first posting

I watched a sunrise the other morning with my nearly 5 year old. That is, I saw the sun just before it rose over the top of the mountain, and then I saw it after it was fully up. In those few minutes of rising, I was dealing with an "emergency." Perhaps a new cup of coffee, a childish dealing. No se! I don't remember. I do remember that we haven't seen the sun much since then. Instead we have watched the rain. And darting between raindrops are a variety of hummingbirds fighting out supremacy over the flowers and feeders. It gets a bit like the Battle of Britain when we're sitting on the deck and they're flying--that word seems too slow--over our heads.

We have the Latin American climbing champion here today grading the climbs in the indoor climbing gym. He and some friends of his will be inspiring to watch.


We attended our first AGM Sunday. All in Spanish. Mostly Gringos so their Spanish wasn't bad to understand. However, our Tica director speaks fast at the best of times....this wasn't a best of time. It sounded something like the hummingbirds divebombing each other. Except musical. Among other things we discussed the state of our camp bridge. It collapsed 2 weeks ago. It is the only way to get across to the main part of the camp. Unless you have a big heavy car that can drive through the swollen river (rainy season.) That means every weekend 60 people get to carry all their stuff across and up to the lodge, the food gets wheelbarrowed each week by a previously-happy-now-grumpy cook. Makes life exciting.

My boys are nearly out of school for the day. It's nearing the end of the school year so exam time is coming up. As a result, each of the kids will have days off here and there since they're not a part of the exam schedule. They're oyentos (not sure of spelling) or auditors. They're not convinced of the fact but are beginning to understand more of the Spanish around them.