STRANGER IN PARADISE, PART DOS

From Cattle Car to Cocktails

My seatbelt was tight, my cocktail’s loose

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Written with heart, humor and a stubborn refusal to stay silent
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Can’t beat the view! Photo by the author.

Well, here I am, on a cliff overlooking a deep bay and a backdrop of mountains. The sticky air is hot, the breeze off the water is welcomed and all is right with the world.

I’ve recovered from my airplane journey yesterday from Kansas City to Costa Rica. Another hour in that cattle car would’ve done me in. It’s amazing what a handful of juice drinks will do for a guy’s spirits. Especially when those drinks are filled with a handful of spirits.

I’m a Scotch drinker, usually. Simple. Unassuming. Guaranteed to satisfy.

But here in the tropics, I had to try the local stuff. Blue and harmless — harmless looking, anyway. Luckily, I’ll be having breakfast soon. That should even things out a bit.

Balcony Bliss

We have a beautiful view from our balcony. Flowers and trees and flowers on trees. The tide is out, so the shore below is a bit rocky, but it’s very clear to me, I’m not in Kansas anymore.

First off, nothing in Kansas is this high. Secondly, farm ponds typically don’t…