It only took them FOUR YEARS. In all fairness, there were extenuating circumstances, like no passports. Where Costa Rica’s bureaucracy is just disorganized and corrupt, U.S. bureaucracy is tedious and humiliating and corrupt. Procrastinating is easy.

Photo note: We almost named Winston “Uncle Brian”… Brian wanted to take him home!

And, for the past couple of years, Peg has had to use her vacation time for funerals. Fortunately, this vacation was not for mine.

We LOVED having them and have been looking forward to this visit for months. They arrived one week after I was home, so I wasn’t able to gad about with them. But Hal took them to Poas for a day trip. And they took Hal and the boys for an overnighter to Arenal.

Arenal is my favorite “attraction” in Costa Rica. They live in Key West so the beach doesn’t hold any great allure. Since they were only here for a week, with drive times, there’s not a whole lot you can do unless you spend all your time whipping from one place to another. That just didn’t seem appropriate with a helpless delicate flower at home. (That would be me.)

I was worried, since I’d practically ordered them to go see Arenal, that they’d be unimpressed. But the great Volcán Arenal did not disappoint: clouds covered the tip, but they saw most of the mountain and the magnificent boulders-on-fire crashing down the side day and night. They stayed at the Arenal Observatory Lodge which is right there. You just can’t get any closer. You hear every sound that baby makes: from little farts to crashing thunder. Amazing. Even Hal and the boys came home newly impressed. If you visit, don’t miss Arenal. That’s practically an order.

Hal and Mo and UB went fishing on Lake Arenal with Capt. Ron. They didn’t catch much, but had a great time. Ryan and Peg went horseback riding and ziplined through the rainforest. Peg says they are coming back and spending a week just at Arenal. Too much to do for even a long weekend.

And an abundance of wildlife at Arenal! Peg got photos of macaws and howlers, butterflies, birds, tropical flowers. No photos of the Oro Pendula but she saw and heard them. Tons of OPs at Arenal.

On the morning they were leaving, Peg was not ready to go back. She’s a nature girl. Brian loves us and nature, but he’s getting a new seat for his new Harley and was itching to put the thing together. Wish I’d gotten a picture of Peg in our front yard, looking out over the razor wire at the mountains beyond. It’s so nice to have people you love figure out just what the heck is so special about Costa Rica.

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