Weather 2010 Summary

Weather Data for 2010

Total rainfall 175 inches, well above mean of 114.
2010 Mean high temp 70, Mean low 60.
Highest temp 84, Lowest temp 50.

Much of the rain occurred from May through October in the form of heavy afternoon downpours. Temperatures do not fluctuate greatly here as we are too far south to receive blasts of Arctic air, and high enough in elevation and surrounded by ocean water to keep temps from getting too high.

After a month of wind, heavy mist and cool temperatures, the Costa Rican “summer” is finally at our doorstep. For over one week, we have had relatively calm breezes and much sun and the trees have finally stopped dripping. Today, it reached 75 degrees and everyone is talking about ‘verano’ or summer. Signs of summer: Many trees are showing growth spurts and the ones that shed their leaves in November are sprouting once again. The leaf cutter ants are working at breakneck speed, building new mounds and trails while carrying off much of new growth in our yard. I’m hoping that the warmth will be a catalyst of growth to the dormant vegetable seedlings that I planted at the New Year. Fewer people hear are wearing hats and I haven’t seen a parka, yes parka, in two weeks. Yes, we are in the tropics, 10 degrees north of the equator but at 4500 feet elevation, it is about 15 degrees cooler here than at sea level. So, a quick ride, maybe an hour down the mountain, and swimming in a stream feels good, while up here, wading up to our knees is adequate. The water in the streams warms on its way down as well.
Signed M

Drying Days

Weather this past week has been absolutely wonderful, plenty of sunshine, breezy and highs about 70. We took advantage of the mold killing sunshine by placing furniture, books and some clothing outside yesterday. We’ve been having our ‘King’s Breakfast’ outside and even had a campfire Friday night. The camera flash revealed John’s terribly over-crisped campfire bread.

Even though my boots were previously sun dried and packed away in a plastic tub, the leather still succumbed to the humidity and mold spores. Of the few leather items we possess, the ones that sit stationary are more susceptible to mold growth, whereas the items that are continually handled, one of my belts and Sally’s binder, are mold free. Its similar to the reduced tendency of long hair to grow where your clothing rubs against your skin. More research is needed!

Visitors yesterday included Pepito and two white horses. From Pepito, we purchased eggs($2.50 for fifteen), banana bread($2.50) and empanadas($2.50 for two, large enough with rice and a vegetable to make a meal for four). Fortunately they were not messy eaters and carefully picked the grass without damaging our struggling banana plant. We gave Rigo a call, and sure enough, the horses were his. By the time Rigo arrived in the front pasture, the horses had moved down the driveway behind the house. As usual, John Gustavo had kept his watchful eye on the animals and was able to direct Rigo to their exact position around a corner.

A neighbor confirmed that he measured over (45 inches) of precipitation in September, the highest monthly total he has seen in his thirty years of recording here. This far in October, we have received less than two inches, most of that on Oct 1. Hopefully those downpours can hold off a few more days. We are taking the boys to the Cloud Forest Reserve this morning and to an amusement park and zoo in San Jose sometime this week.

I met an elephant beetle the other day – a very friendly fellow with small mouthparts, no jaws to dig in to my flesh, and effectively pointy claws for clinging onto skin, clothing, tree bark, a mate, etc. The assistant director at school accepted the invitation to have it placed on her pant leg, but enough was enough as it crawled higher and three of us strategically teamed together to pry its legs from the bluejeans and encourage it to advance to a stick. The elephant beetle belongs to the group of largest and most powerful beetles on earth. The beetle is simply HUGE and prefers to eat tree sap, bark and rotting fruits. The pics show the beetle on my hand but the grub pic is from Wikipedia. Beetles belong to the Coleoptera order, insecta class, and arthropoda phylum.

Finally, Science Lab Safety Test time! Look at the picture of the stunt actor that looks like Mike conducting a science experiment. Can you name at least 5 things that should be improved to make his experiment more safe? Signed M.

