Regional Convention Pics

In case anyone noticed, I had posted the following photo showing Gianni with her baby bump...but had to remove it because she and David were afraid that her Puerto Rican family would get wind of the pregnancy before their trip and they wanted it to be a surprise.

So now that David and Gianni are in Puerto Rico for a long week I am putting it back on the blog.

Here's all the center of attention at the Regional Baha'i Convention last week at the Charles Wolcott Institute--Gianni and Fiorella Cardenas, with Roya Eshraghi in the black skirt, Vernush Montenegro standing in the doorway (next to Blanca Galdames and David McKinney. Aileen McCoy is on the sidewalk outside and Martha Farrand is speaking with someone right front.
Our Baha'i Community was responsible for the physical arrangements for our Regional Convention on Sunday. Here are a few photos of some of the dear friends who attended:
Eli Hughes, David, Gianni and Darren (obviously, a witty, straight-faced, Eli made some snappy remark)
Farhad Hashemi sitting next to Jenifer (her husband, Ronny Brenes, is hidden behind)
Fio again, sitting with her husband, Jordan Hughes:
There were about 60 Baha'i present, but I just had time to snap these few photos during a break...

Yet Another Waterfalls Adventure! This time with some U-Paz student friends.

See below the whole gang (me absent, of course, since I'm taking all the pics). On the left is Jenn Scharf, who is staying in Jaleh's old apartment. Then, Fanneke Verhallen, from Holland. She's also staying with us, but will be moving on to NYC next week. The couple on the right are Keven and Jessica who are studying here from New Zealand, their latest residence.
Here are three of many, many, pretty birds that are so accustomed to people walking by that there's no problem in photographing them:The Flutterbys this day were pretty numerous. People were running all over trying to get good shots of their favorites. Here's Fanneke, successful at last, after waiting for ages for this Morpho to open it's wings for her:I was able to get some closer, clearer, shots of the poison-dart frongs this trip. Here are a couple lil' fellows on a leaf:
This guy was really working to camouflage himself. He almost succeeded!
I finally got a clear photo of this colorful dude (his eyes are bright red!):
You have to zoom in on this guy to see the toadwholly spaced-out eyes!
This couple were "hanging out" in the new snake museum.This couple were observing this viper stretching far out towards the glass. Maybe they were angry with me for always pushing for a group shot...?
This is the fun falls. Fun because they've named it "Magic" and because this is the one where we share the popular illusion trick of staring at the center of the falls for 30 seconds. (You have to come down to CR to appreciate the effect.)Keven and Jess checking out the effect:
Fann and Jenn concentrating on their own 30 second stare:The last observation point on the waterfalls
Then we caught the shuttlebus back to the Reception center and pigged out on typical CR food! I love this place!! (No photo. You don't wanna be grossed out again by feedings.)

Summertime Blossums

Once the rains stop and the dry season sets in we start seeing all these wonderful blossums appearing on what previously looked like dead trees. Here's one I see along the highway leading to Escazu. I had to get out of the car at the bridge to get this shot. There are so many to see, but often they are obstructed by electric cables.
Here are a couple other types of blossums--Jenn Scharf, from Canada on the left, and a new arrival, Fanneke Verhallen, from Amsterdam. They are both at the nearby University for Peace. Fanneke will be with us only for a couple of weeks. Welcome to the McKinney family!

Going Away Party for Payam & Alma Motlagh

Our dear friends Payam, Alma and their little sweet daughter, Zamin, are returning to Uruguay after living here in CR for about two years. Payam's a doctor but was never able to work here in his field. Almita was our family tutor in the Ruhi classes and we'll really miss them all.
Alan broke out some old photographs of some early Baha'is here and Payam was enjoying them:
The Baha'i kids and all their friends were having a terrific time outside in the cool night air while the BB-Q was sizzling away nearby:
Here's Alma checking out the photos with JulieAnd Lilia Ericks...And Chantal, another super cutie in our community:Lil' Zamin's such a complete sweetie! She melts everybody's heart...
The two girls were inseparable all night:
Mike Robles was keeping a musical atmosphere for everybody. Just after this scene he started singing a little song for the two girls. (I'll try posting the video later)Chantal's half brother, Alonzo, with his wife, Shawna, were visiting from Tuscon, ArizonaJuan Luis and wife, Sandra, came to share the evening with us all:Here's Amanda Matamoros goofing around with Jeremy Morales

Julie's a retired lady!

