Snowblind

Milwaukee's stark, snow-laden landscape is blinding after three and a half weeks in sunny Playa Junquillal! I'm already counting the days until my return to Tierra Pacifica (Twenty-six days to be exact, but who's really counting?!)...

December in the dry forest (bosque seco) of Guanacaste is a palette of waxy deep green foliage blended with the yellow-green of drying and falling deciduous leaves (approximately 40% of Tierra Pacifica's native trees). It is the transitional time for flora, as trees and plants lose their leaves, but begin to produce fruits and flowers during the dry season. This is a wonderful opportunity for viewing the "wild side" of Tierra Pacifica. The Howler Monkeys (Mono Congo) feed insatiably on the buds of emerging Corteza Amarilla (Yellow Cortez trees) and other flowering species. The life cycle of the trees guarantees a healthy monkey population in Tierra Pacifica, where babies and juveniles can be spotted in troupes year-round. After flowering trees bloom to provide food in the months of January and February, they subsequently develop seed pods and fruits in March and April. The pods are eaten by monkeys, birds and squirrels in the trees and dropped to the ground and are further dispersed by agouti, coatimundi, and other animals on the ground. The result? A new crop of seeds is dispersed and ready to root and sprout as the green season rains begin in late April and May, starting the cycle all over again. The trees green up, deciduous trees sprout new growth, and the monkey diet remains plentiful. For Tierra Pacifica property owners and residents this translates into beautiful scenery year-round!

Birds, too, are more easily spotted in trees now and just as the activity of migratory bird species begins to peak in February and March. Nests become more visible and the Mot-Mot and Trogan more vocal and easier to spot. Both birds have a distinct call. The Mot-Mot calls "mot, mot... mot, mot" and can be identified by a pendulum-type tail. The bird plucks its own tail feathers to achieve the pendulum effect, though scientists disagree as to the motive. A walk along Tierra Pacifica's hiking trails is rewarded with sightings of the Squirrel or Lesser Ground Cuckoo. The estuary in the corner of the property and surrounding wetland area are favorite stop-overs for Roseate Spoonbill, Black-bellied Whistling Ducks, Wood Stork, heron, egret and more. Last year a Jaibiru (the world's largest wading bird species at a height of approximately 6 feet tall!) frequented the organic farm in Tierra Pacifica. This is an important occurrence in that it reminds us of the need to protect Tierra Pacifica's green space and wildlife habitat. There are some exciting efforts underway related to wetland and mangrove protection and restoration in and around Tierra Pacifica and Playa Junquillal. Look for a related blog in the near future!

So, snowblind here in Milwaukee, I must be content to daydream about Junquillal and our time spent in December and early January.

Last year Doug hosted a party for Tierra Pacifica employees just before the Holidays. Joan, Dana, and Rob helped out with food and festivities last year, but this year the planning and party were officially in the hands of the HOA. Joan did an admirable job of planning and buying food on short notice. Linda and Ricardo Rush cooked up a storm, with Ricardo flipping burgers on the grill and Linda cooking chicken to perfection in the kitchen! The employees of the HOA number only 12 (gardeners, pool maintenance, cleaning, and guards) and the majority have worked at Tierra Pacifica since the beginning. Holding the fiesta on a Saturday afternoon hurt attendance somewhat, as many travel to the market in Santa Cruz on Saturdays. However, those who were in attendance with their guests had a great time and the Rush's cooking was a hit! We ate a lot of food, drank a lot of cervezas, and had a nice time recognizing the tireless efforts of the HOA employees in keeping Tierra Pacifica looking great and running safely and smoothly. We will profile our HOA employees in coming blogs. We are very fortunate, particularly on the security front, to have such consistency in our staff.

Tierra Pacifica saw several visits by homeowners at the end of 2008. The Morgan and Robertson families visited during November. The Robertson's home is nearing completion on the lot adjacent to Club Arbol. Linda and Ricardo Rush are in residence in Playa Junquillal for a few months. The Kaleta's spent the Holidays in residence at Casa Kaleta in Tierra Pacifica. Wes and Judith were able to enjoy vacation time in their now-completed home. Their open house on New Year's Day was well attended and they have definitely added the finishing touches that make a house (casa) a home (hogar)! Diane McLaughlin (HOA Vice-President) arrived just after the New Year with a visiting friend and the McLaughlin's sons and nephew. The guys were squeezing in a week of surfing before returning home. Diane's husband Joe arrives soon and they will remain in their home in Tierra Pacifica for a couple of months. Will and Lynette Raap's daughter and son arrived with friends to ring in the New Year, with Will and Lynette following last week. Lynette's mother arrived a few days later. They will be in residence for a few months.

Early January has been an active time for visiting Tierra Pacifica property owners. Thomas Windsor and friends were in town for a week. The Rogers-Windsor house is nearing completion and looks stunning! Thomas' wife, Ramona, has made frequent visits during the construction process and plans to return in February. Lot owners Liz and Randy were soaking up the sun poolside last week. It was great to see them again after meeting around this same time last year. A group of TP HOA members (Liz, Randy, Joan, Dana, Diane, and guests) enjoyed sunset and cocktails at Joan's, followed by dinner together at Las Tuquitas last week. It was fun to get together and we've really developed a nice network of property and homeowners. The more people we meet, the more we are convinced that Tierra Pacifica has really attracted a great group of folks!

Tierra Pacifica is a rapidly growing community. Many lots have sold in the past year. In fact, sales have remained active in recent months, despite the economy in US and foreign markets. Doug Stern continues to manage and oversee things as our Estate Manager and Jim Hamilton keeps the books balanced and collects the HOA fees that allow us to keep Tierra Pacifica running smoothly. Joan Inman (HOA President), Diane McLaughlin (HOA Vice-President) and I, Dana Kaleta (HOA Secretary), have been working to address some of the issues that accompany growth and change in any community, particularly one that is as new as Tierra Pacifica. Many issues that arise are new concerns and require decisions that lay the groundwork for future use of our common areas. Other issues impact our security, the solvency of our community, and our relationship with the surrounding community. We will highlight some of these concerns, developments and related decisions in coming blogs to keep you appraised of all that is happening in and around Tierra Pacifica.

I have to take a moment to recognize and praise our HOA President, Joan Inman. Joan is really the only Tierra Pacifica homeowner who is a current, full-time resident within the Tierra Pacifica community. She serves as the Manager of Club Arbol, handling seasonal and annual gym memberships, is the first to receive phone calls day or night when issues and concerns arise, and is generally our eyes and ears at Tierra Pacifica as long as the majority of us are seasonal visitors and part-time residents. Joan is often the first point of contact for potential Tierra Pacifica buyers, as she hosts numerous visitors in her bed and breakfast, "Hotelito Si, Si, Si" on the grounds of Tierra Pacifica. As such, she is basically "on-call" for Tierra Pacifica around the clock! Joan: Thank you for all you do to keep our community running smoothly! "Tireless hostess" among her many hats, who hasn't enjoyed Joan's hospitality and a sunset from her rooftop?

I'm off to shovel the 5 inches of snow we have received since my return from Costa Rica just two days ago! Keep an eye on our Tierra Pacifica blog for photos, more posts, and updates. Make your travel plans now to attend the Tierra Pacifica annual HOA meeting, scheduled for Sunday, February 22nd, 2009. The meeting will begin at 9:00 am at Club Arbol.

Pura Vida!

Dana Kaleta
HOA Secretary