Hiking, cooking, etc.

It's been a busy couple of days here in Monteverde. On Saturday, I went hiking with Emma, Tricia, Erica, Heather, Katy and Pele. (Picture included here). On Sunday night, I had Heather and Jonathon over for dinner in what was my first ever attempt to entertain in my living space. Really. I am not a hostess, ordinarily. I rarely invited folks over for anything at all in my old apartment in Philly, as it was extremely messy and filled with cat hair. Here thing are a bit cleaner and there is a significant decrease in the amount of cat hair. And so, I cooked a whole meal for Heather and Jonathon all by myself! I made pasta sauce from scratch and also make green beans. I made cheese quesadillas as an appetizer. It was all very lovely, and no one died of food poisoning from my cooking. So, a success!
Last Friday I had my first army ant invasion here in the house! The back wall of the extra bedroom was covered, floor to ceiling, in ants. They marched around for a while, then marched out to the kitchen, and then out of the house. It was fascinating. They are very organized, those ants. Not a single one was left behind when they exited the house via the back door.
Also saw my second snake yesterday! I was out running with my friend Gina and a snake appeared beneath our feet. It was small and green and skidding along the dirt. We both screamed and leapt into the air, although it was not a venomous snake. But even if they are not dangerous, seeing an unexpected snake can be quite startling. Then again, when is a snake ever an "expected" snake? I suppose if I was visiting the Serpentarium in Santa Elena, where they display snakes in aquariums, then I would expect to see some snakes.