Here comes the rain again... albeit late

It's been a relatively dry "rainy season" so far this year. The summer (or "dry season") in Costa Rica begins in mid-November and last until late April with very little rainfall to speak of. Then by May, usually, the rain arrives sporadically and increases from day to day, from week to week with a good balance of sunny morning and wet afternoon. By September, there's usually more rain than sun... and by October, well, it's best to have a few good books on hand and reconcile that you'll be spending more time inside than outside. Kevin and I love our sunny days, but we enjoy the rainy days just as much. Because even in the rain, life is pleasant. We have rain gear and we're not too concerned about making any fashion statement, so our big, black (and ugly) rubber boots are our best pals.

This year, we've had much less precipitation than is usual. In fact, there are so many micro-climates here that in Copey, only 4 km/2.5 mi away, has not be getting the rain the town is used to getting this time of year. Rain is vitally important to fill up the water table and natural reserves. The coffee crops are suffering in Santa Maria and San Marcos. The cows, horses and goats are all looking for lush, green pasture to graze. Many farmers lower down the mountain are running out of good places for their cattle to nourish themselves properly. Cows need good, nutritious grass to produce good, nutritious milk. We have so much unused pasture land that we've offered our neighbour a place for his cows and bulls. We now have 14 bovines mulling about. We love seeing animals up on the side of the pasture. And although we're providing them with a healthy environment, they provide us with natural lawn mowing... bonus! It's a symbiotic relationship and everyone wins.

We invite the rain... it's a good thing... we wouldn't want it any other way. It's still paradise.

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