I figured it was time to start a thread on the goings on with Harold down here. Since Harold's access to a connection is a littled limited, I suspect I will be able to say all sorts of things about him and get away with it... ;D
Harold arrived in our neck of the jungle on Sunday and we drove out to the second finca - otherwise known as Monte Cristo. He is staying with a young couple who have been warned about grits and such not...
First few days was for Harold just to detox - and so far I haven't heard much. We walked around the finca which is about 70 acres, much of it vertical. I suspect it took him a couple of days to recover.
Tomorrow I am going down to check on him and see if he has had a run in with the local boa yet.
I heard today that his container is being processed in San Jose - so we might see it as early as next week. Then we can really get cracking!
Costa Rica will never be the same. :D :D :D
We snuck him in so the locals wouldn't know what they were in for...
Smart move. They have or sympathy. :D
Poor Harold.
Our sympathy's too.
:) 8) ;D
Give him a few more days. He'll have them whipped into shape and eating GRITZ in no time at all. :D :D :D :D :D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
Remind me again, I'm trying to recall the history and evolution of this country, Costa Rica used to be an island in the bermuda triangle correct? Then during the cuban missle crisis it was towed up the panama canal to be used for scientific testing on monkeys and thier resistance to caffeine induced comma. Since the monkeys were uneffected they began trying to attract other test subjects with tales of natural resource riches.
I could be off a little on this as I'm not the sharpest thorn in the jungle any more, and sorry about the odor.
Just my brute cologne
Quote from: Jeff B on January 05, 2006, 10:28:45 PM
Remind me again, I'm trying to recall the history and evolution of this country, Costa Rica iused to be an island in the bermuda triangle correct? Then during the cuban missle crisis it was towed up the panama canal to be used for scientific testing on monkeys and thier resistance to caffeine induced comma. Since the monkeys were uneffected they began trying to attract other test subjects with tales of natural resource riches.
I could be off a little on this as I'm not the sharpest thorn in the jungle any more, and sorry about the odor.
Just my brute cologne
So that 'splains Fred and Harold. ;D
Harold is going to like his new boots when he catches that boa ! 8)
I think you have it right Jeff - and there is an infinite resistance in me to coffee as far as I can tell.
By the way, almost all the Costa Ricans drink tea - it really makes you wonder!
Have you had to drag him out of any water bodies yet lookin for 'sunken treasure'? ???
Quote from: crtreedude on January 05, 2006, 04:58:10 PM
... the second finca - otherwise known as Monte Cristo. ...
Does it come with any of dem name-sake ceeegars ? I might have ta' make anudder trip south. ;D
Nope, no cigars.
I saw Harold today - he is doing fine. He and the family I got him staying with (watching out for him if the truth be told...) are getting along real well.
He hasn't poisoned them with grits yet - they are still in his container.
Of course I have pictures - I'll post them tomorrow.
Fred
I suspect that Harold will not be converting to many of the locals to grits eaters as he will have to hide his stash then. If the customs guys take a liking to grits then he will never get anymore. :D :D
Farmerdoug
A few pictures - can't have a thread without pictures!
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10952/HaroldAtRest.jpg)
This is Harold at the river on Monte Cristo - notice the expression? I had just told him we have to walk back UP the hill, either that or a horse.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10952/HaroldwithYoungTrees.jpg)
Yesterday we went to the second finca, the one Harold saw back in the spring - he was of course hoping that the trees were big enough to cut - but they are only 2.5 years old! A few more years and they won't be safe.
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10952/HaroldMakingPlan.jpg)
That isn't to say that we don't have a few big ones - for example, this is in a wild area. I think Harold would like to get to this one! We did find a couple of big ones for him to saw up - and they are pretty rare wood too.
One is we believe Ron-Ron (think Cocobolo) and is about 3 feet in diameter, perhaps 120+ feet tall. The other one is this:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10952/CorridorOfLight.jpg)
This is a Guayaba de Montaña - wild fruit tree. That little white tree in the distance is the end. When a big tree falls - it creates a "Corridor of Light" that regenerates the forest. Pretty cool really. We will remove this one and replant some Mahogany, Christobal and other shade loving trees.
Harold is also getting used to our bridges:
(https://forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10952/HaroldBalance.jpg)
He was doing real well - until I told him that the guys wanted to test the bridge and he was the best candidate...
Hope you liked the pictures.
Pretty cool pics! That looks like a pretty amzing place to live, and sounds like quiet an adventure to live there :)
SO Harold, when ya coming back home? ;D :D ;)
SD,
You may have to take him in Canada as I think the US has blocked him from coming back now that we have shipped him out. ;D
Farmerdoug
Yeah, you could say it is an adventure. ::)
Not everyone adapts very well done here - but I think FDH is going to be just fine.
Not sure if Costa Rica will survive him though... :o
Great pictures, Thanks a bunch 8)
Harold is a very interesting person and I wish you both much luck and good health...
Jerry
Thanks - I think we are going to do just fine. Lots of really interesting wood here if you know how to get to it. We are working with salvaging logs that most people just leave - having a Costa Rican business partner sure helps! On the log is my partner, Hector.
By the way, remember the old question, "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around, does it make a sound?" The answer is yes - Hector was about a kilometer away when it crashed down - he said it was really loud!
