it was hard work, but finally elias perfected the fine art of levitation;
























 

we have been swimming most of these days. today we actually went down the mountain to our usual dry season swim spot - needed to arrive early and keep an eye on the cloud cover uphill, ready to make a break for at the first sign of rain upstream, as wet season can bring dangerous flash floods.

took the two dogs. VERY happy swimmers!

 there was an ENORMOUS rock fallen in the middle of the road, we had to dig into the embankment to get past it - very exciting 4 wheel drive adventure of the type all love - but poor stressed out Lily. we sent her off with Bela to walk down the road so she didn't have to watch the scary angle Wil had the car on in navigating his way past THE ROCK

anyway, as usual i am behind with the photos, so i tell you about today's trip, but the photos are from the new swim spot we found that i talked about in my last post - actually the same river, but up the mountain from here, not down it - much more mountainous and closer to the source. equally beautiful but in a different way.

 


wilson and the land rover



downstream the river runs through cattle farming country. our stream, up here, it's coffee plantations, and more and more the land is being let go back to jungle.




just ridiculously perfectly beautiful, crytalline fresh clean water, perfect sandy floors, nothing scary to stand on - not even very cold!




















more later!

poor children grow wild with such an oft-time absent mother



elias grows more manly by the day. with cousin Anita




traditional costa rican peasant wear and traditional costa rican coffee field pose


bela is in the rebellious phase

our little jungle Lily
turned 10
last saturday

 

i wonder how worth it it is

is it?

so much working working working

how many lives am I touching and changing

how much am i a cog caught in a machine

the cog goes in bravely and boldly claiming its place 

thinking to forge out a better space, a grander fate

but instead is smashed into subservience

by the perpetual shunting interchange 

of teeth and teeth and teeth and teeth

is this what i signed up for?

is it?
(the whole machine, each seperate part
asks this secretly of itself

and dreams of doing more . . .)

*



(it is exam week, both for our students and even my teachers who have had to undergo assessment of their English level.
ever a time for existential crisis for an educator, when the suffering souls we have been attempting to nourish and nurture are summed up and branded with some uncaring number. and that's it. til next set of exams.)