Swinging In The Rain

Skip to the second paragraph if you don't want to read about the weather! You know I love weather phenomena, so of course I get excited with a week of straight rain or "luvia general." A few days with downpours followed by a few more days of constant rain dumped a total of 31 cm or 12 inches of measurable precipitation in one week. Each morning and evening, we check the rain gauge and record the amount. Yesterday, Friday, the clouds parted for three separate precious moments. Students reached arms out the windows to gather some warmth, adults rushed outside to generate some vitamin D, jubilation and song broke out during our 8th grade math review. The Chicago forecast called for a week of sun and 70's. Yes, the tables have turned a little, we have sent some warmth north, but I cannot complain about temps here. Even when it stopped raining, the clouds (we do live on the edge of a CLOUD FOREST) keep things at 100% humidity. They roll in through the trees and their moisture gets trapped on the leaves and it rains under the trees! Cool stuff.

So does life move on? Absolutely! There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, and here people don't worry much about clothing. Some people are covered in rubber, some in dripping cotton, some use umbrellas, or 'paraguas,' hiking boots, sandals, no shoes - it all works. After all, its only water and we have an oven to dry our things. Caution: Due to no temperature control on this oven, be sure to rotate your items every 5 minutes. Do not place articles made of polyester, nylon or other synthetic materials. You may experience mild smoke or flames. ACME ovens de Central America is not responsible for melted or charred personal items.

One moisture related problem we have discovered is the ability of mold to grow on surfaces. We have two leather planners- both fuzzy and discolored. Backpacks and jackets that gather mist for days straight look dirty, but its not dirt. Yesterday, Sally pointed out that the wooden patio table was succumbing to the elements- sure enough, coated with a cloud forest grey powdery sheen.

The skies are blue this morning, the sun's rays are warming the yard, you can be sure a load of laundry will be hanging from the lines within an hour. Signed M.

Rainy Season False Start

OK If you're into the weather, I hope you appreciate this. If you're not, then, oh well. . .

Following is an entry about the weather I wrote two weeks ago and putting on the blog now. Update follows.

“Two weeks ago, was our zenith, when the sun is directly overhead. Last week, when at the beach with my class, we experienced a record high temperature of 103. This week, the rainy season has arrived with an unusual full force. I started the week at school by giving a tropical weather presentation Monday morning at the school assembly. In a nutshell, the sun heats the oceans most intensely in the tropics, water evaporates, then condenses and falls. Throw in tradewinds, ocean currents, and mountains ranges, and Costa Rica is a prime location for copious amounts of rainfall. I also highlighted the forecast for the week, which called for 50 to 100% chance of rain each day. Well, a few hours after the assembly, the clouds opened and, sure enough, we have received rain each day. It is pouring right now and I unplugged the computer due to some close lighting strikes. My trusty rain gauge has captured over 6 inches of rain, the ground is saturated and river heights are rising. No more fears of the springs running dry!

The country averages about 100 inches a year, with as little as 40 inches in the dry northwest and 300 inches in some soaked mountains south of San Jose. Monteverde receives about 100 measurable inches a year, with a majority of it falling between May and October. I use the term ‘measurable’ because the equivalent of an additional 30 or more inches of water arrive as a mist. For comparison sake, approximate annual rainfall (inches) for Chicago is 32 and Miami is 60.

Life goes on, depending on the severity of the rain, we might just decide to stay longer wherever we are and wait for things to lighten a little. Yesterday was a good example of that. The boys and I spent a couple extra hours at school and headed home when the rains slowed. As the rain picked up again, we stopped at an Inn to talk with the owner and play with the animals (dogs, cats, ducks, guinea fowl, etc.). She lent us an umbrella and we sloshed through the puddles home. It was entertaining to watch the boys figure out techniques for walking tandem under the umbrella.”

