LA GRANJA BEGINS

This week the back hoe arrived at the site of the new animal barn – La Granja in Spanish. The area needed to be leveled slightly so that we can begin construction of the barn. The site was chosen for its proximity to the open pastures that existed at Monte Azul from its previous life as a dairy farm. The site is at the top of the hill near the coffee plantation.

A new barn was needed to house our ever growing family of goats. We currently have 11 goats. However, 6 of the females are pregnant and expecting to give birth in mid November. Since 4 of the goats have had twins previously, there is the potential for 10 new goats. Goats usually give birth to a single kid in their first pregnancy and twins thereafter.

Any way you count it, our current goat facilities are just not adequate. Hence, a new barn is in the works. It is large enough house more than just goats too. I won’t let you know all of the animals that we planned for these new facilities but I will keep you posted of the progress. There is a deadline. The goats are going to give birth whether we are finished or not, so we need to keep moving forward.

A WALK IN THE FOREST

I few days ago Carlos and I went for a short walk along the River Edge trail here at Monte Azul. We were scouting for the perfect location to build a river viewing platform. Along the way we spotted several interesting plants and views. I thought that I might share just a few of them. The orchids show are endemic to this area only and have a sweet smell - an uncommon trait in orchids.

We did find that perfect spot for our viewing platform. We hope to start building it in the next few months and have it ready by December. It will be a fantastic spot to relax by the river, read a book, watch the birds and other wildlife or have lunch from Café Blue

I will be sure to keep you posted as we progress with this project.

CAN YOU SPOT THE SNAKE?

This week I received a call from our hotel manger Adrian saying that a big snake had been spotted along the road by our groundskeeper Cristobal. All of Monte Azul’s employees know that whenever an animal is spotted that I want to see it, if possible. Our property is full of animals but it usually takes a trained eye and being in the right place at the right time to see them. That and sitting still and patiently waiting for things to walk by.

After receiving this call, I immediately ran down to the area where this snake was spotted. When I got there, Carlos, Melissa, Alvaro and 2 visiting artists, Karla Solano and Luis Diego Ramos, were already on the scene. Everyone was looking up. I looked up and couldn’t see anything. I was expecting a “big” snake. After having everyone give me instructions on where to look, I finally spotted the snake. It was a the very top of the tree, long and thin like a tree branch. It didn’t help that I was looking up into the sun but after a few moments I located it.

I had brought my camera and started taking a few photos. I did not hold out much hope of getting a good shot but thought that I would give it a try any way. I was really surprised that some of them turned out. Here are a few of the photos I took. In the first one, can you tell which part is a branch and which part is the snake? I still don’t see how Cristobal was able to spot this snake, especially since he was in his car driving down the road when he saw it. I guess it just takes experience and living here your entire life. Maybe one day I will be able spot forest creatures this easily and call others to come look.

ANOTHER GOAT?

As a result of our ever growing goat herd and our goal to continuously improve our sustainable practices, we have turned our focus on the goat’s house. We currently have 10 goats and are preparing for the next breeding season. Our facilities cannot support any more goats. With 6 goats old enough for breeding this season we need to expand our housing for this year’s new arrivals.

This week Carlos, Asdrubel (our goat herder) and I went to see a farmer in Quebradas that has more than 40 goats. He invited us to visit his farm and see his operation first hand. It was a very informative visit. We got many great ideas about how to build our new goat facilities. He has raised platforms to house and feed the goats. There is also a special platform for milking. The goats are trained that when he opens the pen's gate and calls the goat, she runs out and jumps up on the platform ready to be milked.

This facility didn’t house just goats. He also had a place for dairy cows, pigs, chickens, ducks and pigeons. There were also guinea hens. These birds are fascinating to watch. They have large bodies with short necks and small white heads. They roam around the yard looking for insects.

Part of this animal barn included a pen for the yound kids - 6 month olds. There were about 12 of them. Each one was as adorable as the next. As much as I try to be a true farmer, my emotions sometimes get the best of me. I fell in love with each of the kids. There was one that was especially cute. Long story short, Carlos was just as touched by these baby goats as I was and he bought her before I knew what was happening.

