I had a dream I was taking pictures of scarlet macaws in trees on our property. That morning I decided to take the camera along for our walk. Once I did spot a pair of macaws flying very high over our place but unfortunately they don’t stop here. About 60 years ago they lived in all parts of Costa Rica but now are limited to just a few places on both coasts. I didn’t see any macaws that morning but had a great walk none the less. The only bird photo opportunity I spotted was this group of vultures circling near one of the high points of our property. They nest in the rocky peaks of our property. Every morning they can be seen circling around this area as they gain altitude to catch currents to take them to their scavenging spots.
I didn’t see any unusual birds so I decided to photograph some interesting trees. I wanted to photograph this unusual Guarumo tree trunk for quite some time. This tree grew up between two branches of a neighboring tree. The Guarumo tree grew completely around a branch, on both sides of the tree.
I’m not sure what type of spiny trunk tree this is. There are several types that grow here.
Here is a close up of the leaves, flower buds and seed pods of the Guanacaste tree.
This is the Cornizuelo and probably the most dangerous spiny tree growing on our property. The spines are very sharp and also hollow. Stinging ants live inside the hollow spines. The ants protect the tree and feed from the sugary secretions on the leaf stalks. Simply brushing up against this tree is enough to make the ants fall to attack the intruder with their nasty bites.
The construction crew has been installing various fixtures, sinks, fans and gutters. Last week they began to erect the wood walls in the interior of the house. The walls in this picture are about two pieces away from reaching full height. We are going to watch how the wood adjusts to its new size, shape and home before applying the finish. The other night I was in our house turning on and off the various light switches. It’s starting to feel like a home.
