver

Beth and sleepy William, Denver