Each morning since we've arrived in Costa Rica I sit in my rocking chair in the 1st floor living room and look out at Lake Arenal. Several of those mornings have been cloudy, the sun coming out later in the day. But two days ago the morning dawned clear and I could see the volcano Arenal at the east end of the lake sending up a plume of blue smoke that drifted across the deepening pink of the morning sky.
I love the early mornings here; the air is filled with the sound of bird songs and monkeys' howling, all around me is the lush green of the tropics. It's peaceful and I feel incredibly grateful to be at home here. But not all is idyllic. We arrived to find that the front door we'd installed just before leaving last year had swelled so much with the rains that it could no longer be closed. And a broken pipe in the (concrete) wall was causing water to pool in what will be the master bathroom on the main floor.
Plus neither of our vehicles would start...the Trooper just needed a new battery, but Richard is still trying to figure out what's wrong with the little Ford pickup. So our first week was spent working on the presenting problems, next week we hope to get to work on the actual construction that's required to finish the house.
The whole main (second) floor has yet to be done: interior walls need to be constructed, the bathroom and kitchen put in, the ceiling installed, etc. etc. There's no lack of work. Unfortunately I injured my back somehow in our first days here (it might have been lugging the suitcases that were crammed with the various things I can't get down here - including a kitchen sink!) So my abilities are fairly restricted at the moment. However I have great faith in my body's ability to heal itself. I'm a bit better each day and trust that I will soon be back to working on the many projects that await me.
I look forward to getting the main floor finished so that we will be able to entertain guests. We will have lovely guest accommodations in the quarters we're currently inhabiting. I'll keep you all posted on our progress - and will take booking reservations at any time!