One of the teachers at the Blue Valley School, where she's been working for the past 11 years, gave her this little Do-List so that she'll be well organized at home:

More Waterfall Adventures

It's well known that I take any and every opportunity to go to La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Yesterday, seven of us spent the whole day there.

Anyone who knows Darren Spratt knows that this fellow can put away some food! But where does he put an entire waterfall? (The photo below was taken by Jarnah, with Darren's camera.)
Maxel Carvajal, who served with Jarnah at the Baha'i World Center a couple of years ago, met us for the trip today. Here he is, goofing off with Jarnah in front of one of the falls:
Jarnah and Darren groovin at the falls...
Jarnah was intently studying the amazing humming birds coming in droves to the feeders, while the list of the little gems who come is shown next to her below:
With Maxel talking up a storm the whole day..
Also travelling with us, in a rental car, was Kelly and David Boldt with their truly delightful daughter, JuliaJulia loves animals and was pursuing the butterflys the whole time in the exhibit area.
To her sheer delight, she was finally able to attract a Morpho who sat on her finger so long that she finally didn't know what to do with it!Then she took over the Oxen with their cart near the "Casa Campesino":The whole gang sitting outside the poison dart frong exhibit. There are decorative posters everywhere explaining about the gardens, the exhibits and waterfalls, which are well worth reading...

Fillers

Here are a couple of items to keep the readers satisfied. (I know how disappointing it is for me when I check on family and friend's blogs and there's nuttin new!)

Y'all gonna be very surprised by the following: For at least 30 years I've been infamous for slurping down Costa Rica's version of Tabasco Sauce (Lizano brand).

Now, get this! I've switched to the best ever (in my own cruddy opinion): Iguana Habanero Pepper Sauce. (See photo below.)
So, if you can believe it, change IS possible--even for one so set in his ways!
This'll put fur on yur chest (or take it off if'n it dripples on it!).
Speaking of fur, for those cat lovers amungus, here's the World's Best Fellow, Butterkitty. He'll jump on a napper and start up his motor, and stretch out those paws, and KNEAD until you gotta wake up and give him a headscritch. (Note the paws claws out.)

Nite Out with D & G

I mentioned before that we were pretty much restaurant-ed out, but what can we say when our son invites us out for dinner at the Taj Mahal and a movie afterwards? Of course, we accepted with delight! Here's the dinner gang (as shot from a nearby table with not a good light setting):
Taj Mahal's curry's the best! It seems that each item on the menu is scrumptious.
Afterwards we went to see Denzel Washington and Paula Patton in "Deja Vu". Nice evening--thanks, guys!

Jarnah & Darren's arrival

David met Jarnah Montersino at the Baha'i World Center a few years ago and she's been travelling in Central America recently and ended up here. She's Australian but has been away from home for some time (so her Aussie accent is not as strong as it would have been, and we can understand her English perfectly).
Welcome, Jarnah, to the McKinney household!
She's been staying with us for a couple of days, but went down early this morning to visit the Ighanis in Progreso. (We hear that the whole Ighani clan is here for the holidays, so we hope we'll get to see them before they spread out across the world again.)
Here's Jarnah relating some of her adventures after a batch of Julie's pancakes:
Then, yesterday, Darren arrived from Texas. (See previous blog references to Darren, who was close to David and Gianni in Florida last year.) He'll be here for more than a month, so you'll probably see more on that on the blog.
Below, "JJ" was in heaven when Jarnah gave her a "foot" rub...They're all having a great time hanging out, and the weather's been terrific. Both Darren and Jarnah went to the Ighani's place today. D & G had to go back to work. (Actually, Dee was "working", while chatting, anyway--the laptop nearby in case of any attacks on the company's security.)