Ushering in October with an oil change and a sad goodbye

We decided to take the SUV for its regular maintenance check this week. We asked the technician to give it the usual oil change, but also to change the transmission oil, the differential oil, and to grease up all the moving parts. An hour later, everything was done and the bill came to $104 U.S. What a deal... I shudder to think what that would have cost us in Canada. The transmission oil change alone runs over $300 (depending on how many litres is necessary). Although we never like spending that kind of money, it always feels good to know our vehicle is running well and remains reliable. It's totally worth it.

We sold more trout this week... that's always good. And October is living up to its usual promise... it's been raining regularly. Kevin has been busy cleaning the gates to each pond. And this morning, he cleaned out the sediment pond.

When I was in Canada, we learned that one of our dear friends, Sister Gloria, had gone into the hospital. She and her sister, Sister Gladys, have been incredibly kind to us over the years. We met them the very first time we were visiting Costa Rica in 2011. They took us in and made us feel so welcome. Since living here permanently, we try to make a point of visiting them as often as we can. They come to visit us here, as well. Sadly, Sister Gloria was unable to recover from her poor health. She passed away September 14th. We are devastated by this sad news, but especially for Sister Gladys. They lived together their whole lives and were joined at the hip, as the expression goes. We can't imagine the loss she is feeling.

This is Sister Gloria, as we remember her so fondly... some of her favourite things: fresh butter, trout, and swinging in a hammock. Rest in peace sweet Sister Gloria.