Whose Line Is It, Anyway? #1LinerWed Badge Contest

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“Hey, whose line is it anyway?”

 

While many things brought me great pleasure in our months of living in Costa Rica, I have to admit that none could elicit a joyful thrill in my soul as much as my little Monotiti buddies showing up. In our little ‘jungle house’ they passed through every morning and every afternoon on their way to the beaches in search of food, fun and fooling around before the trek back to refuge of the jungle.

I have taken dozens and dozens of photos of these beautifully rambunctious and loving animals, mesmerized by their keen attention, their habitual nature and sharp memeory, and their very strong sense of community and affection.

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Palm fruits were down on the list but often what remained to eat

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Resting on my porch railing

I have enjoyed sharing one of our monkey pals with everyone over the past year as part of the #OneLinerWed prompt from dear Linda Hill. I decided to join the badge contest again and turned once more to my little friends in paradise, who always seemed to be ‘hanging on the line’ for one reason or another. The image at the top is my submission this year. If you aren’t weary of cuteness, then please vote for my pals. Just scurry over to the link above for Linda’s poll on Monday June 10th to vote! (Pssst…that’s tomorrow) You’ll see a lot of great entries too.

They would love the attention!

Pura Vida!

A World of Life in One Country/Costa Rica

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Imagine a land of bio diversity, a relatively small country that has an enormous variety of wildlife due to its neotropical climate and varying habitats. This peaceful, ecologically responsible land is home to more than 500,000 species, respresenting nearly 4% of the total species estimated worldwide. It is one of the 20 countries with the highest biodiversity in  the world. Of these species, a little more than 300,000 are insects.

The fact that, along with Panama Costa Rica formed a bridge between North and South America around three to five million years ago allowed the very different flora and fauna of the two continents to mix.

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From the magic of washed up trees on a beach in Domincal, Nature’s gallery of artistic perfection-random and beautiful-to the most minute eco system warriors that might go unnoticed if not for my viewing life through the zoom lens of a Nikon camera-my constant companion when we lived there.

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Flag Footed bug loves feeding on passion flower vines

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Leaf cutter ants, one of 47 species of leaf-chewing ants and can carry 20 times their body weight.

We discovered hundreds of leaf cutter ants right next to the beach, which extends from the jungle that borders the volcanic mountains of Costa Rica. Just look at the bio diversity in that last sentence!

 

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From the rich colors of dozens of birds we saw every day..

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To my friends, the iguanas and lizards that graced our doorstep with their presence daily, waiting for a few bread crumbs and a chance to be immortalized on digital memory!

Every day was filled with such diversity, often without leaving my front porch. I loved hanging out with the fun, freaky, fantastic family of nature in the land of Pura Vida.

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Nature is constant. So must we nurture it, accept its presence and necessity in our lives and embrace all that the world has to offer.  We were blessed to have known even a brief adventure in this paradise.

Stay tuned….

Yes, We Have No Bananas! #1 Liner Wednesday

“Hey, Camera Lady! I heard you have bananas.”

 

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“I saw you bring them inside, you know in that plastic bag.”

 

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“Please, oh paleeease gimme one. Yes? Wait, I’ll be right back!”

 

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“I hope you don’t mind that I brought a few friends. Now it’s a partyyyy!”

 

These beautiful squirrel monkeys, or ‘monotitis’,  visited our little home during our first ‘life in Costa Rica’ most every morning and afternoon on their way to and from the beaches. This was my porch. It is really heartwarming when you learn to recognize each one by their distinguishing marks. I really miss these guys.

I am so proud to be sharing their images with you. In honor of the new badge, I wanted to share some more of my photos with you guys for Linda Hill’s #1 Liner Wednesday weekly event. Visit her blog for more great posts.

Sorry for being early but tomorrow promises to be a busy one! Happy Wednesday.