Well, that was two weeks ago and the rains have stopped. The Easterly trade winds have picked up again and weather has been beautiful – breezy, 70 degrees, plenty of sunshine, and painted sunsets. At points, the wind howls down the mountain bringing with it refreshing mist, but the blue sky is not far away. Clouds and saturated mountain tops to the east and blue sky and rain shadow to the west, while we watch the clouds dissipate directly overhead. The heavy rains should commence when the winds die down, allowing Pacific moisture to roll inland and condense as it rises up the mountain. Locals continue to comment on how dry it is and emphasize that we need the rains to resupply the aquifers. Signed M

Weather Update

A quick update before I retire or we have a power outage. The winds settled slightly, yet remained strong through the day. There were only a few trees uprooted and leaning on other trees. Remarkably, very few branches or heavy limbs have fallen. The trees here appear very flexible and any brittle species such as silver maple would have been crowded out millions of years ago by more hardy species.

I did discover that the local forecast predicts this wind will continue through thursday. It is especially severe in the mountains - a typical January windstorm as told by the locals. It is evening, the wind has strengthened again in the past hour (gusts to 60mph?), the house is creaking, roof panels are banging, and my hands are actually cold. This is the first cold I have felt since living here, well except for those not so hot showers.

The cat darted into the woods to relieve itself and came right back, instead of venturing around for half the day. I wore rainpants for the first time, took a stroll down a wooded trail and was reminded of a sales slogan, 'There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.'

It is remarkable that our power, phone and internet is still on! Flashlight in my nightstand and preparing for another night of little sleep.

A big thank you to the Troesels for a delicious homemade bagel brunch this morning! Signed M.

Weather Just Like Chicago

Weather – well. I find it intriguing. Last week, the sunshine and pleasant breezes evaporated moisture from the daily mists and humidity levels dropped to about 70%.  The air actually felt dry, stars were abundant in the night sky and we had success maintaining a bonfire Saturday night. By Sunday morning things had changed. The winds started howling over the mountains and through the trees and heavy mist blew horizontally saturating everything. It must be a winter storm here, similar in some ways to a cold front in Chicago accompanied by 40mph gusts and blowing snow. Different however because the temperature here dipped only to 58 F and the winds and mist blew heavily for two days. It has gradually lightened since Monday, but it is still windy and wet, but more sunshine and rainbows now. It reminds me much of lake effect snow in Chicago with the intermittent precipitation glistening in the sunlight and broken clouds quickly blowing overhead. Our rubber boots are seeing some good use.

Sunday night, the boys and I were walking home from school after feeding the hamsters. It was dark, especially on the trail leading from the school. Michael fearlessly led the way carefully watching the path in front of him as water dripped from the thick foliage overhead. We reached the road as it turned into the oncoming winds. Pelted by the heavy mist, hoods blowing off of our heads, I felt alive, euphoric, stimulated, invigorated. The boys raised their arms, “Hello wind, hello rain!” Occasionally a car would approach us and Michael’s role was to turn on the flashlight and shine it toward the car so the driver would avoid us. John played his role by waving to each passing vehicle. Our night vision improved as we walked, as long as we were not blinded by the oncoming headlights. They recognized mud puddles to jump over and pointed to the tree silhouettes waving against the sky. They found the gate to the pasture and stopped to look at a couple of stars peaking through the clouds in the western sky as the mist continued to pelt us from the east. Our night vision was now keen enough to see a marked difference between the shades of light on the ground. The green grass appeared a lighter gray, the piles of horse manure a darker gray and the leafcutter ant mounds were black. Curious to see if the ants were active, we saw that their trails were empty but they were busy carrying soil up from their holes and building their mounds higher. The last steps to our front porch  brought happy shouts of, “Mom, mom we’re all wet. Mom, our night vision is really really good. We can see everything in the dark.”

Signed M

 

 

Mom Now Sick

Its Tuesday night, about 8PM and I am the sole survivor in the house and have not yet succumbed to illness. Michael is finally over his congestion, John is still engaged in battle with his lower intestine and now Sally has been in bed for two days and has experienced her first fever since I've known her. It looks like the flu and it will just have to run its course as we address the symptoms with oatmeal, rice, thumberry leaf tea and guyabas. I think this is the greatest challenge since we've been here and we miss the comfort from family and close friends. People here have been helpful, and just like anywhere some are busier than others and some will ask if we need anything. Veronica, the mother of six year old Stuart, prepared for us a little care package of Alleve and thumberry tea leaves for making tea. I skipped the Tuesday faculty meeting today to take Michael home and pick up supplies at the local grocery. Sally was collapsed on the couch, John absorbed by a movie and Michael and I climbed trees in the pasture to pick guyabas.

