Favorite Time of Year, Reforestation

I think this is my favorite time of year in Costa Rica. We are receiving anywhere from a short sprinkle to a few hours of rain almost daily. The welcomed moisture is making everything greener. Trees that lost their leaves during the dry season are now budding new leaves and several types are flowering. I catch drifts of different floral fragrances throughout the day. Many trees and plants are also producing fruit. Food and water is more abundant for the birds so we see many more around the house. The toucans enjoy eating the red berries from the strangler fig trees and hummingbirds dart around drinking nectar from all the flowers. 

There seemed to be more strong winds this past dry season than the year before. During many of my walks I investigated the different leaves and seeds that collected on the ground. This year I decided to stop gathering tree seeds to germinate and plant on the property. We have already planted several hundred native hardwood and softwood trees and in reality could keep planting for several more years until the property is completely reforested. Reforestation isn’t just as easy as planting the tree, it needs to be maintained for several years in order to be sure it grows enough to be able to compete with the pasture grass it will one day replace. I have 40 more cedar trees that are ready to plant and then I think that will be it, for now…

We continue to remain patient for our house to be finished. No one has worked on it for two weeks. I’m hopeful work will resume sometime this week. Meanwhile, I have been hanging out in our new house and on the patio, enjoying the lovely breeze and beautiful views. It’s such a contrast from the small space we have been living in and more in line with what I imagined it would be like to live here.