Close Your Mouth

When ever I see people chewing gum with their mouth open I want to say, "Close your mouth or you'll attract flies"  Oh, how I wish one would fly in.  That would certainly be a new gum flavor.  Yuck!

Well, sometimes an open mouth is a good thing.  Like in this lucky capture.  Most birds would love to just open their beek and have nature do the rest.  But this hummer would probably prefer something sweet. 

I just love these photos taken in Fortuna, Costa Rica. That's why I'm re-posting my sedate hummer for the 100 post celebration over at Wild Bird Wednesday  Stewart M. is a major bird watcher in Australia.  And he's posting some of his old favorites this week.  It was fun to hit my WBW labels and see all the bird posts I've shared so far.  It was hard to pick a favorite.  We've traveled to some amazing places to bird watch.  But then again I've captured some beautiful Minnesota birds as well.

Hotel el Silencio del Campo

This is where the hummer shots were taken.  At the base of Arenal Volcano.  It is no surprise to take a magical photo in paradise.  I'd love to stroll this side walk again!  

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Ometepe Island

Ometepe.  What can I say.  It is a very special place.  They even filmed a season of the T.V. show Survivor here.  Here is the low down on this exotic island off the coast of Nicaragua. 

 Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains. It is the largest island in Lake Nicaraguaas well as the largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world.

The two volcanoes of Concepción and Maderas are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass. Ometepe has an area of 276 km². It is 31 km long and 5 to 10 km wide.^[1] The island has an economy based on livestock,agriculture, and tourism. Plantains are the major crop.

We stayed on the beach in Santa Domingo. And the walk we took on this day spoiled us for all other beach walks. Why?  Because of the view.  The top photo was taken while heading down the beach towards Maderas Volcano.  

Something old.

Local cowboys heading down the beach with a couple calves.  Not your normal beach sighting!  Ometepe is not your normal island.

Two local horses were out on their own.  Frolicking and rolling in the waves.  It was a wonderful sight.

Birds were hard at work though.  Catching a meal.

An egret.

A creepy vulture cleaning up the beach.  Everyone has a job to do.  Except us!  We were just on a photo safari.

Wow!  When you head back you get a double treat.  An excellent view of Concepcion Volcano.  Yup.  Just spoiled for life I say.  I'll spout off more Volcano information before I go...

Volcán Concepción, once named menstruation volcano; before the Spanish conquest; is the northwest half of the island. Concepción is a symmetrical cone, and is an active volcano (Baker, 2006). Concepción volcano rose in the early HoloceneEpoch and, through continual eruptions, now reaches an altitude of 1 610 m making Ometepe the world's highest lake island. Concepción is considered the most perfectly formed volcano cone in Central America. Although it went through a long quiet period, on December 8, 1880, Concepción came back to life. This eruption was extensive, and the volcano remained active for a year. More eruptions followed in 1883, 1889, 1902, 1907, and 1924. In 2005, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on theRichter scale occurred as a result of increasing pressure within the volcano. Cracks appeared on roads throughout the island and an advisory to leave the island was issued. This was the first minor eruption since 1999. The most recent eruption was in 2010 and though extremely violent, few of the inhabitants heeded the order from the government in Managua to evacuate the island.

The southeast half of the island consists of Volcán Maderas which has a crater lake and supports a diverse rainforest environment. Maderas also arose in the Holocene Epoch, and rises 1 394 m above sea level. It is considered extinct or dormant. A large lagoon formed in its crater was discovered on April 15, 1930, by the farmer Casimiro Murillo. It is mainly covered with coffee and tobacco plantations while the remainder is rain forest. Maderas Volcano is a perfect destination for theecotourist with a notable hike originating from Finca Magdalena.^[4] Much of this part of the island is now a nature reserve.

The volcanic ash has made the soil of this island extremely fertile, allowing continuous planting without fallowing. The volcanoes are visible from everywhere on the island, and life on Ometepe revolves closely around them. They also play an important part in the myths and legends of the island, which once served as an Indian burial ground

For more birds visit Wild Bird Wednesday  For one more photo of Ometepe beat feet over to Toemail!

 Plus, I've updated my website.  I changed the template and for better or worse my art is bigger and badder than ever.  Visit Sharon's Studio and let me know what you think.  And to see my newest illustrated recipe click Pick Pecans For Breakfast  Nate and Salli are having a fun new contest.  You'll be Glad you did!

Out with the old and in with the new...sniff.

I'm doing a little recycling this week.  I'm re-posting an old favorite for Wild Bird Wednesday  It is new to all those folks.  And I never get tired of re-visiting my first Costa Rica trip.  We'd been to Hawaii before.  So I thought, what could top that?  Well, Central America.  The birds and animals are so amazing.  It was the first time I'd seen so many species of Hummingbirds.  I have a monster one in this post.  And since this trip we've been to C.A. 7 times.  Maybe I should do a little more recycling.  But until then, check out a blast from the past... 

This happens every year.  And I'm certainly not complaining.  But it is still a very sad thing in this household.  My walls are not getting any bigger.  And when a new crop of travel photos emerges, I have to retire a few old memories.  We just got back from Belize, and now our very first trip to Costa Rica is on the chopping block. So I'm so glad I can share them once again with all of you.  This photo of Arenal Volcano still inspires awe.  I'll never forget my first glimpse of it in the distance.  I had never seen a cone shaped volcano like that before.  It is experiences like that which keep me completely sickened with the travel bug.  An unrelenting need to keep feeling that same sensation over and over again.  There is nothing like the thrill of a new adventure.  

A raccoon like Coati.  They are cute little beggers.

A parrot beauty shot.

Fortuna Waterfall.

Arenal Volcano as seen from the wonderful sidewalk at El Silencio Del Campo.  

A monster humming bird in the cloud forest of Monteverde.  They buzz around you like something out of Top Gun!

Manuel Antonio  (a.k.a.  Monkey Park)  A requisite tourist stop.  But still a beautiful beach and a must see.

Well, that's it.  Another grouping of travel photos fades into black.  But God willing there will never be an end to the turn over.