The orange and lemon blossoms are out in full force. The air is so sweet, it makes you want to walk around with your mouth open. The lemon trees took a short break from production over the last month but they are loaded with blossoms and buds and soon, we will have fresh crop of the most delicious organic citrus!

While I was in the states, Dave and the crew revived the egg run in the Greenhouse. This is where trays of our fertilized trout eggs will develop into frye. They're kept in screened boxes, in constantly running, temperature monitored, fresh river water. Its a gravity driven system.
Development from egg to frye is a science.
​The ideal temperature for rainbow trout is 55 degrees F. The incubator trough has covers on it, to keep both creatures and sunlight out. If kept at this temp, we should see hatchlings in roughly three weeks.
Each hen is anticipated to release 2000 eggs per kilo of her own weight.

Our hens are ready to spawn. We keep them in our sediment ponds which is the first stop after the river. Several hens are trying to swim upstream to release their eggs. The males are right alongside them . The female's abdomens are obviously distended and they are ready to be 'milked'.
​This is the process where we apply a slight amount of pressure to the abdomen of the female so she will release the eggs. The males are then milked for the fertilization process.

Peter and Jo's hillside casita is almost complete!  There have been a few modifications to the plan recently, including the addition of an outdoor tub/shower. The view is phenominal and we are excited to have this addition to Hush Valley. Here are a few updated photos! 

Tomorrow is Election day, April fools Day AND Easter Sunday here in Costa Rica. The election is the second of the year. Each candidate must have 40 % of the vote in order to become president. Earlier this year, there was the General election and 13 people ran for President. The most candidates in the history of the country. Wisely, Costa Rica has been edging away from a two party system. The top two candidates of that election then had to have a run off election, which occurs tomorrow. This is a very pivotal election when considering the politics each candidate represents.
Voting is much like it used to be in the States.
You must be present and in your registered district to vote, and you must show identification to prove you are a citizen.
The voting stations are normally at the local grade school and/or community center.
No late ballots are accepted.
I'll be in attendance as a bystander tomorrow, supporting my friends, and hoping the man with the best interests of Costa Rica, and it's citizens, wins the priviledge to lead this amazing country into the future.

http://www.ticotimes.net/2018/03/30/5-keys-to-understanding-costa-rica-as-it-faces-new-elections

More fun this week with visitors from the South of France! Christine, Olivier, Clara and Guillaume joined us for several days.
We enjoyed showing them what the central mountain region has to offer - including Abel and Elly's dairy, the coffee roaster, the organic farm, and the trout process.

Guillaume proved himself to be an excellent fisherman, catching a big beautiful Hush Valley trout!

We took a moment to enjoy the view from Santa Cecelia- that's Copey down below.

More progress on the hillside this week- its really looking great! With any luck, this casita should be open for reservations by the end of April.
​Wonder who will be the first guests?

Dave and Martin headed back to the fish farm for 5000 more little fellas. Hopefully this will be one of the last trips to the fish farm, as our hens (female trout) eggs should be ready to harvest. Next week, Ill have pictures of the improvements and improvisions the guys have made to the hatchery, to get it operational again. Its pretty cool!