To add to the illness yesterday, my frustration peaked as I called the utility to inquire about our lack of electricity. I was informed that I did not pay the bill, and pabaam, out go the lights. Yes, it was entirely my fault. I pleaded my case (sick family, flashlights are inadequate when dealing soiled child bottoms) with the woman on the other end. If I paid now, we will get power in the morning. Of course, nothing is easy and she could not accept credit card payment by phone. Fortunately, Stellas bakery was still open and I used their wifi to navigate the bank web site and pay my past dues. (Please don't tell any future creditors) By the time I returned home at 6PM, it was completely dark in the house and our last candle was pittering out. So, eliminating the option of opening the refrigerator, the boys and I brainstormed and decided on a dinner menu of chocolate oatmeal. It was a flashlight dinner for three, and then by Michael's reaction, a miracle took place. One of the dining room lights turned on. Funny thing, it wasn't much brighter than that last candle. Michael rejoices, "Oh my goodness, dad the light went on because you paid the money for the electrical bill!" "Let me check the bedroom dad, oh my, this one works too." And from room to room he went enjoying the power of electricity. We all settled down, consumed the meal, and listened to the wind roaring through the trees.

Yes, the weather pattern changed yesterday. For the past month, the air has been calm and Pacific moisture rolls quietly in from the west. The clouds build and dump on western Costa Rica each afternoon. Now, east winds are blowing over the mountains from the Caribbean. We should still get plenty of precipitation, but it won't be as intense or as predictable. I understand we will feel the winter here when the temps are in the upper 50s and wind driven rain pulls the heat out of everything. Someone commented about our drafty house that lacks a wood burning stove. We will wait for that experience.

Signed M

Halloween Candy & Birthday Cake - How Sweet It Is!

As I sit down to compose this post tonight in my bedroom (dimly lit by only one lone, exposed lightbulb), I think to myself, where shall I begin?  I continue to struggle with keeping my days straight - I do know that we have just passed into yet another month; November and that we are heading downward toward the weekend.  Oh Yes, and I can not forget to mention, that today, and for exactly 20 more days, I have boys that are NOT the same age :)

Lots to put to paper or cyber space I should say.  

Friday, we survived the parent/teacher conferences with the boy's teachers.  No surprises and somewhat reassuring to know that the things the teachers highlighted about each child are precisely the things that we are working on with them at home - so common ground between school and home is a good thing.  One change that they recommended (and that we fully support) is having Michael and John attend one day a week 'solo'.  A great recommendation which will hopefully foster independence and the evolving awakening of each boy's individual spirit and self.  A plus for me is having the chance to spend dedicated time with one while the other enjoys class.  A win-win situation for all.  

