Coffee

Hands down, my favorite beverage is coffee. It always has been. I'm not picky either. I'll take it with or without milk and sugar, tall, short, with a shot, as a shot, iced, with a friend, all alone and any time of day. You say, "Coffee?" I say, "Yes, please." I really had no idea that we were moving to coffee country when we chose Puriscal, Costa Rica, and since being here I've found I not only like to drink coffee, but I have a lot in common with it.

Coffee thrives at altitudes above 3000 feet where the temeratures are never too hot or too cold, and it does best in the shade. Me too. Coffee plantations are beautiful. Neat rows of pruned coffee trees cover the hillsides here. Their bright red berries and dark glossy leaves are a striking contrast. It's hard to believe that these mellow little plants sitting in the fog, among birds and storybook views produce berries that pack such a punch.

The harvest has nearly come to an end in Costa Rica. It is a Christmas crop. Families usually team up together to go out picking. After ripening under the heavy clouds of the rainy season, all of the red berries are stripped off into baskets just as fast as possible. The jubient red orbs continue a long journey before finally being poured into cups and helping millions of us start our days and burn the midnight oil. It's an enormous part of our world. So, whether sitting quietly in a foggy field or on the breakfast table, I can say from experience, coffee makes good neighbors.