Living with Bill the Ant in Costa Rica is Pura Vida for a Photographer

My life in Costa Rica has been an outstanding experience with a variety of adventures and events. I have photographed a number of beautiful and incredible sights and this is just one very small example of how close I live to it all.

As you know we have leaf cutter ants in the jungle and they are a very busy lot who work very hard all day long. This is a story about their strength and persistence that happened one day.

An ant we will call Bill, was travelling along with all of his buddies as they were devastating my favourite flowering tree near my driveway. Bill dropped his leaf to pick up something he thought might be more beneficial to the group, a matchstick, the strong wooden type. He began carrying it upright as if it were a leaf. I think he was a little confused but, of course, maybe I was the only one confused.

With care I picked up the matchstick thinking that I would lessen the load. And incredible as it might seem, Bill did not let go and was picked up along with the match, his little feet still trying to march away.

I took the match, with ant, to the terrace of my house and put it down thinking that he would let go. Obviously Bill was looking for his marching band, because he began to march around with the matchstick held high weaving around chairs and tables but remaining on the terrace.

Without hesitation he marched around and around like a soldier carrying his flag. As a photographer I watched and photographed in amazement for over an hour and could not help but wonder when he would drop the match and go on his merry way as he must have been panting by now, not that you can see an ant pant, believe me!

Without hesitation he marched around and around in military precision carrying his flag. As a photographer I watched and photographed in amazement for over an hour and couldnt help but wonder when he would drop the match and go on his merry way as he must have been panting by now, not that you can see an ant pant, believe me!

Life is hard for all of us but are you willing and ready to drop a small item to carry one that is monumental? Bill the ant did. What a creature!

Who among us would drop a light load to carry a very heavy one for our team? Think about it and what we can learn from this wonderful creature that we often take for granted.

Frank Scott lives in sunny Costa Rica where he is a professional Costa Rica Photographer offering lovely photography tours. Some of his work can be seen in Costa Rica Vacations, a highly popular destination guide to this lovely country.