Her name is Cachita. She was named Cachita because she has only 1 horn and it is very small. Cacho is Costa Rican slang for horn. So her name means little horn. Cachita’s markings of black, white and tan make her especially adorable. Here are a few photos of the newest member of the Monte Azul family. She makes goat #11.

SOLAR WATER HEATER INSTALLED AT MONTE AZUL

Monte Azul continues its mission of sustainability. We are always looking at ways to improve our use of resources and reduce, reuse and recycle. On May 12, 2011, we installed the first solar water heater on the roof of the studio. This is solar water heater was installed by a company in San Jose call Solray. The system consists of a series of heat collection tubes, a storage tank and a monitor.

The array of heat collection tubes is approximately 6 feet long and 7 feet wide. These tubes are specifically designed to maximize the suns energy and heat the water inside the the tubes. As the water in the tubes is heated, it rises and flows into the storage tank that is located above the tubes. The storage tank holds 300 liters (79 gallons). If there are several days of no or little sun, the system has a back up electric heating element in the tank. This coil slowly heats the water up to a desired temperature.

There is also a digital monitor the lets you know the temperature of the water in the tank at any given time. The water temperature has been fluctuating between 50 -70 degrees Celsius (122-158 degree Fahrenheit) depending on usage and amount of sunshine. This temperature range is definitely hot enough to take a shower.

It has been 3 weeks since the unit has been installed and it is working very well. We will test it for 3 months and make sure that it continues to work properly. We also want to check and see how much money we are saving by eliminating the traditional electrical tank water heater. We goal is to eventually replace all our electric water heaters with solar water heaters. I will let you know in a few months how we are doing and the actual savings in electric usage we experience.

THE GREENHOUSE GETS A VISITOR

Monte Azul’s greenhouse and gardens have been producing a bounty of organic vegetables, herbs and fruits lately. Our chefs at Café Blue have also been quite productive in turning this bounty into delicious, fresh, organic, seasonal dishes for our guests who are quite happy.

We have even developed a “Salad Safari” where the guests can hike to the greenhouse and pick their own lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions and other fresh items. They then hike back to Café Blue where our chefs turn these items into a delicious salad. Our guests really seem to enjoy this experience. This was the result that we hoped for when we began experimenting with the greenhouse and gardens a few years ago.

One result that we didn’t anticipate was the abundance of wildlife that also enjoys the harvest. The greenhouse has attracted rabbits, squirrels, armadillos, coati mundis, birds , lizards and butterflies. Our goats have also broken into the garden for a meal or two. It has attracted predators that prey on these creatures too.

A few weeks ago one of these predators made and appearance inside the greenhouse. This visitor was an 8+ foot long boa constrictor. It was a beautiful snake that was sunning itself in the heat of the day. It looked like it had had a meal recently. There was a distinct bulk in the body a few feet behind its head.

The gardeners carefully removed the snake from the greenhouse. We then took several photos before sending it on its way down the hillside. Maybe we will see it again someday.

MY, MY, MY DELILAH

Tom Jones might have sung about his love for the woman Delilah but here at Monte Azul, we sing for our Delilah - Dog #5. Yes, we have adopted another dog. This little girl was living on the street in San Isidro in front of the restaurant Delji. Unlike the other dogs that we have rescued, Delilah was not starving. She looked sad enough and cute enough to get restaurant patrons to feed her as she begged for scraps. She was however, in a sad state. Her white fur was matted from dirt, cement, burrs, and stickers. She also was covered in fleas and ticks.

At the end of our meal as we got ready to depart, Carlos looked at me and said that he was going to go get the car and pull it up to the restaurant. I was supposed to coax the dog over to me with food then pick her up and put her in the car. I wasn´t sure if she would let me get that close or pick her up but before I knew it we were all in the car on the way to the veterinarian.

At the veterinarian´s office, Delilah was cleaned up, given a haircut and received all the necessary shots. She has been at home at the studio for a few weeks now and has completely won over our hearts. She has also become the leader of the pack and keeps the other 4 dogs in line.

So much for our limit of 3 dogs. Maybe it was suppose to be no more that 3 inside dogs. We should have been more specific.