For Costa Rica, that’s a temblor gigante! A 6.1 magnitude earthquake is categorized as “strong”, which K and I can attest to after we were jolted out of a dead sleep last night. We gathered the dogs, poised to execute our evac plan to run out front and avoid falling trees and outbuildings until the tremors stopped. Tremors that never came, thankfully, but reminded us of how our company, Richter Scale Productions, would be inundated with calls from all around the world after a big quake. Frantic moms desperately seeking answers about their loved ones.
Since that temblor hit last night, we’ve been a bit anxious. It didn’t help that shortly after dawn, dozens of birds – guans, parrots, toucans, and aracaris – all started squawking simultaneously in the jungle behind our house. They kept up the cacophony for at least 15 minutes, which had never happened before. K and I looked at each other with alarm and asked, “Do they know something we don’t?”
So far, so good, knock on wood. Thanks to the ingenuity and hyper-preparedness of K, we are well-situated to handle most natural “disasters” here in paradise. These past few weeks, we’ve encountered many of them. Power outages are normal, but usually don’t last 18 hours! We’ve had two lately, and thankfully, our solar backup system kept the lights on. Water shortages are common enough that we have two backup water tanks in our home and two in our rental casita. We are now on our seventh day without water to the community due to a broken pump at the main supply tank.
But lightning strikes, earthquakes, and mudslides are three phenomena that no amount of preparedness can mitigate, and we’ve encountered all three in as many weeks. Did I forget to mention the massive mudslide that blocked the only road into our neighborhood for several days?
Apocalyptic thoughts abound, at least in my overwrought brain. What’s happening in the US is perhaps symptomatic of the world’s deterioration, both politically and climatically. We’re feeling the pernicious effects down here, as we keep a low profile in the jungle, minding our own business – if you don’t count social media, of course.
With torrential downpours a daily occurrence, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, unless it’s that damned oncoming train we all expect. So, in search of silver linings, I have amassed several new, natural disaster-style subplots for Pura Vida the Hard Way and its sequels to “shake up” an already dramatic storyline. I’m studying my Murder Board now, looking for the perfect place to drop in a temblor gigante. I’ve already got a power outage, but lightning strikes, mudslides, and water shortages are looking promising as well.
Pura vida, mis amigos.
Judy Richter 