Where Trees Grow Stars

Where to begin? Bill and I are back in Costa Rica after a two and a half-year hiatus. Hawaii, Zihuatanejo, Arizona and Utah were great. But why did we wait so long to come back to Costa Rica? One day back at the casitas and it's like we never left, except that the landscaping has since filled in lushly around us to spite a drier than normal dry season.

Most up time I'm just walking around in a lazy daze of amazement staring at the fascinating creatures popping in and out of sight, mainly birds, bugs and lizards. Wandering around the property, I'm enthralled with the variety, colors and shapes to the foliage and flora.

That brings me to the subject of this post- Stars. Star fruit that is. I was walking in back of the casitas and I got so excited, We have a star fruit tree! It 's blooming and fruiting now.

The blossoms of the star fruit tree are pink.

The star fruit is unique, tropical and delectably edible.

Lot 1 at Solrisa near Dominical Costa Rica

It occurs to me that while I may not be in Costa Rica right now, Costa Rica is in my heart. So why not write about it?

We've been getting a few inquiries about our property for sale in Dominical. Maybe it's a sign that the economy is starting to recover. We can only hope so. Since we do have some beautiful lots with killer views, I thought it might be nice to share with you.

Lot 1 is one of my favorite lots. It's big. It's private. When we do sell it, I'm going to miss these vistas.

The Lobster and the Caretaker

Last Sunday, after returning from a day on the beach, Efrain, our caretaker, came to the casitas. He was carrying a gift of two fresh lobsters.



Oh, my. I can’t believe the windfall. I love lobster. Bill on the other hand feels that succulent subtleties of shellfish are wasted on him. The gift that he turned down, I was more than graciously willing to accept with gluttonous pleasure. There was only one problem. I don’t know how to cook lobster, so I ask Efrain how to cook it.

Yeah right. Ask a macho latin man how to cook. Obviously, he didn’t know how to cook it. Marlene, his wife, is the cook of the family. Rather than explain how to prepare the dish to the domestically incompetent gringa, he took the lobster back up to Marlene, and fifteen minutes later, my appetizer arrives hot at the door.



Who’s the dumb (well-fed) gringa now?

Seriously, we are very grateful for Marlene and Efrain’s hard work and generosity. They help make Solrisa a very special and friendly place. Marlene is a great traditional Costa Rican cook. I plan on working with her to come up with a limited menu that she can offer our guests at Solrisa. I can’t imagine anyone any not being thrilled with dinner brought to the door.