A Break in the Rain: Nica Nugget #101

While Hurricane Laura makes landfall in the United States, we’ve had our own unrelated tropical depression happening here in San Juan del Sur. Since last week, the skies have been overcast and rainy. The dirt roads have turned to mud and puddles. The air temperature has cooled. And my husband has come down with his annual cold, although now in August rather than in September like the past two years. I too was feeling headachy and congested over the weekend, so I too stayed indoors. But how frustrating and curious. We have been so incredibly cautious these past almost 6 …

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Two Years and 100 Nuggets: Nica Nugget #100

Today is my two-year anniversary of writing Nica Nuggets! And today I am writing Nica Nugget number 100! That’s 50 per year. Had I written four more, I would have averaged one per week over the past two years. As it is, I’ve found that I’m not that regular. There are times when I’m truly inspired, like during rainy season when the beauty here is overwhelming. The dry season, I’ve found, tends to dry my creative juices up too. My subject matter has also fluctuated. Now, during the pandemic, I’m restricting my contact with people, so I’m not meeting new …

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Art on the Beach: Nica Nugget #99

Have you seen these yet while walking on the beach along the bay of San Juan del Sur? I’m not going to tell you where they are, so that you can go looking and can have the joy of finding them yourself. Enjoy! And while you’re at it…see how many different species of birds you spot along the way. It’s time to look closer and deeper at this gorgeous world around us. San Juan del Sur, I love you.

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A Kaleidoscope of Butterflies: Nica Nugget #98

Yes that’s it’s official name: A kaleidoscope.Also: A swarm. A rabble. A flutter. For the past two weeks John and I have been walking into clouds of butterflies, all but hidden in the duff of the dirt or cobbled roads, only to be set aloft with our passage. They dance amongst the flowers. Some even clatter, as if with castanets, as they flutter in pairs past me in my hammock. John jokes that we should take some psychedelic drugs and just sit for hours and observe them. I laugh back that no external drugs are needed. They are their own …

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Three Months of Self-Quarantine: Nica Nugget #97

It is our three-month anniversary of self-quarantining. It began when Costa Rica announced that they were closing their border, because suddenly that made the Pandemic seem locally real (since the Nicaragua government was saying little and the Costa Rica border, which we often cross to access flights to the States and back, is just a 50-minute drive away). At first we worried about the possibility of there being disruptions to food, propane and purified water being brought into town. So we made sure our propane tanks were filled and bought two extra 5-gallon jugs and stocked our pantry shelves just …

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The Estuary Cut Open to the Sea: Nica Nugget #96

Tonight, when John and I walked down to the beach to watch the sunset, we were surprised by all the people at the Talanguera end of the beach, which is near where we live. People playing soccer. Sitting in beach chairs (which is not a common sight). Swimming. Walking. Running. Digging in the sand. And then we turned south along the beach towards town and were surprised by the new, huge cut in the sand between the estuary and the sea. We got there just in time to watch as the machine that made the cut was trailered away. Yes, …

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A Most Amazing Hike: Nica Nugget #93

I’m lying on my bed exhausted. But that good kind of exhausted. Today I had a wonderful surprise. I saw vistas I’ve never seen before and walked on trails I’ve never trod and never even knew existed. I had my jaw drop open from beauty, and from surprise like a kid on Christmas. And basically in my own front yard! It is almost 3 months since John and I began our “self-quarantine.” And since we don’t have a car, we have spent three months only going places we can walk. Fortunately, we chose where we live for the wonderful walks …

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Bringing Our Boats In: Nica Nugget #92

Last weekend’s weather forecast called for a severe storm. Fishermen brought their boats in. The severe storm missed us, lashing out at El Salvador to the north of us instead. But our waves were big and loud. And our high tide was very high. The rains came and the brown of landscape turned a glorious riotous green. Workers with machinery arrived at the estuary and punched a channel out from the river to the sea. So the river could easily flow with the rains and not get all choked up. In my home country, the United States, the forecast is …

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