TICO TALES

The Dog Days of Pura Vida

When you can’t get a damn thing done

Gorda, the resident stray at Los Gatos Locos, photo by author, who feels just like this right now, only not as fat.

Ah, the dog days of summer, when the grass is roasted dead, and my productivity takes a sweaty vacation with a warm brownie. The oppressive heat turns what’s left of my brain into green slime, while my to-do lists engorge, lengthen, and explode all over my desk. And alas, any remaining motivation takes a nap under a ceiling fan until things cool off a bit.

But here in Costa Rica, it’s our “winter,” where the temperatures are generally cooler, with a freshening breeze and gentle rains every evening. Yes, it’s still hot, sticky, and sweaty, but it’s not just the heat and humidity that have done me in this day.

Morning

I look forward every morning to my 5:00 AM cup of delicious, organic Costa Rican coffee, grown and roasted by my friend Pablo in San Rafael Norte. What could possibly go wrong when a day starts out with exotic birds singing outside your bedroom window, bright cerulean skies, and a cup of this precious nectar?

After a quick perusal of the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Seattle Times (mainly for the funnies and the Horsey editorial cartoons), the NYT sudoku puzzle is my excuse for staying in bed with my cuppa for just a little longer. It’s a delicious hour, all to myself.