Saturday, I found myself resigned to the fact that I needed to visit the clinic in Santa Elena.  Fighting what I knew to be a sinus infection was a losing battle given my predisposition to the dreaded sinusitus, so off we went.  Mike took the boys to the Serpentarium in Santa Elena, while I ventured onto the clinic.  We are grateful to Andy Walker for not only giving us a lift and dropping the men off at the snake museum, but going the extra mile and delivering me right smack in front of the clinic's doorstep.   I left with antibiotics and an inhaler in hand and met the boys at the museum.  They quickly took my hands and guided me inside to share their new found knowledge of snakes...all kinds - simply spectacular...persoanally, I am thankful for the thick panes of glass between me and the slithery creatures :)  We returned home with 30 minutes to spare...we had been invited to join some families in the Bajo del Tigre neighborhood for trick or treating at 4:30, so Mike and I quickly put our thinking caps on and designed what we thought was a 'passable' costume.  Luckily we had a plentiful supply of balloons, a bin of pipe cleaners and paint we brought with us from the states - so we were off and running.  Divide and Conquer....I took the balloons and pipe cleaners, while Mike was on face-painting duty.  In no time, we had "Mickey Mouse meets Tiger".  The boys were pleased, so we grabbed our homemade oatmeal cookies we had made earlier in the day (our contribution to the treats) and headed for the pasture.  We did not set foot off the front patio before being stampeded by another group of kids and their parents...luckily we had made plenty of cookies, and the kids were pleased to open their bags as I tossed them in.  We had a great time trick or treating with local and expat families, we hit about 1/2 dozen homes, we not only got to sample the variety of treats (some families made home-made cookies (skeletons and bloody feet) while others handed out traditional candy) but also were welcomed into a variety of homes.  Most of the kids costumes were hand-made (I must say I was quite impressed with Johnny's costume; his mom, Elizabeth,  had constructed it using cereal boxes of all things...kudos to her!).  Others used whatever they could find in their house, pots, pans, grass, felt...You see, that is the beauty of Halloween here in Monteverde, anything goes!  We ended the night at Veronica's house where she had organized a mean game of musical chairs for all the kids.   She had ready to go, certificates for each child; I think, Michael and John's read "Best balloon and team costume" - so thoughtful of her and a great idea.  They also passed out medals to each child - M & J's eyes lit up - a happy night!  I delighted in watching the kids navigate the trails to each home - instead of shouting "hey kids, stay close...watch out for cars on the street", I found myself shouting, "hey kids, watch out for tree roots on the trails, you don't want to fall".  As we made our way home, with flashlight leading the way, the kids quickly zonked on our bed even with all the candy they consumed that night.  When it comes to candy and sweets, Michael is hillarious, when no one is looking, he will open his bag and side swipe the table with his arm - candy cascading off the side of the table, into his bag - job well done my son!  

Sunday we were pretty much house bound with rain, rain and more rain.  We spent the day baking - well, we had to do something with the ripe guavas the boys have been harvesting from the pasture!  Mike made guava pancakes while I got on the internet in search of a healthy guava bread.  I ended up making two loaves, one for us and one to take to my Monday meeting to discuss the School's Facility Master plan with the School Director, a Board member and another community member.  You name the tropical fruit, and I've probably made a bread with it.  The boys can devour a loaf in 24 hours...incredible.  I've made banana bread, papaya bread, carrot bread and now guava bread!  Don't tell Mike, but I am actually enjoying being in the kitchen!

Monday, more rain and the aforementioned meeting.  I grabbed my guava bread and headed to school - the four of us piled into Wendy's tuk tuk and headed toward Jude's home.  She served lunch while we talked shop and developed a strawman plan as to how to move the new school building project forward.  Jude has a Project background so we are a good fit and I am eager to work with her on this initiative.  Back home by 3 PM, just in time to greet Helena for the boy's art class.  By the time I arrived, Helena already had them; not only working and in full artist mode, but listening to her too!  Go Helena!  The boys really enjoyed the hour and they were very well behaved.  Helena made it easy, she is so patient and was so good with the boys - her excitement and enthusiasm was contagious and the boys really glommed onto it and enjoyed her!  We have a date in two weeks.  2500 colones well spent.  Thanks Helena!

Tuesday - more rain, but I was able to get some clothes hung out in the a.m. before the clouds moved in.  

Today - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL - Four years old!  We were bound and determined not to spend this birthday in the ER like we did last - goofing around with cousin Josh last year, Michael got up close and personal with a corner bookcase and need I say more?  Just one of the scars that decorate his forehead.  Off he went to school today (alone) while John stayed home.  Ah, getting one child to school - What a breeze!  No problems with the change in schedule either....thank goodness.  Goudy stayed with John as I was volunteering at the school for a couple of hours to help with the annual fundraising letter.  We met in the library (again, my friend Jude was there) organizing and giving us all direction as to the process.  Some of you may be getting a letter from me this year...Poppy/Choppy; yours is already in the mail :)  Back home by 3 p.m. as we had a family date at 4 to make a cake for Michael.  John and I decorated the door and we all enjoyed a banana cake post dinner.  We were even able to recycle some old candles (two) for a nice cake-topper.  Pop and Chop - Michael enjoyed opening his presents and the airplane does actually fly!

