I'm home, I'm home, I'm home!

Where do I start. I met a few people while waiting in line in Houston who were visiting for the first time and when they found out I live here they started asking me questions. I loved it because I could answer them. I also used my travel knowledge to help the people near me with their immigration forms. The crew was doing a poor job of helping with the questions and were really giving people the wrong answers. Again in the immigration line and in baggage claim there were questions. A young couple wanted to know if I could give them an idea of the value of their colones and what they needed with the customs forms since no one had taken them. I explained they still had to go thru customs and have their luggage scanned and then head outside. I was going to have Jose help them with a taxi but their luggage came fast and mine took forever. Another young man was a great help with putting my two heavy bags - 48 and 51 pounds on the cart and he helped me again at customs. Jose, of course, was waiting outside for me. It took about 45 minutes from the time we landed. I was in row 5 and on the aisle so I got off fast and had no trouble in immigration. The official didn't even ask when I was leaving, just gave me 90 days. I do have a ticket to leave, just in case, and I will use it towards my trip in October to California and Heather's.

Jose gave me some news on the way home - the kids are back in their school so it is just Tia and me at La Quinta. I have to say I have mixed feelings. I don't want to live in the middle of a daycare center but it wasn't unbearable.

The first thing I noticed when I got home was things in my planters had grown like mad. It seems to be mainly the herbs which I had cut back before I left. It's lucky I couldn't see because it was dark that the weeds had grown as much as the plants. This morning when I went out to check everything I ended up spending an hour pulling weeds. The ground is very wet as it is rainy season so everything pulled up easily. I will do more tomorrow. I also pulled all the carrots. The biggest is about 2 inches so I don't think I will be a carrot farmer - especially purple carrots. My corn seeds did make it thru so I will try that next. I decided, since things grow in my pots and around the soccer field, there is something wrong with the ground in my vegetable garden area. Jose says maybe little worms. He is going to talk to Gerardo to see what we can use to treat it before I try planting anything else there. I had moved all my smaller plants there so they would get water without someone having to water them. I noticed there are a few new ones mixed in, including a giant orchid. Last year there were surprise new plants also.

My house was spotless (Ana had cleaned for me just before I returned) which was so nice. No bug pile up. 

This morning I heard Gerardo feeding the dogs and I greeted him. He came to the house and gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. I booked the upstairs apartment for Heather and Kent for December and told him I would take my rent for the year to the appliance store today. I also saw Ana and Tia this morning. Ana was in long sleeves and an insulated vest and saying how cold it is. I am in shorts and thinking how wonderful it is compared to the heat of Texas. 

I have to make a stop at the Super to get some staples. I got rid of everything perishable so I don't have milk or bread or fruit. For breakfast I managed crackers with peanut butter. Now down here crackers don't stay fresh even if they are in unopened packages so let's say I had cracker pieces and peanut butter. And iced tea as I don't have milk for my coffee. I will pick it all up when I pay my rent. For now I am enjoying my front porch. I do have all my unpacking to do.

The guayaba and cas trees are empty but the avocados are getting very big and there is new fruit on the mandarina tree and the orange and sweet lemon trees. Bananas on the trees also.

I woke up to rain but the sun is shining now. It is a beautiful day in Orosi!

My view out my bedroom window at Bernadette's.

Lunch at the Grist Mill in Gruene, Texas. 

Adriana brought me a pink cowgirl hat when I arrived and took a great picture but I haven't been able to download it and post it here. This is when I left yesterday.

See how tall my herbs are!