#4 January 16th

Sixteen days into the new year. Two missions accomplished. Only 58 more to go.

I just returned from a ten day trip to Costa Rica and was worried that the list would be set aside and forgotten--perhaps a mini vacation from turning sixty this year? No, number 34--Identify 60 birds in Costa Rica or Peru needed to be checked so I began in earnest pursuit of birds as soon as we arrived. Naively I assumed this would be one of my easier goals. Alas, there are birds flying everywhere, however, to actually correctly identify them, I had to have a good bird book, binoculars, and a helper. My fellow birder, Roger, helped with pointing out the birds flying overhead or pouring over the books at night to make sure we had the correct identification.

When I identified ten, I thought it would be a never ending task. How do those birders do it? Birds simply do not sit still so I can see if they have white under the neck or certain color eyes. Slowly the numbers crept up as I searched the sky, trees, and even the sink for birds. Okay, the sink happened when a bird flew into our house. Did the bird god think I needed more help for identifying by letting this poor bird swoop down, misjudge, and crash stunned in our kitchen? I had plenty of time to scrutinize this specimen which turned out to be a clay colored robin--very common in CR.

With my own identification combined with a hike and a kayak ride with guides to add to my list, I flew over my sixty mark. Hurrah!

A few more milestones:

1. New words--exculpate, descry, caliginous, divagate

2. Restaurants--Mitchell's, Isla, Carolina's, Delfino, Pearl of Osa, Eeya

3. Read The ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers published in 1951

4. New foods and drinks--Imperial beer, Carrot/orange juice/ coconut rice/ Teriaki sauce Mahi Mahi, Grilled Pineapple, Cortez rum, square bananas, sweet lemon, red pepper salad, paella milk cake

5. Donated 5 school supplies to Costa Rica

6. Donated one food item to food pantry

7. Hiked 5 times

8. Bought two postcards

9. Took 4 pictures of windows and doors

10. Flew 5643 miles--almost there!

11. Read 541 pages--Cutting for Stone