Dentist, danta, trout... oh my!

It was Kevin's turn to go to the dentist. Two weeks ago he went for a cleaning and the dentist mentioned that he had two small cavities that required filling. His appointment was on Tuesday: in and out in less than an hour, and only $72 U.S. Kevin hates going to the dentist, but he said it all went well and he felt no pain. 

We buy baby trout two to three times a year based on our clients' needs. Kevin calculates how many we need to buy: he takes into account how long it will take for the fish to grow to a certain weight, and he adjusts the feeding schedule accordingly. Kevin and Martin also ensure the ponds contain the right sized fish by a "selection" process. Basically, when they fish, they deliberately choose the right sized fish, allowing the smaller fish more time to grow.

This week, we bought another 5,000 baby trout. These fish will be ready to catch at half a kilo in about  7 to 8 months, just in time for Holy Week (Easter), and ready at 3/4 of a kilo in about 9 to 10 months. Our client Gonzalo came by on Friday to check on the current fish stock that we've been growing since November for him to approve their size (we sell trout at half a kilo to Gonzalo, and 3/4 of a kilo to our other client, Roberto). Gonzalo said the fish were perfect and he'll be coming on Tuesday to catch 200 kilos. And so this cycle begins... we will be catching fish for Gonzalo every two weeks. We currently catch fish for Roberto every week. Different ponds with different sized trout. Kevin has developed a great system and it's all working out well for everyone. 

Kevin picks the baby trout from the Trout Institute of Costa Rica (Incopesca) about 45 minutes away. They are individually counted and put in these plastic bags. Since trout won't survive for long in non-oxygenated water, time is of the essence to get them back to the farm and into the concrete tank where the water is oxygenated. It's not unusual to lose a few fish in the first week after transport due to stress, but so far we've had no losses.

The danta is back. We woke up one morning and saw their tracks going up the hill by the avocado trees. There are two sets of tracks (a large size and a smaller size). We're guessing that it's a mama with her baby. They come up from the river, and wind their way up to the pasture. I wish we could spot them during the day, so I could take a picture. I've had to borrow a picture from the internet of a mama and her baby (that baby is kind of adorable, don't you think?) However, I did take a picture of the tracks they left behind, and a close-up of a "footprint". You can clearly see the three-toed imprint in the dirt. 

image borrowed from internet

And yesterday, Kevin was down by the casita pond cleaning the gate and he looked over, down by the waterfall garden, and saw a male quetzel sitting in a tree. Now, that's pretty darn special: a very rare sighting indeed for this time of year. Again, I've borrowed an image from the internet as Kevin didn't have a camera at the time. The pleasure of spotting one of these elusive birds never gets old! I'm sorry I missed it.

image borrowed from internet

We hosted a gentleman last December, Allen, from Oregon. He stayed with us for four nights and loved the area so much that he decided to move here with his cat, Charlie. When we learned that he was interested in renting a house in Santa Maria, we introduced him to our friend, Tomas, who was moving to San Jose with his family and was considering renting his house in Santa Maria. They exchanged information and sorted out a one-year lease. Allen arrived last week and needs to furnish the house with appliances, bed, and other household items. I met up with him last Saturday to show him around the shops in Santa Maria and San Marcos where he could buy what he needed. I bumped into him on Wednesday in Santa Maria while I was running some errands, and it seems like he's settling in nicely. It's always a bit overwhelming at first... learning to navigate a new culture, a different language, and letting go of our North American expectations. But that's all part of the adventure, isn't it! We're happy to have a new neighbour and friend among us.