That don't prove nothing!
Hector heard it, there fore he was "around" to hear it.
Nothing proven! ;)
Furby, the tree didn't make a sound - you couldn't hear it from all the vines ripping...
Gotcha! :D
Yeah, ok! :D :D :D
Those are great pictures cr , Harold is in a DanG jungle 8)
Yes he is - what you can't see clearly in Hector's hand is a machete - we don't leave home without it! Just that morning they had killed a fer-de-lance. Nothing to be excited about, except when you don't have a longer fang.
But I didn't get a picture for Jeff. :(
Oh, and Harold is starting to have a problem with losing his pants, like most people when they get here, the weight just rolls off you at first. He said when he came down a few weeks ago, his pants barely fit - now he has to have a belt on. I suspect we will be seeing less and less of Harold all the time.
If Harold doesn't get in that container and get some of those grits he will just waste away from lack of good food. ;)
It looks like the Deadheader is doing just fine.
Don't let him waste away to nothing :o :o :o :o :o
My house is still in the shipping container waiting for him to send for it. :D :D :D :D
The pics are beautiful...........'cept for the snakes and scorpions :o :o :o :o I could do wothout those :) :)
Quote from: crtreedude on January 08, 2006, 06:04:42 AM
Oh, and Harold is starting to have a problem with losing his pants
When it reaches the point where this actually happens, PLEASE stop with the pictures!! :D
Hi Harold!! 8)
Ah, new expense just got entered into the budget - suspenders for Harold.
I don't think so... Dad took a pair with him. ;D
Maybe that's what's wrapped around the grits in the shipping container. ;D :D :D
Its sure good to see Harold in those photos. Thanks Fred. :)
Y'all are just jealous
;D ;D ;D
One very important thing, DO NOT believe everything Fred says. I took some Grits to San Jose, and have 2, count 'em, TWO, converts.
Things are going slowly right now. Waiting for that Blasted Container. That's nthe favorite saying with Geraldo, my new Amigo, IN THE CONTAINER.
Gotta go, see Y'all next trip into town. Hi ROXIE ;) ;) ;)
Glad you are doing well Harold. You might have to set up a grist mill. (did I say that right?)
;D ;D
Quote from: farmerdoug on January 07, 2006, 06:48:04 AM
If the customs guys take a liking to grits then he will never get anymore. :D :D
Farmerdoug
Just don't tell them ya' can make Tortillas outta da stuff an his stash will be safe. :D
Uh, Harold, I don't know how to tell you this.
The good news is that the container is fine and almost everything is fine.
The bad news is that the officials confiscated your grits to use to kill the pidgeons... Someone told them they were good for this. ::)
JUST KIDDING! ;D ;D ;D
Hector also is into the phrase "IT IS IN THE CONTAINER" - and Barry just called and said we should have it no problem this week and everything is in one piece. 8)
How exactly do you get 'the container' to where you want it, from what I've heard the roads there aren't the best ???
Our roads are really good out this way - no problem at all. It will be a truck from the warehouse to where Harold is staying.
Now, down on the coast - you need a helicopter!
Hey Harold,
When you've unpacked your pigeon poison, send the container to me, willya please?
I need a shipping container so I can empty out under the house!
ta
asy :D
Quote from: crtreedude on January 09, 2006, 01:53:39 PM
Hector also is into the phrase "IT IS IN THE CONTAINER"
Reminds me of the phrase 'WHEN IT'S DONE'. ;D ;D
Those are fun pics, Fred.
You are all worried about the Ticos and about Harold running into snakes and scorpions?
HELLO. He is with FRED! There is the worry. Hang in there, Harold.
Janet
P.S. Fred, you live in a weird neck of the woods if the Ticos drink TEA???
And when are you coming out to visit Janet? You don't even have an excuse - you are just on the other side of the hill from me... (Hill = 7,000 foot mountain)
Hmmm, Fred. When I get the courage (Harold is obviously braver), when you PROMISE Amy will be there to protect me, and when you train all the Ticos to drink the civilized beverage COFFEE.
:D
I thought we were good until the last one - but Hector will drink REALLY good coffee, so you could be in trouble.
Well, Harold couldn't have timed getting back up this way better - Hector just had a birthday party - more than 100 people there. Basically, the birthday party started about 1 or 2 in the afternoon, and started with chicarrones (pork cracklings) and continued on into the pig, and a cow. I mean a full pig and cow! Oh, and some fish from the river... and cake, and yuca, and you get the idea.
There was always something coming off the grill. Yes - I have pictures - I will try to post them later.
But can you imagine a birthday party that required a full pig and cow to feed it? :o
QuoteBut can you imagine a birthday party that required a full pig and cow to feed it?
Yes! ;D
but..... NO GRITS!
That's OK! I'm beginning to appreciate the fact that there are so many who don't like what I like. That means that there's more for me. ;D When I joined the Navy, my first thoughts at the breakfast line in Chicago was that I had made a terrible mistake. These people have run out of food. I got to the other end of the serving line and found that the Navy had Southern Cooks too, so life wasn't really so bad after all. :D :)
So, what were the pig and cow full of?
smiley_whacko smiley_thumbsup_grin smiley_clapping :) ::)
DanG, you surely have been around barns enough to know what they are full off... ::)