I guess in retrospect, a busy week and it is only Wednesday.

On this day, we do remember and give thanks to the biological mother/father of little Michael who have given us the greatest gift of all...a child's birthday to celebrate!

Signed: S

Storm Update

The tropical low that I mentioned last night has been upgraded to tropical storm Ida and is heading north away from Costa Rica. We are receiving some of its moisture, but Nicaragua and Honduras might get 15 to 25 inches of rain in places. You will probably hear about this in the news if the storm lingers as forecasted. This amount of rainfall over a few days can wreak havoc and people here will quickly remember the destruction in those two countries caused by the copious rains of Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Lets hope it weakens.

5 Things I Observed Today

Observation #1: 

Chicago is getting a blast of record breaking cold air tonight with temperatures forecasted to dip into the 20’s. Temperatures here in Monteverde have remained close to 20˚ since July. 20˚ Celsius, that is. Attached to this blog is a map of current humidity levels in Central America. Note that Costa Rica is at 100% humidity, but still quite comfortable here. It just means that getting a campfire started and keeping it hot enough to roast marshmallows is a huge ordeal and that laundry hangs for three days before it is finally not too wet to wear.

Observation #2:

We were walking down the dirt road to a friend’s house when we heard either a “Hello” or an “Hola.” It sounded like an older person, maybe it was Martha, we were near her house. We heard it again, where is that person, who is greeting us? It is often difficult to see into yards because of the dense vegetation everywhere. I responded back with a “Hello” but it took a moment for the person to call back. This time I could not make it out. Was that a “Hello” “Hola” or someone in trouble? The boys could not locate anyone either. Sally chimed in, “I think it’s a bird, a parrot, come on, lets keep moving.” A parrot? Possible? Now I was really intrigued and the boys were ever so confused, they did not know how to respond. Michael was speechless, which is rare these days. Well, we did keep moving, but fortunately on the way back, we once again encountered that scratchy “Hola.” There she was, a beautiful large green parrot sitting on the telephone line. Sure enough, “Hola” she bellowed. If you could see the boys faces! “The bird talked!!!” She did not speak again, but we will surely return for more small talk.    

 

Observation #3:

Instead of howler monkeys waking us in the morning, they are foraging elsewhere, it is the regular drop of a guyaba fruit onto our roof. The racquetball size fruits are ripening and several times a day one hits right above the bedroom with a ‘bonk’ and then reminding me of my bowling years, rumbles down our slanted roof and crashes into the gutter. The boys, accustomed to the noise, yell, “Strike!” with each crash.   

 

Observation #4:

The colony of ants that visit our front porch each evening looking for treats the children left behind had a special treat tonight when they marched into our dining room. Dinner was a little messy and our brown six legged friends found plenty of chip crumbs on the floor. During storytime, Michael was especially excited to spy one little fella carrying a chip chunk up the side of a chair. Watching the ant summit the wooden peak, Michael gleefully exclaimed, “I’m on top of the world!” I thought, ‘why sweep when the ants could have the place cleaned by morning?’ I don’t mind the ants, but organic goodies left on the floor, counter or sink invite other critters ever so common in warm locals. So I swept, cleaned the dishes and wiped the counters.

 

Observation #5:

Getting the dinner ready tonight, I noticed that the flame level under the rice cooker appeared rather low. Unsuccessful at raising the flame, I thought, Uh oh, were running out of gas. Fortunately, the lame flame lasted a few minutes, just enough to boil the water and thanks to the speedy pressure cooker, we enjoyed plates of tuna con soggy rice. Now the task is to find someone who can haul the empty propane tank for a refill. The tank stands about 5ft tall and will probably weigh over 200 lbs when full. Until then, our internal fires will be fueled with cold cereal, sandwiches, and any larva that make it through the strainer. 

Signed M.