I’ve been thoroughly uninspired to write anything lately. I don’t know if it’s a side effect of the shoulder surgery or just a basic lack of motivation. But upon finding a crocodile in the pool the other night, I felt compelled to post some photos. We visited California for a month to get the shoulder straightened out and see the family. It’s been a long recovery but I’m slowly seeing some progress.

We’ve been back at Casa Playa Blanca enjoying the rain and thunder. The casa has the usual cast of animal kingdom characters – frogs, bugs, stealthy raccoons and assorted varmints. We are enjoying the pool and I’ve gotten up to twenty minutes of swimming laps along with my regular rehab exercises. We even got out in the churning ocean and body surfed a few waves yesterday.

We head into Tamarindo every so often for specialty groceries and to hit the larger AA meetings in the little club by the surf shop. It’s good to get out of the house once in a while to see what the rest of the world is up to. PJ has gotten us inspired to try our hand at art projects, mostly using things that we find on the beach during our walks.

A house is getting built directly across the street from us. I’m not sure why, but a large troop of howlers monkeys have found this attractive and have taken up residence in a large tree at the edge of the property. We watch them out of our bedroom window and are wakened by their calls in the morning. Then the workers show up and drive them off and rouse us out of bed with their construction noises. But like clockwork, the monkeys come back in the afternoon and take up their seats, giving every passing motorcycle a piece of their mind.

Things are quiet and life is good. Most of the tourists have fled the rain and mud. The waves have been pretty messy so not many surfers. A number of hotels and restaurants have shuttered their doors for the season. Family members have been asking for an update so here it is. Been dusting off the camera so hopefully more photos coming soon.