Enough Already!!!

We heard on the radio this morning that “tropical depression #16 in the Caribbean is causing the unusually heavy amount of rainfall for San Jose and the Pacific Coast” and that “in a day or two we’d be back to our normal ‘rainy season’ rain”. I guess my first clue should have been when I dumped 4.1 inches of rain out of our rain gauge this morning. How’s that for a great way to start off the day.

Then, I read this newspaper headline in La Nacion: “Fenomeno climatico extendera aguaceros hasta enero” (Hint: the last three words are “showers until January”). What this means for us is that the rainy season may extend three extra months this year. This is a little reminiscent of our first winter in Minnesota with a record-breaking 100 inches of snowfall, including 10 inches on April 30. We’re guessing we’ll get that in rain here for the 12 months we’ll be here.

“Winter” has really hit Costa Rica. The Tico’s are freezing. They are all dressed up in coats and scarves. They are also sick. We’ve seen plenty of people who have major colds. “Winter” has also made us “turn the heat on” at night; aka closing the bedroom window. We have enjoyed the side benefit of a quieter night. We no longer hear the dogs, trucks, roosters or river. Jim went to work yesterday in his usual garb, pants and a short-sleeved polo shirt. He was sitting in a meeting when his boss looks at him and says, “You know that it is winter, now.” I also had fun telling my Spanish teacher (who was wearing a fleece in the 70 degree open air room) what “real” winter temperatures are like.

So, now the September weather report. We had a whopping 21 inches of rain. And over 7 inches in the last five days.

On a positive note, on Tuesday Jim and I picked up our Costa Rican cedulas. These are our official ID cards. We now have proof of our residency and I believe (but I’m not quite positive) that we are officially finished with all of the rig-a-ma-roll that started in the middle of March.