Oh, we are in so much trouble!

Why? Well read on and I will tell you. But only after this. 

Lifecycles. 

Everyone and everything has one. Whether it be a person, a frog, a flower or even a fridge. All things are vulnerable to the ravages of time, waning years, overwork, love, reproduction. (And I am not just talking about me) Alright, well a fridge was perhaps a bad example I agree, but they do get recycled into new things useful. Now all I can imagine is lots of little fridges, the byproducts of fridge frenzies. But back to the point. Which is this. 

Here in Costa Rica, lifecycles are far more transparent than I have ever witnessed anywhere else. Then again I haven’t spent this much time anywhere else except for England. Maybe a few trips to far flung places. But never for this long. So my comparison may be a little limited. 

Here you see all that nature miraculously procures, vivid rainbow colors appear and disappear within the blink of an eye. One brightly colored flora pops up and then,almost immediately it’s gone. Its cycle begins again giving way to another’s. Many is the time we have driven our own short road and noticed a radiantly pink and beautiful flower. The next day or two and it’s gone. Another in its place. Nature here is truly wondrous. And that is just the plants. Which tend to grow at an astronomical rate. You can almost hear them! We cut down a gmelina tree, only its stump left above ground. Within what seems like hours it grows shoots three feet long! Now I have to get the excavator and dig it all out. A mammoth task. 

Then there are the amphibians. They tend to congregate and croak their rather unmelodious love calls around every swimming pool here. Hardly surprising since there is usually no water at this time. Pools are a blessing for them and they seem to rather enjoy the romantic sojourns every night. In the morning there is the evidence of a nightlong amphibious sex fest. Spawn everywhere, clogging up the filters, and carnage around the pool. The local herons have discovered just where to find these tastiest of froggy morsels whilst distractedly exuberating their libidos. Poor souls. But at least they left the spawn to live another day. And that’s how it goes here. Life and death coexist in harmony.

Then there is the mammalian fraternity. And goodness what a plethora of beasts one can witness here. Without the hustle and bustle of a town nearby and very little traffic the animal kingdom is still, as its title suggests, king. We sit on our terrace and watch troupes of howler monkeys as they pass by foraging for the most succulent leaves. Treetop acrobats. There is always a male or two, and younger ones learning the ropes (or vines) of what it is to be a howler monkey. Their calls are quite disturbing, if you hadn’t heard one before you’d likely be thinking there was a very big and very dangerous creature nearby. But their bark is far worse than their bite. Which they don’t. Contact with humankind is very rare indeed. They never leave the trees unless they absolutely need to. Unfortunately this is happening more and more as the best trees are cut down and their usual foraging routes are disrupted. These are majestic creatures, and when you see them up close they have incredibly expressive and individual faces. They look at us like we are bonkers (which we are) but they don’t pay us any regard. On they go, babies on backs, toddlers practicing their tree hopping and falling but always righting themselves at the last second. 

Noise, especially motor noises, we have learned is the stimulus for their howls. Either it resonates in a similar way to the call of another rival male or they are just telling it to stop the bloody racket. Either way it is a joy to hear because as long as they are here nature is in balance and all is right in the jungle. 

But enough of the romantic zoological drivel now. All I really need to say is that this place is a wondrous paradise.

So why are we in so much trouble?

Well, the other night we went for dinner at one of our favourite places. Mundo Milo. It’s where we first stayed in the area. Great food and a wonderful host and hostess. As soon as we arrived, Lieke, one of the hosts, asked us if we had any cats or dogs? Erm, “no?” we answered. Oh great then do you want to look after an orphaned squirrel? She has cats and they would probably eat a squirrel. Or at least mame it and play with it til it dies of a stress related heart attack. I am not a cat person as you can probably tell. 

Now, if you were to know Daniela, and I know that some of you do, you’d know that she adores anything fluffy and new. Like kittens for instance. Not children, they are definitely not fluffy and only, in her opinion, useful and reasonably enjoyable when they have a driving license. But she would so love to have a kitten! The problem is kittens grow into cats and that isn’t quite what she wants. I mean cats are fickle beings and we are just a hindrance to them. Daniela only really desires the first bit. When they get all hoity toity and independent like cats do she isn’t really interested. I have often wondered how I could provide an endless supply of the kitten bit but all I could come up with was a kitten rescue centre. Then you might have a deluge of kitten or a desert of none, who knows. Neither seemed appealing. So to be offered a squirrel seemed the ideal next best thing. We could look after it for a while and then it would be off and fending for itself. Making room for more squirrels. 

But let me tell you. It isn’t the next best, it is by far the best thing ever. This little bundle of joy has given both of us endless pleasure and we have only had it for a few days. It is the cutest little thing to watch and play with. It puts itself to bed in the bottom of the laundry basket at 5 and wakes up on the stroke of 6am peaking its head out with a yawn and ready for the next meal or activity. Which is always fruit or vegetables, cut lovingly into cute sized pieces by Daniela. Then he has a play, then another nap, then another play, a venture outside into the real world and back for more tidbits and coconut water before putting himself to bed at 5. I mean how ideal a pet is that?

But, we have a problem now. Of course we do. Squirrels have a lifecycle too but it is far too often cut short by many different creatures that enjoy the taste of this delicious rodent. (I can vouch for that having tried one once, it tasted of nuts funnily enough), especially snakes like the boa constrictor, common around these parts. Can you imagine letting him go out and fend for himself and he promptly gets swallowed by a ten foot boa or sniped from a tree by an eagle. Needless to say, Dani is very reluctant to let him stray too far, as am I, but he is a wild animal and ultimately he has to take his chances. We have to let go at some point I guess, I just hope he remembers us and comes back to visit. Of course we will need therapy and we are looking for someone in advance.

It is sad but true that I have been trying to think of ways to build a snake proof box he can nest in and set it in a tree nearby so that we can watch over him and maybe tuck him in from time to time. Oh dear we are in so much trouble, we will keep you posted. 

Any therapists among you?

Pura vida guys..